"Good morning ladies and gentleman," You love your teacher but it's too early for this.
Why are you even awake at 5:30 in the morning? Well, awake is an exaggeration since you're resting your chin on Katsuki's shoulder, trying not to fall asleep.
"Today we will begin training camp to increase your strength in earnest. The goal of this training camp is to increase everyone's strength and with that, for everyone to obtain their provisional licenses. It is to prepare you all to face hostilities that are becoming more real by the minute."
You barely heard any of his words; Katsuki kept twitching his shoulder to wake you up every time he felt you were about to sleep.
"Bakugo," You straighten up the second you hear his name, not like Aizawa hadn't already noticed your sleepy ass but you should at least try to hide it. He throws a ball at Katsuki, catching it with ease. "Try throwing that."
"This is from the fitness test..." His memory keeps surprising you, you're not gonna lie.
"Your previous record, from right after you started school, was 705.2 meters. Let's see how much you've improved."
So, you're checking your progress before starting the actual training. A lot has happened the last three months, it's only fair to have gotten stronger.
Katsuki explodes the ball, yelling—it's so early for this—a "go to hell." What shocked all of you was his record, because you were sure it'd go at least close to a kilometer but, "709.6 meters." It was so low and Katsuki surely didn't like it, judging from his expression.
"It's been about three months since you started high school. Through various experiences, you all have definitely improved. But that improvement has mainly been at the mental and technical levels, with some increase in stamina."
Well, now you're fully awake. You have a really bad feeling about this training.
"As you can see, your quirks themselves have not improved that much. That's why we will work improving your quirks starting today." He grins. Evilly. Why? What kind of training are they planning to take you through? "It'll be so hard you'll feel like dying," Oh. "But try not to actually die."
"Okay, first of all!" You raise your hand to have his attention. "Where have you brought us to? Second, did our parents sign something about this, what's the story here? And third, what!?"
"Follow me." Is all he says before turning his back to you, walking away, completely ignoring you.
He guided you to the training ground and, boy, he was not joking about the dying part. Just listening to what you have to do for hours straight is taking a toll on your body.
Katsuki and Todoroki are the only ones who possess a fire type quirk but since Todoroki's training was to alternate between fire and ice to make the temperature of the bathwater uniform, he Katsuki was the one working with you for your quirk.
He has to plunge both of his hands into boiling water, expanding his sweat glands, creating explosions repeatedly to increase the scale of his attacks. You, on the other hand, had to keep every single feather into steel form in order to strengthen your shield as Katsuki directs the immense blasts to you.
Something he hesitated, at first. Which is understandable because why would he want to risk hurting you? Nonetheless, he did as instructed while asking every time if you're okay and taking the same answer every time.
"Yes, Katsuki," You say, panting. It's late in the morning and you're already past your limit. Which means, you're barely keeping your quirk active and your whole body is aching from the weight of steel on your back. "I'm fine. Keep going."
Clearly, you're lying—you're, honestly, ready to collapse—and he knows you're lying but there's no way out of this, so your only option is to keep going.
All of you, along with class B, made it till late in the afternoon. Yesterday's fight with those rock giants felt like child's play after today's intense training.
When you returned, Pixie Bob and Ragdoll, were waiting behind a counter full of food ingredients.
"Now, remember what I said yesterday?" Pixie Bob's energy is too much for your ready-to-break body. "Today's the only day we'll be doing stuff for you!"
"At least, make your own food!" Ragdoll says.
Curry is not so hard to make; that's the only thing keeping you motivated and your stomach growling like crazy. With that said, it still didn't come out as tasty as you'd hope but it's edible.
Mandalay calls out for Kota to come inside and eat, however the boy actually runs away into the woods. You got a little worried about him being all alone in there in the middle of the night, so you got up to follow him and it seems Izuku had the same idea.
You both follow him until you reach in front of a cave, up on the hill. Izuku brought him a plate of curry since he refused to eat with you at the camp.
"You're hungry, aren't you?" Izuku says. The boy looks at you two with so much hate in his eyes. You wish you knew why he hates heroes so much. "You can eat this curry."
"You! How'd you find this place!?"
"Sorry, Kota," You say softly. "Well, uh, we followed your footsteps. We brought you some food, we thought you'd be hungry."
"I'm fine. I don't need any." He bits. "I told you I don't intend to hang out with heroes. Get out of my secret hideout! Both of you!"
