~~~~~
After the battle between All For One and One For All concluded, Aoi wasn't able to leave her home for a few days. Lucky for her they were still in their vacation days. Aizawa told her that she was required to go to campus for her extra training, but after the panic attack she had, she ignored him. All she could do was see herself in the mirror. Her maid and grandma constantly tried to get her out, but failed.
She kept remembering that kid she encountered, and would use her quirk to try to replicate the plushie he let her borrow and next to it the bracelet with the tracker. She would look at them for hours, thinking if she was ready to finally make a real decision, not a decision just to shut the reflection, to convince herself for a moment then go directly back to old habits. The reflection's words kept going through her mind. She refused to be a dog for the villains or even the hero commission, but she was so unsure what to do. What was worse was that she had no one to talk to about the subject, and that was silently killing her inside. She imagined her heart as a piece of glass, and with what just happened, she felt as if her heart now had a crack.
"Have you made a choice?~" The reflection asked while appearing in the mirror
"No... All this time, ever since... ever since that day, I have told myself I would be the symbol of hope and justice for both sides. But as soon as both worlds clash, I am now trapped in a mind game. During USJ I was determined to destroy all the heroes, to defeat all of my classmates, but when I saw their heroism next to All Might, all I felt was an impulse to be heroic as well, and ended up going against orders. Then at the forest, things were the opposite, I didn't really care about my classmates, not fully, I wanted to make sure the villains succeeded but was distracted by Aikou's disappearance"
The reflection made a face of disgust while hearing her
"Then... the other day on the street, that kid... made me desire to be a hero just like All Might. I hate him, despise him, wish I could scream at him all the things I think about... but that kid, I want to be a hero like All Might and inspire people like that" Aoi continued "But if that kid were to see how I helped Stain, how I went insane during the final exam, or even know what was going through my head during the sports festival, I wouldn't be a hero to him anymore. That is what I fear, for people to fear me instead of..."
"Admiring you?~" The reflection asked "So that is what this is all about huh?~"
"Not like that, I am not doing this for fame, or money, or even power" Aoi replied "I want to help people like an honest hero, but how can I be honest for the people if I am not even honest with myself?"
"Then?~" The reflection asked
Aoi looked at the bracelet
"He promised me that world, that his way would guarantee resources for the world to prosper, for everybody to be themselves, for both worlds to become one and coexist" Aoi said "But..." she continued while looking at the remake of the plushie "UA has taught me that I can do that on my own..."
"Aoi?" Her grandma said while knocking a little making the reflection suddenly disappear and Aoi be taken out of her thought "I have an offer for you, so you can cheer up a little"
Aoi looked at the door confused and decided to finally open it "What is it?"
"You know how we are one of the main Patrons and contributors of the projects and events that go on I Island right? I know that we tend to go together and place our spot to promote ourselves, but without your grandfather here, I decided to skip this year's event"
"Uh huh...?" Aoi reacted a little confused
"So, instead of wasting the expo invitations, I wanted to ask if you wanted to go and maybe invite some friends of yours?" her grandmother asked
"R-really?" Aoi asked in surprise but with excitement
"Yes, I know how much you love going to those events, and it would be the first time you take friends. Also you may enjoy de expo to the fullest since you won't have to care about the store" her grandmother replied with a smile
"I would love that!" Aoi exclaimed excitedly and hugged her grandmother out of pure emotion, but instantly parted since she felt uncomfortable after the several fights they had during the past months. Her grandmother smiled and felt some peace inside of her.
"Very well, the plane takes off in two days, make sure to let your friends know and if you want me to talk to their parents, just ask them to give me their phone number" her grandma said with a smile before leaving "You won't get anything if you don't eat something at least three times a day young lady. I was told by a little bird you've been skipping meals" she said from down the hall
Aoi smiled and ran to her phone to text Aikou about what her grandmother just proposed, and Aikou replied excitedly, even suggesting to invite Hakkotsu and Niji since those two were really close to them. Aoi felt unsure and decided to accept, and sent a message to Hakkotsu and Niji. To her surprise Hakkotsu said sure rather quickly, she was expecting her to say no based on the time she took her to her home, but shook her head to avoid criticizing without really knowing the situation. Niji on the other hand was having trouble convincing her parents since she has never been on an airplane before, so she sent her parents' phone number and miraculously Aoi's grandma convinced them by assuring them that the island was highly protected.
