#hinotori yagi

[z-iridest]

My Hero Academia- I Am Phoenix:

Chapter 24- The Strength of Friends:

The fight between the new villain and I felt like it went on even longer than the fight between me and Wendigo, and once again, I was fighting while losing blood. If I don’t do something about the wound soon, I’ll end up passing out again. I thought, and I knew that was something I couldn't afford to do, not with Kota still in harm’s way… I hated the idea I had to use, but since my healing tears didn't work on my own wounds and no first aid available to me, I had to cauterize my wound shut and hope it wouldn't result in an infection later. Everytime I knocked the villain back, I had my hands melting the skin of my wound closed, clenching my teeth to keep from screaming in pain. Only a couple seconds at a time, mind you, but it still hurt like a sucker punch to the gut to do… Okay, fine, maybe worse. But, hey, the alternative was bleeding out and passing out in front of Kota. After a few attempts, I was able to close the wound, though I felt like I was gonna pass out from how much pain I had put myself through to seal the wound. At some point, my luck with dodging ran out, because I hit the stone wall after a solid punch. The villain laughed as I coughed, struggling to stand up. “Lucky for you, you’re not on the kill list. But, since I still wanna kill, I’ll just knock you out and kill the kid.” He grinned. 

“Leave him alone!” I swung at him as I stood up, but a good strong punch knocked me right back into the stone wall, making my head start to bleed. 

“No!” Kota cried out.

“You fought well, but not good enough…” He raised his fist, the muscles wrapping around his arm. “Nighty night, little Birdy!” I could barely move as he brought his fist down, but at the last second…

A jolt pulled me away as a pair of arms grabbed me, both of us rolling out of the way barely a second before the villain's fist hit the ground, green lightning surrounding us. A cough left us both and I struggled to sit up as a pair of red sneakers caught my eye. Izuku… I thought, recognizing my friend as I looked up at him. “What’re you doing?” Kota asked him, running over to us.

“Now, you, I also recognize. You were on the list too.” The villain told him. I could see the gears turning in Izuku’s head. He was trying to think things through. He glanced over where his phone had ended up, and I grimaced when I noticed it had broken while he was saving me. I knew he couldn't call for help, and I had no reception at all, so I couldn't either. Mandalay knew I had gone to find Kota, but Izuku probably didn't tell her where the hideout was. We were on our own against this villain with no hope of back up except each other. I struggled, but I eventually stood up, stepping in front of Kota again. 

“Hino, you’re hurt, let me take care of this. You should grab Kota and get out of here.” Izuku told me. I shook my head.

“You’re not fighting this maniac on your own. You’ll need backup. I’ll be fine.” I replied. “We can fight him together, just like we did with Stain. We’ll protect Kota and keep this guy away from everyone else.” I turned to Kota. “Everything'll be okay.”

“We promise.” Izuku finished, glancing back at him for a second before we both turned our attention to the villain in front of us.

“We’re going to save you, Kota.” We said at the same time. The villain laughed. 

“You two really think you can save this little brat?” The villain taunted. He laughed again. “That does sound like something a couple of wannabe heroes would say. Your kind sure likes to mouth off about justice. The names are Midoriya and Yagi, right? Perfect… We were told we could take some initiative and kill you, Midoriya, so long as we kept you alive, Yagi. But first, a little torment. Show me your blood!” He charged us. Izuku jumped in front of me to take the first hit, but the second the villain’s punch connected with Izuku’s arm, I heard the cracking of Izuku’s arm before he was knocked into the wall of the cave to our left. “Whoopsie…” Izuku yelled in pain when he finally got breath. “Oh, yeah. Hey. Maybe you can help me out a little first. You know where a kid named Bakugo might be around here?” The color drained from my face at the mention of the angry blond. They’re after Bakugo and me… But why? “I still have a job to do, after all!” He charged Izuku, but I jumped in the way this time, grabbing his fist before he could hurt Izuku again.

“You bastard!” I let my entire body ignite, glaring as he got burned slightly before jumping back.

“You do know what I’m talking about, then? Good, then… Play time!” The villain charged me. I jumped as he punched the ground, flipping over him and landing behind him. It went back and forth like that for a while. When one of us got knocked down, the other would jump into the fight. After a few times of the back and forth and Izuku getting knocked down, the villain got a good kick into me, making me cough up a bit of blood while he laughed. “Yes! Blood is exactly what I wanted from you two! What did you two promise? That everything would be okay? How’s that workin’ out for ya, huh?” Through blurry vision, I could see Kota, looking terrified out of his mind. I pushed aside my own pain to stand up. “Don’t just lay there, stupid…”

“Shut up.” I snarled, my vision clearing to see him looking gleeful, almost like he was excited to see me pissed off. My whole body ignited again as I took off toward him, yelling in anger. I saw green lighting out of the corner of my eye and knew Izuku had gotten up too. We both hit him, but he didn’t even flinch, not even away from my flames. 

“What? Is that all you two got?” He taunted, and to be honest, the nonchalance threw me off. Not even Izuku’s punch hurt him? “You’re both fast, but neither of you are strong enough to hurt me.” He swiped his arm, causing us both to hit the ground and slide a bit. “My Quirk increases my speed and strength so exponentially that my muscle fibers can’t even be contained by my skin. I know, I’m braggin’ a bit, but I mean, come on! I guess, what I’m trying to say is…You’re just inferior versions of me!”

“SHUT THE HELL UP!” I screamed in rage, punching him as hard as I could. Much to my surprise, though, the fire in my punch actually exploded on contact, making him slide back further than it did before. I looked at my hand.

“I didn’t know you could do that…” Izuku trailed off.

“That... makes two of us.” I mumbled, wondering where the hell it even came from. Before either of us could say more, my instincts told me to dodge, and Izuku and I moved out of the way just in time to dodge another punch from him. Izuku got hurt by one of the rocks that went flying, though. “Deku!” I yelled.

“I can’t help but laugh at you two kids… You two really think you’re heroes, don’t you?” The villain punched me down this time, causing me to land hard on the stone ground. Soon after, Izuku hit the ground hard too. To be honest, at that point, I was sure he’d been knocked out. “How’re you gonna save him, huh?! Don’t make promises you can’t keep! Live up to your words or they don’t mean anything!” I could hear his boots in front of us. “You’re no hero, neither of you are. You’re just frauds, and both of you’ll die that way!” The villain suddenly stopped, and I heard the sound of a pebble hitting the ground. Did Kota just… I thought and when I looked, sure as hell, I saw Kota. He’d turned the villain’s attention to him.

“Remember Water Hose? My mom… and my Dad. Did you torment the two of them too? Before you killed them?!” I knew from the way his voice shook that he was scared, but he’d still acted in an attempt to save us. The worry for him grew ten times worse, and I could hear from the gasp that left Izuku that he was awake again and worried too.

“Huh? Seriously? Those losers were your parents?” He asked before raising his arms slightly. “Well, then, this must be fate. The Water Hose heroes, they’re the reason I have an artificial eye in my left socket right now.” He showed Kota his left eye.

“This is all your fault. Nothing in the world is right anymore and it’s because of crazy people like you!” Kota sobbed.

“Little kids are always so quick to say it’s someone else’s fault.” The villain spoke as I struggled to get up, sensing the danger as Kota gasped. “Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not like I took them out ‘cause I was mad about the eye thing. I wanted to kill people, it’s as simple as that, and those two tried to stop me. What happened was the result of all of us doing our best. The real travesty is promising to do something you aren’t able to do. That’s why your dear old mommy and daddy died!” Both Izuku and I moved at the same time. “Nice try with the sneak attack, but I’m ready!”

“You ruined his life…”

“But you won’t take the blame?!” I finished for Izuku as we got in close. He got us both trapped with a tiny part of his muscle, but it now hardly mattered. “We’ve got you now…”

“It doesn’t matter how quick you are!” Izuku finished for me this time.

“But what’s your next move?! You gonna punch with those puny Quirks of yours?!” The villain taunted before I ignited myself again, causing him to cry out in pain and let me go. I immediately flew to Kota.

“It’s not a matter of whether or not either of us can do it.” Izuku yelled. Kota gasped, lunging forward as I reached him.

“A hero’s job is to risk their life, to turn their promises into reality!” Izuku and I both shouted as Izuku powered up.

“LET HIM HAVE IT, DEKU!” I wrapped my arms and wings around Kota, shielding him as Izuku's punch landed. The force from the blast was so strong, I had to unwrap my wings to keep Kota and I from falling off the cliff, the poor kid screaming in fear. With a flap of my wings, though, we were steady in the air. I could feel Kota clinging to me out of fear. “I gotcha, Kota. I told you it’d be okay.” I assured him as I landed with him in my arms.

“Sorry about that.” Izuku apologized as he approached. His shirt was ripped in half, and I noticed his arm was broken again. Recovery Girl’s gonna kill him. I thought.

“Thank you for-” Kota gasped mid sentence, noticing Izuku’s injuries as he turned. 

“Let’s get back to camp, it’s not far.” Izuku didn’t even address it. All of a sudden, the ground beneath us shook, and I set Kota down again.

“Kota, hide, right now.” I told him, making him run for a hiding place. We weren’t done… That guy had taken a full powered hit of One For All at point blank range and was still up. The villain groaned a bit before grinning at us.

“Heh. A bit too obvious, but hey. Not too bad, Midoriya.” He stalked toward us.

“No! Stay away!” Izuku shouted.

“Naw, attacking sounds more fun.” The villain replied.

“My turn!” I shouted, shooting off blast after blast. As we fought, I knew I had to buy time for Izuku to think of another plan. “Tell me, why did you come here? What does the League want from us?!”

“Doesn’t matter to me, I’m just glad they finally let me off the leash. As long as I get to use my Quirk all I want, I really don’t care. Remember what I told you two earlier? We’ve just been playing around, having fun until now...” The second he got a chance, he pulled something out of his pocket, and my eyes went wide when I realized what it was. “Now, I’m serious! Recess is over. I’m coming at you both for real! ‘Cause truth be told, you’re both pretty strong. I see that now!”

“Kota, quick, grab on! Hurry!” Izuku told him, bending down so the kid could get on his back. Right as he did, both Izuku and I had to dodge quickly as the villain powered up his Quirk and attacked, missing us by a hair. The hit this time caused a massive hole that went halfway down the cliff. His entire body was now nothing but muscle except his head, and I knew we were screwed. He turned to see us in the air and attacked again, the force of the blast making us fall in the other direction.

“Aw, damn! I got too excited!” The villain exclaimed. I tried to at least slow the boys’ fall down, but it didn’t do much as all three of us hit the ground, Izuku and I in front of Kota. As we got up again, I could see Izuku thinking about what to do. We were both exhausted from training and the previous fights, if we tried to make a break for it, both of us would be dead the second we turned our backs on this villain. We didn’t have much of a choice but to fight him right where we were. We both stood to full height.

“Stay back, Kota.” I warned the kid behind us.

“And then, when it’s time, run as fast as you can back to camp.” Izuku finished for me.

“You’re both gonna attack him again? You can’t do that! Let’s just go! Come on! His punch didn’t hurt that guy earlier, remember? Besides, both his arms are busted up.” Kota tried convincing us to run.

“It’s gonna be fine.” We reassured him at the same time, and I forced myself to push down my own worry about Izuku’s injuries in order to make sure Kota would feel safe. The villain cackled as he geared up for another attack. Izuku and I both activated our power at top power.

“I’M COMING FOR YOU!” The villain yelled as he charged.

“BRING IT ON!” I shouted back as Izuku and I both charged him. We both punched the mass of muscles coming right at us, holding back a strength that could rival my Dad’s own power. The force of it forced the ground under our feet to break, but the both of us held on.

“Aww, what’s wrong?! THAT WAS EVEN WEAKER THAN BEFORE!” The villain taunted.

“Fine then! Let’s turn up the heat, Deku!” I told my friend.

“IT’LL ALL BE OKAY! WE WON’T LET HIM GET PAST US! KOTA, RUN!” Izuku yelled to him.

“GO NOW!” I added.

“Still looking after him. Oh, man, you two are something else, aren’t you?!” The force pushing against us got stronger, pushing us onto our knees.

“SHUT UP, DAMN IT!” Izuku and I yelled as I put my back into a punch with my other arm too, burning him even more.

“But, why?!” Kota asked.

“SHOW ME…YOUR BLOOD!” Our backs hit the ground as we struggled to keep the force off of us, and I gave a yell of anger and exertion. It got even stronger though, both of us being forced to the ground as tears left my eyes. I’m so sorry, Dad… I couldn’t protect Izuku or fight anymore… I wasn’t strong enough… I thought as both of us quickly lost strength. “I’M GONNA CRUSH YOU BOTH!” As the force slammed into us, Izuku’s green lightning gave out, as did my flames. But, just as my world went black, a sudden splash came from above me. “What the… Is that water?” I heard the villain ask, confused. 

“Stop. Let them go!” Kota yelled.

“Kota…” I could barely talk. 

“Hold on there, ‘kay? I’ll kill you after I’m done with-” With a roar of rage, unlike anything that had come out of me until that point, my flames reignited all over again and I began to push back again, Izuku doing the same as his green lightning ignited again. The distraction from Kota was all we needed to get back up.

“I WON’T LET YOU HURT KOTA!” We both yelled.

“DAMN IT! HOW ARE YOU TWO GETTING STRONGER?!”

“YOU WON’T LAY A HAND ON HIM!” We both shouted again, now on our feet. Izuku fired up the power in his arm, and judging by the force, it was a helluva lot stronger than I’d ever felt.

“DELAWARE… DETROIT… SMASH!” The hit this time was hard enough to get through the muscle defense, and we both knocked him clean into the stone wall behind him. I felt like I was blistered all over, but seeing that kid without a scratch on him… It made me so relieved. I smiled as Izuku stood, unable to lift either of his arms, but tipped his head back and gave a yell of victory. 

“Why did… You risk your lives?” Kota asked. “Even though… You don’t know me, at all.” He was tearing up. “Why did you try to save me?” I went over to him and knelt to his height.

“Because that’s what true heroes do.” I smiled, wiping the tears from his face. That’s when we noticed Izuku stumbling forward. “Whoa, Izuku!”

“Hey!” Kota cried out as he rushed over to him.

“Everything’s okay.” He stumbled back again. “Gimme a second, and then there’s something I have to take care of.” Izuku weakly told him.

“But you’re all beat up, what more could either of you have to do now?” Kota asked. 

“We knew he’d be strong. That’s why we had to try to beat him here.” I explained.

“I thought I’d be able to inflict a lot more damage in the end, though. Turns out, I seriously underestimated how powerful his Quirk was. If every villain attacking tonight is on the same level, all our lives are at stake.” Izuku told him. “On top of that, it sounds like they’re after some of us students, Hino included. We have to let Mr Aizawa and the Pussycats know that’s one of the reasons they’re here.”

“We might be injured, kiddo, but we’re not defeated yet, there are more people we can save.” I finished. Kota gulped, but nodded all the same. I glanced at the villain we’d just beaten, and glanced over to see Wendigo still passed out cold too.

“We’ll leave them here for the time being. With my arms messed up and judging on how badly burnt Hino is, our combined power was probably weaker than it could have been, but I still think it’s at least taken him down for a while. He won’t wake up anytime soon, and even if he did, he’d be too weak to fight.” Izuku told him.

“For right now, we just need to make sure that you’re safe.” I told Kota. 

“We’re gonna need some help only you can give us.” He nodded toward the fire. “The forest has been set on fire. That means our friends could be trapped by the flames. But, we have hope.” We knelt to his height.

“Your water Quirk can put those fires out.” Kota gasped, turning around to face us.

“Kota, you hear us? We need you.” We both smiled softly at him before he nodded. I let my wings out again and turned my back to him.

“Climb on, Spunky. We need to get you to camp, fast.” I told him.

“You sure I won’t hurt you, you have blisters and burns everywhere.” Kota sounded unsure.

“I’ll be okay, kiddo, I promise.” I told him. “That’s why I made sure he couldn’t hurt my wings.” Once I felt Kota hanging on tight, I turned to my friend. “Izuku, let’s go.” We both took off, Izuku running and myself flying through the air.

“You were right!” Kota exclaimed after a minute.

“About what?” I questioned.

“It’s awesome having a bird’s eye view!” Kota answered, and I couldn’t help but smile. Hearing him excited was adorable, but it didn’t last long. I’ve got a bad feeling about this… My thoughts trailed off, knowing Izuku must have been thinking the same thing at that moment. After a while, Kota spotted something. “Hey, look down there!” When I glanced down, I saw Mr Aizawa running along the same path Izuku was taking.

“Nice eye, Kota!” I praised him. “Mr Aizawa!” I called out to our teacher, catching my friend’s attention at the same time as Kota and I landed. Our teacher stopped the minute he heard me.

“Yagi, and Midoriya?” Mr Aizawa looked shocked to see us before seeing our injuries and looking peeved.

“You’re here. Thank goodness… We need to catch you up on what we’ve learned about the villains, but we don’t have much time…” Izuku started rambling.

“Hey.” Mr Aizawa tried to stop him for a second.

“Plus, we need to find Mandalay. There’s something that we have to tell her…”

“Hold on!” Mr Aizawa tried once more to stop my friend, but he kept going.

“Please, take care of Kota while we’re gone.” Izuku asked of him, but kept word vomiting. “We’ll be back soon!” He then took off running again.

“Wait, Midoriya!” Mr Aizawa called out to him. I set Kota down after our teacher’s words made Izuku stop for a second. He sighed deeply. “Those injuries…” He turned toward me. “On both of you… Both of you went too far again, didn’t you? Have either of you forgotten about Hosu?”

“No.” I immediately responded.

“I haven’t either...” Midoriya trailed off.

“Go, but tell Mandalay something for me too.” Mr Aizawa told us, shocking us with what he said. I grabbed my friend as soon as our teacher reiterated what to tell her and flew off toward the clearing we’d been in just a while ago. I was worried sick, about Bakugo and Shoto both, but I couldn’t stop and worry about them now. We had to get to Mandalay… When we got back to the clearing, Mandalay was locked in a fight with Spinner.

“You’re persistent!” Mandalay was saying as she jumped into the air to dodge an attack.

“As are you! But it’s time to knock you off your false throne!” Spinner had jumped into the air with her, but just as he was about to attack her, I let Izuku drop, kicking through and breaking every last one of his blades with a strong kick. I landed next to Mandalay.

“Mandalay! Kota, he’s safe!” Izuku and I told her at the same time.

“You two found him?!” She asked. Izuku hit the ground, sliding a bit after landing.

“And I’ve got a message from Mr Aizawa. We need you to use Telepath!” Izuku told her before we told her what to tell them.

“Tell everyone from Class A and Class B that Eraser Head has granted them permission to engage in combat with the villains!” We both told her at the same time.

Everyone in Class A and Class B! In the name of the pro hero Eraserhead, you are granted permission to engage in combat! I repeat, use your training! You may fight these villains! Mandalay reiterated to everyone mentally. Once that was done, I took off again. I was going to find and protect Shoto and Bakugo, I didn’t care if it took every last ounce of my strength to do it… Not long after I’d taken off to find the boys, Mandalay spoke mentally again. Listen, we’ve discovered two of the villains’ targets. They’re students named Kacchan and Hino. Kacchan and Hino, both of you should try to avoid combat and stick to a group. I hope both of you can hear me! Great, now they knew I was one of the targets. Well, this was gonna be fun… Thanks a lot, Izuku! I thought, sarcasm filling my head. Izuku eventually caught up to me and I decided to run besides him, flipping in the air as I put my wings away. When I landed, I rolled to minimize damage and ran with him. “You realize Recovery Girl’s gonna kill you when we get back, right?” I asked him.

“We’ll deal with it later.” Izuku told me.

“The hell you mean we?! You’re the one with several broken bones again!” I snapped, my head turning to look at him. All of a sudden, he cried out in pain before a crash echoed around us. Where we had been just two seconds earlier, trees were snapped in half. I felt warm and when I got control of my sight, I saw that our tallest classmate had us in his grasp, bleeding from one of his limbs and panting.

“Shouji?!”

“What happened?” I asked worriedly, wriggling to get down so I could heal his injury, but Shouji kept me where I was.

“With those injuries, both of you should be laid up in bed recovering.” I grimaced at Shouji’s words. I knew I couldn't have done anything about the broken bones, but I had entirely forgotten about healing his injuries in our combined worry for Koda, Shoto and Bakugo. “But, both of you wanna save your friend, no matter what the cost.”

“That thing just now… Wait… Don’t tell me…” Izuku trailed off.

“Yeah… If we wanna get through here, we’ll have to face Dark Shadow first.” Shouji told us. The roar Dark Shadow let out made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. 

“That should be easy. I’ve been training with Tokoyami, he should be able to handle Dark Shadow with my help.” I managed to slide down, shaking off my own fear… Or at least trying to…

“Hino, this is worse than what you’ve been training against. Tokoyami lost control over Dark Shadow this time.” He told me.

“What?” I turned to him, even more worried about my friend now.

“Stay away from me! You’ll die!” I heard Tokoyami’s cry.

 

“Tokoyami, no!” Izuku exclaimed. "But, how did he even get this way?!” Izuku exclaimed in shock.

“Keep it down. After Mandalay told us what was happening, and that we shouldn't engage, we were both on high alert. Still… One of the villains got the drop on us. I hid in the bushes and tried to cover Tokoyami, even though one of my arms was cut off.”

“Really?” Izuku asked, looking worriedly at the wound. Finally having my chance, I took out the vial of healing tears and used it to heal what I could of Izuku’s injuries.

 

“It looks bad, but it’s not like it’s lost forever.” Shouji told him as I finished healing what I could of Izuku’s wounds and healed Shouji too, him giving me a look of appreciation. “My Dupli-Arms are capable of making duplicates up on duplicates. One of those was cut off… Thing is, he couldn't stand seeing me injured like that. The Quirk he’d been suppressing began to rage and take over.” Dark Shadow roared just then, interrupting Shouji. 

“The darker it is…”

“The less control Tokoyami has. He said it was dangerous, but I had no idea Dark Shadow could explode like this… I’d always wondered if there was an external factor other than darkness…” I trailed off.

“It’s probably fueled by his righteous indignation and regret. He’s tried to hold it back, but they made it wilder.” Shouji stepped back a bit, but his boot snapped a twig, making a small sound that caused Dark Shadow to attack where we were, but it missed us by a hair as we dodged. “It started lunging at any sound or movement, a beast lashing out with indiscriminate attacks.”

“Forget about me! Go! Find out classmates! Help them instead!” Tokoyami called to us, sounding on the verge of tears as he strained for control with Dark Shadow. “Stop this! Calm down, Dark Shadow!”

“His Quirk has a weakness to light. If we can lead them to a fire or back to camp, We could contain it…” Shouji trailed off before Izuku gasped, turning to me.

“Hino, do you think you could…” I shot down Izuku's question with a shake of my head.

“No, he was never this big during our training… I doubt I have enough strength to give off a fire bright enough to calm Dark Shadow down from this. Maybe if I had Todoroki or Bakugo… Maybe both, but alone? No way.” I answered. As much as I wanted to help him, I had a feeling that any attempt would be in vain.

“Midoriya, Yagi… I know these are strange circumstances, but I can’t just leave a suffering friend behind. You forced your broken body to get you here because you were worried about Bakugo. If both of you still wanna save him, I’ll distract Dark Shadow for you… And you can run.” Shouji told us.

“Hold on…” I tailed off.

“The fire and camp are pretty far away. You'll be in danger if he-” Once again, Dark Shadow heard Izuku and attacked where we were, with Shouji and I barely managing to dodge out of the way. 

“I know that. But, to save people, you have to take risks. That's what makes a hero a hero. Will you stay with me and help Tokoyami? Or will you rush to Bakugo’s side?” Shouji asked us. “You have to make a choice. Right now.”

“Maybe we don't have to.” I spoke after a minute, both of them looking at me. “I’m gonna need backup getting Dark Shadow to calm down anyway, and Bakugo and Todoroki both have abilities that Dark Shadow is weak to. We lead Dark Shadow to them and have them help us bring Dark Shadow down enough for Tokoyami to control.”

“We know at least the general direction they’re in, this could work.”

“Yagi, you might be the craziest of us all.” Shouji told me.

“Yeah, yeah, judge me later.” I waved him off. I whistled to get Dark Shadow's attention and started running, Shouji not far away from me. We had to dodge attacks pretty much left and right, but it was working. I did try blocking them, but like I thought, I wasn't able to calm Dark Shadow down enough on my own. Before long, we spotted it.

“There! I see ice, they’re fighting!” Izuku called out.

“Bakugo, Todoroki! One of you, give us some light!” Shouji yelled at them.

“Dark Shadow’s on a rampage and I can't calm him down alone!” I added, barely dodging as Dark Shadow attacked again.

“More flesh!” A dark figure yelled from above us, and I stupidly tried to use my wings to shield myself as I dodged, crying out in pain as a metal blade pierced a hole in my left wing and flung me against a tree. I got the wind knocked out of me pretty good and once I finally got breath, I coughed before groaning.

“Okay… That was stupid.” I scolded myself as I sat up, tucking my wings away so they could heal. Dark Shadow attacked my attacker though, Shouji barely managing to dodge out of the way.

“Kacchan!” Izuku called out to Bakugo, who only looked more pissed.

“Shouji, Midoriya, and Yagi… And is that… Tokoyami?” Shoto asked, and I heard Dark Shadow roaring again.

“We need light now, he’s out of control!” I yelled to those lovable idiots.

“He’s attacking blindly, I’ll use my fire.” Shoto set down the guy he was carrying, only to get stopped by Bakugo.

“Not so fast.” He told him.

“Flesh. Slabs of meat. No good. Can’t allow it. I’m the one that gets to slice them open! Don’t steal from me!” Geeze, this guy creeped me out even more than Major Musclehead. He tried to attack Dark Shadow, but of course, it didn't work.

“You don’t matter, insignificant bug!” Dark Shadow broke the blades he’d caught, having the villain in his grasp. Bakugo looked feral, grinning madly.

“Now finish him.” Bakugo muttered, Dark Shadow roaring and slamming the villain through several trees before throwing him against the one that knocked him out cold.

“Not enough! It's not enough!” Dark Shadow growled.

“BOYS, NOW!” I forced myself up, igniting my entire body as bright as my flames would go as I lunged for Dark Shadow from behind, the boys meeting me as they came at different sides, Bakugo using a bright explosion and Shoto using his fire. The light made Dark Shadow squeal and finally die down. We kept our light up until Dark Shadow was all the way down, Tokoyami left panting.

“And once again, I’m a terrible matchup for you, bird boy.” Bakugo told him as we let the light go out. 

“Thanks. You saved me.” Tokoyami was sweating from the excursion he’d just been through. 

“We could barely defend against that guy, but you beat him instantly.” Todoroki trailed off.

“My friend. Are you okay?” Shouji asked him. “You did what we needed you to.”

“Shouji, I apologize. You too, Midoriya, and Yagi. I’m still far too immature. Anger consumed me, and I let my Quirk take over. The influence of the darkness, combined with my fury, spurred Dark Shadow into a frenzy. Until it got so strong, I couldn't contain it and I ended up hurting Shouji.” Tokoyami apologized.

“We’ll deal with that later. That's what you would say if the roles were reversed.” Shouji told him, a sign of forgiveness that Tokoyami wasn't expecting judging by the look on his face. 

“Okay, I don’t know if you heard Mandalay, but I found out the villains are after Kacchan and Hino.” Izuku brought up. Oh great… I thought, trying to stand but collapsing. The adrenaline I’d been feeling since earlier had finally run out. Maybe I did go too far this time… Oops. 

“Bakugo and Yagi? Are they trying to kill them? Why?” Tokoyami asked. 

“I’m not sure, but I think we should get to camp. It’s the safest place now, so long as Vlad King and Mr Aizawa have regrouped there.” Izuku replied.

“I understand.” Tokoyami complied.

“Whoa, wait a minute, I am not putting everyone else in danger by leading the villains where everyone else is, you know how nuts that is?” I interjected.

“So our mission is to get Bakugo and Yagi back to safety by serving as their protectors.” Tokoyami kept going.

“Are you idiots even listening to me?!” I snapped, only to find myself ignored once again. 

“It’s possible the Pussycats are still fighting in the clearing. Going that way would draw the attention of the villains, plus it’s longer. We should cut straight across.” Izuku planned.

“We don’t know how many enemies there are. We might come across some by chance.” Tokoyami pointed out. I glanced at Bakugo, but he looked… To be honest, I didn't know if it was confusion or shock.

“We can use Shoji’s search ability and Todoroki’s freezing power… And if Tokoyami’s okay with it, we can always use Dark Shadow now that we can actually control him.” Izuku replied. “Honestly, with a group like this, we could probably even go up against All Might.” Bakugo seemed to snap out of it when I tried to stand up to object again and almost fell to the ground again.

“Careful, idiot.” He chided as he caught me, easily picking me up and holding me bridal style. “I’ll carry you.”

“I can walk by myself, idiot, I don’t need you to carry me.” I protested.

“Says the one who can barely stand for five seconds.” Bakugo’s voice had a teasing tone. I blinked in silence for a minute before mumbling a,

“Shut up…”

“Don’t drop her, Bakugo.” Shoto warned.

“I know that, idiot!” Bakugo snapped back at him. “Besides, I’d be fine by myself!” 

“We’ll surround the two of you as we walk.” Shoto told him.

“I don’t need any of your protection, dammit!” Bakugo fired back, and I flicked him in the forehead for yelling when I was right next to him.

“Let’s go.” Shouji told us as he started walking.

“Don’t ignore me!” Bakugo yelled again.

“Just make sure you keep up.” Shoto told him.

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Bakugo growled. I rolled my eyes. But, something still felt off... After a while, a sudden movement caused me to hit the ground. I was no longer in Bakugo’s arms that much was certain.

“Blasty, what the he-” I went to scold him for dropping me, only to find Bakugo no longer there, and glancing behind me, I realized Tokoyami was gone too. Bakugo hadn't dropped me... He'd tossed me out of harm's way... “Shit! Guys-” I coughed just then, black stuff emerging from my lungs. No, no, no! I thought, panicking. “Shoto! Izuku!” I screamed to them, only to cough again as an onslaught of the crap came out, obscuring my vision. I couldn't call for help anymore, much less breathe… Shit, shit, shit! I thought, panicking more as my vision went black, my hand outstretched towards where my friends had gone….

I could only hope that they would be safe...

(Taglist: @qweenexplosionmurder13 @iheartbarbie )

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

[ao3feed-aizawashouta]

by Buttercup_ghost

she steals herself, her name clasped tight, dreams forged to reasons.

she is going to become a hero, quirkless or not.

Words: 472, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/F

Characters: Midoriya Izuku, Bakugou Katsuki, Midoriya Inko, Uraraka Ochako, Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead

Relationships: Midoriya Izuku/Uraraka Ochako, Bakugou Katsuki & Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Inko & Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku & Uraraka Ochako, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku & Yagi Toshinori | All Might

Additional Tags: Trans Female Character, Trans Midoriya Izuku, Quirkless Midoriya Izuku, Lowercase, Bullying, Transphobia, Female Midoriya Izuku, transgirl izuku, Lesbian Character, Bisexual Character, Bisexual Female Character, Quirk Discrimination (My Hero Academia), Supportive Uraraka Ochako, Supportive Midoriya Inko, Mental Health Issues, Bully Bakugou Katsuki, Bakugou Katsuki Being an Asshole, Misgendering, Bullied Midoriya Izuku, Depression, Good Parent Midoriya Inko, Rewrite, Canon Rewrite, Midoriya Izuku Does Not Have One for All Quirk, Hero Midoriya Izuku, Parental Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Parental Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead

[z-iridest]

My Hero Academia- I Am Phoenix:

Chapter 23- Trouble's Storm:

The morning of our second day of the training camp began bright and early… At 5:30 in the morning. Most of us were still pretty tired, with Ochaco and Kaminari’s hair being disheveled, Kyoka and Tsu looking like they were gonna fall asleep on their feet any second, but Tokoyami seemed to be wide awake. Ochaco stretched a bit before Mr Aizawa greeted us. “Good morning, class. Today, we begin a training camp that will increase your strength. Our goal is to increase your skills exponentially, so that each of you earns a provisional license. This will allow you to face the dangers that continue to fester in the darkness. Proceed carefully.” He then turned to me. “Look alive, Yagi.” I easily caught the softball, though I was half asleep. “Try throwing that for me.”

“Got it, just like the fitness test.” I realized.

“That’s right. When you first started school, your record was 789.2 meters… Let’s see if you’ve improved.” Mr Aizawa challenged as I stepped forward to get clear of my classmates. 

“Oh, I get it! We’re checking our progress!” Mina exclaimed. 

“A lot’s happened to us the last three months. Maybe she can throw it a whole mile now.” Sero guessed.

“Come on, get it, Yagi!” Kirishima cheered for me. I tossed it up in the air a bit as I took my stance before I threw it as hard as I could, using my flames once again to rocket it into the air. 

“That was 790.6 meters.” Mr Aizawa informed me. 

“Wait, what?!” I asked, looking at my teacher.

“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. 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.” Mr Aizawa informed us.

“That’s the reason for the training camp, right? To increase the strength of our Quirks.” I asked, getting a nod of affirmation from our teacher. 

“The goal of this training camp is to focus on improving your powers.” Our teacher grinned then, putting every last one of us on edge. “This’ll be so hard, you’ll feel like you’re dying. Let’s hope you all survive.” With that, our training began. I decided to work more with my fire since that was the weaker part of my Quirk, and try to figure out my mobility without using my wings… I started by maintaining my flames around me. I closed my eyes, listening to the sounds around me. I could hear Shoto training his quirk by switching between his fire and ice, Bakugo’s explosions going off every so often, and Iida’s engines speeding by every few minutes, though it got drowned out by Bakugo’s explosions every other time he passed me. After a few hours, I switched gears and did combat training with Tiger. But, for some reason, he had me do it blindfolded.

“In situations where you can’t see your opponent, most heroes gain a fatal disadvantage over the villain they’re facing. You, little bird, are an excellent fighter, but that will mean next to nothing if you can’t fight while your opponent isn't within your sights. Rather than rely on your sight, use your other senses to find your opponent and wait for the right time to counterattack.” Tiger told me. I could practically imagine him off to the side, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched. I hadn’t been told who my opponent would be, so I listened for any sign of who it might be. A sound came from my left, and I was able to block an attack that felt familiar. I ignited my hand, and a whine told me it was Dark Shadow. 

“Aww, how did you know it was me? Fumi and I were so quiet.” Dark Shadow asked me.

“I’d never forget how your touch feels, Dark Shadow.” I informed him before Tokoyami and I sparred for a bit.

“This is not only to help you with fighting when you’re not able to see, Yagi, but also to help Tokoyami strengthen Dark Shadow in the light. After lunch, the two of you will spar in a cave, that way Tokoyami can have a way to practice controlling Dark Shadow in the darkness as well.” Tiger told us, and we kept going until lunch. After we ate, Tokoyami and I sparred in darkness, with me not using my flames unless absolutely necessary, but….

Lemme tell you, while I was expecting Dark Shadow to be stronger in darkness, what I wasn’t expecting was for how damn scary that Quirk would look. Dark Shadow practically blended into the darkness except for his eyes being red, which worked as a way to track him, but still… It was kind of jarring. After a while, Dark Shadow started fighting with his eyes closed, making it harder except for the sounds coming from him, which were pretty much non-existent. I had a few close calls, but it only ended when the time to start dinner was called. 

“Now, remember what I said? We’re not serving your food anymore!” PIxie Bob reminded us.

“If you guys wanna eat, you’ll have to make your own meals! Starting with curry!” Ragdoll told us. By that point, we were all pretty tired.

“Yes, ma’am.” Most of us gave a lackluster response due to our exhaustion. Ragdoll giggled.

“Oh man, do you guys look exhausted! But, that doesn’t mean you can coast by making sloppy cat food.” Ragdoll warned.

“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!” Iida immediately jumped back to his normal energy.

“How the hell are you even human?!” I snapped in my exhaustion.

“Yeah, okay.” Everyone else replied. I ignited the grill I was at, seeing Shoto doing the same with his group’s.

“Hey, Todoroki, can we get some fire over here too?” Mina asked him. On my other side, Sero turned to Bakugo.

“Bakugo, use an explosion to light that.” Sero told him.

“Uh, that’s a bad…” I started to warn, only to get cut off by Bakugo.

“This is so beneath me!” Bakugo snapped, doing it anyway and ended up destroying the grill altogether.

“Too much!” Tokoyami exclaimed, while I sighed.

“Rely on others and you’ll never learn to start a fire yourself.” Yaomomo put in before using her Quirk to make a lighter. “We should focus on acquiring new skills.” I snorted at the look on Kyoka’s face before I noticed Shoto walking over to Mina to help them.

“Here. Let me.” Shoto created a small flame with his left hand before using it to ignite the grill Mina and Ochaco were working off of. 

“Wow! Thank you so much!” Ochaco thanked him.

“Burn, baby, burn!” Mina cheered.

“But not too hot, okay?” Ochaco asked. The smile that crossed his face made my heart melt. I’d never seen him smile like that as a result of his fire. After the cooking, everyone sat down to eat.

“If I got this at a restaurant, I’d send it back, but after today, I’ll eat every bite!” Kirishima spoke as he scarfed down his food. 

“Don’t say that!” Sero told him. 

“Whoa, you’re scarfing, Momo!” Mina observed.

“Yes. My Quirk transforms lipids into brand new atoms to create inorganic materials. That means, the more I eat, the more I can make.” Yaomomo explained.

“Like how poop works.” Sero pointed out, making Kyoka, Yaomomo and I stop eating. My hair flared as I jumped out of my seat, poor Yaomomo embarrassed as hell, but Kyoka punched Sero and beat me to it.

“APOLOGIZE!” We both yelled at him.

“Okay, I’m sorry!” Sero whined. My anger didn’t last long, because I noticed Kota walking away as Mandalay called for him. I thought about going after him since I was finished eating, but I thought better of it. I wouldn't even know what to say and besides, a little while after Kota left, I saw Izuku leave with a plate to go after him. I decided to leave it to him, though knowing how Kota felt at that age, I knew Kota wouldn't listen to anything that was said. Actions spoke a hell of a lot louder than words… Same time the next morning, we kept at it, with me pretty much blasting with my flames all over the place to maintain airtime… Even though it hurt like absolute hell. By the time lunchtime hit, my hands were practically blistered from burns. Well… At least the training is strengthening my skin against my fire. I thought.

“I really gotta find a different way of doing this…” I mumbled.

“Oh man, those look pretty nasty.” Kirishima commented, though half asleep. According to Mina, they didn’t get back from their remedial lessons until nearly two in the morning, which explained Kirishima’s tired state.

“I’ll be fine.” I waved it off, washing my hands under lukewarm water. By now, I knew better than to run my burnt hands under freezing cold water. The cold water had just made things worse the day before… After lunch, we kept going, Tokoyami and I fighting in the darkness of the cave again. I barely used my flames except for small little bursts. The training though made me wonder why Tokoyami had said that Dark Shadow’s harder to control at night. Yeah, he’s more powerful and more aggressive in his attacks, but not once did Dark Shadow seem out of control. It made me wonder if there was more to it than just the darkness to release Dark Shadow’s darker tendencies…

After a hardcore training day that second day, Yaomomo and I ended up warning the girls of Class B about Mineta and his pervy tendencies, and sure as shit, he tried peeking on them. Mina, the girls and I had stationed ourselves to catch him in the act and the second he tried, Kyoka got him with her earphone Jack and Mina melted the wall. He tried to make a break for it, but I used my wings to get ahead of him. “Not so fast, pipsqueak!” I barked, making him stop in his tracks and scream, running right into the trap we’d set for him.

“Gotcha, ya little perv!” Toru exclaimed.

“Why the hell are you guys all clothed! This is a bathhouse, you should be naked!” The look on his face turned disgusting. “I can strip down too…”

“Kendo.” Kairi spoke the Class B president’s name and without a word, Kendo knocked Mineta the hell out. I groaned. 

“This is starting to get on my last nerve already.” I snapped.

“He really is the worst.” Ochaco agreed.

“Thanks for the heads up, girls.” Kendo thanked us.

“It’s not trouble at all.” Yaomomo replied.

“We knew he’d try something like he did last night.” I shrugged, waving off the thank you from her. I remained quiet as Kendo and the girls from Class 1-B gave us a bag of snacks as a thank you, Toru’s reply being that we should have a sleepover type deal to chow down and eat it all. I just listened to everyone as we went back to our dorm room. After Kendo and the girls got their stuff, they joined us in our room. The girls debated what to talk about before Toru brought up the dreaded subject… Love.

“We should talk about love! Has anyone had a boyfriend?” Toru asked. Everybody was dead quiet, although Kairi looked at me. She knew my history already, and I knew that she was dating Tetsutetsu. But we weren't about to say shit about the other… Kairi suddenly looked worried.

“Hino… I think it might be time to tell them.” Kairi hesitantly told me. I just looked at her. I really didn't want to relive the nightmare that was my relationship with Akako.

“Wait, about what?” Kyoka asked. Kairi waited for me, looking apologetic but unbudging.

“Before I got to UA, I had a boyfriend. But…” I sighed deeply. “It wasn’t a good relationship.” I turned my back to the girls and lifted my hair off my neck. On the back of my neck were scars from Yūgure’s Bloodwork quirk. I could hear gasps of horror coming from the girls as soon as the scars were shown. “I don’t talk about it a lot, but the scars on the back of my neck are from his quirk. He… Used it to make me do things he wanted me to… One of which being my first kiss.”

“What?!” All the girls except for Kairi exclaimed, sounding completely horrified.

“Nu-uh, that shouldn't count!” Mina shouted.

“Wait, so, he used his quirk to hurt you?” Ochaco asked.

“I get it now…” Kyoka murmured after a minute. “After all that, why would you want to date just to get hurt again?” When I turned around again, Kyoka looked worried too.

“Exactly. Besides, training to be a hero is more important right now.” I replied, albeit a bit gravely. It was dead silent.

“Well, that went depressing in three point five seconds." Toru grumbled.

“Sorry, guys.” I shrugged. Kairi spoke up then.

“Well… With training and all, there’s barely any time, but…” Kairi blushed. “Tetsutetsu and I are dating.” Mina instantly turned on Kairi, hounding her with questions. Kairi was blushing as she recounted the story of how Tetsutetsu had asked her to eat lunch with him at the Sports Festival, and how they’d pretty much hit it off and started going on dates on Sundays ever since. They did homework together, had lunch together and usually finished it off by going on a walk together. The girls swooned after the story, her classmates hugging her. I had to say, it was nice to hear that Tetsutetsu was making Kairi happy. She deserved it. 

“Okay, well, what about crushes?” Mina asked. I looked at Ochaco, who looked extremely red. I grinned, wanting to blurt it out, but decided against it. I was, after all, a hero and heroes didn't blurt out friends’ secrets. I listened as the girls debated about who would make the best boyfriend, each getting shut down for one reason or another, Bakugo being shot down for his obvious temper and Shoto getting shot down because of his Dad, and all of us agreeing that anyone was better than Mineta. The topic then shifted to who’s Quirks we’d wanna try out. Ochaco said Bakugo right off the bat, and I noticed that the other girls quickly followed suit.

“Kinda funny how it’s easier to talk about guys when the topic is off romance, isn’t it?” I pointed out after a second of silence.

“Well, you can’t help when you fall in love. It’s something that naturally happens. When that happens, we can talk about romance again.” Tsu chimed in.

“True.” I agreed.

“Wait, what’d you think makes a good boyfriend, Hino?” Mina asked me.

“I thought we’d jumped off the romance train already.” I reminded her, raising an eyebrow.

“Come on, please.” Ochaco begged. I leaned back against the wall, thinking for a minute as I looked up at the ceiling. 

“Someone who inspires you to be better, and not just in the hero aspect. Someone you can be your genuine self with and it comes naturally…” I shrugged. “That’s how it was for my Mom, though she never did get the chance to do anything about it.” I relented. When I turned my attention back to the girls, they had all gathered around me and were smiling like idiots. “What?” I pressed.

“For someone who avoids romance, you seem to think about it a lot.” Mina teased.

“I don’t, I just know what I want in a relationship.” As much as I like Bakugo and Shoto, I’m not ready… I added in my head. The girls strayed away from the romance topic again while I listened in, smiling a bit at the girls. I really was lucky to have them all as friends, as annoying as they could be...

The past couple nights, the nightmares had been going but then, that particular night, the nightmares suddenly stopped. Honestly, it felt more concerning to me than the nightmare itself. From the moment I woke up, I had a sense of dread, like something was bound to happen… I tried to shake it off as I trained that day, but things seemed off.

“Don’t lose focus! Each of you can move faster, and no matter what you’re doing, just remember where you started from. Don’t forget who you were before UA. Always keep in mind why you’re sweating, and why your limits keep getting tested. That’s what it means to improve.” Mr Aizawa told us.

“Hey, that reminds me… Mr Aizawa, it’s already the third day of camp.” Izuku stopped what he was doing to approach our teacher as I lost focus for a second and fell to the dirt. As I dusted myself, I listened to the conversation that was going on.

“Weren’t you listening? Stay focused.” Mr Aizawa told him, jumping down from his spot to be level with Izuku.

“I was just wondering if All Might-I mean, the other teachers from UA will be joining us.” Izuku wondered. 

“Like I said before we came out here, to keep the camp a secret from the villains, hardly anyone knows where we are.” Mr Aizawa answered.

“That’s why you get to work out with us four pussycats!” Ragdoll chimed in from an upper part of the training area, specifically where Mr Aizawa had jumped down from. 

“And think about it… We believe All Might’s one of the League’s targets, so we can’t have him here.” Mr Aizawa continued. “It’s for your own safety. For better or for worse, that’s what he gets for standing out so much.” Mr Aizawa snickered a bit after speaking. Seems like it's mostly for worse these days... I thought as I got back to training.

“More importantly, tonight’s gonna be fun! 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! How’s that for a reward?!” Pixie Bob informed us. 

“It just sounds like more training.” I heard Kendo say as I tried while firing off flames from my feet to try flying that way, though honestly I knew that way was more levitating in the air with my flames coming out of my feet like rocket boosters… 

“And training in the dark, no less.” Kyoka followed Kendo’s lead. 

“Revelry in the dark…” I definitely should have known something was up when Tokoyami started that weird stuff…

“How much can we do in one day?” I heard one of the Class B boys question.

“At least we’ll get to beat Class A, am I right?” Monoma replied.

“Not likely!” I sing-songed chaotically as I flew past them from overhead. 

“Don’t slack now! Make sure you keep pushing yourself as you work!” Pixie Bob told us.

“Yes ma’am!” We all exclaimed in return. After lunch, I went to the usual training with Tokoyami in the darkness of the cave again. After a few minutes, the attacks from Dark Shadow suddenly stopped.

“You seem unfocused, Yagi, what’s troubling you?” Tokoyami asked.

“It’s that obvious?” I asked, surprised that Tokoyami had caught that something was up.

“Call it instinct.” I could practically hear him shrugging. I sighed, putting down my guard for a second.

“It’s just… I’ve been having these nightmares lately… But all of a sudden, last night, they just… Stopped.” I told him.

“That would be a good thing then, should it not?” Tokoyami sounded confused.

“Normally, yeah, but… I don’t know, ever since this morning, I’ve just had this sense of dread…” I trailed off.

“There’s no sense dwelling on what could happen, it’s wiser to stay in the present moment and to take things one step at a time.” Tokoyami advised. I smiled a bit.

“Thanks, Tokoyami.” I thanked him before we went at it again. That night at dinner, I was carrying firewood over to my group’s grill when I noticed Bakugo cutting some vegetables… Quick and efficient. “Whoa, you’re pretty good with that knife, Bakugo.” I complimented him.

“It’s kinda weird…” Ochaco trailed off, having noticed too.

“WHADDYA MEAN, IT’S WEIRD?! HOW CAN YOU PEOPLE BE SO DAMN BAD AT EVERYTHING?!” Bakugo blew up, making me roll my eyes as I walked away.

“Look at that, he’s not blowing stuff up.” Kaminari commented as he passed by.

“I’m too tired for this…” I heard Kirishima murmur, looking fed up. That, my friend, is a complete mood. I thought as I set the wood down at my group’s grill.

“Did you need All Might for a particular reason?” I heard Shoto ask Izuku. “You asked Mr Aizawa about him.”

“Yeah… Um, I did… Because of Kota.” Izuku replied.

“Kota? Who’s that?” Shoto asked.

“He’s Mandalay’s nephew.” I answered his question.

“He’s right over…” Izuku tried to point him out, but the kid had already taken off to his hideout again. “Anyway, Kota doesn’t like heroes. Actually, he hates the whole concept of superhumans, Quirks and everything. I tried to talk to him, but I think I just made things worse. I was just wondering what All Might would have done to help him if he’d been here.” I mean, what would you say to him, Todoroki?” Izuku asked. Shoto seemed to think about it for a minute.

“It depends…” Todoroki trailed off.

“Of course! Sorry I asked!” Izuku apologized. 

“To have a complete stranger try to change your mindset sounds like a pretty irritating conversation. What matters are actions. You have to show him what you’re trying to prove, right? If you’re going to rely on words alone, then they’d better be incredibly powerful. What you say doesn’t matter near as much as what you actually do.” Shoto told him. I smiled a bit.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself.” I told him.

“You’re right. I went about this the wrong way… How can I, a stranger, say anything to him?” Izuku questioned.

“I don’t know what your goal is when it comes to this child, but it sounds to me like you shouldn’t be sticking your nose in a delicate situation. You tend to cut to the heart of people’s feelings… It can be annoying…”

“Right, sorry about that.” Izuku apologized again, making me snort. 

“You guys! Your hands aren’t moving! We’ll never make the best stew if you stop now.” Iida scolded. After I finished dinner, I decided to go see how Kota was doing and make sure he got something to eat. To be honest, finding him wasn’t all that hard. His hideout was a cliffside with a cave at the back of it, and a trail led right to him. He was scowling over everything when I reached him. When I landed and tucked my wings away, I could hear his stomach growling.

“I heard that, Spunky.” I told him, making his attention turn toward me. “I’m sure you worked up an appetite today.”

“How the heck do you guys keep finding me?!” Kota hissed, jumping up and looking like a cat that was growling with its fur on end. I set the bowl of stew next to him, sitting on the other side of it as I pointed upward toward the sky.

“Sometimes it’s worth it to get a bird’s eye view of everything.” I told him.

“I don’t believe you! You don’t even have wings!” Kota snapped.

“Some people have Quirks that allow them to fly without wings, but..” I let my wings out just then, letting him see them. “I don’t keep mine out most of the time.” I then turned my attention to the stars as I tucked my wings away again. “I can see why you keep coming up here, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful view of the stars than up here.” Kota was quiet then, but another growl of his stomach sounded off, followed by the sound of a spoon hitting the bowl I'd brought him. I didn’t look, just smiled a bit as I let him dig in. I hoped that we would never get in a situation where we could prove to Kota what a real hero was all about, but for now, I couldn’t really say anything. Like Shoto had said, and I knew extremely well, actions spoke a lot louder than words. You could say something all you wanted, but without actions to prove it… It was no use. Once the sounds of him eating stopped, I spoke up again. “It’s getting late, we should head back to the others.” I told him, looking at him.

“And hang around a bunch of wannabe losers? No thanks.” Kota snarled, stubborn as ever. I shrugged a bit. 

“Okay, but you’ll miss out on seeing those wannabes wet their pants in a test of courage.” I grinned a bit, though it faltered when he didn’t budge. I sighed a bit, letting my wings out to take off, but getting an idea. I took a loose feather off my left wing and gave it to him.

“What’s this for?” Kota asked, and honestly, I was surprised he didn't just drop it down the cliff.

“Just in case you get into trouble or just don’t wanna walk back, you can tap it three times and I’ll feel it.” I told him. He gave me another look that screamed he didn’t believe me. “Try it.” I told him. That was when the little shit decided to pull on a piece of it. My wings flinched in response. “Ow, hey!” I laughed a bit. He looked intrigued. “Seriously, if you need help, use that to let me know and I’ll come flying to help you… Literally.” I grinned before taking the empty bowl back to camp and washing it just as everyone else finished with the dishes.

“There you are, where’d you end up going?” Shoto asked.

“I made sure Kota got something to eat. I’d hoped I’d be able to get him to come back with me, but no such luck.” I answered.

“Brat’ll be fine, you worry too much.” Bakugo growled as he stormed past us.

“It’s not like I entirely have nothing to worry about, idiot. There’s still wildlife out and about.” I told him.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine.” Shoto tried to reassure me, but the dread just kept building up. Something was completely wrong, but I couldn’t sense any taps on the feather I gave him, so at least he was safe for now. I tried to shrug it off, gathering with the others as we were brought to a clearing in the forest a bit ways away from the main building. 

“Perfect! We’ve filled our bellies and cleaned the dishes. It’s time for….” Pixie Bob started to announce. 

“A totally awesome test of courage!” Mina squealed in excitement, finishing for our mentor of the week.

“We’re gonna win!” Sero, Kirishima, Sato and Kaminari all chimed in.

“Not so fast. It pains me to say it, but the remedial class will be having lessons with me tonight instead.” Mr. Aizawa corrected.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Mina exclaimed, her excitement instantly deflated.

“Sorry. Your training during the day didn’t impress me, so I’ll be using this time too.” Mr Aizawa wrapped his scarf around the four boys and Mina and dragged them back.

“Aw, give me a break!” Sero, Kaminari and Mina protested.

“I just wanna test my courage!” Sato and Kirishima added in.

“Okay, so,” And we’re just gonna gloss over that like it didn’t happen? “Class B is gonna 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.” Pixie Bob explained.

“Revelry in the dark…” Tokoyami muttered again. Why does he keep saying that?! I thought. 

“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 finished.

“Did we really need that visual?” Kyoka and I wondered at the same time. 

“I see! 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!” Iida passionately exclaimed, making me facepalm.

“All right! Everyone, draw to see who your partner will be.” Pixie Bob told us. Shouji ended up paired with Tokoyami, Bakugo- funny enough- ended up with Shoto, Kyoka ended up paired with Toru, Yaomomo ended up paired with Aoyama, Ochaco ended up paired with Tsu, Ojiro ended up being paired with Mineta, Iida ended up paired with Koda, and I ended up paired with Izuku as the last group.

“Okay, so we’re together in this one…” I trailed off before I heard Bakugo.

“Listen up, Tail. Trade with me.” Bakugo demanded, jabbing his thumb at Shoto over his shoulder. 

“Aoyama….” I recoiled when I saw Mineta practically salivating with an aura of pervertedness around him as he stalked toward poor Yaomomo and Aoyama. “Please switch me partners, I should be with her!” Aoyama pretty much kept Yaomomo blocked from Mineta and kept his hands up, shaking his head. During the chaos, Tokoyami gave out another,

“Revelry in the dark.” The sense of dread seemed to get worse every time he said that…

“Next team! That’s you two kittens, Ribbity and Miss Floater.” Pixie Bob called to the next team about 12 minutes later. After a minute, though, I noticed a blue glow and the sense of dread got even worse. She suddenly sniffed the air.

“Huh… What’s that weird smell in the air?” Pixie Bob asked.

“Guys…” I trailed off, pointing toward where it was coming from. 

“Black smoke…” Mandalay observed.

“Has something been set ablaze?” Iida asked. 

“Maybe a fire on the mountain?” Ojiro added.

“No fire I know burns blue… Something’s up.” I answered. All of a sudden, Pixie Bob levitated into the air. 

“Hey, what’s happening?!” She exclaimed.

“Pixie Bob!” Mandalay called out to her. Before long, she was on the ground, bleeding from her head.

“First, let’s get rid of these feral cats.”

“What? No way!” Mineta backed up, looking as horrified as I felt. “I thought they made sure no one could find us! So why the heck are villains attacking this place?!” He shrieked. There were two people in front of us. The first was a woman (to be honest, she looked and sounded like a man to me) with quite a wide, muscular build. Her shoulder-length hair was smooth, and a reddish magenta color, her rather square jaw was also thinly covered in facial hair. Her lips were notably big, kinda like Sato’s except more pink. She wore triangular, white-framed sunglasses, obscuring her eyes. Along with these, she also wore a dark orange shirt, which was unbuttoned revealing the white v-neck she had on underneath, blue jeans with a belt, and plain dark brown espadrilles on her feet. The second was a man with a reptile-like appearance, with green scales for skin and a face shaped like that of a gecko. His hair was very long pink-purple hair and swept backwards, which stood out. He wore clothes that reminded me of Stain, the same mask, red scarf… Except his outfit was different: sleeveless shirt with blue spots and dark, baggy pants, along with black shoes and pale, metallic knee guards. He also had bandages wrapped around his arms and goggles on his head. The woman’s eyes seemed to turn toward me and I felt the feeling get worse…

“Pixie Bob!” Izuku shouted, but got stopped by Tiger and Mandalay. 

“This is bad…” Mandalay murmured. That’s when I realized Kota was still missing.

“Where’s Kota?!” Izuku asked, realizing Kita's absence too.

“He’s still at his hideout, I think…” I went quiet when I felt a sensation. My eyes widened when I realized that it was coming from the spot I had pulled my feather from… Three taps, quick, panicked… Kota was in trouble… “Oh shit…” I trailed off.

“What’s wrong?” Izuku asked.

“I gave Kota one of my feathers, told him to tap it three times if he ever needed help… I just felt it.” I told him. “We need to get to him…”

“Well, that’s a stroke of luck. One of the kids we need is right there.” The woman interrupted, and when I turned my attention to her, she was pointing right at me. Wait, one of the kids? I thought. 

“So? Use your Quirk and get her!" The male replied.

“If I do, it could hurt her, and our orders were clear. She’s not to be harmed, not even a scratch.” The female told him.

Attention, everyone! Mandalay’s voice suddenly sounded in my head, and I knew she was using her Quirk to let everyone know what was going on. Two villains attacked us. It’s possible that there are more coming. Everyone, return to camp immediately. We’re regrouping. Do not engage any enemies. 

“How are you this evening, UA High School? We are part of the Vanguard Action Squad of the League of Villains.” The male informed us. Shigaraki must be calling in that private talk he was talking about last time we met… Shit, this is bad. I thought.

“The League of Villains? What are those guys doing here?” Ojiro asked.

“I could crush this kitty’s head so easily. How about it, dears, should I?” The woman asked.

“Leave her alone!” I shouted. I wanted to do something about it so badly, but I knew I couldn’t. 

“You get away from her!” Tiger shouted the same time I yelled. 

“Now, now, hold on Big Sis Mag. You too, Tiger, calm down. When deciding if someone should live or die, we must be careful that we’re abiding by Stain’s principles.” The male interrupted.

“Stain?” Izuku and I murmured at the same time.

“So, you’re the ones he ended up inspiring.” Iida snarled.

“At your service. That’s us.” The male spread his arms out. “And you, four eyes, I believe I recognize you. You’re one of the self righteous brats who attacked Stain in Hosu City. Let me introduce myself.” He drew a huge sword that was mainly composed of a shit ton of knives and blades belted and taped together as one. “Call me Spinner. I’m here to make Stain’s dreams a reality.” I felt the three taps again, more urgent this time. I should have gone with the first three…

“I’m sorry, Mandalay, but I have to go find Kota before he gets hurt!” I apologized to her as I took off, flying as fast as I could towards the hideout. Kota, please be okay! I thought, my heart racing hard in my chest. When I finally found him at his hideout, someone had gotten there first, and it was the last person I expected to see there… Wendigo. "NO!" I roared, flying faster and praying my wings would get me there faster than Wendigo could move. Just as Wendigo brought his claw down to attack Kota, I got there, landing in front of Kota and stopping the attack mid-swing. “Kota, get out of here! Run!” I yelled at him.

“But…”

“Kota, I know you’re scared, but I can’t take this guy down if you’re within range of getting burned by my flames. I can’t take the risk of you getting hurt, just run!” I pleaded with him, struggling to hold back Wendigo. He’d gotten stronger, but I just had to hold off Wendigo until Kota got back to camp… I couldn’t let Wendigo get to the others, so many could die if I let it happen… No. I wouldn’t let it happen! I yelled as I burned Wendigo, shoving him and causing him to slide back. “Come on, ya son of a bitch!” I taunted, creating a fire whip and cracking it at him. He gave a blood curdling screech, but I was ready for him. I whipped him a couple times before he figured out how to dodge it and lunged for me. I quickly blasted him with my other hand, fighting as best as I could against a human with basically animal-like tendencies.

There was no pattern, and I could barely see him. But, I knew Wendigo could only see me if I moved, and I only moved when he did. I could only hope that Kota had gotten to safety in the nick of time. I fought as hard as I could, glancing over my shoulder every now and then to check where Kota had run off to. I felt a cut and cried out in pain as an attack, one that I wasn't paying attention to in my worry for Kota, hit and caused my old scars reopening like in my nightmare. But after a while, I spotted Kota poking his head out of hiding. Wendigo lunged for him, but that gave me an opening. “Get back here!” I was able to crack my whip and yank him back into me, giving a yell as I slammed him into the ground and burned him so much that he passed the hell out. By the time the fight between Wendigo and I was over, I was exhausted, and the skin on my palms was starting to scar. Just as I felt like I was about to collapse, I felt a force knock into me and small arms around my waist. Once I was steady, I looked down to see Kota, hugging me tightly.

“You came.” Kota sniffled. I knelt to his height and hugged him back.

“You called. I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to get here sooner, are you hurt?” I asked. He silently shook his head. I sighed in relief. “Good, that was too close of a call. We need to get you back to camp and fast…” He suddenly looked extremely pale, looking behind me. When I turned, I shielded him with my body as a tall figure cloaked in a black robe with a hood and some type of mask covering his face, my wings coming out wrap around him protectively.

