~~~
Kira had a week and a bit off before her next term at UA high started. It's finally summer vacation, after all. She was excited and nervous to finally see her classmates again, but she was curious to find out what her teachers (mainly Mr Aizawa) had in store for them.
The first term was an absolute rollercoaster - from the villains attack at the USJ; to the Sports Festival; to her mother's random reappearance; to the final exams against All Might and then Shigaraki's sudden entrance whilst Class 1A went shopping.
Kira skipped down the stairs of her mansion, ready for another brutal session of training with her mother when a formal looking letter caught her eye on the small table beside their front door. It was small, the envelope already having been opened. Kira peeked down the hall, her eyebrows raised, before continuing to snoop around. She peeled back the letter to reveal a petite card, carved with delicate printed writing:
Number Twelve Pro Hero Light Bringer,
You have been asked to participate in a formal gathering at I-Island for the upcoming I-Expo. The I-Expo is the perfect opportunity for scientists, heroes and citizens to showcase the advancement of Quirk technology. This invitation grants you early access to the islands exhibits including: the Pavillion; cafes; musical shows and much more.
Hope to see you there!
Kira frowns at the mysterious card, flipping it over to find a neatly engraved sigil of a simple island in the centre. With it in hand, Kira storms to the back of the house, sliding the glass back door with a slam.
"You planning on going?" Kira asks, bluntly.
"Hm?" Light Bringer looks up from removing a charred plastic figurine from the grass.
Kira waves the card dramatically. "You said you don't do these things."
"I did?" She cocks her head to the side, then smiles, before picking up another target and slamming it into the dirt.
"What?" Kira scoffs. "Did you forget?" Kira marches down the steps, when she doesn't receive a reply. "You strictly believe in doing the work and not wasting time flaunting our Quirks when there could be someone who needs saving at any moment."
"Wow," Light Bringer says, smacking the top of the dummy's head. "I'm pretty insightful."
Kira scoffs again. "So?" She presses, ignoring the jibe.
"You're right," Light Bringer sighs. "You go."
"Huh?"
"You go in my stead," she explains. "Just say... say I'm busy fighting a bad guy or something."
"What?"
Light Bringer sighs heavily before facing her daughter. "Who knows how many pro heroes are gonna show up to this thing." She points at the card in Kira's hand still. "If all the top heroes go, no one's gonna be left behind to protect the people if a villain attacks. This is the smarter option."
Light Bringer rubs Kira's head before strolling into the house.
"Are you serious?" Kira gawks, following after her mother. "I don't have time for gala's! I need to train with you."
"You deserve a break!" Light Bringer nearly laughs. "Honestly," she sighs heavily again. "All this hard work is only gonna bring you down. You can't overwork yourself."
Kira pauses, staring at her mother warily. Kirishima said something similar to her after their time at the shopping centre: 'You deserve a break, don't you think? Besides, over working only results in the opposite effect.'
"And if my atomic power unleashes at this - what was it?" Kira glances back at the card. "I-Island?"
"It won't."
Akira used a private helicopter, courtesy of her mother being the number twelve pro hero, to travel to I-Island. As the helicopter circled the mysterious island, Kira was struck by how colourful it all was. The island itself was surrounded by a structurally sound white concrete, that stretched to the clouds and completely separated the island from the outside world. The helicopter started to make it's descent, growing closer to the island. From closer up, she could spot the unbelievably tall skyscraper in the middle, towering way higher than anything else on the island.
"That must be where the gala takes place," Kira mumbles to herself.
"How did a kid like you even get invited to the island, eh?" The pilot bellows into the headset she wore.
"You're our private pilot," Kira states. "Shouldn't you know the answer to that question already?"
"Touché."
Kira examined the list that she discovered buried in the envelope beside the card. It detailed the evening's party and what clothes were needed. She was getting increasingly more anxious about the idea of appearing at the gala - she's going to be the only child there, for sure.
