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aspenforest732 · 10 months ago

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Bello Licentiae Chapter 9: Even Mistakes Can Be Wonderful

Summary:

tw: ableism, quirk elitism, trauma mentions, torture mentions, electroshock 'therapy' mentions, security threat, discrimination, audism, medical bias, grief, loss, deadnaming, death, mourning Second half of provisional licensing exam 'text' JSL Text thoughts

The tension snapped as Midoriya and Katsuki's groups burst into the room. Akira swiftly stood and snapped, ' Consider the second factor helping you get your license. ' They stalked over to their classmates as the room settled back into chatter, although a bit quieter than previously. Looking over the group, they nodded at the lack of serious injuries and turned to lead Kaminari and Hitoshi to their table when Midoriya stopped them.

"Hey, I know we're not on great terms right now, but I wanted your thoughts on a quirk I ran into," Midoriya babbled. "I think Camie has a Stranger quirk, although I'm not sure what its source is. She can turn into other people! Isn't that cool?"

Akira tensed and slid their gaze over Camie, who slunk into the room around the two groups. ' Really? What'd it look like when she shifted? '

Midoriya grinned, "It was almost like she melted going from Uraraka back to herself. The in between was a kind of muddy, person-shaped blob."

Jackpot . Akira nodded thoughtfully, ' Definitely a Stranger quirk then. Possibly secondary Changer depending on her limitations. Could she use Float Girl's quirk? '

"I didn't see her use it, but it's possible she didn't know how," Midoriya descended into muttering. Akira could pick out a few words here and there about applications.

' I'm going to head back with these two. Congrats on passing, ' Akira signed. Kaminari happily described their fight with Seiji while they walked towards the table, and Akira pulled out their phone slightly to type Camie into their prewritten message and send to Aizawa. They startled as Kaminari explained the folding aspect of Seiji's quirk, but perhaps it was a more common manifestation where the kid was from. There were plenty of electrical quirks that functioned similarly to each other.

As they sat down, Akira kept an eye on Camie while checking on Yaoyorozu. ' You should stop there and wait ten minutes before getting solid food. That should give you enough to work with for the second half, ' Akira said as they took the tumbler back.

Hitoshi glared at his phone before showing it to Kaminari and turning to Akira. "So we're going to find out via news now?"

Akira huffed, ' That's not fair and you know it. They gave no notification of the press conference as far as I'm aware, and only their devoted reporters and ones trusted by the Commission were invited. Raven and Murder God know because of the hospital and League. I was planning on telling Mad Banquet shortly before the press conference once I knew when it would be. '

"So," Yaoyorozu started, a hungry glint in her eye, "you're a legacy kid? I never saw you at the galas."

Don't snap. Don't. Snap. Akira took a steadying breath and settled on waving a hand dismissively. ' I was believed to be quirkless until I was thirteen. They wouldn't have mentioned my existence. '

"You got fixed, though. There have been several since then, though," Yaoyorozu said, feigning passivity but eyes burning with curiosity as she leaned forward slightly. "Why-"

' Drop it, ' Akira signed sharply as their gaze hardened. ' I'm not interested in your bullshit teenage politics, and I'm not going to galas full of people who pretend to tolerate each other for ridiculous games. ' The two glared at each other, table waiting with baited breath.

"Hey, did you hear the rumor that a Quirkless is here?" Kaminari rushed on as the focus shifted, "It's pretty cool they want to be a hero, right?"

Yaoyorozu scoffed, "As if the Commission would allow one of them to get that far. They're not even really people at this point."

Akira shot to their feet, knocking their chair backwards with a screech . Kaminari jumped, falling slightly into Hitoshi. ' You're no longer welcome at this table. You're stable, so leave. Any who share that sentiment should leave now. '

"I was just stating facts." Yaoyorozu examined her nails oh so casually, expression almost bored. "It's not like—"

' Enough! ' Akira interrupted and stalked to her side of the table. Silence rippled outward as heads turned their way again. ' Figures that an ableist prick would be quirkist, too. Now get out before I make you. '

Yaoyorozu's face morphed into shock, hands frozen as they got in her space. With a snarl, their capture scarf rose, and she scrambled to her feet. Yaoyorozu brushed imaginary dirt off a few steps away and strode towards the buffet while Akira glared daggers into the back of her head.