“Well, well, I came up here scouting for a nice vantage point, and here I find someone on our list and another someone not on it. By the way, nice hat, kid. I like it.” He pointed to the mask covering his face. “Why don’t ya trade me for this lame mask, huh? They made me wear it because I’m new, said they couldn’t get a shipment of the good ones in time.” He took the mask off and tossed it to the side. “Ah well…”

“Kota, run!” I shoved the kid behind me and, this time, he listened to me. The cloaked man moved to get in front of him and I was just barely fast enough to get between the two again. “STAY AWAY FROM HIM!” I yelled, slamming my flames down to create a wall. He only laughed though.

“Feisty, huh? It’s been a while since I had a good fight! Why don’t you and I have some fun up here, kid? Ready?” His arm suddenly warped until the muscles in his body were covering all of his upper body except his neck. I thought the fight with Wendigo was hard, but this? I could tell this guy was way stronger… The guy was a large, bulky, and highly muscular man set wide with short, spiky, sandy blond hair and tiny black eyes. He has a large scar across the left side of his face, his left eye replaced with a prosthetic one, and another, smaller scar on the right side of his forehead. Underneath the black cloak was a red tank top, a dark jacket that hangs around his waist, dark green pants, and black knee-high boots.

“Papa! Mama!” Kota cried out, tears running down his face. His cry confirmed that this was, indeed, the man who had taken out his parents. My instincts were going crazy with a need to protect the boy behind me. As the villain punched downward, creating a trench and causing rocks to go flying, I dodged the attack, grabbing Kota and wrapping my wings around him as I hit the ground hard and rolled to my feet, placing Kota behind me again as I let my wings extend behind me, making me appear bigger. It did nothing to intimidate him though, the villain just laughed at me.

“You wanna rumble, little bird? Let's rumble!” The villain yelled as I charged, the two of us locking in the middle. I was tired as hell, bleeding out from my reopened scars… I knew I wouldn't be able to last long in this fight, but I had to try to protect Kota… I couldn't let what happened to his parents happen to him…

I just couldn't!

(Tag list: @qweenexplosionmurder13 @iheartbarbie)

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[z-iridest]

My Hero Academia- I Am Phoenix:

Chapter 22- Summer's Beginning:

After an intense first semester at UA, summer break was in full swing. But, just because we were on break didn’t mean we got to relax. I was training since early the morning after we got back from I-Expo and, unfortunately, I couldn't get what Shinohara said out of my mind. “Your father’s a villain! You were meant to be just like him!”

I tried to shake it off for the fifth time that day. Even if that was true, that didn't mean I was automatically a villain. I’d been training to be a hero since I was six, nothing about my heritage changed anything… Right? The smallest voice of doubt made me stop training for a second, going inside to get a drink of water. It was stupid for me to be overthinking this. For Pete's sake, for all I knew, Shinohara was just trying to get into my head during our fight! Besides, even if I was, how would she know? I thought. A knock on the door brought me out of my thoughts. 

“Hino! Are you home?” Ochaco? I went over to the door and opened it to find all six of the girls standing in front of me.

“Hey, what’s up?” I asked.

“We’re going to the pool to have fun, wanna come with?” Hagakure asked.

“Sure, let's go.” I answered, the girls squealing in excitement as I joined the group. Everyone was talking in excitement while I listened to them. At some point, the conversation turned to boys, and I stayed quiet, hoping they wouldn't pick on me for once…

“So, what's the deal with you, Todoroki and Bakugo?” Mina asked. Goddamn it!

“What'd you mean, what's the deal?” I questioned.

“Oh come on! Todoroki and Bakugo were totally protective of you before I-Expo!” Mina squeaked.

“Not to mention we heard they defended you at the Sports Festival….” Kyoka was next to speak up.

“Girls, there's no deal going on between them and me. Seriously, the two just happened to be walking by when my ex was there at the Sports Festival and kept him from doing anything to me, and Bakugo just happened to not blow up at me that day.” I tried convincing them.

“Okay, that doesn't explain why Todoroki was protective of you during I-Expo.” Kyoka pointed out. Well, that was a nat 1 in persuasion…

“Wait, what?!” Mina looked star eyed now.

“Remember after the run in Hino had with Shigaraki how he tensed up if anybody that wasn't in our class went up to Hino? There's definitely something going on, ribbit.” Tsu prodded more.

“Oh my god, girls, there’s nothing going on.” I kept trying to insist, mostly just being stubborn. “Even if there was, I wouldn't go for it.”

“Why not?!” Kyoka, Mina, and Hagakure all chorused.

“Look, I’m not looking to get burned the way I did with my ex, can we just drop it already?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and hurrying ahead before the girls could keep the interrogation going. The last thing I needed was them pressing me anymore about my feelings for Todoroki and Bakugo, or why I had sworn to never date again. Ochaco caught up to me and linked her arm with mine, making my arms loosen slightly.

“You know if you want to talk, we're here for you, right?” She asked. I gave a small smile and nodded.

“Yeah, I know.” I answered. I felt Mina link her arm with my other arm and practically dragged me toward the pool. A squeak left me as I got pulled, giggles filling the air as the girls followed us. Once we were at the school, we got changed into the school swimsuits and lined up in the pool area to stretch out. While we were stretching, the boys joined us. Iida, Todoroki… Pretty much all the boys in our class except Kaminari, Mineta, Izuku, Bakugo and Kirishima had joined us. I felt my face turn red and avoided looking at Todoroki. It wasn't like I was expecting him to be wearing a shirt at the pool, but I felt like I was gonna combust. I heard snickering and glared at the girls next to me.

“Nothing going on, huh?” Mina teased.

“Shut up.” I murmured, only making her laugh more. Just then, I heard Iida.

“There you are, slowpokes!” I watched as Mineta and Kaminari tripped over themselves when they saw the others. Had they planned something perverted? 

“No, no, no, what the heck are you guys doing here?” Well that wasn’t suspicious… I thought.

“Since we’re doing endurance training at the pool, I messaged everyone to see if they wanted to come with us.” Izuku stood by Iida.

“You did what? Now all our plans are ruined!” And that's Kaminari with a confession. I sighed. Were the antics ever going to stop with those two? At the time, it didn't seem like it considering Mineta whispered to Kaminari before they looked over at us.

“Oh, hey. Hi Mineta.” Tsu finally noticed the two.

“I didn't know you guys would be here.” Kyoka was next to say something. As I continued stretching with the other girls, Iida approached the two.

“Kaminari, Mineta, nice work! I’m proud of you for suggesting more training. You’re an asset to our class, let me thank you. Now, don’t just sit there. It’s time to come sweat with us.” Iida told them, looming over them. From the way Mineta and Kaminari looked scared, he might as well have been a villain that was tasked with sending them to hell. He laughed as he easily picked the two up in his arms and carried them over to the boys. 

“Should we help them?” Hagakure asked. “They don't look thrilled.”

“Meh, they did it to themselves.” I answered before we finished stretching. Once we had, I dove into the water, feeling the coolness against my skin. When I came up for air, I wiped the water off my face. “Man, the water feels great! Jump in, girls!” When none of the others moved to get in, I started eyeing the girls. Ochaco looked panicked when my eyes set on her, which just made me grin.

“Oh no, no, don’t even think about it, Hino!” Ochaco squealed.

“Too late!” I sprang out and grabbed her before pulling her in, hearing the girls laugh as they all jumped in before I could drag anyone else in the water with me. We had a ton of fun, splashing around and staying cool. We even played some pool volleyball. At some point, Iida called for a 15 minute break for the boys and that he brought drinks for everyone. I took a break from the game for a minute, floating on my back and feeling the sunlight on my face. It was one of the rare moments I had back then to just relax. This ended up being a good idea…

“You’d better!” The sound of Bakugo's voice made me go upright again and I felt my face almost combust again when I saw Bakugo. “The next time I beat you, I want you to be at your strongest, you damn nerd!” Bakugo snapped as he stormed toward Izuku.

“Kacchan!” Izuku looked terrified all over again. Wasn’t he over this at this point?

“Hey, I got your message, sorry I’m late. It took a while to convince Bakugo to come out.” Kirishima put his arm out to keep Bakugo in place.

“That's not very surprising…” I trailed off.

“So, Deku.” Bakugo addressing Izuku again caused Izuku to yelp. “You wanna settle who’s the best between us right now? Huh?!” His hands sparked.

“No, that's not it!” Izuku put his hands up while Iida looked in thought.

“Actually, you know what? We could make this training a contest…”

“Huh?” 

“Hey, everyone! I propose that we see which of the boys can swim 50 meters the fastest. A friendly race!”

“Yeah!” Kaminari agreed.

“Sounds fun!” Sero added.

“Let’s do it!” Sato exclaimed.

“Iida! Why don’t you let us help you out with this?” Yaomomo asked as us girls joined everyone.

“Yes please.” Iida smiled.

“And, Quirks. Can we use them?” Ojiro asked.

“We’re at school, so there shouldn't be a problem with that.” Iida answered. “However, you cannot cause damage to your classmates or the building.”

“I’m gonna annihilate you, Deku.” Bakugo told Izuku. He then turned to Todoroki, who was sitting against the wall behind him. “And you too, Icy Hot, you bastard.” Todoroki didn't reply. Once the first group was lined up, Yaomomo had the whistle in her hand.

“All right now, everyone, on your marks! Get set!” Once Yaomomo blew the whistle, the first round began, Bakugo using his quirk to burst into the air and speed across the pool. Once he landed, he pointed at the others.

“How was that, ya sidekicks?!” He asked.

“What’d you think you’re doing?!” Sero countered.

“You didn’t even touch the water!” Kirishima and I shouted at the same time.

“It’s called freestyle swimming!” Bakugo yelled back, his hands sparking. I rolled my eyes. The next group consisted of Todoroki, Aoyama, Sero, Sato and Kirishima.

“Everyone on your marks!” The boys got into ready positions. “Get set!” Once the whistle blew, Aoyama used his quirk to fly backwards, Sero using his to swing above the pool, but one wrong move ultimately led to Aoyama crashing into Sero with Todoroki easily sliding to victory with his ice.

“You’re supposed to be swimming!” Kaminari and Mineta snapped at Todoroki, who just sat next to me along with Bakugo. I smiled when I noticed, but didn't say anything, watching as the last group took to the water: Iida, Ojiro, Shouji and Izuku.

“Last group, on your marks, get set!” Yaomomo blew the whistle again and the boys took off. Iida was sliding on the ropes like Todoroki did, although he used his engines while Izuku swam as fast as he could with One For All. It was extremely close, but Izuku got there first. I cheered with the others.

“Nice one, Midoriya!” Sero exclaimed.

“Iida was so close!” Mina squealed as Izuku helped Iida out of the pool.

“You beat me, good work!” Iida praised him.

“You were amazing out there too, Iida!” Izuku beamed.

“Midoriya…” I heard Todoroki trail off. I watched as he looked at Iida and Izuku as they looked at us, all of us remembering the Hosu Incident. Afterward, the three boys looked determined, and to be honest, I was too. I’ll be a hero like my parents, I’ll make my mom proud. I thought. After a minute, Iida spoke again.

“It’s time for the final race! Bakugo, Todoroki, Midoriya, as winners of each heat, you’ll fight for first place, understand?” Iida asked.

“Got it.” 

“Yes.”

“Listen up, Scarface.” Well, that’s a new one. I thought. “Don’t you dare hold back like you did against Flame Hair at the Sports Festival! Bring everything you’ve got!”

“I will.” Todoroki promised. Bakugo then set his sights on Izuku.

“You too! Fight to win!” Bakugo snapped.

“I will, I promise.” Izuku replied.

“Then the 50 meter freestyle final race will now begin!” Iida announced, the entire class in a buzz. My friend and the two guys I had a crush on, competing head to head in a race…

“Blow em away, Bakugo!” Kirishima cheered.

“Don’t kill the other swimmers!” Bakugo glared at Kaminari for the comment.

“You got this, Todoroki!” Sero cheered for Todoroki.

“You can do it, Deku!” Ochaco cheered for Izuku.

“Do your best, everyone!” Yaomomo and I cheered, mostly because I didn’t know who to cheer for. Iida held up his arm.

“Now, on your marks!” Iida called out, and I noticed Bakugo’s hands sparking, Todoroki’s right hand frosting and Izuku’s green lightning flashing around him as they all prepared to start. “Get set!” At the blow of the whistle, the race started… Only for all three to fall into the water, their Quirks not having activated.

“What happened?” Kaminari asked.

“Why aren’t they using their Quirks?!” Sero questioned next, but a different voice answered the question as Iida stood at attention.

“It’s 5pm… Your authorized pool time is officially over, hurry up and go home.” Mr. Aizawa spoke, walking toward us with his Quirk active.

“Come on, just one second!” Kaminari argued.

“We were finally getting to the good part!” Sero whined. Aizawa’s eyes flashed dangerously.

“Are you questioning me?” He asked.

“Not at all, Mr. Aizawa!” We all exclaimed. I glanced back at Bakugo and Todoroki as I followed the girls in the locker rooms, although both were occupied with getting out of the pool… To be completely honest, I snorted when I saw Bakugo. When his hair gets wet, he looks like a drowned rat. I walked home as the sun was setting, looking up at the sky. I don’t know why, but my mind wandered to Mom, how she’d felt while she was in love with Dad. Was it like the way I’m feeling now? Unsure how to go about things, how to tell Dad? Or did she plan on keeping it secret until she was old and gray and dying of natural causes after many years of life? I’d never know for sure, but the walk home after that day of fun under the sun was definitely filled with overthinking about how I would tell Todoroki and Bakugo how I felt about them…

If I was to go for it, anyway….

Later that night, Dad told me he met up with Izuku at Dagoba Beach on his way home, giving him words of encouragement about the training camp. Those same words, he passed on to me. “The summer training camp will be tough, Hino, do your best.” Those words echoed in my head as I got ready for bed that night, nervous for what was going to be thrown at my classmates that summer during the training camp…

“Now that you’ve finished your first semester at UA High, it’s time for summer vacation to officially begin. However, don’t think that 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!” We all replied at the same time the next day after Mr. Aizawa’s words.

“I’m so psyched! I’ve been looking forward to this camp all semester, Deku!” Ochaco squealed in excitement. As for Izuku, he was beet red as she was really close to him.

“Oh yeah! It’s definitely close, huh?” He asked, seeming to turn even redder.

“Hey, what’s the matter?” Ochaco noticed how red he was.

“I’m just a little hot!” Izuku exclaimed. Ochaco blinked before she went red too, backing away from Izuku.

“Let’s hear it for camp! Camp! Camp!” Ochaco got Kaminari and Mina into cheering with her.

“What’s up with those two?” I heard Kairi ask.

“They like each other, but won’t admit it.” I answered without looking at her.

“Kinda how you like Todoroki and Bakugo but won’t admit it.” She stated, making me glare at her for it, which only made her grin wider. “You’re not denying it.”

“Kinda like you never denied that you and Tetsutetsu are dating?” I pointed out, making her turn red.

“Shut up.” She mumbled, making me laugh.

“I heard some of Class A is taking extra courses! Does that mean they actually failed the final exams?!” Monoma gasped. “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!” Before Monoma could go on or anyone could reply to anything Monoma had already said, Kendo karate chopped him at the back of the neck again, making him slump over with his butt in the air.

“Don’t mind him!” She smiled before dragging Monoma’s blond ass onto the bus Class B was riding on.

“I swear to you, Hino, he’s less annoying in class.” Kairi told me. I sighed.

“I’ll take your word for it.” I replied before I noticed Tetsutetsu approaching us.

“Hey, mí raina. It’s time to get on the bus.” Tetsutetsu told her. Kairi smiled softly at him, looking in love as she looked at him.

“Mmkay, I’ll be there in a minute.” She replied. He beamed at her and kissed her cheek, making her turn red. “Tetsu!”

“I couldn’t help it, your cheeks are so kissable, I love it.” Tetsutetsu grinned, making her giggle and hide a blush. While she wasn’t looking, I gave him the I’m watching you look before he hurried off.

“Mí Reina?” I asked when she looked at me again, but my question made her blush again. “You know that means ‘My Queen’ in Spanish, right?”

“He doesn’t spell it that way, though. It’s spelled like rain with an a at the end.” 

“The spelling doesn't matter, the meaning is the same!” I laughed, making her blush darker before she went over to Tetsutetsu. He wrapped his arm around her again and with a sweet smile, he let her board the bus before him. Mineta was practically salivating at the sight of the girls boarding the bus, something I burned his backside for, right before Iida called for our class to board the bus.

“Attention, Class A, our bus is here! Everyone, line up in seating order!” Iida told us. Mina groaned at this.

“Do we gotta really? Why not just sit wherever?”

“But going by the standard arrangement will make the process quicker and more efficient, no?” Iida asked, looking a bit irked that she had asked that.

“C’monnn, it’s not every day we get a training camp trip! Why make it extra boring on purpose?” She asked.

“Ashido, this trip is an official school function, so I’m afraid your boredom is irrelevant to the matter.”

“I wanna sit wherever too!” Kaminari chimed in, backing up Mina that second. Iida paused for a minute, seeming to think about it.

“Shall we take a vote to decide?” He asked, making me groan myself. But, before anyone could respond, our teacher responded.

“Just get on the bus.” Mr Aizawa told us, which allowed the subject to be dropped and our class to finally board the bus. For context, the bus was a pretty standard tour bus, with five rows of four seats each, two seats on each side of the aisles. I ended up taking a window seat on the right side of the aisle, and funnily enough, Todoroki and Aoyama ended up in the aisle in front of me, and Bakugo plopped into the seat next to me. After about ten minutes into the ride, he had passed the hell out. “Here’s the deal, we’ll be on this bus about an hour before our first stop. Make sure you stay focused…” Whatever Mr Aizawa was gonna say next quickly went off the rails as no one was paying attention.

“Hey, why aren't we blasting some tunes?” Kaminari asked. Most were talking amongst themselves or just being quiet like Tokoyami. Aoyama was standing, the weirdo, but our class rep wasn’t much better as he loudly lectured Aoyama that no one should be standing on a moving bus…. While standing out of his own seat… Way to lead by example, Iida. I thought, being sarcastic even in my own head as I rolled my eyes and looked out the window. 

“Hey, Hino, want some pocky?” I snapped out of my trance to see Ochaco holding out a stick of Pocky. 

“Sure, thanks, Ochaco.” I took it from her and started to nibble on it, looking out the window again. Not too long after though, a bright light blinded me. Peeking over to where it came from, Aoyama was staring into his compact mirror. “Do you mind?” I asked, and apparently Todoroki had gotten blinded too because he asked the same thing not too long after I did. I wasn't really listening to anything Aoyama said after, just slouching in my seat. “You’re gonna get car sick doing that.” I warned him. 

“How can anyone get sick admiring this handsome face?” Aoyama asked, making me roll my eyes for the second time and look out the window. The girls in front started talking about their middle school class trips, Tsuyu having just started a funny story about an old friend of hers when she suddenly stopped.

“Aoyama, you okay?” Tsu asked. I got a bit out of my seat to see Aoyama covering his mouth and hunched over a bit.

“Told you you were gonna make yourself sick looking in that damn mirror the whole time.” I told him as I sat back down.

“It wasn’t from that, mon ami, it was…” Aoyama started to protest, but looked like he was about to blow chunks, covering his mouth and hunching over more, which made everybody go quiet and turn towards him.

“Here, lay down.” Todoroki, bless him, moved over to the pop out seat so Aoyama could lay down and rest for a minute.

“That seat must be uncomfortable, Todoroki, take my seat. As class president, it is my responsibility to ensure my classmates’ comfort.” 

“No, take my seat, Todoroki.” Izuku piped up, the two getting into an argument over who would take Todoroki’s place.

“Guys, I’m fine, seriously.” Todoroki interrupted the two, which seemed to do the trick to shut them up. I ended up tuning everybody out and watching out the window again, at least while everybody was trying to help Aoyama be distracted from his motion sickness. I heard something about a pressure point and Todoroki claiming again that he was the hand crusher, which made Iida and Izuku laugh again. They also tried the word chain game, waking up Bakugo to drag him into it and even some trivia, in which Izuku came up with a question about my Dad that only a hardcore fan would know, which got him teased for being a fanboy. Izuku took it to mean he was being called someone who chased their dreams, but Bakugo brought him back down by yelling that it wasn't a compliment. That was when Mineta decided it was a good time for a story, which all the girls protested because he was a pervert, but he told it anyway. I ignored it, ending up falling asleep for a while… 

Only for the nightmare to occur again. It felt more real, but this time, the white haired me was nowhere to be found. Instead, it was a shadowed figure, their face and body obscured by shadow. I felt a raging pain go through me, a voice echoing in my head. “You were meant to be just like me.” The scene changed to people looking scared of me, mostly people I’d seen around Hosu. Even Ember looked afraid of me…

“Flame Hair, wake up.” A sharp nudge in my side caused me to start awake. When I opened my eyes, Ochaco and Tsu looked worried as they peeked over their seats at me. Everyone else was getting up to get off the bus.

“You okay, Hino?” Ochaco asked.

“You turned pale in your sleep, ribbit.” Tsu told me.

“I’m fine, guys.” I smiled a bit. It didn't seem to work to reassure them, but at the very least, they dropped it. I heard Tsu ask Aoyama if the stories had helped any, but it didn't seem to… That is, until the light from the stupid mirror appeared again on the ceiling of the bus and he jumped up out of his seat. 

“I guess the bus stopping helped him feel better.” Tsu theorized.

“No, mon ami, it was my sparkling reflection that brought me back to life.” Aoyama debunked it, leading to an exclamation of outrage from our classmates as we exited the bus. I looked around while Izuku stretched.

“Finally, I needed off that bus.” Kaminari breathed out.

“Let me get through, I gotta pee!” MIneta exclaimed, zipping out of the bus.

“None of us needed to know that…” I mumbled under my breath.

“Huh… This isn’t much of a rest area.” Kirishima commented.

“No… And where’s Class B?” Jiro asked. Good question… I thought, watching as Mineta zipped around the side of the road where we stopped.

“You really don’t think we stopped here just so you could stretch your legs, do you?” Mr. Aizawa questioned in return. Everybody froze at that point, Mineta stopping in front of our teacher.

“Please, sir, the toilet…”Mineta trailed off. Suddenly, the doors of the dark gray car that pulled over with us opened.

“Heya, Eraser.” A female voice came from the car. Our teacher bowed a bit. 

“Long time no see.” Mr. Aizawa greeted the pro heroes that stepped out of the car.

“Your feline fantasies are here! Say meow.”

“Purrfectly cute and catlike girls!”

“You can call us the Wild, Wild Pussycats!” The two women posed as they introduced themselves, but these two were two more heroes I was familiar with. The first was a young woman with reddish brown hair styled with three bangs going across her face and brown eyes. She was taller than me, round 5’6” if I had to guess, and she had red marks on her face that resembled whiskers. Her hero costume was a red version of the Wild Wild Pussycats uniform; a sleeveless, midriff collared top decorated with three red straps, gold trim, and a bell, a large ruffled skirt, a tail, an orange belt with pockets, two thin arm bands with a bell below the shoulder, a silver buckle resembling a cat paw with blue pads, large white cat gloves with retractable claws (and yes, they do feel like actual cat paws, I know, I’ve felt them), boots with vertical stripes lined with white fur and communication devices designed to resemble cat ears. The second was a woman of the same height with blue eyes and long blonde hair that’s mostly combed back except for her bangs. A time or two, Pixiebob and Mandalay had swung by my Mom’s office, mostly to ask for her help on a mission of theirs or to help out in Hosu City. But, the kid that was with them threw me off a bit. Who was the kid? Everyone either looked shocked or confused.

“These two are the pro heroes you’ll be working with at the summer training camp.” Mr Aizawa informed us.

“They’re a four person hero team that specialize in mountain rescues! The Pussycats were founded when we were kids, like, forever ago.” Izuku simultaneously told us about them and insulted them by indirectly calling them old, which made them gasp. “This marks their 12th year working as a-” Izuku got a paw to the face, effectively cutting him off from saying anything else.

“I’m pretty sure your math must be off. I’m 18 at heart.” Pixie Bob told him.

“Understood.” He barely got out.

“Hi, Pixie Bob.” I waved a bit. She gasped when she saw me.

“Little Hino?! Oh my god, you were so tiny the last time I saw you. I swear, you were just a toddler yesterday!”

“It’s been quite a while since I saw you guys last…” I trailed off, rubbing the back of my neck. Mandalay smiled a bit.

“You might have to face facts, Pixie Bob, Hinotori’s 15 years old now, there’s no changing that one.” She told her friend, who sulked at the reminder that she was- indeed-older than her energy let on.

“Everyone, say hello.” Mr Aizawa told us.

“Hello! Nice to meet you!” Everyone chorused.

“We own this whole stretch of land out here, everything you can see.” She then pointed in a certain direction. “The summer camp you’re staying at is there at the base of the mountain.” That’s far… I thought, and my classmates seemed to think the same thing.

“Uh… Then why did we stop all the way up here instead?” Ochaco asked, turning toward Tsu and I.

“I’m afraid we both know the answer to that, Ochaco.” Tsu told her with me nodding in agreement.

“That can't be right.” Sato denied. Sero chuckled nervously.

“Um, back on the bus. Quick, let’s go.” Sero put in.

“Good idea. Load up.” Kaminari sounded just as nervous, but at this point, I knew there was no running from it. Pixie Bob would see to that much…

“The current time is 9:30 in the morning. If you’re fast about it, you might make it there by noon.” Mandalay’s tone was foreboding.

“No way… Guys!” Kirishima exclaimed.

“Holy crap!” Mina squeaked.

“Save yourselves!” Kirishima yelled before everyone but me ran for the buses. I sighed. And of course they’re gonna make things harder… I thought.

“Kittens who don’t make it there by 12:30 won't get any lunch.” Mandalay called in a sing-song voice. 

“You should have guessed, students. The training camp…” Just as I thought, Pixie Bob jumped in front of the class, cutting them off from the bus. “Has already begun.” With a glow of her hands, Pixie Bob used her quirk to launch everyone (annoyingly enough including me), into the air and off the cliff to the edge of the forest below us. My classmates cried out in shock. 

“What the heck?!” Ochaco questioned.

“She must be controlling the ground!” Izuku exclaimed. I used my wings to dodge everybody and land safely while my classmates ended up in a heap. As I tucked my wings away, I put my hands on my hips, observing the forest. I couldn't see too far into it, honestly. Thanks to how thick the trees were, not a lot of sunlight was peaking through. 

“Good news! Since this is private land, you can use your Quirks as much as you want to! 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!” Mandalay called down to us. My classmates joined me in looking over the forest.

“The Beast’s Forest?!” Izuku asked.

“That sounds like a name right out of a fantasy game.” Kaminari was next to speak up.

“Why do we keep falling for Aizawa’s little tricks?” Jirou asked.

“Guess there’s no use complaining, might as well get going.” Kirishima dusted himself off as he and Kaminari got up. Mineta zipped right past us, probably looking for a spot to go to the bathroom, but before I could warn him, one of Pixie Bob’s Earth Beasts popped up in front of him. The massive creature conducted of straight up dirt and other earthly components was Pixie Bob’s signature move. It growled menacingly, making Kaminari and Sero yell in terror.

“WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!” They screamed at the same time. Mineta seemed to freeze like a deer in headlights as the beast raised its front leg to attack him.

“Please calm yourself, my giant friend! You don’t wanna hurt them!” Koda attempted to calm it down with his Quirk.

“MIneta, move it!” I yelled, flying toward the beast. Thankfully, Izuku grabbed Mineta before the attack from the beast landed. I landed a couple blows using my flames to zip in and out of the beast’s wake, moving like Bakugo. As I landed, another blow from the beast came down, causing me to backflip to get away from it. As I flew through the air, I noticed Izuku powering up with One For All. I smirked as I also noticed Todoroki’s ice heading toward it. I summoned a flame blade the size of a greatsword and cut through it as I landed, the flames stopping in time for Todoroki to freeze it.

“Recipro Burst!” Iida yelled as he launched his own attack on it.

“I’LL KILL YOU!” Bakugo was next to attack with an explosion, Izuku finishing it off with a good solid punch.

“You guys took down that beast in seconds!” Sato and Sero went up to Todoroki.

“It was awesome!” Sero grinned.

“You showed that thing who’s boss.” Kirishima praised.

“We’re not done.” Bakugo and I replied as I shouldered the greatsword I’d made with my flames, both of us staring at the second beast that was across the clearing from us. This one was just as big as the first one, but this one had wings. It sprung up into the air.

“Hey, come on, don’t you think this is a little unfair?” Kaminari asked.

“What now, do we run?” Mina questioned.

“Not good, if we don’t make it to the camp fast enough, then we won’t get anything to eat.” Sato reminded us. 

“He’s right. We have no choice but to cut through these woods using the shortest possible route.” Yaomomo told us.

“Ribbit.” Tsu gave her affirmation, everyone else nodding.

“All right. Let’s go, Class A!” Iida called.

“Yeah!” We all responded.

“I spot three up ahead and two flanking each side.” Shoji gave us the enemy count.

“So seven total… They’re coming!” Jirou told us.

“All right, I’ve got this one!” Sero called out, using his tape to bring down the flying beast. “Sato! Kirishima!” Sato and Kirishima used their Quirks to cause damage to the beast.

“Dark Shadow!” Tokoyami summoned his Quirk.

“Got it!” Dark Shadow replied, getting in a hit before Ojiro whipped it with his tail.

“Aoyama, you’re up!” He called to him.

“Bonjour.” Aoyama used his Navel Laser on it.

“Damn it!” Mineta screeched as he used his Quirk too. “If it weren’t for you monsters, my pants wouldn’t be wet right now!”

“Didn’t need to know that, Grapehead!” I shouted as I jumped into a fight with one of the monsters, hearing Kaminari’s voice next.

“Mineta, get outta here! 1.3 million volts!” Kaminari electrocuted the beast he was fighting, going into stupid mode right away. 

“Lovely birds of the forest! Remove this evil beast and restore peace to this wood!” Koda used his Quirk on the birds in the forest, Mina and Hagakure teaming up to take out its legs before Yaomomo got a hit in with her cannon. I pulled some maneuvers I saw in an anime I once saw, copying a character with black hair and a little taller than me. While I went through the air, I changed the greatsword into two blades similar to the ones the character used and collapsed my wings, spinning the way he did as I slashed through the nape of the beast’s neck, somersaulting in the air to land on my feet and springing back up into the air with my wings extended. Not gonna lie, it felt pretty badass...

“I’ve spotted more of them closing in!” Shoji warned us.

“On it!” I sped toward the others, slashing through the beast in front of me as Todoroki’s ice froze it in place and Bakugo ended up blasting into the top part of the ice.

“You’re in my way there, Icy Hot!” Bakugo sounded annoyed as he addressed Todoroki.

“Then pick another route!” Todoroki sassed back before I slid between them and destroyed the beast.

“Get moving, slow pokes!” I grinned, back flipping into the air to take down another one. We ended up going like that for a few hours, and by the time we broke through the other side of the forest and got to camp, everyone was exhausted and the sun was setting. My skin was burnt to the point of causing scarring at least on the palms of my hands from what I could feel, Iida was limping with black smoke coming out of his exhausts every time he put pressure on his leg, Bakugo was holding his wrist, Todoroki had ice on the right side of his face… Everyone was at least covered in dirt, if not scratched up a bit from all the fighting. If the prep was this brutal, what the hell was the actual training camp gonna be like? Sato ended up collapsing as soon as we got in front of the teachers, I ended up hunched over, trying to catch my breath but also trying to keep myself upright. 

“You said it would only be, like, three hours!” Sero exclaimed when he finally got breath, being the first of class 1-A to be able to do so.

“I guess we timed it based on how long it would take us. Sorry!” Mandalay told us.

“Now you’re bragging about how much better you are?” Sato asked incredulously. “That’s so mean!”

“I’m starving, this is hell!” Kirishima whined.

“Meow, meow, meow, meow!” My head finally came up at Pixie Bob’s mewing, knowing that sound was trouble. “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...” Oh no… I thought as she pointed at Iida, Bakugo, Todoroki and Izuku. “The four of you! It seems like you’ve had quite a bit of experience.” She licked her lips and launched herself toward the boys. “I call dibs on these kittens! I’ll groom them myself!” The boys gave their protests as she swarmed them, all four covering their faces. To be honest, remembering it, this moment kinda irked me the most during our training camp… Besides Mineta’s pervert tendencies, anyways…

“Mandalay, has she always been like this?” Mr. Aizawa asked.

“It’s gotten worse lately. She’s at the age to take a mate.” Mandalay explained. Oh great.

“Uh, speaking of people’s ages…” Izuku started, but got his mouth covered by Pixie Bob again.

“Choose your words carefully, boy.” She warned him.

“I’ve just been wondering since we got here earlier… Who’s that kid? What’s he doing here?” Izuku asked.

“Y’know, I was just about to ask that.” I put in as I straightened, putting my hands on my hips and turning my attention to the kid too. He was pretty small when we first met him, having short and spiky black hair and dark eyes. He initially wore black boots, a pair of dark shorts and a short sleeved and collared button up shirt, but the most defining trait was a red hat with two gold horns. The look in his eyes seemed to hold a disdain for us heroes in training, and he looked around the same age I was when Dad adopted me.

“Oh, this little guy? He’s my cousin’s son, he lives with us now.” Mandalay explained. Knowing who Mandalay's cousins were, I immediately knew who’s kid this was. A couple years back, this kid’s parents were the team Water Hose. They went up against a villain, but ended up dying in the fight, just like my mom. “Don’t be shy, Kota. Say hi to everyone, you’re gonna be around them for the next week.” I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye, and opened my mouth to try to stop Izuku from approaching the kid, but Izuku was already in front of him before I had a chance to say anything.

“Hey there, my name’s Midoriya. I’m from the UA High school Hero course, it’s nice to meet you.” Izuku extended his hand, but I grimaced as he got a punch to the balls instead of a handshake. 

“What a low blow! You fiend of a child! A punch to the scrotum is unforgivable!”

“Iida, stop!” I yelled at our class president. Kota glared at them.

“The last thing I want is to hang with some wannabe heroes.” Kota snarled at him.

“Wannabe? How old are you, kid?!” Iida asked, sounding incredulous himself.

“That brat’s got spunk.” Bakugo commented, having a soft smile on his face.

“He’s like a mini version of you.” Todoroki told him, making me have to cover a snort. That soft smile was instantly gone as Bakugo rounded on Todoroki.

“What’re you talking about?! You need to shut your mouth before I blast you all the way to hell!”

“Yeah, sure.” Todoroki didn’t seem to believe Bakugo’s threat, but my attention turned back to Kota.

“Enough playing around, get your stuff off the bus.” Mr. Aizawa told us. “Once your bags are in your rooms, we’ll have dinner in the cafeteria. After that, you can bathe and sleep. Tomorrow, your training starts in earnest.” All of us, yes including me, groaned at this. “You’d better get a move on.” I was pretty much half asleep already as I dragged myself to get my stuff from the bus, and at some point, my wings popped out of my back. Once my body felt the softness of my futon under my feet, I collapsed in a heap, my wings covering me like a blanket as my eyes heavily closed.

“She fell asleep faster than Aizawa…”

“Should we leave her be?” 

“No, we have to wake her, she has to eat something at least.” I felt a hand touch my shoulder.

“Hino, come on, wake up. You gotta get some food in you.” Ochaco gently shook me, making me groan. Silence fell around the room before someone ran a finger down my wings, which in retrospect, was not a good idea. Why was it a bad idea? Well… 

Since it never came up before now, my wings are extremely sensitive. Soooo, if a certain someone were to electrocute, or in this case touch my wings, my wings would puff up and extend involuntarily and I would jump. That being said, the instant my wings were touched, I squeaked like a mouse and shot upward, my wings extending out of pure shock before going into my back. “I’m awake!” I shouted, my eyes wide. But the girls were nowhere to be found. I blinked and heard groaning coming from the doorway. When I looked, about 2 of my classmates ended up out of the room while the others were in a pile halfway out of the open door. I winced. “Sorry guys.” I apologized before helping everybody up and going with the girls to the cafeteria. Once we got there, my stomach growled at the smell. The tables were covered, and I mean covered, with a massive amount of different foods. 

“It looks so good!” Izuku clapped his hands together. Everyone dug in, and I smiled as I noticed Todoroki slurping down some soba noodles. Todoroki likes soba, got it. I thought, taking a note of it for later.

“So you girls got stuck in a tiny bunk room, didn't ya?” Sero asked.

“Why? Is the guys’ room really big?” Jirou asked.

“Oh yeah? So like, can I come check it out later or what?” Mina asked.

“Sure! Whenever you want.” Sero answered.

“Hino ended up almost falling asleep on one of the beds and knocked most of us out the door when Mina touched her wings.” Ochaco was telling Izuku, making me groan and cover my face. It was bad enough that Todoroki was across from me, but Bakugo was a couple seats away from Izuku.

“I said I was sorry!” I whined over my shoulder at her, feeling my face burn. Kirishima and Kaminari were stuffing their faces full of rice until Kaminari let out a huge ass gasp as Pixie Bob walked by.

“I smell beef!” He turned his toward toward where Pixie Bob was going.

“Hey, wait, you got meat over there?!” Kirishima asked with his mouth full of rice.

“Yeah, geeze, 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.” Pixie Bob informed us.

“Thank you!” Kaminari and Kirishima yelled at the same time.

“Oh great, hellish training and having to cook?” I mumbled. Then again, Dad used to do it constantly when he got home from work up until I was old enough to cook dinner for us.

“Hey, Kota!” I was brought out of my thoughts by Mandalay’s voice. “Can you bring me those vegetables?” I looked at him, my brow furrowing a bit. Did he normally just stand there like that? Has he eaten anything?

“Uh oh, Hino's going Mama Bird mode.” Jirou teased.

“What are you talking about?” I turned my attention to her.

“You’re worrying about the spunky brat so much that your forehead's getting all scrunched up, idiot.” Bakugo called me out. I glared at him, but turned my attention back to Kota as he carried the box of vegetables. After dinner, Mandalay and Pixie Bob showed us the bathhouse. Once I stripped down and wrapped a towel around myself, I let my hair out of its ponytail and joined the girls in the water, relaxing the moment my body hit the warm water. 

“You look gorgeous with your hair down, Hino.” Mina gushed over me.

“You should have seen her for the reception of I-Expo. Had her hair down and done, that dress was just fabulous on her.” Yaomomo joined her.

“Oh my god, please tell me someone got pictures!” Mina squealed, making me turn red all over again as the girls gushed over me.

“Guys, stop!” I whined, the others giggling. Once the onslaught stopped, I let my wings out, having them about a quarter of the way in the water. All of us have a sigh of contentment at the same time.

“This feels amazing!” Mina breathed.

“I’m so glad they’ve got a hot springs here!” Jirou agreed. Buuuut, the moment was effectively ruined when I heard Mineta.

“Bathe, my angels… How stupid of them not to stagger the times that we’d be naked next to each other.” I shuddered at the groan that came out of him. “I hope they never learn from their mistakes.”

“It’s too much for him…” Kaminari trailed off. A growl came from our class president.

“YOU’RE TO STOP THIS AT ONCE, MINETA! THAT YOU’RE DOING IS DEMEANING, FOR BOTH THE GIRLS AND YOURSELF! IT’S SHAMEFUL BEHAVIOR!” Iida yelled.

“Now I know why I have this Quirk…” Oh no…

“Girls…” I trailed off, hiding deeper into the water.

“You don't think he’s not gonna…”

“You think he wouldn't?!” Jirou questioned Tsu. Sure enough, we could hear Mineta’s balls sticking to the wall, going further and further up. We were like sitting ducks, nowhere to hide… Just as we saw Mineta reach his hand over the top of the wall, Kota popped up outta nowhere, and I could feel the menacing aura coming off that kid.

“Before you become a hero, you should learn how to be a good human.” Kota scolded him before swatting his hand like a cat knocking something over, which honestly was pretty hilarious to me.

“I’LL GET YOU FOR THIS!” Mineta yelled as he fell, sounding like a cartoon villain. I heard a little scoff of satisfaction from Kota.

“Mineta really is the worst, isn’t he?!” Tsu called to him.

“Thanks so much, Kota babe!” Mina thanked him. “We owe you one!” She giggled. How any of them could bear to be outright naked in the water without a towel covering them was beyond even me, nevermind outright be naked out of the water like Mina. I saw his face turn a little red and he stumbled back in shock, falling off the top of the wall and giving me a heart attack.

“KOTA!” I jumped out of the water and was ready to burst into the air to try to catch him, but before I could take off, a burst of green lightning beat me to it.

“LOOK OUT!” I heard Izuku yell. I hurried over to the wall.

“Mid, is he okay?!” I asked.

“He’s passed out, but I think he’s fine.” Izuku answered, his voice showing his worry, but seeming to want to put me at ease. It was decided that Izuku would take him to Mandalay, and I tried to relax after that, but I couldn't, worried about the boy. I thought about the team Water Hose, died protecting civilians, leaving a very young son behind. I couldn’t imagine the pain of losing both parents, but I knew the pain of losing one without knowing the other. I’d been almost 13 years old at the time Kota’s parents passed, and honestly, I lost control of my powers for a good two months anytime I thought of them. All I could think about at the time was that I was too young to do anything, too young to deliver on the promise I'd make to myself that no child would ever have to go through the pain I did. After the bath, I ended up finding a cliff to look up at the stars, trying to sort out my emotions before I tried to sleep. I held my head in my hands, the pain of Mom’s death coming back like it had just happened yesterday. 

No… It's not the pain of Mom's death… I know what’s happening, why I’m feeling like this… I’m hurting for Kota, hurting because of the pain he had to go through, and he had to go through it younger than I had to… He was probably too young to know what actually happened, so to him, it had to have felt like his parents had abandoned him… My thoughts ran rampant about Kota. I’d known Mom hadn’t abandoned me thanks to my Dad being there, but Kota? He didn't have a parent to help him through it. He had a family member, sure, but it was someone who I was sure didn't know how to help him through his grief, let alone explain what happened in a way a four-year-old could understand…

I mean, what do you say in a moment like that?

(tag list: @qweenexplosionmurder13 @iheartbarbie)

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[z-iridest]

I Am Phoenix- A My Hero Academia Fanfic

Chapter 15- What's In A Name:

The first place prize for the Sports Festival was an invitation to I-Expo, but since Melissa and I were already planning to bring Dad to I- Island, it didn't make sense for me to have an extra ticket. Since Dad was mentoring Midoriya, I figured Dad would bring him along as a guest, which left one person I could think of that had earned the right to go...

"Bakugo, wait up!" I jogged to catch up with the blond after school the same day the Sports Festival ended. He stopped, turning around.

"What'd you want?" He asked, sounding as grumpy as he looked. I gave him the ticket, and he instantly looked confused while looking it over. "The hell's this?"

"First place prize for the Sports Festival. Since I'm already going, it's a thank you for going all out. I might have won, but you earned it." I looked away from him, feeling my face burning. "You can bring whoever you want with you as a guest, so maybe Kirishima or Kaminari'll want to go with." I shrugged a bit. My phone went off. "Gotta go, see you round." I gave a small goodbye before taking off, and I could have sworn I heard a small but gruff:

"Thank you." 

I stopped training for a minute, panting as I remembered giving the invite to Bakugo a couple days ago since I was already going to I-Expo through Melissa. I-Expo was pretty much a summer tradition between Melissa, Uncle Dave and I. That is, when Melissa wasn't busy with schoolwork like she was last year... And this time, Dad was going too, which meant that Uncle Dave and Dad could see each other again after... Oh geeze, how long has it been?

I took a drink of water, sitting down for a second. I probably could have given the ticket to one of the girls, but Bakugo had given me a real fight, he didn't hold back. It was something I could respect... I went back inside to shower after the training session. I know what you're thinking: Didn't Mr Aizawa tell you guys to take the next couple days to rest? Yes, but I can't sit still when I'm at home, gimme a break! Before I could jump in though, my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID. An unknown number? What the hell? Probably not the smartest thing, but I answered it. "Hello?"

"Yagi, it's Todoroki." How the hell did he even... You know what, I don't wanna know. 

"Oh, hey, Todoroki. How are you?" I asked, sitting at the island in the kitchen.

"I'm all right.... How are you?" He questioned. I couldn't help but smile.

"I'm good. So, what's up?"

"I just... Needed to tell someone this." I waited for him to continue. "I saw my Mom today. My old man threw her in a mental hospital when I was a kid, I haven't seen her in a long time."

"You did? How'd it go?" I asked, leaning on my arm a bit.

"We both cried... But, it felt good to talk to her again." I smiled softly at this.

"I bet... How're you feeling?" I asked.

"Determined... I... want to be the best hero I can... I want to save her from that place." While I didn't know the full story of what had happened, I was glad he had gotten to see his Mom at least to start repairing his relationship with her. We continued to talk for a while, and by the time we hung up, I felt my heart ache. I missed my Mom, more than anything, but I was happy for Todoroki. He was able to see his Mom again... I saved Todoroki's contact info for later before I got a text from Midoriya.

'Hey! Sorry, Hino, I probably should have told you sooner, but I gave Todoroki your number, he said he wanted to talk to you about something...' Oh, that's how he got my number... Makes sense. 'Listen, if you're not doing anything, do you wanna have dinner with me and my Mom? She's been dying to meet you.' Dinner with Mrs. Midoriya? While the thought made me nervous, I was curious to find out what Midoriya's mom was like.

'Sure! I just finished up training, so I'll get cleaned up and head on over, text me the address and I'll see you in a bit.'  I showered, and dressed in casual attire. It was just a T-shirt with my Mom's hero insignia and jeans with a pair of black sneakers, but I thought I looked good. I put my hair in my usual ponytail before heading for the address Midoriya texted me. I hesitated slightly before knocking on the door. When it opened, I saw Izuku in front of me.

"Hey, you made it! Come on in, Hino." He greeted.

"Hey, thanks for the invite." I smiled as I entered the doorway, taking my shoes off and putting on the house slippers Izuku showed me. Once I was ready, he brought me further inside.

"Hey, Mom, my friend's here." He called to her as he led the way. I looked around. They had a beautiful home that had an open kitchen and living room, and straight ahead of me in the hallway were two separate rooms, one of which the door held a sign that screamed my Dad's merch and had his name in gold letters. I smiled before going into the living room to meet my host. When I came face to face with her, it was like I was seeing double of Izuku. Big, round green eyes and green hair, though hers were darker than his, and her hair was straight and shoulder-length, with a small and spiky ponytail at the back. She was taller than me by an inch, but she was a round woman that reminded me of the comfort of home. "Hino, this is my Mom, Inko Midoriya. Mom, this is the friend I've been telling you about, Hinotori." I bowed in respect.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, especially considering Izuku talks highly of you all the time, and thank you so much for inviting me to your home. It's beautiful." I replied.

"The pleasure's all mine, Hinotori, it's lovely to meet the friend my Izuku's been talking about all this time." She smiled. "Dinner'll be ready in a few minutes, so why don't you two grab a seat in the living room and catch up."

"Is there anything I can help with?" I asked. She giggled.

"Oh, no, sweetheart. You grab a seat and dinner'll be ready soon. From what Izuku's told me, you've been training extra hard the past couple days, it's about time you give your muscles some proper fuel." She told me, gently shooing me toward the couch. I couldn't help but giggle.

"Okay, but if you need help, just holler my name." I told her.

"I will." She beamed before scurrying back to the kitchen. I smiled.

"So, Hino, did Todoroki end up contacting you?" Izuku asked.

"Actually, yeah, he did. He called before you texted me... He got to see his Mom." From the look on his face alone, Midoriya already knew the situation with Todoroki and his family, or at least part of it.

"He did? How did it go, how's he doing?" Izuku asked. So, I told him what Todoroki told me. By the time I was done, he breathed in relief. "I'm glad it went so well, and even more so that he's okay."

"Me too... Honestly, I hope things continue to work out for him. But, it's Iida I'm worried about." I brought up.

"Honestly, me too." Midoriya looked down. "I've been worried since you told me what happened. I just hope everything's all right."

"Me too. When he sets his mind to something, it's all he can see. He'll get himself into trouble if he's not careful..." I trailed off, not wanting to think about the consequences of Iida were to go after the person responsible.

"Now, now, you two, that's enough of that sad talk, let's give your bodies some fuel." Mrs Midoriya told us, shuffling into the dining area. My stomach rumbled at the smell of the katsudon she'd cooked, making both of them giggle. 

"Guess I'm hungrier than I thought." I sheepishly giggled.

"Come on, let's eat." Izuku replied as we got up, sitting at the table. 

"Hinotori, I couldn't help but notice your shirt. Is that Ace's symbol?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, Ace was my mom." I answered as I sat down. When I caught her glance, she was smiling softly. 

"Despite the horrible things you've gone through this year, I think it's safe to say your mother would be proud of the strong and sweet young woman you've grown into." Inko told me. I smiled.

"Thank you, Mrs. Midoriya." I replied.

"You call me Inko, sweetheart. If you need anything at all, you can come to me." She gently patted my hand.

"Thank you, Inko." I smiled, and when she smiled back, her eyes shone brightly, just like Izuku's when he smiled. I found myself at ease as I ate dinner with the Midoriyas, and afterward, we reviewed the Sports Festival footage together. I saw for myself how Midoriya had caught up with me. I sighed a bit after it got to the final tournament, watching his match with Todoroki. "We really need to find a way for you to control that power better... Maybe some way for you to hold it over your entire body like I do with my flame armor."

"At 100%?!" He shrieked, looking at me wide eyed.

"Not right away, you'll break every bone in your body if you tried. I mean starting from what your body can handle and building up, kinda like building a tolerance." I told him, pulling my feet under me and leaning on my elbow, my palm holding my cheek. 

"How am I supposed to do that?" He asked.

"Well, since Quirks are physical abilities, I'd assume training, though I don't think Dad would be any help in that department. I'd help, but I'm honestly not sure how to direct you how to do it." I crossed my arms over my chest, frowning in thought.

When we went back to school the next day, it was dark and raining, and it felt... Almost ominous... I scrolled through my phone as I rode the train to school, trying to ignore the fact that my Mom had been involved in that fatal fight 9 years ago that day. "Psst. Hey... Hey, you, kid." I raised my head to find a man smiling softly at me. "You're Hinotori Yagi from Class 1-A, right? You were amazing in the Sports Festival." The man's words had turned the attention of everyone around us. Pretty soon, I had everyone around me congratulating me. "Keep up the good work, young hero!" They all told me at the same time as I got off the train.

"Oh, thank you so much!" I bowed in respect before I left the station, heading to school. But, the bad feeling hadn't gone away. I felt like something was wrong, but couldn't place it... Why do I feel like this? Like I did the day Mom died? I thought, wishing that this feeling of dread would just be washed away by the rain...

"Morning, Hino." Izuku greeted, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Hey, good morning." I greeted back, before noticing he looked tired. "You okay?" He nodded.

"I just feel like I'm barely awake..." He answered. Before I could reply, we heard a familiar voice call out to us. 

"Good morning Midoriya and Yagi!" We both turned to see our class president heading toward us. He was decked out in rain boots and a green poncho with a hood that was pulled over his head, making it easy for him to run and stay dry.

"Whoa, Iida! You really went all out with the rain gear." Izuku observed. 

"Why on Earth are you two walking so slowly?" He passed us. "You'll be late!"

"There's five minutes until the first bell, what'd you mean we'll be late?" I asked as we hurried after him. 

"UA students should always arrive ten minutes early, don't you think?" He questioned in counter before speeding up. Izuku and I looked at each other before we followed our classmate inside. As I shook the rain off my umbrella and put it in the spot designated for our class, Izuku spoke up.

"So, um, Iida..."

"If it's about my brother, don't be concerned." Iida cut off Izuku as he put on his school shoes and took his hood off. "I'm sorry if I made you worry, everything'll be fine." He assured as he turned to look at us before we headed toward our classroom. Judging by the look on Izuku's face, he was just as worried as I was. The look in his eyes didn't match what he said, something was obviously wrong... Once we were in our class, everyone was buzzing from the past couple days.

"It's so weird that people recognize us from TV. Everyone wanted to talk to me on my way here." Mina was saying.

"Yeah, me too!" Kirishima grinned.

"People on the street were staring at me! It was kind of embarrassing..." Hagakure shifted a bit.

"Sure, but isn't that pretty normal for you?" Ojiro asked. Oh my god, this boy...

"You won't believe what a bunch of elementary school brats yelled at me." Sero spoke up.

"Nice try?" Tsu and I guessed at the same time, making Sero groan.

"All it took was one Sports Festival and suddenly we're like celebrities." Kaminari told Mineta.

"This school really is amazing." Mineta replied. The door opened as everyone stopped talking and took their seats. 

"Morning." 

"Good morning, Mr Aizawa." We all greeted our teacher in return. When he faced everyone, I saw that the bandages were off, and despite a scar on his face, he looked perfectly fine. 

"Ribbit, Mr Aizawa, you don't have bandages anymore, that's good news." Tsu observed. 

"The old lady went a little overboard in her treatment. Anyway, we have a big class today on Hero Informatics." Aizawa replied. Everyone tensed up. Geeze, how many times were we gonna do this where we all tense up because we're expecting the worst? "You need codenames." Mr. Aizawa finally finished after a silence way too long for any of my classmates' likings. "Time to pick your hero identities." 

"This is gonna be totally awesome!" Everyone cheered, before immediately quieting down when Aizawa glared, his eyes flashing red. 

"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 draft 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." I heard Mineta slam his fist on his desk before he mumbled.

"Stupid, selfish adults..." I kicked the back of his chair to get him to shut up. 

"So, what you're saying is, we'll still have to prove ourselves after we've gotten recruited." Hagakure spoke up. 

"Correct. Now, here are the totals for those of you who got offers." He pressed a button on a remote and it showed a hologram total of the offers. I was in first, Todoroki was in second, Bakugo was third and so on. I felt my face burn as most of our classmates, turned, grinning at me. "In past years, it's been more spread out, but there's a pretty big gap this time."

"Gah! That's no fair!" Kaminari exclaimed. 

"What about the real star? Moi?" Aoyama asked.

"Todoroki got more than Bakugo?" Jiro questioned.

"Yeah, it's the opposite of how they placed in the festival..." Kirishima trailed off. I was curious to see the list, but there was only one agency that I could think of that might have sent an offer in... My Mom's old agency in Hosu. It was run by the same sidekick who had been Mom's right hand while Mom was still alive... Ember. 

"You must be proud." I heard Yayorozu talking to Todoroki.

"These offers are probably because of my father." Todoroki replied. I had to cover a snort when I looked over at Ochaco and Iida. She had gasped and was shaking Iida.

"People want us!" She squealed. Meanwhile, my poor friend looked shocked, though, and when I looked at his name, I saw that he had gotten no offers at all.

"Midoriya, you got none." Mineta commented. "I bet everyone was grossed out by the crazy way you were fighting."

"Can you quit rubbing salt in the wound for two seconds, Mineta?" I asked. 

"Despite these results, you'll all be interning with pros, got it? Even those of you who didn't get any offers." Aizawa continued.

"Oh, so, we're all interning?" Midoriya asked. 

"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 exclaimed. 

"Things are suddenly getting a lot more fun!" Uraraka added. 

"These hero names will likely be temporary, but take them seriously, or..." 

"You'll have hell to pay later!" Midnight finished as she opened the door. Kaminari, Sero and Mineta all gawked at Midnight as she entered 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."

"Yeah, she's got a good point. Midnight is going to have final approval over your names. It's not my forte." Aizawa told us as he brought out his sleeping bag. "The name you give yourself is important. It helps reinforce your image and shows the kind of hero you want to be in the future. A codename tells people exactly what you represent. Take All Might for example." Aizawa then had us each get a whiteboard and marker. I uncapped it, but as I was about to start, I heard soft growling, and I froze for a second as I watch Bakugo scribble something on his board before another growl left him, making me roll my eyes. He was probably gonna come up something with the words Explosion or Murder in it... But for me, my codename had been decided a long time ago.

"Hey, baby bird, whacha got there?" Mom had asked me a couple years after I got my quirk. I held up the paper to her as best as my four year old arms could reach. 

"Possible codenames. When I grow up, I'm going to be a strong hero, just like you and Daddy!" I had told her, my hands squeezing into fists as I was on pins and needles, waiting for her response as she read the hero names. She smiled.

"There are some good ones in here like Emberfall, and Cinder, and Scarlet Wing... Oooh, Phoenix might be my favorite, though." She smiled down at me.

"But, it's just the same name as my Quirk... It's not very creative..." I trailed off. Mom lifted me up in her arms.

"But, a phoenix is a symbol of rebirth, remember? It shows that no matter how many times you're pulled down, you'll always soar back up into the sky again to shine bright. You did say you want to be a hero that gives a light of hope to people in times of trouble. What's a better name than Phoenix?" She smiled. 

I brought myself out of the memory as I wrote my hero name on my board. The Blazing Ace: Phoenix. No point in changing it after keeping it in mind for the past 11 years, right? After a few minutes, Midnight spoke again. "Now, students, who among you is ready to share?" Wait, we're presenting these?! I thought. Much to my surprise, Aoyama walked up first. 

"Hold your breath... The Shining Hero. My Name is I Cannot Stop Twinkling! Mon amis, you can't deny my sparkle." Oh, come on....

"It'll be better this way. Take out the I and shorten Cannot to Can't." Midnight advised.

"It's stunning, mademoiselle." Aoyama replied.

"She likes it?" Kirishima, Kaminari, Jiro, Midoriya, Sato and I all questioned.

"Also, you're not really french are you? That's just an act." Sato pointed out.

"Okie doke, lemme go next! My codename: Alien Queen!" Mina exclaimed as she took the podium next. Oooh, it definitely fit her...

"Hold on, like that horrible monster with the acidic blood? I don't think so." Midnight shot down Mina's.

"Dang it..." Mina sulked as she went back to her seat. Tsu raised her hand.

"Ribbit, I think I've got one. Okay if I go next?" She asked.

"Come on up." Midnight encouraged. Once she was at the podium, Tsu spoke again.

"I've had this name in mind since grade school... Rainy Season Hero: Froppy." 

"That's delightful! It makes you sound approachable. What a great example of a name everyone will love!" Midnight approved Tsu's.

"Froppy! Froppy! Froppy! Froppy!" All of us cheered as she sat down. Kirishima was next.

"Got mine too! The Sturdy Hero, my name is Red Riot!"

"Awesome!" I exclaimed, making him grin at me.

"Red Riot, interesting. You're paying homage to the Chivalrous hero Crimson Riot, yes?" Midnight inquired.

"That's right. He may be kinda old school, but someday, I wanna be just like he was. Crimson's my idol." Kirishima replied.

"Hm... If you're bearing the name of someone you admire, you have that much more to live up to."

"I accept the challenge." Kirishima told her, grinning. 

"Man.... I still can't think of anything that's cool enough..." Kaminari trailed off before he got tapped by Jiro.

"Hey, I've got one. How does Jamming-Yay sound to you?" Jiro asked.

"Oh, it's like Hemingway who wrote A Farewell to Arms, right? Real clever, I like it!" Kaminari answered.

"No..." Jiro snickered. "It's because even though you're powerful, you always..." A snort left her. "Jam your brain." I covered my mouth as a snort left me too.

"Aw come on, Jiro, quit messing with me!" Kaminari exclaimed. Jiro then went up.

"The Hearing Hero, I'm Earphone Jack!" 

"Now, that's a good one!" Midnight told her.

"The Tentacle Hero: Tentacole!" Shouji's was a play on words.

"Oh, I like what you're doing with that. A nice portmanteau."

"The Taping Hero: Cellophane." Sero's was pretty cool.

"That's on the nose, good work!" Midnight gave her thumbs up.

"Martial Arts Hero: Tailman!" Ojiro's was all right...

"No surprise with that one, I guess." Midnight's response was mediocre with his, but she approved it still.

"I'm The Sweets Hero: Sugar Man!" Sato's goes on the cool name list.

"Perfect!"

"PINKY!" Mina exclaimed hers at the top of her lungs.

"Make those looks work for you, girl!" Midnight approved the second attempt Mina had. 

"The Stun Gun Hero: I am Chargebolt! Electric, don't you think?" Kaminari's definitely goes on the cool list along with Kirishima's. 

"Makes me all tingly!"

"The Stealth Hero: I'm Invisible Girl!" Hagakure's was a little too on the nose...

"That really suits you!" Midnight's response to Hagakure's codename was pretty mediocre.. "Now, come on, who's gonna step up next?!" It's a wonder our teacher could stay asleep during all this ruckus... Yayorozu was next.

"I hope that I can live up to this name.... The Everything Hero: I'm Creati!"

"Creative!"

"Shoto." 

"Just your name? That's it?" Midnight asked.

"Uh huh." Todoroki answered her. Aw come on, why not something like ThermaFrost, Todoroki?! I thought, but kept the potential name to myself for a moment.

"The Jet Black Hero, Tsukoyomi." And Tokoyami adds a new hero name to the cool list!

"God of the Night..." Midnight swooned.

"The Fresh-Picked Hero, Grape Juice!"

"Very kitschy!" What the hell does that word even mean? Anyways, Kota was up next with showing us the name Petting Hero: Anima. "Yep, all about it!" That... was when Bakugo walked up...

"King Explosion Murder." He growled. Called it...

"I'm gonna say that one's a little too violent."

"HUH?! WHADDYA MEAN?!" Bakugo shouted.

"Why don't you be Explosion Boy?" Kirishima called out to him, half teasing him.

