The afternoon sun hung lazily in the sky, its light spilling through the classroom windows and warming the room.
It had been a week since the whole Trigger incident.
After all the chaos and fighting, it didn't amount to much. The villains, especially the one I fought, ended up as vegetables once the Trigger wore off.
No answers, no leads—just a bunch of broken bodies and dead ends. It was a huge blow to the police.
Kenji's funeral happened a few days back. They gave him a proper ceremony—befitting an officer who gave his life in the line of duty.
Ruki kept it together through it all, trying to look strong, but I could see the way his jaw clenched and how his hands trembled when he thought no one was looking. He carried that weight alone.
Even after the funeral, he made it his mission to visit every family who lost someone that day—going from house to house, apologizing in person. Some took it with quiet acceptance, but most didn't.
Angry words, slammed doors, curses hurled at him—and he just took it, never raising his voice, just bowing his head and enduring it all.
It was hard to watch, but that's just who he is. He'd rather bear it alone than let anyone else share the burden.
As for me, my injuries have healed. At least that's what the doctor said before adding that I should still take it easy and not push myself.
Not that it mattered much—Mom wasn't having any of it. She didn't even want me to come back to school today. Kept going on about how it was too soon and that I needed more time to rest.
Honestly, I'm fine. Just didn't feel like staying cooped up at home doing nothing. Besides, if I stayed in bed any longer, I'd just lose my mind.
"All right, quiet down," Aizawa-sensei's voice cut through the noise as he shuffled into the room, looking like he hadn't slept in a week. "Now for today's basic hero training, this time it would be All Might, myself and one other as your supervisors"
Sato raised his hand, surprisingly taking up Iida's usual role. "Um, what are we doing exactly?"
Aizawa pulled out a card that read 'RESCUE' in bold letters.
"Preparing you for disaster relief," he replied, his tone flat. "From fires to floods. It's rescue training."
Denki sighed, slumping back in his seat. "Rescue, huh... Sounds like another rough day."
Mina, the complete opposite, practically vibrated with excitement. "RIGHT!!"
Kirishima, who was totally on the same wavelength, clapped Denki on the shoulder. "C'mon, bro! This is what being a hero's all about!" He clenched his fist with a grin. "I'm pumped!"
"I'll be right at home in a flood. Ribbit." Tsuyu added calmly.
The room's energy dipped as Aizawa narrowed his eyes at the chatter, his glare sending a chill down everyone's spine. "Hey. I'm not done."
He clicked a device in his hand, and the walls slid open, revealing our costumes arranged neatly in labeled boxes.
"It's up to each of you whether you wear your costume or not," he continued, his tone as flat as ever. "Some of them are ill-suited for this kind of activity. The training site is a bit remote, so we'll be taking the bus. That's all. Get ready."
I let out a sigh, my chin resting idly on my palm as I glanced out the window.
I initially thought I'd miss this part of the story since I was still recovering, but who would've thought I'd still catch it?
My eyes drifted to Midoriya, who was buzzing with his usual optimistic energy.
He sat at his desk, fists clenched and eyes practically sparkling with determination.
Judging by the timeline, All Might was likely out there dealing with some petty crime or pushing himself to his limit with One For All, probably fighting the clock to make it back in time. It meant he wouldn't be joining us like originally planned.
Maybe I should use this training as a way to get stronger too. Not that I'm saying I'm actually weak, but I'm nowhere near the image I have in my head—the version of me that could be free from AFO's grasp.
The fight against that villain was pure luck, really. I was desperate, pushing myself to the brink just to survive and help Kenji.
It wasn't skill or mastery, just raw determination and fear. If it had been a normal fight without that pressure... I would've lost. Or worse, died.
I clenched my jaw, running through the scene in my mind again—the adrenaline, the pain, the way my vision blurred.
There was one thing that kept nagging at me, though. During the fight, a shadow blade had appeared on my arm, and for once, I didn't lose my sanity to the quirk.
I didn't even summon it intentionally. My mind hadn't gone there at all. It just... happened.
