-Chapter 12 - Burdens-

Never in her life had a walk seemed so long and mentally vexatious, for the hallways seemed to have a heavy emphasis on twists and turns. That, coupled with the anxiety festering within her stomach, led to the feeling of nausea overwhelming her as she gazed wildy upon every single title card and entrance that passed her by.

The rhythm of her footsteps matched the beating of her heart, not unlike that of a marching band. Beads of perspiration descended from her porcelain features before she finally stopped. She made an effort to avoid the gazes of other students that walked past her. They were likely seniors, Kaminaga guessed. At least, judging by their appearances and how they seemed to already be familiar with the layout of such a vast school.

A thought hit her from out of nowhere, causing her eyes to widen and look to the floor. Her reflection along the gleaming floor made sure that she was not ignorant of her look of utter befuddlement.

Had she even been going the right way?

Admittedly, Kaminaga wasn't quite sure of herself. In fact, she wasn't at all. She had been in such a frenzied state before stepping out of the control room that she'd only just noticed her predicament. A sigh escaped her lips before she ran her slender fingers through her snow-colored hair.

Although the prospect of simply asking one of the students for guidance crossed her mind, the last thing she wanted to be was bothersome at the moment. These people had places to be themselves, after all. What right did she have to hold them up for her own carelessness? None. She had no right to do so, even if requesting was such a small thing.

However, the fear of going adrift compelled Kaminaga to push such feelings to the side, leading to her turning to the nearest passing student and calling for their aid. Now, her only issue was deciding who she'd ask—oh.

There was only one student now, strangely enough.

Kaminaga's gaze landed upon a slightly taller student with atramentous-colored hair styled into a ponytail and eyes as dark as the midnight skies above. She seemed… quite listless if she had to be honest with herself, and Kaminaga contemplated waiting for another student to ask because of the fact.

She knew that wasn't a luxury that she could afford though. It wouldn't be long before her fight was up next and until she got answers out of one person in particular, her focus would surely be shot throughout its entirety. And that was the last thing that she needed at the moment.

"Um… excuse me," Kaminaga spoke, though she cursed at how sheepish her voice sounded as she managed to gain the girl's attention. "If it's not too much trouble, could you direct me to the nurse's station? I'm hoping to see a friend of mine who's recently been injured… I wanted to check on her well-being?"

In response, the girl raised her eyebrows before blowing, inflating the piece of grape-flavored gum she was chewing on before popping it against her mouth. She took a few minutes to observe Kaminaga, an act that made the latter squint her eyes questioningly. Finally, she grunted, raising her hand to extend her thumb towards a set of double-doors on the opposite side of the corridor.

"Walk through those doors there, and you'll likely walk right into Eri-senpai," The senior spoke with a breezy voice that held a noticeably nonchalant edge. "Don't worry, newbie. Once you get settled into your first year, you'll become well acquainted with that place. Prepare for a full three years of shattered bones, impalement, and internal bleeding, uuhhh..." The girl paused for a few seconds.

Seeing this as a sign to introduce herself, Kaminaga cleared her throat. "Kinji. Kinji Kaminaga, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Kinji Kaminaga..." The girl tilted her head, her curiosity apparent from her expression. "That name sounds familiar, and you're giving me a rich-girl vibe so I'm under the assumption that your parents are important people—?"

"No." Kaminaga tensed, halting her breath as she tried to keep a look of indifference. "No, they aren't. Not at all."

The girl merely glanced at Kaminaga with an unreadable expression. Her eyes seemed vacant, but there was this… extra feeling accompanying her stare that was sending shivers down Kaminaga's spine for a brief moment. She remained unshaken amidst the girl's endless observing, however, opting to placidly stare right back at her.

"Hmm," Finally, the girl spoke. "I can also feel that you aren't someone to be messed with despite having a princess's demeanor, so I won't pry too deeply." She smirked, closing her eyes before holding her hand out to the white-haired teenager. "The name's Kunieda Maseka, though most call me Whisper, and that's probably what you'll come to know me as in the future, Kinji-san."

'...Whisper?' Kaminaga tilted her head slightly, utterly confused. Was it her title as a hero, perhaps? Or a possible reference to her Quirk? "I… see?"

Maseka grinned, hastily patting the shoulder of Kaminaga before moving away from the girl. "You're weird, freshman! Get to know a girl a little more soon, why don't ya?! Good luck in your fight!" She chuckled before literally disappearing through the walls of the foyer, baffling Kaminaga in the process when her voice continued to ring out in the hallway. "I'll see ya later. Most likely. as long as you don't die or anything~!"

And with the girl's departure, silence quickly replaced her presence as Kaminaga stood in bewilderment. However, she shook herself from her stupor quickly before continuing towards the hospital room.

It seemed as if today was the day of bizarre encounters; though perhaps it wasn't just today either, they seem to always find her one way or another. Regardless, she didn't have the time or patience to dwell on it.

'Okay, Okurimono… let's discuss what happened back there….'

'...'

'...Wait, did that girl actually call me weird? How was I the weird one there?!'