"YOU SHUT UP, WEIRD HAIR!" He shouted as Kaminari and I both snickered. "OR ELSE I'LL TAKE YOU OUTSIDE AND SHOW YOU WHY EXPLOSION MURDER SHOULD BE IN MY NAME!" 

"Not very heroic, Bakugo." I teased him, making him glare at me before I ignored him for Uraraka.

"This is the name I've thought of: Uravity." And there's officially a cute list.

"I just love that!" Midnight gushed, making Uraraka sigh in relief. "To be honest, choosing names is going faster than I thought it would. All we have left is young Bakugo who has to rethink his, Yagi, and Iida. Oh, yes, and Midoriya too." I stood up.

"It's not that I had trouble coming up with mine... It's just meant so much to me that I haven't thought of anything else." I replied as I walked to the front. "Everyone else's is so creative..." I looked at my hero name as I got to the podium, nervous about revealing it to everyone.

"Go ahead, Yagi." Midnight encouraged me, and when I glanced up, I found matching grins of encouragement on Kirishima and Kaminari's faces. I gave a small smile back before showing my hero name. 

"The hero I want to be is one who is able to be a light of hope for everyone... From now on, call me the Blazing Ace: I am Phoenix." I told them.

"Paying homage to your mother as well as making it your own. It's perfect." Midnight nodded in approval and I saw Kirishima pump his fist in the air. As I went back to my seat, Kaminari and Kirishima both held up their hands for high fives, which I gave them as I walked by. Once I sat down, I glanced over at Iida. He looked like he was remembering something awful. When he finally walked up, his first name was on his board.

"You're using your real name too?" Midnight asked. He doesn't feel like he can take on the name of Ingenium yet... I thought, seeing the look on his face. "Well, Midoriya, are you ready?" 

"Oh... Yes." Izuku replied as he stood up. I smiled at his chosen hero name, but it made everyone else gasp.

"Really, Midoriya?" Mineta asked.

"You sure about that?" Kaminari looked unsure himself.

"Yeah, man, remember, that could be your name forever." Kirishima added. 

"Right. I used to hate it... But, then, something changed. I guess.... Someone taught me that it could have a different meaning., and that had a huge impact on how I felt. So, now, I really like it." Ochaco and I exchanged smiles, knowing what he meant. "Deku. That has to be my codename!" I smiled at Izuku, finding him smiling back at both Ochaco and I. Once he sat down, though....

"LORD EXPLOSION MURDER!"

"That's basically the same thing." Midnight voiced my thoughts on Bakugo's second attempt. That was when our teacher got up.

"Now that everyone's decided their hero names, we can go back to talking about your upcoming internships. 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. There are around 40 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."

"Imagine that you're Thirteen. You'd want to choose a place that focuses on rescuing people and not fighting villains, understand?"

"Think carefully before you decide."

"Yes, sir!" We all acknowledge our teachers' words as the bell rang. When I got my list, I saw that pretty much every agency except for Endeavor's agency put in an offer for me. I wasn't really all too surprised that Endeavor wasn't recruiting me, he's only interested in training his own son, after all...

"Turn in your choices before the weekend." Aizawa told us as I looked over the list. It wasn't too far from the list that I saw Ember's agency. I hadn't seen her in a few years... I wonder how she's doing... 

"Wait, we've only got two days?!" Sero asked.

"So much for no rush..." I mumbled. 

"Yeah, so you should start now. You're dismissed." Aizawa replied before he closed the door. Once lunchtime came around, Mina spoke up.

"So, guys, have you decided what pro agency you wanna go for?" She questioned all of us.

"Mount Lady's my top choice!" Mineta was the first to answer.

"Why doesn't that surprise me, ya little pervert?" I questioned. 

"You made it pretty far in the tournament... It's pretty surprising you didn't get any offers." Ojiro told her.

"I know!" Mina exclaimed.

"Hey, Deku, who's on your list?" Ochaco asked. 

"There are only 40 heroes who'll take us, so after looking up their specialties and splitting them into groups, I can start narrowing...."

"Here we go again..." I mumbled, but Izuku got snapped out of his ramble.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, what'd you guys say?" He asked.

"You're really thinking hard about this, aren't you?" Tsu countered.

"That's the curse of overthinking everything." I shrugged. 

"It'll all work out, I've settled on my pick." Ochaco replied.

"Yeah? Who'd you go with?" I asked. 

"The agency that the Battle Hero, Gunhead, runs." She responded.

"Huh? Gunhead's a big brawler, though. Are you sure that's where you wanna intern, Uraraka?"

"Yep, he sent me an offer!" She punched the air, and I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face. 

"Whoa, really? But, I thought you were trying to be a hero kinda like Thirteen, more into rescuing than fighting." Ochaco let her fist drop.

"Ultimately, that's the plan..."

"But since your match against Bakugo, you wanna expand your skill set to include being able to handle combat situations as well as rescue missions." I finished, making her nod at me before she shifted her position and punched the air with her other hand. Why was she so cute?!

"Plus the stronger I am, the more possibilities I'll have! Plus, learning from a battle hero will give me a different perspective, right?" Izuku blinked for a few seconds.

"Yeah, totally." He replied. 

"More importantly, there's something I've been meaning to ask you all day... Why are you trembling?"

"Oh, this? It's exercise." He answered. 

"Exercise?!" That was about when I saw what she was talking about. Izuku was sitting, but he was keeping himself hovering about an inch above his chair.

"Geeze, you're training your body even when sitting still?" I asked. 

"Were you doing that for the whole class?"

"There's no way!" Mina exclaimed. 

"That's such an old fashioned way to train."

"A smart way, though." Ojiro countered Mineta. "The isometric muscle contraction that's needed to hold your body above your seat makes it an easy way to work out without moving." I glanced at Bakugo while Ojiro was talking and saw that the blond in front of Izuku looked even more pissed off than before. 

"Idiots..." He growled out.

"Tis skill not strength that governs a ship." We heard Tokoyami muse. Ochaco turned to me.

"What about you, Hino? Have you chosen your agency yet?" She asked. I nodded.

"Actually, yeah, I'm going to Ember's agency." I answered.

"Wait, isn't that one your Mom's old agency?" Ojiro questioned. I nodded.

"Mmhmm, Ember's also the one who helped my Mom teach me how to use my flames when I was little. I need to work on improving my body's resistance to my own flames, so it's the best option for me." I replied. Plus, it's in Hosu City. Judging by the look on Iida's face, he's going with his brother's old agency, which allows me to keep an eye on Iida. I thought, glancing at Iida as he looked like he had chosen too. When it was time to head home, I gathered up my things, being pulled to the door by my arm by Ochaco.

"Hey, Deku! Wanna walk together?" She asked him. He nodded, smiling at her in response.

"Iida, come with u- Huh..." When we turned toward Iida's seat, we found that our friend had already left.

"I bet he already decided where to do his internship."

"Honestly, that's what I'm worried about." I told Izuku.

"He's probably off turning in his forms right now..." Izuku replied. My Dad pretty much slid in front of the door just as Izuku opened it, startling the crap out of both of us. 

"I AM HERE IN A BIZZARE POSITION!"

"Really, Dad, did you have to give me a heart attack?!" I asked. 

"Yeah, what's that about and why are you in such a hurry?" Izuku asked. 

"Hi, come with me a sec." Dad didn't answer Izuku's question. 

"Uh, sure, okay." Izuku replied. We both went with my Dad. Once we were secluded enough, Dad spoke again.

"I'll get straight to the point. You've received an offer from a hero who'd like to take you on." Dad told Izuku. 

"Wait, seriously, who?!" He asked.

"Yes, the hero's name is Gran Torino." The name sent a chill down my spine. Gramps?! "He taught at this school back in my day, but only for one year. In fact, the man was my homeroom teacher. He knows about One For All, as well... Actually, I suspect that's the reason he asked for you." I watched as Izuku's face went from excited to super excited. "This guy sounds totally awesome!" Then he came back down to Earth. "Wait. So, he knows how your Quirk works too? But how?"

"Gran Torino was the sworn friend of my predecessor. He retired a long time ago, so I forget to count him among the people that know." That's when Dad started shaking. I remembered the first time I met Gran Torino. It was one of the times Mom had been working and Gran Torino had come for a visit. I had only been three years old at the time, but he had told me he'd trained both my Dad and my Mom, to which Mom confirmed he had been practically a Dad to her after her own parents had passed away.  Dad had always been intimidated by him, but to me, it was Gramps, the same man who had been just as much a part of my life from the beginning as Dad had. "Is this because I wrote about you in the letter I sent him? Or did he watch the festival and think that my teaching was inadequate? If he went so far as to use his old hero name when making the offer... It's scary! Too scary!"

"Been a while since you freaked out over Gramps..." I trailed off under my breath.

"Wait, Gramps?" Izuku asked me. I nodded.

"He taught Dad and my Mom and he's been in my life since before she died." I explained. "He's the closest thing I have to a grandparent." I answered.

"Dammit, legs, stop shaking!" I heard Dad growl, but he was only freaking out Midoriya more. "Anyway, it is my duty to train you. But, since you got an offer, you should work with him this week if that's what your heart says. Anyway, h-h-here's the-the-the-the-the address." 

"You really gotta get a hold of yourself, Dad." I told him. He shook it off before looking at me.

"Did you already pick your agency, Hino?" He asked me after Midoriya thanked him and walked away. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm going with Ember's agency."

"Be careful in Hosu City, Hinotori." I blinked at the use of my Dad's full name. He never usually calls me that... "I heard that the Hero Killer already attacked Young Iida's brother in Hosu. The next few times he'll be there, it'll be to kill."

"I'll be careful, Dad, I promise." I swore to him, knowing I probably wouldn't be able to keep it if Iida did what I thought he was going to do... It had been all over the news after the Sports Festival, what happened to our friend's older brother. The Hero Killer had been responsible for 17 hero deaths, and had injured 23 so badly, they'd never work as heroes again., Ingenium being the 24th victim to be left for dead. When I had gotten home, I did a little more research on The Hero Killer. Stain, as he was known, had been first known as a killer vigilante, Stendhall. After an encounter with the hero Knuckleduster, he changed his ideals from killing villains to killing those he considered to be sham heroes. His M.O.? Critically injuring the first hero he came a cross to send a warning before killing three other heroes in the same city, after which, he would move on and the process would start all over again... That chilled me more than any villain could...

The next morning, we were all gathered at the train station. "Everyone has their hero costumes, right?" Aizawa asked us. "Remember, you don't have permission to wear them out in public yet, and don't lose them or anything." 

"Gotcha!" Mina exclaimed, holding up her case as she hopped onto one foot.

"Speak properly! It's 'Yes, sir', Ashido." Aizawa reprimanded. 

"Yes, sir." Mina sulked. 

"Make sure you mind your manners with he other heroes during your internships. Now, get to it." Aizawa told us.

"Yes, sir." We all echoed, but I noticed the look in Iida's eyes and my stomach dropped at the sight. He was planning on going after Stain if the two crossed paths... Shit... I walked with Iida towards the station we were leaving toward.

"Yagi? You're going to Hosu too?" He asked once he noticed me. I nodded.

"Yeah, the agency I chose is my Mom's old one. There's a hero there that has a fire quirk similar to mine, and since I need more control over my flames, I'm going to learn from her." I answered.

"Iida, wait!" We both stopped at Izuku's voice, turning to face him. Ochaco and Izuku both joined us. "Hey, if you ever wanna talk or anything, just let us know." Ochaco nodded to affirm that she thought the same thing. "We're friends, right?" He asked. Iida smiled, though it was half what his normal smile was.

"Yes." He replied, reaffirming that we all were friends before he walked away. Ochaco and Izuku both looked as worried as I felt.

"I'll keep an eye on him, guys. It'll be okay." I tried to reassure them before I left, but even from a bit behind Iida, I could feel the urge to kill Stain coming off of Iida. In that moment, I should have tried harder to get him to tell Izuku and Ochaco the truth, how he was feeling. In the days to come, my biggest regret would be not being there for him...

(Taglist: @euphorical-angel @qweenexplosionmurder13

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[z-iridest]

My Hero Academia- I am Phoenix

Chapter 14: The Sports Festival- Part Six

After the match against Todoroki and Midoriya, the arena had to be fixed before the next match, so I had gone straight to Recovery Girl's office to see my idiot of a friend. I had half a mind to kick his ass for hurting himself as much as he did. But, it got Todoroki literally fired up... He had used his left side, even if it was just for a brief moment, but Midoriya shouldn't have damaged himself that badly to get to that point. But, I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard Recovery Girl say how bad the injuries really were...

"The bones in your right arm were shattered. I'm afraid it'll never be the same as it was before." I heard my Dad gasp before Recovery Girl continued. "I need to remove the bone fragments or they'll get stuck in your joints. I'll heal you afterward." She sighed softly, looking at Dad. "You lit a fire under this child and pushed him too hard. Look at what he's done to make you proud. I don't like it one bit, you're going too hear, you hear? You and the boy."

"I raised Hinotori and she turned out all right..."

"Raising a child and mentoring a child are two different things, and quite frankly, her knowledge of her limits and careful nature was what Asuka instilled in her, not you. But, I don't doubt that she also inherited your recklessness. Your daughter did sacrifice herself to protect her friends multiple times during the USJ incident if I remember correctly. You're lucky you haven't lost her yet..." 

"Hino? Shouldn't you be preparing for the next match?" Midoriya asked, diverting my attention away from the adults at the moment. I shook my head.

"They gotta fix it first. It did get blown up quite a bit." I pointed out. "But, putting that aside, I think it would be a good idea to figure out a different way of harnessing One For All. Once Recovery Girl stops healing injuries like this, I can't help."

"But, your healing tears..."

"They have a limit, Izuku. They won't be strong enough to heal broken bones until I turn 16, and if you end up with a fatal wound, they won't work if you've lost too much blood. I care about you, damn it, which is why you have to find another way. Because if this happens again, I can't do shit about it and I don't feel like losing someone else I care about." I interrupted. Midoriya looked at me, silent for a minute.

"You're not going to lose me, Hino. I promise, I'll be more careful." He told me. I wanted to believe him, I really did... But, I saw the look in his eyes. The next time we were in trouble, he was going to do this again, especially if it meant protecting everyone. Besides, Recovery Girl was right.... I was just as reckless when the situation proved dangerous to those I care about, so I couldn't really talk.

"You better, I'll kick your ass if you aren't, ya little shit." I told him, which caused a bit of a smile despite the pain he looked like he was in. That was when I noticed that my Dad and Recovery Girl had gotten dead silent, watching us. Before anyone could say anything, the door slammed open.

"MIDORIYA!" Tsu, Ochaco, Mineta and Iida were all at the door, worried as hell. Both Dad and I jumped, and I grimaced a bit when Dad coughed up blood. 

"You scared the crap outta me..." He trailed off as Ochaco approached Midoriya.

"Are you okay?" She asked the same time Dad mumbled under his breath. That's when she noticed him. Oh, right, she hasn't met Dad in his normal form... I thought.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you, sir." She said, bowing a bit in greeting.

"Uh, yeah." He waved a bit, making me cover my face with my hand. Seriously, Dad? 

"He's in no state for visitors." Recovery Girl told them.

"Hey, you guys... Shouldn't you be watching the matches?" Izuku asked.

"The stage was far too damaged, they're taking a quick break to repair it now." Iida was the one who answered while I looked at him. Didn't we just have this conversation?

"That match was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life, Midoriya. What pro's gonna want a sidekick that hurts himself?" Mineta asked, shaking as he pointed at Midoriya until Tsu smacked him with her tongue again. Good thing she did it before I could...

"Now you're just rubbing salt in his wounds, probably not a good time." She told him.

"Seriously, learn to keep your mouth shut, Mineta." I added on.

"Hey! I'm just speaking the truth!" Mineta snapped.

"You're much too noisy! I know you're worried, but I got to focus on surgery now." Recovery Girl started shooting them out, but her words only make them panic more.

"SURGERY?!" They all cried. I shoved them out.

"Come on, idiots, he'll be fine." I pushed them out of the room with Recovery Girl helping me shoo them out. I looked at her as she looked at me. "Anything I can do to help?"

"I'd like to say yes, but you need to focus on the next match. Go and get ready, dear and I'll handle things here." Recovery Girl told me. I nodded and left for the waiting room, even though I wanted to talk to Dad and my friend more. I sighed softly. Mom would be scolding both Midoriya and Dad right along with Recovery Girl if she were here. Maybe she'd even have some pointers for him... I took out my phone, looking at the last picture of my Mom that I had on my phone. It was a picture of her and I smiling with ice cream cones in our hands and laughing.

"I wish you were here, Mom." I didn't know why I had been thinking about her so much lately, but I missed her...

The next few rounds flew by for everyone. I used my wings to take Shiozaki out of bounds before she knew what was happening, and with Tokoyami using Dark Shadow to do the same thing to Mina, his match ended in about the same amount of time that mine did. "Whoa, he won that battle super fast!" Mineta commented.

"Tokoyami's Dark Shadow is so amazing, ribbit." She noticed Ochaco looking downcast. I knew she was worried about Midoriya, she had been since Recovery Girl had told her and the others that she needed to do surgery. 

"She said she had to perform surgery." She replied.

"Recovery Girl's the best, you've got nothing to worry about." Mineta tried to reassure her. Least he wasn't being a perv at the moment... 

"He's right." Tsu reaffirmed. She gave a small smile at them. 

"Sure." We continued watching the matches, though I worried about Midoriya. After a bit, I went to go find my friend and my Dad. That was when I heard the conversation between the two.

"Hey, All Might... You remember when you told me you came to UA in the first place? To find a worth successor to inherit One For All."

"Yeah?" I hid behind the wall they were walking toward.

"I put everything I had into the sports festival. But, still... There were other competitors, including Hino, who fought for the victory harder than I did. So.. Maybe..."

"You're thinking if it might be better for someone else to be my successor, yes?" He asked. I blinked in shock. No matter who Dad had originally intended to inherit One For All, I couldn't have imagined anyone else but Midoriya being Dad's successor! Much as I had thought about it in the past, I knew my body would have probably fallen apart years ago if I had inherited One For All...

"Yes..." Midoriya trailed off.

"You're not wrong... This place is full of incredible potential heroes. One For All is a crystallization of power. It bolsters Quirks. For example, if Young Todoroki were to inherit it, the strength added to his own quirk would probably make him an unbeatable superhero."

"Then-"

"But, you know, I was Quirkless too as a kid." Well, that was news to me. Dad was Quirkless when he was younger? I mean, I probably should have expected that considering he had said he got his Quirk from the user before him, but...

"Quirkless? Seriously?" Midoriya sounded just as surprised.

"Back then, it wasn't as rare of a thing, but it was still out of the ordinary. Even though I didn't have a power of my own, I had someone who believed in my potential. My master gave me One For All and raised me to become a hero." 

"You never told me that!" Midoriya exclaimed. Bro, he didn't even tell me!

"It's not my fault you never asked, which is honestly surprising." 

"I just can't believe the number one hero was Quirkless."

"It's true. When we first met, I saw a little of the old me in you. But, kid, you've gone beyond my expectations time and time again. One day, you're gonna do incredible things with One For All. That's something I truly believe." He told him. I smiled a bit.

"While I agree with you, Dad, that doesn't mean he should mess up his entire body like he did in the match against Todoroki." I showed myself.

"Hino, how long have you been listening?!" Izuku asked.

"Long enough, and you two shouldn't talk about One For All in the open like this. There's too many spots for people to eavesdrop and listen in." I pointed out.

"You worry too much, Hino." Dad told me.

"I worry just enough, thank you, especially when you two have the same mindset." Dad chuckled a bit at that. "Dad, it's not funny!"

"You know, I've been thinking about your Mom lately, and that's exactly what I imagined her saying if she were here." Dad told me. I blinked a bit, falling silent. He'd been thinking about her lately too? "Now, the Sports Festival isn't over yet. Get out there, both of you don't want to miss the end." Dad ushered us along. I saw Iida as we passed, and went over to him.

"Hey, everything okay?" I asked. 

"Oh, Yagi. I was just trying to call my brother, and... Well..."

"Still no answer?" I questioned, already knowing the answer. He nodded. "Patrols do take a while, he'll call back once he's done." I smiled a bit, trying to give my friend hope. He looked uncertain, and I remembered the feeling of dread that had washed over me as a 6 year old kid that day. It was all over Iida's face... When I returned to the stands with Iida, we watched as Kirishima and Bakugo fought against each other. I looked at the board as Iida talked to Midoriya. My next match was against Todoroki... I had watched the match Midoriya had against him. He would probably stick to just using his ice powers, since he still looked conflicted with the end of that match. Whatever he had left to do to sort it out, it wasn't something he could do here or now... It would be an endurance match as to who would outlast the other, Todoroki with frostbite or me with burns? I could use the torches around the stadium until that fire ran out, but how long could I go? We would find out sooner or later...

Present Mic's yell of excitement brought me out of my thoughts. "BAKUGO IS COUNTERING AGAIN! BUT WHAT'S THIS?! IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING THIS TIME!" 

"Kirishima's at his limit now." I observed.

"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." Bakugo began a barrage of attacks, explosion after explosion while Kirishima struggled to keep his body solid. After a few minutes of explosions, Kirishima toppled to the ground and collapsed, exhausted. 

"WITH THAT VICIOUS CARPET BOMBING, BAKUGO ADVANCES TO THE THIRD ROUND! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, OUR FINAL FOUR!" Present Mic announced. I took a deep breath. 

"Wish me luck, guys." I told them before leaving the boys' sides. I waited in the entrance to the arena as Present Mic announced the match. 

"THE FIRST MATCH OF THE SEMI FINALS! BOTH COME FROM HERO FAMILIES, MAKING THIS A BATTLE OF THE ELITES! FROM THE HERO COURSE, OUR GIRL ON FIRE, HINOTORI YAGI! VERSUS... HER COOL CLASSMATE, SHOTO TODOROKI!" I'm not able to negate his attacks like Izuku did, but I don't have to. I'll melt the ice as many times as I have to to get in close. As much as I want him to go all out, it took a while for him to even do it against Mid. I can win this no matter what! I thought as I tied my jacket around my waist again. I got into a ready stance, staring down my opponent as he got into a ready stance as well. "START!" Just as Present Mic called for the beginning of the match, Todoroki used his ice powers. I ran forward, holding out my hand and willing the fire from the torches to come to me, just like I did in the fire zone back at the USJ.

"THAT WON'T WORK ON ME AND YOU KNOW IT!" I shouted as I jumped into the air, giving a yell as I landed, adding my own flames to the mix and creating a firewall that melted the ice as I flew toward him, using my wings for speed. The look on his face was priceless as he sent a blast of ice toward me and I used a huge blast of flames to cut through it. "SHOW ME WHAT YOU'VE GOT!" I exclaimed before I got close enough to where he couldn't use his ice the way he wanted to. We fought with our fists, and every time he tried to use his ice to freeze me, I used my flames to counter. We were slowly making our way to the boundary line behind him. I used kicks of flames from my feet to break his stance and eventually got to a point where I could throw him. But, once I did, he used his ice to surf around the ring and back toward me. I flew toward him, charging him. We were opposites with our powers when he was using his ice. But, I started seeing the frost, started seeing his movements slow down. "What's the matter?! Too tired?!" I was being cocky and I knew it. Just as the words left my mouth, he caught one of my fists, ice beginning to cover my entire body. Before I could even react, I was frozen in place. Goddamn it, I hate karma...

"Good thing you forgot I can do precision moves too. I've only been showing off ranged attacks today." Todoroki sounded almost relieved. I struggled for a minute before hanging my head to focus, closing my eyes.

"Hinotori, be honest. Can you move at all?" Midnight asked me. I grit my teeth, concentrating my body heat and bringing the fire from the last two pillars toward me.

"HELL YEAH!" I let out a loud yell as my eyes snapped open before letting out a huge blast of fire from my body, melting the ice wall around me completely. "Thanks for the cool down, Todoroki, it was getting a little too hot!" I charged toward Todoroki again, using punches and kicks to melt the ice heading my way. I was down to my own flames, which meant I had limited time before my body started burning to ashes from overuse. I punched him as hard as I could in his jaw. He stumbled back, using his ice behind him to steady himself as I charged for him again. That was when his left side ignited. I smirked. As soon as he blasted flames at me, I flipped over his head, twisting in the air as I absorbed his flames. I saw his eyes widen, realizing what I was about to do. "PHOENIX HEATBLAST!" I shouted as I blasted as hard as I could, shattering the ice wall in front of him and creating an explosion that sent Todoroki flying through the air. Todoroki barely managed to catch himself on his ice, but there was no more frost on him. "About time you got more serious! LET'S GO!" I shot forward again as Todoroki did the same, using his ice on his feet and his flames to propel himself. When we collided, it caused an explosion, smoke filling the ring. I panted, my arms red and burning, half hoping that the fight would be over now. 

"I don't get either of you!" I heard Todoroki's voice before I saw him. He was panting, just as tired by the looks of things. "Both of you are trying to get me to use my flames! Why are you fighting so hard?! If my father..."

"YOUR OLD MAN DOESN'T HAVE A DAMN THING TO DO WITH THIS! IF YOU WANNA BE A HERO, BE THE HERO YOU WANT TO BE! FIGHT ME AND PROVE THAT THE HERO YOU ARE CAN BEAT ME AT FULL STRENGTH!" I wasn't stupid. I saw the apologetic look in his eyes as I charged him for the third time. He was still conflicted, proven by the way he let his fire go out at the last second. I couldn't get through to him, and Midoriya's words had made him conflicted. I hated accepting a victory like this, but I wasn't going to lose to him half assing everything. With a final blow, smoke was kicked up once again.

"WHOA, WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! SMOKE'S FILLED THE WHOLE STADIUM FOR A THIRD TIME!" Present Mic exclaimed. My eyes looked for Todoroki, and when I found him through the smoke, he'd been knocked out of bounds by the blast.

"Todoroki is out of bounds! Yagi wins!" Midnight announced. I collapsed to my knees from exhaustion. I was half surprised I hadn't heard Endeavor's old, stupid ass yelling the entire fight, but then again, I hadn't even been focusing on anything outside of our fight. I didn't listen to anything else Present Mic or Midnight had to say, I just healed Todoroki's injuries and left the arena so Recovery Girl wouldn't have much to do but wait for Todoroki to wake up and heal any injuries I might have missed. I happened to look up at the stands as I left the arena, spotting Endeavor. He looked absolutely pissed and he was glaring right at me. I glared right back as I entered the hall. I wasn't about to let him intimidate me...

"You won... Whoa, hey, what's wrong?" I looked at my Dad.

"It doesn't feel like a victory, Dad. He didn't go all out" I sighed. "Which, I honestly shouldn't have expected him to considering he looked conflicted about using his flames the entire fight, but still..." 

"It would have been more fulfilling to you if he did go all out." He finished. I nodded. "I know." He pulled me into a hug. "But, I think both you and Young Midoriya both hammered the point home and given him a lot to think about. It may take some time for him to show it, but I think you and Young Midoriya have sparked a changed in him, whether or not he knows it right now." I hugged back. It wasn't just Todoroki holding back that bothered me, though I didn't say that to my Dad. I couldn't really do much to help him, and I knew Mom would try to show him that his flames were his own, that he could be a strong hero with both sides of his Quirk and not let his Dad define him. After a while, he let go. "I should let you get ready for the finals. I'll see you afterwards." I nodded and let go of my Dad, giving him a small thank you. I couldn't act like I knew what Todoroki had gone through, and it wasn't like he'd talk to me about it as if we were old friends...

"Meddling where you don't technically have to is part of being a hero. Remember that, my little bird." I remembered when my Mom told me about being a hero.

"What does that mean, Mama?" I'd asked. She'd had me on her lap.

"It means that part of a hero isn't just saving their bodies, it's saving their hearts too. True heroes save people in every way, but words don't always work. You have to let your actions do the talking."

"Like fulfilling a promise you make?" I had asked. She'd smiled, gently tapping my nose as I giggled.

"Exactly." I clenched my fists, determined to follow my Mom's example for what hero I wanted to be. I just hoped everyone would be okay... Above me, I could hear Present Mic commenting on Bakugo's fight against Tokoyami, a match that went pretty damn quick in my opinion. The match up couldn't have been any worse for Tokoyami, which means that the final match... Was me against Bakugo... I would only have a few minutes to prepare in the waiting room, so good thing I was already headed over there... That was when I saw Iida on the phone.

"Hello, Mom? I hate to tell you this, but I lost." As I walked closer, I watched as Iida's face went from normal to completely pale. All alarms went off in my head as I hurried over to him as his arm went limp at his side.

"Iida, what's wrong?" I asked worriedly. He leaned against the wall behind him, looking at me.

"Tensei... My brother... He was attacked by a villain..." My blood ran cold with his answer. 

"Go tell Mr. Aizawa and get your ass on the next train there."

"But, Yagi-"

"But nothing, your family needs you right now, Iida. Yayorozu and I can take care of our classmates, just go." I interrupted him.

"I'll call you once I figure out what's going on."

"Iida, go." I shooed him, but my heart was pounding against my chest as he used his Quirk to speed to Mr Aizawa. It almost felt like my Mom's death all over again, but this time, I wasn't the one directly impacted. I texted Midoriya what was happening before heading to the waiting room. Before I could have time to keep it from entering my mind, the memory of my Mom's death, of that day, came back to me.

It was raining that day, almost as if foreshadowing the sadness of the situation. I had been in my classroom, playing with Tsukihara at the time with the news on in the background when my teacher had called out to me. I still remembered the look on her face as I hurried over, beaming up at her before noticing she looked upset. "Miss Matsuko?" I questioned before I noticed the pro hero next to her. My mom's sidekick, Ember, was standing by her. At the time, she'd been barely 18, with vibrant red hair with an orange streak on the right side, dressed in an ensemble of red, orange and yellow for her hero costume. I'd waved at her. "Hello, Miss Ember." I saw the look of sadness on her face crack for a brief moment as a smile replaced the frown for a brief moment.

"Hi, little Spark." She greeted.

"Where's Mama?" I asked, which made the smile drop from her face.

"I'm afraid that's why I'm here, kiddo. Your Mom went up against a really tough villain and she..." Ember's golden eyes had filled with tears and I remembered my teacher placing a gentle hand on my back. The news filled in the rest of the blanks, saying that against a fight against a villain, Ace had been severely injured, and the news reported that she had passed away just minutes prior to them coming. I had started crying in the hallway and Ember had picked me up. I remembered clinging to her, not able to make out what the adults were saying before Ember carried me out of the school. Once we got to the hospital, he had met up with All Might, and he looked like he'd been crying too. The minute I saw him, I'd reached for him, crying into him as he held me close, trying to comfort me... Months later, the adoption for him becoming my Dad officially was finalized, but I had already started training by that point...

I wiped my eyes at the memory. I'd been only six years old, and as stupid as I felt for remembering that moment right before the Sports Festival finals, I could only hope that Iida's brother wouldn't be a similar case... The door blasting open startled me out of my thoughts, and when I looked, Bakugo's dumbass had kicked the door open. "Hey, what the hell are you doing in here? This is my place to- Crap! This is waiting room number 2?!" I stared at him for a minute before rolling my eyes at his stupidity and ignoring him. That only seemed to piss him off since I could practically feel the irritation radiating off him in waves. "All right, fine, so I may have walked into the wrong room. But don't think that means I'm not gonna be on top a my game, ya got that?!" He raised his hand before slamming it onto the table. "You better bring all ya got to this, Flame Hair!" He exploded the spot his hand was on.

"The victory I got from Todoroki was half assed. He didn't bring his best against me, so I'm going to make this shit clear." My voice was cold as I stood up, looking at him. "If you hold back against me once, I'm going to burn your ass." I glared. He grinned as if spurred on by the threat of what would happen if he held back.

"Yeah, I got it, just like I'll explode your ass if you so much as think about half assing it against me." Bakugo replied before I left the room for the entrance to the arena. God, that boy...

"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!" I could practically hear Present Mic spinning in his chair. "YES, IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS FOLKS! SHE'S BEEN THE LEADER THIS ENTIRE TIME AND IS STILL GOING STRONG, IT'S OUR GIRL ON FIRE, HINOTORI YAGI OF CLASS 1-A! VERSUS HER CLASSMATE WITH THE MOST BANG! IT'S THE EXPLOSION BOY, KATSUKI BAKUGO! NOW, BEGIN!" We charged at the same time as soon as Present Mic called it.

"LET'S GO!" I shouted before we collided, using our Quirks as we fought. As he used his explosions on me, I manipulated one of them to hit him square in the face. He stumbled back, looking confused as hell. I was half tempted to laugh in his face. "What's the matter? Can't take it as well as you dish it?!" He charged me, but threw a right hook instead of trying to use an explosion on me. I sidestepped it, grabbing his arm and doing the same shoulder throw on him that Midoriya did. "You're getting predictable!" I shouted as I threw him to the ground.

"OOH, AND AFTER EXCHANGING A FEW BLOWS, HINOTORI THROWS BAKUGO OVER HER SHOULDER!" Present Mic's commentary was getting annoying.

"What was that about not holding back against me?! What? You think I can't take it?!" I was taunting Bakugo as he caught his breath. He got up after a second, glaring at me, but grinning like a Cheshire. 

"Oh, it's on, Flame Hair!" He shouted, using his explosions to blast forward before we went all out trading blows. I was careful to not manipulate the explosions as much so it hit hard and out of nowhere. It only served to piss him off even more, and it was honestly hilarious. The more we moved the bigger the explosions got, just like Midoriya had explained to me. After a minute, he launched himself in the air, his body twisting and turning. I smirked.

"Hell yeah, now you're getting fired up!" I ignited the arm facing him, ready for whatever he had to throw at me. Smoke kicked up as a cyclone of wind made itself visible to the naked eye. I saw Midoriya shoot to his feet out of the corner of my eye, but I was focused on my opponent.

"HOWIZTER..."

"BRING IT ON!" I shouted as I blasted myself into the air with my wings, able to feel my hair coming lose out of its braid with the force of the jump and as I did the same thing, creating a tornado of my own.

"IMPACT!" A huge explosion came my way, and I absorbed it. The look on his face when he realized what I was about to do... I winked at him before the impact hit and we both got knocked backwards from the force of the blast. I used my wings to stay within range of the arena as I landed on the stage again. I cleared the smoke, only to see that Bakugo had been knocked the hell out and out of bounds.

"BAKUGO IS OUT OF BOUNDS! YAGI IS THE WINNER!" Midnight held her hand up, announcing the end of the final match. I'd won...

"AND WITH THAT, THE FINAL MATCH IS OFFICIALLY OVER! THE FIRST YEAR CHAMPION OF THE UA SPORTS FESTIVAL IS OUR GIRL ON FIRE.... HINOTORI YAGI FROM CLASS 1-A!" Present Mic announced. I looked up toward the stands, seeing Dad grinning proudly. I smiled back at my Dad, raising my left hand just like Dad had against the slime monster. The crowd cheered louder. I was tired, but I'd done what I said I would do...

"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!" A little while later, I heard Midnight announce the beginning of the awards ceremony. The platform I was standing on began to rise, putting the top three in the center of it all, with me being on the highest part since I was in first place. In second, looking pissed off that he lost to me, was Bakugo and third was Todoroki and Tokoyami. Fireworks ignited the sky above us, cameras flashed as they took pictures of the three of us, but all I could think about was Iida. Was his brother doing okay? Would Iida be okay? I had no idea. I had told Midoriya and Uraraka the news, and they were just as worried as I was..."Now, let's break out the hardware! Of course, there's only one person worth of distributing the awards." Dad's boisterous laughter from in his muscle form came from above us before he landed in front of the stage. 

"CITIZENS! I AM HERE WITH THE MEDALS!" Dad grinned.

"Oh, for the love God, Dad..." I mumbled under my breath. Did he have to use his catchphrase for everything?!

"All Might, the number one hero!" Midnight announced at the same time. She sweat dropped. "Ruined that, didn't I? So, now that you're here, All Might, why don't you start the presentation?"

"Young Tokoyami and Todoroki, congratulations to you both." My Dad placed the bronze medals around their necks. "You both showed amazing strength out there."

"Your words humble me, sir." Tokoyami replied before Dad hugged him and I couldn't hear what else he said. He then turned to Todoroki.

"I'm assuming there's a reason you didn't use your left side that much, all though it cost you the semi final battle." 

"Midoriya opened my eyes during our match, but then I started to doubt myself. I think I now understand a little about why you're so interested in him. I want to be the kind of hero you are, but my path isn't as clear as I thought it was. I have a lot to think about, and I still need to settle some things with someone. Very soon."

"I've never seen this sort of look on your face before..." Dad then embraced Todoroki, and I couldn't hear the rest of his wisdom. "Young Bakugo, congratulations." He placed the silver medal around Bakugo's neck. "You fought well, but the final match was lost to you." 

"I didn't account for her being able to manipulate my explosions. I won't make the same mistake." He grumbled. Dad embraced him, imparting some words of wisdom to him that I couldn't hear before he turned to me.

"And finally, Young Yagi, congratulations. You did what you said you'd do in the pledge. You're true to your word." I bowed my head as my Dad placed the gold medal around my neck.

"I have a lot more to learn, but my aim is to be the best hero I can be. The road's just beginning." I looked up at him. He smiled, and I swear, I could see a glint of pride in his eyes before he embraced me the way he did with the boys.

"I can't help but feel extremely proud of you, my Hino. Keep training and never forget the hero you want to be." He told me before letting go and stepping back. "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 YET! SO, I HAVE ONE MORE THING TO SAY! I WANT TO HEAR EVERYONE YELL IT WITH ME! YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS!"

"PLUS ULTRA!"

"THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR HARD WORK!" Dad shouted the same time the crowd said the school motto. It went dead silent before the crowd booed.

"WHAT?! THAT WAS THE PERFECT TIME TO SAY PLUS ULTRA, ALL MIGHT!" All of us students shouted.

"Well... Yeah, I guess, but everyone did such a good job!" I swear to God, Dad.... But anyways, the Sports Festival showed that our friends could also be a worth opponent. We learned a lot about each other and ourselves...

"Nice work. You have the next two days off of school to recuperate. I'm sure pros who watched the festival will wanna recruit some of you. We'll look over the draft forms and update you when you return. Get some rest, you still have a lot of training." Aizawa told the class. I glanced at Iida's seat as the class acknowledged his words, still worried about our Class Rep. After that, the atmosphere around school started to change, though it was gradual at first...

Later that night, I got a call from Iida, and he was really upset. He'd made it safely to Hosu City, his brother having just gotten out of surgery when he'd arrived, in stable condition, but in and out of consciousness. There was no word on if he'd be able to return to hero work or not, at least not yet...

(Tag list: @euphorical-angel @qweenexplosionmurder13 )

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[z-iridest]

My Hero Academia- I Am Phoenix

Chapter 13- The Sports Festival, Part 5:

"THE EIGHT AND FINAL BATTLE OF THE FIRST ROUND OF MATCHES! HE WAS KIND OF A HOT SHOT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND JUST LOOK AT THAT DETERMINED FACE! FROM THE HERO COURSE, KATSUKI BAKUGO! VERSUS THE ONE I'M PERSONALLY ROOTING FOR, ALSO FROM CLASS 1-A, OCHACO URARAKA!"

"You're not supposed to be biased, Mic Sensei..." I shook my head, though I couldn't lie, I was rooting for Ochaco too....

"LET THE EIGHT MATCH... BEGIN!"

I sat nervously as I watched the fight between Ochaco and Bakugo. There was only one way I could think of Ochaco to win: Activating her quirk on him. But, in order to do that, she'd have to get within point blank range, and there was no way Bakugo would let her get close enough to do it. I watched as she stayed low to the ground, charging Bakugo the entire time even though he kept blasting her back over and over again. I knew Iida and Midoriya were probably talking about the strategy Midoriya had in mind for Ochaco. I wasn't listening though. I was watching Bakugo mostly. Midoriya had told us himself during the Battle Training, when it comes to close combat, there were almost no openings from the blond. And because of his quirk, the more he moves, the more he sweats. The more he sweats, the more powerful he is. He can also use his explosions to move around in the air...

I watched as Uraraka charged Bakugo, getting blasted back by the blond. "URARAKA!" Iida and Midoriya shouted at the same time. Jirou gasped, covering her ears.

"He blasted her!" Mineta stated the obvious.

"Looks like Bakguo's not planning on showing her any mercy." Asui brought up as she watched. I watched the way Bakugo fought, never moving from his spot.

"You should have dropped outta the match. There's no way you can beat me!" He finally launched toward where we'd seen Uraraka last before the smoke from the first blast covered her, but when it cleared, his hand was on her jacket. I stood up, watching Uraraka move in behind him. 

"WHOA! SHE FLEW HER JACKET OVER AS A DECOY! WHAT INCREDIBLY QUICK THINKING!" Present Mic announced as we watched. Come on, Ochaco, you got this! I thought, gripping the railing. But, just as Uraraka reached out to use her Quirk on him, he turned and blasted her with a yell, making her yelp.

"Look at that reaction time!" Sero exclaimed.

"Seriously, this dude's insane." Kaminari agreed. "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." Bakugo cleared the smoke with his hand again before Uraraka charged again.

"Too slow!" Bakugo blasted her again, this time kicking up rubble. That was when I noticed the pieces of rubble already floating above Bakugo. Once again, she used the smoke to appear behind him. 

"I've got you!" She shouted. I face palmed. She shouldn't have yelled for a sneak attack... I heard Bakugo blast her again before looking up again.

"Is she okay?" Tsu asked. Jirou covered her face.

"I can't watch this!" She must have moved her hands at some point, because her next words were directed at me. "Hino, how can you watch this?!" Jirou asked.

"Because she's not doing this blindly... She has a plan." I answered.

"How do you know?" Midoriya asked.

"Look for yourself." I replied, choosing not to tell him. He was observant, he could figure it out by himself.

"Like I suspected... Bakugo's a total sadist." Mineta mused.

"One more word out of you, grapehead and I'll burn you to ashes." I threatened before turning back to the fight. It continued like that for a while, Uraraka keeping low to the ground as she  attacked only to get blasted every time by Bakugo, rubble being kicked up by the blasts and floating above him behind smoke screens before Uraraka's next attacks.. But, for how observant Bakugo seemed to be, he didn't seem to notice that part.

"Looks like she's not resting between attacks despite being exploded, the poor girl." Present Mic sounded worried about Uraraka. You've got the best seat for the action in the house, how the hell can you not see what's going on?! I glared up at Present Mic. It didn't seem like the other pros did either, because one of them started an uproar of boos that made both of them stop. "THE CROWD IS NOW BOOING BAKUGO! And honestly, I kinda agree with what they're sayin-" The sound of a hit came from the microphone. Sounds like Aizawa Sensei was finally getting involved. "HEY, WHOA, WHAT THE CRAP?!" 

"Where's the man that started this uproar?! Are you a pro?! Because if you're serious, you can go home and hang up your cape! I'd suggest looking into another career!" Aizawa defended our classmate.

"You know what he's talking about?" Midoriya meekly asked. 

"Look above Bakugo." I pointed out, not looking at my friend, but getting sick of Midoriya not getting it.

"Bakugo's fierceness is an acknowledgement 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." He continued. Aizawa really understands him more than anyone ever thought...

"I think... It's about time." Uraraka spoke, and I saw Bakugo tense. "Thank you, Bakugo... For keeping your eyes focused on me!" 

"What?" Bakugo's confusion was obvious, and it was absolutely hilarious. That was the moment everyone else noticed what I had seen from the beginning... Uraraka released her Quirk with a yell, causing the rubble, a crap ton of it, to fall. 

"A METEOR SHOWER?!"

"Now you notice..." Aizawa trailed off. Midoriya stood up.

"Hey, she had a plan all along!" He shouted as he stood beside me.

"That's why I knew she had a plan." I told our classmates. Bakugo's attention was diverted above him as Ochaco charged him one last time. But, with one big blast, he took out the meteor shower she'd created, and the force of the blast knocked her to the ground.

"I knew you'd have some kind of stupid plan to beat me... You are friends with that damn nerd, after all." Ochaco looked almost scared.

"It took him one shot..."

"BAKUGO BANGS OUT A HUGE DEMONSTRATION OF POWER! HE BLASTED APART URARAKA'S FINISHING MOVE AND REMAINS UNTOUCHED!" Present Mic, but I could have sworn I heard Baukgo mumble something under his breath along the lines of:

"That was close..." We watched as Ochaco shakily got up. 

"Ochaco..." I murmured as I watched her. She could barely stand, but she wasn't giving up. She had just as much of a fighting spirit as Midoriya did...

"All right, then. Time for us to get serious, Uraraka!" Bakugo grinned as he charged for her. She turned to face him, but one step forward and she collapsed. No... Bakugo stopped in place as she hit the ground.

"She's so exhausted she can't stay upright..." I trailed off worriedly. 

"URARAKA IS DOWN!" Present Mic announced. She was struggling to move at this point. The look on her face screamed that she wanted to keep going.

"It's too much." Iida spoke up.

"Yeah, she's way past her limit..." Midoriya replied. I moved away from the railing, heading toward the exit.

"Yagi, where are you going?" Iida asked me.

"I have to get down there. When she's taken to Recovery Girl's office, Uraraka'll need my healing power. Recovery Girl's uses the body's energy, but due to attacking Bakugo over and over and exhausting herself, she has no energy for Recovery Girl to use to heal any injuries. She needs my healing tears if she's injured." I answered, not sparing Iida a glance as I walked away. But, I didn't tell them the real reason... Ochaco was so much like me, I held onto the thought that Uraraka could claim victory over him by taking that chance, but neither of us had expected Bakugo to pull the move he did, and I knew she would need support when she woke up...

"You don't learn anything, do you?" I was startled out of my thoughts by Todoroki. I smiled a bit. 

"I guess not." I replied. It fell silent as Todoroki fell in stride with me again, no sound but our footsteps walking together. We both heard Present Mic lacklusterly announce Bakugo as the winner. "He really has to quit being biased..." I shook my head. We got there before Uraraka, thankfully.

"I'll wait outside for you." He told me. I smiled and shook my head. 

"I'm probably gonna head back with Uraraka after, we'll be okay. Besides, you have a match to prepare for. I'll see you in the finals." I replied. He seemed to hesitate for a second before he nodded, still looking unsure as he walked away. As soon as I entered to office, I had about two seconds to move out of the way as the bots brought Uraraka inside.

"Oh, dear... I'm glad you're here to help me. Let's put those healing tears to good use. I suppose it's a good thing she only has bruises and scratches, but due to her overdoing things, her body has no energy." Recovery Girl told me. I smiled a bit.

"I thought she could use my help, our healing powers work differently." I watched as the bots got her onto a bed. Recovery Girl smiled.

"Yes, but all in all, our powers have the same goal, and that's helping the body recover." She replied. I nodded in agreement before using a healing tear on Uraraka. It took a second, but her injuries began to heal. I breathed in relief as I leaned back in my seat. 

"You were really worried about her, weren't you?" 

"Heh... She's a little too much like me for my liking..." I trailed off. Midoriya was learning to be that way from Dad, but Ochaco? 

"Midoriya's up to fight next against Todoroki, dear. Once she wakes up, why don't the two of you go grab your seats?" Recovery Girl told me. I nodded.

"We'll see what she wants to do." I replied. Well, once she got up, we walked to the waiting room she had used to get her phone, which is where we met up with Midoriya.

"Man, I lost. Too bad." Ochaco rubbed the back of her neck, Midoriya looking shocked that she was still being positive. "Guess I got a little carried away thinking I had it in the bag... Dang it!" 

"You seem fine. But... Weren't you inured?" He asked as he closed the door behind him. 

"Yeah, Hino and Recovery Girl took care of me." She told him. Her face then turned frustrated. "Jeez, I didn't realize how powerful that Bakugo was! He wiped the ring with me! Now I realize just how much more training I have to do!" They were both quiet for a minute.

"You sure you're good?" Midoriya hesitatingly asked. 

"Oh yeah, totally. I'm better than I expected!" Uraraka's phone began to vibrate, but I couldn't see the caller id. She held the phone to her heart. "Even if you've lost, you always keep looking ahead to what's next, Deku. This just means that I have to work harder now."

"That's true..." Midoriya trailed off before all three of us looked up as Present Mic's voice rang out from above us.

"WA-HOO! WE'RE FINALLY ABOUT TO LEARN WHO THE TRUE WINNER IS OF THE SEVENTH MATCH! KIRISHIMA OR TETSUTETSU! WHOEVER PREVAILS ON THIS ARM WRESTLING MATCH WILL ADVANCE TO THE SECOND ROUND! LET"S GO!" Present Mic commentated. Least he wasn't biased now... After a few minutes, Present Mic spoke up again. "NOW WE'VE GOT A FULL ROSTER FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF THE TOURNAMENT! LET'S GET THE PARTY STARTED NOW, YA DIG?!"

"Already?" Midoriya asked before looking at Ochaco with a small smile. "Later." Ochaco got up, looking guilty.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Deku! You weren't able to prepare since I was here!" She apologized.

"Nah, this was perfect." The reply made her smile back.

"I'll be watching. Good luck out there." She told him. He smiled.

"Thanks." He replied before he walked out. I looked at her.

"Coming?" I asked. She nodded.

"I just have to make a call real quick. Do you mind giving me a second?" She responded. I nodded.

"I'll be right outside if you need me." I told her before leaving the room. As I waited for her, I could hear her talking to her Dad, which made my mind wander to my Mom. I'd seen her pictures, of her not having a scar over her eye when she was my age, but as far as I remember, she had a scar over her right eye. If I remembered it right, she'd told me she got the scar in a fight before I was born, but... Who did that to her? I frowned. Now that I remember, she had scars all over her and would tell me to be careful with those spots... Did she go through the same thing I did? That thought worried me. My mother? Being abused? The same woman who fought so hard to protect everyone else? The same Pro Hero who was in the top 5 back in her day and was on the same level of fighting as All Might had been abused? I couldn't wrap my head around it... My Mom had always beaten any villain she went up against...

"Hino? Are you okay?" Ochaco's voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." I smiled at her. "We should get back to the others before the next match starts." I told her, leading the way. We passed by Endeavor, though I didn't spare the Flame Hero a second glance. I was a little surprised to see that the match hadn't started once we got to the others though.

"So the match hasn't started yet?" Ochaco asked, making Tokoyami and Iida look at her, Iida recoiling a bit.

"Something horrible's happened to your eyes! You need to go see Recovery Girl!" He exclaimed.

"I already did, this is from... Something else."

"Ah, of course!" Iida exclaimed as she sat down between him and Tokoyami while I sat on Iida's other side. "If I were you, I'd be frustrated too..."

"You did lose to Yagi after all, Iida." Tokoyami reminded him.

"You put up a hard fight, though!" I quickly added, looking at our Class Rep before he could say anything or get downcast.

"But, it's no time to wallow. Use this next fight as a source of encouragement." Tokoyami replied.

"Will do." Uraraka replied, and I looked at our Class Rep, who looked struck.

"You're so wise..." He mused in a quiet voice, making me laugh a bit. The torches ignited again on the arena.

"I CAN FEEL THE ANTICIPATION IN THE STADIUM! AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE SECOND ROUND'S FIRST MATCH 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 SHOTO TODOROKI! AND THIS KID ALMOST WALKED OUT OF HIS FIRST MATCH UP, BUT MADE A STUNNING COMEBACK BY SHOWING OFF SOME IMPRESSIVE MOVES! ALSO FROM THE HERO COURSE, IZUKU MIDORIYA!"

"Here we go..." I trailed off, on the edge of my seat already.

"Tokoyami, how do you think this match will go?" Iida asked.

"It depends on whether or not Midoriya is able to get close to him." Tokoyami answered.

"Yeah, that's the problem. How will Deku avoid the ice?" She questioned. 

"Either way, the intensity between them is so thick at the moment that you could cut it with a knife..." I trailed off. 

"BOTH OF THE HEROES-IN-TRAINING HAVE BEEN FRONT RUNNERS IN THE SPORTS FESTIVAL! BUT WHICH ONE OF THESE RIVALS WILL ADVANCE TO THE NEXT ROUND?! PREPARE FOR... MIDORIYA VERSUS TODOROKI!" I watched as they both got into ready stances before the call was made. "BEGIN!" As soon as Present Mic started the match, ice came from Todoroki while Midoriya fired up One For All and used it the smash the ice. When the ice broke, it sent it back toward him, having to use more ice behind him so he wouldn't slide out of bounds. "WOW! MIDORIYA MANAGED TO BREAK TODOROKI'S INSANE OPENING MOVE!"

"And broke his finger in the process, that idiot..." I mumbled under my breath as I watched. To my annoyance, it kept going on like that a couple more times with Todoroki sending ice barrage after ice barrage and Midoriya breaking each of his fingers to counter it. Is he trying to piss off Recovery Girl?!

"Oh, no, crap!" I looked behind me to see that Kirishima had come back. "I'm missing it!" He ran forward until he was standing next to where Bakugo, Sero and Kaminari were all seated. 

"Hey, nice job making it to the second round, Kirishima." Kaminari told him.

"Thanks, man. Looks like I take down Bakugo next." Kirishima put his hand on his hip as he looked at the blond, who was more focused on the fight.

"I'll kill you." Bakugo bluntly told him, making me shake my head. 

"Yeah, sure, in your dreams. No, but seriously, it's crazy how you and Todoroki both have moves that blast the whole stadium! Must be pretty nice."

"Plus, you don't have to pause between attacks." Sero piped up. 

"It's not as easy as you think it is, guys." I got up and walked over to them. 

"If you overuse your muscles, you risk tearing them apart. If you sprint too much, you run out of breath, idiots."

"What he's trying to say is that we all have our limits, Bakugo and Todoroki included." 

"Quirks are physical abilities too. They can get worn out, you can't just use them nonstop." Bakugo finished. 

"It makes sense when you guys put it that way... I wonder if that's how Midoriya thinks he's gonna beat Todoroki..." Kirishima replied. Definitely doesn't look like he has a plan... He couldn't collect data on Todoroki since his moves are too fast... I thought. 

"TODOROKI WITHSTOOD MIDORIYA'S POWER AND IS NOW RUSHING HIS CLASSMATE!" I watched as Todoroki ran up an ice ramp to get air, causing Midoriya to break another one of his fingers to break the ramp, but Todoroki had already gotten in the air. Midoriya was barely able to dodge in time to dodge Todoroki's landing and the ice it brought, but his foot getting caught in the ice... which he resorted to breaking his arm to get free of! But, when I looked closer at Todoroki, he looked like he had frost on him... 

"If Todoroki doesn't use his fire this match, he'll end up freezing his entire body over just to prove a point..." I mumbled, and judging by the look on Midoriya's face, he saw it too... 

"With your hands like, that, you can't fight anymore, can you?" Todoroki spoke, everyone able to hear him because of it being so quiet. "Why don't we end this?" He sent another ice attack Midoriya's way.

"WHOA! TODOROKI CONTINUES HIS OVERWHELMING ATTACKS! COULD THIS BE HIS FINISHING MOVE?!" Present Mic commentated.

"I AM NOT DONE YET!" He shouted. 

"Don't even think about it, you damn..." I didn't even get to finish my sentence before he used his already broken finger to break the ice again! This time, Todoroki had slid back all the way to the other side of the arena, and would have gone out of bounds if he didn't put up ice for himself in time. "That idiot..." I trailed off as I watched. 

"Why are you going this far?" Todoroki asked.

"You're trembling, Todoroki. It's easy to forget that Quirks are physical abilities, and that means... There's a limit to the cold your body can take, right? I get it. Usually, you'd make up for the drop in temperature by using the heat on your left side, but now you're refusing to do that. Listen, we're all giving it our all... To try and win... To make our dreams into a reality, to become number one! You think you can win with half your strength?! Look at me, Todoroki! You haven't managed to out a single scratch on me yet! SO COME AT ME WITH ALL YOU'VE GOT!" It was dead quiet for a minute.

"Midoriya... What're you trying to do here? You want my fire?! What, did my monster of a Dad bribe you or something?! NOW, I'M MAD!" Todoroki ran forward, rushing towards Midoriya. His movements are slower... I thought, and seeing the look on Bakugo's face, he was seeing it too. Just as Todoroki's right foot left the ground, Midoriya rushed forward toward him and once he was close enough...

"A SOLID PUNCH!" Todoroki managed to get a little ice on Midoriya's arm, but he went flying from the punch Midoriya gave him in the gut. "THAT'S THE KIND OF ACTION I LIKE TO SEE!" The ice barrage kept going as soon as Todoroki stood up, but they were slower, which allowed Midoriya to dodge it, so Todoroki tried a close range ice attack, which Midoriya broke free from again. It kept going like that, the boys trading blows back and forth... In a way, Todoroki was my equal and opposite. We both had fire, but he had ice to cool himself down and vice versa. There was a limit to how much of my own flames my body could take, meanwhile his was built for the quirk he had. Learning how to handle my own flames was something i always struggled with, hence why I had always used other fire if there was any around h=me, or i did shorter training sessions when it came to focusing on my flames.

"WHY ARE YOU PUTTING YOURSELF THROUGH THIS?!" Todoroki asked again.

"I want to live up to people's expectations. I wanna be able to smile while doing something good for them! I wanna be a pro! WHATEVER IT TAKES TO BE A HERO!" He headbutted Todoroki in the gut, kinda reminding me of a ram if I'm being honest... "THAT'S WHY I'LL GIVE IT MY ALL, JUST LIKE YOU SHOULD BE! There's no way I could know what you've gone through, or why you're even here. Your life has been so much different from mine, but right now, stop screwing around! If you wanna reject your father, fine, but you don't have the right to be number one if you aren't going to use your full power!"

"Shut up!"

"THAT'S WHY I'M GOING TO WIN THIS! I'LL SURPASS YOU!" He punched Todoroki in the gut a third time. 

"I refuse... to use my left side." What Midoriya said next, I'll never forget...

"IT'S YOURS! YOUR QUIRK, NOT HIS!" He was driving home the point I was trying to make to him during the side games... All of a sudden, Todoroki's side flared up, erupting into flames. 

"IS THAT-?!"

"He's using his fire!" Ochaco gasped. 

"Incredible..." Iida murmured. Little by little, the frost on him melted away. 

"You're helping your opponent... You fool. Even though, you wanna win this battle. Now which one of us is screwing around? I want it too! I'll be a hero!" Todoroki replied.

"YES, SHOTO!" Endeavor's voice broke through the crowd. Shut up, you old idiot... I thought, glaring to where I saw the glow of Endeavor's flames coming from. "Have you finally accepted your purpose?! That's it. Very good. This is the dawn of a new era for us! With my blood in your veins, you'll surpass me! You will live up to the reason I created you!" The more he spoke, the more I could feel the heat of my hair rising. Even Present Mic seemed confused, but Endeavor was just pissing me off at this point.

"Amazing..." 

"Why are you smiling? With those injuries, in this hopeless situation, you must be crazy. Don't blame me for what happens next." He started using his ice and fire at the same time, while Midoriya used One For All in his legs. 

"THAT'S IT, MIDNIGHT, HIS BODY WON'T HOLD UP!" Cementoss shouted. "One of them could be killed!"

"His body won't hold up!" Both teachers activated their quirk at the same time as the flames on my hair went out, my worry for Midoriya taking over my rage at Endeavor for the moment. I watched as Midoriya flew through the air, propelled by the force of One For All, while Todoroki readied a blast of fire.

"I see now, Midoriya... Thank you." I heard Todoroki say before the two clashed into the cement wall, the impact kicking up a huge gust of wind, though if it was from the sudden mixture of cold and hot air or if it was from One For All, I didn't know for sure... Koda was barely able to grab Mineta as he flew upward.

"HOLY CRAP BALLS!" Mineta yelped.

"THIS IS CRAZY!" Kaminari exclaimed.

"What's happening down there?!" Yayorozu asked. I looked for any sign of the boys as a smoke filled the stadium, but with it being so thick, I couldn't see much.

"Having a great power doesn't mean you'll be a good hero. But, these two are amazing." Cementoss commented.

"What happened just now?! What the heck is up with ya students?!" I could barely make out Present Mic's boots sticking up from the window. Did he get knocked off his ass by that blast?

"Th air around the ring had been thoroughly cooled down, and then rapidly expanded when heated up." Aizawa cooly answered. Present Mic jumped to his feet.

"WAIT, THAT"S WHAT CAUSED THE EXPLOSION?! HOW HIT DID THAT FIRE GET?! JEEZ, I CAN'T SEE A THING! IS THE MATCH STILL GOING ON OR WHAT?!" When the smoke cleared, we all saw that Midoriya had been knocked clean into the wall behind him, out of bounds. He collapsed to the ground face first.

"There... Midoriya is... Out of bounds! TODOROKI WINS!" Midnight announced. "HE ADVANCES TO THE THIRD ROUND!" He looked exhausted, and the left side of his uniform on his shirt had been burnt clean off...

But, the battles were just beginning...

(Tag list:

@euphorical-angel @qweenexplosionmurder13

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[z-iridest]

Quest of the Phoenixborn: A MHA Fantasy AU fanfic

Chapter 2- The Dragon and the Barbarian:

With a reluctant heart, Hinotori left Embermore behind with her band of companions. Along with the roguish Fumikage was the charming bard Denki, the silent footed Mashiro and Fumikage's bird familiar, Dark Shadow. By the time the sun was setting on the Demon Princess's first day away from home, they'd reached Lillimore.