"Do you think its a good idea to take a trip right now? You just lost your leader ~" The reflection asked
"Personally I think I do need to relax, and with All For One locked in tartarus my connection with the League has been abruptly stopped. Only Kurogiri and Shigaraki have my number, and Toga I think. If they were to need me they can call me. Just in case I will let Kurogiri know, and either way..." Aoi replied while looking at her wrist with the bracelet "They always know where I am..."
"Hmm... at least I am glad you have now a better understanding of your position between the Hero and the Villain society... sometimes...~" The Reflection commented
"Partly. All this time I was having trouble figuring out if I was really going to be a hero or a villain. If what I was doing was the right path. In some way it is but it isn't. Thanks to that kid I know what I want to do, without parting from my true purpose and goal. I plan on using the resources of both worlds without each other affecting the other in order to make a better world" Aoi said
"Sounds like a fancy version to describe what you've been doing all this time in a way to convince yourself that you have matured but still have the same mentality~" The reflection said with an annoyed tone
Aoi smiled because of her response "Not exactly. I know that I have changed, but my goal remains the same. To make sure villains and heroes are all treated equally, and to no one be rejected because of some stupid social rules... I want that to change so no one else goes through the same thing as me... or Toga, or Shigaraki... or Snyde... or anybody else"
The reflection remained silent before letting out a heavy sigh "Sometimes I think you lie to yourself to ignore your major defects~" she said before disappearing and Aoi's expression saddened
"Maybe..." Aoi exclaimed
~~~~~
The day of the trip arrived and Aoi and her grandmother were waiting at the airport with Aikou who they picked up earlier.
"Passport?" Her grandmother asked
"Check" Aoi and Aikou replied
"Hero Costume?"
"Check"
"Personal things?"
"Check"
"Casual and formal clothes?"
"Check and Check"
"Expo tickets?"
"Check"
"Hello!" Niji said as she ran towards her as soon as she was dropped off by her parents who left as soon as they made sure that Aoi's grandmother was there.
"I am so excited but scared, I've never gone out of the country! I barely even get out of the house, every time I do so something bad happened" Niji commented
"No worries dear, in that place you will be safe and sound, guaranteed" Aoi's grandma commented
"Thank you Ms. Kuro! And also thank you again for inviting me!" Niji exclaimed while bowing in gratitude
"Do you have your things ready?" Aoi's grandma asked
"Yup! My mother made sure to triple confirm I had everything!" Niji replied
Hakkotsu arrived at the airport last, and was walking rather slowly. Niji's face filled with glee and rushed towards her to say hi, but stopped when she noticed she had a bad injury on her face and some parts of her body were covered in bandages.
"Hakko Chan what happened to you?!" Niji asked worried
"I... fell down the stairs" Hakkotsu replied while trying to hide her face with her bangs
"It must have been a serious fall, are you sure you are good to travel?" Aoi's grandma asked
"Yes... my quirk will heal me... I should be mostly healed by the time we reach the Island" Hakkotsu replied
Aoi looked at her with concern, but smiled slightly when she noticed that Hakkotsu was carrying the bag she gave her.
"You all packed your formal clothes right?" Aoi's grandma asked
"Yes!" Aoi, Aikou and Niji replied in unison while Hakkotsu only nodded
"You all will be representing our company so make sure to be as presentable as possible , I am talking about you Aoi" her grandma said while looking directly at her "Remember not everyone is invited to the formal pre aperture event since it is quite exclusive, so please be presentable"
"I'll try" Aoi replied
Her grandma let out a heavy sigh but kept a smile "Get going then, be safe and have no concern over any purchases, feel free to buy souvenirs, food, and everything you like. Money is not an issue for us"
"Thank you miss Kuro" The three girls replied before they headed towards the plane. To Niji's and Hakkotsu's surprise they were directed to a private airplane.
"You have a private jet?!" Niji asked
"Yes, mostly used by my grandparents to make negotiations in other places faster" Aoi replied while they boarded the plane and sat in the available spaces.