Whipping back around, Akira snapped, ' Anyone else? ' Kaminari practically buzzed with curiosity while Hitoshi looked down with a slightly exasperated smile.

Uraraka stared after her friend but shook her head. "That's so weird, she's usually not like that."

"She is though, ribbit," Tsu looked thoughtfully at her girlfriend. "It's just not directed at you."

Uraraka started to protest, but Shouji and the others shut her down before Akira had to. Nearby students turned back to hushed conversations now that the theatrics were over. Capture scarf resettling, Akira's gaze drifted over the room then snapped back to Aizawa and a couple security guards escorting Camie out, who had slinked towards the door during the confrontations.

As they slipped back into their chair, they shot a text to Anka to warn her about Yaoyorozu. ' And yes, Electric Rat, I think it's great that she's going to become a hero. '

"Oh! Did you meet her? What's she like?" Kaminari started to lean towards them but stopped at Hitoshi's hand on their arm.

' Quite nice, very driven as you have to be in that situation, ' Akira found themself smiling a little.

"Does she use support items, ribbit?"

Looking around the table, Akira took note of Shoji's casual interest, Hitoshi's closed-off expression, Kaminari's open curiosity, Tsu's curious head tilt, and Uraraka's hesitant smile. After a moment, they signed, ' I can ask if she'd like to meet you, but don't treat her like a charity case or a museum or zoo exhibit. If you want to ask a question, first think about how you would feel if it was directed at you. If it would feel too personal, weird, or creepy, don't ask it. '

"Do people actually do that?" Uraraka recoiled slightly, expression twisted in hurt. Akira nodded and texted Anka with the offer.

Moments later, she flopped into the seat next to Akira. "Hey there! I'm Anka Fuji or Apex. Akira said you guys were cool with the whole Quirkless thing. What're your names?"

As everyone introduced themselves, Akira scanned each of them for any red flags. They nearly choked at the odd, knowing expression Hitoshi gave them and signed ' What? '

' First names? ' Akira just rolled their eyes and refocused on her.

Anka fielded a few blessedly standard questions, everyone steering clear of anything related to quirks. Until, that is, Kaminari blurted out, "Have you ever thought about forced quirk manifestation?"

Akira's jaw dropped as they stared at Kaminari. They leaned forward slightly to give a "what the fuck" look to Hitoshi, who looked mortified. Akira turned back to Anka, who was looking at them worriedly but otherwise just seemed a bit uncomfortable. Snapping their mouth shut, they signed so the whole table could clearly see. ' I'm going to assume you don't fully understand what that is because I would hope you wouldn't suggest that otherwise. Forced Quirk Manifestation is an extremely traumatic process and should be illegal. Do not ever say something like that to anyone, much less a Quirkless person. '

Kaminari frowned in confusion, eyes darting back and forth on the table as Akira relaxed slightly at the expression. "Sorry, I came across it when looking at the effects of electricity in different parts of the brain. The articles made it sound fast and relatively painless."

' Ah, Shaker or Brute FQM. The timing depends on a number of factors, but... ' Akira took a shuddering breath as phantom shocks coursed through their body. They gently rubbed their arms to help chase away some of the pain before continuing, ' it's always extremely painful and often deadly. '

Anka finally spoke, voice far less enthusiastic than before. "It's usually forced on us as children or happens when we go through something very traumatic. So Akira's right, it's either going to bring up horrible memories of what was done to us or others in our community." She quickly diverted, "Were you looking for information on your own quirk?"

Kaminari launched into the neuroscience behind why he had seizures and how theoretically he could target specific parts of their brain to increase productivity or turn off specific emotions. Hitoshi looked like they wanted to jump in with why that would be too dangerous, but Kaminari was already going into the risk factors and why he wasn't going to try it yet. The yet drew a concerned glance between Akira and Hitoshi, but they silently agreed to talk about it later. Maybe Katsuki or Kirishima can get through to him .

