♊︎ 𝘔𝘺 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘰 𝘈𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘢 - 𝘎𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪'𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 [𝘈𝘜] ♊︎

[Season 3] Ep. 4 - Quirk Ordeal

After assisting a grinning The Ray to his feet, Nega relinquished control, and my hair and eyes blazed red with newfound energy.

- "So that's your other quirk in action, huh... Not bad. Come on, kid, let's take care of that wound before we get started," The Ray remarked, his tone surprisingly genial.

Stunned by his sudden change in demeanor, I simply nodded dumbly, descending to retrieve my suitcase and following him into the building without a word. The contrast between the exterior and interior of the place left me speechless. Everything was immaculately tidy, the polished wooden floor gleaming beneath my feet. The décor was minimalistic, consisting only of essential furnishings. No TV, no couch—just a table and three chairs adjacent to a kitchenette equipped with a worktop, fridge, storage space, gas stove, and sink. Adjacent to it, a spacious area housed an array of weight machines, likely serving as a makeshift gym, with a staircase presumably leading to the bedrooms.

As The Ray ascended the stairs, he glanced back to ensure I was trailing behind, while I took in my new surroundings with curiosity.

- "Stop dawdling, kid, the infirmary's upstairs. Move it," he instructed, urging me onward.

- "Y-yes, sir! Sorry," I stammered, hastening my pace.

Upstairs, a lengthy corridor led to three distinct rooms. The closed first room likely belonged to him, while the second resembled a laboratory, brimming with analysis devices, syringes, test tubes, and other mysterious contraptions beyond my understanding. The third room mirrored the U.A. infirmary, albeit with a modest cot in place of the plush bed.

- "Take a seat on the bed and remove your shirt so I can tend to that burn," The Ray directed as I complied.

Producing an ointment labeled with the Healing Butler logo, a relic from his agency's collaboration with leading pharmaceutical companies, he applied it to my shoulder.

- "It may be as old as I am, but there's no better remedy for a burn like this. Brace yourself—it might sting a bit," he warned.

As the cream made contact with my skin, a searing pain surged through me, eliciting a sharp cry.

- "Ah, I did warn you," he remarked casually, unperturbed.

As he probed the injury, I felt a rapid healing process commence, though the pain persisted, intensifying with each passing moment. Clenching my teeth, I struggled to contain my anguish.

- "I may have forgotten to mention—you'll be gritting your teeth for the next... 26 hours, I believe. Well, you'll find out soon enough," he remarked nonchalantly.

- "Is this going to be a daily routine?" I questioned, rubbing my sore neck.

- "Hahaha! That, my boy, is entirely up to you. This week of internship is all about toughening up your quirk. And it kicks off and wraps up with our little sparring session to get you warmed up," The Ray chuckled, his demeanor oddly jovial.

This internship promised to be more grueling than I had anticipated. As I hastily dressed, The Ray jabbed a syringe into my neck without warning, drawing out a sample of my blood.

- "Ouch! What's the deal?!" I exclaimed, wincing.

- "Oh, don't be such a crybaby. Just a little sample to better understand your quirk," he dismissed casually.

- "What? What do you mean?" I demanded.

- "As you're aware, quirks are genetic traits inherited from our parents or nearly identical replications thereof, manifesting around age four. Think of them like muscles—the more you use them, the stronger they become. But during adolescence, both our bodies and our quirks undergo significant changes. That's where this analysis comes in. By studying your quirk's genes, I can predict its potential evolution and tailor your training accordingly," The Ray explained, matter-of-factly.