Beep. Beep. Beep.
White surrounded me, hurting my eyes to have open. Sun rays cascaded in from the windows, elegantly laying on the empty furniture by the window. Disappointment flooded me as I saw, no one was here for me.
The IV clung to my arm, wires running from me to the monitor, all of them panicking when I ripped them off of me.
I just want out of here.
Running towards the door, accidentally slamming it behind me as I tried to leave. I cringed as the door slammed, realizing it would give me away to the nurse staff. But there was no one here. It was the middle of the day, why was there no one in the hospital? I reopened my own room door, seeing the sunlight once so bright, disappeared as the new moon's darkness invaded.
How is it night? It was just midday. Where are the nurses? Shouldn't have they been alarmed to my IV being ripped out too?
Back in the hallway, I investigated the rooms, trying to find any evidence of human life. The doors morphed in front of me, and name placard reading 'Enji Todoroki'.
How did Endeavor get in here?
I rushed into the door, seeing nothing but darkness from the beginning. The horrible memory restarted, being teleported by grey slime like just a couple days ago now. My hands felt smaller, now being gloved as well. A hand pushed between my neck and back, urging me forward into the traditional Japanese styled house.
"This is (Y/n) Chisaki. She will be living with us from now until further notice." Endeavor had just stated, but his voice was so naturally loud it sounded like he yelled it, despite the kids being just a few meters away from him. I recognized the kids from the picture he gave me, telling me to memorize their names. They all looked unique, but similar, with their mixes of white and red hair, completely different from my (h/c) hair. I bowed deeply,
"Thank you very much for welcoming me to your home. I hope I can repay the favor some day."
No longer in control of my body, I realized what was happening. I'm in a dream of my own memories.
None of them looked happy, confusion being the best emotion I could see, anger being the worst. The picture told me that was Natsuo, with pure white hair and a bulky build. He stormed out of the house, not sparing me a second glance.
"I'm not allowing you to replace our brother with someone you found off the street!" He yelled as he slammed the door.
It took me years to find out he was talking about Touya, his dead brother, and I couldn't ever bring myself to blame him for that feeling.
"Fuyumi, Shoto, please show her around while I speak with Natsuo. She'll be placed in the guest room." they nodded, yet reluctantly for the two tone haired boy.
Fuyumi's confusion had melted into excitement, showing me every room in the house until finally nearing the bedroom portion.
"Here, this is your room now! It's right next to mine, so if you ever need anything, I'm here to help! Shoto is on the other side. How about we get a piece of paper and you can write your name on it and put it on the door!"
"I....can't write. I'm sorry. I've never gone to school to learn."
"Didn't know we took in strays." It was the first time he had talked this entire time, his first words that were even somewhat directed at me. That would be the last for a while, as he walked into his room after saying it.
I had forgotten there was once a time Sho and I weren't friends, he really hated me when I first got there.
"Shoto! Even if you walk away from me, we are still talking about this later! I am so sorry about him, he doesn't have the best relationship with our father, so he's been crabby since he's gotten back. It's not your fault I promise! How about I help you with writing your name?"
"Thank you, Yumi." I spoke softly, before realizing my mistake, "I am so sorry I didn't mean for that to come out! It was just a trick I used to be able to remember all your names I didn't mean for-"
"It's okay, (Y/n), from now on, I'll be your big sister too. You can call me Yumi, I think it's cute!"
"Thank you for your help then, Yumi. I'll get settle into my room until I'm needed again."
When my small hand grazed the door, the images shifted again, teleporting me outside.
"Shoto, you've been having issues with your ice, and our space being too small for you to do the best you can do. So, that's where (Y/n) comes in. Continuously expel your ice at her." Shoto, ignorant of my quirk, looked reluctant to attack me. I slowly took off my gloves, stuffing them in my pocket. My eyes slowly met his, nodding, letting him know to attack me. He nodded back, lifting his right hand.
Ice rushed towards my face, until I hit it with the base of my palms, redirecting it upwards. I kept moving it around me, until he had reached near his limit with his ice. Once he had stopped, I had left myself out of the middle of the iceberg, over to Endeavor's side as he beckoned us.
"See Shoto, this is a physical representation of how much ice you can output right now. (Y/n) will be here to help you with your training from now on, however I will still be here to train your fire."
"What, can you manipulate ice?"
"Go on, (Y/n). Clear the ground for a mock battle."
I touched the iceberg again, exploding it all, much more slowly than what I can do now.
"You haven't told him your quirk yet, correct (Y/n)? Let him guess it as you fight. Shoto, what will you do against an opponent where you are unsure of their abilities? Now, begin."