"Kota..." You know there's a backstory to all this anger and hate towards heroes. You really want to know but he's a child and you don't want to pressure him to remember something he might want to forget.
"Getting all into trying to improve your quirk. It's gross." It's rare to see a child hating something so passionately, most children his age adore or idolize. "You want to show off your power that badly?"
"Your parents..." Izuku looks down, not with wonder, but rather like he knows Kota's story. "Could they be Water Hose? With the water quirks?"
"Did Mandalay tell you!?" The kid got all defensive immediately. So, Izuku does know.
"Oh, no, um, uh..." He stutters, looking up to the distance. "Sorry! Yeah, I kind of ended up hearing about it, and based on the information I got, I thought maybe..."
You remember them. Water Hose were two heroes who died two years ago, protecting citizens from a villain. Everybody praised them for their heroic death, but...for a child it's not the same it seems. Especially when it's their own.
"I remember that. It was an unfortunate incident." You say, feeling bad for Kota.
"Shut up." He turns to the other side, not bearing to look at you. "Everyone's crazy...Calling each other heroes and villains and killing each other...Talking about quirks and stuff...It's because they're all showing off that it ended up like that...Stupid..."
"Oh..." This poor kid...He doesn't hate just heroes, he hates the whole superhuman society itself. "I see how it is."
"What is it? If there's nothing else, then go away!"
"Come on," You try pulling Izuku. "Let's leave him alone."
"You know..." Izuku says. "My friend, uh...My friend...couldn't inherit any quirks from his parents...It's a hereditary thing, and apparently it's rare but does happen. But he admired heroes and wanted to become one, but you can't be one these days without a quirk. My friend couldn't accept that for a long time and practiced...Trying to draw objects around him and breathe fire...But it was no good. There are a lot of different ways to think about quirks, so I don't know if this'll apply to everyone, but if you reject it that much, then it'll just be more painful for you. Um, so..."
"Just shut up! Listen to your friend and leave me alone!"
"Sorry, I'm just rambling..." He wasn't just rambling and you know that better than anyone. He was trying to make Kota look at quirks differently, so he told him his story. "I'll leave the curry here."
He sets down the plate and you walk away, looking back at him one last time and turning his back to you aggressively. You feel bad for Kota. You really do. Losing your parents at such a young age...you can sort of imagine how it feels, even though your story differs from his.
Nevertheless, you want to keep trying to look at heroes positively. Not with words, because they clearly don't go through him, but with actions. You have no idea how but you'll figure something out.
***
You really believed today's training would be a different one but, no, it's exactly the same as yesterday. Although it doesn't feel as painful as yesterday, it still feels like your bones are about to break any minute.
Tonight there's a test of course Pixie Bob mentioned during training and you'll be going against class B, it seems. Sounds like she's doing it for her own entertainment.
Training ends at the same hour and it's time to prepare dinner. You and Katsuki are cutting the vegetables and, you're not gonna lie, you didn't expect for him to be so good.
"Bakugo, you're really good at using a knife!" Uraraka says, shocked with how fast he's chopping the carrots. "It's unexpected..."
"Whatcha mean unexpected!? How can ya be bad at usin' a knife!?"
"There he is," Kaminari says, carrying the plates behind you. "We haven't seen the capable version of him in a while."
"Everyone's too energetic..." You and Kiri say in unison and giggle with each other.
Honestly, as much as the training has worn you out, it's nice here. You train and cook together, annoy each other, laugh with each other. In a way, it's peaceful.
You didn't realize you were smiling so much while looking around at your classmates. Especially while looking at your boyfriend next to you.
"Somethin' on my face?" He says, taking your attention.
"Yes," You lean in to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Beauty."
He rolls his eyes with a little smile appearing on his lips. "Tryin' to boost my ego?"
"Your ego is at its max, I can't boost it more." He looks at you, opening his mouth to say something but you stop him with a kiss. "Eyes on the knife, I'm not in the mood for fingers."
"Heh? I can perfectly cut 'em without lookin'" He says. "At least I know how to chop."
"Katsuki Bakugo!" Your mouth falls open, clearly offended. "That was rude! I'm doing my best here!"
"Those potatoes look like they've been murdered," He smirks. That fucking smirk. "That's yer best?"
You grab the knife, stabbing the wood with force. "Do it yourself then, mister perfect."
"Ya think I'm perfect?" Wipe. That. Smirk. "Don't be shy, bird brain, say it."
