Akira said her last goodbyes to Katsuki before going into her home, shutting the doors behind her. She stood there for a moment, gazing at the large, desolate house before her, a small sigh escaping her lips. Kicking off her shoes and letting them fall into the corner near the front door, she huffed as she made her way toward the staircase, yearning for a soothing hot shower to wash away the lingering sludge from her body. It felt gross and sticky; she just wanted to be rid of it and forget that the attack ever even happened, though she knew the water wouldn't wash away the feeling inside of her.
The feeling of the goo that had infultrated her body, her lungs and her stomach. She felt utterly disgusting, and on top of that, she was feeling an immense pain throughout her whole body from the fight.
"Not so fast," she heard from behind her, making her freeze instantly. Her head tilted towards the ground slightly as she turned in her spot, forcing her body to turn in the direction of the voice, though she didn't make eye contact
"Good afternoon, Sir," she replied, her tone almost robotic. Her father loomed before her, his tall figure advancing with an air of intimidation. She tried not to shake under his gaze. She hated it. She hated feeling this way. Feeling so helpless and pathetic.
She shivered slightly as she heard a scoff fall from his mouth. "Is that all you have to say? We saw the news! You embarrassed yourself out there today, do you understand that?" he yelled. She nodded her head quickly, though this only made him angrier.
"Use your words child, and look at me when I am talking to you. Do you have any respect?" her father sneered as he looked down on his daughter, a disgusted look on his face
"I apologise," she said, forcing her gaze up to look at him. His icy blue eyes peered into hers, a mean scowl on her face.
"After everything that we have done for you! All the things we have done to make you stronger! and you just allowed yourself to be kidnapped by that villain, and then give up straight away! I cannot tell you just how disappointed your mother and I are in you!" he growled. And as if on cue, her mother walked into the room, big white wings following after her small frame.
"Your father and I created you to become strong enough to surpass All Might! You will become the number one hero! You have been blessed with two amazing quirks that had been handpicked to create you! Don't you understand the time and effort that we have put into you? All the training, and scolding, lessons and teaching? All for you to get trapped by a pathetic, weak villain!" her mother sneered, looking across at her daughter in disgust
"I'm sorry mother," Akira was quick to apologise. She wanted to stand up for herself... to finally stand up against her parents, but each and everytime, she could never get out the words that she really wanted to say to them.
"For the next few months, you will work extra hard. Do you understand me? You will ace all of your exams and you WILL get into UA, do you hear me?" Her father yelled angrily, jabbing his finger in the direction of his daughter who could do nothing but stand there pathetically.
"Yes sir," she replied, nodding her head quickly, her eyes switching between her father's icy blue ones and her mother's pretty gold ones. She then turned around quickly before making her way up the long staircase, fighting the urge to cry as she made her way into her room. She threw the bedroom door open, dropping her bag onto the floor before pulling her door shut, locking it behind her.
She just stood there for a few moments. Not a single thought went through her head as she stood there emotionless. She felt her body become heavy, yet she forced herself to go into her bathroom where she began to strip her clothes from her body, turning the shower on to a temperature where it wouldn't be hot enough to hurt her, but it would be hot enough to release some of the stress on her muscles.
As the warm water cascaded over her body, Akira let out a deep sigh, allowing herself a moment of respite from the day's events. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the hurtful words her parents had thrown at her. The weight of their expectations had always been a burden she struggled to bear.
As the steam filled the bathroom, she struggled to hold back her tears, trying to find a moment of tranquility amidst the chaos that had unfolded. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake off the weight of her parents' words.
"I'm just a tool to them. A means to achieve their ambitions. Am I even my own person? Do I have my own dreams or ambitions?" she wondered, her heart heavy with conflicting emotions. She wished she had the courage to speak up, to tell them that she wanted more than just to be a pawn in their grand plan. But fear and years of conditioning had silenced her voice.
She wished she was brave... brave like Katsuki who wasn't afraid to speak his mind.
"They don't understand... they don't know what I've been through," she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible over the sound of the running water.
In the silence of the bathroom, Akira's mind wandered back to her childhood. She remembered the days when she was just a young girl, filled with wonder and excitement about her quirks. But her parents had quickly turned that excitement into a relentless pursuit of strength and control. The pressure to become the ultimate hero had taken away the joy of discovering her own path.
She thought back to the relentless training her parents had put her through, pushing her to be the perfect hero they had envisioned. She remembered the countless hours of practice, the lectures, the unorthodox lengths that her parents would go to, physically hurting her as a means to make her quirk stronger, and her body strong enough to handle it.
Why couldn't she just enjoy her quirks. They were HER quirks after all. Arent they? She didn't really know, and the constant reminder that her wings and ice quirk were gifts bestowed upon her for a specific purpose only deepened her belief that maybe she truly was just a puppet in order to achieve her parents dreams.
But amidst all the pressure, she had never felt like she truly belonged. The expectations had stifled her spirit, leaving her feeling like an empty vessel, devoid of her own dreams and desires. The encounter with the sludge villain had been a stark reminder of how she longed for freedom, to be more than just a vessel for her parents' ambitions.
Akira knew she had the potential to be a great hero, but she wanted to do it on her own terms, not simply to fulfill her parents' vision. She wanted to find her own path, to discover who she truly was beyond the constraints they had imposed on her.
Determined to find solace, she finished her shower and stepped out of the bathroom, wrapping herself in a soft towel. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes red from unshed tears. Her eyes were weary, her face devoid of the spark she usually had. She watched as her usually happy facade began to crumble right before her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she resolved to take control of her life and make her own decisions, even if it meant defying her parents.
The emotional turmoil she had been suppressing for so long was finally breaking through, leaving her feeling vulnerable and lost. "I don't know how much longer I can keep on living like this," she whispered to herself, her voice cracking with emotion, as a few tears slipped down her cheeks. "Am I strong enough to meet their expectations?"
