The Eyes That Make the Storm

26) Exam

Today was the day. Stasia tied her hair back into a tight low ponytail on the left, in uniform with her hero costume in her bag. For whatever reason, she felt the need to go down the fourth floor. At first, her hand hovered over Kirishima's door but then moved over to Bakugou's where she actually knocked.

"What?"

"I just wanted to see your face one last time before it gets all bloody when you get your ass beat."

"You condescending, little shit."

"How can you be so aggressive so early in the morning."

"Did you come here just to annoy me?"

"I came to see if you wanted to walk together."

"Fine." He went back into his room to grab his bag and they walked to the elevator together. They went up before going down and Todoroki walked in. After that, it went all the way down to two where they got Midoriya. The four of them walked in silence until they got to the front of the gates before Stasia paused, "Shit, we forgot Kirishima."

***

Both groups were in the main area as they all waited for Gang Orca to arrive. Stasia had been adjusting the laces of her gloves for the past five minutes and still couldn't finish the one on her right hand."Yama," Kirishima called.

"Hmm?"

"Can I help you?"

"Why? I'm fine." She scoffed and before she could process it he was already over, with her hand in his as did the laces for her. She stared down at her hand as he indirectly held it. He patted it when he finished and she slid her hand away. "Thanks." She said under her breath.

"Yeah."

"Alright." Gang Orca boomed as he walked in. "Villains come with me so you can re-enter."

She mumbled, "That seems kind of pointless."

"Speak up Sugiyama." Gang Orca ordered.

"I was just saying that, walking out just to come back in would be more dramatic than time-efficient, sir."

"You have a point."

"What? You're not going to throw her?" Bakugou objected.

"Why would I? She's right. Start in the middle, you have sixty seconds to get in position, go." They all readjusted themselves and lined up with their respective teammates. They were far enough apart from the others, maybe about half of the arena. Stasia stood equally across from two blondes one familiar and one not. The girl stared eagerly at her as the time ticked down and Stasia averted her eyes, feeling uncomfortable with such direct attention from a stranger. She looked up and failed to notice the people in the stands previously. There sat: All Might, Present Mic, and to her annoyance, Endeavor. The timer finally ran out and as she turned back she already had blue dust blown in her face, she felt disorientated? She could almost feel her brain tingle as if she just shocked herself, but no, this lighter. This was different, but what was it? And how could she make it stop so she could help. She had to help. She needed to try at least a little to give the others a challenge and a chance to truly earn their license, but how could she do that now?"

"Hey, Stasia!" She turned back to face Kirishima and when he spoke his words hit her like daggers. Case number two. The small foundation she had built in the two months since the raid started to reveal all the chips in the concrete. The parts she believed were sturdy started to fall off the structure and pierce her skin. So much fell, so fast she didn't have time to move before everything was on top of her, casing her in, suffocating her. She tried to breathe but that only amounted to hyperventilating which only made everything worse and she just needed everything to, "Stop." Finally, she caught her breath and took her shaking hand to whisper into them, "One," as she shocked herself. She looked up to see the clone and took the hair tie out of her curls then gave it to it.

"Um- you- have like- less than five of percent of my power. Just fight using- Amplification and get yourself killed within the last five minutes." It nodded so she began to walk towards the exit, once she got out into the hallway she took a deep breath before she said, "Go."

The remedial kids passed. Mostly because the clone died slightly earlier than expected leaving the villains even more outnumbered than before. Kirishima and Midoriya felt proud for their friends, however, and there was no real loss on their end. Just someone missing. They found her quickly as they went outside and saw her sitting on the steps, just as she slipped her phone back into her pocket. Todoroki slowly waved his license card at her and she softly smiled, "Congratulations, all of you."

"That clone was way too weak," Bakugou told her.

"Well, that was the only way you'd be able to kill it." She remarked but she knew she should have put more energy into making it stronger, instead of letting her emotions get the best of her. Bakugou looked down at her and noticed how she stared in the opposite direction, a gaze only full of sadness.

"What the fuck? You left us with a clone so you could cry out here?"

"What? I don't cry." She finally met his glare at this and her cheeks were in fact not stained with tears. She would have looked normal if not for her eyes that subtly ratted her out.

"It was a pleasure going against you!" Inasa screamed and Stasia was taken aback.

"Yeah, okay, thanks." The other girl with a matching uniform began to speak to her but she had already tuned everything out.

"Um, I'm gonna go talk to Gang Orca, and you guys can head back without me." Midoriya opened his mouth as if to speak but Stasia didn't give him the chance, "Bye guys." She got up and walked back into the building. She went past Endeavor who lately tried to be better, unknown to her.

"Electrosia-"

"I do not have time for you." She said and continued down her path. She went back to where she knew Gang Orca would be and stopped far away enough to where she was still out of sight. Her breaths became shallow as she contemplated her next move. After some thought, she backed away slowly before she turned around and pulled out her phone once more.

Later that night everyone winded down in order to get ready for school the next day. The girls were in the common room and as Kirishima left the kitchen with his water, he stopped by the couch to ask, "Have you seen Sugiyama?"

"Yeah, I just saw her go up to her room," Mina answered.

"Thanks." Kirishima then went up to the fifth floor and down the girl's hall. He read the nametags until he found the one with her last name on it. "Hey, Yama?" He knocked. No answer. He knocked again, "Yama?" This time the door creaked open. "You know you should at least close your-" He opened the door fully and was flooded with the scent of her, only she wasn't there. He went back downstairs and laughed, "I thought you said she was in her room, it's empty."

"What? We saw her go up." Uraraka said and now he was worried.

"Well, she's not there. So did you see her leave?"

"We didn't even see her come in, she was just here already." Jirou remembered and Momo nodded, "Didn't she come back with you?"

"No," He whispered and at the same time everything finally clicked, she didn't come back at all.

-End Of Part 1.5-