"I hate you." You walk past him but he grabs your wrist, pulling you back to him and giving you a peck on the lips.
"I love you too." Ugh, he's so hard to hate when he does stuff like this!
You walk away, acting like that didn't just make the butterflies in your stomach go crazy and the worst part is he knows exactly what that does to you.
You go to Kaminari and Uraraka to help them with the wood for the fire, pouting like a child.
"You guys are cute together." Yaoyorozu says and it puts a smile on your face.
"Thanks." You blush. "Come on, let's move. I'm starving."
After eating, and washing all the dishes, you gather at the spot where the test of courage will start, not too far from the camp.
Unfortunately, the extra lessons group couldn't participate in it and Aizawa told them right before it started that they'll be having a class with him.
"Okay!" Pixie Bob took the attention. Like she always does. "Class B will be the first to be the scarers. Class A will leave in pairs every three minutes. There are tags with your names written on them in the middle of the route, so bring those back with you."
"Revelry in the dark..." This is the second time Tokoyami has said that today.
"We get it," You land your hand on his shoulder. "Just make sure Dark Shadow doesn't go out of control in there, it's pretty dark."
"I know, I'll be as careful as possible."
"Well, just in case," You hand him a flashlight. "Take this, you might need it."
"Thank you, Y/n," He pushes back your hand. "But I'll be just fine. I appreciate the thought, though."
"Alright, if you're so sure," You pat his back. "Good luck."
"Those being the scarers aren't allowed to make direct contact. Show us how scary you are with your quirks." Definitely her idea for her own entertainment.
"The class that makes the most people piss their pants with creativity and imagination wins!" Or maybe their idea.
"Now, you'll draw lots to determine your partner!"
You're a team with Izuku. This should be fun.
It's been about ten minutes and the fifth pair, Uraraka and Asui, just left. Then...The last you expected tonight happens. You got a call...From Kei.
"U-um...I'm sorry, I have to answer this! Izuku, sorry, you have to go alone!" You don't even wait for him to answer you and fly back to the camp. You sit on the edge of the rooftop and answer him.
You don't speak at first. You wait for him to talk and it takes a couple of seconds?
"Angel?" You have been keeping your breath in, letting it out once you hear his voice.
"Kei..." You say, trying not to cry. "Where have you been? I-I've been texting and calling you but you never-"
"I know." He sounds guilty. He should be; the least he could do before leaving the mission was to inform you that he won't be able to talk to you for a while. It's not any of your business what mission he has, you just want to know if he's okay. Then again...Maybe you're being harsh with him. "I know, angel, and I'm sorry for that. It was urgent and I couldn't tell you anything about it."
"It's okay..." You're not sure if you mean that. "Are you okay, at least?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about, I promise."
"Okay..."
"How are you?" He changes the subject.
"I'm okay; we're actually on a training camp in the woods with my class and class B. Right now we're playing a game. A test of courage." Your finger travels to the cement of the building, tracing little shapes. "The training is exhausting, though, I'm not going to lie."
"That bad, huh?"
"Eh," You shrug as if he could see you. "We're on the third day, it's bearable."
"What kind of training?"
"Surpassing our limits to the point we can barely walk." You immediately regret every word of that sentence. You may still not remember, but Kei sure does remember the commission days and from what you've heard, this training is similar to the commission's.
"What do you mean...?" Fuck, he's panicking.
"Oh, no, no, no! Nothing like...you know...then- but, um- we, uh..." You should calm down, it's probably making him worse. You take a breath in to relax. "Look, I'm with my teacher, my class and I'm enrolled in a hero high school. I am okay, they don't plan on hurting us, you know that."
"No, I, uh...I know, I just..." He also takes a deep breath. "Sorry, I'm freaking out for no reason. You're right."
"It's okay, that's a normal reaction." Okay, it's your turn to change the subject, he obviously didn't call you to remember stuff from the past. "So, since you're calling me, does that mean your mission is over?"
"Not quite over but I had some time and thought I should give a call. To...you know...let you know that I'm alive." He says, chuckling and you laugh.
"Thanks for letting me know you didn't die, big bro."
"Sorry."
"No, I under-" You pause. There's a burnt smell in the air. You look up and see the forest on...blue fire? Right next to the fire there's a pinkish smoke stretching a large area of it.
"Everything okay?"