Aoi sat next to a window and looked at her bracelet, thinking about the conversation she had with her reflection
"You ok?" Aikou asked while taking off one of her earphones
"Yeah, I... I am really excited that you can come this time to the expo" Aoi replied
Aikou looked at her a little disappointed, but decided to just keep it that way "Yeah, me too" she said with a forced smile
Niji was hugging a pillow with immense strength and her face was a little green.
"Are you ok Niji?" Aikou asked
"No, I am getting dizzy" Niji said while holding a paper bag once the airplane was flying
"Its normal if it's your first time flying, but you'll get used to it" Aoi exclaimed trying to calm her down
"I hate it...." Niji said making Aoi laugh a little "Thanks for inviting us Aoi-chan"
"No need to thank me, it is actually fun to hang around friends, and I am actually excited since it will be the first time that I can enjoy the expo as a visitor and not a sponsor" Aoi replied
Hakkotsu was drinking a milk carton and Aoi noticed how the edges of her wounds were glowing a little as they were recovering.
"(I wonder what is the science behind her recovery, there is no way only calcium can cure her skin, bones and every other wound...)" Aoi thought before shifting her sight somewhere else so Hakkotsu wouldn't catch her staring
"There it is!" Niji said while looking over at the window
Aoi chuckled "Girls, welcome to I-Island" she said as the airplane landed
They all got their stuff and Niji started to take pictures of everything and immediately called her parents to show her everything. Hakkotsu on the other hand kept her regular serious expression, looking over at the area with no emotion at all while taking off some of the band aids and bandages from the wounds that healed during the flight.
"GIRLS SAY HI TO MY MOM!" Niji exclaimed as she placed her phone in front of them letting her parents see them all together
"Glad you all arrived safely, please take care and have fun everybody" Niji's mother said with a gentle smile
"Sure thing Ms. Sato" Aoi said while smiling back. Aikou waved at them and Hakkotsu was looking somewhere else
Niji hung up on her parents and then looked at Hakkotsu.
"Is something wrong Hakko-chan?" Niji asked
"I thought I saw something suspicious..." Hakkotsu replied
"No need to worries, I-Island is the second island with the best security, mostly because it is inhabited by scientists and their families" Aoi commented "The best creations come from here and to avoid villains getting their hands in such high technology and investigations, they have increased protocols" she said as they all reached the scanning area with a moving band that as they were standing and entering the island, they were being scanned to obtain their identities and information
"Niji was still taking pictures of everything with excitement even tho she was warned several times by security that she was not allowed to take pictures of certain things
"If I-Island is the second one... which is the first one?" Aikou asked
"That's easy, that would be W-Island, mostly because it has the security of scientists all over the world, and they have close ties with I-Island. The reason why W-Island has more security is because each country that tends to participate each event want to assure the security of their representatives, meaning all countries have provided their own measures" Aoi replied "Not only that, but W-Island is way bigger than I-Island itself"
"You know a lot about these things Aoi-chan" Niji commented
"I actually have always considered working creating machines, my quirk facilitates those types of jobs and well my grandparents come here often for business. Even if we are known as a Jewelry, the thing that benefits us the most economically is our business selling parts and making pieces for scientists, support jobs, and we also provide courses for people who want to learn how to build machines from scraps. The jewelry in the end is just a Hobby for my grandmother"
"Wow, sometimes I forget that you are rich" Niji exclaimed
"Well I am not exactly rich, my grandparents are. I do work at the jewelry shop once in a while and when they require a really specific piece I do go to the workshop and help. Something my grandfather has told me since I was a kid was to never rely on someone else since you never know when they won't be around, so I try not to rely on my grandparents' money and try to do things by myself-" Aoi replied with a smile, but stopped for a second to analyze what she just said
"So this place is safe...?" Hakkotsu asked
"Yup, no crime has ever happened here" Aoi replied
"Inspection has finished successfully, please be welcomed. Currently on I-Island, we have the pre-aperture of the I-Expo, a presentation of the results of I+D. If you have an invitation, you can come and take a look" the system said as the doors opened and they reached the entrance venue.
Niji was giving little jumps of excitement as they exited the building and were welcomed by the amazing view of the place.