Lillimore was a small, quaint village whose hospitality was legendary. Lanterns hung from trees all around, the smell of good food wafting out the windows of the taverns and inns as the streets bustled with travelers of every shape and size. Hinotori took in the sights around her, amazed by the beauty the lanterns provided. Fumikage watched as the group's newest companion looked around, her eyes alight with the wonder of a child. In the middle of it all was a fountain, next to which two familiar faces to Denki were playing music. "Hanta, Mina! Good to see you again!" Denki called them after the song finished. Mina was a girl with pink skin, pink hair and gold irises with the rest of her eyes being black. Meanwhile, Hanta was a tall, dark haired boy with a Cheshire grin and elbows bigger than Hinotori had ever seen before.

"Denki! About time you came for a visit!" Mina shouted to him as she charged, glomping the blond in a hug.

"Yeah, the music just wasn't the same without you, man. Care to join us for a song?" Hanta asked.

"Always!" Denki replied before he turned to Hinotori, winking at her. "Just watch me play, cutie." Denki's flirtatious words made Hinotori roll her eyes, watching as Denki joined the duo.

Her eyes softened as she listened, the trio beginning playing a melody that seemed familiar to her, as if she'd heard it in a dream once before... "Pardon me, milady, would you like to dance?" A new voice brought her out of her thoughts, and when she turned, she saw a boy around her age bowing to her. Once he looked up, she saw that his eyes were as red as rubies, the color matching his spikey hair. His teeth, sparkling white in a sweet grin, looked sharp and Hinotori noticed the horns that swept up and back and the ruby red scales that were on his shoulders. A tail as red as the big wings on his back swept the ground behind him as he awaited her response.

"O-Oh, I couldn't, I don't know how to dance." Hinotori stuttered out. The boy's smile only grew wider, his eyes showing affection for her.

"I can teach you if you want." He offered out his hand to her. "I promise, it's okay if you step on my toes, I'm tough." He grinned encouragingly. Hinotori hesitated, glancing at her companions only to find that they were watching in amusement. She turned back to the boy before her, forcing herself to take a deep breath and nodding, placing her hand in his.

"I have to learn somehow..." She trailed off.

"That's the spirit! Come on." Despite his hands being calloused and rough, his hold on her hand was gentle, the boy leading her to the middle of the crowd that was gathering. Hinotori felt even more nervous when she noticed the crowd, but felt the boy gently turn her head toward him with a finger. "Don't worry about them... Just keep your eyes on me." He whispered softly before he began to teach her how to dance. Their movements began slow and steady, Hinotori's teacher counting under his breath as he guided the young woman. Hinotori found her feet moving faster to keep up with Eijiro, the boy grinning as the two danced together. Giggles left Hinotori as she was spun, a few more people joining them in the dance. "You've got it!" He encouraged, grinning wide as those dancing around them spun at the same time. However, after one turn, Hinotori found herself in the arms of a stranger. Instead of the wide crimson eyes of her newest acquaintance, she was now gazing into a pair of narrow vermillion eyes. Time seemed to stop as the two gazed at each other. The boy before her bore no shirt on his chest, though sleeves of some kind covered his arms. A fur collar protected his neck, a cape of crimson red drifting down to sit just inches above the ground his boots stood on. His hair was ash blond, spikey and sharp looking to all who were tempted to touch it. His legs bore trousers unlike any she'd ever seen before. The look in his eyes was piercing, though it softened the more he looked into hers before he huffed.

"Don't stop dancing, dumbass, the music's still playing." He told her, continuing to dance with her as the tempo picked up, the boots of the two moving in sync with each other and the music. Their eyes remained on the other, moving effortlessly around as the crowd clapped in beat. For that brief moment, Hinotori forgot her woes, forgot the cruelty of her father and the consequences that would await her once she returned home. For the moment... She felt not only belonging, but happiness, dancing in the arms of the stranger before her...

All too soon, the music came to an abrupt end, the crowd applauding and cheering as the musicians took their bows. The young man let go of her hand, his eyes still regarding her. "Not bad for a first time dancer. What's your name?" He inquired of her. She gave a small bow.

"My name is Hinotori." She answered him.

"Hinotori... I think I prefer Flame Hair." The boy's comment made her frown.

"And what exactly are you called?" She questioned him. He looked at her for a moment before he opened his mouth to answer, only for a different voice to interrupt him.

"Kacchan! I didn't think I'd see you here!" Denki called out as he approached the two. Hinotori raised an eyebrow as Kacchan groaned.

"Kacchan? I thought only Izuku called you that?" Her red haired acquaintance joined them as well.

"No, Deku is the one that came up with it.... Sparky here just picked up on it and hasn't dropped it since we were brats." The blond shot a glare at the bard, Denki only grinning in return.

"Don't worry, Hino, he's got weird nicknames for everybody. His real name's..."

"Prince Katsuki of Niterra... Which I would have told her sooner if you idiots hadn't interrupted me!" Katsuki growled. Eijiro laughed as Denki grinned.

"And I see you've met my newest companion, Kacchan." Denki threw his arm around the blond male's shoulder, the blond shoving him off. "And the half dragon you were dancing with earlier is..."

"Eijiro Kirishima of the Crimson Clan. A pleasure to meet you, Lady Hinotori." Once again, the half dragon bowed, holding her hand in his.

"Please, Eijiro, no need for formalities." She tried to wave it off, but he merely gave her a grin. During this, the Niterrian Prince examined the young woman in front of him. She wasn't like anyone he'd seen before, from her scarlet gold hair to her golden eyes and down to her boot clad feet. He noticed the diadem that sat on her forehead was the one rumored to have been lost after the last Queen of Embermore had passed, and the fact that this woman he'd just met was wearing it... It was rather suspicious to him.

"Where did you get that crown?" He asked her bluntly just as Eijiro rose to full height.

"Katsuki, what're you-"

"Look closer at her diadem, Shitty Scales. That's the same one that was rumored to have disappeared after the Queen of Embermore died." Katsuki pointed out as he turned to the crimson scaled young man before turning back to Hinotori, a glare set on his face. Before Hinotori could open her mouth to defend herself, a voice spoke.

"I can answer that. It appeared on her forehead after she pulled the Phoenixborn's sword from the ground." Fumikage spoke up in Hinotori's defense before Katsuki could even think to accuse her of stealing it. "Her touch released the sword and renewed it to it's former glory."

"You're kidding, right? Someone like her, the Phoenixborn? The Phoenixborn's just a whelping's tale!"

"I hardly believed the tale myself until I watched it happen, Prince Katsuki. She is the Phoenixborn."

"Katsuki, look at her sword. It's the Phoenix Blade, all right. I can sense its magic and it's the exact same as the sword of legend." Eijiro pointed out.

"We're bringing her to the royal city for Prince Shoto's ball." Denki explained. Seeing the look on his friend's face, Prince Katsuki spoke again.

"Shitty Scales, don't even think-"

"You wouldn't mind if we tagged along, would you? Prince Shoto invited us as well, and we might as well add extra protection for our Lady Hinotori." Eijiro asked.

"Not at all, in fact, we'd love the company." Denki cheerfully accepted Eijiro's offer despite Katsuki's protests, much to Hinotori's amusement.

"In that case, let's head to a tavern and get you guys fed. I can imagine you're famished from traveling." Eijiro replied before offering an arm to Hinotori. "Shall we, milady?" Hinotori giggled at the gentlemanly gesture.

"Don't even think about it. You can't multitask for shit. Knowing you, you'd make her trip while trying to catch up with Dunce Face. I'll escort her." Katsuki growled, making Eijiro laugh again.

"Fine, fine. I'll leave her in your capable hands, then." The crimson dragon relented.

"Somebody's jealous..." Denki singsonged under his breath.

"Hah?! You want to say that to my face, Dunce Face! I'll kill you!" Katsuki snapped.

"You can't kill Denki and escort our lovely acquaintance here, Katsuki." Eijiro pointed out, making the blond groan before he turned to her, offering his arm.

"Come." He only spoke the one word before Hinotori took his arm and the group moved to one of the nearby taverns. Mina was ecstatic to have a new female friend and asked many questions of Hinotori, to which Hinotori answered without giving too much away about her true origins. Eijiro, Hanta and Denki led the way to a small tavern that was out of the way of the bustle of Lillimore, Fumikage and Mashiro bringing up the rear. The trio of boys chattered excitedly in the front, a chat Mina soon joined after exhausting herself of questions for Hinotori. "Don't tell them I said this, but... They're good people, even if they're annoying as hell sometimes. I'm lucky to have them as... Well, as my friends." He murmured to her. She smiled, opening her mouth to say his secret was safe when Eijiro piped up.

"Aww, we're lucky to have you for a friend too!" Eijiro grinned, having heard the blond.

"Looks like Blasty's a softy after all." Denki teased.

"Shut the hell up, idiot! I didn't say shit!" Katsuki bellowed back, causing Hinotori to laugh.

"Your ears are red." She observed.

"No, they're not... Let's just get some food." Katsuki denied as the trio disappeared into a tavern, dropping his arm to hold the door open for her.

"Thank you." Hinotori smiled, causing him to huff as she walked in. The little tavern had a few groups of people at tables, the dining area filled with the scattered conversations, creating a buzz in the room that made Hinotori hesitate for a minute. Her hearing was on overload due to all the voices... She closed her eyes, trying to block out the sound for a minute... It wasn't long before she felt a calloused hand at the small of her back, looking up to see the Prince of Niterra looking at her and noticing her discomfort.

"I know the Proprietress if you'd rather eat in a quieter place... She has a private room we can eat in." He murmured to her, making sure that the dragon was out of earshot this time. Hinotori hesitated before shaking her head.

"No, I'll be fine." She answered, looking up at the Niterrian Prince. He looked like he didn't believe her for a moment before nodding.

"All right, but the moment it gets too much, tell me." Katsuki ordered her. A small smile crossed her face again before she nodded, the couple joining the rest of the group as they all started ordering food and drink. The mistress of the tavern was a young woman that was small in stature, around the same age as Hinotori. Hinotori wasn't really listening as she observed the young woman. Her eyes were a dark forest green, matching her hair that seemed to hang in her face and fell all the way down to a bow that was at the small of her back. The scarlet gold eyes of the half demoness noticed Fumikage's eyes were trained solely on the mistress of the tavern, the look in the young man's crimson orbs soft with adoration and love. Dark Shadow emerged from Fumikage, purring as he got a pet from the young woman.

"Oh, a new face. My name's Tsuyu Asui of Lillimore, but please, call me Tsu."

"A pleasure, Lady Tsu. My name's Hinotori." Hinotori introduced herself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too." Tsu beamed.

"Tsu is Fumi's soulmate!" Dark Shadow squawked causing Fumikage to get a flustered look on his face.

"Dark Shadow, cease your behavior at once!" Fumikage ordered his familiar, causing laughter all around. After ordering, something occurred to Hinotori. Not only were soulmates unheard of in Khazadum, but she'd also never heard the legend of the Phoenixborn. She only knew that her father had forbidden her from learning any knowledge of the outside world. Eijiro saw her confusion as Tsu passed out the drinks.

"Is something wrong, Lady Hinotori?" He asked. Hinotori looked at the half dragon.

"Not really, I just... I'm curious about something... Actually, two things." Hinotori began.

"Ask away." He encouraged her.

"As you know, I'm from the outskirts of Khazadum, but... I was wondering about the whole soulmate thing... And the legend of the Phoenixborn." She looked at her drink, cupping her hands around it. "I know, my inquiry sounds stupid, but my father.... Well, he's kept me hidden from the world, so these are things I've never even heard of before." She explained.

"No, Hinotori, it's not stupid at all... It's natural for you to be curious when you grew up differently than we did." Eijiro reassured her. Hinotori returned her gaze to him before Fumikage leaned forward.

"Soulmates only happen once, and it happens differently for everyone." He rolled up the sleeve of his tunic to show Hinotori a mark on his arm. The mark was a water lilly, the same mark Tsu had on the inside of her wrist. "For Lady Tsu and I, our marks slowly faded in with time until the day we met. I'd gotten through a battle and happened upon her, passing out. When I came to, she was caring for me. Her touch calmed an aching feeling I'd had for a long time, as if I was coming home to someone I'd known a lifetime ago... The mark solidified into this bloomed water lilly and has been there ever since. That was merely a year ago." As he finished his story, he cast a fond smile at Tsu, who returned the loving look. Katsuki huffed.

"What they don't tell you is that for some, it never comes, so don't get your hopes up." Katsuki added.

"You're just bitter because you haven't found your soulmate yet." Denki quipped.

"Hah?! You're one to talk, idiot!"

"Actually, I met my muse just last month." Denki grinned, showing off a red string on his finger. It led toward the singer of the band that was playing music in the tavern, a beautiful young woman with short amethyst hair and strange looking earlobes.

"Hey, come on, don't rub it in." Eijiro thumped him. "You know Lady Kyoka wouldn't like you doing that."

"She's working, she's not listening." Denki argued.

"As for the legend about the Phoenixborn, that's a story we all know too well... If I may tell it to our friend." Mashiro, who'd been quiet the whole time, added. After a nod from his friends, he began. "The story of the Phoenixborn started with a Queen that was said to have been created by the very gods themselves. They say her flames created the kingdom of Embermore around the same time the Demon King created Khazadum. Some say that the Demon King came to attack the Queen, some say that he murdered the elves in the neighboring kingdom to ask for her hand in marriage. Whatever the reason, it began a rivalry between the two kingdoms. Century after century, the Demon King and Phoenixborn would spar in battle with the Phoenixborn reigning victorious each time. But, the Demon King was only buying time in his defeats, growing stronger with each Phoenixborn he took down. 100 years ago, Queen Zarina of Embermore was warned that this time, the outcome would not be the same as before, and that Embermore would fall to the dark kingdom. Sure enough, just as the prophecy was spoken to Queen Zarina, the Demon King returned for his centennial rematch, and this time, he'd slaughtered all who had stood in his way to get to her. In a desperate attempt to protect their family, she ordered her personal guard to protect her son, so that the bloodline of the Phoenixborn would continue. Queen Zarina died in that battle, falling prey to the Demon King. His first act was to burn down Embermore, an example of what would happen should anyone be foolish enough to stand against him. But, unknown to him, his mad rush to destroy Embermore only served to seal his fate. Prince Xharial, the son of the Embermorian Queen, had survived. For 70 years, he tried to hunt down the Demon King, but to no avail. When he died, it was said that the crown and sword of the Phoenixborn was passed down to Akaida, his great granddaughter. Xharial knew that since his time was up, and Akaida only had the wings of the Phoenix, it was only a matter of time before the next Phoenixborn would be born. So, he made her promise something: To cast a spell on the sword once she had slain the Demon King, a spell that would only allow the Phoenixborn to pull the sword from Embermore's soil. 30 years ago, when she was 18, she helped the brave hero All Might take down the Demon King. But, 10 years ago, both Akaida and All Might disappeared, allowing the Demon King to retake his form and rebuild his power."

"Tch, according to that damn Deku, All Might appeared to him in a dream and told him he'd train Deku to be a hero. That was a year ago apparently. Nothing that idiot says makes sense..." Katsuki brought up.

"What about Akaida?" Hinotori asked after a moment, turning to Mashiro. The blond only shook his head.

"Last we knew, 10 years ago, Akaida did what Prince Xharial told her to and left Embermore. She'd been searching for her infant daughter for 6 years at that point... Someone just stole the baby in the middle of the night shortly after she was born. Akaida didn't look well last we saw her, though..." Denki's face was somber as he finished, looking at his companions. Fumikage and Mashiro bowed their heads, Eijiro giving a soft whine.

"Damnit, I wish I knew what happened to her..." Eijiro spoke up.

"We all do... She was kind enough to allow me to build a home with my family in the ruins of Embermore." Fumikage told them.

"Same with us." Denki and Mashiro finished.

"Hey, uh-uh! Akaida wouldn't want us to despair. Besides, now that Hinotori's here, the Phoenixborn is alive again! There's still hope!" Mina slapped the boys on their backs as she sprang up from her chair. Katsuki pushed her back down into her seat, Hinotori noting that some of the patrons had stopped talking and eating and had glanced their way. As Katsuki scolded Mina for being loud with that information, Hinotori froze, seeing a pair of red eyes glaring at her through the window. Tomura... Not now.... Hinotori thought, her stomach dropping at the sight of him. Just as she blinked though, he was gone. A piercing scream came from outside, causing everyone at Hinotori's table to jump up and for the band to stop playing. Shadow chirped in a panicking manner and before she even knew what she was doing, Hinotori ran out the door as a peasant woman ran in, screaming something about a demon attack. Hinotori grabbing her sword on the way out, racing toward the demons with her hair ablaze. She roared as loud as she could, allowing herself to form into her demon form briefly to show the demons who they were dealing with. Many of them were scared and left, but a dark chuckle left one of them.

"Nice disguise... Princess." The demon emerged further into the light, his shape shifting magic in effect as he smirked, forming the human version of the demon that had plagued Hinotori's life for three years.

"Could say the same to you, Akako." Hinotori snarled.

"Come now, is that anyway to greet your beloved?" Akako smirked. Hinotori sent a burst of flame his way as she gave a yell of anger, making him dodge it.

"You're not my beloved!" She snapped. "Leave now!"

"Temper, temper. Or what, little princess? You'll bite my head off as a demon? You'll expose yourself as the daughter of the Demon King to everyone in that damn village, including your little friend group you've built for yourself. Not wise... Ah!" Before he could get another word in, a slice of the Phoenix Blade cut through his skin. "Where did you get that?" He hissed, glaring at her.

"Embermore. It responds to me alone." Hinotori smirked, spinning her blade before giving a battle cry as the two fought. She could hear the sounds of her companions joining the fight the other demons off as she used her flame magic and her wings to fight. The swords of the two clashed as they battled before a scream left Hinotori, her sword dropping as her body crumpled to the ground.

"Good thing you forgot about my blood magic, Princess. Now, I'm taking you home to collect the massive reward your father put on your head and not even my stupid sister is going to let you get back out." Akako smirked. But, just as he went to knock her out with his magic while she struggled, Hinotori heard footsteps bounding toward them before she heard the unmistakable sound of a transformation happening, a light flashing. When it faded, a massive red dragon was looming over Hinotori protectively, roaring in a threat that promised death.

"I suggest you leave, idiot. My dragon's hungry and your demon ass is on the menu for tonight." Katsuki growled, vocalizing the threat. Akako growled.

"This isn't the last you'll see of me. We will meet again." A roar from the great red dragon caused him to back into the shadows and disappear. He's not scared of me even in my full demon form, yet he's scared of this dragon? How does that make sense? He's not even half my demon form's size... Hinotori thought. A soft growl from the dragon broke her thoughts, a purr leaving the dragon as he laid his head on her lap.

"I'm fine, really." Hinotori promised him, petting the dragon's head. Happy purrs left the dragon before Katsuki joined them.

"All right, you idiot, enough coddling her. Let her get up." Katsuki ordered the dragon. A growl left the dragon this time, curling around her defiantly. "Eijiro Kirishima, get up, now! You're not a whelpling that she can carry, you idiot." Hinotori blinked before looking at the red dragon.

"This is what you look like in your dragon form?" She asked him. The dragon purred once more, nuzzling her as she giggled.

"Don't encourage him, Flame Hair." Katsuki barked at her. "Get out of your dragon form already, Kirishima, you can't use the baths here like that." At the sound of a bath, Eijiro's dragon ears popped upward, and his tail began happily thumping. With an affectionate nudge to her cheek, Kirishima transformed into his human form and bounded inside. Katsuki shook his head before turning to her. "Don't think I didn't see that, that extra draining energy from you." He offered his hand to her.

"How'd you know?" She asked, taking his hand and letting him pull her up.

"My old hag. She taught me how to look for stuff like that." Katsuki answered, letting go of her hand and letting her step forward. But, not being as strong as she thought, Hinotori tumbled forward, only stopped from hitting the ground by Katsuki's quick movements. "Careful, idiot. C'mon, I know a healer not too far from here. You've got a few cuts on you too, so we can get those healed while we're at it. Hold onto my arm." Hinotori did as she was told, letting Bakugo help her toward a little hut down aways from the little tavern they'd be staying in that night.

"How do you know so many people here?" Hinotori asked after a moment.

"When I was a brat, demons took over Niterra. My parents managed to keep everyone alive except for the soldiers that stayed behind to allow us time to escape. The people here hid us while my mother regained power. I met Deku, Dunce Face, Tape Elbows, Racoon Eyes and Shitty Scales here.... Oh, and Round Cheeks, the healer I'm taking you to see. They were... Kind to us, made sure we had everything we needed even though most of them had nothing... Tch... I've protected the idiots as much as I can ever since, to repay them since the hag regained the Niterrian throne a few years ago." Katsuki answered honestly before he knocked on the door of the hut. "Oi, Round Cheeks! You there?" He called. A shuffling came from inside the hut before the door swung open revealing a short young woman with a curvy figure, fair skin, and auburn hair with eyes that match in color. She had perpetual pink blush on her cheeks, and her eyes were large and round with thick upper lashes, two more extended and more prominent ones on either side and fewer but more individually pronounced lower lashes. Her hair was shoulder-length, bobbed hair with short bangs, and two long strands framing her face. Inspecting the fingers of the hand holding her staff, Hinotori noticed small, thick pads on her fingertips similar to the digits of an animal's paws, a sight that the half demoness found intriguing.

"Bakugo, it's been a long... What happened?" The girl changed her statement to an inquiry as soon as she saw Hinotori's body covered in cuts and bruises along with the overall weakness she sensed.

"A damn demon attack around Lady Tsu's tavern... This idiot charged head on and took them on before getting drained of her magic." Katsuki huffed.

"Sounds like somebody we both know... Come on in and get more comfortable, I'll grab what I need and join you in a moment." With that, the girl turned on her heel and disappeared further inside the hut. Katsuki turned to Hinotori.

"C'mon, Pink Cheeks'll fix you up." Katsuki told her before helping her inside. The feeling of warmth touched Hinotori's skin, returning the strength to her little by little. The little hut felt cozy and warm, unlike the dark tower that Hinotori had called home all her previous years. Katsuki had her sit on the bed near the window, a bed that Hinotori found was soft and comfortable. The girl returned not too long after, smiling warmly at her as she bent down to her. She held up a jar.

"This is my homemade healing salve. My healing magic itself needs work, but the healing potions and others I make seem to work just fine." She smiled as she opened the jar and applied some salve to the bruises and cuts on Hinotori's arms and face.

"It usually does the trick to heal any kinda shit that happens, I just didn't have any on me."

"Ah, that's why you came to me this time.... Hand over your jars and bottles, I'll refill them while you're here."

"Thanks or... Whatever." Katsuki mumbled as he handed them over. She flashed a smile before taking them and heading over to a different part of the room. Katsuki looked at Hinotori. "How're you feeling?"

"A lot better than before. Just walking in here returned some of my strength." He nodded in response.

"Figured you would be. Round Cheeks is annoying sometimes, but she's good at healing magic."

"Well, thank you, Bakugo." She smiled as she returned, giving the bottles and jars back to Katsuki filled to the brim. "By the way, my name's Ochaco. You come to me if you're ever in need of healing supplies in Lillimore, okay?" She introduced herself.

"Yes, thank you, Lady Ochaco. My name's Hinotori." Hinotori replied, introducing herself as well.

"Nice to meet you, and not a problem. Now, be more careful out there," She shot a pointed look at Katsuki. "Both of you."

"Tch, what're you lookin' at me for, idiot? C'mon, Flame Hair, let's go." Katsuki dragged Hinotori up and out of the hut, barely giving the girls time to wave goodbye to each other.

"I wasn't sure about the nicknames, but I can see why you call her Round Cheeks." Hinotori spoke after a moment, making Katsuki snort.

"Yeah, plus it's just easier to remember, sometimes." Katsuki told her.

"In that case, I'll call you Blasty." Hinotori smirked.

"Hah?! You wanna die, idiot?!" Katsuki yelled, causing her to laugh and run off. "Don't run away from me, ya little shit!" He couldn't help but laugh as well as the two raced each other back to the tavern. Once inside, Hinotori was led to her room, bidding good night to her companions. As Hinotori fell into a peaceful slumber that night, she had no way of knowing that miles away, a demon was almost to the dark kingdom, hurrying to inform the Demon King of his daughter's escape from the palace and her betrayal....

To Be Continued....

Previous Chapter

Taglist: @qweenexplosionmurder13 @euphorical-angel

[z-iridest]

My Hero Academia- I Am Phoenix:

Chapter 21- Old Friends and New Demons (Part 2):

“The girls will think we’re so cool for this!” Kaminari exclaimed as I rolled my eyes.

“Melissa, you can wait down here for us, okay?” Izuku asked. I gave him a look.

“No, I’m going too.” Melissa kept her foot down.

“But, without a Quirk, you’ll be in danger…”

“Um, hello? None of us know how to change the settings on the Island’s security system.” I spoke up. Everyone looked at each other.

“I’m a student at the Academy. I’ll be useful to you.” Melissa added.

“Hold on…”

“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!” Melissa told him.

“Yeah, all right then. Let’s do this, we’ll save everyone.” I smiled at Izuku’s decision.

“Yeah.” Melissa agreed. We all filed back toward the room above the party to begin our ascent, and I went to look at my Dad one more time. I could see the look on his face, he was horrified that we were choosing not to run. But, I wouldn't be his daughter if I ran away and cowered while people were in danger. I looked at him, begging in my head for him to understand before joining my classmates again.

“Let’s go.”

“Right!” We all responded to Iida before we climbed the stairs. 

“Level 30…” Iida trailed off as we paused for a minute after climbing for a while.

“Wait, Melissa, how high does it go?” Izuku asked. Melissa panted for a second before answering.

“The 200th floor.”

“The what?!” Kaminari shrieked.

“That’s way too many stairs.” Mineta agreed with Kaminari.

“It’s still better than running into the villains.” I told him. After we got to the 60th floor, my feet were killing me so I tore off my high heels and kept climbing. But, once we hit the 80th floor, we stopped at a dead end.

“The route’s blocked!” Iida exclaimed.

“What should we do? Break through it?” Todoroki asked.

“If we did that, the security system would probably alert the villains that someone's in here.” I answered, Melissa nodding to confirm.

“Then why don’t we just go through this door instead?” Mineta reached up to open the door behind us.

“Mineta!” Izuku shouted.

“Wait, don’t!” Melissa tried to warn him, but it was too late. As soon as the door opened, a light popped on. 

“Nice going, now they definitely know we're here.” I told Mineta, glaring down at him before going through the door with the others behind me.

“Is there another way up?” Todoroki asked after a minute.

“There should be another emergency staircase down at the other end of the hallway.” Melissa answered this time.

“Then let's hurry!” Iida exclaimed before we all came to a stop as the barrier doors slammed closed where the door to the staircase was. So much for going that way…

“The gates!” Izuku exclaimed.

“The ones behind us, too!” Yaomomo peered behind us. Iida gasped, seeing the doorway that the gate right in front of us was about to close off.

“Todoroki!”

“I’m on it!” Todoroki activated his ice in response, holding the gate open so Iida could jump through. With a giant crash, Iida broke the door open with a turbo kick. 

“Everyone, quick, we can cross through here!” Iida told us. I helped get everyone through before using my wings to do the same. Once everyone was through the gate, we started crossing into the room. 

“What is this place?” Izuku asked.

“It’s a plant factory. They research the effects Quirks have on fauna here.” Melissa replied.

“Hold on!” Jirou made everyone stop. “Look, the elevator’s coming up.”

“Don’t tell me the villains found us.” Mineta squealed.

“We should hide and let them pass.” I suggested before we all hid among the bushes and shrubs. I ended up being on Todoroki’s left side and I felt him grasp my hand as we stayed hidden. I held his hand back, wondering if he was partly as scared as I tried not to show. I looked at him. If he was, he didn't show it…

“I wonder if we can use the elevator to get to the top floor once they're gone.” Kaminari pondered.

“No, only authorized people can use the controls, unfortunately. And it’s built like a bomb shelter, so we can’t even break in and try.” Melissa told him.

“Of course we can’t go the easy way.” Mineta grumbled before a squeak left him as the elevator reached the 80th floor and the doors opened.

“Look at their clothes, they’re definitely the villains from the party.” Izuku pointed out.

“He said the kids came in here.” 

“They just had to pick a place with so many hiding spots…”

“They’re after us!” Ochaco shrieked behind her hand, looking absolutely terrified.

“Stay quiet.” Iida warned her.

“Please leave, I don't wanna die.” Mineta whisper-yelped behind his hands.

“Hey! We see you, stupid kids!” The henchman's shout made us all tense up.

“What’d you say, ya bastard?!” A familiar gruff voice questioned. I peeked over the bushes to find Bakugo and Kirishima within the villains’ eyesight. Bakugo looked about as pissed as normal while Kirishima looked worried. Though, I had to admit, I was surprised to see him in a suit and tie. He was wearing a red button up under a navy blue vest with white roses on one side, and navy blue pants and a black tie, which I had to admit, looked pretty good on him… But, how Kirishima managed to convince Bakugo to wear a tie when the blond never wore the one with our school uniform was beyond me… Speaking of, the red head didn't look too shabby either. He has a dark blue button-up under a dark green suit jacket with matching pants and a red tie. It was a color scheme you'd think wouldn't work, but Kirishima pulled it off really well…

“What're you two doing here?” The other henchman asked.

“That's what I wanna know too.” Bakugo scoffed.

“Hey, man, just leave this to me, okay?” Kirishima asked, and much to my shock, Bakugo listened to him. “Um, we kinda got lost looking for this party.” Kirishima stepped forward. Um, kind of lost?! You guys ended up 80 floors in the wrong direction! I thought. “Can you maybe point us in the right direction?” The henchmen looked at each other.

“How the hell did they get up to the 80th floor looking for the reception?!” I asked no one in particular from between Todoroki and Izuku.

“Don’t lie to me OR YOU’LL REGRET IT!” The taller of the two’s hand grew, ripping off his glove as he flung an attack Kirishima’s way.

“Hey, watch out!” 

“Kirishima!” Izuku and Bakugo both moved at the same time to save Kirishima, but Todoroki used his ice to block the attack.

“This looks like…” Bakugo's head turned our way as we all came out of hiding due to the ice wall hiding us from the view of the villains.

“Todoroki?” Kirishima sounded confused as I popped out of hiding.

“Are you guys okay?” I asked.

“We’re fine, idiot.” Bakugo waved me off.

“Also, way off topic, but you look great, Yagi.” Kirishima told me. I smiled a bit.

“Thanks, you guys too. But, how did…” Just before I could ask how the two ended up on the 80th floor, the ice in front of us trembled. Thinking quickly, Todoroki placed his hand on the ground.

“The three of us can keep them busy down here, look for a way to get to the top!” Todoroki used his ice to lift me and my friends to the catwalk way above the fight that was about to start.

“What're you doing?!” Izuku asked as it moved upward.

“But, you guys-”

“I’m fine, go!” Todoroki interrupted Iida before he could protest.

“Todoroki!” I exclaimed worriedly.

“I’ll be right behind you after I clean up this mess!” Todoroki added. I hesitated, but nodded.

“Right.” I replied, and I saw Bakugo watching us as we rose into the air. Once the ice reached the catwalk, the boys and I jumped onto the metal, helping the girls down. I watched the boys get ready for a fight, gripping the railing worriedly.

“Hino, come on!” Melissa called out to me, snapping me out of my daze. Iida had broken the door down on that side, but we found the route blocked there too.

“This way’s blocked as well!” Iida exclaimed.

“Great! So what’re we supposed to do? We’re like helpless mice stuck in a fancy cage.” Mineta asked.

“We need a plan!” Kaminari exclaimed. 

“Hey, Melissa? Where does that little vent up at the edge of the ceiling lead to?” Izuku asked as I glanced over my shoulder at the boys. Kirishima was now nowhere in sight and Todoroki and Bakugo were both fighting their asses off.

“I think it runs under the maintenance room for the sunlight system.” Melissa’s answer brought me out of my thoughts again. 

“Ha! There’s probably an emergency ladder in the maintenance room, right?” Iida asked.

“Well, yeah there is, but it’s a manual release, someone would have to be inside to let it down for us.” I pointed out. 

“Is this really as far as we go?” Ochaco asked.

“No, there's still a possibility.” Yayorozu replied before creating a small bomb and throwing it, the device sticking to the vent and blowing up, opening it. “If somebody climbs through the vent and to the exterior wall, they can get into the maintenance room.”

“Right! There must be another bent leading inside.” Ochaco exclaimed happily.

“They could get in that way!” Melissa added.

“But who could go through such a cramped space, and then climb the outer wall without falling?” Izuku asked. I immediately turned to look at Mineta, the pipsqueak gasping when he realized everyone was looking at him.

“You can't be serious! No, I can’t!” He exclaimed as he took a few steps back.

“Please, you have to, Mineta!” Ochaco begged.

“You’re the only one of us who can do it.” Kyoka pointed out.

“You idiots! Do you have any idea of how high up we are?!” Mineta freaked out.

“If you save everyone and become a celebrity, they’ll interview you on TV and then you’ll be popular with girls everywhere!” Kaminari appealed to his more perverted side.

“Let’s not encourage the perverted side of him, please.” I told Kaminari.

“Come on!” Kyoka and Ochaco pushed.

“Just imagine the harem.” Kaminari told Mineta. Or you can completely ignore me… After a second, Mineta caved in again.

“Oh man! Okay, fine, I’ll do it, whatever!” He screeched. While we waited for Mineta to release the ladder, I watched the boys fighting. I know, I know, I shouldn't be worried about them since they’re two of the most powerful students in our class, but I couldn't help but worry. I worried about everybody I cared about… Though, I had to admit that what I felt for Bakugo and Todoroki both, it… It was stronger than just friendship. Weird how you can crush on two different guys, and polar opposites of each other at that. But, how would you even approach the possibility of a relationship like that? Todoroki might not get what I’m trying to say, and Bakugo would probably flip out at having to share a significant other with Todoroki… 

“I DID IT! THE CHICKS ARE GONNA SWOON!” Mineta’s shout of victory brought me out of my thoughts and made me roll my eyes as I noticed the ladder had been let down. I started climbing after the rest of my classmates. “Come on, you guys, time to show me some love. Let's have some kisses from the ladies, please.” 

“The only kiss you’re getting from me is my fist knocking you right in the kisser.” I glared at him as I passed him.

“You were incredible, Mineta! As I’d expect from a student hero.” Melissa complimented. Mineta blushed, flustered before he looked touched and squealed.

“That’s it, let’s get fired up, everyone!” Mineta shouted.

“Yeah!” Everyone shouted. As we continued to run, Jirou took out every camera we came across. I heard a giant explosion coming from the 80th floor, figuring Bakugo used his bigger blast to knock out the henchman before a second one went off, making me smile. That reassured me that the boys were okay and making their way toward us. 

“Seems like we’ve been pretty lucky, the path’s been clear since the 100th floor.” Kaminari commented.

“Yeah, do you think we lost them, maybe?” Ochaco asked.

“I doubt that’s it.” Jirou put in.

“It’s quite possible that they’re leading us somewhere.” I added, Yaomomo nodding in agreement.

“Likely.” Iida agreed. 

“Even if that’s the case, we’ve almost made it to the top floor!” Izuku told us. “We’re so close to this being over.” When we reached the 130th floor, we saw a room filled with security bots.

“So many robot sentries…” Ochaco trailed off.

“The villains aren’t just trying to block us in anymore.” Idea commented.

“They're actually trying to capture us now.” I finished.

“If so, then I bet they realized that we’re hero course students.” Izuku realized.

“If that’s true, no reason not to show them what we can do.” Yaomomo reasoned, using her Quirk to create a giant sheet.

“Right, we’ll go ahead and commence with Plan A.” Iida replied. “Ready, Kaminari?” 

“You got it!” Kaminari punched his open hand. “I won’t let you guys down. Let’s do this, Iida.” Kaminari told him, holding out his wrists for Iida to grab onto.

“Right.” Iida replied as he grabbed Kaminari. He used his Quirk to spin as fast as he could and launched Kaminari into the air while the rest of us got under the blanket.

“Indiscriminate shock, 1.3 million volts!” Kaminari yelled as he activated his quirk.

“It’s not working!” Izuku and I exclaimed, peeking out from the blanket on opposite sides. Kaminari growled.

“Fine, how about we try 2 million volts!” Kaminari upped the strength of his attack.

“Don’t! If you do that, then…” Jirou started to protest, but soon, the attack stopped.

“Yay.” Kaminari mumbled dumbly. 

“...You’ll turn stupid.” Jirou finished, sounding defeated.

“Well, at least he stopped the robots for us, right?” Izuku asked. Just as Izuku said something, the robots reactivated and captured Kaminari.

“Midoriya!” I exclaimed, exasperated that my friend had jinxed it.

“Kaminari!” Jirou shouted worriedly.

“They’re just too strong!” Mineta whined.

“We've only tried one form of attack, idiot!” I snapped.

“Right. Quick, Plan B.” Iida told us.

“Right!” Yaomomo replied, activating her quirk and creating a smoke bomb before activating it and throwing it. “We can jam their communications with these!” All of us girls jumped in and grabbed one, activating them and throwing them.

“Take that!”

“And that!” Ochaco and Melissa threw theirs first while Jirou and I threw ours at the same time.

“Now, Mineta!” Izuku called Mineta, the grapehead getting in on the action, throwing his sticky balls.

“Don’t hurt, Kaminari, he’s got a harem to get home to!” Mineta yelled. A few of the robots got stuck and it caused a bit of a pile up. “It worked!” Mineta exclaimed, but it was all too soon, since just after he said that, a few robots jumped over the ones that were stuck. “Aw man!” What is it with everybody jinxing everything today? I thought. Iida glared before getting into a ready stance.

“Our turn. Come on, Midoriya.”

“Let’s go!” Izuku threw off his suit jacket and rolled up one of his sleeves, activating the Full Gauntlet Melissa gave him. Not too long after that, the familiar green glow of One For All surrounded his body before he rocketed toward the sentries and punched them, knocking quite a few of them backwards. Judging by the feeling of the air pressure from the punch, the power he used had to have been around at least 20%, which meant that Melissa’s invention was working so far. The punch knocked Kaminari into the air as well, who was still in his dumbed out state, and Iida caught him before landing on the ground. 

“Jirou, do they have backup?” Iida called out to her. Kyoka had her jacks in, listening before she replied.

“Yeah, coming from the left!” She answered.

“Then we’re heading the opposite way!” Iida replied.

“Right!” We reaffirmed as we ran, Iida carrying Kaminari as we left the room.

“Deku, what’s with that glove? It's amazing!” Ochaco asked Izuku. He turned to Melissa.

“It worked perfectly, Melissa, thanks.” Izuku thanked her.

“I’m so glad you brought it.” Melissa replied in turn. Izuku suddenly looked sheepish.

“I didn’t know how to get it off my arm.” He admitted, making Melissa giggle. Once we got to the 132nd floor, Kyoka used her Quirk to listen for more sentries. 

“I hear a lot of those security machines on the floor below us.” She told us after a minute.

“Any sounds from above?” I asked.

“No, it should be clear.” She replied.

“Let’s go.” Iida added as we continued to climb. Before long, we reached the 138th floor. Just as we got about halfway into the room, a beep sounded, the door in front of us opening to reveal a shit ton of robot sentries. We all stopped dead in our tracks. “A trap?”

“Let’s break through, Iida!” Izuku sounded more ready for battle than Bakugo on a rage-fueled rampage.

“Wait a sec!” Melissa stopped him from doing anything. “We can’t damage the servers, it could affect the Island’s security system!” She told him. Before anyone else could say anything, more sentries dropped down from the catwalks above us.

“How many of these things are there?” Mineta asked in exasperation.

“You’d be surprised.” I replied.

“We can handle these machines while protecting the servers.” Yaomomo said before both Iida and her knelt, Iida setting Kaminari down.

“Midoriya, Yagi, go! Take Melissa and see if you can find a different route.” Izuku turned to Melissa and Iida stood upright.

“We’ll leave it to them, come on!” Izuku told her before running off.

“You don’t know where to go, dumbass!” I chased after him, leading the way through the hallway and destroying every camera I came across to keep the enemy blind to our moves. After a minute of running we heard rumbling and Izuku stopped dead, looking worried.

“Deku, you can’t stop!”

“Keep running! If we get caught here, Iida and the others did that for nothing!” I finished as I passed him.

“Everyone… Please be safe.” I heard Izuku say. As much as I wanted to reassure him, I felt the same way. After a few more minutes, we burst out one of the doors leading outside to the roof. We slowed down a bit, panting. “What is this?” Izuku questioned.

“The wind power generator.” Melissa answered.

“So, what’re we doing here?” He asked.

“There are more robots in the tower, more than likely waiting to ambush us if given the chance, and now that Kyoka stayed back, we’d be blind to them.”

“But, if we climb to the top from here, we’ll avoid them.” Melissa finished my thought. “There’s an emergency exit we can enter from.” I pointed it out as soon as Melissa talked about it.

“All the way up there?” Izuku asked.

“With Ochaco, we have two options. Either I can fly you guys up there, or Ochaco can use her Quirk on you and Melissa while I back her up.”

“You Quirk makes anything you touch weightless, right? So, this should be easy.” Melissa told Ochaco, and judging from the look on her face, her plan was to use Ochaco’s Quirk and not my wings.

“Mel-”

“Hino, you know I trust you, but your strength limit with your wings is you and one other person. We would have to use Ochaco’s quirk either way, and at least this way, Ochaco has someone defending her if something goes wrong.” Melissa pointed out before I could even start to protest. I sighed softly.

“If you’re sure, then let’s do it.” I replied. 

“Leave it to me.” Ochaco agreed. While Melissa and Izuku got situated,  I kept an eye out for those sentries.

“Melissa, hang on to Deku.” Ochaco asked her. 

“Okay.” She replied, holding onto Izuku from behind before Ochaco used her Quirk on the two. Be safe, you two. I thought before I was brought out of my thoughts by the door opening and a ton of sentry robots heading toward us. I activated my support item Melissa gave me, stepping in front of Ochaco.

“Urakaka, Hino!” Izuku sounded worried.

“Ochaco, release your Quirk and get out of there!” Melissa shouted.

“I can’t!” Ochaco replied.

“If she does, you guys will never make it to the top in time! Keep going!” I added. 

“Hino, no!” Melissa shouted. I grit my teeth, ready for a fight. But, before I could make a move, a blur of crimson stopped in front of us girls, an explosion going off. When the light from it died down, I saw a head of blond hair. I had to admit, I was relieved to see the boy it belonged to.

“Kacchan!” Izuku sounded relieved and surprised at the same time. Ice formed on our left, lifting up the sentries coming at us. Ochaco and I turned to see the other two boys coming toward us.

“Todoroki and Kirishima!” Ochaco and I exclaimed, though I was more relieved to see for myself that they had made it. 

“That was close, are you okay?!” Todoroki stopped in front of Ochaco and I, gently touching my face. I put my hand over his to calm him.

“Yeah, we’re fine.” I reassured him.

“I used my Quirk on Deku and Melissa, they should be able to reach the top.” Ochaco added.

“Good job.” Todoroki told her before turning to face the other sentries coming at us. “Now you can help us stop these things!”

“Who died and made you boss?!” Bakugo snarled.

“Aww, come on, man, we’re a good team!” Kirishima told him.

“Dream on!” Bakugo snapped.

“Thanks so much, you guy-” I looked up, seeing that Melissa and Izuku had been blown away from their target.

“They’re blowing away!” Ochaco said as I darted out, clearing a path.

“Bakugo, aim the propeller at Midoriya, quick!” I yelled as I ran toward one of the lower propellers, noticing Todoroki running alongside me as he threw off his jacket.

“I told you not to give me orders!” Bakugo yelled as he changed trajectory and did as I asked anyway.

“Todoroki, let’s do it!” I told him as we both stopped and activated our flames, standing back to back as we both fired off flames through the propeller, turning it so it would blow our friends the opposite direction that they were going and back on course.

“That did it!” Ochaco happily exclaimed.

“Yeah!” Kirishima shouted in victory. I jumped back into the fight, working with the boys to fight the sentries. After a bit, I heard an explosion coming from the tower. 

“They got in the tower! Release!” Ochaco released her Quirk and joined the fight. I knew I could trust Izuku to get Melissa to the top floor safely, but I honestly hoped that everything would be okay... I pushed my worries to the back of my mind as I continued to fight. Everything would be okay, because we are here… Aaand I’m starting to sound like my Dad… I thought. Todoroki, Bakugo and I ended up fighting together while Kirishima had Ochaco’s back. Destroying sentinels at this point was getting annoying, and if I’m being honest, using my flames that much was taking a toll on me. But, Dad wouldn't let his limits hold him back, so why should I?

“Damn it, there's too many, they just keep coming!” Todoroki exclaimed, using his ice for the most part to try and trap them. Maybe a lot later than I should have, I remembered that I could manipulate Bakugo's explosions as well as flames. I turned to the blond, but before I could say anything, I noticed he was already looking at me. 

“You wanna use one of my explosions to get a crap ton at once, just do it, Flame Hair.” Bakugo gruffly told me before I could say anything.

“Don’t you give me orders.” I replied a bit jokingly as I took the explosion that had been gearing up from his hand, springing into the air as I added more heat to it and slammed my hand on the ground, blowing it up and a good amount of those robots at once with a nice and loud, “DIE!” At that moment, I realized why Bakugo did it so much when he used his explosions… It was a hell of a lot more fun. While Bakugo was smirking at my use of his line, Kirishima and Ochaco looked weirded out. “What?” I asked. Just before anyone could say anything though, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and jumped, using my wings to dodge the attack heading for me. With barely enough time to register what was happening, I caught more movement and thought fast, feeling the metal base shift into a sword as I formed a katana with my flames and cut through a shadow attack heading right toward me while stepping back a bit. You’ve gotta be kidding me… I felt once again glad Tokoyami wasn’t part of the fight. Before long, I caught movement in the shadows, confirming my gut feeling was right. Somehow, Shinohara ended up involved in all this…

“Pretty cowardly of you, Shinohara, though I guess I've come to expect that from you!” I spoke out loud. But this time, instead of hiding like our last fight, she stepped into the light. Her outfit had gotten a makeover, all black, but there were red patterns that looked like tendrils…

“Oh, don’t worry, Yagi, it won't be like last time!” She snarled, extending her hand and stiffening her fingers, making me cry out in pain as Yugūre’s quirk took over me, making me drop the katana and fall to my knees in pain. I could hear her maniacal laughter as I heard Bakugo yell in anger and Todoroki calling for me.

“How the hell… Did you get his Quirk?!” I asked through the pain.

“Don’t tell me you actually care about the bloody prick, do you? He just got on the wrong side of me, so I introduced him to an acquaintance of mine. Of course, the coward didn’t survive his Quirk being taken away, and it was transferred to me, someone who could actually use it! From now on, call me BloodShadow!” I snorted, only for the pain to get worse.

“Really? Any other dark and blood related name… and you chose that?” I asked. “And I thought… My hero name… wasn’t creative.”

“Shut up!” My mocking her only pissed her off more, which freed me from her grasp long enough for me to use my flames to break her stance, making her shriek as she stumbled back. I jumped into action, the two of us fighting. 

“As usual, you suck at fighting one on one!” I told her as I punched her and dodged her counter, backflipping and grabbing the support item again. It ignited into a blade again as I sprung into a ready stance. She screamed in anger and summoned a shit ton more shadow clones than I was used to. I rolled my eyes and charged, slicing through each shadow clone one by one, looking out for the tell tale signs of her being the real one as I did so. One after another, they kept coming so much that my arms started to tire, but I couldn't give up yet. She wouldn’t stop until her ass got knocked the hell out, so I couldn't stop either. 

Once I cut through the last one, I realized she was heading for the boys that were busy with the robot sentries. “Get the hell back here!” I shifted my blade into a chained kunai and cracked it like a whip at her, watching as the burning chain wrapped around her ankle, making her cry out before I grabbed the chain further up and flung her into the ground as hard as I could, and away from my friends. I could feel my hair absolutely burning as I advanced on Shinohara. “You might have had the power to hurt me once upon a time, but your days of terrorizing me and everyone else are over!” I was angry, but the word barely described just how pissed off I was that she tried to hurt my friends. She coughed for a minute before a wheezy laughter left her. “What the hell’s so funny?”

“You say that about me, but you…” She laughed more, the smirk on her face telling me she knew something I didn't. “You have evil in your veins!”

“What the hell are you on about?!” I asked her.

“Your biological father, the guy that knocked your Mom up, is a villain, idiot. You're destined to end up just like him.” She laughed hysterically. I had to admit, her telling me that threw me for a loop. The nightmares would make sense if my biological father was… No, that can't be right! I glared at her.

“You always have been a liar, but this is by far the biggest bullshit you've ever spit out!” I snapped.

“I ain’t lying.” She looked so damn smug. She was getting under my skin and I knew it. We both did. Before I could react, she had me in a shadow sphere that had me off my feet and rolling uncontrollably in the air. I let my guard down, goddamn it! I scolded myself mentally, able to hear her laughing again. “Look at you, Yagi! Some big hero! All that talk and you let your guard down and let me get the upper hand!” She taunted as the shadow sphere started getting tighter spaced. Shit, I have to act fast and get my footing back. If I don't, the air pressure would be too much and I wouldn't be able to use my flames to get out… 

As much of a reckless move as it was, I started turning the opposite way, shielding my flames from the air the sphere was creating to ignite a slash of flames that allowed me to get on my feet and blast both sides of the sphere, giving myself more room. Once I could breathe again, I realized that while it got me where I wanted, I couldn’t keep the move up for long. At some point, the oxygen in the sphere would burn out and I’d be suffocated from the smoke of my own flames. I took a deep breath, allowing the shadows to get closer before yelling as loud as I could and creating a giant burst of flames that completely shattered the shadows keeping me prisoner, knocking Shinohara on her ass as I landed. I panted as I walked over to her again.

“This isn't over, Yagi! I’ll get you for this!”

“You act like I'm gonna let you get away again.” Once I was close enough, I knocked her out with a hard punch. “Not this time, bitch.” I panted for a minute, catching my breath. Once I was good, I grabbed my support item again and started cutting through the sentries. As I started taking out the sentries, Bakugo flew past me a couple times and had my back while Todoroki did the same for Kirishima and Ochaco when they needed it. Though, I noticed he would shoot some ice when the sentinels would start to get overwhelming. 

After a while, I could feel my skin starting to burn as it seemed like the sentinels doubled. “Damn it!” I still had a long way to go when it came to training... Just when it felt like all of us were backed into a corner (I mean, literally backed into a corner, they had us backed up and threatening to go off the edge of the tower), the sentinels suddenly shut down. 

“What happened?” Bakugo asked, looking confused as he lowered his fists slightly, not quite relaxed.

“They just stopped…” Ochaco trailed off. I sighed softly in relief.

“Midoriya and Melissa must’ve made it to the top, the pros should be free now.” I breathed.

“The I-Island security system is now operating in normal mode.” The automated system confirmed my thoughts. But, not too long after, I heard Izuku’s voice yelling from the top of the tower. When I looked up, I saw Izuku dangling from a helicopter.

“What is he doing?!” I yelled, watching in horror as sparks flew and Izuku started to fall and Melissa screamed. “No!” I burst into the air, flying as fast as I could to try to catch him, but he hit the helicopter pad before I could get close enough to grab him. As soon as I landed on the helicopter pad, I ran toward him. “Mid!” I called out to him.

“Deku!” Melissa ran toward him from the opposite direction.

“Come back! You can’t!” He yelled as the helicopter started to fly away. 

“Are you hurt?!” Melissa asked at the same time as we reached him. The impact put a crater in the helicopter pad, so I’m guessing the answer is no. The idiot was bleeding from his head, but before I could even reach to grab the vial in order to heal his wounds, he sat upright.

“Let him go! Don’t take the professor! Damn it!” He yelled at the top of his lungs. 

“Don’t you dare lose that smile, all right Young Midoriya?” Dad’s voice reached us before I saw him in his muscle form zip right past us at blinding speed, shooting into the air. When he did, he caused wind pressure that hindered the helicopter. “It’s fine now. Do you know why?” He pointed at himself while still airborne. “Because I am here!”

“Dad!” I exclaimed, relieved to see my Dad free and doing just fine.

“All Might is free!” Izuku breathed.

“I’ll have you return my friend to me,” Dad used one of his New Hampshire smashes to get closer to the helicopter as he spoke, “you fiend!” Dad became a blur and after he went through the helicopter it blew up in the sky, meanwhile he landed on the roof of the tower with Uncle Dave in his arms. 

“Papa!” Melissa ran toward them and stayed by her Dad as the helicopter exploded again once it landed on the roof behind us.

“My Melissa…” Uncle Dave could barely get the words out as Dad freed Uncle Dave’s wrists so he could reach out to her.

“Everything will be okay.” Dad reassured her.

“We did it.” Izuku breathed in relief again, and even though I wanted to follow their lead, my instincts kept me on edge.

“I’m so sorry.” Uncle Dave apologized. “It’s my fault…”

“Watch out!” I yelled as soon as I saw the metal start heading for the three of them. Dad tried to shield Uncle Dave as the metal made contact while I yanked Melissa out of harm’s way. Dad hit the ground and slid for a minute, Uncle Dave nowhere to be found.

“All Might!” 

“Dad!” I shouted the same time as Izuku before I heard Uncle Dave yelling as a piece of metal wrapped around him and dragged him toward the fiery explosion.

“Papa!” Melissa cried.

“Professor!” Izuku exclaimed. As metal surrounded and trapped my Uncle, the villain spoke again.

“I heard Sam! All Might's Quirk is failing him! He doesn't have the same unstoppable power he once did!” The metal villain had some kind of device on his head, and I realized in horror that what he was wearing must have been what Uncle Dave had been working on. The villain seemed twice as strong, if not more. 

“He’s using the professor's device!” Izuku realized out loud. I heard Dad coughing and wheeled around, seeing the steam coming off him.

“Damn… Not much time…” I heard him mumble before he got ready to fight again. “You really don't know when to give up, do you?!” Dad shit forward, rearing his fist back. “Texas…. Smash!” Dad punched with all his might, but he found it blocked by a metal wall.

“Dad…” I murmured.

“Is that all you’ve got?” The villain taunted before Dad got knocked back again. All of a sudden, the tower started to break apart, and a ton of metal pieces floated into the air, and the area suddenly looked like it was in ruins, almost like the epic boss battle in a video game that you’ve been leveling up for. “David Shield's genius lives up to its reputation. I can tell my Quirk’s growing more powerful!” He cackled as more metal moved. “It feels amazing! I’m never taking this off!”

“Uncle Dave, what're you done?” I murmured.

“I had no idea that he created something so powerful…” Melissa trailed off. 

“Now… I think I know the best way to raise the price of this device… I can charge whatever I want if it was used to kill the world's number-one hero!” The villain's words caused rage to run through me, but I barely had time to do anything about it as I watched my Dad dodge and fight the villain, one of the hits from the villain causing Melissa to be launched into the air. She screamed before a green blur caught her, and I went to follow Midoriya, freezing midair when I noticed Dad getting crushed while trying to hold back the pillar of metal in front of him. I could see him coughing up blood and I felt the same as I had seeing him after that fight a few years ago…

“Is Uncle Might okay?” I heard Melissa ask.

“Why won’t you just die already?!” The villain bellowed as more of the pillars headed toward my Dad.

“All Might!” Izuku shouted

“DAD!” I screamed in horror at the same time, flying towards my Dad. But, before I could reach him, the metal pillars that were heading toward my Dad were frozen.

“GO TO HELL!” Bakugo let off a few rounds of explosions. 

“Bakugo!” I exclaimed, mostly in relief that he was okay, and the ice confirmed that Todoroki was all right too. After a minute, I watched him grunt in pain, holding his wrist.

“How can you let yourself be beat by such a lame final boss?! Hurry and take him down!” Bakugo turned to Dad.

“Thanks for the help, Young Bakugo!” I heard him thank the blond.

“We’ll do what we can. We’ll help you!” I was relieved to see Todoroki as well, even though the ice from earlier had already confirmed he was here. 

“Todoroki! Everyone!” Izuku beamed.

“Iida, let’s knock those hunks of metal outta the sky.” Kirishima spoke to Iida.

“Yaoyorozu, take care of things down here.” Iida in turn spoke to Yaomomo.

“Right.” She confirmed. I sprang into action from there, slicing the hunks of metal I could reach with my katana and my wings, dodging the ones I could slice apart and letting Todoroki take care of them. I had to support my Dad in the fight. Dad punched through the hunks of metal holding him back, flying toward the villain. 

“It's time to be Plus Ultra!” He shouted, fighting his way through metal after metal to get to the villain. “Carolina Smash!” I flapped my wings from the air pressure, trying to stay in place and not let the force of Dad's punch blow me away. “Prepare yourself, villain!” But, before he could land a punch on the villain, he was caught in metal wires. “Nice trick, but I-” Dad was forced to stop when the villain grabbed him by the throat. The villain’s muscles suddenly grew bigger and I froze in shock. He has more than one Quirk?!

“Prepare myself? Take your own advice!” The villain snarled, his entire body glowing. “You've underestimated me.” I watched in horror as the villain gripped Dad’s throat harder before crushing his hurt side, making him yell in pain.

“DAD!” I flew toward him, only to be blocked by metal. I sliced through as many as I could, my heart racing as desperation set in.

“DAMN IT!” I heard Bakugo yell as more explosions went off. By the look on his face, Dad realized the same thing I had…

“No, wait, it couldn't be…” 

“Oh yes.” The villain confirmed our thoughts. “While we were planning this little plot, I received an intriguing phone call from the man himself. He said he wanted to work with me, to help. When I asked him why he’d bother, he was happy to explain his interest. If All Might's friend wants to have a hand in something evil, I will assist in his fall from grace in any way that I can. I only regret that I will not be able to see All Might’s face twist in pain when he discovers the truth about the professor.” Dad looked completely horrified at the villain’s recount, and I had to admit that I wasn't too far on that.

“All For One is behind this?!” Dad and I exclaimed in horror.

“What’s the matter? Looks like you’ve finally stopped smiling.” The villain taunted.

“NO!” Dad shouted, the villain cackling as he kept Dad trapped but pushed him backwards. I faltered in the air when two of the hunks of metal came at Dad from both sides. No… No, it can’t be true!

“DAD!” I screamed, dropping to the ground and onto my knees, feeling numb as I barely felt Todoroki catch me. I watched in horror as more hunks of metal trapped my Dad.

“All Might, no!” Yaomomo, Kyoka, Ochaco, and Mineta exclaimed.

“Please don’t do this!” I barely heard Melissa.

“Farwell, Symbol of Peace!” The villain used his power to impale the metal with metal rods.

“DAD, NO!” I screamed, trying to get to him only to be held back by Todoroki and Bakugo both. It felt like I’d lost all the fight in me as I clung to both of them. Dad was my only family left… He couldn't be gone… I heard something and saw a green bolt of light flash before I watched as Izuku punched the metal where my Dad was trapped. In a punch, the metal had fallen apart and Dad dropped to the ground along with Izuku. 

“That damn brat!” The villain growled before chunks of metal hit him. I looked for my Dad, my eyes searching desperately for any sign of him or Izuku.

“I see that look, give All Might more credit, idiot.” Bakugi’s voice was low, just like the Sports Festival when he snapped me out of my panic attack before it started. I looked at him. Before long, I watched as my Dad and Izuku stood up.

“Let’s go!” 

“Yes, sir!” Izuku replied to Dad and I watched as they took off running toward the villain.

“There's no way you can stop me… You're insignificant pests and you don’t know when to lie down and be crushed!” The villain got an onslaught of metal ready and sent it toward them. Bakugo let go of me and burst into the air, but even from where I was, I could tell he was in pain.

“You’re the one who doesn't know he’s beat!” Bakugo growled before he left off a giant explosion.

“I'll help him from here with my ice, Angel, can you still fight?” Todoroki asked. I nodded, getting up and bursting into the air to help Bakugo by cutting the metal heading toward Izuku and my Dad. I wasn’t going to lose him… Not today!

“I won’t let you stop them!” Todoroki yelled, blocking the metal Bakugo and I couldn't get to with his ice.

“This is over!” The villain was starting to get desperate and Dad was too fast for him now. I landed beside Todoroki as I watched the two men blast through metal to get to the villain, running together. The villain yelled in frustration.

“What’s happening?” Ochaco asked. I could see the metal being gathered into one giant hunk of junk. Dad and Izuku jumped into the air at the same time, rising beside each other as they prepared to punch with all their power.

“I’ll bring down this entire tower!” The villain yelled. But, with their power combined, the two hit the giant cube of metal, fighting to break through it. Before long, the villain broke his grip and the two men broke through, rocketing for the villain.

“DEKU!” Ochaco yelled.

“STOP HIM, ALL MIGHT!” Yaomomo and Kyoka shouted.

“GO, MIDORIYA!” Kirishima, Mineta and Iida cheered.

“DESTROY THIS GUY!” Bakugo, Todoroki and I exclaimed.

“Let’s go…” Izuku’s shirt was completely torn now.

“Beyond..” Dad posed with his hands on his hips and his chest puffed.

“PLUS ULTRA!” Both yelled at the same time as they flew right toward the villain. The villain tried to protect himself, but the force of the punch from Dad and Izuku was too strong, cutting right through and getting the villain right in the gut, dispersing all the metal he had taken and freeing Uncle Dave. 

“They did it…” Iida breathed.

“They stopped him!” Mineta was next to talk. “They beat up that villain and saved our lives!”

“YES!” I exclaimed, hugging both Todoroki and Bakugo without thinking as our classmates cheered for Izuku and my Dad. I even caught Bakugo smiling in relief once I let go, though it immediately turned into a scowl once he realized Todoroki and I were looking at him. I couldn't help but giggle.

“DEKU! MELISSA!” Ochaco called out to them.

“HOW'RE THE OTHERS?! EVERYONE OKAY?!” Iida asked, ever the mother hen.

