~~~
The first lesson of the day was with the number one pro hero: All Might. It included a race to see who could save him first - the students were separated into small groups to see who could get to him the quickest, using the terrain and their Quirks.
Kira sighs at the screen up high, revealing the first team to try out: Midoriya, Sero, Mina, Iida and Ojiro.
"My money's on Sero," Kirishima tells the others. "With his tape Quirk, this should be a piece of cake for him."
"I think Ojiro might do really well," Tsu decides to say. "The main person at a disadvantage right now is Midoriya."
"You're right," Kirishima agrees, nodding slightly. "Whenever he uses his Quirk, he just ends up breaking something."
"I don't care who wins so long as Deku loses." Bakugou grins up at the screen maliciously.
"Iida might have a good chance," Kira speaks up finally, sitting cross-legged next to Kirishima. "Even though he was injured recently in the Stain attack, his Quirk is really good when it comes to speed. He aced the physical exam fifty-meter sprint," she concludes.
"You remember all that?" Kirishima frowns.
Kira looks up at him. "You don't?" He shakes his head slightly. "I remember everything," she sighs.
A horn signals the start of the round and the first team shoot off, each one starting from their own section in the zone. Of course, Sero is in the lead, his Quirk perfectly ideal for handling this kind of terrain. Iida's close behind, keeping low to the ground to utilise his engine Quirk the most.
Kira's been working hard over the week to push herself to use her Quirk in combat, but she didn't really cover how she could use it in flight and movement. She finds herself sighing again, as she looks down at her lap.
"Sero's still in the lead!" Kirishima yells, pumping his fist in the air.
"Look at Mina go!" Ochaco adds, beaming up at the screen. "Wait! Look at Midoriya!"
Kira peels her eyes back to the screen again. Midoriya's leaping from pipe to pipe, roof to roof, green power radiating off him, steadily gaining on Sero.
"Y'know that kind of looks like..." Tsu says, and Kira can see it too, her eyes widening ever so slightly.
"Hey!" Bakugou shouts, getting to his feet quickly and approaching the screen. "Those are my moves!"
Seems like not only Kira's been working hard on improving her Quirk. But, watching him overtake Sero and into the lead reminds her of what All Might said to her after the Sports Festival: "Perhaps you and young Midoriya have more in common than you might think. His Quirk also damages his body whenever he uses it."
Maybe she should find a time where she can ask him about it. If Midoriya's found some way to use his Quirk without injuring himself, perhaps he can help Kira when it comes to her light powers. If she can somehow manifest it in a way where she's not at any risk of exploding then she wouldn't have to worry as much.
"Ooh!" Kirishima winces as Midoriya's foot slips and he lands in a heap in front of All Might.
Sero's able to reach All Might before the others. All Might calls the next team up, which includes: Kira, Bakugou, Tsu, Kaminari and Shoji. Bakugou's still fuming at the screen, muttering to himself.
"That little nerd thinks he can copy me... I was at that stupid agency while he was..."
Kira steers clear of him and makes her way to her section in the zone, warming up her arms and legs to race to All Might. She's up against a challenging team. Realistically, the only one she's not too concerned about is Shoji - his Quirk is great at seeking out the enemy, but not particularly for movement. She shrugs to herself, he could have found a way to improve this during his internship, so she may as well view everyone as a threat.
Bakugou will be the real challenge here - his Quirk can blast him straight in the air and towards All Might. He won't even have to touch the ground. Tsu will have to be watched closely because of her tongue - that will be able to propel her far and quickly. Kira sighs for the millionth time today, too worn out to deal with anything physical right now. She might just fail the task anyways, it would be far easier than to push herself any more than she already has been.
The horn sounds the start of the game and Kira finds herself hesitating. Let the others win... you've done enough. Her brain's telling her. She shakes her head quickly, before propelling herself up the length of the building in front of her. When she gets to the top, she backflips, using the momentum to launch herself forwards. Where was All Might again? In the distance, Bakugou can be clearly seen far ahead, creating a trail of smoke behind him as he advances towards All Might's location. Tsu isn't far behind, sticking closer to the ground and using the buildings around her to whip herself onwards. She can't see Kaminari or Shoji anywhere.
Grumbling, Kira glows her light even brighter, causing her to shoot further and faster. She closes her eyes, feeling the wind brush past her hair, remembering what Light Bringer taught her about control. It's a shame she has to waste her costume on her first day back... Kira focuses on her Quirk, feeling it in her veins as beams of it shoot out from her feet and the entire back of her arms, white-hot energy destroying the buildings behind her in her wake.
She closes the distance between her and Bakugou instantly and she can just about hear him screaming obscenities as she careers past him towards All Might. She lands on the roof of what appears to be a power plant generator, as All Might mimics that of a scared civilian. She lands with a not so graceful roll, leaping up to her feet immediately and standing in front of All Might.