"AAAAH ITS AMAZING!" Niji screamed
"It looks better in person in comparison to the pictures" Aikou added
"Too colorful..." Hakkotsu commented as she looked over at the same group of people she was watching earlier, but decided to let it go
Aoi found it weird and glanced at the group she kept staring at, but to her they seemed like any other civilians. She shrugged her shoulders and prepared her bags.
"Let's get settled in the hotel, we can leave our stuff, change, and then get going to the Expo" Aoi said with a smile
"I honestly was expecting more people around" Aikou commented
"Oh right, I think it's a habit I got from my grandma. We came here way too early, if we arrive later lines will be incredibly long and we can get lost in the crowd" Aoi replied "Usually the events and entertainment start in about two or three hours, giving us enough time to get ready"
"Makes sense, its surprising how your grandmother is always so early and you are always almost late" Aikou chuckled
"Hey! I can be on time if I really want to, but there is no real point for me to do so" Aoi replied while pouting sarcastically
Niji and Aikou laughed and they all made their way to the hotel.
"I am really excited that we were allowed to bring our hero costumes!" Niji exclaimed as she was fixing her bows and dress
"Yeah, usually I have to wear a type of uniform representing the business, but for the first time I come here to have fun, and well there are many activities for heroes that come here" Aoi added as she was attaching the chain rolls on the side of her hero costume
"I still want to get my hero costume changed, maybe something less dark. I know I said I wanted something to have a better appeal for my quirk to work better, but I don't like it..." Aikou commented
"Have you made your new costume application?" Niji asked
"Ever since I got this one, but I can't get one until the start of the second year or if this one gets damaged" Aikou complained
"I thought you were allowed to change it at any time" Aoi said as she fixed her hair
"The designer that did mine is always busy, they offered me a new designer, but the reason why I stay with this one is because my mother forced me. She got a deal that if I wore their hero costume, my mother would get some type of benefit" Aikou replied
"(Doesn't surprise me that she would do something like that...)" Aoi thought
"It's your hero costume... not hers, you should wear something that you feel comfortable with..." Hakkotsu exclaimed as she was buckling her belt
The three of them looked at Hakkotsu and Aikou lowered her face thinking about it. Aoi looked at Aikou's expression and placed a hand on her shoulder which made her look her way.
"Hakkotsu is right, it is your costume, not hers" Aoi remarked
Aikou smiled and nodded as she finished getting ready and they headed out to the Expo.
They started by looking at the exhibition of the projects done by students in the academy. Niji and Aikou were trying out and stopping at every single exhibition while Hakkotsu and Aoi followed them around. Aoi stopped at several exhibitions of her interest, some would even intrigue her more than the others. She could only think how the world would be if people got her hands on those things, if it would get better or worse. On the other hand Hakkotsu seemed uninterested, but would stop and read some of the tabloids with the information describing each project, but would look around once in a while, as if she was looking for something or someone.
"Well I guess we are done watching the pre-aperture exposition, now what?" Niji asked while jumping in front of Aoi, almost trembling with excitement
"Why don't we go and try some of the activities?" Aoi asked
"YES!" Niji and Aikou replied in unison
They later reached a special arena with a rocky mountain in the center.
"OOOOOH What is this place Aoi-chan?" Niji asked while they all leaned over the rails
"It's a small game, they change it every year. Basically a test for heroes to have fun and challenge themselves. But actually these activities are more for studying quirks. Look over there" Aoi pointed and the girls noticed some students taking notes
"Are they from the academy here?" Niji asked
"Yes, there are many events in the year, but the expo is the one that brings the most guests, meaning that they have now a wider range of quirks and people to study to come up with new projects" Aoi replied
A hero came out and stood there ready to act.
"Here is our next contestant! Now, defeat all of the villains! Ready...? Go!" The lady on the microphone said as the hero went around the rocky area trying to destroy each of the robots
"Wooooow" Niji exclaimed while looking at the hero destroy the robots
"You girls will give it a try?" Asked a familiar voice
"KIRISHIMA-KUN!" Niji and Aikou said as soon as they looked their way
"Oh, Bakugo is here too" Aikou added
"Huh...?" Bakugo and Aoi reacted as they saw each other
"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE?!" They screamed in unison to each other
"Are you guys here by invitation?" Aikou asked on the side while letting Aoi and Bakugo scream at each other
"Actually Bakugo was the only one invited here since he won the Sports Festival, I only came to accompany him" Kirishima replied "How come you girls are here?"