I ducked to the ground, zooming forward towards him. I had an advantage, he didn't want to fight me head on when he didn't know what I could do yet. He backed away from me, shooting flames from his left side to keep me away. I covered my arms in soil, guarding myself in an X form against him, as I continued forwards. He looked more panicked as he was thinking, he was already tired from the exercise earlier, but he didn't use it as an excuse to not throw more ice my direction.
My finger barely touched it and started redirecting it behind me, trying my best to conceal the true nature of my quirk. After all this struggle, I finally stood a meter in front of him, ready to start my own onslaught. Before this, I was just defending, evading, but now I had to attack. His heterochromatic eyes focused on my hands, he's put together that's where my quirk comes from at least. Shoto's face barely dodged my first right hook, disengaging entirely from hand to hand combat as he tried to run. His eyes were too focused on my hands, because he didn't foresee the kick to the back of his knees that brought him to the ground.
Shoto panicked, trying his best to get off the ground before I could attack again. A kick against the chest, followed by a punch, then one last kick before he laid out on the ground, unable to attack me.
"Unprepared? A stray needs to fight for their food, you shouldn't have underestimated me."
And man, did I hate Sho too.
Endeavor led us both inside for dinner, Yumi greeting us at the table. Once we finished we returned to our rooms in silence. Yumi opened her door, a vacuum starting from inside her room, pulling me in. Once again, the scene was changing.
"You're progressing so nicely! You can write your whole alphabet now!" It felt embarrassing to be 11, and only now learning my alphabet, but the way Yumi said it was so encouraging, I couldn't get upset. She was such a good teacher, it was no wonder she was going into that field. "Oh, (Y/n)! One of the kids today called me Miss Yumi! I instantly thought of you, it made me so happy!"
"That's very nice of you, Yumi."
"Wow, your handwriting is getting really neat too, this is better than Shoto's. Have you been practicing?"
"Yeah, usually if I can't sleep, I study. There's a lot to catch up on, but I'm good at memorizing things. That's what my brother always says at least."
"Oh? You have a brother? Tell me about him!"
"Fuyumi, that's enough. I need (Y/n) to come to training now." His hand grabbed mine, and in one blink, everything was gone, once again transforming into a new picture.
"By the end of break, you need to be caught up to be able to be enrolled in school. You will be using all breaks that aren't for training, to be studying. Shoto, you will tutor her."
Shoto didn't look excited, but I don't think he's ever been either. He grumbled a bit, but he knew better than arguing with Endeavor.
-
"How did you get that answer?"
"I multiplied this here an-wait, this isn't right. You knew I forgot the minus sign didn't you?"
"I got a different answer so I was just seeing which one was right."
"Yeah right, you just wanted to flaunt that you were better."
"I'm just glad I'm learning. It has nothing to do with you."
"Why are you even here?"
"Well Endeavor told me I needed to study and-"
"No, why did my father take you in."
"Isn't it a hero's job to keep kids from sleeping on the streets? I mean-"
"You know what I mean, stop dodging the question. Why would he take you into his own home. Are you trying to hide that he bought you for a quirk marriage?"
"I'm rather infuriated that you would think such a way."
"You didn't say it was wrong. So what, did he just pick you up from some orphanage? Did your parents sell you?"
"I didn't come from some damn orphanage. And I don't know why Endeavor chose me either. I just figured he thought I was strong, wanted to use me for something. He hasn't told me anything, I'm just a kid, why would he?"
"Where did you come from then?"
"The yakuza. My parents have been gone since I was little, which just left me and my brother. He's twelve years older than me, so he was able to gain sole custody of me. He didn't know what to do after our parents died, so he joined us both to the yakuza. The boss had taken us in, thankfully, but it went downhill from there for me. I got pretty beat up there, and I didn't like where it was going. So I ran away from them. I stayed with the police for a couple days, meeting Endeavor was never a plan. I don't actually know why he was there, but he was. And I'm here now whether you like it or not. You can either grow up and deal with it, or continue to hate me for something I didn't even do. I don't intend to let Endeavor control my life forever, and neither should you."
"I would never let my old man control my life forever."
"Yet you continue to make decisions just to spite him! Can't you see? The control he has on your life, you do things opposite to what he says, just because he said it! I hope one day, you'll be able to think for yourself, even if you end up agreeing with him on something."
It took us a long time to become friends, but we weren't enemies anymore. We realized that we didn't truly hate each other, rather the situation we were put in, and ideas we had just made up about the other person.