You're not sure what is happening but it doesn't look like good news. Also...Kota! He's not inside and definitely not with your class. He must be at his hideout.
And also.
"Everyone!" Mandalay's telepath. "We're being attacked by two villains! It's possible that there are more! Everyone who can move, get back to camp immediately! Even if you come across the enemy, retreat and do not engage!"
"Villains...?" You whisper but it seems it was loud enough for Kei.
"What villains!?"
"I'll call you back!"
"No, Y/n don't-"
You hang up quickly and take off to find Kota. You can't worry about Kei now.
Your next thought is Katsuki. He's in the woods with Todoroki but, before he left, you hid a feather under his shirt, so you can now locate him easily. You did it just in case he actually got scared so you could tease him later. Who knew it'd be useful for a situation like this?
All you have to do is get into the feather's range. Then you can hear if he's okay and what the situation is over there.
As you fly towards the hill you notice Izuku running the same direction as you. So, you thought the same thing.
You go down and fly next to him. "Need a ride?"
"Y/n!" He stops. "Yes, take me to-"
"I know, that's where I'm going, too." You wrap your arms around his chest and carry him up to the hill.
You arrive within a minute and thankfully Kota is unharmed. He doesn't look happy to see you, though.
"Kota!" Izuku jumps from your arms before you land. "You have to leave this place and come back to the camp, it's not safe here!"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" He's not fazed even if you tell him he might be in danger? He doesn't trust heroes one bit. "I told you yesterday to leave me alone!"
Your phone rings again. Kei. If you don't answer, he's gonna freak the fuck out.
"Izuku, take him, I'll answer and be with you in a minute." You answer the phone and he doesn't let you say a word.
"Y/n, what is happening there!? What villains!?"
"Look, I can't tell you right now but-"
"Y/n watch out!"
You didn't have the chance to comprehend what happened. One second you're talking to Kei, the next you're punched to the ground from your back. Your phone slipped from your hand, you have no idea if Kei is still on the call.
Your back hurts so much, it feels like it's completely crushed. Maybe it is. You don't know.
Once you feel a weight leaving your back, you turn your head to look at the person who attacked you.
A hooded man with a white mask.
"I tried searching for somewhere with a nice view, and I ended up finding two faces on the list and one that isn't." The man takes off his mask along with the hood. You can see his face now; he's blonde and has a mechanical left eye. Wait...He looks familiar. "Hey kid, nice hat. How about you trade it for this mask?"
Now you remember...He's the villain who killed Water Hose! If you recall correctly, the news said his quirk is a power-up type. He's not going to be easy.
"Your wings are pretty, little girl," No. No, no, no, you can't move and he plans to hurt your wings. They are the only escape you all have! "Mind if I take them as a souvenir?"
He grabs your wings with each hand, really to tear them apart, slowly crushing them. You scream so loud, digging your fingers to the ground. That's when you see your phone...Still working...And Kei listening to everything...
You can't hear him, though, so he's probably already coming to save you. No, he doesn't know the location- No, that's the least of your problems at this moment, focus damn it!
Izuku jumps on the villain, trying to punch him but it's no good. He's too strong for him. You activate your quirk even if it hurts like a bitch. At least he won't damage them and you can take Izuku and Kota out of there.
"Y/n!"
"I can move! I'm fine!" You run to Kota, grab your phone and him, ready to take off. "I'll come back to you as fast as possible!"
"Wait!" Kota stops you. "You can't fight him, he's too strong for you! You'll die!"
"Don't worry, Kota," You try reassuring him. "Everything is going to be okay."
"But-"
"I promise!" You fly away, taking him to the camp, where Aizawa and Vlad are. Your phone isn't working anymore. The screen is glitching and it's almost completely broken. You hope Kei didn't hear anything. "Everything is going to be just fine, Kota. Don't be scared."
You arrive at the camp and, come on, can you have a break? Aizawa is fighting with a villain with a fire-type quirk. He must be the one who set the forest on fire.
You quickly push through the door and let Kota in. "Stay here." He nods and you leave to help Aizawa. "Sensei!"
"Get inside!"
"Ah, I didn't expect to meet you so soon." Your eyes widen. This voice...You know this voice...
"Y/n get back inside, right now!"
"You're..." He's the guy Hina was talking with back in Kyushu. "Are you..."
"Long time no see..." If his appearance with half of his skin all burned up, covered with piercing, wasn't creepy enough, his smile sure was. "Angel."