“WE’RE FINE UP HERE!” Izuku replied. “ALL MIGHT AND THE PROFESSOR ARE OKAY TOO!” I couldn’t help but breathe in relief when I heard that. Dad was okay, and so was Uncle Dave.

“But what about the rest of you guys?!” Melissa was the next to worry.

“We're good!” Ochaco replied.

“Alive, anyway!” I shouted. I found out later that Uncle Dave had made the device for my Dad, to bring him back to his strength from back in his heyday. Uncle Dave recovered in the hospital for the rest of the time we were on I-Island, and Melissa kept true to her word to show the girls the sights on the Island. The last day we were there, we had a big barbecue with the whole class, and I got to show off the grilling skills I had with my Dad beside me. Melissa, ever the spy, even got a few good pictures of Bakugo, Todoroki and I. You might be wondering… Did she find out about my crush on the two? Regrettably, yes, and she teased me about them the whole time we were there! When it was time to go home, Melissa gave me a case to take with me.

“What is it, Mel?” I questioned her. 

“Papa and I finished the suit while he was in the hospital. It's yours to take home. Just promise me you won't open it until you're home.” She winked.

“I promise, I promise.” I swore to her before she hugged me.

“Thanks for coming. I’m gonna try to visit you guys next.” Melissa told me.

“Thanks for the invite as always, but you know that’d be impossible unless you guys moved off of I-Island, Melissa. But, I’ll be waiting.” I smiled, causing her to smile back before she said goodbye to Izuku and my Dad. Before long, we were on the plane home. I could only hope that whatever came next, that I could face it with my Dad and my friends beside me…

If only I’d known just how bad that wish would come back to bite me in the ass…

(And with that, we're officially done with two season plus the first movie! To be completely honest, I wasn't expecting it to be or take this long to write lol, but thanks for sticking around with me during this and welcome to the newbies that have added this story into their libraries. Keep sticking around, we're in for high adrenaline in the next chapter, that I promise! -Ziri)  

Taglist- @qweenexplosionmurder13 @iheartbarbie

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[z-iridest]

My Hero Academia- I Am Phoenix

Chapter 20- Old Friends and New Demons (Part 1):

The morning after the attack from Shigaraki, Izuku and I headed to school together, talking as we walked. It was mostly just us trying to keep the other's thoughts off what had happened the previous day, but as we arrived, I noticed Todoroki pacing outside the gates. Izuku and I exchanged looks before we approached. "Todoroki?" I called out to him cautiously, making him quit pacing and look up. He looked pale, like he was worried and it didn’t change as he came up to us, grasping my hands tightly.

"I heard what happened, are you guys okay?" He asked, shifting his gaze between the two of us, checking us over for injuries. Wait, he was worried about us? Awww, he's so sweet! I thought. I nodded, gently squeezing his hands in reassurance.

"Yeah, we're okay, Todoroki." Izuku answered. A look of relief came over his face, and the color returned.

"That's good... I'm sorry I wasn't there to help." Todoroki replied. I shook my head.

"I'm just glad no one else was hurt or threatened." I told him. He nodded, but I noticed he seemed on edge anytime anyone not from our class got near me and even Bakugo seemed snippier than usual, though weirdly enough, he didn't blow up at me... Unfortunately for me, the behavior of both boys didn't get past any of the girls. 

After a relatively calm day despite both Bakugo and Todoroki being overprotective, and a weird special lesson the next day before summer break officially began (don't ask), Dad and I invited Izuku to go to I-Island with us. Of course, he was ecstatic, and in a matter of hours, we were on a plane and on the way. As Dad slept and Izuku read up about I-Island and was locked in a mumble tangent, my mind wandered to the first time I met Melissa Shield. It was a few months after I'd lost my Mom. Dad had taken me with him to I-Island so I could meet my Uncle Dave...

I sniffled as I walked next to my Dad, holding his hand as we exited the airport building. "Aw, Hino, it's okay." Dad told me as he scooped me up in his arms. I hugged him tight, burying my face into his chest and not saying anything. I could feel people gawking and hear them aweing over us, and looking back on it now, I realize I must have looked really small in my Dad's massive arms. Besides that, Mom and Dad had kept me away from the public eye as much as possible. I-Island was pretty much the only place that knew that I was All Might's daughter outside of the people who had to know back home. After a bit of walking, we reached my Uncle Dave's house and Dad set me down. "I AM HERE!" Dad announced.

"Uncle Might!" I hid once I caught sight of the bigger kid running toward my Dad. He lifted her up with ease, the girl giggling as she was lifted into the air. Peeking out from behind my Dad, I saw that her eyes were aqua blue, hidden behind a pair of pink, oval glasses, and her hair was blonde and wavy, falling to her shoulders in length.

"Hello, Melissa, you've grown so much!" Dad greeted her as her giggles continued. I peeked out from behind my Dad's legs, trying to get a better look at her.

"Is this her, All Might?" I hid again as a man shorter than my Dad knelt to my height. I felt Dad put a hand on my head. 

"Dave, this is my daughter, Hinotori. Hino, sweetheart, allow me to introduce you to someone incredible. This man is David Shield." When I peeked back out, I saw him smile softly. His hair was light brown, short and messy with two prominent tufts for bangs, and he had a short goatee. He wore wide brimmed, square glasses which hid the same aqua blue eyes as the girl. 

"It's nice to meet you, sweetheart. Your Dad's told me a lot about you." He greeted me. I waved, hiding behind my Dad still.

"Hi! I'm Melissa! What's your name?" Melissa suddenly popped up in front of me, making me stumble back and hide again, but this time my wings popped out of my back, hiding me in a feathery cocoon. "Aw, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. But your wings are so cool!" I peeked out from behind my wings.

"I can make fire too." I told her. Her face lit up.

"Your quirk is just like a Phoenix! That's really cool!" She excitedly hopped up and down. I beamed at her and she started spouting ideas for support items I could use in the future. I didn't know it then, but from that day on, I was practically her little sister…

"All Might... Hey, All Might, are you asleep?" Dad and I both woke up to Izuku calling him. Dad rubbed his eyes.

"Somethin' the matter, Young Midoriya?" He asked as he turned to my green haired friend. 

"Look, we can see it! Right there!" Izuku pressed his cheek up against the glass of the window next to him, like a little kid excited for Christmas. "The floating city that can move anywhere! Home to over ten thousand scientists! I-Island! I can't believe this is where I get to start summer vacation, it's so amazing." I giggled.

"I didn't realize that you'd be this excited. I'm glad we invited you." Dad told him as he sat back down with a smile. 

"You should have known considering he gets excited over everything hero related." I teased Dad slightly, making him chuckle.

"Yeah, you sure it's okay that I came along with you guys? It's not gonna be a problem?" He asked

"Don't even think twice about it, Izu. The invitations are clear, we can bring anyone we want as our guest." I pointed out. I’ll be honest, I kinda felt bad that I hadn't invited Mina or Ochaco, but considering Izuku coming along as Dad's guest would blow the cover of One For All? It wasn’t the best idea…

"Yeah, but doesn't that usually mean a family member or..." Izuku started to counter, but Dad put up a finger.

"I think you're forgetting that you and I are connected by something far thicker than blood, Young Midoriya. We will forever share the bond of One For All." Dad reminded him. 

"Exactly, and don't think you're getting rid of me easily, either, you're practically like a brother to me at this point." I winked. He smiled at us, nodding before there was a chime.

"Attention, passengers, the plane will soon begin its descent to I-Island." The captain announced over the intercom. Dad looked around, making sure no one else was around before shifting into his muscle form with a sigh.

"This is gonna be monumentally exhausting. Once we've landed and go out in public, I must maintain my muscle form constantly. Now, it's about time for the both of you to change as well. You two did ask UA if you could bring your hero costumes along with you, right?" 

"Yes!" Izuku exclaimed. 

"Sure did." I answered at the same time. We both got changed, and once we landed, we stepped into the familiar airport.

"We will now begin the immigration process." The computer announced as the conveyor belt we were on started moving us forward and the door opened for us.

"Now, let's test your trivia, young man. Why was this artificial island created?" Dad asked. I kept my mouth shut since I already knew, though I figured Izuku would know this if nothing else.

"I know this!" Told you. "It was built so the world's brightest minds could gather together to research Quirks and develop new hero support items! They made the Island movable in order to protect the scientists and their top secret research from villains. It's got a security system on par with the one at Tartarus Prison, so basically, no one has ever committed a crime here." As Izuku went on another ramble tangent, Dad spoke.

"Way too many details, but I should've expected that!" He exclaimed as he gave a thumbs up to my friend.

"The immigration inspection is complete. The island is currently holding the pre-opening of I-Expo, an event that showcases research and development projects our teams have been working on. Only those with invitations may attend the preview." The computer announced as I hurried outside, tipping my head back and taking in a deep breath. As I let it out, I extended my arms out. 

"It feels so good to be back!" I let out. I'm telling you, if you ever have the chance to go to I-Island, take it. It's a beautiful place, taking after a mix of different cities all in one. I-Expo is definitely the best time to go, mostly because there's a lot of fun things to do that open up around this time of year. Izuku was starry eyed as he looked around in amazement. 

"I can't believe so many people are here before the Expo is officially opened to the public." Dad commented.

"Yeah, it does seem like a bigger turnout than past years..." I trailed off as I looked around. 

"No way! The pictures of this place don't do it justice!" Izuku exclaimed. I nodded in agreement.

"Unlike back home in Japan, people are allowed to use their Quirks however they wish on this island. The pavilions are jam packed with attractions and demonstrations. We should make some time for them later." I told him.

"We definitely should!" Izuku beamed, causing me to smile back.

"Now, let's see, the hotel should be nearby..." Dad mused as he looked at his phone.

"Welcome to I-Expo." One of the greeters approached us. She gasped when she saw Dad. Oh no… "Is that you, All Might?!" Her shout turned the attention of everybody and that was about when all hell broke loose. I quickly jumped into the air, grabbing Izuku as I soared right over the crowd of people pushing to get to Dad, most people looking for either an autograph or interview with him. I should have known this would happen... Then again, I was grateful Melissa and I had planned this in secret. If word has gotten out about Dad being here any sooner, we would have been swarmed in the airport. A couple hours later, the crowds finally dispersed, leaving Dad covered in kiss marks and me tired as hell from being in the air holding Izuku that long.

"Oh wow, I didn't think I'd get stopped for so long! I'm afraid at this point, we're in terrible danger of being late." Dad said as he wiped this kiss marks off his face. I grimaced, the worry that we’d be too late to surprise Uncle Dave replacing the exhaustion I’d felt a minute ago. Hopefully we could still surprise him…

"Late to what?" Izuku asked, looking about as confused as he sounded. 

"Ah, I wanted to drop in on a dear old pal of mine who I haven't seen in quite a while." Dad told him.

"Sorry to spring it on you, Izuku, but would you mind coming along?" I asked, Dad nodding his agreement.

"You mean I'd get to meet one of your friends? Obviously, of course I'll go!" Izuku was starry eyed again.

"Hey, by the way, he doesn't know about One For All or how Dad's passed the power onto you." I warned him in a low voice.

"That being said, make sure to keep everything under wraps, okay?" Dad asked him.

"Whoa, not even your close friend knows?" Izuku questioned.

"Only because danger tends to follow anyone who knows the truth about my power." Dad answered, putting a finger up to his lips.

"Oh, yeah, I see. For their safety, of course..." Izuku trailed off, glancing down in thought. While he was lost in thought, I looked around for Melissa. After a minute, I spotted her blond hair floating upwards as she bounced.

"Hey, Melissa!" I waved my arms over my head, causing her to continue bouncing our way. Dad gave a chuckle when he noticed her.

"There you are, Uncle! Finally!" She exclaimed as she bounced one more time, landing in my Dad's arms. "Welcome, Uncle Might!" She welcomed him warmly as she hugged him, my Dad spinning her a bit as he laughed.

"It's so good to see you, Melissa!" He told her.

"Oh my gosh, it's been forever! I can't believe you're actually here." Melissa told him.

"I'm truly grateful for the invitation. I almost didn't recognize you, when did you go and get so grown up?" Dad asked.

"Well, I am 17 now, you know... Much heavier than the last time you saw me." She answered.

"Are you? No!" He lifted her up a couple times, making them laugh before he set her down and she gave me a hug.

"I'm glad to see you two are looking well, then again, you guys always are. Sorry I'm late, I was at the Academy finishing up some work." 

"It's quite alright." Dad chuckled.

"Speaking of, where's Uncle Dave hiding out?" I asked.

"Oh, he's in his lab. He had a breakthrough on some research he's been focusing on for years. Actually, he has no idea you're even here, this is just a little surprise to celebrate his work." She winked and put a finger to her lips.

"So, that's what this is about." He shot a look at me, making me shrug a bit and look away from my Dad. "Gimme the scoop then. What's he cooking up this time?"

"He said it's confidential. He won't even tell me what he's been doing." Melissa replied. As they continued to talk, I noticed my friend getting antsy. Snickering, I spoke up.

"Hey, Melissa, I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine from school. This is the kid I've been telling you about in my emails." I told her.

"Oh right! Young Midoriya, this is my friend Dave's daughter." Dad added.

"It's really nice to meet you, I'm Melissa Shield." Melissa introduced herself as she held out her hand.

"This makes more sense now..." I heard him mumble under his breath. I snorted. He must have thought Melissa was Dad's friend and was trying to figure out the timeline... 

"Huh?" Melissa questioned in confusion.

"Ah, nothing!" Izuku took off his glove and shook her hand. "Hi, it's really nice to meet you. I'm a first-year student at UA high school. Izuku Midoriya."

"Oh, so that's how you know Uncle Might." Melissa smiled. Izuku nodded.

"Mmhmm. I'm his student." He told her.

"He'll be a great pro one day." Dad praised Izuku.

"I can't believe I'm meeting someone Uncle Might teaches... You must have a promising future." Melissa went star eyed, Izuku turning red in embarrassment.

"Well, I hope so, but I have a lot to learn, tons of training." He responded. I turned my head to hide my laugh as Melissa started inspecting his costume.

"So, what kind of Quirk do you have?" She asked.

"It's a power type!" Izuku answered, sounding panicked while Melissa was in inventor mode as she circled him. 

"The costume's cool, although it's a pretty simplistic design. Huh... I don't see any support items either..." She trailed off. Izuku was red in the face while I was trying to hold back my laughter. This was the Melissa I knew: Sweet and geeky who could be greeting you one moment and then be analyzing a hero's gear the next. She looked worried though as she saw the scars on Izuku's hands. "It looks like you should think about upgrading your gear a bit..." Her fingers traced his scars, my old friend getting lost in her thoughts, before she turned to look at me. “And yours is damaged too… Hino, what am I gonna do with you?” She asked me. To be honest, in my excitement to be here, I forgot all about the fact that Wendigo had torn three slashes in my costume. I’m still kinda surprised she didn’t notice my scars, but she did seem lost in thought as she continued musing over Izuku’s… Dad cleared his throat.

"Melissa? Shall we?" He asked as a giggle left me.

"Oh! Sorry, I got distracted." Melissa apologized as she straightened. "If we hurry, we can surprise Papa in his lab. This way, Uncle Might, it's right over here!" I followed Melissa, leading the way with her. "So, any guys I should know about?" Melissa asked me as we walked together. I felt my face heat up, immediately Bakugo and Todoroki protecting me during the Sports Festival popped to mind.

"After the last one?" I asked.

"You never know. Besides, you talked so much about Midoriya, I figured you had a crush on him." 

"No, he's more like a brother..."

"Ah, but you do have a crush."

"Shut up." I replied, making her laugh and wrap her arm around me. Uncle Dave's lab was in a big building, and it was practically muscle memory as I walked with Melissa to the lab. I could hear Uncle Dave and his assistant talking as we got closer, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang when I heard Uncle Dave’s voice. I sure missed him…

"Why don't you get out of the lab and go have lunch today with Melissa?"

"She's busy today at the Academy." My Uncle replied.

"Oh? I thought they were on break for I-Expo?" His assistant asked. 

"Yes, she's doing independent research." Uncle Dave answered.

"Well, you know me, I am my father's daughter." Melissa chimed in as we peeked in the door.

"Yeah," I chuckled. "For better and for worse." I shot a pointed look at my friend, making her playfully shove me as we giggled.

"Melissa, hey. And Hino, I haven't seen you in a while." Uncle Dave greeted us as we entered the room.

"Yeah, definitely has been." I hugged my Uncle as soon as I was close enough. He hugged me back.

"My God, you remind me so much of your mother. You’re turning out to look just like her." Uncle Dave told me.

"You only say that every year." I teased him, chuckling as his assistant greeted us next.

"Hello, girls, it's good to see you." Sam, Uncle Dave's assistant, was a chubby man with dark blond hair, normally wearing a dusty pink button up with a gray tie, brown suspenders and gray pants.

"Aww, right back at ya, Sam." Melissa replied. "Thanks for always taking care of Papa..."

"Since he does nothing but work here constantly." I finished, shooting a teasing glance at my Uncle.

"Aww, come on, you two, I'm not that bad." Uncle Dave insisted while Sam chuckled. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Oh, you'll see." I smiled at Melissa, who smiled back.

"Since you've completed the first stage of your research, I invited someone here to celebrate with us." Melissa told him.

"Who would that be?" Uncle Dave asked.

"Someone you dearly love..." I answered as Melissa nodded her head to the door, the look that crossed my Uncle's face being priceless.

"YES, I AM HERE! SHAKING WITH EMOTION FOR OUR HEARTFELT REUNION!" My Dad announced as he popped into the doorway.

"Toshi- All Might!" Uncle Dave exclaimed.

"Is it really you?" Sam asked, just as much in shock as Uncle Dave. Dad laughed, going to Uncle Dave and giving him a big hug.

"I came all this way just to see you, Dave, old buddy." He spun him around a bit before setting him down.

"Well, Papa, are you totally surprised?" Melissa asked.

"Uh... Yeah." Uncle Dave said as the look of shock was replaced with a smile. "Completely astounded."

"We both have our daughters to thank for that." Dad told him as Uncle Dave got up again. "Man, how long has it been?"

"Oh, come on, don't make me say it, I already feel old enough, ya jerk." Uncle Dave told him before they exchanged a laugh.

"You do have a point." He then smiled. "Glad to see you again, my friend."

"Agreed, I've missed you too." Uncle Dave replied. Dad chuckled as they fist bumped before Dad turned to Izuku, who looked like he was about to rocket launch into fanboy mode.

"Young Midoriya, allow me to introduce you to someone incredible: David Shield." 

"I know him! Professor David Shield! A top scientist in the research world who received a Nobel Quirk Prize! He was All Might's partner when he lived in America, and he's a genius when it comes to costumes! All Might's Young Age, Bronze Age, the Silver Age and of course, the Golden Age!" (Yes, Dad really had four costumes and went to Uncle Dave for each and every one) "He's the inventor who created each of those iconic looks! I never thought I'd get to meet him in real life!" Izuku got closer, star eyed just as much as he was when Dad told him he could be a hero. "I'm just so moved!" Melissa giggled while I shook my head. I should have known this would happen. 

"It seems I don't have to introduce myself." Uncle Dave was a good sport about it, giving a smile.

"Ah- Oh wow, I'm sorry." Izuku apologized.

"No, don't apologize." Uncle Dave waved it off. Dad coughed, the telltale sign that his time was about up. Uncle Dave and I caught it, but I was faster at speaking up.

"Hey, Melissa, if you have some time, why don't we show Izuku around the Expo? Since he's never been here before, maybe we can show him some of the attractions."

"That's a great idea, Hino, it would give your Dad and I some time to catch up since it's been such a long time." Uncle Dave piped up.

"Sounds like fun, I wanna show you something I've been working on anyways." Melissa told me. 

"You're not busy?"

"No, I'm honored to show off our hard work to a future hero. Right this way." Melissa told him.

"Thanks! This is so nice of you." Izuku told Melissa.

"Thank you, Hino." I heard Dad say. I gave him a wink over my shoulder before I left with Melissa and Izuku.

"So, what'd you want me to call you? By your real name? Or do you have a hero one already?" Melissa asked Izuku.

"Well, actually..." Izuku trailed off before nodding, seeming to decide something before looking at Melissa. "Why don't you call me Deku?"

"Deku? That's kind of a strange nickname... You can stick with Melissa for me." She replied.

"It's his hero name." I shrugged a bit.

"Speaking of which, did you pick yours already, Hino?" Melissa turned the question on me. I nodded.

"Yep, I just stuck with Phoenix. Not very creative, I know, but..."

"Oh yeah, that's the hero name you told me you workshopped with your mom, right?" She asked. I nodded, messing with the chain of my necklace. "I know you miss your mom, Hino, and I think she'd be proud of the work you've done so far." She told me. I smiled softly back.

"Thanks, Melissa." I told her as I felt Izuku place a hand on my shoulder. We exchanged smiles before we got outside.

"Holy whoa, this place is amazing! I can't believe the entire island is man-made. It's nuts!"

"And there's normal city stuff, about everything you could need." I brought up, having heard this speech from Melissa a few years ago.

"The only downside is that we can't travel." Melissa told him.

"Really? Why not?" Izuku asked.

"The scientists and their families have to keep their work top secret. That ensures there aren't any leaks." Melissa told him. Just then, Izuku got star eyed again.

"It's the Monster Hero, Godzillo!" Izuku exclaimed in excitement as the towering hero passed by, holding up a peace sign for the crowd.

"Wow, I've only ever seen him on TV!"

"His Quirk is so insane!" A couple guys in the crowd were talking behind us, watching him.

"Nice. I bet his sponsor flew him out here for the expo." I spoke.

"They invite heroes to show off new gear and sign autographs. Looks like the events are in full swing." Melissa finished.

"This place is incredible!" Izuku gaped.

"A lot of the heroes are gonna be at the big party tonight." I told him.

"But, I'm sure you already knew about that, huh? Since you came all this way with Uncle Might and Hino." Melissa added.

"Technically, he only told him to pack formal clothes..." I mumbled as I rubbed the back of my neck, remembering how impromptu invitation even went down in the first place. 

"Oh, look over here!" Melissa pointed out a building in front of us, not having heard me. "You definitely have to check this place out!" Once we were inside, both Izuku and I were gaping.

"I've never seen so many new hero items in one place!" Izuku squeaked.

"They really stepped up the game this year, didn't they?" I asked.

"Guys, look at this one! This multipurpose Beagle can fly like a jet, of course, but it can also maneuver underwater!" Melissa sounded like a little kid in a toy shop.

"So cool!" Izuku caught her excitement instantly.

"You can wear this diving suit and drop up to 7,000 meters in the ocean."

"So deep!"

"This helmet is equipped with 36 different sensors, so you can see all the way around your body."

"That's so much!" Izuku exclaimed.

"All right, Melissa, take a breather for a second, we don't wanna overwhelm the poor guy." I chuckled. She softly sighed.

"You know, almost everything here was created using different inventions that Papa patented." Melissa told us.

"He's always been a hard worker." I commented, looking at the items around us.

"I bet you're proud of him." Izuku smiled.

"These support items will help heroes around the world. Who knows how many people will be affected because of his hard work." Melissa replied.

"I think it's great that your Dad is someone you can look up to like this." Izuku told her.

"That's because it's my dream to become a scientist just like him." Melissa responded.

"Oh yeah? So, does that mean you're training at the school here on the island?" He asked. She nodded.

"Mmhmm, I'm a third year." She answered.

"The I-Island Academy is where everyone who dreams of becoming a scientist wants to go. You must be a real genius!"

"Oh no, I still have a lot to learn. Honestly, I should be studying much more." Melissa told him.

"I feel the same." Izuku looked at his hand with a smile. "If I'm gonna be a hero like All Might," He made a fist as he talked, "I've got to train even harder." Melissa smiled softly.

"Uncle Might really holds a special place in your heart, doesn't he, Deku?" Melissa asked.

"That's an understatement." I smiled.

"I still can't get over the way he was geeking out earlier." Melissa told me.

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that. I'm kind of a fanboy..."

"Kind of?" I echoed, looking at my green haired friend as Melissa laughed.

"It looks like you're having fun, Deku." All three of us turned at the voice.

"Uraraka? What're you doing here?" Izuku asked.

"It looks like you're having fun." She replied.

"You already said that, Ochaco." I told her before we heard Yaomomo clear her throat.

"Yaoyorozu?"

"You appear to be having a good time." She replied.

"Midoriya, I heard everything." Jirou brought our attention to her next.

"Jirou's Earphone Jack, the ultimate spy tech!" Izuku realized, and I suddenly wondered how much they heard...

"Are these your friends?" Melissa asked us.

"Yeah, these are our classmates." I told her.

"And we didn't tell them we'd be here." Izuku added.

"Girls, I'd like you to meet Melissa Shield, she's an old friend of mine. I was invited to I-Expo through her and brought Midoriya along as my guest. Melissa, these are three of the girls I've been telling you about: Ochaco Uraraka, Kyoka Jirou and Momo Yaoyorozu." I introduced.

"She was just showing us around the Expo a little bit." Izuku piped up.

"Nice to meet you, my Dad and Hino's Dad are really good friends." Melissa told them.

"Nice to meet you too." The girls echoed back.

"Wait, Yagi, I thought you won the tickets in the Sports Festival, you won first place after all." Yaomomo told me.

"Yeah, I did, but since I already had the invite from Melissa, I gave it to Bakugo for not holding back on me during the finals." I replied with a small shrug, getting looks from the girls. "What?" 

"How about we all grab some tea at the cafe?" Melissa offered after a few seconds of silence. Once we were there and had ordered our drinks, I let the girls tell Melissa about the internships they did. Once they finished, Melissa spoke.

"Wow! You really got to work with pro heroes? Like, out in the field?" She asked.

"Just normal training and a few patrols." Ochaco tried to brush off the work she helped with. 

"I helped out with a hostage crisis, but only the evacuation part." Jirou piped up.

"That's still amazing, though." Melissa told them before Yaomomo looked downcast.

"Somehow, I ended up in a TV commercial for hair products." She recalled.

"Sounds like an experience... Lucky." Melissa replied, making Yaomomo smile a bit.

"Though, nothing we went through was as intense as what Hino went through at hers." Jirou pointed out.

"Yeah, I still can't get over that you came face to face with the Hero Killer, Hino." Ochaco told me, which made me grimace as Melissa's head spun to look at me. While I had told her about the training part of my internship, I hadn't told her about the run in with Stain... Or Wendigo, for that matter.

"Wait, what?" She asked, looking worried already.

"Melissa, nothing happened, really. A couple classmates and I got attacked, but none of us had serious injuries." I told her, leaving out the encounter with Wendigo and the scar he caused.

"That's not what I heard..." Ochaco started, but at that point, we got our drinks.

"Thanks for waiting." My head shot up at the voice.

"I know that voice!" Izuku looked up at the same time.

"Hey, Kaminari." I greeted with a wave.

"Wait, is that Mineta?" Ochaco sounded a bit disgusted as Mineta winked.

"What're you two doing here?" Jirou asked. 

"They needed extra wait staff, and since it meant a free trip to the island, we applied to work, right?" Kaminari turned to the short stacked pervert of our class.

"We get to explore the expo on our breaks and we make some money. Plus, there's a chance that we'll have some passionate encounters with some of the cute- Oh my god, I think I'm in love!" Mienta cut himself off when he saw Melissa. Oh, hell no! I thought, already annoyed with the pervert. While the boys pestered Izuku about her, Melissa turned to us.

"Are they also your classmates?" Melissa asked.

"Unfortunately." I mumbled as they rushed back over.

"That's right." Kaminari told her.

"We're basically pros." Mineta added, making me roll my eyes.

"WHY ARE YOU TWO SLACKING OFF?! YOU WANTED TO MAKE MORE MONEY, DIDN'T YOU?! BUT YOU’RE NOT WILLING TO WORK HARD?!" Iida zoomed onto the scene, scolding the two boys.

"Wait, Iida?!" Izuku exclaimed.

"You're here too?" Ochaco finished Izuku's question.

"I come from a long line of heroes. It's to be expected that we received an invitation to the Expo. But, my family was busy, so it's just me." Iida replied.

"I was wondering if you'd be here..." I trailed off.

"I received an invitation because my father's a shareholder in some of the expo's sponsor companies. It's so fun to get to go to the preview."

"Yeah, and she had a few extra plus ones, so we basically gambled for 'em." Jirou told us. In a nutshell from what she said, they played a big game of rock paper scissors where Jirou and Ochaco won.

"The other girls are here, they just can't attend the preview." Ochaco finished, nodding in agreement.

"Oh, are they really?" Izuku asked.

"Uh huh, we're all planning to look around together once the Expo opens up to the public tomorrow." Yaomomo revealed.

"Here's a thought, why don't Hino and I show you girls the sights?" Melissa suggested.

"You sure you have time?" Ochaco asked, looking at her.

"Mmhmm." Melissa nodded.

"That's awesome!" The girls exclaimed at the same time.

"Please take us with you!" Kaminari and Mineta begged.

"You'll be working, idiots." I reminded them before an explosion went off from a few blocks away.

"Whoa, what was that noise?" Izuku asked.

"Oh yeah, the villain attraction! Come on, let's go!" I told the others, racing off to the villain attraction.

"Hino, wait up!" Melissa called after me. When I got there, I saw the course's faux villains had been destroyed, and when the smoke from the top of the course cleared out, I saw a head of familiar red hair.

"A clearance time of 33 seconds! He's in eighth place!" The commentator announced.

"Way to go, Kirishima!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

"So, I'm guessing he's from UA as well?" Melissa asked as she approached.

"Yeah, he's from our class." I answered. 

"Please welcome our next challenger!" Izuku jumped back a bit when he saw who was next.

"Kacchan?!" He squeaked. Of course, he would be here. Though, it's nice to see he actually used the tickets I gave him...

"The villain attack course has been reset!" The commentator announced as he walked up. "Ready..." Bakugo took up a ready stance and blasted forward as soon as the announcer started it. I watched as he sped around the villain course, taking out the faux villains one after another. Altogether, he got a 15 second time that put him in first place.

"Amateur." I scoffed under my breath, but that was about when he noticed Izuku. He blasted toward us, making my friend yelp as Bakugo slammed into the railing in front of him.

"Damn it! What're you doing here, Deku?!" Bakugo roared. 

"Uh, hey there, Kacchan, maybe calm down a litt-"

"Don't you dare tell me what to do!" Bakugo yelled.

"Bakugo, behave yourself!" Iida got between the two.

"He doesn't know the definition." I mumbled, rolling my eyes.

"Why is that boy so angry?" Melissa asked.

"That's just who he is." Jirou answered her.

"He and Deku are fated rivals." Ochaco added.

"So, Kirishima, you two got asked to I-Expo as well?" Yaomomo asked.

"Nah, Bakugo got the invite from the Sports Festival, I just tagged along with 'em. You guys gonna do this villain course or what?" Kirishima asked.

"Don't even try it. There's no way you'll get a better score than I did." Bakugo snarled.

"Yeah, you're probably right, yep." Izuku replied.

"Huh, I don't know, only one way to find out, I guess." Ochaco continued.

"Yeah, you're probably right...Huh?!" Izuku sounded confused after agreeing with Ochaco as well.

"I am, I wanna see if I can beat my record." I parkoured over the railing using my wings to give me a softer landing before walking to the familiar starting point. "Watch and learn, Pop Rocks!" I shouted to Bakugo.

"Don't tell me what to do, idiot!" He yelled back. I extended my wings and got into a ready position. Once the MC gave the word, I took off, taking down the faux villains in one hit and flying around the course as fast as I could. It was an obstacle course I hadn't run in a year, but the muscle memory of it all came back the instant I'd taken off. 

"This young lady has jumped to the top of the pack! Only 12 seconds!" The commentator exclaimed excitedly. I backflipped back to the starting point.

"You can't just show up out of nowhere and show me up, Flame Hair!" Bakugo shouted as I dusted my hands off.

"I just did, Dynamite stick!" I shouted back, popping my hip and crossing my arms over my chest. He growled before turning to Izuku.

"Just hurry and get your pathetic attempt over with you damn nerd, then you get out of here!" Bakugo yelled, shoving Iida aside to get to Izuku. I watched as the commentator went through the announcement again about a new challenger as I used my wings to jump back into the stands and watched as the MC got him started. Once Izuku took off, he was a green blur for the rest of the time, ending up in third place at 16 seconds. Bakugo looked shocked, just as shocked as Melissa, who then looked lost in thought. 

"Wow!" Ochaco squeaked, grinning from ear to ear as Izuku rejoined us.

"That was a great showing, Midoriya." Iida complimented.

"I didn't think I'd be able to get so close to Kacchan's time." Izuku replied.

"WHAT?! No way, I'll go again and blast both your scores to ash!" I rolled my eyes at Bakugo's outburst. But, our attention turned to the center of the stadium again as the announcer squealed.

"This is insane! 14 seconds! This gentleman has jumped to second place!" In the starting point was Todoroki, standing up from using his ice.

"I was wondering if we'd see Todoroki here." I smiled, leaning against the railing. 

"Another one from UA?" Melissa asked.

"Yep!" Yaomomo answered this time.

"Your class is amazing!" Melissa told her. "You're gonna be such great heroes."

"Oh, please, you're too kind." Yaomomo replied as the other two looked sheepish. An explosion went off though, Bakugo shooting back to the starting point of the course.

"OUT OF MY WAY, ICY-HOT BASTARD!" Bakugo exclaimed.

"CAN YOU STOP BEING AN IDIOT FOR FIVE MINUTES?!" I yelled at him as I followed.

"Bakugo." Todoroki acknowledged the explosive blond as we both landed.

"You think you can just appear out of nowhere and show me up?!" Bakugo kept yelling.

"And I see the others are here too." Todoroki saw everyone else in the stands. I nodded.

"Yep, everyone from our class is here, the ones in the stands are the ones that have clearance to the preview though." I told him. He turned his head to see me and I could have sworn I saw a small smile on his face.

"It's good to see you, Yagi." He told me.

"You too." I smiled back.

"Don't ignore me!" Bakugo interrupted. "What're you even doing on the island anyway?!" 

"My father was invited, so I'm representing him." Todoroki stated as he stood by me. 

"Um, the next person is waiting...."

"Shut up! I'm doing it again!" Bakugo snapped at her.

"Bakugo, quit it already!" I snapped back.

"Everyone, please stop! You're gonna make the world think UA's full of degenerates!" Iida didn't help matters and even Izuku and Kirishima jumped in to help pull Bakugo away before he destroyed something other than the faux villains. I rolled my eyes as I let Kirishima handle things on Bakugo's end. He was the only person who could make Bakugo calm down and not get screamed at... Bakugo might be slightly softer than he was at the start of the year, or even when I first met him, but he was in no way, shape or form less aggressive. A bit later, Ochaco used her Quirk on Melissa while I flew up next to her, making sure Melissa didn't go too far up. Melissa was giggling, having fun with my friends and honestly, it felt good. I’d hoped she’d get along with everyone just fine... She smiled when she saw me. 

"Your friends are amazing, Hino. It looks like you guys have a lot of fun." She stated.

"Well, it's never boring, I'll say that much." I smiled down at my friends. Were they chaotic at times? Well... Yeah, that much was certain, but... It kinda grows on you, ya know? 

A few hours later, and after Kirishima dragged Bakugo somewhere else, we were headed back to the café to see how Kaminari and Mineta were handling their jobs. We found them in front of the doors, slumped over and looking absolutely exhausted. "Hey, Mineta! Kaminari!" Izuku called out to them, making them look up. "How did your shift go?" He asked.

"You should be proud of the work you've done today." Iida told them before handing them something. Mineta looked confused.

"What're these things?" He asked.

"Invitations to the big Expo reception later tonight." Yaomomo answered.

"There's a party?" Mineta questioned.

"These are for us?" Kaminari added.

"Melissa took pity on you two for some reason." I informed them, Jirou nodding in agreement. 

"She figured you could use a break." Ochaco continued.

"I had a few extras... Please, I'd love for you to have them.” The boys teared up.

"Kaminari..."

"Mineta..." They hugged each other before wailing at the same time.

"A beautiful angel has rewarded us for all our hard work!" I rolled my eyes. They could be dramatic, those two... 

"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 formal clothes and go as a group. Everybody meet in lobby seven of the central tower at 6:30pm sharp. Don't you dare be late." Iida, it's already 6, how the hell do you expect 5 girls to be ready and presentable in 30 minutes? I thought. "I'll contact Todoroki and Bakugo and share this information. Thank you, you're dismissed!" Iida then sped off, making me shake my head.

"There he goes, always at full throttle." Izuku gave a thumbs up while I crossed my arms over my chest, the two of us saying the same thing.

"Meet you guys in a bit!" Ochaco told us as she walked off toward the hotel.

"Bye!" Izuku replied before starting to walk off.

"Hey, Deku, Hino? Can I show you guys something before you get ready for tonight?" Melissa asked.

"Oh yeah, you said you wanted to show me something earlier." I recalled. Melissa nodded, and after Izuku gave the ok, she led the way to her lab. 

"You should let your hair down for the reception." Melissa told me. "I'm curious to see how long it is now." I scoffed.

"Sure, if you put yours in a ponytail." I sarcastically answered.

"Deal." She beamed. The smile on my face instantly fell. While I take pride in my appearance, I'm not really one to get dolled up unless I absolutely have no other choice, and leaving my hair down is not something I do unless I'm going to bed. 

"Oh no... No, no, no."

"Hino, come on, please?" Melissa begged. That was when she gave me the puppy dog eyes. Ever since we were little, she used that look to get me to do what she wanted. Honestly, and people are supposed to believe she's older.... I rolled my eyes.

"Fine..." I reluctantly gave in. "You know I hate it when you use that face on me." Melissa only laughed in reply. As we entered the Academy, Melissa turned to Izuku. 

"This is the I-Academy campus, where I spend most of my time, and to the left here is my own personal research laboratory." Melissa told him before opening the door. "I'm sorry it's such a mess."

"Wow... It looks so professional. I can't believe you get to study in a place like this." He then noticed the trophies on her shelf. "Whoa, so many trophies... You must be really talented."

"Well, actually... Not long ago I was getting really terrible grades." Melissa told him.

"Last summer for example." I raised an eyebrow, making her grimace a bit. When Izuku looked confused, I explained. "Normally, I come here every summer, but last year, Melissa and Uncle Dave agreed it was better to wait until her grades were back in shape before I came back here again. That and you and I were training together." I returned my glance to my friend. "I still think you were burnt out from working too hard your first year and didn't get enough rest between then and last year's start."

"Well, part of that's true... And I had to study really hard to get my grades back up." Melissa replied before going into one of the storage rooms. "After all, I gotta be a good student if I want to be a hero." 

"You mean like a pro?" Izuku asked.

"No, I gave up on that dream a while ago, I'm quirkless, y'know." Melissa answered. The look that crossed Izuku's face just then...

"You don't have a Quirk?" Izuku asked.

"Nope. After I turned five and still didn't have one, I got taken to the doctor. They said I was in the minority of the population that would never develop a power." Melissa explained. I could tell Izuku wanted to tell her that he'd been quirkless too before Dad gave him One For All, how hard he clung to that dream and how he almost lost his grip on it. But, he held back, remembering what Dad told him.

"Gosh, I'm sorry, that must have been hard..." Melissa was confused by Izuku's apology.

"What'd you mean?" She asked. Izuku realized what he said before looking down.

"Oh, I... It's just, to be told you don't have something that comes naturally to everyone else must be really painful." Izuku responded. Melissa smiled.

"Well, I was definitely in shock for a while... But, luckily, I had another big goal that was close to my heart." Melissa told him.

"What was that?" Izuku asked.

"To be like my father." She looked at the pictures that lined the bookshelves. There was a photo of Uncle Dave and his wife at their wedding with Mom and Dad behind them, one of the couple at the hospital when Melissa was born, one where Uncle Dave was holding her in a backdrop of autumn red and yellows... There was even one where Dad was holding her high in the air and a Halloween picture where Uncle Dave and Melissa were both vampires that year. "Papa didn't have a Quirk that would let him be a hero, but he supports Uncle Might and other heroes with the power of science. He's still fighting for peace, just indirectly."

"And you want to be someone who does that too." Izuku realized.

"Yep. That's how I'll make a real difference. Or, at least, I hope so." She set down the box she was carrying. "This is a support item I made a while ago after observing Uncle Might using his power."

"What is it?" Izuku asked, but got no answer from Melissa. She took the item out of the box before clipping it onto Izuku's wrist. "Try pressing the button here on the back." Melissa told him before taking a couple steps back. When Izuku did press the button, it pixelated, then extended into a full glove that covered from Izuku's elbow to halfway down his fingers.

"Whoa!" I cried, grinning from ear to ear at Melissa's handiwork.

"A glove?" Izuku questioned, looking at it.

"As far as names go, I was thinking Full Gauntlet." Melissa told him, making him look at her. She looked worried. "When we first met, I saw your scars. It looked as though you'd injured yourself. Then, at the villain attraction, I noticed you were limiting yourself on purpose. So I was thinking, maybe your Quirk is too strong, and therefore, your body can't handle its full power." Izuku looked shocked, but knowing Melissa, I knew she'd at least figure that much out. "I made the gauntlet strong. It could withstand Uncle Might's punches three times, so I think it'd be a perfect fit for you too. You should be able to use your full power if you have it on." She beamed again.

"For real? All of it?" Izuku looked at his hand.

"Please, take that with you."

"But, I can't. It's important to you."

"That's why I want you to use it. Just promise you'll be a true hero someday, and you'll never stop helping people in need." Melissa asked of him. Izuku nodded.

"Promise." He swore.

"Speaking of, your turn, Hino." Melissa opened the other box she had pulled out. My jaw dropped at what I saw inside.

"Are those what I think they are?" I asked as I looked at her. She nodded.

"Yeah, the fan idea you were telling me about. I finally finished it. The metal's a special type that’ll react to the heat of your flames." She told me. For context, a couple years ago, I was telling Melissa how it's hard to just straight up fight with weapons made out of flames on their own and had an idea for a metal base that would morph to whatever I needed. In its regular state, it would just look like a metal fan. I picked the two of them up. 

"The weight's perfect, though I should have already known that would be the case." I smiled at her, getting a smile back as I moved to the other side of the room to try them out.

"I've also been having Papa help me finish off a new suit for you, mostly for an updated look." Melissa informed me.

"Mel-"

"Uh-uh, you don't get to say no on this one, Hino, and don't think I didn't noticed that the suit you have on now is damaged. You haphazardly sewed that one together to buy time until you could contact the support company that made it. If you're gonna have a suit, might as well get one that you know is gonna hold up to the heat of your flames. The Support group only knows the temps that you set as your limit, but you and I have run tests on this before. Let me do this for you, Hino." Melissa interrupted before I could protest. Before I could say anything, though, Izuku's phone started ringing. 

"Yeah? Hello?" Izuku answered it.

"WHAT'RE YOU DOING, MIDORIYA?! IT'S WAY PAST WHEN YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!¨ Melissa and I could hear Iida’s shout at Midoriya, who went dead blank and if I was being honest, I felt the same way. I’d forgotten we were supposed to meet up with Iida and the others…

“We better get ready before Iida has a stroke or something...” I told them, both agreeing before we went our separate ways, Izuku and I going back to our hotel rooms and Melissa to her place. I opened the bag I had put my dress in. It was a simple red dress, backless in case my wings needed to be out, and it was a lightweight fabric that I was able to move around in. It was the type of dress that’s more form fitting at the top, but flares out closer to the hips while being floor length. I ran my hand over the smooth fabric. The color was a little faded due to it being a dress handed down to me from my Mom, but it was a beautiful dress. I got changed into it, being careful not to rip or ruin the dress. Once I was dressed, I changed into red heels that I knew I was going to absolutely regret wearing in the morning before brushing my hair out of its ponytail and sweeping it the right side of my head. I did what I could to style it the best I could before clipping the left side of my hair with a hairpin. I’m not gonna lie, I did contemplate using makeup to complete the look, but since I didn’t really have any, there was no point. All I honestly had in that department was lip gloss… I ended up just applying the lip gloss, grabbing my ticket and leaving for the central tower. 

“Wow, Hino.” I turned to see Jirou and Yaomomo behind me.

“You cleaned up really nice.” Yaomomo complimented. I felt my face turn red. 

“Really? I don’t have any makeup on…”

“Like you need it in the first place, you’re naturally beautiful.” Jirou told me.

“She’s right.” Yaomomo added, which only served to make me turn redder.

“Well, both of you look gorgeous too.” I complimented back, not really sure what else to say, but hey, it ended up making them both blush. I smiled before seeing Ochaco disappear into the central tower. My wings popped out of my back, remembering that Todoroki was inside, and honestly… Part of me hoped Bakugo would be there too. For all I knew, he fully planned to blow off the party, but still… When Jirou hid behind Yaomomo, I hid myself in my wings, peeking through my feathers to see.

“Apologies for the tardiness, Jirou’s feeling shy.” Yaomomo apologized as she entered the lobby with Jirou in tow.

“Jackpot! Yes!” Mineta and Kaminari pumped their arms like idiots, Izuku was smiling, Ochaco looked amazed, and much to my disappointment, Bakugo… and Kirishima were nowhere to be found. But Todoroki… His eyes were on me.

“This is fancier than anything I’ve ever worn before, it feels like a costume…” Jirou smiled a bit as she came out of hiding.

“I’m just glad you’re not in a t-shirt.” Kaminari replied.

“Even the jacket can’t ruin it.” Mineta added.

“Do you two have to be idiots?” I asked as Jirou shocked them with her Quirk.

“Shut up.” Jirou scolded.

“Why would you do that? It was a compliment…” Kaminari whined.

“No it wasn’t.” Jirou and I replied at the same time. That was about when I felt a hand on my wings. Not clutching them, just gently placed on them with the palm facing toward me.

“It’s just us, Hino, you don’t need to be shy.” Todoroki’s voice came to my ears, and by the looks of everybody else, no one had heard him. I hesitated for a second, but forced my wings to unfurl, hugging myself a bit as I felt everyone’s eyes on me. I noticed a few feathers floating from my wings as I kept them extended for a minute before tucking them away. When I looked up at Todoroki, I noticed that the small smile was back.

“Just as I thought, an angel hiding behind her wings.” Todoroki complimented. I felt my face heat up in a blush for the third time.

“You can’t say stuff like that out of nowhere…” I tried really hard to hide it.

“Why not?” He asked. He sounded curious, but before I could answer, everybody else spoke up.

“Wow…” Izuku trailed off.

“Hino, you look amazing.” Ochaco told me.

“Damn.” Kaminari mumbled.

“You actually look like a girl.” Mineta blurted out. I looked at him.

“I can and will still burn you in this thing, pipsqueak.” I threatened, making him hide behind Kaminari with a squeak. I rolled my eyes. The elevator door opened again, I heard the idiots exclaim in excitement as Melissa walked in, sighing in relief.

“Oh, good, I thought I was gonna miss you guys! Let’s get downstairs to the party.” As promised, Melissa had her hair up in a high ponytail, held back by a pink headband, gold earrings, a choker and a blue dress with a black ribbon around her waist with a white rose at her hip.

“The headliner has arrived!” Aaaand the stupidity continues with Mineta.

“Mineta, I can't take this much beauty, I think I might actually die!” Kaminari exclaimed. 

“These tickets were a mistake…” Jirou trailed off under her breath. I sighed, trying to keep my already annoyed state low. I felt Todoroki place his hand on the small of my back. I smiled up at him, seeing him smile softly back. I found out later that Melissa had snuck a picture of that moment between him and I.

“It’s no good.” Iida spoke up after a minute. “Neither of them are picking up their phones… Knowing those two, they’re probably just blowing off the party.”

“I can see why you'd say that with Bakugo, but Kirishima? I’m not so sure. It’s possible they got lost but left their phones in their room or something.” I pointed out. 

“You have a point, Yagi.” Iida sighed. I was about to say something when a buzzer went off.

“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 immediately. Anyone remaining on the street after ten minutes will be in violation of the law.” I turned as when huge metal shutters dropped over the windows and doors. “As a precautionary measure, most of the main island buildings will now be sealed off. I repeat, we have received a report…” The announcement cut off there suddenly.

“That’s not right, that’s not the normal protocol when a bomb’s discovered…” I looked at Melissa. “Unless they changed it within the year I haven’t been here.

“No, not at all.” Melissa told me.

“I’m not getting any signal. It looks like my service is completely blocked.” Todoroki said.

“Are you serious?” Mineta whimpered.

“The elevator’s not working either.” Jirou informed us.

“What the heck is going on here?!” Mineta asked.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this…” I trailed off.

“Yeah, it’s strange that the system would go on high alert.” Melissa added.

“Iida, let’s go to that party.” Izuku told our classmate.

“For what reason?” He asked.

“That’s where we can find my Dad right now.” I answered.

“Wait, All Might’s in there?” Ochaco questioned.

“Oh, thank goodness, we don’t have anything to worry about then.” Mineta breathed.

“So, Melissa, do you know of any way we can get down there without the elevator?” Izuku turned to her.

“Yeah, sure, we can use the emergency stairs.” Melissa responded.

“That’ll at least get us close.” I realized.

“We’ll follow your lead then.” Izuku told her before we all piled into the stairwell.

“Kyoka, you’ll come with me and Izuku to check on things at the party. At the very least, we’ll be able to figure out what the hell is going on here.” I told her. She nodded and followed Izuku, but just as I went to follow them, I felt a hand grab my arm. When I turned back around, Todoroki looked worried. 

“Be careful.” He told me. I smiled, hoping I could reassure him.

“I will, I promise.” I told him. When he let go, I followed the duo to the floor above the party. Once I was able to see inside the party, my stomach dropped. It was a hostage situation… The pro heroes attending the party were restrained and on the ground, the other party goers terrified half to death and being held by villains at gunpoint. And on the stage, tied up like everyone else and on the ground, was my Dad in his muscle form. “Dad…” I murmured, partly scared for him.

“It’ll be okay, Hino.” Izuku reassured me, though I didn’t quite believe him at that moment. I watched as Izuku got Dad’s attention. “Okay, he knows that we’re here. Jirou, is your jack in place?”

“Yeah, ready.” Jirou confirmed.

“You can talk to us, we’re listening.” Izuku whispered as he signaled to my Dad. I watched as my Dad’s mouth moved, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. After a minute, Jirou lifted her jack.

“This is bad, guys.” Jirou told us. Once we returned to the stairwell, Jirou reiterated what Dad said to us, how villains had taken the tower, gained control of the security system and taken everyone on the island as a hostage, including the pros that were at the party and for us to get clear of the island.

“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.”

“I’m afraid I have to agree with what Iida is saying. We’re still only students. We can’t fight these villains if we don’t have our hero licenses.” Yaomomo added.

“Why don’t we get outta here and tell the heroes outside?” Kaminari surmised.

“The security system for the Island is on par with Tartarus prison. That’s easier said than done.” I reminded him.

“Then all we can do is sit and wait until everything’s over, I guess.” Kaminari sighed. 

“Are you really okay with that, Kaminari?” Jirou asked as she stood up.

“Well, what choice do we have?” Kaminari countered.

“Don’t you think we should at least try to stop them?” Jirou questioned.

“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!” Mineta pointed out.

“Aren’t we trying to be pros ourselves?” Todoroki asked, looking at his hand. 

“Well, yes, but we’re not allowed to work as heroes, you know that.” Yaomomo answered him.

“Does that mean it’s right for us to do nothing at all?” He countered as he closed his hand.

“Well, it’s complicated.” Yaomomo trailed off. I slammed my fist against the wall behind me.

“Well, if you guys want to sit here and wait this out, go ahead.” I stood up straight as everyone looked at me. I looked at everyone. “I don’t care if I’m the only one going or not, I’m not gonna sit here and cower while my Dad and several other people are under some villain’s thumb.”

“You want to go fight those villains?! Didn't you learn anything from the USJ, Yagi?!” Mineta snapped.

“This is completely different from the USJ!” I snapped back.

“We don’t need 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.” Izuku piped up as he rose to his feet.

“That’s easy to say, but you both know it won't be that simple.” Kaminari spoke up.

“I know, but we have to try something!” I told him.

“Exactly… We can figure out what the best plan of action is and keep these criminals from winning. We can save everyone!” Izuku added.

“Are you sure?” Ochaco questioned, sounding worried. I nodded. 

“I know where the security system is. It’s on the top floor of this tower. If these criminals managed to take control of it, then the authentication locks and password have probably been disabled. We should be able to restart the system ourselves. We just have to stay off the villains’ radar until we can get to the top floor, that’s all. If we do that, the whole island will be safe again.” Melissa explained. 

“Then it’s possible.”

“Sure, but how do we keep on the low for that long?” Jirou asked.

“The security system hasn’t discovered us yet.” I pointed out.

“That means the villains probably don’t know how it works very well.” Melissa continued.

“So we avoid fighting anyone and try to get the place back to normal. It could work.” Todoroki mused.

“Not bad. What'd ya think?” Kaminari asked. 

“Let’s do it.” Jirou agreed. 

“Many of our enemies are likely to be gathered there on the top floor.” Yaomomo pondered.

“If we’re fast, we won’t have to fight them.” Izuku replied. 

“When the security system goes back to normal, my Dad and the other heroes would be released. They’ll immediately jump into action and stop the villains, I know it.” I added. 

“Let’s do this, guys!” Ochaco was the first of our friends to truly get on board. 

“Uraraka.” Izuku sounded surprised.

“I don’t wanna sit around here being helpless either, 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.” I smiled at her. 

“That’s exactly how I feel about things. We’ll follow our hearts and save the island!” Izuku exclaimed. 

“Yeah!” Ochaco cheered.

“Midoriya, Yagi… I’ll go with you too.”

“I’m in.” Jirou added.

“Todoroki…” I trailed off.

“Thanks, Kyoka.” Ochaco beamed.

“The moment I think we’ve gone too far, it’s over. If that’s something you can agree to, I’ll join you as well.” Iida was next to jump in.

“Okay.” Izuku agreed.

“All right. If that's the case, I’ll go too.” Yaomomo added.

“Obviously I’m in.” Kaminari jumped to his feet.

“Yaoyorozu!” 

“Kaminari!” 

“HAVE YOU ALL LOST YOUR MINDS?! ALL RIGHT, I’LL GO!” Mineta finally gave in.

“Thanks, Mineta.” Izuku thanked him.

“The girls will think we’re so cool for this!” Kaminari exclaimed as I rolled my eyes.

To be continued...

(Tag list: @qweenexplosionmurder13 @iheartbarbie)

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[z-iridest]

My Hero Academia- I am Phoenix:

Chapter 19- Confrontations and Encounters:

Just as I got back to the screen room, the announcement came that Uraraka and Aoyama had passed the final too. "Uraraka's judgment was great! I can't believe she thought to use her opponent's power to get in close!" Izuku was fawning over her. Awww, how cute! I thought.

"Ribbit, I don't know... It looked to me like Ochaco just lost focus and let go for a second." Tsu replied as I stood on Izuku's other side.

"Oh, really?" Izuku asked her. 

"Uh-huh, the two of them were talking." Tsu pointed out.

"If that's the case I wonder what Aoyama said that shocked her so much..." I mused, unintentionally making my friend jump.

"Hino!" He squeaked.

"We really need to put a bell on you, ribbit." Tsu told me. I grimaced.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." I apologized. That was when the door opened.

"Uraraka won, not surprising. I'm happy for her." Iida joined the conversation as he and Yaomomo entered the room. 

"Yeah, and all three of you guys passed too! Congrats!" Izuku told us, Tsu giving a ribbit of agreement. The three of us nodded.

"Thank you for your enthusiasm." Iida replied. 

"Now that this match is over, which team is taking the field next?" Tsu asked. 

"Ashido and Kaminari are paired up for the next battle." Yaomomo answered. I grimaced again.

"Yeah, against our principal." I added.

"It's rare we get to see someone like him in action..." Izuku mumbled.

"We'll have to watch this round carefully." Iida brought up. 

"Yeah." Izuku and I replied as Tsu gave another ribbit of agreement.  We watched as Kaminari and Mina went up against Nezu. The longer we watched, the more I realized just how sadistic our principal was, and how awful it would be if he ever turned to the villain's side of things. Depending on what he destroyed with the crane he was using, he caused chain reactions, taking out all possible escape routes for our classmates. I could barely watch before it finally ended, the speaker announcing that Mina and Kaminari had both failed their exam due time running out.

"In the past, humans conducted horrible experiments on Nezu. So, in times like this, he gets his vengeance." Looking from our school nurse to my friends, their faces reflected the same thought I was just thinking. We'd be screwed especially if Principal Nezu went bad... Then again, hearing even a little of what he went through, he had every right to become one... 

"So, it's over... They lost."

"They never even saw their opponent.... I can't imagine how frustrated they must be." Iida commented. Just then, the doors opened again.

"What?! Mina's team lost their battle?!" Ochaco asked in shock as she joined us.

"Yeah, they ran out of time." I told her. 

"The principal's game plan was flawless, they just couldn't beat him."

"That's terrible! Oh man, they must be so crushed!" She exclaimed.

"But, you passed." Iida was quick to try to cheer her up.

"Congrats." I added. She smiled back.

"Thanks, you guys too." She replied. 

"Ochaco. What were you talking to Aoyama about right before the end of your match against Thirteen?" Tsu asked. I could wager a guess judging by how red Ochaco suddenly turned. I snorted when she suddenly went into panic mode, saying it was nothing and that we had it all wrong. It was made even funnier by the fact that Iida pointed out how red she had gotten... Tsu and I exchanged looks, we'd have to confront her about it later... But, before we could launch into our interrogation mode, the buzzer went off for the next exam.

"Team Koda and Jiro, practical Exam. Ready... Go!" The computer announced.

"Here we go." I turned to the screen, hoping for Jiro to pass.

"The practical exams match students up with teachers they're supposed to have a hard time against. That's the whole point, right?" Iida asked.

"At least one of the reasons, yeah." I answered, looking at our class president for a second.

"And it's easy to see what this team's weaknesses are." Midoriya added.

"I agree... What are they gonna do against Present Mic?" Tsu asked.

"Both have sound-related Quirks. But, their opponent will be able to drown out everything around them." Izuku replied. I nodded.

"Animals would be scared away by Present Mic's volume, and even the ones that aren't wouldn't be able to hear Koda use his Quirk. Jiro might be able to lessen the blow of Present Mic's volume, but her sound wouldn't be loud enough to completely drown him out." I continued. I covered my ears as Present Mic began using his voice.

"YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" We couldn't hear anyone else, how the hell was Present Mic's voice able to come through the damn thing?! "Hurry up and COME OUT! I'M GETTING BORED! HURRY UP ALREADY!" Present Mic used his Quirk over and over again. How were our friends supposed to beat him?! I got lost in my own thoughts for a second, trying to think of possible plans before it hit me like a freight train. Sound doesn't travel underground! If Koda could control insects to attack Present Mic from below ground and allow them to pass right through the gate. Admittedly, it was a brutal strategy, but, if Koda could pull it off....

A sudden scream burst from the monitor speakers made me jump out of my thoughts and when I looked, I saw Koda looking white as a sheet next to Jiro, who had an ant on her hand. When Jiro put it closer to him, he screamed again and took off running, this time behind a tree to hide. Well... so much for that idea.... "THERE YOU ARE!" I covered my ears again as Present Mic's voice came back through the speakers, Jiro using her Quirk to try to block him out this time. "LET'S MAKE SOME NOISE! HEY!" Oh for Pete's sake.... I watched as Koda's face went from terror to absolute worry because Jiro's ears were bleeding. From there, the plan I had in mind played out... And it was more brutal than I thought since Present Mic absolutely went whiter than Koda did as soon as the bugs were on him.

"That's tough, even for a pro..." Iida sounded strained.

"Wow, Koda... Harsh move." While Izuku seemed just as shocked as our other friends, Recovery Girl just looked pissed.

"He let a bunch of bugs beat him?!" She exclaimed in disbelief. But, Jiro and Koda had passed thanks to the harsh attack, so.... We watched as Toru and Shoji went up against Snipe next. Shouji dodged bullets before going right toward Snipe and surrendering, leaving Toru open to cuff Snipe. 

"Just as expected! Hagakure is the best there is at stealth ops!" Yaomomo exclaimed in admiration.

"And Shoji has the guts to face Mr. Snipe head on and be their distraction!" Izuku added. Ochaco and Tsu both nodded in agreement as the computer announced Toru and Shoji passing before it was Sero and Mineta's turn... Oh boy... 

"Hey, Deku? Isn't your match up next? Shouldn't you be waiting in the exam area?" She asked, turning to Izuku. 

"Oh." He nodded. "Probably, 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. Everyone of them embodies what it means to be a UA student!" Ochaco and I exchanged smiles at how passionate Izuku was. We both nodded.

"Well, uh..." Iida trailed off.

"Mostly." Yaomomo finished, turning our attention to the screen. 

"Looks like one of our peers is giving up." Tsu commented, the three of us turning to see Mineta crying and running away.

"What... the... Hell is he doing?" I asked as I watched.

"But, he was looking forward to the training camp so much. Why is he ready to give up now?" Izuku asked.

"I don't know if he can bounce back from this." We all turned to the school nurse as she talked. "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." Recovery Girl pointed out. When I turned back, Mineta was crying tears of blood now. What the hell, Grapehead? I thought, and looking at my friends, they were thinking the same thing.

"Mineta..." Izuku trailed off.

"It might be hard for a kid like that to make it out of this school." Recovery Girl piped up again. 

"Wait, what'd you mean?" Izuku asked as he turned to her.