The helicopter landed on one of the far sides of the island, landing swiftly on the helipad. Kira thanked the pilot to which he replied with a courteous: "you're welcome!" Before taking off again. That's it - Kira's alone on this random island in the middle of nowhere.
Kira patted her duffel bag next to her, perhaps as an emotional reminder that she's not really alone and peered down at the now crinkled piece of paper. Her anxiety had crept up her back during the flight over that she hadn't even noticed that she'd screwed up the paper.
"Dammit," she whispers, willing her nerves to relax.
The gate before her opened up, allowing her to pass through as the scanner revealed her details in front of her, including a long entrance number.
UA school supplied her with her hero costume before she hopped on the helicopter to come to I-Island. She smoothed out her costume before stepping through the gate, gazing around at the scenery before her, noticing the tallest building in the distance - that was going to act as her compass in case she gets lost.
Akira didn't even manage one step forwards before she heard her name being bellowed from somewhere to the left.
"Over here!"
"No way." A smile spreads across her face at the sight of her classmates all gathered together. She sped towards them, dragging her duffel bag as it whacked her in the thigh with every other step she took. "Momo! Ochaco, Kyoka! Everyone! What are you all doing here?"
"Me and Mineta are working!" Kaminari speaks up, puffing out his chest to reveal his waiter tux. "We figured that this way we could earn a bit of money and during our breaks we can explore the island some more!"
"Why are you two slacking off!?" Kira glances around the back of her chair just in time to see the class president zooming towards them at high speed. "You wanted to make more money didn't you!? But you're not willing to work hard!"
"Iida!?" Kira gawkes as her classmate plows into both Kaminari and Mineta, knocking them over. "You're also here?"
"I come from a long line of heroes," Iida turns sharply to face them. "It's to be expected that we received an invitation to the expo. But my family was busy, so it's just me."
"I was wondering if you were gonna be here. I was able to come because of my family," Momo says, her hand on her chest. "My father is a shareholder in some of the expo's sponsor companies. It's so fun to get to go to the preview."
"Yeah," Kyoka adds. "And she had a few extra plus one's so we basically gambled for them. So, after a partial game of chance, the two of us ended up joining the fun as her guests."
Ochaco nods along with Kyoka. "The other girls are here, they just can't visit the preview."
"Really?" Kira frowns at the girls. "They're all here?"
"Yeah, we're all planning to look around together once the expo opens up to the public tomorrow," Momo explains.
"Ooh! That sounds fun!" Kira announces.
"What about you, Akira?" Momo wonders. "What are you doing here?"
Kira sighs heavily, rubbing the back of her head uneasily. "Light Bringer received an invitation, but she's... busy lately. So I'm here in her stead."
Suddenly, a huge explosion rocks the ground at a nearby rocky area and Kira jumps up from her seat instinctively, ready for battle. The class have come into contact with danger again and again over the course of the school year already that Kira was just automatically ready for any threat should it occur.
"What was that?" Kyoka wonders, standing up slowly from her seat at the table and frowning in the direction as another explosion rocks the ground around them.
"That's just another one of the exhibits we have here," the blonde known as Melissa informs them all. "I know that you've all been through a lot, but you've got nothing to worry about at I-Island."
"What exactly is that, then?" Kira questions, directing her frown at Melissa.
"Come on." She smiles cheerfully at them. "I'll show you."
Kira and the others follow Melissa as she leads them all to the exhibit - a rocky structure that appears to be much bigger closer up. Kira follows the railing round to the front of the show, where a young woman seems to be commentating on the performance. There's so much smoke everywhere, she can't see a damn thing.
"No way!" Ochaco squeals beside her. Her classmate shakes Kira by the arm, pointing to one of the screens at the top above their heads. "It's-"
"Kirishima," Kira mumbles, a smile itching the corner of her lips at the sight of the red-head grinning on the screen.
"So, I take it he's from UA aswell?" Melissa inquires, gazing up at the screen.
"Yeah." Kira nods, as the commentator announces the next challenger.
"Kacchan!?" Midoriya squeals from the fence and Kira rushes beside him, peering over the edge with her hands gripping the railing.