Anka recommended a regulator in their costume to keep the electricity away from his brain. Kaminari grinned broadly and tapped a note into their phone while launching into questions about her gear. Satisfied that the conversation was redirected from sensitive topics, Akira felt a small sense of relief at the text confirmation of Toga's capture from Aizawa. Now she can finally get some help , Akira thought bittersweetly as their heart panged.

"Pardon me," a Shiketsu student covered in hair walked up. "My name is Mora Nagamasa or Chewyee. Have you seen a blonde girl about this height? I'm trying to find my classmate."

Akira nodded and Hitoshi continued to interpret, ' You'll want to speak with security. If you're the class rep, they should be making their way back to explain the situation to you. '

"Is she in trouble? Camie's been acting a bit odd for the past few days, but I didn't think it would become serious enough for security to be involved..." he trailed off as Akira shot off a text to inform Aizawa of the timeline.

' Like I said, security will talk with you— ah, there they are, ' Akira waved security over. ' It's a bit complicated, and they'll explain. '

As the last group of students came in, including the rest of 1-A, the large monitors flickered to life and showed the battlefield they had been competing in crumbling. All the buildings and structures were destroyed to varying degrees, turning the arena into a disaster site.

"We will have you all perform rescue exercises as bystanders in this disaster site." Mera went on to explain the conditions and the paid actors from Help Us Company. Akira frowned, the name ringing a bell as they quickly searched the Quirkless forums for it. They winced at the less than stellar reviews for discrimination and showed it to Anka.

'You should probably pair up with someone in case they try to grade you unfairly,' Akira suggested, mouth pressed into a thin line. 'Although that could risk them accrediting everything to the other.'

"I've got first aid training and experience, so we shouldn't be grouped up," Anka said thoughtfully. She started digging through her bag and paused a few times with nods. "I have some items that would help with stabilization and finding people. Tailman would be a good pair up in both regards."

Akira firmly nodded and brought her over to the martial artist. ' Apex, this is Tailman. Tailman, Apex. Watch out for discrimination with HUC. '

As the room opened up, Mortis took off with their class, drifting over to run with Siren so they could act as an interpreter. Dynamight, Red Riot, Chargebolt, and Alien Queen split off towards the rock formations while the rest of them headed into the city. ' Tentacole, Earphone Jack, and Anima, spread out and inform us where people are located. Twinkling and Sugarman, you're on breaking up pieces of rubble that can't be moved. Tsukuyomi and Cellophane, the three of us should be in different groups for extracting people. Siren, with me. Creati, Shoto, and Uravity, you should focus on supporting unstable structures and moving rubble out of the way. Deku and Ingenium, carefully move people to the first aid station once that's set up. Tailman, Froppy, and Apex, you know what you're doing. '

When Tentacole sent the location of the first few sets of people over the coms, Deku moved to take a kid on the surface while Creati and Sugarman went off towards an elderly man further into the rubble. Mortis, Siren, and Shoto headed towards a larger cluster of victims as Tentacole and Earphone Jack called out more locations over the coms.

The group cautiously entered the partially collapsed building and, with a little more guidance from Tentacole, picked their way through the lobby and to the stairwell where four people were stuck amidst rubble. Eyeing a partially collapsed wall, Mortis checked the width and signed, ' Load bearing. Shoto, slowly reinforce it with ice before we move anything. Keep a flame going to avoid shock. How are you all feeling? Can any of you move right now? '

"Minus points!" one of the adults called out. "You shouldn't need someone else to talk for you. Heroes need to be able to work independently."

Mortis grimaced but pushed on, ' If none of you can move, that's fine. We're going to get you out, just need to make sure nothing's going to fall while we do so. '

"Looks like we're good to move most of this, but Shoto we need more support for this part of the stairs," Siren reported. As he did so, they started checking the victims for concussions. Once they were confident only one of the victims had one, they started moving the rubble with Shoto.

Noticing a spattering of fake blood on one of the pieces, Mortis gestured for Siren to take it while they activated their speaker, "Sir, can you move leg? Any pain?"