"UA is constantly making new obstacles that our students have to overcome. In order to keep moving forward successfully, students need 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. I wonder... Is there a goal in that child's heart he can focus on to win?" Recovery Girl pondered. I thought about it. Mineta was perverted, and often chased after girls when he wasn't harassing one of the girls in our class... About a second later, I was snapped out of my thought process by Recovery Girl. "Well, that's straight forward." She commented. Mineta looked lost in thought before I grimaced as Midnight whipped Mineta, snapping him out of it and making him tremble as she approached, her eyes those of a predator stalking their prey.

"Move it, idiot!" I shouted, watching as he was frozen in place as Midnight used her Quirk. After a second, he finally snapped out of it and ran for it. We all watched as he ran and hid behind a rock. After a second, he came back out, armed to the teeth with his sticky head balls in hand and Sero's tape over his mouth and nose. Just as she used her whip again, Mineta tossed his head balls at it, getting it stuck where it landed so he could run for the escape gate, one even sticking her hand to her whip. "Damn, Mineta..." I trailed off.

"He managed to trap her far away from the gate! Midoriya exclaimed, looking excited for our classmate. "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 added.

"Yeah." I agreed. The little shit... I added in my head as I watched Mineta tear the piece of tape off his mouth and carry Sero through the gate. The buzzer went off.

"Team Mineta and Sero have passed the exam!" The announcement came from the computer.

"All right, they did it!" Iida happily exclaimed.

"Mineta actually had a solid plan!" Yaomomo sounded happy but surprised while Tsu gave a ribbit of agreement. That was about when I noticed that Izuku had already left for his match... I felt nervous all over again for him. It wasn't going to be easy, and unless he could get Bakugo to agree on a solid plan, it would be near impossible for this team to win...

"Team Bakugo and Midoriya. Practical Exam. Ready, go!" The computer came over the speakers again as I wished my friend good luck in my head, praying that some kind or miracle would cause Bakugo to work with Izuku. I watched as Izuku tried to reason with Bakugo, but the blond was having none of it. Recovery Girl sighed.

"Oh, dear. There's absolutely no teamwork between those two. Don't they realize the trial that's ahead of them?" She said.

"You're telling me, that's probably why Mr. Aizawa put them on the same team." I replied. I watched painfully as the two began to argue and were interrupted by my Dad making his attack. I've said it a thousand times before, but...

Watching my Dad fight as a hero had always filled me with comfort and hope. But watching him as a villain, even if it was just a simulation.... It terrified me. He would be the one villain I never would have been able to fight, even considering I knew his weaknesses. He was the man that raised me to be who I was, the man who cared for me like his own. How could I fight him if he turned evil? We watched as Bakugo tried to stun my Dad before charging. My Dad caught him and held him up by his face, only for the explosive blond to blast him several times. We all gave groans as we watched Bakugo get slammed to the ground. I watched as Izuku got scared and used his Quirk to jump into the air, but was bumped into by Bakugo, who had gotten up shortly after Dad had turned to Izuku. "One wants to defeat All Might. The other only thinks of running. The latter probably admires the man too much. To Izuku Midoriya, All Might is like a god. Untouchable. It's true that I don't know much about this other boy, but based on his grades and the Sports Festival, he has amazing combat sense. I wonder why he's in such a rush to win this." I watched as Bakugo stood back up, looking more pissed than ever. I watched as Izuku once again tried to reason with Bakugo as the blond went right past him. Izuku once again tried to stop Bakugo, but the bickering only let Dad get another attack in. This time, he pinned Izuku with a broken part of a fence, making sure Izuku was trapped between the bars. Bakugo went to blast him again but I groaned as Dad punched Bakugo in the gut, causing the blond to throw up before he rolled and landed face first. 

"Dad, you're overdoing it..." I mumbled, watching as the boys struggled to get up. I couldn't hear what Dad said to him as he walked over to Bakugo, but whatever the blond said in retaliation... It pissed off Izuku so much that he managed to get free and punch Bakugo just as Dad was going to knock Bakugo out. What the hell did the blond dumbass say to piss off Izuku that much? I thought. I just hoped that Bakugo would pull his head out of his ass now. Bakugo rolled again before Izuku grabbed him and went into an alleyway, carrying the stubborn blond. "Can Bakugo get his head out of his ass already? It's getting old." I commented.

"I wish he would, but you know how stubborn he is." Yaomomo told me. 

"I know, I know..." I trailed off. Before I could say anything else though, Bakugo popped out of the alleyway he'd been carried down. I watched as Bakugo blasted Dad over and over again. "Least he got his head out of his ass..." I mumbled under my breath. But, looking closer, I saw that one of Bakugo's gauntlets was missing. That's weird... Where's the other one? I wondered. I didn't have to wonder for too long, considering Izuku popped out of the alleyway armed with Bakugo's other gauntlet. Just as I realized what their plan was, Izuku pulled the pin on the gauntlet, firing off a giant explosion like the one Bakugo has let loose during our first day of combat training, even limiting the damage to the city to places Dad had already destroyed. It was already a big improvement from the first combat training. As the boys ran though, they started arguing again, much to my own disappointment. Just when I thought they had finally learned to work together.... I watched as Dad caught up to them before they reached the gate and destroyed both gauntlets before either of the boys could fire off another blast. He kneed Bakugo in the face, making me grimace again. Izuku tried to run after him, but got caught by Dad. Bakugo launched himself toward Dad again, but he used Izuku to slam both of them to the ground. I heard Tsu and Ochaco whimpering. When the dust cleared, Dad had his foot on Bakugo and was holding Izuku by the arm. "Come on, you guys..." I murmured, holding out hope for them. Izuku kept struggling, until Dad threw him, keeping his foot on Bakugo's back. After a minute though, Bakugo let a giant blast out of his hand, knocking Dad off him. We couldn't see anything for a minute before another huge explosion went off and we say Izuku flying out of the smoke, and it didn't miss my gaze that Bakugo grimaced in pain after the blast that threw Izuku across the line. "He's gonna make it to the escape gate!" I shouted. If Izuku could make it through, both of them would pass due to them working together. But, that was shortlived because Dad used a smash to get clear of the smoke and ended up knocking into Izuku again, this time hurting Izuku's back. I grimaced as it caused Izuku to fly off course and hit a bus before hitting the ground. Bakugo let off another blast, but he was definitely in pain, even as he kept fighting, letting off big blast after big blast. But after Bakugo tried to protect Izuku, Dad grabbed him by the face and slammed him into the dirt again. I watched as Bakugo still tried to fight back, even though he was hurt. Izuku used One For All to charge Dad, punching him before grabbing Bakugo and running through the escape gate as Bakugo passed out. "YES!" I jumped into the air, pumping both arms as our friends cheered. 

"Team Bakugo and Midoriya have passed the exam! All matches for the practical portion of Class 1A's final exams have now been completed." The computer announced. Recovery Girl and I locked eyes and she nodded toward the door to the Infirmary. I went with her. True, she probably didn't need my help to heal either of the boys, but I wanted to chew out my Dad for going all out like that. He could have killed one, if not both of, the boys. Then again, I had no idea if Bakugo would have accepting passing if Dad hadn't gone all out... Probably not considering he wanted me to go all out on him during the Sports Festival, but still....

As I used my healing tears to heal Bakugo, Recovery Girl used her own quirk to heal Izuku. "Thank you very much, Recovery Girl, I think I feel better." He managed to get out. 

"You're not getting up right now, though." I mumbled under my breath. 

"All Might, you really don't know how to hold back! If you'd hit these boys any harder, they'd have permanent damage! Midoriya's back was horrible. I was barely able to heal it." She sighed as she and I traded places so Recovery Girl could heal the rest of Bakugo's internal wounds. "Bakugo probably won't wake up for a while. For now, the two of you should stay here and rest." 

"Yes, ma'am. Thanks again." Izuku responded. 

"You're so much stronger than when we first met that sometimes I hardly recognize you, Young Midoriya. And the same goes for you. Young Bakugo, do you realize that you were able to smile in the face of defeat? I can't wait to see how much stronger you both get." Dad told the boys, and I couldn't help but agree with him. Both boys were stronger than when I had first met them, and I couldn't wait to see how far they went either...

The next day, Mina, Sato, Kirishima and Kaminari were all miserable. "E-everyone... I'm looking forward to hearing your stories of how fun camp was." Mina sobbed.

"Maybe they'll let you go. There might be a last minute twist or something." Izuku tried to reassure them. 

"Stop, Midoriya. By saying that out loud, you're just jinxing them." Sero told him.

"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?! Or did All Might knock all the brains outta you?!"

"Whoa, Kaminari, take it easy." I tried calming our electric blind friend down.

"Yeah, ease up, Kaminari. 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." Sero brought up, Mineta looking smug as he listened in. 

"At least bring back lots of camp souvenirs, please?!" Kaminari exclaimed. Before anyone else could promise that they would, the classroom door swung open. 

"Once the bell rings, you should be in your seats!" Aizawa called, causing most of our classmates to scramble into their seats and a silence to fall in the room. "Morning." He greeted us. "Unfortunately, there are a few of you who did not pass your final exams. So, when it comes to the training camp on the woods... Everyone is going!" 

"We really get to go to camp?!" Kirishima questioned in disbelief.

"Seriously?" Mina teared up happily as she followed up Kirishima's question.

"Yeah. The good news is that no one bombed the written exam. Five failed the practical badly. Two teams, of course, and then Sero as well." Aizawa replied. I shot a glance toward Sero, who had covered his face with a hand.

"Aw! Crap, I knew it! Mineta made it to the gate, but I didn't do near enough to pass." He mumbled.

"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." Aizawa explained.

"But, didn't you promise that the teachers wouldn't be holding back?" Ojiro asked. 

"That was just to get you on edge." Aizawa answered him. 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 that was just a logical deception we used." The class burst into an outbreak, Iida most of all.

"Mr. Aizawa, this is the second time you've lied to us! Aren't you afraid we'll lose faith in you?!" His voice cracked as he jumped upward out of his seat with his arm raised. 

"Uh, little blunt there, Tenya..." Ochaco replied, and I had to admit that I agreed with her.

"That's a good point. I'll consider it." Mr Aizawa continued, "But, I wasn't lying to you about everything. Failure is failure. We've prepared extra lessons for the five of you." His words cut five of my friend's celebration short. "Frankly, they'll be far tougher than what you'd face at summer school." He told us. 

"This is gonna be great! I'm so glad we're all going together." Ojiro said a few hours later.

"Looks like we'll be at the training camp a full week!" Iida exclaimed.

"I've gotta find a bigger suitcase..." Izuku trailed off. 

"Yeah, I don't even have a bathing suit, guess I need to buy some stuff." Kaminari added. 

"Like night vision goggles!" Mineta snorted, something I hit him for. 

"Well, guys, since we're off tomorrow, and we finished final exams, I have the best idea! Why doesn't Class 1-A go shopping together!" Toru suggested.

"That's a great idea, Toru!" I told her. 

"Hey, yeah! We've never hung out as a class before." Kaminari buzzed excitedly.

"Bakugo, see you there, right?" Kirishima turned to the blond.

"I can't think of anything more annoying." Bakugo replied.

"Aw come on, why do you have to be a buzz kill?!" I asked, looking at him before I turned to Todoroki. "You'll come with us, won't you, Todoroki?"

"I visit my Mom on days off." Todoroki answered. I looked down, a bit disappointed that neither Bakugo or Todoroki were going. 

"Oh, that's right..." I trailed off.

"You party poopers! Don't you ever get tired of being so serious?!" Mineta yelled.

"Can it, grapehead!" I snapped at him, forgetting my disappointment for a minute. The next day, we met up at the mall, dressed in casual clothes. 

"Oh, man do I love this place! It's got a ton of different stores to shop at, and they're all super cool and hip! The Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall!" Mina squealed. I didn't know why I suddenly had a bad feeling just being there, but I tried to just ignore it and enjoy the day ahead of me. 

"They carry designs for all body types, and have a range of gear for everyone from teens to seniors. The logistics of..." Izuku started off on another ramble tangent.

"You're going to scare the children, stop." Tokoyami told him before Izuku could really get going. 

"Whoa! Aren't those UA students?!" A civilian cried out. Oh no...

"1-A!"

"I saw 'em on TV!" 

"The Sports Festival was so good!" I felt sheepish under everyone's gaze, and out of habit, my wings popped out and tucked around me in a protective cocoon. Ochaco laughed nervously.

"I can't believe they still remember that." She said.

"I wanna track down a new duffle bag to bring to summer training." Kyoka was talking to Yaomomo.

"Oh yeah? Maybe the two of us should browse together." She replied. The pervert grapehead was mumbling something about a lock picking kit and a small drill before he wandered off on his own. 

"Guess I should probably buy some outdoorsy shoes for this thing." Kaminari mused.

"Oh, that's smart, me too!" Toru exclaimed. 

"The guide said your shoes should already be broken in though!" Iida exclaimed, ever the mother hen. "But, wait. Perhaps it's not a mistake to factor utility into the equation..." And there goes him convincing himself of the opposite of what he was saying a split second ago.

"So then, why don't we split up and look around? We can meet here again when we're done." Kirishima suggested. The bad feeling came back stronger than ever. Why did I feel like this?! 

"Great idea!" Mina replied.

"Perfect. Let's say we're all back around three?" Kirishima questioned.

"Sounds good!" Everyone but me chorused, my bad feeling keeping me quiet. Before I knew it, it was just me, Ochaco and Izuku left.

"Looks like it's just the three of us left." Izuku pointed out.

"Yeah..." Ochaco trailed off.

"So, what're you gonna shop for today? I wanna find a few heavier wrist weights so I can up my training." Izuku asked her.

"I mostly just need bug spray." Ochaco answered before she turned red and suddenly took off running. "Yep, gotta keep those pests away!" 

"Do you mean me?!" Izuku asked. "We came together as a class, but it's just us now by ourselves..." I shook my head before the bad feeling got stronger. What's going on with me today? I thought. "Whoa, Hino, you okay?" He asked. I looked at him, tucking my wings away again.

"I'm fine, I just..." Before I could finish my sentence, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end at a raspy voice.

"Oh, it's someone from UA, nice. I want an autograph." A guy about Todoroki's height approached us, and the bad feeling I'd had all day cranked up to a twenty as he put an arm around me while the other went around Izuku. "You were the one who got beat to hell at the Sports Festival, right?" He asked Izuku, who looked awkward before the guy turned to me. I couldn't see his face, but his skin was fairly pale and his hair was a greyish blue that hung in his face... Just like... "And you were the baddie that won it all." The bad feeling turned into a sickness at the pit of my stomach. 

"Uh, yeah." Izuku answered as the guy turned back to Izuku.

"Aren't you guys two of the students who ran into the Hero Killer in the Hosu Incident, too?" He looked between the two of us. "You're practically famous."

"You sure do know a lot..." I trailed off.

"What can I say? I'm just a big fan of the two of you." He responded. "I can't believe I'm running into you two again." That last part put Izuku on edge, I could see it in his eyes. That was the moment both of us realized who we were dealing with, and it confirmed everything my bad feeling was trying to tell me... "It makes me think it might not be a coincidence. No, no, this feels like it's destiny." Before either of us could react, his hand grasped our throats, but he was careful to leave one finger up. Shit, shit, shit! I thought. If we were truly alone with no civilians, I could have easily burned his hand off of me, but with everyone around us plus Izuku in harm's way, I wouldn't be able to do anything without someone getting hurt or killed, whether it was by my own flames or Shigaraki's Quirk. "Oh right. From your point of view, we haven't met since the attack on UA." A growl left Izuku, and he sounded more pissed than I had ever heard him before. "Why don't we spend some time catching up, Izuku Midoriya and Hinotori Yagi?" Shigaraki lifted his head so we could see his face. His eyes were crimson red, his face wrinkled with a scar over the top of his lip on the left side. "Act natural now, don't make a scene, either of you. I'm just an old friend who ran into you at the mall. Calm down and wipe that look off your faces. I think we should have a conversation, is all. A friendly little chat. Oh, and of course if you two try to run or fight me in any way... Well, it'll be fast." His middle finger wiggled dangerously close to touching our necks, but he kept his fingers up. "Soon as all five of my fingers touch both your necks, your throats'll be the first thing that disintegrates. In a matter of seconds, both of you'll be nothing more than dust and powdered bone."

"You'd never get away, though. The heroes would catch you and if you did anything to hurt him, I'd turn you to ashes in seconds. I can ignite my entire body if I wanted to." I told him.

"Are you sure you can ignite your Quirk is fast enough to stop your own body from disintegrating? Do you really want to test that? Besides, just look at these sheep. Any one of them could use their Quirks and start a massacre whenever they wanted. And yet, they're all here, smiling. They think laws and rules will protect them, because they assume everyone has their same morals. They're convinced nothing bad could ever happen to them. After the 2 of you, I could kill 20... 30... Maybe even more before a pro showed up and managed to stop me." The thought chilled me to the bone. My entire body trembled, and I grit my teeth.

"You little snake..." I trailed off, knowing he put us in this position on purpose. Unlike the attack on the USJ, he had thought this out...

"We get it... Let's talk." Izuku's fist relaxed, though he looked just as defeated as I felt.

"Just don't hurt anyone." I added. What choice did we have? Shigaraki chuckled in response.

"This is nice. A real moment. Let's go grab a seat and get comfortable, why don't we?" He asked, leading us over to one of the big plants off to the side of it all and sitting down with us on either side of him, still holding onto our necks. I mentally kicked myself. If I had just pushed Izuku toward Ochaco and made him go after her, he wouldn't be in this position too... Instead, we were both in trouble and our classmates had no idea that Shigaraki was here... "When it comes down to it, I hate basically everything. But, the Hero Killer pisses me off the most right now." Shigaraki revealed to us.

"Isn't he one of your guys?" Izuku asked. 

"Not technically, but that's what the media made it look like. And that's what my problem is. It's like suddenly, everyone is obsessed with that stupid Hero Killer. The attack on UA, the Nomus I released on Hosu- He upstaged all of it. No one's even giving me a second thought. Why is that? Despite what he claims to believe, all he did was try to get rid of whatever things he didn't like." He leaned into Izuku and then me, the closeness of him making me shudder slightly despite my every attempt to look calm. "What do you two think the difference is between us, Midoriya? Yagi?" 

"What's the difference?" Izuku asked.

"You we don't understand. Your goals, and your villains... We don't agree with anything you do."

"Neither of us agree with the Hero Killer either, but we can understand him. At least, sort of. Because the Hero Killer and we have something in common. All three of us are inspired by All Might. That night, he even saved me from the flying Nomu." 

"He might be a maniac, but he doesn't destroy things just because it sounds fun. And when things were looking bad for him, he didn't abandon his mission the way you did. Even if the way he acted was wrong, he held true to his beliefs..." 

"That's the difference." We both looked at him as he finished at the same time, but the look he gave us... If looks could kill, both of us would have died then and there and this story would have been over before things truly got nuts. 

"Ah... That's like a weight off my chest. I see it now... All the dots connected. Why he makes me so angry, why you both irritate me so much- Everything makes sense." A wicked smile crossed his face. "It's him. The problem is All Might. Yeah, yeah, that's it. That's the most rational explanation." A laugh left him. "I didn't see it, even though it was right on front of me the whole time. What was I worrying about so much? It's simple. He's why these morons are able to smile thoughtlessly!" I could barely breathe as Shigaraki's grip on my neck grew tighter. "They feel so safe because that garbage pro is smiling thoughtlessly, as if there's no one in the whole world he can't save! Oh, I'm glad we had this chat. I feel better, I can't thank either of you enough. I don't need to change my ways after all." I reached up, grabbing his hand and attempting to pull it off of me. "Whoops, don't struggle now, either of you, unless you both want to die. You want all these people here to crumble as well?" He threatened.

"You said you'd leave them alone if we talked." I barely got out.

"Uh, Deku? Hino?" We both froze at the sound of Ochaco's voice and panic struck me. No, no, no, no! "Is that a friend? No, that can't be right." Shigaraki turned toward her and I felt my panic get worse. "Uh, hey, let go of them..."

"This is nothing!" Izuku shouted, trying to calm her down before anything could happen. 

"Everything's fine, Ochaco." I forced my voice to sound calm despite the panic I was in and the panic Izuku had just blurred out. "Just stay back, no closer." Shigaraki suddenly let Izuku and I go, the boy dropping to the floor.

"Oh, you two were here with a friend? I didn't know, sorry about that." Shigaraki said as Izuku and I both coughed, gingerly touching our throats. "I'll see you soon, little bird. You and I are due for a more private talk." The last words Shigaraki spoke to me that day chilled me, and it was said in my ear, too quiet for either of my friends to hear. "If you try following me, I'll get angry." He told the both of us as he got up, putting his hands in his sweatshirt pocket as he began to walk away. As soon as he passed Ochaco, she rushed toward us. 

"Deku, Hino!" She sounded worried.

"Shigaraki, wait." I managed to speak, getting up as Izuku kept coughing. Ochaco gasped.

"Shigaraki?" She looked at him.

"We have a question too." Izuku got out.

"What's All For One after?" I asked as my friend coughed more. He was quiet for a minute, looking at his shoes.

"Who knows, really. But here's a little word of advice, friends. Be careful. The next time we meet, Midoriya, I'll likely have to kill you." He warned us. Ochaco gasped in fear, but Shigaraki disappeared into the crowd after that. I pulled out my vial of healing tears, making Izuku tip his head up. 

"Open." I told him, and once he did, I put a drop of it into his throat to heal any damage done to him by Shigaraki, though I doubted it was more than maybe a red mark from where he was grasping us so tight. 

"Hino, are you okay?" Izuku asked.

"I'll be fine." I shrugged him off, but I didn't have to look at either of them to know they were worried. Ochaco reported the incident and the shooing mall was temporarily closed. The heroes and police in the area conducted a massive sweep, but there was no sign of Shigaraki. Later that day, Izuku and I were taken to the police station. Uncle Naomasa, who was investigating the League of Villains interviewed us both, though he nearly had a heart attack when he saw me. Izuku and I told him everything we could about Shigaraki's appearance and the conversation we had. 

"Huh... From what I'm hearing, it sounds like they're not a monolithic organization. And it sounds like his desire to defeat All Might hasn't changed one bit." He replied after we had told him the whole story. I glanced down at my hands. I wanted to tell Uncle Naomasa about what Shigaraki had told me low enough for only me to hear, hut I figured doing so would scare the crap out of Izuku... "Anyway, thanks for the report, you two. This helps." 

"Oh, sure." Izuku answered. 

"I just wish there was some way we could have detained him..." I trailed off. 

"Don't worry, you both did a great job holding it together when so many lives were on the line. Most people would have panicked and lost their cool in that situation. No one got hurt today because you were both able to remain calm." Uncle Naomasa told us. While Izuku was leading the way outside the station with another officer, I figured it was a good time as any to bring it up.

"Uncle Naomasa, there's something else... Shigaraki told me he would be seeing me again soon..." I told him, keeping my voice low enough for only him to hear. He looked pale.

"It sounds like he's going to try and target you again, that's not good..." He trailed off before he collected himself. "But, try not to worry so much. I doubt he'd try anything so soon after pulling something like this, it'd make it too easy to catch him." 

"I'll try not to..." I replied, but I still felt uneasy as we stepped out into the night air. 

"Young Midoriya, Hino, Tsukauchi!" Dad sounded out of breath as he approached, like he'd been running. 

"All Might? But how?" Izuku asked.

"I needed to talk to him anyway." Uncle Naomasa replied as I ran over to him. He wrapped me up in a tight hug, and I had to hold back tears as my Dad held me tight. Dad sighed heavily, almost like he was letting out a breath he'd been holding.

"What a relief, I'm so glad both of you are all right." I felt Dad let go of me with one arm to place a hand on Izuku's head. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be there to protect you and the others." I felt a pang of guilt as I remembered what Dad had said about the last time he hadn't been there to protect someone dear to him. I had gotten myself in trouble and I could have died easily... 

"It's fine." Izuku told him as Dad moved his hand. After a minute, he spoke again. "Um, All Might?"

"Yeah, what is it?" He asked. 

"Do you ever have times when you can't save all the people that you want to?" Izuku asked. The look that crossed my Dad's face... I knew he instantly thought about Mom. Considering Uncle Naomasa got the same look, I knew they both were thinking about Mom.

"Yes, I do. And often." Izuku looked surprised, but I should have figured he would be since he didn't know how my Dad had felt about my Mom. "Someone could be injured and calling out for my help anywhere in the world right now and I would never know about it. I know it's frustrating, but we're only human. There are always going to be people beyond our reach that we can't protect. But, that"d all the more reason to stand tall and smile. So that the "Symbol of Justice" is always there. Even when I can't be, a flicker in people's hearts, whether they be a hero or a villain." 

"They're both worried about what Shigaraki said. But, that was likely the villain's resentment talking. All Might has never failed to save someone after arriving at an emergency. Think we got everything we need, so you're both good. We're all done here." Uncle Naomasa told us.

"Izuku?" My friend and I both turned to see Inko standing there with Officer Sansa.

"Mom?" Izuku asked. She raced to him, grasping his hands as soon as she was close enough.

"Izuku! My baby! I can't do this anymore. I don't think my heart can handle another scare." She sniffled, and I turned my head away as tears stung my eyes, thinking how worried and scared Mom would be if she were here. Nothing scared that woman, but from what Dad had told me, anything bad that happened with me scared her to death. 

"I'm sorry, everything's fine. I'm okay, Mom, there's no need to cry." Izuku reassured her. "The heroes and the police have been taking really good care of Hino and I all night." He told her. She looked at me, tearing up all over.

"Oh, thank heavens you're both okay!" She sobbed as she pulled me into a hug. I hid my face as I hugged her back, feeling like crying that she had worried about me too. As her cries died down to sniffles, Dad spoke.

"I'm so sorry to intrude, ma'am, but since I have to talk with Detective Tsukauchi here but after what happened, I don't feel comfortable leaving Hino home alone... Can I ask that you keep her for the night?" Dad asked. 

"Nonsense, Hino's safe with me and welcome anytime." She answered without missing a beat. I had admit, I had been a bit surprised by it.

"Sansa, make sure they get home safe." Uncle Naomasa ordered. 

"Sir." Officer Sansa saluted in response before ushering me away from my Dad and Uncle. As we drove away, I couldn't shake the threat Shigaraki had told me in my ear before he'd disappeared again. Was it a threat of another attack? Or was he planning something else? 

"I know it's not very comfy, you two, but I figured you two would have more space in here." Inko told us as she set up the couch and a sleeping bag for us in the living room. 

"It's okay, Mrs- I mean, Inko." I changed my trajectory the minute she gave me the look, and it turned into a smile when I called her by name.

"Now, Hinotori, if you need anything, you tell me or Izuku, okay? You both need rest considering what the two of you went through today." Inko told me.

"Thank you for everything." I told her.

"Of course." She smiled, giving her son a kiss on the head before she went to her room. Izuku fell asleep fairly quick after that, but I couldn't sleep. 

How could I with Shigaraki's threat hanging over my head?

(Taglist: @qweenexplosionmurder13 @iheartbarbie )

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[z-iridest]

My Hero Academia- I am Phoenix

Chapter 18- Test of Heroes:

"All right, that's it for class today." Aizawa told us a couple days later. "There's only one week left until your final exams begin. I'm sure you all studying constantly, right?" I mean, I am, but I don't know about everyone else. I thought. "Don't forget to keep training. The written exam is only one element. There's also the practical portion to worry about. Good luck." With that, our teacher left the room.

"I'VE BARELY TAKEN NOTES THIS SEMESTER!" Mina and Kaminari exclaimed, Kaminari in horror and Mina laughing.

"And with the Sports Festival and the internship, I didn't have time to read the textbook!" Kaminari added in a panic. On the midterm, those two placed the lowest at 20th and 21st specially. 

"It's true that we haven't had much free time lately..." Tokoyami trailed off, having placed 15th, just outside the bottom five.

"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 was telling Koda, both placing 13th and 12th respectively. "We've been through a lot, and they probably won't pull any punches when it comes to testing us." 

"As someone ranked in the top ten, I'm not that concerned." Mineta bragged. Much as I hate to admit it, he placed tenth.

"I still don't know how you managed that, you little shit." I glared at him. I'd placed second behind Momo, but I still didn't know how Mineta of all people managed the top ten.

"WHAT?! YOU WERE TENTH IN THE MIDTERMS?!" They both yelled in shock.

"Aw man, and I thought you were one of us." Mina whined.

"Don't you know weirdo little creeps like you are only likeable if they're kind of stupid?! Who's gonna love you now?!" Kaminari added. I mean, I'm not convinced he's not an idiot... 

"Everyone, trust me." Mineta replied. See?

"Ashido, Kaminari! We've still got time to study! That way we'll all get to go to the training camp together, right?" Ever the optimist, Izuku encouraged both our classmates. Having placed in 5th himself in the midterms, he had a right to be. Iida, who placed in third right below me, raised his hand as if taking an oath.

"Yes! As Class Rep, I have high hopes that we'll make UA proud!" Iida shouted.

"It's pretty hard to fail if you just pay attention in class, isn't it?" Todoroki asked, the Peppermint boy placing in sixth right behind Izuku.

"You're not wrong." I shrugged, but Kaminari acted like we wounded him.

"Why you gotta cut me down like that?!" He whined. 

"Hey, don't worry about it, you two, I can catch you up to speed on the important topics if you want." Momo offered. I swear that woman's too much of a goddess for her own good...

"You're the best, Yaomomo!" Kaminari and Mina exclaimed. Since when has her nickname ever been Yaomomo? She instantly darkened, hanging her head.

"I'm afraid it won't be of any help when it comes to the practical, though..." She trailed off.

"I've been studying but... Could you help me out too? I'm having some trouble understanding quadratic functions." Kyoka had placed 8th, but approached our Yaomomo anyway.

"Really?"

"Tutor me, please! Classical Japanese is killing me!" Seto approached her next. He placed 18th on our midterms...

"Ah..."

"Is there room for one more?" Ojiro asked before Yaomomo could even have a chance to respond. "I'm afraid I'm falling behind a little." He placed 9th in the midterms.

"Pretty please!" They all begged her. She lit up again.

"This is wonderful!" She jumped out of her seat, pumping her arms in the air. "Yes! Let's do it!"

"All right!" They cheered.

"Okay, then. We can hold a study session at my residence over the weekend." Yaomomo went planning.

"Seriously?! I can't wait to see your fancy digs!" Mina squealed. As Yaomomo went on a tangent planning the study session, Todoroki approached me.

"Would you want to study together, Yagi?" He asked. I smiled.

"Sure, did you want to meet up somewhere?" I countered. He shrugged, signalling he didn't know. "Okay, well, there's this little café nearby Tatooine station if that's okay?" I asked. He nodded.

"Sounds good." He answered, making me smile.

"It's a plan then." I replied.

"You think I don't know enough?! Maybe I should be at the lessons into your skull!" We then heard Bakugo (4th place in the midterms) growling at Kirishima (who placed 16th). I sighed.

"I'm counting on it." Kirishima responded. 

"Hah, everyone's panicking right now. But it won't do any good to cram this late in the game." Aoyama stated as Shouji- who came in 11th- walked over to him.

"Shouldn't you be more concerned? You didn't do very well in the midterms." He asked, pointing out that Aoyama came in 19th in the midterms. 

"Are you talking about moi? I did just fine, thank you." Aoyama replied. At lunch, Izuku, Tsu, Toru, Ochaco, Iida, Todoroki and I sat together.

"I'm kinda scared about the practical. I have no idea what it's gonna be." Izuku said.

"Neither do I..." I trailed off.

"Hard to believe they'd give us anything too crazy." Iida answered, making me look at him.

"Considering those of us who weren't at recommendation level had to fight robots in the practical of the entrance exam, I beg to differ. For all we know, they could put us against our teachers." I brought up.

"Please don't jinx it, Hino." Ochaco and Toru begged me. I shrugged.

"I'm not, I'm just saying."

"Anyways, the written exam questions will all be stuff from class, so..." He took a bite of food. "I should be able to do those." At his words, Ochaco stiffened, probably remembering that she came in 14th during the entrance exam.

"Do you really think it's going be that simple?" She asked, sounding nervous.

"It's driving me nuts. I just wanna know what they'll have us doing." Izuku responded.

"It's a comprehensive test of everything we learned from this year." Toru replied, having placed 17th while Tsu had placed 7th.

"Yep, and that's about all we could get Mr. Aizawa to tell us." Tsu added.

"Okay, so then, it'll cover combat and rescue training. Oh, and basic training." Ochaco summed up.

"We can't just study-we have to stay in great physical shape-" Izuku's stomach suddenly hit the table as he got elbowed in the head. I instantly jumped out of my seat, glaring at the blond asshole who caused it, but got yanked back down by Todoroki.

"Oh, sorry, your head's so big that it's hard to miss." He cracked.

"Yours is bigger, should I put a burn mark on that big ass forehead of yours?!" I snapped.

"Hino!" Ochaco's tone was warning.

"He started it." I looked at her.

"You're from class 1-B. Um... Monoma, right? That really hu-"

"I heard you guys stumbled across the Hero Killer. Just like in the Sports Festival, Class 1-A isn't happy unless they're the center of attention." Monoma was really starting to tick me off.

"Maybe if you'd actually brought your A-game, you would have had the spotlight in the Sports Festival, not my fault your battle IQ's at 20. Besides that, it wasn't like we were looking for the Hero Killer." I replied. I mean, one of us was, but the blond Wanna-B didn't need to know that.

"But you do realize you're not in the spotlight because people think you're good heroes, right? It's just that you keep getting into so much trouble. Here's food for thought: Some day, the rest of us might get caught up in your mess, and then we'll all become unwitting victims as well. What kind of horrible villains will you bring down upon us?"

"Can I burn him yet?" I mumbled with my teeth clenched.

"He's not worth it, Yagi." Todoroki told me, keeping a hand on my arm to keep me from jumping across the table.

"What demon-" He got cut off by a girl with an orange ponytail. She caught his lunch tray as he dropped to the floor, Kairi standing over him.

"That's not funny, Monoma!" Kairi chided him.

"You heard what happened to Iida, chill out!" Kendo told him.

"Kendo." Iida spoke her name.

"I apologize for him... I'm pretty sure he has a hole where his heart should be." Kendo apologized. I glanced at Monoma. And I'm pretty sure you knocked him out! I thought.

"So, we were listening... We know you're all worried about what's going to be on the big final practical." Kendo brought up.

"We heard it's gonna be combat against robots like the entrance exam." Kairi tilted her head slightly.

"Huh?!" Ochaco and I both cried out.

"What? Really? How do you know that?" Izuku asked.

"One of my friends who's a few grades up filled me in. I know, cheating but... Oh well." Kendo answered. While the others were talking, Kairi noticed the fact that Todoroki still had his hand on my arm and looked at me, smirking. I looked away from her, hiding the fact that my face was burning.

"What kind of idiot are you, Kendo?" As Izuku was rambling, Monoma woke up. "You just have away our whole strategic advantage! This was our chance to finally pull ahead of that class full of idiots!" He got splashed with water courtesy of Kairi's quirk.

"You're the idiot!" She exclaimed just as Kendo chopped him again.

"Right, they're not the idiots!" Kendo told him before she dragged him away.

"Good luck on exams, guys!" Kairi beamed, hoping onto one foot as she waved goodbye. As I watched her walk away, I noticed Tetsutetsu join her and sling an arm around her, making her lean her head on his shoulder. Awwww, how cute! I thought. 

"ALRIGHT!" Mina and Kaminari exclaimed a while later after we told everyone else the news Kendo had given us.

"This'll be super easy if it's just robots!" Kaminari added.

"Such awesome news!" Mina exclaimed.

"Why do you sound so happy?" Shouji asked. "You both have a hard time controlling your Quirks."

"Yeah, but I can let loose with robots!" Kaminari pumped his fists. Why do I feel like my earlier statement's gonna end up jinxing us? I thought as Mina did the same thing as Kaminari.

"Now you just need Yayorozu to help you study and you'll be all set for finals." Sero was pointing out.

"We'll definitely be able to go to the training camp now!" Kaminari and Mina cheered. 

"It shouldn't matter if it's robots or actual people. Why are you morons so excited?" Bakugo growled out.

"Hey, who're you calling a moron?!" Kaminari yelled.

"Shut up!" Katsuki roared, making Kaminari shrink. "You need to learn how to control your Quirk! Ya got it?!" He then turned to Izuku. "Hey! Deku!" The intensity got so thick you could cut it with a knife. "I don't know what's goin' 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." 

"Uh oh... He must mean how Deku was flying around like him the other day..." Ochaco trailed off worriedly.

"Oh, yeah, totally..." Mina realized.

"We'll be getting individual scores in the upcoming finals. New rankings. So we'll all know exactly where we're standing! I'll show you how much better I am." He then turned his gaze on our red and white haired classmate. "And Todoroki? I'll kill you, too." Todoroki didn't respond, and Bakugo turned his eyes on me.

"I'm not holding back." I replied before he could say anything... He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. I rolled my eyes.

"It's been a while since I've seen him that worked up." Kirishima commented after a minute. 

"Think it's impatience? Or hatred?" Tokoyami asked.

"Hatred? He wants to be the best at everything, so that's how he acts. He's just being competitive." I answered, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning against the side of my desk. With Izuku, it was different though... Ochaco was right, there was a rivalry there, though it seemed one sided. He did seem to hate me just as much as Izuku in the past, but... It didn't have as much bite to it as it did before the Sports Festival if that makes any sense... Anyway, for the next week, I studied and trained on my own and when the weekend finally came, I met up with Todoroki to do our own study group. I had dressed casually, just in jeans, a T-shirt and combat boots with my hair in a low ponytail pulled over my left shoulder. When I arrived, I was a little early, so I just ordered a drink and decided to study a bit on my own while I waited for Todoroki. But, much as I tried, I couldn't focus. The nightmare was happening every night now. I messed with the necklace around my neck as I sat back in my seat, taking my glasses off for a second to pinch the bridge of my nose. You were meant to be just like me.... What the hell does that even mean? And who's voice was it? The more the nightmare kept happening, the more the other voice took over my own until it was all I could hear...

"Yagi? Are you okay?" I looked up to see Todoroki had arrived. He had his school bag slung over his shoulder, and he was wearing gray pants, his usual light blue sneakers, and a navy blue button up that was left open the reveal the white shirt he had on underneath. 

"Yeah, I'm fine." I gave a small smile. "Just lost in thought for a second. I'm glad you made it okay." I answered him.

"The directions you gave were pretty detailed." He shrugged off his bag and sat down across from me before he noticed my drink. He looked confused, making me have to bite back a giggle.

"It's strawberry milk tea with strawberry boba, do you want one?" I asked. He looked at me for a second.

"I couldn't ask that..."

"You're not, I'm offering." I interrupted. He blinked for a couple more seconds before nodding. I smiled. "I'll be right back then." With that, I got up and ordered another one for Todoroki. 

"Quite the cutie you got across from you." Jarsa, the barista that usually works when I come in, commented.

"Don't even, he's just a friend." I told her.

"Really? Because the way he looks at your reminds me of the way my husband used to look at me." She threw back. I felt my face burn, making her laugh as she gave me the milk tea for Todoroki. "You're not denying it."

"We're just friends, I'm not gonna get burnt again the way I got burned with... Well... You know..." I trailed off, rubbing the back of my neck.

"He doesn't give me the bad vibes that blood manipulator gave me." Jarsa was quick to reply. "Go on." She shooed me toward him again. I shook my head before I rejoined Todoroki.

"Here you go." I gave it to him.

"Thank you." He replied. I watched him as he looked at the way it was sealed, looked at the straw, then looked at me for help. A few giggles left me before I motioned for him to give it back to me. Once he did, I showed him how to unwrap the straw and to stab it through the top before giving it back to him. I watched him stare at the cup for a few seconds before I giggled, muffling it with my hand. 

"Go ahead, try it." I encouraged him. Once he took a drink, I put my glasses back on and went back to studying. After a few minutes of silence between us, I heard him speak again.

"Have you always had glasses?" I looked at him to find him staring at me.

"Yeah, I wear them in class all the time." I answered. Had he not noticed this whole time? Then again, he was pretty oblivious so far, so...

"You look pretty with glasses..." He looked away. "Actually, you always look pretty..." Did this guy know what he was doing to me?! I looked at my notebook.

"Thank you." I murmured, feeling him stare at me.

"Are you all right? Your face is really red." I felt him out a hand on my forehead. "Your forehead's really hot..."

"Yeah, I'm fine." I managed to get out, trying to get a hold of myself. I could practically hear the giggle fit coming from behind the counter. Oh my god, kill me now... Once I got a hold of myself, the study session actually went pretty well. Todoroki was definitely smart, logical, and he could solve problems as soon as he saw them. Kinda made me wonder why he'd invited me to study with him in the first place... He probably could have done all the studying on his own in a much quicker time frame. It honestly did help since he knew how to solve the problems I wasn't sure of, and I even helped him figure out the answers to a few things when he wasn't sure. Once I got home, I trained, using everything I'd learned. I suddenly wondered how Kirishima and Bakugo's study group was going, snickering as I imagined Bakugo hitting Kirishima in the head with a rolled up newspaper everytime the redhead got an answer wrong. They probably even got kicked out of the place they were studying because of Bakugo's explosive temper... 

You were meant to be just like me. I got startled out of my thoughts by that same voice again, except this time, I wasn't dreaming. I looked around. No one else was there, and I was home, so I would have definitely heard something if someone had entered... I decided to call it for the day, going inside with a shudder.  The next day, the exams started. It felt like all the written exams passed in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it... "All right, put your pencils down." Day 3 of the exams had arrived. The last person in each row, bring the answer sheets to me." Mina and Kaminari were already out of their seats as Yaomomo collected our row's papers.

"Thanks so much for all your help!" Mina exclaimed gratefully.

"I didn't leave anything blank at least!" Kaminari added. That afternoon, we were brought to the Central Plaza training area after we were dressed in our costumes, only to find ourselves lined up across from all our teachers.

"Now then, let's begin the last test." Mr. Aizawa began. "Remember, it's possible to fail this final. If you wanna go to camp, but make any stupid mistakes."

"Why are all of the teachers all here?" Kyoka asked.

"I expect many of you have gathered information and believe you have some idea of what you'll be faced with today." Mr Aizawa answered.

"We're fighting those big ol' metal robots!" Kaminari had the gall to open his fat mouth. 

"Fireworks! S'mores! Here we come, camp!" Mina exclaimed.

"Actually, this year's tests..." Principal Nezu popped out of Mr. Aizawa's scarf. "... Will be completely different, for various reasons." What is it with our principal and our teacher's scarf?

"Principal Nezu!" Kyoka, Ojiro and Sero all exclaimed.

"You're changing things?" Yaomomo asked in disbelief.

"The tests now have a new focus." Principal Nezu was explaining while he climbed down from Mr. Aizawa. "There will be Hero work, of course. But also teamwork and combat between actual people." Oh no... "So, what does that mean for you? You students will be working together in pairs and your opponents will be one of our esteemed UA teachers! Isn't"t that fabulous!" I felt all the eyes of my friends looking at me. Looks like I jinxed it... Oops... Meanwhile, the rest of the class were wide eyed with shock.

"We're.... fighting the teachers?!" Ochaco questioned.

"Additionally, your partners and opponents have already been chosen. They were determined at my discretion based on various factors, including fighting style, grades and interpersonal relationships. First off, Yayorozu, Yagi, and Todoroki are a team.... Against me." I glanced at Ochaco, seeing her look at me. I'm pretty sure my nerves were all over my face since she gave me a sympathetic look. "Then, we have Midoriya paired with Bakugo." They both were as shocked as I was, looking at each other, but our teacher wasn't done. "And their opponent is..." That's when Dad showed up and my eyes went wide.

"I am here to fight!" Dad exclaimed as he stood upright. I looked at Izuku, nervous for him. It wouldn't have been a problem for me to go against my Dad, considering I knew the exact time limit he was on and his weaknesses. Thinking about it, that's probably why Mr. Aizawa didn't put me against my own Dad, but to put Dad's number one fanboy and successor against him with the kid that hated said successor... This wasn't good...

"We're up against All Might?!" They both exclaimed at the same time. 

"You're going to have to work together, boys, if you want to win!" Dad told the two. One glare from Bakugo directed at Izuku told me he wasn't going to listen, though. Dad chuckled. 

"And now, let's announce the teams and teachers they'll be fighting in order." Principal Nezu announced. First up would be Sato and Kirishima against Cementoss, Tsu and Tokoyami against Ectoplasm, Iida and Ojiro against Power Loader, me, Todoroki and Yaomomo against Mr. Aizawa, Aoyama and Ochaco against Thirteen, Mina and Kaminari against Principal Nezu, Kyoka and Koda against Present Mic, Toru and Shoji against Snipe, Mineta and Sero against Midnight and finally Izuku and Bakugo against my Dad. Oh great, that fight's gonna be last? "To complete the exam, you'll have 30 minutes. In order to win, your objective is to put these handcuffs on your teacher. Or, you can win if one of you manages to escape from the combat stage." Principal Nezu explained.

"So, we've either got to capture the teacher or run away. It's basically like the combat training." Kaminari summed up.

"Yeah, but is it really okay to just jet?" Mina asked.

"Yup." Principal Nezu answered her.

"It's going to be much different than that combat training you all went through earlier. After all, you're up against people way better than you!"

"Better? Really?" Kyoka mumbled under her breath. "Wait, aren't you just the announcer?"

"Hey, watch your mouth, girl- Have some respect!" Present Mic answered.

"This time, your exam will be very similar to a real battle. As strange as it is, please think of us as villains." Thirteen told us, though her words only made me picture my Dad as a villain that towered over everyone and was too strong for any hero to fight. The thought honestly made me shudder. 

"Assumin' you come across your enemy, 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, Yagi. I'm sure the four of you understand." Mr. Aizawa finished Snipe's thought. 

"I won't make that mistake again. I will pass this test and prove that I'm a hero!" Iida exclaimed.

"So, we fight to win.... Or run to win." Izuku murmured.

"That's right! It's a test of your decision-making skills. But with these rules, you're probably thinking your only real choice is to flee. That's why the support course made these super clever accessories for us." Dad held up some kind of... metal bracelet?

"Behold! Ultra-compressed weights!" Present Mic told us.

"These babies will add about half our body weight to our physiques. It's not much, but they will eat up our stamina and make it harder for us to move around." Dad explained. I mean, in your case, you're adding double your body weight since you have four while the rest have two... I thought, just as Dad grunted. "Oh shoot... These are heavier than I thought! We had a contest to come up with these designs, and Young Hatsume ended up winning it." The girl with pink hair and goggles that was zipping across the second obstacle during the sports festival? I thought.

"You think we need a handicap to win against you?" Bakugo growled. "Well think again." 

"You seriously think you can take All Might without it?" I countered. Dad just laughed.

"This'll be fun." Dad replied.

"Let's begin. The teams will take the practical exams in the order you were called. We have a stage prepared for you. Sato, Kirishima, you're up."

"Yes, sir!" They exclaimed before the teachers filed into the building.

"Those waiting their turn to fight can either watch the exams or strategize together as a team. It's your choice. That's all." Mr. Aizawa told us before following the other teachers.

"Ojiro, I'd like to discuss how we might be able to coordinate the use of our Quirks." Iida was the first one to speak.

"Great." Ojiro replied.

"Tokoyami? Let's go come up with a plan." Tsu replied.

"Agreed." Tokoyami replied while they went inside together.

"We've got to figure out a way to destroy Miss Midnight's costume!" Mineta exclaimed.

"You are such a little scumbag." Sero mumbled as he followed Mineta inside. 

"Come on, Momo, let's come up with a plan." I told her before looking at Todoroki. "You coming?" I asked him. He looked at me before walking away. I sighed. "He already has a plan." I shook my head. Knowing him, it would be having us make a run for the gate while he holds off Mr. Aizawa. 

"Then my plan won't work..." Momo answered. I looked at her.

"Hey, not every plan works, we should still strategize just in case his doesn't pan out. Knowing Mr. Aizawa, I don't think the plan Todoroki has in mind will work." I told her. She looked unsure, but nodded, going with me into one of the waiting rooms. But, not even two minutes after we had sat down to talk, the buzzer went off.

"Sato and Kirishima have been knocked out! Exam over!" The automated system announced.

"Seriously?!" I asked, looking up. 

"That was fast." Yaomomo commented.

"Yeah, too fast... Looks like the match will be harder than we thought, I'm glad we agreed to strategize about this together." I told her. "What's the idea you have?" I asked after a second. She looked away from me. "Hey, don't close up on me. Please?" I tried again to get her to answer, but to no avail. "Momo, we're a team..."

"Team Tokoyami and Asui have passed the final!" The announcement came. Momo stood up.

"So Tokoyami and Asui have passed their exam... I'm not surprised." She finally spoke, leaving the room with me right behind her. 

"Team Ojiro and Iida have passed the final!" The automated system announced the end of Iida and Ojiro's match just as we arrived to our arena. We met up with Todoroki.

"It's our turn now. Let's go." Todoroki told us. Momo was still holding back, and she looked unsure of herself again.

"Yaomomo." I called her by her nickname, which snapped her out of it.

"What's wrong, are you nervous?" Todoroki asked her.

"Oh... No."

"It's okay... With our opponent, I don't blame you." Todoroki, she just said she's not nervous! I thought, but Todoroki wasn't done. "Don't worry, I have a plan in mind for us." 

"Todoroki, don't you think we should..." Before I could say anything more, I was cut off by the buzzer.

"Team Todoroki, Yagi and Yayorozu. Practical Exam. Ready. Go." The announcement went over the speakers. Shit, so much for hashing it out... As we ran, Todoroki told us his plan. "Yayorozu, listen, I want you to keep making small objects. When you stop being able to, it means Mr. Aizawa's close by." I knew it...

"Or at least we're within his line of sight... Todoroki, we should have-" I added, once again trying to get Todoroki to listen.

"Our success will depend on which one of us finds the other first. Once we spot him, I'll draw him to me. Then, you two can run to the escape gate and win this thing for us. Just stay close to me until then." Aaand once again, my protest fell on dead ears. This is oddly familiar... Momo opened her mouth to say something, drawing my attention to her. She does have a plan, I knew it! I thought. Todoroki noticed our focused had changed and spoke again. "C'mon, hurry up and start making things." She looked down.

"Sure... No problem..." Momo replied. No, no, you have to tell him your plan, Yaomomo, come on! I wanted to scream at Todoroki for not listening to her, but Yaomomo wouldn't speak up for herself either. As we continued to run, Yaomomo created Russian dolls, small and easy to store away. I will admit one thing, seeing Todoroki's look of utter confusion was hilarious.

"Um... I guess those work okay, but what are they?" He asked.

"Oh, these things? They're just Russian nesting dolls." Momo answered. 

"Right... Let me know if either of you notice your Quirks acting strangely at all." Todoroki activated his ice side before continuing to run. I noticed Yaomomo hesitate. 

"Yaomomo, if you have a plan, voice it. The only way we're going to pass is if we communicate with each other." I told her. She shook her head.

"It won't work... Come on, we gotta catch up to Todoroki." She told me before hurrying after our teammate, making the Russian dolls as she went. I sighed, following after her as I activated my fire on one hand, at the ready for a fight. "I'd expect nothing less from you, Todoroki."

"What'd you mean?" He asked.

"You were able to come up with a plan to use against Mr. Aizawa so quickly. You knew exactly what was best as soon as we started." It's not the best plan... 

"This is nothing." Todoroki waved off her compliment. Yaomomo stopped.

"No... You're wrong." Todoroki and I both stopped to face her. "As students who got into UA through recommendations, you and I started from the same place, Todoroki. But, in terms of the practical skills that a hero needs, I haven't really managed to do anything that stands out. During the Calvary battle, I just followed your orders, and then when it was my turn to fight, I failed before I could do anything..." That was when I noticed that my flames had stopped burning and the dolls were stopped.

"Yaomomo, the dolls!" I pointed out.

"He's coming!" Todoroki realized.

"I'm sorry!" Yaomomo apologized.

"If you know I'm here, then you should be acting." Aizawa spoke from above us. Todoroki and I turned as he dropped down from the telephone wires. "I would suggest that you prioritize evasion since I've taken your powers from you."

"Yayorozu, Yagi, go!" Todoroki attacked Mr. Aizawa.

"Would you pull your head out, there's gotta be another way! We need to regroup and actually talk about this like we should have before the rest even started!" I flared up in anger as Yaomomo ran for it, trying to get him to listen to me.

"Don't argue, just go!" He yelled back. I grit my teeth.

"Todoroki, listen to me-"

"I can handle this myself, Yagi! I don't need your help!" Todoroki shot at me, interrupting me. I stepped back a bit, his words stinging me a bit. Did he really believe that? That I wasn't strong enough to handle this? After everything? "Yagi, go!" He shouted again. I ran after Yaomomo. If Todoroki wouldn't listen, maybe I could get her to listen... I lost track of her after a minute, and despite it being risky, I jumped into the air to look for her with a bird's eye view. I saw Todoroki get captured before I spotted Yaomomo going the opposite way of the escape gate.

"What is she doing?" I asked myself before flying toward her, landing in front of her and getting her to a shadowed area in one movement. She was panting on a panic attack and looked extremely out of it. "Yaomomo, can you hear me?" I asked her. She nodded as Mr. Aizawa passed where we were hiding. "Name five things you can see." I told her. She gave me a weird look. "Just do it." 

"The sky, the street, the wall, you and my nesting dolls." She seemed a bit calmer as she answered. 

"Name four things you can feel." 

"Your hands on my shoulders, my heart racing against my chest, the ground below me and the wall behind me." She was continuing to calm down more.

"Good. Three things you can hear."

"Your voice, my own, and Mr Aizawa looking for us close by." 

"We're out of his line of sight for the moment, we're fine. Two things you can smell."

"My sweat and... Hino, are you wearing perfume?" 

"Yeah, I didn't go for too strong of a smell. One thing you can taste."

"My spit?" She was back to herself now.

"Gross, but it counts." I smiled back. "Now that we have a second, we can regroup."

"How are we supposed to get Todoroki back?!" She whisper-shrieked.

"Simple, I cause a distraction by shooting my flames away from the direction we're going to go. When Mr. Aizawa's back is turned, I use my wings to get us both back to Todoroki so you can tell us your plan. We'd be well out of eyeshot before he realizes what's happening."

"You're that fast?" She asked.

"Were you paying attention during the Sports Festival?" I countered.

"Besides, I doubt my plan will work." And we were back to the lack of self confidence.

"Well, I don't have a plan besides getting past Mr. Aizawa to get Icy Hot's dumb butt out of capture, so it's either we try yours or we fail this." I pointed out. She blinked.

"Hang on, did you just use Bakugo's nickname for Todoroki?" She asked.

"That's not important right now, do you think you can tell Todoroki and I your plan if I get us to him?" I asked. She stared at me, looking unsure for a minute before nodding, the look on her eyes changing. I smiled. I shot some fire out from where we were, which landed in the alley across from us just as Aizawa was passing by us for another patrol. Just as he turned to look where it landed, I shot into the air with Yaomomo in my hands. I flew as fast as I could, using my fire at my feet to go faster. That dumbass half and half... I wanted to smack him so hard for the comment he made. I knew he only said it to get me to run, but it still hurt... Besides, part of being a team was relying on each other. This wasn't like the Hero Killer, Mr. Aizawa knew what our Quirks were as well as our limits. He should have talked his plan over with us before all this...

"Todoroki!" Yaomomo and I both called to him as I landed, the two of us running toward him. 

"Yaoyorozu! Yagi!" He looked so surprised, I wanted to laugh, but remembered I was mad at him.

"I'm sorry I came back! I couldn't-"

"Hey, watch it! Mr Aizawa's coming!" Once again, Todoroki interrupted her, but it was to warn us that Mr Aizawa caught up to us. 

"So much for the distraction I caused..." I mumbled before noticing Yaomomo was starting to panic again. But, before I could say anything, Todoroki spoke up.

"Yayorozu, you've got a plan, don't you? I'm sorry to bother of you, I should have asked before and not told either of you what to do! But, you have an idea, right?" 

"Your plan didn't work, so there's no way mine will be any good. All of us are gonna fail." 

"That's not true." I put in.

"Spit it out already! I'm saying that you're the one who's the better at this kind of stuff, not me!" She looked up at him. "When we were voting for class rep, you had two votes, remember?! One of those votes was mine, because I thought you would be the best at leading our class!" I could see that his words really struck her, but before she could say anything, Mr. Aizawa jumped into the air above us.

"Giving up?" He asked.

"Not yet!" Yaomomo cried out. "Todoroki, Yagi, close your eyes!" She tossed them up into the air, Mr. Aizawa looking confused.

"What are these?" He asked, kicking one open midair. I realized the same that the doll opened what she had actually been making and shit my eyes, turning away for a second as the flash bangs exploded, blinding our teacher. "Flash grenades?" I heard him question.

"You're right! I have an idea. A plan for us to win!" Yaomomo told Todoroki as she let Todoroki down carefully. "This final exam isn't over." We both stood by him as the binds around him loosened, freeing him. "We can still beat Mr. Aizawa!" Just then, our teacher recovered.

"So, you've got a strategy."

"Yes, I've been thinking about it from the beginning. His weakness."

"Just tell us what to do, Yaomomo." I told her before Mr. Aizawa moved to a higher vantage point. We all knew that because of Mr. Aizawa's injuries from the USJ attack, he couldn't use his Quirk for as long as he used to, and he had to rest more between erasures. 

"Guys, watch it!" I warned as we all jumped back, avoiding Mr. Aizawa. Todoroki went to use his fire, but Mr. Aizawa used his quirk and erased it. 

"Yagi, Todoroki, we have to hide together!" All three of us ran, and I was honestly glad to have our rhythm back on track. "Since he was injured, his Quirk has become unstable!" Yaomomo was pointing out the very weakness that I had been thinking about just a second ago.

"Because of what happened at the USJ?" Todoroki asked. 

"We're going to exploit that." I added.

"Not yet. For now, we just need to get out of his field of vision. It's all a matter of timing. We're going to pass this final!"

"That's our Vice President." I grinned. 

"Timing? How is getting out of his line of sight gonna help us with that?" Todoroki questioned. "He can still take our Quirks whenever he sees us. 

"Just do as I tell you." Yaomomo replied as he turned a corner. "Keep checking to see if you can use your ice power, okay?" 

"Not fast enough, kids!" Mr. Aizawa shouted, his scarf heading toward me.

"He's wrong to think he'll be able to keep our Quirks erased the whole time. There will definitely be a single moment... A brief interval when Mr. Aizawa blinks before he can use his Quirk again!" Todoroki's ice power kicked in a second later. "And I'll be counting on you in that moment to attack like you did in the Sports Festival! A giant ice wall!" He used his ice power to create just what Yaomomo was looking for.

"I blocked him with the wall the moment my Quirk came back. We can use our powers again." As Todoroki activated his flame side to counteract the frost that has started on his right side, I noticed Yaomomo moving the sides of her shirt, and I immediately put my wings up to give her privacy. Considering how much shorter I was, I was barely covering her, and I looked away to give her more privacy as her Quirk activated. "So, can you tell me the rest of your plan now?" That was when he turned. Considering the top of my wing only came to just above her chest, it was probably a weird sight to see me standing with my wings out and covering Yaomomo who had her shirt open while I was looking away. Todoroki looked away, sounding hilariously strained as he spoke again. "Is that Aizawa's scarf you're making?" He asked.

"It is. I don't know the material it's made of or precisely how it's constructed, so it's not exactly the same. But, I created my own version with a special material woven into it. Since this is a residential area, we must keep the collateral damage to a minimum. And he moves his own restraining bonds so quickly, it makes it difficult to catch him. So, you see, here is my plan..." After she explained it, it made total sense, and I honestly knew it would work better than Todoroki's plan had. "What'd you think, Todoroki?" She asked our teammate as we looked at the catapult she had made a long with the scarf. "I believe this has the highest chance of success. Or at least... It's better than trying to run." She sighed softly. "We'll only get one chance." She looked at him. "So, is this all right with you?" She asked. I nodded.

"Let's make it count." I replied before looking at Todoroki. He nodded.

"Yeah, no complaints here." He replied before we put cloaks over ourselves and ran the opposite way that Mr. Aizawa was. "Hey, Yagi... I wanted to say to you... I'm sorry for what I said earlier." I looked at him as we ran. "I wanted you to run during my plan, and I realize that I must have hurt you with what I said by focusing on trying to keep you and Yayorozu out of harm's way." 

"I know you were doing what you thought was the best thing, Todoroki. Now, let's pass this final." I smiled at him, showing him that I forgave him. Just then, Aizawa took our bait, the cloaks being ripped off us, revealing the mannequins the three of us had been carrying. Yaomomo went to hit the latch, but missed it by a hair. I saw panic cover her face again. "Stay on target, Yaomomo!" I encouraged her, hitting it with her as Mr. Aizawa jumped back, giving us the opportunity to recover. "Todoroki, let's light it up!" I called to him, both us us using our flames before Mr. Aizawa could have a chance to react. Since Mr. Aizawa was in the air, we both aimed at the lowest part of the scarf Yaomomo had made.

"I'm not sure we would have a chance of beating you in a full battle, Mr. Aizawa, but that's okay! Tell me something: Have you heard of nitinol alloy? When heated, it returns to its original shape in an instant. It's a metal with shape memory!" The scarf tightened around Mr. Aizawa with the combined heat of mine and Todoroki's flames that same instant, capturing our teacher. We put the cuffs on him once Aizawa landed. 

"I told you it would work, Yaomomo." I gently nudged her.

"It went exactly according to your plan. It was almost a little too smooth." Todoroki piped up.