"Aoi's grandparents are patrons of many projects here, she told us that usually they place their own little place to try and promote their services" Aikou replied
"But, Aoi told us that this year her grandma didn't feel like coming so instead of coming with the company, she invited us!" Niji added while blushing a little "It is pretty great to see you here Kirishima-kun"
"And the score is 1 minute and 45 seconds! Placing him in 37th place!" The woman in the microphone exclaimed as soon as the hero finished "Who wants to go next?"
"I'll give it a shot!" Kirishima replied while he went up to the lady
"Go Kirishima-Kun!" Niji screamed
"You can do it!" Aikou screamed as well
Aoi and Bakugo finally went silent and looked up to Kirishima expecting his result.
"Ready....? Go!" The lady screamed and Kirishima used his hardening quirk to move around and get every single robot
"He's pretty good!" Niji said while leaning on the rail, almost falling over due to her excitement
Aikou looked at Niji and winked at her "I think you are thinking about something else"
"Waaaaaa?!!!!" Niji replied with an evident blush "No, what do you mean?!!!!!!"
"You can't hide things like that from cupid herself~" Aikou replied while teasing Niji
"Stoooooop!" Niji screamed while covering her blushing face
"(Niji and Kirishima? Never expected it...)" Aoi thought while smiling in response to Niji's reactions
"And the result is 33 seconds! Placing him in the current eighth place!" The lady said
"Oh I want to go next!" Niji said as she went up to the Lady
"Very well! Let us reload the villains and as soon as they are ready you can go!" The lady said while some robots came out of a gate and positioned themselves
"You know what, I'll give it a try too" Aoi exclaimed
"Hell no! I'll go first!" Bakugo screamed as they both went to the preparation area while Niji finished.
"There it no stopping those two" Aikou commented as Kirishima made his way towards them
"Ready...? Start!" The lady screamed
Niji took out a piece of licorice that was attached to a jawbreaker to use as a weapon while she roller skated around the area and used the impacts to push herself around the area and bounce from one robot to the other.
"Never seen her use that weapon before!" Kirishima exclaimed in surprise
"As soon as we left the forest... Niji wanted to improve herself and find new ways to fight... learning and making new weapons with candy and learning how to use them... is her coping mechanism to forget what happened that day" Hakkotsu said as a response to Kirishima's comment
"Is she that traumatized?" Aikou asked
"Out of all of us... out of everybody in the class... in UA, she is the one who was the most emotionally affected, but she hides it by smiling and acting sweet... she is always scared of fighting after being locked in her home till now. Like she said earlier... every time she goes out something bad happens, emphasizing the fear her parents planted on her..." Hakkotsu replied
"Who would've thought" Aikou commented while watching Niji
"That is 37 seconds! Placing her in tenth place!" The Lady screamed
"Aw man I was so close!" Niji exclaimed while laughing a little
"(To think someone like her is capable of hiding all of her emotions like that just to make sure nobody worries about her...)" Aikou thought
"You guys are here too?!" Midoriya asked when he spotted them followed by a blonde girl and some of their fellow classmates
"No way! Can't believe we would see all of you here too" Aikou exclaimed as she approached the girls
"How come you guys are here?" Jiro asked
"Aoi's grandparents invited us" Aikou replied
"Aoi is here too?" Uraraka asked
"Yeah she is actually-" Aikou was about to reply before the lady in the microphone interrupted her
"Now for our next contestant! Ready..? Go!" She said
"K-KACCHAN?!" Midoriya exclaimed surprised watching Bakugo explode all of the robots in the small arena
"Oh yeah, Bakugo is here too" Aikou added
"This is amazing! He completed it in 15 seconds! Placing him in first place!" The lady said making the audience cheer
Bakugo started to walk back and when he looked up, he noticed Midoriya and jumped directly to the rail right in front of him with pure anger on his face "WHY ARE YOU HERE TOO?!" Bakugo growled
"S-Stop Kacchan!" Midoya replied while backing up a few steps to be out of his range
"Who would've thought" Aikou commented while preparing her quirk in case things got out of control
"YOU BETTER NOT USE YOUR QUIRK YOU HEART FACED GIRL!" Bakugo yelled at Aikou
"Stop Bakugo!" Iida screamed as he placed himself in a T pose in front of Bakugo
"Why is he so angry at him?" The blonde girl asked
"They act like that" Jiro replies
"All the time" Aikou added
"It is like a man thing they have going on" Uraraka said while imitating Bakugo a little
Hakkkotsu was looking at Bakugo, and for a weird reason she seemed more relaxed than before
"Now that everyone is here, are you guys also going to give it a try?" Kirishima asked
"Its useless since they are all weaker than me!" Bakugo screamed while frowning at Midoriya
"That isn't determined until he gives it a try tho" Uraraka exclaimed
"Yeah! You should give it a try, Midoriya-Kun!" Niji said while looking at them all
"Wait, what happened to Aoi?" Aikou asked
"Aoi-chan? I didn't see her as I was getting up here" Niji replied
"Maybe she is in the preparation room" Kirishima said while looking at them
"Wonder why she is taking some time" Aikou commented
"Then you have time to go Midoriya-Kun!" Niji said while skating around them
"F-Fine" Midoriya said as he went up to the lady and got ready. As soon as the Lady marked the beginning of the challenge, he used his quirk to defeat all of the robots taking only 16 seconds placing him in second place.