The HUC member frowned but said, "I can move it, but it hurts a lot. What if it's broken?"

Mortis carefully examined the leg first without touching it, noting the fake bruising and mock pained gasp as they put light pressure on the area. ' We'll get you to the first aid station once we get everyone out, but it doesn't look like a serious break. Does anything else hurt? ' At his denial, they gently wrapped and splinted his leg to keep it from getting worse. Once the rubble was cleared, the trio confirmed with Tentacole that this was the only group in the building and made their way to the first aid station.

As the group reached the first aid station, Mortis established what care had been done and what they'd observed. The blonde girl in charge easily accepted the new patients and started distributing work among the other two heroes. Just as they were about to move out towards another cluster of victims, a large series of explosions rang out through the stadium. Mortis immediately checked for loose debris, shielding a few people with their clones as another student batted the falling pieces out of the way.

As Mera announced the second phase of the rescue trial, Tentacole announced over coms, "Gang Orca and dozens of villains approaching first aid station. Send backup to that location."

Grand charged forward and set off an earthquake, throwing most of the minions off as Deku froze. Mortis rapidly signed to Siren, ' Try to get Gang Orca. I'll focus on—'

Eyes wide, Mortis rapid-fire multiplied their clones, creating a barrier between the villain's sonic attack as it threw Grand back. Shoto shot out an ice wall and covered the ground further back in ice, trapping the minions or at least delaying them. As more heroes ran up to the station, Mortis directed their clones to start moving the victims away from the fight.

While Gang Orca was distracted by Shoto, they quickly checked Grand's ears and chest, listening for fluid in his lungs. With the kid only paralyzed for now, Mortis wrapped their capture weapon to support his head and neck like they had with Pixie Bob and started half carrying half dragging him away.

As Siren stepped up beside Shoto, Gale Force neared on a personal tornado. Akira felt a few of their clones dispel early, so they carefully had them lower or hold out their victims and released them once another dispelled. They waved over Gale Force and gestured to the next group of victims that needed to be moved. ' The ones in that section have critical injuries that will need extra support to be safely moved. Only take ones you're confident will not be further injured by your winds. '

"No, I should help with the villains," Gale Force scowled, already starting towards the fight.

Mortis stared at him and sharply motioned to the victims. ' Shoto and Siren can handle Gang Orca, and I can provide barriers for minions who slip through. We need more on evacuations right now. '

Shoto traded bursts of flame back and forth with Gang Orca's sonic blasts, using ice to block as Siren tried to goad him into responding. The minions gave up trying to free themselves from his ice field and held up circular weapons, calling them out as cement guns as they rained fire down the street. Mortis rapidly set up a field of clones as Shoto blocked a number of the shots with another ice wall and Gale Force finally started moving the victims. Between the several hierarchy levels and globs of quickly hardening concrete, Mortis was losing clones faster than they could safely make new ones for an effective barrier. Keeping an eye out for stragglers and any slipping through defenses, they took long dregs from their costume stores to keep up with their metabolism.

The faster rescue heroes returned, grabbing another group as Gang Orca tossed Siren aside and grabbed Shoto by the throat. SHIT. Mortis rushed Gang Orca with their clones, warping to start a new hierarchy chain even as the minions rushed forward.

Mortis flinched as a sonic wave tore through their clones, pulsing through their veins as they fought to stay afloat. Seeing Shoto's stiff body in Gang Orca's clawed hand, they fought every nerve in their body screaming to run. Come on , you can see he's not a Wren. Think. It's a cone, so... there!

Mortis warped just in front of Gang Orca, out of the attack. Shooting out their capture weapon, Mortis used the momentum of another warp to slam the villain away from Shoto, his grip loosening and eyes widening slightly in surprise. They darted back as the minions started to rush the area, only to be buffeted back with them as Gale Force rolled heavy winds their way.

Mortis unsteadily swayed to their feet, vision pulsing as they tried to get their bearings. Pain exploded in their left leg, and it buckled as concrete enveloped it. Mortis quickly warped, blinking through the haze as they checked on Siren, who definitely had a concussion. Knowing that would only make his quirk drawback worse, Mortis threw an arm around their shoulders and helped him walk towards where they left Grand.