"Okurimono-san! Wow, you were so strong! That was an awesome fight! You really, really beat the sugar right out of me… among other things!"

"Ahhhh, well, you've most likely made me infertile with that punch in the stomach, so I figured a thanks and a compliment is in order for you as well~!"

"Moooou, does that mean that we won't get any mini Okurimonos running about?"

"Take a few seconds and think to yourself… is that really what you want?"

"Yes!"

"...Oh, you sweet sugar child, you're much too pure for me..."

Karashi sighed dreamily as she held her hand over her diaphragm, finally relieved to see that she was free of bruises and lacerations. She shifted, feeling for any more fractures that might have still been present within her body, but there were none. No pains, no pressure or tension… she was completely healed, though the lingering feeling of fatigue was rather obvious.

The blonde smiled, wiggling her toes before tightening the strings of her medical gown. She then turned a golden eye towards Amai, and if she'd had the energy, Karashi would've cackled like a mad-woman.

Here was Amai: an energetic and bubbly girl with a seemingly hidden lust for violence and brutality. A teenager who was easily the most expressive and outwardly passionate member of the classroom. The kind of girl that one expects to always be on top of her game and moves through life at an expeditious pace.

Now though? Amai was the complete opposite as she munched away on a pack of animal crackers with a laughably dopey expression plastered on her face. Her movements were slow. So slow that Karashi figured a sloth would probably raise their eyebrows at the Confectionery user.

And to think… this same girl was rearranging her guts with every punch she threw a few moments ago… Maybe the quote about books and judging actually had weight, Karashi figured.

"Seriously though, you were insane out there yourself, Amairyu." She turned on her side to get a better look, giggling at the unhinged and tangled state of the smaller girl's pink hair. "Where in the hell did such a cute, moe-blobish girl like yourself learn to throw hands like that?"

"Hmm~!" Amai seemed to ponder her response for a few seconds. She then tossed the hospital bed's covers off of herself before slowly turning her head towards Karashi. "Actually, I'm not really sure, it's been so long ago that I can't seem to remember much of how I learned~!"

Karashi paid close attention to Amai's mannerisms, searching for anything remotely off. Nothing out of the ordinary, she noted. Amai wasn't lying. She truly couldn't recollect the memory of her Quirk training, even when it was visibly clear in Karashi's own mind upon tasting her blood. A repressed memory, perhaps? That was the only explanation.

Karashi debated pushing the subject further, just so she could study Amai's reaction a little more from her questioning. The blonde decided against it, however. There was no reason. Plus, though she could be rather… giddy in regards to getting others a little more off their game, she didn't want to do that to Amai.

No matter how much they'd beaten the hell out of each other, Karashi still considered her a friend. She felt a twinge of guilt for pushing things with her too far in the middle-half of the fight, but she'd wanted to get a little more accustomed to mind games. It had been a while since she actually had to make use of them after all, so she had to make sure she hadn't lost her mojo.

Maybe… when it would be more convenient to her, she'd strike twice at that weak-point. Preferably during a rematch, since that would be the perfect time. But until then, she'd wait.

"Ah, can I ask you the same thing, Okurimonoooo-chaaaan?" Karashi stifled her laughter at how slurred and almost incoherent Amai's words were. Looking over, she saw Amai leaning towards her from one side of her medical cot. "You were like a ninja with the way you were moving around! Bouncing off of things, pulling off super cool flips like a true acrobatic! And you were fighting naked too!"

"Oh~!" Karashi giggled, waving off Amai's words of endearment. "It's nothing too craaaazy. I've just had extensive training with my parents is all, really." She would be lying if she said that she didn't feel an inkling of pride from the pinkette's compliments, however.

"Oh, your parents taught you to move and fight like that!?" Amai exclaimed in a whispered tone, her eyes wide enough to pop out of her skull at a moment's notice. "That's so sugoooooi~! They must be ultimate assasins or deadly ninjas with shurikens and swords! O-Or maybe even super-soldiers!"

"Pfft! Settle down, nothing like that~!" Karashi rolled her eyes playfully, raising her hands in hopes of settling the young girl's imagination. Lowering them, she smirked snarkily before responding, "Although… your mind isn't that far out of the ball-park, Amai-chi… I can call you Amai-chi, yeah?"

"Amai-chiiiiiii~!?" Amai moaned, swooning about before nodding her head for confirmation, "I like Amai-chi, and I'll call you Ka-chan!"

Karashi cooed at the name. However, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense... of deja-vu upon hearing it. Nevertheless, she nodded, "Ka-chaaaan, yes, yes, yes! Me likey!" The blonde then looked around the room, searching for two other people in particular. "Wait, where are Ohara and Hinomiya? Weren't they here too?"

Amai lazily munched on her animal crackers, "I think they were alweady healed and grone bwack to the watching-rwom-pwace-thingy!"

Karashi tilted her head. The what, she wondered? The blonde was having a hard time understanding what Amai was saying due to the shorter girl having a mouthful of snacks. "The battle surveillance room, you mean?"