"Well done, young Kiriya!" His voice booms throughout the zone as Bakugou lands with a thunderous landing behind her.
All Might goes to shake her hand. "Wait-"
Her still burning skin sizzles when he makes contact and the number one hero hops back away from her, shaking his hand in pain.
"I know what that's like," Kaminari grunts as he heaves himself over the railing of the building.
Tsu's already here - they're just waiting on Shoji. He jumps down from a higher building just then, so they're all accounted for.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Bakugou roars angrily. "I find out Deku's been stealing my moves and now I've gotta lose to this moron!"
"Well, you should've been faster, young Bakugou," All Might responds, blowing on his hand. "What do you have to say for yourself, young Kiriya?"
She looks down at herself. "I should really invest in cheaper shoes," she mumbles as she kicks off the burnt remains. "And a better costume."
The sleeves have been completely evaporated up to the shoulders, revealing her bare skin and the bottoms have singed to her knees.
"I'm sure our support class will be able to fix it right back up in no time." All Might flashes his famous grin at her.
He urges them all back to the other students, so they can swap with the next team. Along with wanting to speak to Midoriya, Kira wants to talk to All Might about Light Bringer - he must know she's back, right?
"What the hell was that!?" Bakugou snaps, confronting her as they arrive at the screening area.
"What?" She frowns, stepping past him towards the others. "You're mad when we go easy on you, but now you're pissed because I beat you?"
"I don't know what you've been doing over the past week, but you're not gonna beat me." He points at her.
Kira turns around, her arms crossed over her chest. "So far everyone seems to have shown an improvement somehow, apart from you, Bakugou," she smirks, tilting her head slightly. "Instead of trying to pick a fight with everyone, maybe you should try to focus on being better."
He practically boils over with rage, his Quirk exploding in his palm. "I'll kill you..." He mutters.
She sighs, rolling her eyes, again not meaning to retaliate. Arguing with Bakugou will only make things worse - he's not the kind of person who'll back down easily. Maybe she should apologise; she was a little bit harsh. But looking at him practically brimming with fury, now's probably not the best time to approach him.
Instead, she watches the other team's rescue All Might, everyone showing definite improvements with their Quirks, until its time for them to change back into their uniforms to continue the rest of their lessons.
Kira tried to find Midoriya or even All Might to try to discuss her abilities with them, but she couldn't find them at all. Apparently, Midoriya left the changing room pretty quick and All Might wasn't in the staff room - none of the teachers know where he went. She would have to try again some other time.
~
The day ended and Kira headed to her house, feeling a strange prick up the back of her neck, as if she was being watched. Is her adrenaline still pumping due to her physical with All Might earlier? No, that was hours ago. She stops in her tracks on the pavement, spinning on the spot to reveal an empty pathway behind her, the sun setting behind a few houses. Frowning, she keeps her defences up as she rounds the final corner to her house, entering quickly and slamming the door behind her.
"Everything okay?" Light Bringer's sidekick asks.
Kira peers through the curtain, her breath fogging up the window. "I'm not sure," she mumbles. "Felt like someone was watching me."
"I'm sure it's just nerves," they say with a mild shrug.
"Nerves?" Kira frowns, as she drops the curtain and faces the sidekick. "What if a villain found out that I'm Light Bringer's daughter and decides to take me hostage?"
The sidekick looks up from their tablet, a glint in their glasses. "Now you're just being dramatic."
Kira scoffs. "What nerves are you even talking about anyway?"
"Light Bringer is going to force out your Atomic Power today."
"My what?" She splutters. "My Atomic Power?"
"That's the name Light Bringer has decided to call the ability you displayed at the Sports Festival," she informs Kira, tapping something on the tablet.
Kira stares at the sidekick as she brings up an image of her at the Sports Festival again, brimming with light energy.
"I'm not doing that today," Kira says sternly. "I didn't agree to that."
"You didn't have to," she argues. "This is training. You don't really have a choice."
"Back already?" A voice echoes from the second floor, interrupting their conversation.
Kira steps back to reveal Light Bringer in another suit: black bottoms, black blazer and a bottle green shirt that matches her eyes perfectly.
"Mother," she growls, angry at the news. "I'm not performing this... this... Atomic Power. I don't have the energy today."
"That's exactly why now's the perfect opportunity," she counters, descending the steps. "In your weakened state, we can see how well you'll be able to control your Atomic Power."
"I can't control it at all," she snaps, her hands gripping her skirt. "You know all of this: the only time I've ever done it was at the Sports Festival and that was a complete accident!"
"Akira-"
"Mother!" She cuts in. "I don't know why you've been acting this way the entire week, but it's seriously freaking me out! Now for the last time: I'm not training today."
Kira pushes past her and collapses onto her bed, her eyes already closing before her head even hit her pillow.
When she woke in the middle of the night, she felt weak... numb. Her neck was stiff as she tossed and turned and had a horrible nightmare about blood.
~~~