"Honestly, it shouldn't have worked out... When I was about to trigger the catapult, I made a big mistake. Mr. Aizawa noticed, but still jumped away, even though he could have stopped me easily. I think he allowed himself to be captured by my plan on purpose."

"I was just trying to see what Todoroki would do. Yagi and you were both in my sights, but he still has a cloth over him, remember? I thought he's try to freeze me. So, I decided it would be best for me to back off. In doing so, it looks like I ended up playing right into your hands." Mr. Aizawa revealed to us.

"It really was just a matter of timing like you said, huh? Thanks, teammate." Todoroki thanked her. 

"Exactly." I smiled at her. She started tearing up again, probably realizing what we had been trying to tell her the whole time. She covered her mouth.

"What's wrong? Do you feel sick?" Todoroki was instantly worried.

"No, it's nothing, really!" Yaomomo replied.

"If you feel nauseous, there's a pressure point you can press to-"

"No, I told you, I'm fine." Yaomomo interrupted him as the buzzer sounded.

"Team Todoroki, Yagi and Yayorozu have passed the final exam!" The announcement came, and I felt a sense of relief washing over me. Our test was finally over...

(Taglist: @iheartbarbie @qweenexplosionmurder13

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[z-iridest]

I Am Phoenix- A My Hero Academia fanfic

Chapter 17- Nightmare's Shadows:

When I woke up again, I found myself in a hospital room. I groaned as I sat up, pain shooting through me. "Try not to move around too much. You lost about 35% of your blood volume from the wound from your stomach and your leg combined, so we had to give you a transfusion." Well, that explains the difficulty breathing and the dizziness...

"How long was I out?" I asked the doctor.

"About 12 hours. After the adrenaline of what happened last night, your body went into hypovolemic shock."

"Probably around when I passed out last night. The last thing I remember is the Hero Killer challenging the pros that were there to a fight before he passed out himself. How're my friends?"

"The three boys? Well, since the fluids to help your body restore the blood and the transfusions are done, I can go- What're you doing?!" Tired of hearing him prattle on, I shoved off the blankets of the hospital bed and forced myself up. 

"Going to see my friends." I answered shortly before heading out to find their hospital room while the doctor tried to get me back in bed. 

"Goddamn it, Hino, can't you stay still for two seconds?!" I heard Ember walking toward me.

"They shouldn't have put me in a different room than my friends." I told her. Once I found their room, I opened the door.

"Hino, you're awake!" Izuku sounded relieved.

"They told us you needed a transfusion, shouldn't you be resting?!" Iida asked me, looking worried.

"I'm fine, I wanted to check on you guys." I sat down on the bed next to Iida's. Looking at them, I saw that Izuku's arm and leg were bandaged, Todoroki had bandages on his arm, but Iida had both arms bandaged and in a sling. "You know, thinking about that fight, we actually did something pretty amazing." I continued after a minute. Izuku nodded in agreement. 

"Yeah, I agree." Todoroki replied. 

"After everything that happened back there, it kinda feels like a miracle that we're even alive. With my leg messed up, I was an easy target. He probably could have killed me if he really wanted to." Izuku pointed out.

"Yeah." Todoroki looked at his arm. "Seems to me, he let the three of us live on purpose. I'm impressed by you though, Iida. He was actually trying to murder you, but you stood tall." He turned his gaze to our class rep, who looked away.

"That's not true. I was-" Before Iida could say anything more, the door opened again, turning all of our attention to it.

"Oh, so the injured youngins are awake." He looked at me. "Hinotori, you should be in your own room resting." His voice was scolding.

"I just slept for 12 hours, I'm not going back to sleep anytime soon. Besides, I wanted to check on these guys." My answer made Gramps shake his head as he walked over to me.

"Gran Torino." Izuku smiled, but Iida looked ashamed when he saw Manual there as well. 

"And Manual, too..." He trailed off.

"Idiot." Gran Torino turned to Izuku. "I could yell at you and my granddaughter for hours right now." He walked over to Izuku.

"Yeah, I'm sorry..."

"But, before I do, you've got a visitor. And despite it being reckless, Hinotori, I do think you need to be in the room with them for this one. Makes things easier." I blinked, not knowing what Gramps was talking about until I saw who had joined us in the room. He was a very tall, sturdily built man with the head of a beagle. The area around his eyes and his ears were a dark brown, the two sides separated by a tan line which runs down his forehead, widening at his muzzle, which is flecked with pale brown. He had a large, black nose and dark eyes, and, although the rest of his body was of normal human shape, his skin appeared to be the same tan color as most of his face. He wore a suit, consisting of a dress shirt, and waistcoat, over which he wore an unbuttoned black blazer and matching dress pants underneath. He had a belt with a large buckle and a black and white tie that resembles a dalmatian’s coat. I slowly closed my eyes, knowing we were about to be in a crap load of trouble. "This is Hosu's chief of police, Kenji Tsuragame." Todoroki, Iida and I all stood in respect, Izuku moving to do the same, but Tsuragame spoke.

"No, please, stay seated, woof." He told us. Woof? "So, you four are the UA students who brought down the Hero Killer, huh?"

"Yes, sir." I answered.

"Stain has some serious injuries. Severe burns, and several broken bones. Right now, he's in the hospital under strict guard, woof. Here's a lesson you should have already learned. When Quirks became the norm, the police force sought to maintain the status quo. They decided we wouldn't use Quirks as weapons. That's when heroes came in. They could do what we couldn't, if they were licensed, of course, woof. It would be impossible for the police to condone the use of deadly Quirks. After all, we're here to stop such harm from being done. The only reason pros can use their powers now is because of the strict code of ethics that the early heroes chose to abide by."

"That's why you came all this way." I looked at my hands. "By fighting Stain and causing those injuries unlicensed, we broke the law."

"Whether you were up against the Hero Killer or not, none of you had the authority to harm the villain. That means the four of you, and your supervisors- Endeavor, Manual, Ember and Gran Torino- should receive harsh punishments for this gross abuse of your powers."

"Now, wait a minute! If Iida had not stepped in, Native would've been murdered." My head snapped up at Todoroki speaking up. He looked mad almost. "And if not for Yagi and Midoriya, both of them would be dead."

"Todoroki..." Iida quietly spoke. 

"No one else even realized that the Hero Killer was in Hosu. Are you saying we should have stood by and watched people die?!" He continued.

"Calm down." Midoriya tried to get Todoroki to cool down for a second.

"So, it's okay to break the law as long as it goes your way?" Tsuragame asked.

"But, sir, isn't it a hero's job to save people?" Todoroki countered. 

"This is why you're not a full fledged pro yet. It's obvious UA and Endeavor haven't been teaching you near enough. What a shame." He replied. An angry look crossed Todoroki's face.

"You damned mutt!"

"Todoroki!" Iida and I exclaimed at the same time, my stupid ass moving to stop him as he went to pass me, but feeling an intense pain as soon as I moved.

"Listen, he's right!" Iida continued, following him to stop him.

"Stop there, kid." Gramps moved in front of him, holding up his hand, which made him stop. "You'll wanna hear him out till the end."

"What I've said is the official stance of the police department. But, any punishment would only be necessary if this went public. If it did, you four would probably be applauded by citizens everywhere. But, there's no way you could escape from being reprimanded. On the other hand, we could say Endeavor saved the day. Stain's burns would support this story completely, and we could pretend you weren't even involved, woof. Thankfully, there were very few witnesses. This could be the last you heard of an punishments. It would mean no one would know about you, though. You'd receive no acclaim at all. The choice is yours. Personally, I know where I stand." He put a thumbs up. "I don't wanna damage any promising young careers. Not for a mistake like this."

"But, either way, we would still have to take responsibility for being negligent as supervisors." Manual put in. Iida walked up to Manual and bowed. 

"I'm sorry, I should have listened." He apologized. Manual chopped him on the head.

"Yeah! You caused us a lot of trouble. Remember that and don't do it again."

"Sir." Izuku bowed.

"And I apologize as well." He added. Todoroki and I both did as well.

"Me too, we'll leave it to you." I continued. 

"I know it's not fair. You won't enjoy any of the fame and praise you probably would have received otherwise. But at least, allow me as the chief of police, to thank you." Tsuragame bowed as well after we had straightened. 

"You know, you could have started with that..." Todoroki mumbled, making me shake my head. 

"Todoroki." Midoriya smiled a bit. My thoughts drifted to my Mom. I could just hear her, scolding every last one of us while doing what she could to help us heal, but expressing pride for us showing that we're true heroes through and through. But, thinking of Mom reminded me... Today was the anniversary of my Mom's death 9 years ago...

"Yagi? What's wrong?" I was brought out of my thoughts to see Todoroki and Iida looking worriedly at me. 

"It's nothing." I looked away from them. "I was just..."

"Thinking about your mom?" Iida asked.

"It was that obvious?" I looked at him. He didn't answer, only looking at me. I sighed softly. "Well, you're right. Today's officially 9 years since her passing."

"What happened?" Todoroki questioned.

"I don't know the full details, even after all this time... From what I was told, Mom was on patrol when she heard screaming coming from one of the back alleys. Thinking it was someone in trouble, she raced down it to help. But, when she got there, there was no one there... Except for a villain. Part of the villain's quirk allows him to sound like someone in trouble to lure victims to him. Just before he attacked, Mom got the feeling something was wrong and was able to block the first attack. They fought in that alley for a while, long enough for Mom to call for backup, but she ended up getting hurt, badly hurt. By the time Ember had found her, she had lost half of her blood and there was no sign of the villain that had attacked her anywhere. She was in a coma for a week, but after a week, her body finally gave out and she passed away in her sleep." I looked at Iida. "As you may have already guessed, Wendigo was the villain that caused those injuries." 

"Is that why you pushed me out of the way?" Iida asked. I nodded.

"Wanting to honor my Mom's legacy isn't the only reason I want to be a hero so bad." I looked at my hands. "I don't want what happened to me and my Mom to happen to anyone else again, not if I can do something about it..." I trailed off. Before Todoroki or Iida could answer, the door opened, Izuku coming back into the room. 

"Oh, hey, Iida, I just talked to Uraraka." Izuku told him.

"Midoriya." Todoroki got his attention. "Iida just got his test results back." Izuku turned to Iida, already worried.

"My left hand.. Might have damage that's permanent." Iida revealed to our friend, echoing what the doctor had told him. 

"What? Permanent?" Izuku asked.

"Both my arms were pretty torn up, but the injury to my left arm was especially severe, probably why Yagi's healing tears couldn't do much beside stop the bleeding. There was damage to my brachial plexus, which just means I'll have trouble moving my fingers, and my hands might have some numbness. Apparently, there's a chance it could be healed with nerve transplant surgery." He looked down. "When I came across the Hero Killer, I stopped thinking rationally. The first thing I should have done was call Manual. But, I got lost in my own anger. I hate him so much, but I can't deny he spoke the truth. That's why... Until I'm able to call myself a real hero, I'll leave my left hand as it is." Todoroki looked at him.

"Are you sure?" He asked. 

"Iida, I feel the same way. Let's get stronger. Together." Midoriya held out his clenched fist. 

"We all will." I smiled. Iida nodded in agreement. 

"I feel kind of bad." Todoroki spoke after a minute. 

"About what?" I asked. He was looking at his hand. 

"Whenever I'm involved, someone's hand gets all messed up. Is something wrong with me?" He asked. The other two boys looked just as confused as I felt. "Am I cursed?" 

"What?" I shook my head, a small laugh leaving me. "You're not cursed at all."

"Todoroki, I didn't know you had a sense of humor!" Izuku replied as he and Iida chuckled. 

"This isn't a joke, I'm like the Hand Crusher or something." Todoroki insisted, which only made the two boys laugh harder.

"You're not the Hand Crusher, Todoroki." I told him, despite my own giggles. Two days after the Hosu incident, the Hero Killer's identity and motives started being dissected from various angles. A 34 second video about Stain came out, though it was attempted to be taken down, it always popped back up at some point. The same day, Iida, Todoroki and I were released from the hospital, but due to his injuries, Midoriya had to stay a bit longer. The news channels and articles were full of the Hero Killer. The official story is that seven pros and four high school students came across the Hero Killer, then Endeavor rushed in and took care of the situation all by himself. The chief was true to his word, we were never named in connection to the Hero Killer, and our injuries were explained by accidents that happened during our internships. The same day Iida got his test results back, Iida went home to his parents' house so his Mom could take care of him. Todoroki's injures weren't all that bad, so he and I returned to our internships the same day. I continued patrols and training with Ember, and even got night combat training in with Aragami. By the end of the week, I was stronger with my flames, and faster with my wings. I bowed as I stood in the lobby with Ember on that final day. "Thank you for everything, Ember, and I'm so sorry I caused you so much trouble."

"Hino, I know you were trying to protect your friends, and you did just that. Your Mom would be proud of you, as much as she would have yelled at you for hours about breaking the law." That made me grimace. Mom had taught me to be a true hero, but, this definitely would have gotten me in trouble with her. "I want you to come back for your work studies when you have them. There'll always be a place for you here." I smiled at her offer, nodding.

"I will. Thank you, Ember." I thanked her. She nodded.

"Always... Phoenix." She replied before I left for the train to head back home...

"Hino! Are you okay?! What were you thinking taking him on?! You could have gotten yourself killed!" Not even three seconds after I walked in the door, Dad hounded me with questions.

"Don't you think that's a little hypocritical considering you would have done the exact same thing in my shoes?" I asked.

"That's not the point, Hinotori, I don't want to lose you!"

"You're not going to! This line of work is dangerous to begin with. You know that, I know that, and Mom-of all people- knew that! You, Mr Aizawa, Mom and now every hero in Ember's agency are training me to be a stronger hero, to be able to come out on top every time! I'm. Not. Going. Anywhere!" It was silent for a minute leaving me wondering why the hell Dad was so worried, so worked up over this.

"I know... I know you can handle yourself, Hinotori, and God, do I know you'd do anything to protect the people you love, just like I would, just like she did. But, please, I want you to be safe while you fight out there." He told me, his voice softer than a few seconds ago. "I worry, not just because you're my daughter, but because the last time something happened like this, I wasn't there to save the day like I was at the USJ... 9 years ago, I was patrolling, unaware of what was happening that night in Hosu. I even had a big plan to take your Mom out to dinner while the neighbors watched you, so I could finally tell her how I felt. But, then I got the call from Ember that something had happened to her. It turned into dropping you off at your friend's while I went to see her, because I didn't want the last memory of your mother to be a broken version of her that would never be able to say goodbye to you. My biggest regret, as a pro hero and a man, is not only not being there to save her, but not being able to tell her just how much she meant to me." That was when it finally hit me. Dad always thought about Mom, especially around the time of her death. My being away from him, even if it was just for internships that week, must have scared him shitless, not made better by the fact that I could have died from blood loss due to the same villain that had taken Mom and I had fought the Hero Killer while badly injured. I hugged my Dad, feeling him hug me tightly back.

"If things had been different, I probably would have, but... I wasn't alone in that fight, Dad. Todoroki, Iida and Midoriya... As stupid as they can act sometimes, they had my back the whole time. They didn't let me fight alone, and I don't think that's going to end anytime soon." I told him. He held me tighter. 

"I love you so much, Hinotori. More than you'll ever know and more than I could ever tell you." Dad told me. 

"I love you too, Dad." I replied as he pulled away slightly. We trained and ate dinner together as normal, but that night, I had the weirdest dream...

I couldn't tell exactly where I was. Darkness covered the space around me, and I couldn't see much of anything. I heard Wendigo's screeching, only to cry out as my old wounds suddenly reopened. But, when I looked at my blood, it was black. It covered my vision, and I couldn't breathe as I struggled against it. When I finally broke free, I was surrounded in a green light, tubes everywhere around me. There were countless Nomu in the tubes, but that wasn't what freaked me out so bad... I caught my reflection in one of the empty ones, but I didn't look right... My hair was snow white, a red streak in my hair that was now jaw length. My eyes, though... They were blood red. I backed up a few steps as my reflection came to life, smirking as her eyes glowed. Her fingers stiffened, and pain filled me as she took control of me, though I had no idea how this version of me had not only Bloodwork, but my own Quirk... I screamed in pain, feeling like my body was being pulled apart from four different directions. "You were meant to be just like me." She spoke with my voice, but something was wrong... Another voice, deep, suave almost, sounded over the top of mine. My clothes turned into a black version of my outfit with a red thorn pattern on it and she took over my body, forcing the real me out and to watch as she wreaked havoc on everything and everyone I ever cared about...

"NO!" I woke up with a scream, panting as I looked around wildly. I was in my room... No sign of the Nomus, no sign of that version of me that I had seen... I held my head in my hands. Whatever that was... It had felt too real. I checked on Dad. I didn't know how, but he was still sound asleep. He must have overworked himself again... I couldn't shake off the voice that had overlapped my own, though... Why did I feel like I'd heard that voice before? And why did that mirror image of me have my ex's Quirk? My head started to hurt, and I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Hino? You're up earlier than usual." I looked up to see Dad at the bottom of the stairs. "Is everything okay?" I know what you're about to say... You told him, right?! Well...

"I'm fine, just a bad dream's all." I gave a sheepish smile. Dad looked at me for a minute. "Seriously, Dad, I'm fine." I insisted. Okay, yeah, I should have told him, but it was only going to freak him out more if I did! Dad kept pressing me, but I kept dodging and avoiding the question. I managed to avoid it until I got to class, taking a deep breath as I sat at my desk. I couldn't avoid the questions from Dad for long, but I didn't know how long I could avoid answering him for...  Not long after I had arrived, Kirishima and Sero were howling with laughter.

"HOLY CRAP! WHAT THE HECK, BAKUGO?!" They asked at the same time. I just about lost it myself when I looked over at him. Instead of his usual spiky hair, it had been combed over to one side and smoothed down. Bakugo looked about ready to kill them.

"Stop laughing... My hair's gotten used to this and I can't get it back the right way. Did you not hear me? I'll kill you both!"

"I'd like to see you try, pretty boy!" Sero's comment made me snort.

"WHAT'D YOU CALL ME?!" With his yell, Bakugo's hair exploded back to normal, which honestly made the whole damn thing funnier. Leave it to those boys to take my mind off things... 

"How was your week, Ochaco?" Tsu asked, but the vibe coming off our friend was... Well... Intense. 

"I'd say that it was... very enlightening." She replied before doing punches.

"I think she found her fighting spirit..." Tsu trailed off.

"Yeah, that battle hero must've been something else." Jirou commented.

"After one week, she's a totally different person." Kaminari put in. 

"Different? Don't be fooled, Kaminari... All women are demons at heart.. They just hide their true personalities behind pretty faces" Mineta looked scared.

"Remember that the next time you want to be a perv." I told him. 

"What the heck did Mount Lady do to you?" Kaminari asked him. "Everyone at my internship loved me, it was actually kinda great. Now, if you wanna talk about the ones who've changed, it was those four." He nodded toward me, Iida, Todoroki and Midoriya. 

"Oh yeah, the Hero Killer!" When I looked over at Sero and Kirishima, I saw that Bakugo was basically holding them by their shirt collars.

"Glad to see you guys made it back alive. Seriously." Kirishima told us.

"I worried about you, too." Yayorozu told us.

"You were lucky Endeavor showed up and saved you guys." Sato replied. Oh man, I wanted to tell them the truth so bad...

"So cool!" Hagakure added. "Just what I'd expect from the number two hero." He can't hold a candle to my Dad still. I thought. Todoroki looked down.

"Yeah, that's right. He saved us." Todoroki spoke.

"Did you guys hear the news about the Hero Killer?" We looked at Ojiro. What did he mean? "Everyone's been saying that he was somehow connected to the League of Villains. Can you imagine how frightening it would've been if that creep had been there when they attacked the USJ?" He didn't seem like the type to join up with them, they probably extended an invitation to him or something, but... I don't know... Stain works in the shadows while Shigaraki prefers to blast his message. It's not a viable alliance when two people have separate ideas on how to go about things. Then again... The timing on the Nomus and Stain's attacks on the pros seem to be too convenient to be a coincidence. Is it possible they agreed to provide the distraction for him so he could go uninterrupted?

"Kaminari!" Izuku exclaimed, bringing me out of my thought ramble.

"Uh- Oh! Dude!" Kaminari covered his mouth.

"No, it's okay. You're fine." Iida replied. "It is true, he is 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. To keep anyone else from suffering like me, well, I promise: I will strive to be the perfect hero." There's our class rep...

"Yeah, let's do it!" Izuku added.

"It's time for class to begin! Please, everyone take your seats!"

"He's back." Tokoyami grumbled.

"This is your fault for talking about weird stuff." Jirou shot a pointed look at Kaminari, who almost looked like a sad puppy at that point.

"Sorry... I'm gonna keep my mouth shut." Kaminari promised. A few hours later, we met up with Dad in his hero form.

"I am here! Hope you're ready to return to our lessons. Today it's Hero Basic Training! Feels like I haven't seen you in a while. Welcome back!" I mean, technically it's been a week... I thought, but kept my mouth shut. "Now then, listen carefully for what's in store. We're going to be conducting a little race." I instantly looked at Bakugo, smirking when he looked my way, remembering the last time we had done a competition against each other. Take everything you learned from your internships and apply it to this rescue training." Iida's hand popped up and when I glanced over, I noticed Izuku looked like a rabid fanboy again. Seriously, after a little over a year now he still wasn't used to Dad being around him?

"If it's rescue training, then shouldn't we be at the USJ instead?" Iida asked.

"Ah, that facility specializes in disasters. As I said earlier, this is a race. So prepare. 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. 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 must do what you must to rescue me. Whoever finds me first wins!" I smirked, leaning into Bakugo from behind.

"Bet I'll be faster than you." I taunted, making him pissed off.

"But try to keep the property damage to a bare minimum, please." Dad looked and pointed at Bakugo.

"Why are you pointing at me?" Bakugo asked.

"Maybe because you blew up the last mock city we were in." I reminded him, making him glare at me. "Hey, you asked the question."

"All right. First group, get to your places." All Might told us. The first group consisted of Ojiro, Midoriya, Iida, Sero and Mina.

"Wait, Iida hasn't completely recovered yet, right? He should sit this one out." Kaminari said, sounding worried about our class rep. 

"Man, everyone in this group had really good mobility." Kirishima commented.

"Huh... I'd say Midoriya is at a heavy disadvantage against those four." Yayorozu replied.

"That's what I think. Moving around quickly isn't really one of his strong suits, that's for sure." Jirou agreed. Boy, are they in for a surprise... I thought, remembering that Todoroki, Iida and myself were the only ones in our class aware of the progress Izuku had made during the week of our internships.

"And whenever he uses his powers, he always gets badly injured." Yayorozu pointed out.

"Who's your pick? I'm bettin' on Sero." Kirishima spoke up. 

"Oh yeah? I got odds on Ojiro." Kaminari countered.

"I choose Ashido." Mineta piped up. "'Cause she's got a super athletic body."

"I know Deku will be last." Bakugo replied.

"Even if he's still recovering, I think Iida's got this one." Ochaco put her bet in, Tsu nodding in agreement.

"Is everyone ready? Begin!" Dad called, the rest of us watching the race on the monitor. 

"Lookit him go! In a maze like this, it makes sense to be above everything else!" Kirishima exclaimed as he watched Sero. 

"So, that means Sero's at an advantage because he can take to the sky." Shouji observed. Why do I get the feeling that they're gonna say the same thing about me? I thought. But, just as I thought, Izuku blurred past Sero, moving quick. I snuck a glance at Bakugo, who was slack jawed for a quick second before he glared. The look on his face said it all.

"Whoa, Midoriya?!" Mineta and Kirishima exclaimed in confusion.

"Since when can he do that?" Kaminari asked.

"From what he told me, it was part of his training at his internship." I answered. 

"Crazy, those jumps... He looks just like..." Ochaco was standing in amazement, and Bakugo looked more pissed than ever. Izuku was looking like he might be the winner... Until one misstep threw everything off. I grimaced as I watched him go down. Dammit... Sero ended up winning in the end, and I was in the next group... Against Bakugo, Tokoyami, Kirishima and Kaminari. Funny enough, I was starting from the same place Midoriya did. I stretched out my wings and my arms. It made more sense to use my wings than my flames... After a bit of a shake off, I got into a ready stance before Dad hit the button to start it. I got a running start, flipping into the air and using my wings to shoot forward. I did have a little fun with it, showing off a bit as I landed, tucking my wings away to run through tight spaces before jumping into the air again and flying upward. When I caught sight of Dad, I tucked my wings into my back, back flipping and turning in the air to land in a squat, beating Bakugo by a couple seconds. 

"Wow, I was showing off on purpose and you're still slower." I teased him as I stood to full height.

"Shut up!" He yelled, as I cackled.

"And it's over! Thanks, hero, and congratulations!" Dad gave me the winner's sash. "Young Yagi might have come in first, but compared to the start of the year, you all have showed me some incredible improvements. Keep working and preparing for your upcoming final exams!"

"Sir!" We all responded before Dad called the next group. Before I could leave the field, he spoke.

"Find me after class with Young Midoriya. The three of us have something to talk about. It's time I told the two of you the whole truth... About me, and One For All." He told me. I nodded before leaving the field with everyone else. In the locker rooms, we changed into our uniforms. 

"Rockstar of the day, totally Hinotori." Hagakure gushed.

"Agreed. Hino, you're amazing." Yayorozu added while I was trying to not turn redder than my hair. 

"Guys, quit it!" My whine made them giggle. "Most of my training since I was a kid's been around my wings, which is why I'm so fast. If anything, I shouldn't be focusing on one aspect of my Quirk for mobility... I need to work on being faster while using my flames too." I was going into self critique mode, not knowing just how badly those words would come back to bite me in the future...

"Hino, stop, just accept the compliment already." Ochaco told me.

"Yeah, seriously, give yourself some more credit, girl!" Mina added.

"You should listen to them, ribbit." Tsu chimed in. We all froze at the sound of Iida's voice coming from the other locker room. 

"Don't even think about it! Peeping on them like that would be criminal!" No sooner than those words had left Iida's mouth, I noticed the hole, gasping.

"Guys!" I pointed at it, the ones who weren't dressed covering up.

"Got it!" Jirou plugged it with her earphone jack, and a yelp told us all that the little creep in our class had been about to look through it. She suddenly looked distressed, and I wondered what the actual hell she had heard.

"Uggh. Thanks, Kyoka." Hagakure told her.

"Despicable. We'll close this hole up immediately." Yayorozu chimed in. I gently touched Jirou's shoulder.

"Hey, whatever that creep was saying, ignore him." I told her. Once we were finished and school was over, Izuku and I looked for Dad in the teacher's lounge. Izuku knocked.

"It's us, All Might." When we entered, Dad looked grim. It made me pause.

"Dad?" I questioned as I closed the door behind us.

"Come have a seat." His hands were folded in his lap, and I saw a picture that looked familiar. Dad always kept a picture of Mom and him as teens with him, it was always folded neatly and kept in the inner pocket of his suit coat, the one near his heart. "You both went through a lot recently. I'm sorry I wasn't around to help you out."

"Dad..."

"You don't need to apologize for that. More importantly... Um... You mentioned One For All earlier."

"I heard that the Hero Killer swallowed your blood in the attack." Dad pointed out.

"Yeah, his Quirk made him able to paralyze someone after tasting their blood. Is that what this is about?" He asked. That was when I realized.

"Wait a second, I thought the passing of One For All only worked if he was willing to pass it to someone else." I told Dad. I should have kept my mouth shut, because Midoriya jumped out of his seat.

"Holy crap! Don't tell me the Hero Killer has One For All now?!" He shrieked.

"No, he doesn't. I just thought you might be worried about that, but... I see it didn't cross your mind." I leaned back in my seat.

"Nice job giving us a heart attack, Dad..." I mumbled under my breath. 

"But, you are right though, Hino... One For All can only be given to another person if you, the bearer, intend to pass it along. It's not something that can just be taken by force. Although it can be transferred by force... Kinda like a girl you don't really like telling you that you have to take the chocolates she made for you."

"What kind of example is that?!" Izuku and I asked at the same time.

"The Quirk you now have is unique, and you should know its origin." Dad looked at me. "Both of you should know. One for All was derived from another odd Quirk, a power that's very old."

"It used to be something different?" Izuku asked. Dad nodded.

"The name of that Quirk is All For One. It allowed its user to take Quirks from others. Then, the user could keep the Quirks for himself or give them to someone else." 

"What? You mean... He could steal powers?" Izuku asked, and quite frankly, I felt the same way he did.

"This was back when Quirks were just starting to show up. Before society had figured out how to deal with the newly powered among them. When Quirks first appeared, suddenly impossible to say what it meant to be a normal person. Laws and human rights were hotly debated. Civilization's progress stalled, society decayed."

"If superpowers had never appeared, then humans would be taking interstellar holidays by this point." I spoke up this time. "I remember hearing that from someone famous."

"I did too." Izuku replied. 

"Right. During that chaotic period of change, there was one person who managed to rally many people together. He went by the name of his power, All For One." A cold shudder went down my spine. "He stole quirks from others and then, with his overwhelming abilities, he spread his influence across the country. He manipulated people to serve his purposes, and committed evil acts with little resistance. In the blink of an eye, he became the leader of villains and ruled over Japan."

"I've seen plenty of rumors about this online, sure, but isn't that all just made up?" Izuku asked. "It's not mentioned in our textbooks."

"Probably because no one wants to be reminded of the mistakes made during that time." I answered, glancing at my friend.

"Exactly, it's the kind of shameful history people would rather ignore. Anyway, when a person gains true power, they enjoy showing it off to others."

"How does this all tie together though, Dad?" I asked. For once, I couldn't put the pieces together. 

"And what about One For All?" Izuku questioned as well.

"I said the All For One could give Quirks to others, remember? He made people trust him or submit to his will by altering their abilities. But apparently, there were many poor souls who couldn't bear the burden of the Quirks they were given. They became like mindless, living dolls, incapable of speaking..."

"Just like the Nomus are." I realized, putting a hand over my mouth. Dad nodded.

"Meanwhile, some Quirks actually evolved as they were passed on, some even combined with other power sets. This evil man had a Quirkless younger brother. He was small and sickly, but he had a strong sense of justice. They couldn't have been more different. It pained the brother to see All For One's deeds, so he kept resisting him. And then, All For One transferred a Quirk to his sibling, one that would allow him to stockpile power. We don't know if it was a gift he was giving his brother, or if he just wanted to force him to submit." I realized what that meant.

"Don't tell me..." Izuku trailed off.

"Yes, even though everyone thought he was Quirkless, turns out, the brother did have a Quirk. Though, even he hadn't realized this to be the case. He had a useless power that only allowed him to pass on Quirks. And so, the stockpiling ability merged with the younger brother's power, and that is how One For All came to be. I've always found it ironic that justice so often spawns from evil."

"Wait, hold on! I understand how One For All came about now, but this bad guy must be long dead at this point, so why are you bringing him up?" I looked at Dad at Izuku's question. The grim look on his face...

"One who steals Quirks has no limits. Anything's possible. There are Quirks that halt aging, he probably has something like that. The Symbol of Evil seemed pretty much immortal. With the state of the world at the time, and the huge difference in their combat abilities, the younger brother decided to entrust this new Quirk to future generations. Even though he couldn't defeat All For One, he hoped One For All would continue to grow in power, until it was strong enough to stop his older brother. Eventually, it was my turn, and I managed to defeat All For One! At least... That's what I thought. But, he survived and is now back in action as the brain behind the League of Villains." Dad got up and walked over to the window. "So, now you know. The entire purpose of One For All is to defeat All For One. As its holder, you may one day have to fight against this great evil yourself. Because I failed. I know you didn't expect this, but..."

"I'll do my best!" Izuku jumped out of his seat again. "I'll do whatever you ask. No matter what it might take. As long as you're with me, I can do anything! I know you'll have my back!" The look that crossed my Dad's face was one I'll never forget. Like he was holding something back, but couldn't say it for fear of hurting my friend. He hesitated for a few minutes, covering his mouth with his hand for a few seconds before opening his mouth. After a second though, he closed it, dropping his hand.

"Thank you." He replied. As Izuku and I left the school, I got a bad feeling rising in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't explain why... But, I felt like something was going to happen to Dad.

"Well, it's almost time for summer vacation. Don't get too excited, you can't just relax an entire month." Aizawa was telling us a few weeks later.

"Does that mean..."

"You'll be training... While you're camping in the woods."

"I KNEW IT, ALL RIGHT!" Kaminari and Kirishima exclaimed. 

"A big sleepover!"

"Baths!"

"Fireworks!"

"Springs!"

"And s'mores."

"Skinny dipping!" For each fun idea our classmates came up with, Mineta had a perverted idea. He's just lucky I was too far away to smack him...

"We've been training in cities, so these will be very different conditions for most of us." Yayorozu mused.

"No matter the environment, we must always remain vigilant. Yes. Very wise." Tokoyami was saying.

"Hanging out with everyone all summer, I'm so excited!" Hagakure squealed. 

"However, those of you who don't pass the final exam before the semester is over will have summer school." Aizawa continued.

"Everyone, do your best!" Kirishima and Kaminari turned to face everyone. 

"This is so stupid." Bakugo mumbled. God, I wanted to throw something at him...

"All you girls better pass this thing!" I rolled my eyes at Mineta.

"Wouldn't be such a bad thing for you to fail..." I mumbled under my breath. My mind wandered to Mom, part of me wondering what a class with her would be like. Not that we would ever find out...

I studied as hard as I could during the days that followed, memorizing everything we had learned up to that point. While studying, I made the mistake of using a special on a TV show called Live Till After Noon! as background noise for studying. "Welcome back to our live show! For our next topic: Is it really necessary for heroes to dress sexily? Let's ask our very special studio guests what they think. She's the rookie hero who debuted just this year. It's Mount Lady! And she's a pro who's currently teaching at UA high school; it's the incomparable Midnight!" The host announced. A debate with those two? Oh boy... "Thank you so much for joining us!" I bet everyone in that studio was blushing with those two there... "Please, have a seat. Let's start with you, Midnight. When you first debuted, your revealing outfit caused quite a stir. In fact, it eventually led to the Regulations for Exposed Skin in Costumes bill being taken before the legislature. You're a hero who's sexiness changed the very laws of the country."

"Her costume's still pretty racy..." Mount Lady trailed off in a sing song voice.

"Now, I rely on Ultra Thin fabrics. Because of the nature of some people's Quirks, clothing can restrict their abilities, sexiness isn't just an aesthetic, it's sometimes needed so we can do our jobs well. Besides, what's more attractive than a hero who get the job done quickly." Midnight answered the question. That was about when the peace in that studio went out the window with Mount Lady's next words.

"I think you just like the attention." She did not just disrespect Midnight like that...

"What's with you, Lady? Are you trying to start a fight?"

"Of course not, I look up to you! I think you're amazing... For someone of your age."

"You can act like the blushing ingenue all you want, but you're not that young yourself, ya know!" Midnight was out of her chair at this point. 

"All I'm saying is if the older pros try too hard, the rest of us have to go even further!" Mount Lady got up too and a fight ensued, causing me to shut it off.

"Geeze, those two were going at it pretty hard." Dad commented. I glanced up.

"I was just thinking that." I told him before we exchanged a smile. 

"So, I got an email from Melissa today... You want to tell me what's going on?" He questioned. I bit my lip, trying to hide a smile. "Hino..."

"I have no idea what you're talking about?" It came out as more of a question, making my Dad more suspicious. "What did she even say?" I asked.

"That she missed me and you and her were planning a special surprise for this year's I-Expo." He answered, making me unable to hold back my giggles anymore. 

"You'll have to wait until I-Expo to find out!" I managed to get out. Dad shook his head as he pulled me into a bear hug.

"What on Earth am I gonna do with you, Hinotori Yagi?" He asked me with a smile, causing me to smile back. 

(Taglist: @iheartbarbie @qweenexplosionmurder13 )

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[z-iridest]

I Am Phoenix- A My Hero Academia fanfic

Chapter 16- The Hero Killer on Memory Lane:

The train ride into Hosu was pretty quiet, and I found myself struggling what to say for once. I was the only one of our friends who could understand what Iida had been through, and yet, I couldn't think of what to say. We walked together in silence too, but before we split off, I finally spoke. "Iida?" He looked at me. "Even if it's just to rant, you know I'm always ready to listen, right?" I asked. "We are friends, after all..."

"I know, Yagi. You don't have to worry about..."

"You know I can't help but worry. Especially since I know how you get. Please, don't do anything reckless." I asked of him. I watched as his face darkened, something that wasn't like him.

"You don't know anything about me, Yagi. You don't know what I've been through." I blinked. Was he serious? I turned away. Maybe I didn't know what it was like to have an older sibling that looked after me, but I knew what losing a parent was like.

"Right, because what would I know about having a family member being attacked by a villain?" I wasn't proud of my response, especially considering how cold my tone had been. It was dead silent between us for a minute.

"Yagi... I'm so sorry, I didn't mean..." His tone instantly changed.

"Just forget it. I know you want to find the person responsible and hold him accountable, but we don't have the power to do that. We're just students right now." I reminded him before I walked up the steps to my Mom's old agency. Nothing had changed much since the last time I'd been here. Sidekicks were still buzzing, busy at work and the same receptionist from a few years ago was still there. I smiled a bit, remembering all the times I'd walked in with my Mom and the receptionist would wave and give me a warm hello. The sidekicks would too, but from what I had heard, most of the ones from my childhood had built their own agencies after Mom had been in the hospital, some wanting to help out Hosu City and cover more ground while others branched out... 

"Hinotori! I haven't seen in ages." I was brought out of my thoughts by the receptionist. She had purple streaks in her now silver hair, her hazel eyes showing the same warmth from when I was still a little kid. "You've grown so much, we always knew you'd turn out beautiful, just like your mother."

"It's great to see you again, Mrs. Matsuko." I replied, smiling.

"And you as well, dear. You remember where the training room is? Ember's waiting for you there, so get on going." She winked. "And welcome back."

"Thank you." I exchanged a smile with her before taking the elevator to the tenth floor, where the training room was. Once the doors had closed, I took a deep breath. It was be a bit harder than I thought to be here without Mom. So much of my life was spent with her working diligently while I stayed in a small corner of her office, listening to her bark orders to protect the city and sometimes having me stay put so she could go with her sidekicks to support them on the field. It couldn't have been easy for her, but she always did whatever she could...

The sound of the elevator doors opening brought me out of my thoughts, letting me onto the tenth floor. Many of the sidekicks on that floor looked up, gasping a bit when they saw me. "Is that who I think it is?"

"I can't believe she's grown that much..."

"It has been 9 years since we last saw her..."

"Spitting image of her mother, all right" I could hear them whispering about me as I passed, but I ignored it for now. At least a few of the old ones were still around... I opened the door to the training room, seeing two sidekicks hard at work. One of which, I already knew. Their dark purple hair with a vine headband made them stand out, their hero costume being a purple tie up halter top with green vines on the sleeves and purple shorts with purple boots that had the same vine design. Willow, as I knew them by, used their powers to try to wrap up their opponent. I didn't know this sidekick... Who was he? The only thing I could really see of him was a red hood and a matching cape. He also had a red belt and red arm bands, one on his right wrist and the other on his left forearm. He stuck to the shadows as he fought Willow. Did he have a shadow quirk like Tokoyami? Kinda weird that he couldn't step in the light if that was the case... 

"Ember." I spoke my mentor's name, making her turn her attention to me as Willow caught the newer sidekick in the sunlight with their violet energy constructs. That was when Willow saw me.

"Oh my god, little Hino?!" They exclaimed before Ember could say anything, and before I could greet them, they were right in front of me. "My God, you were practically a baby when I saw you last, you've grown up so much!" Their eyes were hazel, much like Mrs. Matsuko, and I couldn't help but smile at them. If there was any of the sidekicks that was like a sibling to me, Willow would be it. They was a year younger than Ember, the two arriving to my Mom's agency at the same time, but back in the day, she'd always find time to greet me, if not talk to me about anything and everything I'd tell her.

"Hey, Willow." I smiled back.

"It's been 9 years, but I'm glad we finally got the chance to see you again." Ember smiled. Not much had really changed about Ember either in the 9 years I had been away. "Oh, that's right, you haven't met him yet..." She paused for a minute before looking at Willow. "Uh, Willow?"

"Oh, right! Sorry!" Willow snapped out of it to let go of the newer sidekick, the poor guy dropping to the ground with a deep groan. I noticed that he had a sword attached to his hip and other than the red, he was dressed in all black. The sunlight behind him hid his face, but all I could see of it was a pair of white eyes. The vibe I got from him, wasn't like the others... Every instinct in me was telling me to run from him, that something wasn't right...

"Aragami, this is the kid we've been talking about, Hinotori. Hino, meet our newest recruit, Aragami." Ember introduced us. I bowed politely, and after a second, he did the same. "Now, Hino, let's stretch. Afterward, I'll have you change into your hero costume and we'll see how far you've come since All Might first started teaching you." I nodded to acknowledge her and we started stretching as Aragami wordlessly left the room.

"So, Aragami... He's uh..."

"Isn't he something else? I heard you're sharing a class with a shadow user like him as well. I was kinda hoping we'd get to take the kid on too, but he went with Hawks of all people... Hawks isn't exactly the teaching type, I think he only put in an offer for the kid because the Hero Commission wanted him to investigate the League of Villains..."

"Tsukoyomi doesn't give me the bad feeling that Aragami does." I finally spoke up, using Tokoyami's hero name and watching as Ember froze, looking at me. The look on her face turned into a look of seriousness.

"What about him gives you a bad feeling?" Ember asked after staring at me for a minute. She knew full well what my instincts usually meant since Mom had gotten the same feelings from time to time. It usually meant someone couldn't be trusted...

"I don't know, but every instinct in me is telling me to stay away from him." I answered. 

"We'll keep an eye on him in that case." She promised as she stood. I did the same, letting my wings out to stretch them before getting into my hero costume and taking my place across from Ember. "Show me what you got, kid!" She called before I charged for her, starting our sparring match. She blocked each hit I threw, and I threw back every flame she threw at me. "I've seen these fighting moves before, and All Might didn't teach you a single one of them! The only thing he really trained you in was increasing your natural strength and battle stamina!" I backflipped away from her as she tried to punch me with her flame fist. I manipulated the fire away from her and fired it her way in a long distance attack... Which was my mistake as she split it and knocked me on my ass in one move. "Most of your moves are your Mom's, which means you watched her fights on repeat to learn when All Might couldn't teach you. That's dangerous, because any enemy who picks up on that is going to know how to take you down. You can't be a one trick gal, Hino." She finished after we caught our breaths for a minute. "This week is going to be about teaching you new moves, how to better handle your own flames, and the basics of hero work on the field all at the same time. You ready?" She asked. I smirked in response.

"Hell yeah." I got up and we got to work. She led me through some of the moves she uses, as well as letting some of the other heroes in the building teach me.

"Normally, we'd just be waiting for client calls to come in. Not really exciting." Blade Wing, a winged sidekick, told me as we fought in the air. She had the same costume design as the Winged Hero Hawks- probably because they were siblings-except the design on her top was blue, her goggles were blue, and her hair was a fiery red like Mom's had been. Her wings while white in color normally, turned redder the more she used them. From what Mom used to tell me, her wings being completely red meant they needed time to recover and that she had overused her Quirk, especially since she could harden them to look like a solid ruby gem in the shape of her wings.

"Things have been fairly hectic lately, though." Ember brought up.

"We've been using patrols to suppress crime and back up Manual's agency as well if there's trouble." Willow added on. 

"Pros receive wages from the government, so we're civil servants. But, there's a lot more to it than just that. With the Quirks we offer, our responsibilities are different from regular workers. Regarding our actual duties, the basic hero goal is to control crime. When a crime occurs, the police will contact us. The requests come in all at once, filtered out by district. We file reports based on the services we provided like assisting with arrests, rescuing people, et cetera... Then, a special agency looks at our work and decides how much we should be paid." Ember explained.

"You'll catch on quick, kid." Blade Wing winked. 

"Additionally, heroes are allowed to have side jobs. There were a lot of arguments about it back in the day when the pro hero world was still being established, but heroes ended up being so popular that the public demanded it. For example, Uwabami does modeling and ads if she's not patrolling the streets." Willow replied.

"Here at this agency though, we constantly practice and train when we're not on the field. No breaks even while we're on patrol." Ember continued. After a couple hours of training, I'd knocked Blade Wing out of the air, making her laugh.

"Hot damn, you got speed, kid!" She grinned at me as I landed, tucking my wings behind me for the time being.

"With her wings at least. Ace flew with her so much that it became second nature for her to use them." Ember remembered. "If you remember, Hino, it was your flames your Mom had no idea how to teach you to use." Ember pointed out. I nodded.

"That was why she started bringing me to work with her, right? For you to help me?" I asked. She nodded.

"Exactly, and I swore to her that I would continue helping you if something ever happened to her." Ember revealed to me. After dinner, we kept training, but it was maintaining the flames all over my body. "What we'll keep doing is building your body's tolerance to your flames, but to do that, you have to use your own flames, no else's. You've come this far because you've used the flames around you, but your body isn't able to handle your own flames for very long because of that. Honestly, I half expected you to go with Endeavor since he's been in the hero business longer and has a fire Quirk..."

"He's not in a mental place to train anyone other than his son." I interrupted. "Nor was he interested in training me. He's too focused on taking the number one spot from Dad." I remembered my encounter with the number two hero in the hall during the Sports Festival as I let my flames drop.

"Hinotori." When I looked at her, she was giving me the look Mom used to when she was being serious. "I know you didn't choose me just to train with your fire. We all heard about Ingenium, hell I was the one who found him... I also heard that his younger brother's here too, and if I'm right, you followed him here to make sure he doesn't go after the Hero Killer." I looked away.

"I was hoping to convince him not to on the train ride here, but when it came down to it, I couldn't say anything." I admitted.

"Hino, you know better than anyone that actions speak a whole louder than words. Words can be beautiful, powerful even, but they mean nothing if they're not backed up by actions." She put a hand on my shoulder. "You should get some rest now, we're starting patrols with Manual tomorrow." I nodded, starting to head out of the training room. "Hold on, I never asked you what you chose for your hero name." I glanced back at her, smiling a bit.

"Call me Phoenix." I told her. The two days that followed were pretty uneventful, beginning with training early in the morning and patrolling with Manual and Iida on the streets. Iida didn't really say much while on patrol, and honestly, I didn't either. I kept an eye out for crime occurring, besides, I didn't know what else to say to Iida other than the plea with him that he wouldn't go after Stain that I said the first day we got here. 

"It'll be a good idea to patrol Kyoto today too, Manual." Ember was saying as I snapped out of my thoughts.

"Sorry it's so monotonous." Manual apologized to us.

"No, it's better this way." Iida replied before I could.

"Hey... This is kinda hard to ask, but you're after the Hero Killer, aren't you?" Manual asked him, stopping and facing Iida. Ember looked at Manual, stopping beside him.

"So, Phoenix's instinct was right, then?" Ember questioned.

"How did you..." Iida trailed off. So was I right... He did only come here to go after the Hero Killer....

"I couldn't think of any other reason why you'd come to my agency." Manual rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't get me wrong, I'm really glad you did, but... You shouldn't be pursuing personal grudges."

"Even though we have the certification to fight, that doesn't include the authority to arrest people or punish them." Ember finished.

"The only reason we're allowed to use our Quirks because of the regulations put on them. That's why, no matter how noble the reason may be, a hero must not use their Quirk for themselves. If a pro used their power for their own selfish desires, it would be a very serious crime."

"Please understand, we're not saying that the Hero Killer isn't guilty himself. We just don't want you focusing on one goal and ignoring everything else." Ember clarified. Iida bowed.

"Thank you, I appreciate it." Iida replied, but I know that their words didn't mean anything to him. He was already too far gone mentally to be convinced out of it.

"Oh, it's fine as long as you get what we're sayin'." Manual said. "So, we good?" Manual asked as we kept walking, but judging by the way Iida's fist clenched, his answer was no. We kept patrolling as the sunset, and I looked up. Had it been this beautiful before Mom got into that fight? As night fell, I got a text from Midoriya. 

'Hey, Gran Torino and I'll be passing through Hosu on our way to Tokyo, how're things going with you?' I smiled a bit and went to text him back about Iida, but something urged me to jump. When I followed my instinct, I found a familiar villain right in front of me. My eyes widened. 

"No..." I murmured. Standing on all fours, with his skin a sickly grey that was stretched too thin across his bones, his eyes white and his mouth open, showing off jagged, sharp teeth as he gave a sound like a deer call, was the villain that had caused my Mom's fatal injuries... I was face to face with non other than Wendigo, a villain who's quirk overtook him over the course of several years from being a normal human to driving him crazy enough to be a cannibal and become the mindless monster he now was. The only weaknesses he really had was that he was blind to everything but movement, fire burned him, and he preferred to hunt at night. Before any of us could react to him, though, a building a few miles away exploded. "What was that?!" I asked, but before I got a response, Wendigo moved to attack Iida as he took a step forward. "NO!" Just like I did with Bakugo, I moved as fast as I could and shoved Iida out of the way, resulting in Wendigo's claws ripping through where my stomach was. I hit the ground hard, pain ripping through me.

"PHOENIX!" Ember blasted a circle of fire around Wendigo, trapping him as he made sounds that sounded somewhere between human screams and screeching.

"Phoenix, are you all right?!" Manual asked. 

"I'm fine!" I shouted back as I stood back up, heading for where the explosion had come from.

"Ember to HQ, all available units, come to my location, requesting backup! Villains have just arrived in Quad 2!" Ember called headquarters through her head piece as we ran, Manual and Iida right behind us. Or at least... I thought Iida was behind us. Once we got to the center of the action, I saw Nomus everywhere. How many of those damn things did the League create?!

"Iida, are you seeing..." I gasped when I turned. Right where I thought Iida would be was an empty space. My eyes slowly closed as it hit me. He had to have seen the Hero Killer... No, no, no, goddamn it! Not even ten seconds after the thought hit me, Manual realized Iida was missing.

"TENYA! WHERE ARE YOU, TENYA?!" Manual called for him.

"Phoenix, you need to get those wounds healed, it's not safe for you right..."

"Permission to find Iida?" I asked Ember, turning to her. She stared at me.

"Phoenix, you're not in a shape to..."

"Permission to find him?! Please!" I asked of her again. This was my fault... I'd promised Izuku and Ochaco that I'd keep my eye on him, and the moment I turned my back, he disappeared. 

"Granted, after you find him, get your butt back to HQ so you can get healed." After those words came from her, my wings tore from my back and I shot into the air, flying the way we came. Iida, please be okay! Damn it, you idiot, what were you thinking?! I thought as I searched for him. I stopped dead when I saw where he was, and everything I'd been afraid of happening had come to pass. There was another hero not too far from Iida, but immobilized as the Hero Killer loomed over my friend. I sent my location to Midoriya, the only thing I typed other than that was,

'Need help.'  After it sent, I withdrew my wings into my back, letting myself free fall as Stain lifted his sword. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" I shouted as I landed, bringing my ignited hand down and creating a wall of my flames to make Stain back off.

"Yagi? What're you doing?" Iida asked.

"Iida, can you move?" I asked, taking a second while I still had one to glance at Native. Native was against a wall, badly bleeding from the same spot Iida was. If Iida could move, he could carry Native and we could get away before Stain did any more damage.

"Neither of us can... It's his Quirk.." Native spoke up, sounding weak. Pain shot through me, but I grit my teeth, getting into a ready stance. 

"Then I'll protect you both until help comes." I turned my attention to the Hero Killer, who had jumped back a few feet. All the rumors about him were true... His very presence was intimidating. He was pretty muscular, standing with a distinct hunch, and it looked like he'd be six feet tall if he had stood upright. His hair was black and messy, kept out of his face by a blood red headband and his mask, the latter of which covered the spot where his nose should be. The eyes that regarded me and sized me up were blood red with tiny irises, the eyes of a fanatic. He was wearing a dark combat suit, plated with metal armor across his body to holster his weapons. The torso was sleeveless, so he wrapped his arms in yellow bandages from just below his shoulders to his wrists. Stain also wore long black wristbands and a watch on his left arm, and his knees were protected with metal pads; black boots with steel armor and spikes completing the costume. He also had his signature blood-red scarf around his neck, matching his headband, and the mask we wore on his face was a tattered cloth. 

"Another child, huh?" His eyes dropped to my stomach. "And an injured one at that. You should get out of here while you still have a chance and get that healed before I have to kill you like I do these two."

"I'm not leaving without them, I don't care if you kill me or not." I answered him.

"Yagi... Get out of here, this doesn't concern you... This is between me and him..."

"Like I give a damn!" I interrupted Iida.

"You're already hurt bad, kid, you gotta get that healed..." Native tried to get me to run too.

"I'm not going anywhere or doing a damn thing until I know both of you are safe from harm." I let my hands ignite with flames. "I'm going to save you both or die trying, because meddling where you don't technically have to, that's what a true hero does!" The look in Stain's eyes suddenly changed.

"Didn't think I'd find a true hero in this entire city..." Despite the look in his eyes, he gripped his sword. "But, you're still in my way!" My eyes narrowed as I blasted fire at him, staying where I was. He dodged it moving fast, but his scarf made it pretty damn easy to find him and keep track. I had to buy time until reinforcements came! I had to! I kept using long distance attacks.

"I've done the research. You're no good at long distance attacks, which means if I can keep you back until more help comes, you'll never be able to hurt anyone else ever again." But, if it'll come before my body's limit is up, I have no idea. I'm running on pure adrenaline right now and I know it. The pain from my wounds is going to overpower me at some point, but whether or not help arrives before that, but, I'll do the best I can! It went on like that for a while until Stain threw a blade at my leg before I could turn to burn him. I cried out in pain as he withdrew it, dodging my flames as he moved back. I watched as his long tongue came out, liking the blood off. Just like that, I couldn't move from where I was kneeling. Shit, his Quirk... I thought.

"You put up a good fight, kid. But, it's over now. I'm not gonna kill you since you're a true hero in my eyes, but that doesn't mean your friend here is safe." Stain walked over to Iida as I struggled to get up. 

"Leave him alone!" I shouted in response. Shit, what am I gonna do, he's gonna kill them both and I can't move to stop him! My mind raced, but just as Stain went to stab Iida with his sword, a green blur flew right past me and punched Stain right in the face.

"SMASH!" Izuku's voice rang out as he punched Stain and flipped to land in front of Iida and I. I let out a breath of relief. "Guess I was right!" Stain slid backwards, looking at Izuku. 

"You found him too? But how?"

"I saw on TV. They had some stats about the Hero Killer. Most of his victims were found away from many people, and when I got the text from Hino, I knew she'd found you and needed help. Phoenix, let's go back toward the street and get more help!" 

"Neither of us can move." Izuku looked at me. "It's gotta be his Quirk. After getting my leg, he licked the blade, and I couldn't move after that."

"That matches the type of Quirk the people on TV said he'd have..." That's when he noticed Native. "I was gonna ask why you didn't get Iida out of here, but now I see why."

"That's why I texted you. I saw Native before the fight between me and Stain actually started." I replied. 

"Midoriya, please, don't get involved! This doesn't have anything to do with you or Yagi and she got herself hurt because of me!"

"Iida, what're you saying?" Midoriya asked, looking at our friend.

"You showed up to save your friend's life, just like she did." Stain finally spoke. "You even made a big entrance just like her, too. But, I have a duty to kill him and this so-called pro. When that friend of yours there chose to fight me, it guaranteed the weaker of us would be culled." Midoriya looked terrified. "So, what will you do?" Midoriya suddenly didn't look scared anymore, and I watched as he mass texted our classmates our location for help. 

"Listen to me! Stand down, run away! I told you, this has nothing to do with you!" I stared at him. Was he serious?!

"If you really believe that, then why are trying to become a hero in the first place?!" Izuku sounded mad, madder than I've ever heard him before. He clenched his fist. "There are plenty of things I'd like to say, but they'll have to wait. All Might was right, though... Meddling when you don't need to the is the essence of being a hero!" Just like it did with me, the look in Stain's eyes changed. With a chuckle, a fight began between the two. I watched as green electricity came off him, and I realized that in only three days, Izuku's training with Gran Torino had been a success. Before I could blink, he was moving faster than he had before. Granted, he wasn't as fast as me when I used my wings and fire together, but he was still fast. 

"Watch the blades!" I warned him, seeing him get in close before dodging the blade and sliding between Stain's legs, springing into the air before Stain could attack him from behind. 

"A 5%..... Detroit... SMASH!" Izuku cried as he got Stain in the back. He landed in a crouch on all fours, looking up. But, all of a sudden, Izuku was paralyzed too. My eyes widened. What?! Upon closer look, I saw that Izuku had been cut. It was so small, none of us had noticed it at first. When I looked at Stain's blade, the smallest amount of blood was there, about 2 inches from the hilt. 

"You're not powerful enough." Stain told him. "It's not that you predicted my movements, you just left my field of vision, and maneuvered so you could get in a clean shot. But, I saw through your plan. There are countless false heroes who are all talk, but just like her, I think you're worthy of staying alive. Both of you are different from these two."

"Wait, don't! Stop it!" Izuku yelled.

"Leave them alone!" I added in, trying to move in the way, but with my body being paralyzed, I was stuck. 

"Get away!" Izuku tried one more time as Stain lifted his blade to kill Iida again. Suddenly, a stream of flames erupted above Iida, making the villain jump back, and they weren't mine... 

"Someone else to get in my way..." Stain mumbled. "Today's been full of distractions..." 

"Midoriya." I knew that voice... "You need to give more details in times like this. I was almost too late to stop this guy." 

"You, too, Todoroki?" Iida asked. 

"How'd you get here?" I questioned.

"Hold on, you're using your left side?" Izuku added.

"How'd I get here? Good question. Your message took me a while to figure out. Next time, try to send more than just your specific location." Todoroki deactivated his flames. "But, you're not one to send cryptic messages without a reason, are you?" He activated his ice side, raising Native and Midoriya off the ground and out of harm's way as Stain jumped to avoid it. "So, I figured you were in trouble and asking for help! Everything's okay, the pro heroes will be here any minute!" Todoroki reassured us as he charged, switching gears and using his flames to fight. Stain jumped back again, and Midoriya and Native slid down the ice and toward Iida and I. Smart, moving all the people you have to protect in one spot. Damn it, I wish I wasn't paralyzed! I thought. "You're just what they said you were. But you won't be taking any more lives, Hero Killer."

"Todoroki! You can't let that guy get your blood! I-I think he controls his enemy's actions by swallowing it! That's how he got us!" Izuku warned him. 

"He ingests blood to keep people from moving, that explains the blades... All I've gotta do is keep my distance..."

"Todoroki, look out!" I shouted in warning, but it was too late as Stain threw a blade, managing to cut below Todoroki's left eye and the blade barely missing me.

"You have good friends, Ingenium." Stain was in the air, heading toward Todoroki. "Or, you did!" Stain attacked Todoroki, getting blocked by an ice pillar. Todoroki glanced up seeing Stain's sword in the air. My stomach dropped as I saw Stain pull Todoroki close and go to lick the cut, but Todoroki activated his flames, making Stain back off. A fight began as I watched, trying to move at least my hand. 

"He's strong!" Todoroki used his flames and his ice alternately in the fight.

"Just stop it..." Iida begged. "Why are you doing this?! His fight is with me! I inherited my brother's name, I'm the one who should stop him. The Hero Killer is mine!"

"You're Ingenium now? Strange. The Ingenium I knew before never had a look like that on his face! You've got a dark side. Guess my family isn't the only one." Todoroki never took his eyes off the fight.

"Careful, Todoroki!" Midoriya grunted in pain before a look crossed his face, one of shock. Stain cut through the ice wall Todoroki had put up. 

"You blocked your own field of vision against an opponent who's faster than you. Rookie mistake." Stain taunted.

"Come get me then!" Todoroki activated his flames, but before he could do anything, Stain threw more knives, getting Todoroki's arm in three places.

"Todoroki!" I shouted. Goddamn it!

"You're good, kid! Unlike him!" Stain had jumped in the air again, but this time, he was falling toward Native to kill him.

"Watch out!" Todoroki yelled. A green blur jumped into the air, and I watched as Midoriya clashed with Stain, throwing the villain off target and into one of the walls. Wait, how can he move? He got paralyzed after me! "Midoriya!" Todoroki was holding his arm.

"I'm not sure why, but I'm able to move now!" He replied. 

"So he has a time limit." Todoroki realized. 

"If that's the case, Midoriya should have been the last one to move, it has to depend on something." I told him.

"Midoriya, dodge!" Todoroki yelled, before Izuku jumped out of the way, landing in front of Iida and I again as Todoroki used his ice to try to trap Stain. Izuku coughed. 

"He swallows a person's blood to freeze them, but I was the one freed first. I've got three different guesses why. His Quirk could be less effective the more people he uses it on. The amount ingested could play into how long it works..."

"Or there could be a difference based on a person blood type." I finished Izuku's thought before it hit me. "Deku, what's your blood type?"

"Type O. Hino, where are you going with this?" Izuku questioned me.

"I'm type B if that thought's going where I think it is." Native told me.

"I'm type A." Iida added.

"I'm type A too..." That was when I realized. I didn't know how long Native or Iida had been down, but Midoriya had been down for 2 minutes... "Type O must be the shortest time limit, you were only down for two minutes." I told him.

"So, you figured it out." Stain confirmed what we were thinking. "Bravo, very impressive." 

"It doesn't really help us that much to know how his Quirk works though." Izuku told Todoroki.

"I thought we could hurry and carry them out of here, but with Yagi down too, that's not an option. Besides, he's too fast, and he can avoid ice and fire. Our best option is to hold until the pros arrive and avoid close combat."

"No, Todoroki, you've already lost way too much blood." I told him. 