I've been racking my brain ever since, trying to figure out how I managed to pull it off. It only left me with two possible answers:
One, I was just that desperate to survive and somehow pushed past my limit—like a primal instinct taking over. Or two, maybe I've started to reach a point where I can actually use that aspect of the quirk without completely losing myself.
The first one makes more sense, considering the situation. But if that's the case, it leaves one big question hanging over my head: Why do I have a quirk that feels like it has multiple functions? It's not normal.
Most quirks are straightforward—one ability, one purpose. But mine... it's like having two completely different powers housed in one body.
Is it something similar to One For All, where multiple quirks converge into one? But that doesn't track. All For One wouldn't give me something that beneficial.
The guy's a manipulative bastard, not some charitable benefactor handing out power boosts.
I mean, he gave Aoyama a practically useless quirk. So why would mine be any different?
Was it a mistake? A fluke? Did something go wrong during the transfer? The more I thought about it, the more my brain twisted in circles, never quite landing on an answer.
A pink hand landed on my desk, yanking me out of my thoughts. I glanced up to see Mina grinning at me, her golden eyes bright with curiosity.
"Hey, you alright?" she asked, tilting her head like she was trying to get a read on me.
I blinked, caught off guard by her sudden appearance. "Yeah. Just... thinking about stuff." I cleared my throat, trying to change the subject "how are you doing?"
She let out a soft smile as she leaned in a bit closer. "I'm fine. What about you? You weren't around throughout last week."
I let out a sheepish grin, scratching the back of my head. "Well... umm, I was a bit sick. Got hit with the flu—real nasty."
"For real?" Denki strolled over to my desk, casually resting his arm on Mina's shoulder. "Here I thought you were out there fucking."
I just rolled my eyes, too tired to dignify his stupidity with a response. Mina snorted, brushing his arm off. "You're such an idiot, Denki. If he was getting some, he would look more different."
"Fair point," Denki replied with a smirk. "Still, wouldn't put it past him."
"Hope you're alright now?" Mina asked, her tone a bit softer, but not too serious.
I nodded. "Yeah. Honestly, I got tired of being stuck in bed, so I figured I'd come back before I lost my mind."
Denki grinned. "Shit, you could've called Mina to keep you company. She was acting like your personal nurse, practically asking for your address to visit."
A sly smirk tugged at Mina's lips, and she crossed her arms. "Oh? And what makes you think I wouldn't just use that address to sneak in and rob him blind?"
I gave her a lazy smile. "Bold of you to assume I don't sleep with one eye open."
Her eyes glinted mischievously. "Bold of you to assume I wouldn't get past that."
"Bold of both of you to assume he wouldn't just let you in," Denki chimed in with a grin.
I shrugged. "Who says I haven't already?"
Mina snickered, leaning in a little. "Careful, Azaria. Keep talking like that, and people might start thinking a lot."
I gave her a once-over, smirking. "Could be fun to let them think that."
She didn't back down, her eyes holding mine with that playful gleam. "You wish."
Denki just looked between us, eyes wide. "Alright, alright, chill with the tension. People might start thinking y'all are about to rip each other's clothes off right here."
Mina just shot him a look. "Don't be jealous because no one wants to rip yours off."
He pouted. "That's just mean."
I chuckled, shaking my head. "Thanks for worrying, though." I looked at Mina. "I'll text you my address later. You know, just in case you get the urge to rob me."
She grinned, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, I'll definitely take advantage of that."
Denki gave me a deadpan look. "Hey, what about me, you fuckboy? I was the one who was actually worried about you!"
I smirked. "Pretty sure my mom's not too fond of me inviting guys over."
He immediately put me in a headlock, grinding his knuckles into my scalp. "You ungrateful bastard! Is this how you treat a friend who was concerned about you?"
Mina just laughed as I tapped his arm, wheezing. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry! Let go."
He finally released me, and I rubbed my neck, giving him a light shove. Mina gave me a quick wave as she started walking off. "Alright, see you boys later."
I shot her a playful glare. "Hey... don't leave me alone with this maniac!"
She just blew me a kiss over her shoulder, grinning. "Good luck surviving."
Denki just grinned at me like a devil. I sighed, rubbing my temples. These idiots are gonna be the death of me.
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