Mortis bristled as Gale Force seemed to be working against Shoto instead of with him as their quirks that should pair well together instead dispersed each other. They tucked the two out of commission heroes into an alleyway and darted towards the pair, stopping short as Deku whizzed past, green lightning dancing across his skin.

"What are you doing? Dry him out together! Gang Orca probably struggles with hydration because of his quirk," Deku yelled at the two as Mortis extended their crutches to catch themself. Shifting weight off their left leg, they warped to the side as another earthquake broke up the minions. "Mortis, we need a front line to keep the villains back!" Deku called out.

Why is it always that leg. Gritting their teeth against the pain, Mortis warped more clones forward, rapidly building their numbers back up as Shoto and Gale Force boxed off Gang Orca with a wall of fire. The villains hesitated at their boss' containment and started towards him, only to be slammed into by Deku's Shoot Style and Mortis' swarm of clones. Reinforcements soon arrived, and just as Gang Orca burst free from the firenado, Mera announced the end of the test with the successful extraction of the last HUC members.

Akira helped Hitoshi and Shoto to the infirmary, insisting that if they were getting checked out the other two need to as well. The nurse poured dissolving solution on the concrete as he checked over them and a few others for injuries. After a few minutes, Akira could see their leg again and sighed at the large gash and inflamed area where the projectile hit at an odd angle. Gently pressing on the area, Akira signed, ' Either a nondisplaced break or bad fracture. I'll just keep it immobile and let Recovery Girl take a look. '

"You'd be in a lot more pain if it was a break, so don't worry about that," the nurse huffed as he applied a bandage to their cut. "Mild concussion for you, moderate for you two, so you need to be monitored for the next 24 hours. I've got worse injuries to deal with today, so I don't have the energy for your minor ones. Follow up with your doctor, and you'll be fine."

Akira cocked their head and corrected, ' There are a number of factors that go into someone's pain, including how they show it and what their pain tolerance is. I'm fine with your suggestion, but you should be more aware of this when talking with patients. '

Eventually, they made their way to the board, Akira standing a little outside the crowd with Mad Banquet to avoid jostling their leg. Everyone in 1-A except Katsuki and Shoto was on the board, and Akira glared at Yoarashi as he approached and apologized even as Shoto accepted. Anka was fortunately on the board, and the girl shot Akira a grin as their eyes met.

Looking over their results, Akira frowned at the points deducted for not talking, eating during the exam, and several other issues targeting their disabilities. There were a few normal critiques on their first aid and rescue protocol, but it still left a sour feeling in their gut. A 70 wasn't bad, but still. Other students with "undesirable" quirks and Anka received similar discriminatory marks, so Akira told them to report the results to their homeroom teacher.

As the class went to get their provisional license cards, Akira readied themself for the backlash. They stepped up between Fumikage and Koji and ran through their information.

The worker frowned and looked between them and the computer. "You're an Inoue, though. Why are you registering under your cover name?"

Akira sighed, ' My preferred name is Akira Mori. You don't need to know why, and that is my legal name. '

He frowned but entered it after a moment. "Hero name?"

' Umbra Mortis. ' Hearing the keys clack more than necessary, Akira added, ' May I review the information before you print the license? '

He gave them a bored look but shrugged and spun the monitor so they could clearly see "Umbra Mortis Wren." They pressed their lips together and stared at the man before firmly signing, ' Umbra Mortis. Not Umbra Mortis Wren. I am not taking the surname. '

"Don't be ridiculous, every Inoue does," he scoffed.

Akira sucked in a breath and shook their head. ' Not ones who choose to go independent. We're uncommon, but not unheard of, especially in the early years of the Wrens. '

"No one's gone independent in generations," the worker protested and went to turn the monitor back. Akira thrust a hand forward to stop it and leveled him with a steady glare.

' I am. So remove Wren from my hero name. '

"Is there a problem here?" Aizawa drawled, appearing beside them.

"No, sir, your student is just being unreasonable with their name."

' He added "Wren" and refuses to remove it, ' Akira explained.

