MHA Fanfiction: Inbound

Know When To Quit

Iylla's POV

It was day five of my internship with Endeavor, and the days of intense offensive training were really starting to take their toll.

I was on my hands and knees, panting like a dog. Sweat dripped off of me and formed small puddles on the ground. I had been practicing throwing my barriers nonstop, and I still have nothing to show for it. Nothing but sore arms and the familiar feeling that told me I was overusing my quirk. 

"Iylla, you didn't hit the target; you know what that means." Endeavor shouted at me from the opposite side of the hotel ballroom where he was coaching Shoto's fire. 

How did he even know? I questioned. Is he all-knowing or something?

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going." I waved a dismissive arm at him but instantly regretted it. My arms were so sore from throwing barriers over the last four days that even the smallest movement made my arms feel like they weighed a thousand pounds. 

"Go now!"

"Ugh," I pushed myself to my feet and mumbled to no one. "I'm not asking for an hour or even half an hour; all I want is ten minutes. A singular ten-minute break."

I jogged to the start of the impromptu obstacle course that lined the ballroom. At the starting line, Clark sat waiting for me. 

"Oh wow, It's getting chilly in here, don't you think?" Clark faked a shiver, only to mock me. "Maybe I should put on a jacket."

"Don't bother, I'm plenty warm for the both of us; I'll warm you up with a hug. Come here, old man." Through the soreness, I lifted my arms and walked toward him threateningly. 

"Don't you dare touch me, you sweaty, disgusting mess."

"Jerk."

"Brat."

"I don't see any running over there!" Endeavor shouted at me again. 

I pulled my staff out and transformed it into a bow as I lined up at the starting point of the obstacle course. "I'm going, jeez."

Clark handed me a red ribbon that I tied around my wrist. 

"Your best time is Four minutes and forty-six seconds. Ready?" Clark readied the stopwatch he pulled out of his pant pocket.

"Wait, how long do you think it would take you to run this course? Forever?"

Clark was not amused in the slightest and started the stopwatch without warning.

"Hey, no fair!" I yelled behind me, running down the path. 

Approaching the first obstacle, I jumped the chair that sat in my way. Upon landing, I rotated my body and fired an arrow back the way I came. I hit the bullseye of the target attached to the back of the chair. I grabbed another arrow and notched it, getting ready for the next target. Coming up, there was an assortment of tables lined up on their sides.

 I fired the arrow at the target on the ceiling and jumped up onto the first table. I balanced across the table, making the jump to the second one. The first table is simple enough since I can easily walk across it, but every table after is a jumping game. Reaching the end of the first table, I jumped the small distance to the next table, doing my best to land softly and at the table's center. For the most part, it worked, but I could feel the wavering of the table. At this rate, I would never make it to the last table before they all toppled over. Instead of taking it slow, I speeded up the process and basically ran to the last table. As I jumped off the last table, I fired an arrow at the target that can only be seen from this vantage point.