No doubt about it, Bakugou approaches the stage, clad in his hero outfit.
"The villain attack course has been reset!" The lady down below announces. "Ready... Go!"
Bakugou doesn't even hesitate - as soon as the alarm rings out, he swoops from robot to robot, obliterating them in a matter of seconds.
"What an incredible time! Only fifteen seconds! First place!" The commentator informs them all.
"Jeez." Kira finds herself smirking ever so slightly at Bakugou's prideful demeanor as he struts off the stage.
"Hey, isn't that Midoriya and Akira in the stands?" Kirishima points out.
Kira's eyes widen at Bakugou's sudden speed and she tugs Midoriya back by his sleeve, only very narrowly avoiding getting headbutted by their vicious classmate.
"Dammit! What are you doing here, Deku!?" He bellows, completely ignoring Kira altogether.
"Oh! Hey there, Kacchan," Midoriya replies nervously. "Maybe calm down a little bit there-"
"Don't you dare tell me what to do!"
If Bakugou leant any further over the railing, he's surely going to tip over it.
"Bakugou!" Iida cuts in, blocking Midoriya with his arms in a T-shape pose. "Behave yourself!"
"Why is that boy so angry?" Melissa wonders, as Bakugou continues to curse at his classmates.
Kira somehow managed to escape the chaos and retreat back to the girls. "That's just how he is," she states matter-of-factly.
"He and Deku are fated rivals," Ochaco jokes, causing a look of confusion on Melissa but amusement on the students.
"Kirishima!" Kira splits from the girls, side-stepping around Bakugou. "You two got invited to the I-Expo aswell?"
"Nah," he answers, looking up at Kira from the stage as Momo joins her on her right. "Bakugou got invited because he won the Sports Festival. I just tagged along with him! You guys gonna do this villain course, or what?"
"Don't even try it," Bakugou warns, as he continues to hang onto the railing and Kira and Momo turn their heads towards their angry classmate. "There's no way you'll get a better score than I did!"
"Yeah, you're probably right," Midoriya says sheepishly.
"Oh, I don't know." Kira shrugs, looking back at the course as the robots get set back up again for the next contestant. "I like my odds. You should totally try it out too though, Midoriya. You can prove Bakugou wrong."
"Yeah, right," Bakugou sneers. "There's no way you'll beat my score, Deku!"
"You should go for it, Akira," Momo encourages, her hand balled into a fist by her chest.
"You think?"
"Come on, Akira!" Kirishima yells from below.
Kira sighs to herself and leaps over the railing, landing with a soft whumph on the dusty floor.
"Okay if I have a go?" Kira questions the commentator.
"Sure thing!" She replies, a huge grin on her face. "No one was waiting in line to go next."
Kira nods, taking her position at the starting line. First, she kicks off her boots, not wanting to incinerate them on first arrival. She then readies herself - her back slightly bent over in the hopes to create some kind of aerodynamic sprint towards the first robot.
"All set? Ready... Go!"
The alarm rings out and Kira projects all her light power into her feet, blasting her off with insane speed towards the first robot. Her Quirk beams brightly in her palm, before radiating up her arm underneath her costume. She obliterates the first robot, then uses her free arm to manipulate her momentum towards the next. She keeps it up, spinning and soaring until all the robots have been reduced to ash. The ground comes up to meet her as she sticks the landing, her Quirk cooling down on her skin.
"Wow!" The commentator calls out. "Nineteen seconds! You take second place!"
"I knew it!" Bakugou bellows from the stands. "I knew you're too slow to beat me!"
Well, at least he's not swinging on the railing anymore. Is all she thinks to herself at that moment.
"That was awesome, Akira!" Kirishima applaudes. "I don't think I've seen you move that fast before."
"Really?" She frowns, glaring up at Bakugou once more. "I bet I could beat his score if I gave it another go."
"You probably could." He nods at the stage entrance. "But it looks like it's Midoriya's turn."
~~~