"Hah see? I am better than him!" Bakugo stated
"Damn Midoriya is only feeding his ego" Aikou whispered and Jiro nodded in agreement
"You were so close!" Uraraka told Midoriya once he reunited with them
"I can't believe I was so close to Kacchans time" Midoriya added making Bakugo angrier
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Bakugo screamed at him "I WILL GIVE IT ANOTHER TRY AND I WILL LEAVE YOU EATING DUST!'
"No need to rush Bakugo, Aoi still hasn't gone so we should wait for her to give it a try first" Kirishima said while placing his hand on Bakugo's shoulder
"AMAZING AMAZING!" The lady on the microphone screamed "Only 5 seconds second making her the new number one!"
They all looked in the lady's direction only to find Aoi who didn't even move from where she was standing and used her quirk to explode them all.
"(I should've been faster tho... something is making my sensors be a little off scanning for metal. They were all blurry)" Aoi thought while looking at her hand
"AOI YOU DID AMAZING!!! YOU'VE BEATEN UP MIDORIYA AND BAKUGOU!" Kirishima screamed while everyone looked at her amazed
"What took you so long?" Aikou asked
"Oh! I found someone in the preparation room, you will not believe who it... Huh? When did you all get here?" Aoi asked when she noticed Midoriya and the others and walked up to them
"I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS! I WILL GO AGAIN!" Bakugo yelled at Aoi
"I think you should wait a little, it's someone else's turn" Aoi said as she passed Bakugou with a mocking tone accompanied by the announcement of the lady.
"A surprising result of 13 seconds making him our new second place!" The lady said with excitement making them all look her way and find Todoroki who had froze all of the robots
"Wow, all of you are amazing! Couldn't expect less from the next future heroes!" the blonde girl exclaimed
"Oh, nice to meet you, my name is Kuro Aoi, but feel free to call me by my first name" Aoi said while looking at her
"I am Melissa Shield, nice to meet you Aoi" she said while they shook hands
"DAMN YOU HALF AND HALF BASTARD!" Bakugo screamed as he exploded his way towards him
They all laughed because of Bakugo's reaction.
"I found Todoroki in the preparation area and we started talking. As the son of Endeavor he was invited here to represent him. What about you all?" Aoi asked
"I came because my parents are patrons of the expo and brough Uraraka and Jiro with me" Yaoyorozu replied
"As a son of a family of heroes I was invited here as well" Iida replied
"What about you Midoriya?" Aoi asked
"I-I came to see the expo and spend time!" Midoriya replied nervous
"We also found Kaminari and Mineta, they are working in one of the shops and said they will catch up to us later. Also the rest of the girls are at the hotel since they don't have an invitation for the pre-aperture. I was telling them all that we should all go as a group tomorrow when the Expo is opened to the public" Yaoyorozu said while looking at Aoi
"That seems great, like a type of group field trip apart from class" Aoi exclaimed "(This isn't half bad, with all of us here something tells me things will go just fine)"
~~~~~