Her heart ached with the weight of her parents' dreams, the burden of their ambitions bearing down on her like an unyielding chain. The very essence of who she was had been molded into what they wanted her to be, leaving little room for her own aspirations. She longed to break free from the suffocating hold they had on her life, to find her own purpose and identity.
Wrapping the towel tighter around her, she walked back into her room and sat on the edge of her bed, her mind filled with a jumble of emotions and memories. The thought of defying her parents terrified her, but the thought of continuing down the path they had laid out for her was even more suffocating.
In her heart, she knew she wanted to be a hero, but not for the reasons her parents had set. She wanted to protect and save people because it was the right thing to do, not to fulfill some grand ambition of surpassing All Might. She wanted to find her own strengths, her own weaknesses, and grow as a person and hero in her own right.
But to achieve that, she had to face her fears and find her voice. It was time to break free from the chains of her parents' expectations and forge her own path.
Taking a deep breath, she picked up her phone and dialed Katsuki's number. His voice came through the line, gruff and impatient as always. "What do you want?"
"Katsuki," she said softly, trying to steady her trembling voice.
"Hey," he replied, his tone softening just a bit. "You alright?"
"I... I don't know, Katsuki. I feel like I'm drowning in their expectations, and I can't breathe," she admitted, her voice breaking. He knew what her home life was like. He had seen the messages that they sent her, and the way that they would look at her... and worst of all, he had seen the scars etched into her skin.
There was a moment of silence on the other end before Katsuki spoke again, his voice surprisingly gentle. "You don't have to live up to their damn expectations, you know. You're your own person, Akira. Do what you want, not what they want."
Tears welled up in her eyes again, but this time, they were tears of relief. For the first time, she felt like someone understood her, someone saw her for who she truly was.
"I don't know how Kats," she said, but her voice was growing stronger with newfound determination. "I want to find my own way, my own purpose as a hero."
"That's the spirit," Katsuki said, and she could almost hear a faint smile in his voice. "Don't let anyone else decide your path for you. Be your own damn hero."
With Katsuki's support, a flicker of hope ignited within Akira's heart. She knew that breaking free from her parents' expectations wouldn't be easy, but she was ready to face the challenge head-on. She would train harder, not for them, but for herself. She would prove her worth, not to fulfill their ambitions, but to discover her own.
As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over her room, Akira wiped away her tears and gazed out the window, a newfound sense of purpose filling her soul. She had a long journey ahead of her, but she was no longer afraid.
"I will find my own path, my own dreams," she whispered to herself, her voice unwavering.
With each passing minute, her determination grew stronger. She started to realize that she had spent too long living under the shadows of her parents' dreams, and it was time to step into the light and forge her own destiny.
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The next day at school, Akira couldn't shake the weight of the previous day's events from her mind. She saw Katsuki at his usual spot near the school gates, surrounded by admirers and friends. Her heart swelled with gratitude for the support he had shown her, but she knew that the path she was about to take might put distance between them.
Taking a deep breath, she walked up to him, ignoring the whispers and curious glances from their classmates. "Katsuki," she said, her voice steady despite the nerves bubbling within her.
He turned to her, a quizzical look in his eyes. "What is it?"
"I just wanted to say thank you," she began, her eyes locking with his fiery gaze. "Thank you for always standing up for me, for believing in me even when I couldn't believe in myself."
Katsuki's expression softened, and he shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, it's not like you're completely useless."
A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips, and she reached out to gently punch his shoulder. "Thanks, I guess."
His friends snickered, and she saw him roll his eyes, but there was a fondness in his actions that she couldn't help but appreciate.
"Listen, Katsuki," she continued, taking a deep breath. "I've been thinking a lot about what happened yesterday, about what my parents said, and I've decided that I can't keep living my life based on their expectations. I want to be a hero, but I want to do it on my own terms, not just to fulfill their ambitions."
Katsuki raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. "So, what are you gonna do then?"
"I'm going to apply to UA, but not just because they want me to," she said, her voice filled with determination. "I'm going to prove to myself that I have what it takes to be a hero, and I'll do it my way."
He regarded her for a moment, his expression unreadable, before a smirk formed on his lips. "About time you figured that out. You better not drag me down, got it?"
Her heart swelled with gratitude, and she couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, I won't be a burden."
As the days turned into weeks, Akira threw herself into training, both physically and mentally. She sought out heroes and mentors who could help her grow, not as a tool for her parents' ambition, but as a hero in her own right. Her parents were displeased with her newfound defiance, but Akira knew that she had to stand her ground if she wanted to find her own path.
One evening, as she trained in an empty park, Katsuki appeared out of nowhere, his signature explosive entrance announcing his arrival. "Thought I'd find you here," he said, a hint of concern in his voice.
"I can't back down now," she replied, wiping sweat from her brow. "I won't let their expectations hold me back anymore."
Katsuki nodded, a fierce determination in his eyes. "Good. You're gonna make it, and I'll be right there with you, watching your back."
With Katsuki's unwavering support and her newfound resolve, Akira applied to UA with confidence and passion. Despite her parents' disapproval, she knew in her heart that she was making the right decision for herself.
And on the day of the UA entrance exam, as she stood before the gate, nerves and excitement coursing through her, Katsuki stood beside her, a smirk on his face. "Ready to show them what you're made of?" he asked.
Akira took a deep breath, a smile spreading across her face. "You bet."
As the gate opened, she charged forward, a hero in the making, ready to carve her own path in the world of heroes. And with Katsuki by her side, she knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, she would face them head-on with courage and determination.
But boy did she misjudge just how hard and heartbreaking her future as a hero would really be.