The steely gates of UA appeared in my sights, the plain black tee I was wearing almost swept away in the wind. No one had known what the recommendation test would be, so I felt fairly unprepared for whatever was to come next. After talking to the receptionist, she gave Sho and I our test cards, showing we would be in different centers. I waved him goodbye, and dreaded the time I would spend alone without knowing what to do.
What is making me relive all of this? Even the 2 hour written exam?? Is my own mind a sadist to make me go through this? Or is it a masochist for wanting to do it again...or is it just reminding me I got number 21 wrong?
I was walking out into the testing yard, until I bumped into someone that knocked me on my ass.
"I apologize sincerely for my inconsideration! Please, allow me to help you back up!" A large guy bowed down into the ground, hitting his head down by my feet, then raising back up and giving me his hand. I hesitated taking it, unsure of who this guy was. Once I had, he pulled me up in one swift motion, but kept a hold of my hand while shaking it up and down. "My name is Inasa Yoarashi! Are you testing for the hero course too?!"
"Yes, my name is...(Y/n). It's nice to meet you, but I think I'm going to be late if I keep talking here."
"My apologies! First I knock you over, now I'm going to make you late!" He bowed again, hitting his head until it bled on the ground.
I reached the testing yard, taking the directions from the weird boy who had just come from here, meeting Sho along the way.
"How was the test?"
"Easy. You shouldn't have issues."
"Guess I'll go wait then."
I met up with Present Mic, who was administering this exam, but something didn't feel right about him, and then he spoke,
"You need to wake up, (Y/n). They're waiting for you."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Wake up!"
"Who's waiting for me?"
"WAKE UP, YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP!" How do I force myself to wake up? This whole time I've been following wherever my consciousness had led me, I could only move in the body of the memory, slightly, I had no control otherwise. But now, I felt free, I could move my body despite being in the memory, it must be because Mic wasn't acting the same in the memory either...but still, I didn't know how to wake up my real body, while in a fake body.
I tried countless things, like opening and closing my eyes first...That didn't work...multiple times, I really made sure it wouldn't work. Even dream Mic was laughing at me! I think this may be the horror Midoriya was talking about, because screaming 'wake up' between laughs is starting to creep me out...
My last effort was using my quirk on myself, I always heard they used that in movies at least...
My eyes started fluttering open, sun rays cascaded in from the windows, elegantly laying on the empty furniture by the window. Or at least, that was what I expected to see. Instead, the sun lit up my friends faces, everyone from Class 1-A sat or stood around me, encouraging me to wake up. I see, that's why Mic sounded weird.
"You're awake!" Ura yelled, running to hug me as fast as she could.
"How long was I out?" I mumbled, rubbing my eyes from their tiredness.
"You were in a coma for a week, you missed some things, like we're living in dorms now, but besides that, not much." Midoriya answered, continuing with, "Todoroki only left your side for school, he's the one who texted us all when you were looking like you would wake up." My eyes shifted over to Sho, who was asleep on the chair next to my bed, "He fell asleep after we all got here though."
"I see, thank you guys for all being here." I tried bowing in my bed, but came to a realization I had forgotten while I was asleep...
I still can't move my legs.
My eyes widened as I looked towards Midoriya, one of the only people I knew, who knew about my legs.
"Recovery Girl tried the best she could, she's found the problem, but her quirk can't do anything. I'll go get her for you."
"Can you guys give me a little privacy when she comes in?"
"It must be hard on you to not be able to move your legs, your dreams of being a hero are crushed!" Kaminari tried consoling me, not realizing hes making it all worse.
"C'mon man, that's not cool!" Kiri stated with a large, satisfying smack to the back of his head.
"I do not intend to not become a hero, but I do not believe you guys need to see me take myself apart until I find the issue that's preventing me either. It won't be pretty."
Recovery Girl had entered the room, giving everyone else the queue to leave, except for Sho who was still sleeping on the chair.
"Oh Deary, I'm so sorry that I couldn't help you-"
"It's fine, I'll help myself, I just need to know what's wrong. If Kai did it to me, I can undo it."
"I see, well," she started, pulling out a CT image, "There is a disconnect between your L3 and L4 lumbar vertebrae, which in turn, will not allow you to send signals to move your legs, or anything below that disconnect."
A sinking feeling fell to the pit of my stomach, anxiety rushing to my head. If it was disconnected, then it will take longer to fix, mending them on my own could took up to an hour, as I would have to slowly connect each part from separate sides until it all came together, a reason I never used my quirk like that before. It took more time than it was worth to mend cracks, but I would need to if I wanted to be a hero, if I wanted to fix what Kai had done.
"Thank you, is there somewhere I could go? I wouldn't want to wake up Sho."