"I believe they are being perfectly reasonable," Aizawa said, fixing the worker with a hard glare. "Fix their hero name and move on."

"What happened to Camie?" Hitoshi asked as they made their way back to U.A. on the bus. Kaminari echoed the sentiment while the rest of Mad Banquet looked a bit confused.

Akira glanced up at Aizawa, who subtly shook his head. ' She was sick or something, ' they signed vaguely.

Kaminari frowned and cocked his head, "Didn't you say something about security, though?"

Akira shrugged, ' I saw them with her, maybe she needed an escort. ' Fumikage started to say something, but Akira quickly signed ' sensei. ' His eyes narrowed slightly and his feathers ruffled, but he dropped it.

When they got back to Heights Alliance after the few injured students stopped by Recovery Girl, Aizawa stopped the class before they could disperse from the common area. "If you haven't seen the news already, you will soon, so let me make one thing clear." He scanned the tense students with a piercing gaze. "Akira Mori is their preferred name, and you are not to use any variation of Wren or their deadname. They do not owe you an explanation, and if I hear about any of you harassing them, the consequences will be swift."

Their class scattered, and Akira drifted to the kitchen to make hitsumabushi. As they finished setting out their prep, Sato slipped into the kitchen beside them. Akira shifted their ingredients to make more room as he quietly worked, gathering enough for the class.

"Is there something I can include to honor the person you're remembering?" Sato asked while Akira waited for the eel to cook.

They startled slightly and a small smile slipped on their face. Midoriya probably said something. ' Thanks. He liked konbucha, but don't feel like you have to include it. '

"Nonsense, that's easy to incorporate," Sato softly smiled. "Are you making his favorite dish or...?"

Akira shook their head, the smile turning bittersweet. ' We never got something like this, but he liked eel, too. This was the easiest to prep for ahead of time. ' A few minutes later, they put the servings into bowls on a tray and took the elevator to the roof. Akira nudged the access door with their foot and set their tray down in the middle of the roof next to a couple blankets.

Just as they started taking out the fixings, Akira looked down at their phone vibrating with a call from Aizawa. They picked up with video and signed, ' Is something wrong? '

"Mori, why are you on the roof? Are you alright?" Aizawa asked.

Akira straightened as they registered the pattern of his urgent run. ' I'm fine, are you alright? Why are you running? Is there an emergency? ' After a moment, they added, ' I just brought my dinner up here. '

Akira heard him slow as he sighed. "We get an alert when the roof is accessed for the safety of whoever accesses it. Please let me know if you plan to go up there in the future." After a moment, he added, "You're not in trouble. I was just worried."

' Okay, ' Akira signed as they relaxed, understanding washing over them. Although odd that it was directed at them. ' I can stay up here, though? ' At his confirmation, they hung up and resumed the tradition they'd started when they could do little more than set aside a bite of food for him. Like the other children lost to the Inoue forced quirk manifestation process, Minori never got a shrine, and the outside world never knew of his existence. Family members weren't allowed to openly mourn them for fear of the public uncovering a small part of the family secret. There was never even a grave to visit.

As Akira refocused on the rough drawing they'd made of their little brother, they watched night fall and the stars come out. They smiled sadly and told their brother about the constellations he never got to see and the space-themed hero they met. Akira spoke of their time at U.A., with Dabi, and the spark of hope they were cautiously letting grow as more opportunities opened for their plans.

As they finished their last serving, Akira signed, ' Happy Birthday, Minori, ' and headed back inside.

Notes:

today is not the day to mess with Akira lol so I wasn't planning on having a Quirkless oc but Anka just sort of happened. I actually rolled for both Akira and Minori's birthdays, and the latter's ended up being September 2nd. Decided to switch it to the 1st to spice up the exam a bit😊 I got the idea for what Kaminari's talking about from Electric Fool by drowningInWorkButStill on ao3 And we've got the last chapter title that's a Robin Williams quote. Fun fact I made Moss cry on live from the ending :) Me: ok quick lil interlude for Toga's capture then onto the rescue half 1300 words of conversation later... Me: oops

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