"I'll distract him while you support me from behind, sound like a plan?" Midoriya's green electricity got going again. Todoroki looked at him for a minute while I realized what that meant.

"No, guys, that's too big of a risk!" I objected.

"Okay." Todoroki answered Midoriya like he hadn't heard me. "We can protect them!" Midoriya stood as the words left Todoroki. 

"Two against one, huh? This fight won't be easy." Stain commented as another fight began. I watched as Todoroki supported Midoriya. Even when Stain could get a clean strike due to dodging Midoriya's movements, Todoroki was able to use his ice and fire to block it. But, eventually, Stain cut Midoriya's leg, and with one lick of the blood on Stain's blade, Midoriya was paralyzed again. Stain's fighting style had changed completely.

"Midoriya!" Todoroki shouted as he used his ice and fire to protect everyone.

"Deku!" I shouted his hero name at the same time before trying to move again. "Goddamn it!" My body was still paralyzed. I wanted to join the fight, to give Midoriya and Todoroki extra support, but my body wouldn't move. I felt helpless.

"You have to take Hinotori and run." Iida spoke to Todoroki, his voice thick with tears. "I can't watch this." Todoroki grit his teeth. 

"You wanna make your brother proud?! Then stand up and be Ingenium!" He used his ice to block Stain's path, but Stain easily cut through it. "Become the hero he wanted you to be!" He used his flames again, Stain dodging again.

"Watch your right!" Midoriya warned, giving support to Todoroki even though he was paralyzed. 

"Ice and fire! Hasn't anyone ever told you that you rely on your Quirk too much?! Makes you a careless fighter!" Stain told Todoroki as he dodged the ice and fire. 

"Todoroki!" Izuku and I shouted, seeing that Stain had charged so he would be able to cut Todoroki's arm off. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. Iida could move again, which meant I'd be free soon too.

"RECIPRO BURST!" Iida yelled as he joined the fight, using kicks to break the sword and knock him away.

"Iida!" Izuku and I exclaimed at the same time, both of us relieved.

"You're free too? Guess his Quirk isn't as great as I thought it was." 

"Todoroki, Midoriya... This has nothing to do with you, I apologize."

"Come on, not this crap again, Iida." I looked at him.

"I'm okay, and I won't let the three of you shed any more blood for me!" Iida finished.

"It's no use trying to pretend you're a hero now. A person's true nature doesn't change in just a few minutes. You'll never be anything but a fraud who prioritizes his own desires. You're the sickness that's infected society and ruined the name hero! Someone must teach you a lesson!"

"You're a fundamentalist lunatic. Iida, don't listen to this murderer's nonsense." Todoroki told him.

"No. He's completely correct. I have no right to call myself a hero... At all." I watched as blood dripped from Iida's arm. "Even so...There's no way I can back down! If I give up now, the name Ingenium will die!"

"Pathetic!" Stain yelled. Unlucky for him, that was when his time limit ran out on me. As he charged for Iida, I yelled, shooting forward in front of him and Todoroki and blasting fire at the villain.

"Bout time I can move again!" I exclaimed.

"Idiots! The Hero Killer is only after me and that kid in the white armor! Stop fighting back- Just get out of here!"

"Not happening!" I barked. 

"I don't think he'd let me run even if I wanted to." Todoroki pointed out as he fought beside me. "Something clearly changed in him just now. He seems rattled." Todoroki used ice to defend our right flank as Stain tried to close in on us again. Just like before, he kept cutting through the ice, but I kept following up with flame after flame.

"He's getting desperate to kill Iida and Native before the pros show up." I observed. 

"I was just thinking the same thing." Todoroki replied as I used more of my flames. I could feel pain around my forearms now, a clear sign that my skin was burning, but I pushed through.

"Wait, Phoenix, how long have you been bleeding like that?" Izuku was looking at the injury on my stomach, the one my right arm was keeping pressure on. I didn't look at him, knowing he now knew how bad my injuries actually were...

"Hey, Todoroki, can you regulate your temperatures?" Iida asked. 

"Not well with my left, but yes, I can."

"You gotta freeze my leg for me without plugging the exhaust." Iida told him.

"You're in the way!" Stain threw another knife, but Iida blocked it with his arm before it could hit me or Todoroki.

"No, Iida!" Midoriya yelled.

"Why won't you stay down?!" Stain yelled, throwing another knife into Iida's arm and knocking him down.

"Iida!" Todoroki expressed his worry next.

"Just do it, hurry!" Iida urged him. I blasted my flames again, trying to buy time. I could see Izuku up again, but his leg looked pretty bad.

"It's done!" Todoroki shouted after a second, blasting his flames again not long after I had stopped blasting mine. My vision was starting to blur, but whether it was from blood loss or the pain I was in, I had no idea. Just as Iida shot into the air with Midoriya, my legs gave out on me. I felt Todoroki's arms catch me. "I've got you." He assured me as we watched our friends fly through the air toward our opponent. "Go, guys." He spoke. I watched as Iida kicked Stain in the stomach while Midoriya punched him in the face again. But, not long after impact, Stain snapped out of it and tried to lunge at Iida, which he avoided. 

"I will defeat you, Stain! Because you're a criminal!" Iida shouted as he kicked Stain again. "And I am a hero!"

"Don't let him get away!" Todoroki and I both used our fire at the same time, burning Stain and finally knocking him unconscious. Todoroki then used his ice to bring Iida and Midoriya back down again, still at the ready for a fight even though he was holding me. "Stand up! Keep fighting!"

"Easy, tiger, I'm pretty sure that last impact knocked him out." I told him.

"He's gotta be knocked out after all that... Right?" Izuku asked, sounding unsure. Todoroki sighed.

"Then let's restrain him and get him to the street. Maybe we can find some rope." Todoroki replied. 

"Yeah, and we should probably take all his weapons too."

"Good idea." Todoroki then looked at me. "Yagi, be honest, how long have you been injured like this?" He asked.

"Since before I even found Iida and Stain." I admitted.

"The villain that you defended me from..." Iida trailed off, looking horrified.

"Wait, what villain?" Izuku asked, looking at me.

"Before the explosions, we ran into Wendigo." I told him, not looking at any of my friends.

"You mean the same villain who..." Izuku trailed off, but I know what he wanted to say.

"Is that the villain that put your Mom in the hospital before she died?" Iida asked me. I nodded.

"Yeah, her wounds were deeper than mine, though." I answered. It was quiet as the Hero Killer has bound and all his blades were taken away from him. 

"Native, can you move?" Izuku asked as I finished using my healing tears on him.

"Yeah, I think I'm good as new now." Native answered as he hauled Midoriya onto his back.

"You sure?" He asked.

"I saw you hurt your leg back there. At least let me do this for you." Native said.

"Thank you very much." Izuku replied.

"I should be thanking you." That was when Native saw me. "You should use your healing tears on yourself too. I still can't believe you did all that wounded."

"They don't work on my own wounds." I shrugged a bit before healing what I could of Todoroki's wounds.

"You shouldn't be worrying about everyone else, Yagi, you're going to make your own wounds worse." Todoroki told me. I ignored him, trying to heal Iida's wounds as well, but my tears did nothing.

"Crap, my healing tears weren't able to do much for your injuries but stopping the bleeding, Iida." 

"It's all right." He told me.

"We're really lucky someone threw this in the dumpster." Todoroki said as he finished tying up Stain.

"Todoroki, I can drag him from here."

"Are you forgetting that Yagi couldn't heal your arms all the way? Your arms are still messed up." Todoroki reminded him. I forced myself to start walking by myself. "Yagi, you really shouldn't..."

"I'm fine." I waved him off.

"I have to apologize. I'm supposed to be a pro, but I was useless back there." Native apologized after a few minutes had gone by.

"No, I don't think any one person could take the Hero Killer on, not with that weird Quirk of his." Izuku told him. 

"He's too strong, the four of us barely won against him." I added.

"Even then, it was because of his own mistakes." Todoroki continued. "He was getting riled up and desperate and forgot all about Midoriya's quick recovery time. Then, he wasn't able to block Iida's last Recipro Burst or Midoriya's assault." At that point, we had gotten back to the main street.

"Right, let's get him to the police as fast as we can." Native replied.

"What are you doing here, boy?!" Oh shit, I know that voice... Sure enough, Gramps was across the street from us.

"Gran Torino!" Izuku gasped. Gran Torino, my Gramps, was an extremely short, elderly man with heavy wrinkles and a scrawny build. He had a light complexion, and brown eyes. His hair was grey and spiky, styled short with some bangs hanging forward and a trimmed beard. His hero costume consisted of a full-body monochrome suit along with a yellow cape, a belt with the letter "G" on it, very thick yellow gloves and boots, and a dark domino mask which resembles two diamonds. Apparently, in his younger days, his height rivaled Dad's in his hero form, but I knew him as the short, crotchety old man, but sweet with me when I was a kid. He used his Quirk to jump into the air. "I was just..." Before he could say anything else, Gramps kicked Izuku in the face.

"I thought I told you to stay on the bullet train!" Yep, he's pissed.

"Who's this?" Todoroki asked.

"Gran Torino, the hero I'm interning with." Izuku answered him. That was when Gran Torino saw me.

"Hey, Gramps." I sheepishly waved.

"You just have to be just like your mother, don't you? You realize your Dad's gonna have a heart attack when he finds out?" He told me.

"Gee, the thought never crossed my mind." I sarcastically quipped. "Of course I know he's going to freak out. How'd you find us anyway?" 

"I was told to come here by someone else. I have no idea what's going on, but I'm glad neither of you are dead, at least." Gramps looked from me to Midoriya.

"Me too, and I'm sorry." He apologized. Just then, more heroes arrived. 

"Around the corner!"

"Who's that?" Izuku asked.

"Endeavor told us there was a request for help here, but..."

"Children?"

"Those injuries look bad., I'll call an ambulance right away." One of the heroes gasped.

"Hey, look!" A female hero gasped in shock.

"Is that... The Hero Killer?!"

"What?" Gran Torino looked over too. Had he really not noticed Stain before?

"I'll get the police on the line."

"Can you walk?"

"If you prop me up, then, I think so." 

"Okay, and you?" 

"I only had minor injuries, and my friend healed them." Todoroki nodded toward me. "But her and Iida..." I noticed Iida walking over to them.

"Iida..." I went to talk to him, but the pain from the movement was too much.

"Whoa, kid, you're bleeding badly. The ambulance will be here soon, but until then..."

"You guys..." Iida got Izuku and Todoroki's attentions. He bowed once they were looking at him. "All three of you were hurt because of me. I'm truly sorry. I was just so angry, I couldn't see anything else."

"I'm sorry too, Iida. You were going through so much by yourself. But, I couldn't tell anything was wrong even though I'm your friend." Izuku apologized. I gently placed a hand on Iida's back to comfort him.

"Hey, pull yourself together. You're the class rep." Todoroki told him. Iida sniffed, wiping his eyes.

"Right." He replied. Thinking about it, the fight against Stain only took about ten minutes, even though for the four of us, it felt like forever. All of a sudden, something appeared in the sky.

"Get down!" Gran Torino yelled. The Nomu was headed straight for Izuku. Despite feeling dizzy, I managed to push him out of the way before I got grabbed, crying out in pain when the Nomu grabbed me around my waist, right where my injury from Wendigo was.

"Hino!" I heard Iida and Izuku exclaim as I struggled in its grasp.

"Let go of me!" I yelled, trying to use my flames to get it to let go, but it was no use. The thing was bleeding and for some reason, trying to escape with me. All of a sudden, the Nomu yelped and we started falling, the Nomu unable to move. 

"The word Hero has lost all meaning in this society. The world is overrun by fakes and criminals like you who chase petty dreams!" In a quick movement, Stain was up, free and the Nomu had a knife going through its brain and I was free. Stain had a hold on the back of my collar. "You all must be purged." I looked at him. How the hell? "Everything that I do..." He withdrew the knife from the Nomu. "Is to create a stronger society." 

"Did he just save that kid?"

"He took her hostage, idiot." 

"He killed that guy with no hesitation." 

"Everyone, be on your guard, we've got a fight on our hands!" 

"Why are you all standing around like fools?" And of course Endeavor chooses now of all times to show up. "The villain must have flown this way, right?"

"He took care of the rest?"

"Mostly, things got a little rough at the end. Hold on, don't tell me that man is..." Oh, now you notice the Hero Killer?!

"Let go of me already!" I told Stain. He panted before seeing the Flame Hero.

"Endeavor." He growled, his mask falling off to reveal that he had no nose. What the hell? 

"HERO KILLER!" Endeavor ignited a fireball in his hand. Is he seriously gonna try to burn Stain with me over here?!

"Wait, Todoroki!" Gran Torino called out to him, making him pause. Stain got up, letting go of me finally, but I could barely move apart from turning to make sure my friends were okay.

"YOU FALSE HERO! I'LL MAKE THIS RIGHT!" Everyone, including Endeavor, looked about as intimidated as I was by the Hero Killer. "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!" No too long after those words left his mouth, the knife slipped from his hand.

"I think... He's out cold." Endeavor spoke after a minute. I let myself relax, feeling like I could barely breathe. All three of my friends fell to the ground, but whether it was out of relief or fear of what happened, I had no idea. Later on, we had heard what happened. No Quirk stopped the Hero Killer. One of his broken ribs had pierced his lung. He hadn't managed to lick anyone's blood. But still, in that moment, I don't think anyone could move until the ambulance arrived, by which point, I had already passed out.

(Taglist: @iheartbarbie @qweenexplosionmurder13

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[z-iridest]

My Hero Academia- I Am Phoenix

Chapter 12- The Sports Festival, Part 4:

As Present Mic announced the start of the first match of the finals, I watched as Midoriya's face shifted from calm to absolutely seething with rage. At the time, I had no idea what the hell Shinsou had even said, I only knew that I never wanted to piss off my green haired friend...

"DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT HIM THAT WAY!" Midoriya roared as he charged Shinsou, only to stop dead out of nowhere. He was frozen still, in a daze. I heard Ojiro groan in frustration.

"I warned him not to say anything!" He expressed.

"Midoriya, snap out of it!" I shouted to him as our friends rose to their feet. But, my shout hadn't woken him up. He was frozen and I couldn't do anything to help him...

"Ojiro, what the hell is Shinsou's quirk?" I asked, turning to my blond classmate.

"I don't know... All I know is, after I answered a question from him, I was in that daze... I think it's some kind of brainwashing..." He trailed off, looking at me. Brainwashing? "I remember somebody bumping into me around the last minute of the Calvary Battle, but that's not gonna help with Midoriya..." I turned back around to watch the fight, nervous for my friend.

"THE FIGHT HAS JUST BEGUN AND IZUKU MIDORIYA IS.... COMPLETELY FROZEN?! 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 COMPELTELY STUNNED! HE DIDN'T STAND OUT IN THE FIRST ROUNDS AT ALL, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE SHINSOU'S CRAZY POWERFUL! WHO COULD'VE IMAGINED THIS TURN OF EVENTS?! THAT'S THE FESTIVAL FOR YA!"

"This is why a perfect example of why the entrance exam isn't rational..." Aizawa spoke up

"Huh? Why's that?" Present Mic's voice was quieter than a second ago, curious.

"Since we're on to the individual matches, I had some information compiled about our final competitors. Shinsou failed the practical exam to get into the hero course. Since he also applied for general studies, he probably figured that would happen. His Quirk is incredibly strong, but that entrance test consisted of fighting faux villains. Robots. It gives a huge advantage to those who had physical superpowers they could show off. Despite his abilities, Shinsou never stood a chance at passing." As cold as Aizawa's words sounded, I knew what he was trying to say.

"I see what they're saying now... Like our teacher's, Shinsou's abilities only work on another person... When it comes to machines, they have to strategize another way to fight." I thought out loud. It was quiet for a minute, quiet enough for us to hear Shinsou's words.

"So here we are... You're lucky to have been so blessed, Izuku Midoriya. Now, turn around and walk out of bounds like a good little hero." Shinsou told him. After a second, Midoriya turned and began walking toward the boundary line behind him.

"Uh- WHAT?! AH! MIDORIYA'S OBEYING HIM!" Present Mic grew louder again, making me deadpan.

"Oh, no, Deku, what're you doing?" Ururaka was the first of our friends to speak up.

"He can't walk out of the ring, he'll lose the match if he does!" Iida exclaimed, chopping his arms.

"That's why Shinsou used his Quirk and told him to do that." I pointed out. Present Mic was still announcing the match, but I was hardly listening. There was a chance that Midoriya would beat Shinsou if they fought without powers, but... I was startled when Dad yelped in panic.

"WHAT'RE YOU DOING, KID?! GET BACK IN THERE AND SHOW HIM WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF!" He shouted. We all watched nervously as Midoriya walked closer and closer to the boundary line. Come on, Izu... I thought. SNAP OUT OF IT! All of a sudden, I saw two of Midoriya's fingers start glowing, the tell tale sign that One For All had been activated. He managed to move his fingers, creating a shockwave that kicked up dust around them. When the dust had settled, we saw that Izuku had snapped out of it.

"WHAT'S THIS?! MIDORIYA STOPPED JUST IN TIME!" Present Mic exclaimed, the crowd cheering.

"Holy shit, I'm gonna kill that boy..." I plopped back down, leaning back with my hand covering my face. I didn't understand how he'd managed to snap out of it, but he did it just before he could cross the boundary line.

"That's the way to do it!" Iida cheered, pumping his arms.

"Whoa, I was about to freak out!" Ururaka sighed in relief. Ojiro plopped down with a sigh of relief.

"That just about killed me..." We watched as Shinsou tried getting Midoriya to talk as we continued watching, and the more silent Midoriya stayed, the more frustrated Shinsou got. Midoriya kept charging Shinsou, this time not saying a word and beginning to push Shinsou toward the boundary line.

"SAY SOMETHING, DAMN IT!" Shinsou punched him, but it only riled up Midoriya into pushing him further. Shinsou punched Midoriya in his hurt hand, making him stop long enough to get out of Midoriya's hold and making him stumble toward the boundary line. "YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME! GET OUT OF THIS RING, YOU UNLUCKY BRAT!" Shinsou shouted as he went to push him out of bounds, but Midoriya grabbed Shinsou's arm. With a yell, the purple haired boy was tossed over Midoriya's shoulder and slammed out of bounds... The very same shoulder throw he used on Bakugo. After a second of stunned silence, Midnight put her hand up.

"SHINSOU IS OUT OF BOUNDS! MIDORIYA ADVANCES TO THE NEXT MATCH!" She announced, the audience cheering again. I wasn't paying attention to what Present Mic was announcing, or what our friends were saying, only barely able to hear Kaminari.

"He's pulled that shoulder throw on you before, huh?" He taunted.

"Shut your damn face, Sparky." Bakugo snapped at him, much to my own amusement. But, watching Shinsou made me realize...

People must've thought Shinsou would only make a good villain, but the opposite was true. Brainwashing could be used to stop a villain in their tracks and make them give up without any real effort on his part... Hero work would be really simple... Shinsou was an incredible person with a remarkable quirk. Thankfully his classmates, and a few pros, in the audience were able to bring that point home to him...

A while later, I was with Dad and Midoriya in Recovery Girl's office. After a smooch and bandaging Midoriya's fingers, Recovery Girl spoke. "That should do it."

"That match with Shinsou... I couldn't smile through it like you would." Izuku turned to Dad. Dad sighed softly.

"I heard some of the things he said to you. It must've been painful knowing how much you could relate to him." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, but still... I couldn't go easy on him. I have to keep my eye on the prize, aiming for the top just like you've said." Izuku looked down.

"Oh, you poor little darling..." Recovery Girl trailed off before she did something I hadn't expected... "Have you been putting too much pressure on him again?!" She exclaimed before hitting my Dad in his side, making him groan in pain as he was sandwiched between her hit and the wall. I smacked my hand over my mouth to muffle my laughter.

"It was necessary and that hurt!" He answered before doubling over while I tried to collect myself.

"Oh yeah, All Might... I had... Some kind of vision in the match..." Dad looked up at Midoriya's words. "There were... People. Maybe eight or nine of them? I'm not sure. When I was under Shinsou's control, it felt like my brain was full of fog or something. But, when the vision appeared, it completely drove the fog away. That's when I was finally able to move for a second, just my fingertips... One of the figures had eyes just like yours, All Might. Do you think all the people who've used One For All were there, pushing me on? Like spirits?"

"So, that's what snapped you out of it..." I spoke up after a minute, once I'd gotten control over my giggle fit, at least... But, it nearly started again when I saw Dad's reaction. He looked freaked out.

"Spooky.... I'm a ghost?" Dad questioned.

"Huh?! I thought you'd have answers!" Midoriya countered.

"There's stuff about One For All that even Dad doesn't know, Mid." I told him.

"Actually... I saw something like that too... In my younger days." I looked at Dad. He didn't tell me all this... "It's a clear sign that you're getting closer to making One For All your own power."

"What was it?" Midoriya and I both asked my Dad at the same time.

"I think it's like a trace of the user's spirit that's left behind in One For All when it's passed on. Don't worry. Whatever you saw, it won't be interfering with you or your progress in the future, I'm sure. In other words, that vision wasn't what got rid of the brainwashing effects. Regardless of what you saw out there, it was your passion that allowed you to overcome Shinsou's power.... Even if it was only long enough to wiggle your fingertips and expel some energy." Dad explained, making us both deadpan.

"Man, that explanation is so not satisfying." We said at the same time.

"Forget about it! More importantly, shouldn't you be worrying about who you're fighting next? Especially you, young lady." He pointed a finger to me.

"I already have a plan to go against Iida." I pouted, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You're right... Thank you both very much!" Midoriya exclaimed.

"You're welcome!"

"Bye!" We both left, walking down the hall and closing the door, leaving the room. I had a sneaking feeling Midoriya was gonna be in that room a couple more times, but still...

"There you two are!" Ururaka called out to us. "Deku, you did good!"

"Come on down here, we saved a seat for you!" Iida told us.

"Thanks, guys." Midoriya seemed to perk up at this and I followed him down, noticing Sero and Todoroki were missing. Oh yeah, they're the next match... Just as we got to our seats, the torches on the platform ignited again.

"ENOUGH STANDING AROUND! NOW WELCOME TO THE RING, OUR NEXT PLAYERS! HE'S GOT SKILLS, BUT AT THE EXPENSE OF SOME REALLY CREEPY-LOOKING ELBOWS! FROM THE HERO COURSE, IT'S HANTA SERO!"

"Okay, the comment about his elbows was uncalled for." I blinked.

"VERSUS, AN EARLY FRONTRUNNER IN THE COMPETITION WHO'S WAY TOO STRONG FOR HIS OWN GOOD! SOMEONE WHO RIGHTFULLY GOT INTO THE HERO COURSE BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS! IT'S SHOTO TODOROKI!" I noticed Todoroki didn't seem too happy... Usually, he had a calm stoick look on his face, but he looked almost angry... Had something happened?

"Todoroki looks pissed..." I spoke my thoughts out loud, feeling nervous for Sero.

"AND NOW, FOR THE SECOND MATCH OF THE FINALS! READY? BEGIN!" Present Mic announced the start, Sero immediately attacked, taping up Todoroki and flinging him toward the side boundary line. "THAT ATTACK COULD THROW HIS OPPONENT OUT OF BOUNDS! A BRILLIANT SURPRISE OPENING FROM THE UNDERDOG! WAY TO START OFF STRONG, SERO!" Unfortunately, the compliment was short lived, because about two seconds after it left Present Mic's mouth, ice came from Todoroki and exploded into a huge ice wall, trapping Sero at the bottom and unable to move while shaking the entire arena with it. My body shook from the sudden cold.

"Jesus, Todoroki, little overkill, don't you think?" I mumbled. Sero apparently shared my thoughts, asking the same thing of Todoroki due to the crowd being dead quiet out of shock. Midnight wasn't much better off, being half frozen herself.

"Tell the truth, Sero. Can you move at all?" Midnight asked.

"Are you kidding? Obviously not, my body is freezing!" Sero retorted.

"SERO HAS BEEN IMMOBILIZED! TODOROKI ADVANCES TO THE SECOND ROUND!" Midnight announced. A couple pros started a chant of Nice Try to try to cheer up Sero, but I watched as Todoroki walked towards him, using his flames to free our classmate. He looked... Really sad. I wished I'd known what was going through his head at that point...

It took a while for the ice to be melted, which I helped with what I could reach but once it was, the festival was back in full swing. "WELCOME BACK TO THE FINALS, EVERYONE! SORRY FOR THE 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 torches on the stage ignited again, making me get up.

"Aren't you gonna watch the match, Hino?" Ururaka asked. I turned to her.

"It's vines against electricity, vines are gonna win out. Besides, I better get ready for my match." I answered before walking off. Iida had already gone to one of the waiting rooms, so it was a quiet walk. Though, it did sound like Shiozaki got offended at the description Present Mic provided for her based on his reactions, which was honestly pretty funny...

I sat down in the waiting room, taking a deep breath. I tried to focus on coming up with a plan, but my mind wandered to Todoroki. I wish I knew how to help him, or at least what was going on...

"HE'S IMMOBILIZED! THAT'S ALL FOLKS! IT WAS OVER IN AN INSTANT!" Present Mic's announcement made me look up.

"I knew it." I shook my head. Shiozaki must've made her vines thick enough to where she wouldn't get electrocuted, then moved her vines underground to come up and lift Kaminari into the air. Plants had nothing against fire though... I walked to the entrance to the inside of the arena, adrenaline making my heart pound in my ears. I tried not to show it, but I was nervous as all hell...

"LET'S KEEP PUMPIN' OUT THESE HITS AND MOVE ON! TIME FOR THE FOURTH MATCH! GET READY TO WATCH TWO NEW PLAYERS DUKE IT OUT!" I heard Present Mic announced as I took on more deep breath before hearing the torches ignite again as I walked into the platform. "SHE'S BEEN OUR LEADING LADY FOR THE PAST TWO ROUNDS, FROM CLASS 1-A, IT'S THE GIRL ON FIRE, HINOTORI YAGI! VERSUS.... THE KID WITH ENGINES IN HIS LEGS, IT'S HER CLASSMATE TENYA IIDA FROM THE HERO COURSE!" I would almost hear our classmates talking, debating on who would win.

"Yagi." I looked at Iida. "Best of luck."

"READY..."

"You too, Class Rep." I let out my wings as I echoed Iida's words, getting into a ready stance.

"BEGIN!" At Present Mic's words, I shot forward, using my wings and flames to rocket toward Iida, who was speeding to meet me in the middle. Once we clashed, we started fighting. I could barely hear what Present Mic was saying, focused on the fight ahead of me. I blocked each of his hits, flipping away from the ones I couldn't block before counter attacking, getting a couple good hits in...

After a while of it though, I got tired of it. Once I was in perfect position, I uppercut his jaw before jumping up and using my legs to body slam him, pinning him down with my legs and arms. He struggled for a minute. "I'm sorry, Iida, but I told you I wouldn't hold back!" I told him.

"OUR SPITFIRE'S GOT OUR ENGINE BOY PINNED, WILL HE CRY UNCLE OR CAN HE GET OUT OF THIS!" Present Mic was excited, I could hear it in his voice. But, I was focused on keeping Iida pinned. I had to admit, it was hard to keep Iida pinned down. As well as being 5 foot 11 compared to my 5 foot 2 inch body, he was stronger than I thought he'd be. I'd taken a gamble pinning him, honestly. After a bit more struggling, Iida managed to get free and on his feet, but I wasn't gonna let him use his quirk again. I kept attacking, not letting up before punching him again, knocking him out of bounds.

"IIDA IS OUT OF BOUNDS! HINOTORI MOVES ONTO THE SECOND ROUND!" Midnight announced as I let go, getting up. I smiled before turning to Iida, holding out my hand for him. It took him a minute, but he took it and let me help him up. We both bowed to the other before grinning.

"GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR PLAYERS, FOLKS! A GOOD SHOW OF SPORTSMANSHIP FOLLOWING A GOOD SHOW OF A MATCH! OUR SPITFIRE'S MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ROUND, SO GET READY TO SEE MORE FROM UA'S GIRL ON FIRE." Present Mic announced before the two of us left the arena. As I walked back to the seating area, I heard Present Mic announce Ashido vs Aoyama for the fifth match. It was over pretty quick though, Mina coming out on top.

"Nice job, Mina..." I said out loud, looking up before I saw Ururaka. "Ochaco, hey." I called out to her.

"Oh, hey, Hino. Good job on your match against Iida."

"Thanks, but are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just..."

"Nervous about your match?" I asked knowingly. She looked at me.

"Is it that obvious?" She asked before she sighed. "Well, you're right... We won against Bakugo in the Combat Training, but I hadn't gone against him myself. It's gonna be hard..." I leaned against the wall behind me.

"That's true... He's good, I'll give him that. But, you're smart, all you really gotta do is figure out a way to get close enough to him to use your quirk and remember to adapt if your plan doesn't work." I told her, smiling softly at her. She smiled back, nodding.

"Right! I'll see you in the finals, Hino!" She replied before taking off toward the waiting rooms.

"NOW, LET'S NOT LET THIS HOT STREAK COOL! TIME TO MOVE ONTO THE SIXTH MATCH!" As Present Mic made the announcement for the next match, I got back to our classmates.

"Hey, Hino, way to go!" Jiro told me.

"Thanks, but that match was a lot harder than it looked..." I rubbed the back of my neck as I sat down next to Midoriya's spot, moving Ururaka's drink for her.

"OFFENSE AND DEFENSE! 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 YAYOROZU!"

"How do you think this one'll end? Any clue?" Ojiro asked both Midoriya and I.

"Timing's gonna be the key thing here." Midoriya spoke up first.

"Oh? How so?" Ojiro asked.

"Tokoyami's not as fast as Iida, but he's quick. If she's not careful, she's gonna get knocked out of the ring before she can create anything..." I spoke up, looking at him over my shoulder. Just as Present Mic announced the start of the match, Yayorozu got startled out of her thoughts and Tokoyami attacked with Dark Shadow. Yayorozu was barely able to make shields in time, and with every strike, each one was knocked out of her hand. She kept getting knocked back, Tokoyami only letting up after Yayorozu was knocked out of bounds. She didn't realize it until after Midnight announced Tokoyami as the winner due to her being out of bounds. "Shit, that went about as quickly as I expected... She must have been so lost in thought about what to do, she ended up getting overwhelmed... Damn it..." I leaned back in my seat.

"YIKES! ANOTHER FAST, OVERWHELMING VICTORY! IS IT POSSIBLE THAT TOKOYAMI'S DARK SHADOW IS THE GREATEST QUIRK EVER?! I THINK SO!"

"Tokoyami was way too powerful... I can't believe he forced her out of bounds by focusing his attacks on her shield. He obviously had a strategy that worked out." Midoriya continued my thought process, but I wasn't listening when Ojiro replied. Yayorozu looked like her confidence had been shattered...

"OKAY, LET'S SEE WHO WE'VE GOT FOR YA NEXT! THE SEVENTH MATCHUP INCLUDES TWO COMPLETELY REDUNDANT QUIRKS! ONE OF THEM'S A PASSIONATE, MANLY FIGHTER MADE OUTTA STEEL, THE HERO COURSE'S TETSUTETSU TETSUTETSU!"

"BRING IT!" Tetsutetsu shouted, tipping his head back.

"VERSUS... A PASSIONATE, MANLY FIGHTER MADE OUTTA ROCK! THE HERO COURSE'S EIJIRO KIRISHIMA!" Present Mic announced Kirishima.

"Seriously, even their intros are the same?! Oh god." I laughed a bit, and by the looks of it, Kirishima thought the same thing. I happened to glance back to see Mineta asleep, exchanging a glance with Jirou.

"Look alive, shorty!" She called him, waking him up by injecting one of her earphone jacks into him. I won't lie, his reaction was pretty damn funny...

"CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HOW THIS ONE ENDS! BEGIN!"

"Come on, Kirishima!" I cheered for our red haired classmate as the fight started, noticing Midoriya getting up to find Ururaka. We both knew it was gonna drag on for a while, so I let him. He probably wanted to help Ururaka anyway. After a punch from Kirishima, Tetsutetsu got sassy.

"I thought you were supposed to be strong!" He yelled as he countered.

"Funny, I heard the same lie about you!" Kirishima snapped back before counter attacking.

"Geeze..." I trailed off as I watched the fight. Punch after punch, both kept fighting...

But, eventually... One solid punch from both knocked the other out, resulting in a draw. "WOW, THAT HURT ME AND ALL I'M DOING IS WATCHING THESE GUYS, IS IT OVER?! THE HARDHEADS LOOK LIKE THEY'RE KO'D, BUT WHO'S THE WINNER?!" After a minute of looking between the two, Midnight rose her hand.

"THEY'RE BOTH DOWN, IT'S A DRAW!" She announced.

"A draw? Seriously?" Ojiro commented.

"I had a feeling that would happen, with the two guys having similar quirks, it's natural that they're pretty evenly matched." I replied. "I'm not gonna lie, I'm nervous for the next match... Ururaka vs Bakugo. It'll be an interesting fight to watch, but it won't be easy for Ururaka."

"WHEN THE CONTESTANTS RECOVER FROM THIS BATTLE, THE WINNER WILL BE DETERMINED BY A SIMPLE CONTEST! Perhaps arm wrestling." Midnight continued.

"WHILE WE WAIT FOR TETSUTETSU AND KIRISHIMA TO RECOVER, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT BATTLE!" Present Mic announced.

"Ribbit, this might be the most disturbing matchup..."

"I know, I almost don't wanna watch it." Jirou replied to Tsu.

"THE EIGHT AND FINAL BATTLE OF THE FIRST ROUND OF MATCHES! HE WAS KIND OF A HOT SHOT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND JUST LOOK AT THAT DETERMINED FACE! FROM THE HERO COURSE, KATSUKI BAKUGO! VERSUS THE ONE I'M PERSONALLY ROOTING FOR, ALSO FROM CLASS 1-A, OCHACO URARAKA!"

"You're not supposed to be biased, Mic Sensei..." I shook my head, though I couldn't lie, I was rooting for Ochaco too....

"LET THE EIGHT MATCH... BEGIN!"

Taglist: @qweenexplosionmurder13 @euphorical-angel

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[z-iridest]

My Hero Academia- I Am Phoenix:

Chapter 11- The Sports Festival, Part 3

Not too long after Present Mic made the announcement for lunch, Todoroki walked over to Midoriya and said something to him before the two boys walked off. My brow furrowed a bit. What did Todoroki want with him? I glanced up in the stands to try to find Dad and spotted the one person I'd hoped would stay an awful memory....

Akako Yūgure still had eyes redder than the blood he was able to manipulate, his dark red hair cut shorter than I remembered it being. I repressed a shudder at the sight of him and turned away, leaving the arena. Of course he'd gotten in with everyone else to watch the Sports Festival... While my classmates chatted amongst themselves, I tried to find Midoriya and Todoroki. I didn't feel safe being alone...

I looked for a while until I decided to give up, heading back toward the cafeteria. But, just as I was about to reach the doors, I heard his voice calling out to me. "Babe!" I groaned at the use of the pet name and stopped, turning to face him.

"You know what you're supposed to call me, Yūgure, we're not together anymore." I glared at him as he approached me. He was easily a whole foot taller than me, but for the moment, I didn't care. This was the same person who'd hurt me for two years, I wasn't gonna let him off that easily.

"Hino, baby, don't be like that..." He reached out to tuck my hair behind my ear, but I shoved him away.

"It's Yagi to you... You're the one who hurt me, and I chose not to put up with it anymore, there's nothing more to say."

"Give me another chance, Hino, I've changed..."

"Well, that's hilarious, because you're pulling the same crap you pulled back in junior high. I'm not giving you another chance to hurt me yet again." I interrupted him. "This conversation is over." I turned back around to leave before he said something that made goosebumps cover my skin...

"What's funny is how easily you forgot I can make you do anything I want." Akako told me.

(A/N: From here, a trigger warning is in effect. The following situation contains abuse via a quirk. If this is at all triggering, please scroll to the next red A/N. If not, please feel free to continue)

My breath got caught in my throat as my blood turned boiling hot, making me grit my teeth as my body went rigid, my body moving back to him on its own. "You didn't really think you could get away from me that easily, did you?" I said nothing in reply, glaring at him as I attempted to struggle. "Don't scream or I'll hurt you worse than I did when we were together." He snarled a threat into my ear before wrapping one arm around me and starting to lean into me. For one, small moment, his control slipped and I headbutted him as hard as I could, causing him to cry out in pain and let go of me. I got a few feet away, panting. Since the pro heroes patrolling were on a lunch break, I only had two options, and not a lot of time before he recovered. Either I go get Aizawa, or I get Iida or one of the boys from my class, and I didn't know who was closer....

Fuck it. I started running for the cafeteria again, only to scream in pain as he used his powers on me to drag me back to him again. I didn't mean to scream, especially not as loud as I had, but somebody had to have heard that.... Unfortunately, it also pissed off Akako. He glared at me. "You little bitch, I warned you what was going to happen!" He stiffened his fingers, making an intense pain sear my body as I crumpled to the ground, screaming in pain.

(A/N: Okay, should be good to go ^^ Enjoy the rest of the story!)

He raised his hand to hit me, making me flinch. I should have stayed with the girls or tried harder to find Dad...

"WHAT THE CRAP DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" An explosion rocked through the air, making me watch as a blue blur rocketed over me before a familiar orange and black boot made contact with Akako's face. I would have laughed if I wasn't trying to catch my breath from the pain... Akako stumbled back, glaring at Bakugo.

"This doesn't have anything to do with you, Blondie, get lost. My girlfriend and I are just having a little talk, that's all." Akako tried to make up the same excuses he always did when someone confronted him about the bruises he caused me. As I forced myself to sit up, I saw a pair of light blue sneakers step in front of me. Wait, Todoroki?

"Your girlfriend? You mean our girl?!" Bakugo was practically nose to nose with him at that point as they both shouted at Akako. Their girl? What-

"It didn't look like the two of you were just talking." Todoroki glared, interrupting my thoughts before I could finish them.

"I suggest you leave, extra. The only reason I'm not kicking your ass right now for hurting her is because we're on school grounds. You even look at her again and I'll kill you." Bakugo growled. Akako glared at him as I stood up, Todoroki keeping me behind him. After a minute, Akako put his hands up in surrender.

"Fine, I'll leave." He then glared at me. "Remember, birdie, this isn't over. Not by a long shot." He told me before walking away. I got up as he left, hugging myself.

"Are you okay?" Todoroki asked. In reality, I wasn't, but I wasn't about to let them know that. I nodded numbly.

"You don't look okay, dumbass." Bakugo huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm sorry... I should have tried harder to fight him..."

"Shut up, idiot. He was using his quirk on you, it didn't look like you could fight back." Bakugo interrupted before I could go any further. It was quiet for a minute before Todoroki spoke up.

"What kind of quirk does he have anyway?" Todoroki questioned.

"B-Bloodwork... It lets him reach into the bodies of anything with blood and control them like a puppet master. They have to be in his line of sight for it to work, though." I answered after a second. I flinched involuntarily when Bakugo reached out to grab my arm, being reminded of the times Akako would drag me by my arm after using his quirk on me... I saw Bakugo hesitate with a look of realization before he dropped his hand. Damn it...

"Yagi." Todoroki's voice was soft as he held out his hand, palm up. "Is it okay if I look at your arms? Make sure you're not hurt?" Todoroki asked. I nodded, holding out my arm and letting him roll up the sleeves of my jacket. I watched as he checked me over with Bakugo joining his side. Todoroki's touch was gentle, as if he was scared to hurt me. I knew the damage was gonna be the worst on my back and chest since that's where he focused his quirk on most of the time, and I heard Bakugo growl under his breath. "You have slight bruising on your arms..."

"Oh, i-it's nothing, I'm fine..." I started to shrug it off, but I was cut off as I watched Todoroki hold my hand in his left and used his right to ice the bruises.

"Get to Recovery Girl and then get some food, idiot. Judging by the front of your neck, he did more extensive damage that we can't see." Bakugo informed me, making me touch my throat subconsciously.

"Do you want us to go with you?" Todoroki offered.

"Wait a second, have you guys eaten?" I asked.

"I have." Todoroki and Bakugo said at the same time.

"Just let Icy Hot take you, I'll grab some food for you to eat when you come back." Bakugo told me before stalking off. I blinked before Todoroki led the way to Recovery Girl's office. What was with those two? They usually kept to themselves, Bakugo usually seemed like he hated me, but now all of a sudden, they were protecting me? Why? The walk to Recovery Girl's office was quiet... That is, until Todoroki spoke again.

"How long did he hurt you like that?"

"Maybe about two minutes before you guys showed up? It's a little hard to keep track of time when-"

"That's not what I meant and you know it." He interrupted me. "You were obviously afraid of him, in a way no one should be afraid. The way you reacted... It felt like you knew him for a long time, but he looked happier about seeing you than you did seeing him. How long did he hurt you during the time you were with him?" He looked at me as he questioned me again, almost as if daring me to lie to him. I looked away from him, remembering when Akako first asked me out in our first year of middle school. I'd had a crush on him at the time since elementary school....

"A couple years... It started a couple months after we started dating, and it didn't end until I broke up with him the summer before our third year in middle school. I had to beg my Dad to let me change schools without telling him why."

"Why didn't you tell your Dad what happened?"

"I knew what Dad would do.... Besides, Yugūre said he'd kill me if I ever told anyone." I bumped into him, not noticing that he'd stopped. "S-sorry, I-"

"Yagi, you know you're safe now, right? No one at UA would let anyone hurt us, and they're training us to handle villains..."

"Yeah, I know... The only problem is, he's the one person I feel helpless against." I don't know why that came out of my mouth, I really didn't. But, I wasn't expecting what came next.

"Then let me fight for you the next time he tries anything." He sounded dead serious, and when I looked at him, he looked... Surprised at himself almost. I opened my mouth to ask him if he meant it, but the door to Recovery Girl's office opened.

"Well, hello again, Hinotori.... Oh, dear, let's get that bruising taken care of. Whatever happened, dear?" Recovery Girl asked me, looking worried.

"It's a long story." I answered. But as I took a step forward, I stopped, turning to Todoroki to find him watching me. "Thank you, Todoroki. For earlier and now, I mean." I thanked him before going inside Recovery Girl's office. I sat down on one of the beds in the room, only to find Recovery Girl looking at me with a raised eyebrow, silently asking me to explain what happened. I sighed softly.

"Long story short, I ran into someone I used to know outside the cafeteria. His quirk did this when he used it on me." I explained as I shrugged off my PE jacket.

"Oh dear, the bruising's worse than it looks..." With a smooch to my cheek, Recovery Girl activated her quirk, and I watched as the skin on my arms returned to normal... Though, I felt tired when the process was complete. "There we go, now, you eat this. As helpful as my quirk is, it uses the natural energy from the body to heal you." She reached into her pocket and opened a candy dispenser, dropping a piece into my palm before I popped into my mouth. "From the sounds of it, the bruising is something you're used to... Something you shouldn't be used to, at that." I hesitated before nodding. "Also, it doesn't seem like just someone that you used to know, judging by the look on your face at the moment."

"Yeah... I dated him for a while." I shook my head. "I feel stupid now, the warning signs were so obvious, and I almost lost a friend over him. I used to think that I deserved it, let him knock me down verbally and physically day in and day out. But, one day, I woke up and asked myself what the hell I was thinking, letting someone push me around like that... I got a bad beating that day when I broke things off, but it was worth the feeling of freedom I had afterward." I told her.

"There's a saying I know about that." Recovery Girl sat in her arm chair. "We can't always see the color of a red flag unless we step back. Once we're away from the situation, it's easier to see what's the truth."

"Yeah, sometimes love really is blind..." I trailed off, running a hand through my hair. "I don't think I'm gonna love again... What's the point if I give someone a hundred percent and all I get is hurt?" I dropped my hands to my lap.

"That is up to you, dear, but I don't think you should let that define love for you. You know that wasn't love, and you know it wasn't your fault." Recovery Girl told me, placing her hand over mine. I looked up at her, causing her to smile and gave my hand a gentle squeeze before letting go. Before I could say anything in reply, Bakugo opened the door.

"There you are, idiot. Here." He shoved a bowl into my hands, and when I was able to actually look, I saw katsudon in the bowl. How'd he know? I looked up at him questioningly, making him scoff. "Tch, just eat, dumbass." He told me before he said a quiet hello to Recovery Girl and walked out. I blinked a minute before my stomach rumbled and I began eating. It'd been a while since I had katsudon, the last I ever ate it being my mom's recipe...

"You know, if I remember correctly, your mother ate katsudon for lunch nearly everyday. I think most girls were jealous of her because she never seemed to gain a pound."

"I can see why she ate it everyday, it's good fuel after or before a workout, honestly." I shrugged. She smiled a bit.

"That's what she said too." Recovery Girl told me. It was quiet for a minute before it hit me. She probably knew what Dad was like too....

"What was Dad like?" I asked.

"A lot like Midoriya, kept to himself, quiet, but people flocked to him naturally. All Might and Asuka were attached at the hip back in those days too. If All Might got hurt, she was the one hauling him in while giving him an earful about not being so careless. When they graduated, I thought they would get married someday... It was obvious to me that he loved Asuka very much..." She looked out the window. "But, nothing ever came of it. All Might remained friends with your mother, but he told me he lost contact with her for a couple years. When they reconnected, she was pregnant with a little baby and didn't want to talk about what had happened." I set my bowl off to the side for the moment, hanging on Recovery Girl's every word. I should have figured Dad had been in love with Mom from the beginning, but why hadn't he told her even after I entered the picture? "The day you were born, I watched All Might blossom from a professional hero rising in the ranks to a father figure in a child's life. It was almost as if he started fighting even harder for his sweet girl." She smiled before it dropped. "Though, when we heard the news about your mother, I knew he must have been heartbroken. But, he still put on a smile for everyone else. I'm not sure if he's ever taken the time to properly grieve, even after all this time."

"Honestly, I don't think either of us have... A week after Mom died, I asked Dad to start training me. It kept us both distracted." I replied, looking at her. Shaking my head, I stood up. "Anyway, I better take this back to the cafeteria. Thank you, Recovery Girl."

"Of course, dear." She smiled. I gave a small smile before I left. Again, not smart to walk by myself, but I didn't have a choice at this point. Before I got too far, though, I heard the sound of Iida's engines and turned.

"Yagi, are you all right?! The girls told me they saw someone attack you." Iida asked. The poor guy looked so panic stricken...

"I'm okay, I just finished up with Recovery Girl. It wasn't anything too serious, just a run in with my ex." I shrugged a bit. "Actually, since Bakugo brought me food, I'm taking this back to Lunch Rush." I held up the empty bowl and chopsticks.

"Allow me to accompany you, as class president, it's my duty to ensure that the incident doesn't repeat itself." Iida told me, hand motions and all. I opened my mouth to say I was fine, but if Akako was still prowling around, it was probably a better idea to have Iida with me.

"Okay, sure. I could use the company." I smiled. He beamed back before we walked together. After a minute, I spoke up again. "Have you heard anything from your brother? He's probably watching the Sports Festival, right?" I asked.

"I did try to call him, but no answer. He must be on patrol right now." Iida answered. I nodded.

"Hopefully everything's going well." I replied. I didn't say it out loud, but I knew firsthand just how bad patrols could go if things took the wrong turn. I didn't know it at the time, but that one, innocent little remark was gonna come back to bite me in the ass and then some...

Just as I returned the dishes to Lunch Rush, I heard footsteps coming toward us. "Hino!" I heard Ururaka call my name. I smiled at Iida.

"Thanks, Iida."

"Of course. I'll see you in the next round." Iida smiled back before leaving me with the girls. When I turned around, I saw that the girls were dressed in orange cheerleading outfits.

"What... The hell... Are you wearing?" I questioned, looking at all my classmates. It had white across the chest, the UA letters in green and gold. The skirts were way too short for my liking...

"They're the cheerleading uniforms."

"Yeah, Ururaka, I see that. What I mean is why are they on you?"

"Aizawa said that the girls were to wear the cheerleading outfits." Yayorozu told me. "I made one for you."

"I sure as hell don't remember that happening, who told you guys that?" I asked.

"Mineta and Kaminari reminded us..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Mineta and Kaminari?" I asked. The girls nodded. "Okay, girls, this sounds like a perverted scheme to me."

"Come on, Hino, it'll be more fun if all of us do it... Pleeeeease?" Ururaka asked. Pretty soon, I found all five girls (sorry Hagakure!) were pouting at me in a begging look. I opened my mouth but no sound came out. What the hell was I supposed to do? I shook my head.

"Girls, come on, no. I don't trust Mineta or Kaminari, nothing you say or do is gonna work." I turned my back to them. Thankfully, before any of them could protest, the bell rung, making the students vacate the cafeteria, and thanks to that, the girls left me alone... Saved by the damn bell...

"GET THOSE FOAM FINGERS IN THE AIR! IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR THE LAST ROUND! BUT, BEFORE THAT, GOOD NEWS TO ANYONE WHO DIDN'T MAKE THE FINALS. SINCE THIS IS THE SPORTS FESTIVAL, WE'VE PREPARED SOME SUPER FUN SIDE GAMES EVERYONE CAN PARTICIPATE IN! WE EVEN BROUGHT IN CHEERLEADERS FROM AMERICA TO GET YOUR BLOOD PUMPING! Wh- Hold up."

"What're they doing?" Aizawa sounded just as confused as Present Mic, and I suddenly felt thankful that I hadn't worn the stupid outfit, but Aizawa's confusion made all six of my poor female classmates looked embarrassed.

"LOOKS LIKE CLASS 1-A'S GOIN' FULL ON FAN SERVICE!" Just as I thought, it was all just a perverted scheme. I formed a fire whip and cracked it, making sure it snapped right at Kaminari and Mineta's ears, making them yelp. Meanwhile, Yayorozu was just as pissed.

"WHAT?! YOU TRICKED US?! YOU'RE GONNA REGRET THIS!" Yayorozu threatened as I joined her side. She dropped to her knees. "Why is it that I always fall for that little pervert's schemes?" Yayorozu asked herself as Ururaka and I tried to comfort her. "I even used my quirk to make these outfits..." Jirou threw her pom poms down.

"UGH! I hate those guys!" She shouted as she hugged herself. The total opposite of Jirou, Hagakure raised hers into the air.

"Well, we do have a little time before the finals start, and I kinda like these uniforms, so... How bout we just roll with it?!"

"Are you crazy?!" Jirou countered as Hagakure danced in place a bit. I had to admit, for someone who was invisible, she really was adorable...

"Wow, Toru, you've got skills." Tsu admired her. The crowd cheered as Present Mic continued.

"HAVE FUN COMPETING IN THESE LITTLE SIDE GAMES, EVERYONE! AFTER THEY'RE OVER, THE 16 STUDENTS FROM THE TOP FOUR TEAMS WILL BE DUKING IT OUT ONE ON ONE IN A TOURNAMENT STYLE FIGHTING COMPETITION! I PROMISE YOU'RE NOT GONNA WANNA MISS THESE EPIC MATCHUPS!"

"Aw, yeah! Finally getting the chance to show what we're made of." Kirishima took a big breath, making me smile a bit. "I watch these finals every year and now, I'm actually in them!" Kirishima exclaimed in excitement.

"So, wait, is it always a tournament?" Mina asked. I nodded.

"The final's always a one on one competition, but they switch it up every time." Sero explained.

"Last year was a foam sword fighting match." I finished, suddenly thinking how fun it would be to beat Bakugo to death with a foam sword....

"Come closer and draw lots to see who you're up against. Then enjoy the pleasure of the recreational games before we start. The 16 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. I'll start with the first place team." Midnight told us. Before she could step toward them, Ojiro spoke up.

"Um, excuse me..." He raised his hand. "Sorry, but I'm withdrawing."

"Ojiro, no way!" Midoriya exclaimed.

"Ojiro, what's going through your head?" I asked.

"This is a rare chance for you to get scouted..." Iida pointed out.

"It just wouldn't be right. I barely remember anything from the cavalry battle until the very end of it." He admitted. "I... Think it was that guy's Quirk..." Wait, which team was Ojiro with again? "I know this is a great opportunity, but my conscience won't let me..."

"Just think about this..." Midoriya trailed off.

"I have, okay?" He clenched his fist, looking at it. "Everyone gave their all in the second round, but I was just someone's puppet. No way. I don't wanna advance if I don't even know how I got here. It wouldn't be fair."

"You're making way too much of this!" Hagakure exclaimed, her voice pleading with him to reconsider. "Just kill it in the finals and prove you should be here."

"Yeah, what she said." Mina piped up. "I didn't do much in the battle either..."

"That's not it." Ojiro covered his face. "I'm talking about my pride here. I refuse to give that up." He hesitated for a minute before he asked, "Also, why are all the girls except for Yagi dressed like cheerleaders?" That made us all deadpan.

"Don't ask." I plainly answered. A shorter boy walked up to Midnight.

"Nirengeki Shoda from Class 1-B... I think I should withdraw for the exact same reason. Regardless of how strong I am, this isn't how I wanted to get here... It would go against the values of the festival to advance without earning my spot." He spoke. Kirishima teared up a bit from between Bakugo and Sero.

"Listen to these guys... They're so manly!" He exclaimed.

"Well, now, here's another weird turn of events." Present Mic wasn't exclaiming in excitement like earlier, sounding calmer.

"We'll have to see what Midnight has to say about all this- She's the one in charge." Aizawa followed up. A moment of silence passed for a second.

"This sort of talk is incredibly naive, my boys. That turns me on! Shoda! Ojiro! You're withdrawn!" Midnight exclaimed. Did she just say it turns her on? I thought, looking at my classmates. From the looks on their faces, they thought the same thing. Aoyama put a hand on Ojiro's shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll win it for you." He promised, though it made me snort.

"Now, let's see... We'll have to move two students up from the fifth place calvary team so we have enough contestants." Midnight mused.

"We were frozen most of the time... Honestly, we barely did anything in the Calvary battle... Isn't that right?" The carrot top turned to her teammates, who agreed with her. "You should choose from the team who kept fighting the whole time, Team Tetsutetsu." The silver head turned in surprise to face her.

"Kendo!"

"I'm not doing this as a favor, it's just fair." Kendo replied.

"Seriously, you guys! Thank you!" Just like Kirishima, Tetsutetsu teared up. I swear, it was like those two were twins....

"And so, Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki have advanced to the final!" Midnight gestured with her whip again. "Take a look at the bracket, my dears. These are your opponents!" Funny enough, one of the matchups was Kirishima vs Tetsutetsu.

"Seriously?! How does this keep happening?!" They exclaimed at the same time. I shook my head before seeing that Yayorozu was against Tokoyami, Mina was against Aoyama, Kaminari was against Shiozaki, Midoriya was against Shinsou in the first match of the first bracket, Sero was against Todoroki in the second match, meanwhile mine was against.... I exchanged glances with Iida.

"Better bring it." I told him.

"Only if you will." He replied. Ochaco was against Bakugo, and considering he didn't recognize anybody by their real name half the time, it was pretty funny seeing his confusion and her reaction to him.

"OKAY! LET'S PAUSE FOR A MOMENTARY INTERLUDE! BEFORE THE BATTLES BEGIN, IT'S TIME FOR SOME PULSE-POUNDING SIDE GAMES!" Present Mic was back to his excited self in no time. While the other girls who were participating in the finals cheered for the others, I left the arena, staying in the shade while thinking about how to beat Iida. Our class president's power was in speed, and using my flames against him wasn't a good idea unless the crowd wanted to get burned... Maybe for a boost of speed when I needed it, but not for combat. I could easily keep up with him with my wings, but if he used that explosive speed again... I leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes. My head was starting to hurt from thinking too hard about this...

"After what happened at lunch, it's not exactly a good idea to be alone." I opened my eyes to see Todoroki standing next to me.

"Well, I'm not alone now." I scooted over and patted the spot next to me. Honestly I didn't think he would take the invitation, but he did, plopping down beside me. We sat in silence for a second. "How're you feeling? About the finals, I mean... Are you nervous at all?" Todoroki shook his head.

"I just want to win using only my left side... I'm not going to use that monster's quirk." He replied. I was silent for a minute, looking at my hand.

"Your flames aren't your father's, just like my wings aren't my mother's." I created a flame in my palm, twisting and turning my hand until I formed a Phoenix. "Your flames are all yours, part of you. Maybe it's not a part of you that you like or think it's bad, but instead of trying to suppress it, it's better to make room for it since it's still part of you..." When I looked at him, he looked confused. I groaned and dropped my head. "Nothing I'm saying is making sense, is it?" I asked. I sighed, looking up at the sky after no vocal reaction came from him before dispersing the flames I'd created and looked at him again. "Look, all I'm saying is that being a hero means giving it your all. If you only use half your power, what's the point?" I asked, facing him. Hesitantly, I placed a hand over his. "Your fire, and your ice, they're the powers that you can use to determine what kind of hero you want to be. Not even your father has the power to decide for you." I told him. "At least think about it, okay?" I gave his hand a gentle squeeze before letting go and standing up as the crowd cheered from the stadium. "I'll see you in the finals." I told him before I started walking back.

I knew words alone weren't gonna convince him, but maybe if I gave it my all against him and showed him... I sighed softly. If I was going to end up fighting him, it wasn't going to be easy, especially if he used his flames against me as well as his ice... I happened to look up at that moment, seeing the number two hero himself... His face was mostly masked by his flames, and at 6 foot 5, he towered over me. He had crimson red hair, just like the left side of Todoroki's hair, and his turquoise eyes were filled with hatred for my father, the person who always one uped him. Endeavor was a good hero, I'll give him that much. He had the highest number of solved cases, and intimidated most villains he went up against in about 5 seconds. The only thing really keeping him in second place was the public's approval of him. Just like he intimidated villains, most citizens were terrified of him. As a kid, I used to be one of them... Now, though... Not so much. He saw me and we both stopped. "So, you must be All Might's girl. My son will defeat you and your father, it's what's destined for him." He spoke after a moment, his voice a deep baritone. He started to walk away before I started to reply, making him stop in his tracks.

"Destined for him? You mean what you want for him? He's not you, and I'm not my dad." I turned to look at him, the glare still there. He was looking at me from over his shoulder. "So, don't treat either of us like it." I started to walk away, leaving him with words that were bitter. "Maybe if you treated him more like a son and less like a tool for your dreams, you'd have more respect from him."

Before long, I had calmed down, joining my classmates in the stands with a small smile as Present Mic introduced the start of the final round. "HEY SPORTS FANS, ARE YOU READY?!" The crowd cheered in response before Present Mic continued. "AFTER ALL THE ACTION YOU'RE ALREADY WITNESSED, IT'S TIME FOR THE REAL BATTLES TO BEGIN! CAN YOU FEEL THE EXCITEMENT?! OUR COMPETITORS ARE ON THEIR OWN NOW! SOMETIMES HEROES HAVE ONLY THEMSELVES TO RELY ON! HEART, SKILL, STRENGTH, WISDOM, COURAGE... THEY'LL HAVE TO USE ALL OF THESE THINGS TO RISE TO THE TOP!" Midoriya must be feeling nervous right about now, being in the first match and all... A scoff brought me out of my thoughts, and when I looked over to my left, I saw Bakugo next to me. Before I could say anything to him though, the torches on the arena Cementoss had created ignited, Present Mic taking it as the signal to start the matches. "ALL RIGHT, AUDIENCE! LET'S CUT TO THE GOOD STUFF AND NOT DELAY THESE FINALS ANY LONGER! WELCOME OUR FIRST FIGHTERS!" A picture of the two boys popped up, and I grimaced when I saw that Midoriya's picture looked like he was surprised. "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! THE RULES ARE SIMPLE, IMMOBILIZE YOUR OPPONENT OR FORCE THEM OUT OF THE RING! YOU CAN ALSO WIN BY GETTING THE OTHER PERSON TO CRY UNCLE! BRING ON THE INJURIES, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT OUR VERY OWN RECOVERY GIRL WAITING ON STANDBY! SO, PUT YOUR MORALS ASIDE, AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO FIGHT DIRTY!" Just like I thought it would, that last remark made Bakugo smirk. Oh great.... "BUT, OF COURSE, NO LIFE THREATENING CRAP, FOLKS! IT'S NOT ALLOWED! REAL HEROES USE THEIR POWER TO THROW VILLAINS IN JAIL, NOT KILL THEM!"

"I'll stop anyone who tries to get too rough." Cementoss spoke up as he sat down in the chair he'd made.

"READY...." Before Present Mic could officially kick things off, I noticed Shinsou was talking to Midoriya... "BEGIN!" And the way Midoriya went from shocked to pissed off in a matter of three seconds. According to what Midoriya told me afterward, Shinsou had riled him up by talking crap about Ojiro... All I knew in that moment was that I never, ever, wanted to piss off Midoriya...

"DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT HIM THAT WAY!" Midoriya roared as he charged Shinsou, only to stop dead out of nowhere.

"What the hell?!" I exclaimed, leaning forward. Ojiro groaned in frustration as he stood up.

"I warned him not to say anything!" He exclaimed. Present Mic was just as confused as I was.

"HUH?! HEY, HEY, WHAT'S THE DEALIO?! THIS IS THE FIRST MATCH! IT SHOULD START OUT WITH A BANG! THE FINALS HAVE JUST BEGUN AND IZUKU MIDORIYA IS... COMPLETELY FROZEN?!" Ojiro wasn't the only one standing either, Iida and Ochaco also standing in shock. I stood up.

"MIDORIYA, SNAP OUT OF IT!" I tried shouting at him, but it was no use. He looked like he was in a daze, and I wasn't gonna be able to help him...

Shit....

To Be Continued....

Taglist: @qweenexplosionmurder13 @euphorical-angel

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