It had taken more than the hour I had predicted, constant screams alerting staff members, with Recovery Girl shooing them away to not interrupt me. Working closer to my pain receptors than ever before, I can tell why I hadn't noticed Kai do something, the pain was too similar to being dissembled.
By the time I had finished, tears and snot alike were running down my face, an involuntary reaction to my suffering. My legs were working again, or rather, the signals could reach them again, but it was still hard to walk. It wasn't quite as hard as learning all over again, but I definitely had to take smaller steps as Recovery Girl walked me back to my room.
Before we got there however, we heard loud shouting from the receptionist area, hearing my name being said, we rushed over as fast as I could. A flash of white and red hair at the desk, with more white right next to him, Sho was yelling at her, why?
"Sho what do you think you're doing? Why are you shouting?" I called out to him, finding it hard to walk closer in a short amount of time. The poor receptionist didn't deserve that...
"(Y/n)?" He turned around, staring into your eyes. He looked as if he saw a ghost, not believing that you were right there in front of him, before he corrected himself. He pushed off the desk, running towards me, as if I had died while I was gone. I thought he was just trying to make sure I was real, before he had done something he had never done before.
He hugged me.
His arms enveloped my smaller frame, pulling me close to him, before he started to whisper in my ear, like any noise too loud would kill me.
"Where the hell were you? I just woke up and no one was in the room!" His voice strained, as tears fell down his face and onto my shoulder, "It doesn't matter. I'm so sorry, it's all my fault. If I had been faster, even just a tiny bit, you wouldn't have been kidnapped. You wouldn't have been hurt. I don't know if you can forgive me, or how I could be a hero-"
"Will you shut up already? It's no one's fault. And you did save me, remember? I don't know many other people who can make giant ice ramps so their friends can save their other friends." My joke hadn't landed well, but I could tell it cheered him up a bit, even if he didn't laugh. "And even if you feel like you failed, you were still my hero. I should still apologize though, I heard you were here every day waiting for me to wake up. I promise if I had known, I would've woke up sooner."
Sho had immediately wiped away all his tears, still hesitating to break up the hug, as if I would disappear if he let go.
"I should be cleared to go, how about I go surprise the class in the dorms?"
"I'd love to see the look on their faces. You know I wasn't the only person worrying about you. I frequently saw Iida, Midoriya and Uraraka here too, you've made some close friends."
"I have you to thank for that, if you didn't ignore me the whole Sport's Festival, I don't think I ever would've branched out."
"Let's not talk about that," he cringed, "I don't want to remember how edgy I was acting."
I giggled a little as he finally broke the hug, wrapping my arm around his shoulder to help me walk around, going back to my room to have the doctor finally release me. He made a couple of jokes while testing me, saying how my recovery was nothing short of a miracle. He signed off on my release, and Sho helped me back out to the car.
"Yumi? When did you get here?"
"Sho texted me when you had disappeared from your room, I tried calming him down, but when I saw you get back, I waited in the car. Also, don't you dare scare me like that again! And you are NOT leaving back to UA before you give me a hug! We were all so worried about you!"
"I'll be more careful in the future, Yumi."
-
The closest Yumi could get to UA was the gate, dropping us off but not before squeezing me to death for 10 minutes. Sho had to separate us so we could get back before curfew. My legs had gotten stronger just trying to get across campus to the dorms, and not having enough time to hobble, as curfew was just in a couple minutes now.
Sho and I had burst through the door with less than a minute to spare, with all of the class sitting on the couches in the lounge. It had taken some just a moment to realize, with other's taking longer.
"(Y/N)!" Ura yelled, tackling me into the ground, only then seeing that Sho's hand was ripped out of mine, when did that get there?
How did I not notice? Did he know?
Once he felt my hand left his, he was alerted of my falling to the floor enclosed in Ura's arms, until we were suddenly floating in the air.
Some more people had gathered around us, Ura's finally getting me back on my feet.
"Hey! Do none of you guys know what a curfew is?" A loud voice boomed from the back, showing our messy black haired teacher coming from the elevator. His eyes made contact with mine, before he sighed, retreating with, "You guys have 30 minutes to catch up, but I expect you all in bed after that. Welcome back, Todoroki."
A small group had taken to leading me to my room, gushing about how Sho had set it up for me while I was gone, modelling it after my room at home, albeit a bit smaller. The had left me to my bed after showing me the rest of the dorms, laying alone after such an exciting day was hard. I was no longer in those weird dreams, I woke up to seeing my friends. I wasn't alone anymore.
And my crush had held my hand without me noticing?