Amai shrugged, swallowing down her animal crackers before responding, "Sure! If you wanna get technical about it~! Ahhhh, my head is all… floaty, I can't comprehend big ol' words like surveillance right nooooow, hehe."

Karashi sweatdropped, arching her eyebrows before laying her head against the soft pillow beneath her head. "You literally just said the whole word, Amai-chi."

Following her lead, Amai lowered herself to her medical cot as well. "Ah, I did, didn't I~?"

Karashi closed her eyes, shaking her head at Amai's antics. It was settled. This girl was going to be her new best friend by any means necessary, and NOBODY was changing that.

BANG

Before Karashi could drift off into another deep sleep, she was awakened by the sound of the room's double-doors flinging inwardly. Naturally, she was alert as she cautiously looked towards the room's entrance, though Karashi was quite surprised by who was responsible.

'...Kaminaga?'

Meanwhile, Eri had practically jumped out of her own skin, gasping loudly from such a sudden and loud interruption. Upon recovering, she glared daggers towards Kaminaga, who was quite wide-eyed and seemingly… embarrassed by how she handled her entrance. Karashi glanced mischievously in secret. Despite how cold and reserved she knew the girl could be, Kaminaga was so awkward in the most adorable way possible for her.

Karashi couldn't lie… maybe that was what had drawn her to the girl so much, honestly. That… and what she had seen from her memories… all of these elements made her wish to grow closer to the girl even stronger.

"I-I sincerely apologize, Eri-sensei!" Kaminaga meekly bowed towards the older woman in a wild fashion before walking into the room quietly. "I didn't mean for the door to swing so crudely, I… think that I might have a little too much power in my arms for my own good."

Sighing to herself, Eri dismissively nodded her head, reaching towards the floor and picking up her paper-work all the while. "It's fine, it's fine… can I ask why exactly you're here though? To my understanding, battle simulations are still commencing."

Karashi watched as Kaminaga lowered her head slightly. Was she attempting to hide her expression or was it simply an act out of embarrassment? No, actually. That wasn't it, Karashi realized. She caught a hint of her blazing-blue eyes looking towards her general direction in a subtle fashion.

From that alone, she had deduced that Kaminaga was either here for Amai or herself. Karashi was admittedly more hopeful for the latter than the former, but she wouldn't be surprised if her hopes were dashed aside. It was enough to make her sigh in sadness at times.

"I hope I didn't come at a bad time, but I had wanted to speak to my friend for a brief moment," Kaminaga spoke softly in response to Eri's question. Eerily softly, Karashi noted. "I was worried about her, she took a lot of damage during her fight. So I figured that a chat with her would soothe my consciousness."

Eri's ruby-red eyes glanced at Kaminaga questioningly. She seemed to be in deep thought for a few seconds, pursing her lips before sighing and returning to her business. Karashi made note of how thick the piles of documents on Eri's desk were and paled at the sight. Was this something that the young nurse had to deal with daily? Constantly hugging random kids to heal them and then having to sign and send off a torturous amount of paperwork afterwards?

Karashi sincerely hoped that the pay was adequate for her, at least.

"I suppose it's alright since they've already been patched up," The exhaustion that had vexed Eri was quite evident, as she lazily picked up and straightened out her documents before placing them underneath her right arm. "And since I have some things to discuss with my… employer, I'll leave you to it, Kinji-san."

Kaminaga nodded, turning her attention to the other occupants within the room. Karashi watched as her eyes landed on Amai first, who was nearly dozing off as she drooled along the surface of her pillow. She didn't seem to notice the white-haired teenager until she cleared her throat, prompting Amai to look in her general direction. "Hello, uuuhhh… Amai?" she muttered quietly.

"Kami-chan!?" And just like that, Amai's eyes were saucers as she hopped out of bed in an animated fashion, triggering Kaminaga to catch her within her long, slender arms. A place where Karashi wished she could be, but alas, she could only dream for the moment. "Hiyaaaa! I missed you! Did you see me? Did you see how I kicked butt out there during my fight!?"

Kaminaga smiled, rubbing Amai's head as the pink-haired girl tried to crush her tall body with her embrace. "I did, and you did so well out there! I congratulate you for your victory…" She then frowned, poking Amai's button-like nose. "Though I'll ask that you be a bit more careful next time. There were several times where I thought you were killed, honestly."

'What about me?!' Karashi couldn't help but be a little annoyed at how she was being blatantly forgotten as the two conversed. There were loads of moments where she was quite literally almost impaled, crushed, knocked out, and even nearly killed. So just where in the world was her embrace? Where was her congratulations for almost clutching her team's victory? When did Kaminaga look this good in a tracksuit?!

"Mou," Amai pouted, placing her hands behind her back with a shameful expression. "Sorry, Kami, but you saw how tough and strong Karashi was! I couldn't help but get a little excited!"

And finally, Kaminaga's attention was on Karashi. However, the girl's demeanor was… a lot less friendlier than the blonde was hoping for. Just like in their initial meeting, she seemed incredibly guarded and obviously untrusting. A reality that Karashi was rather bothered by, but she figured that it was deserved and expected after essentially using her identity against apparently one of her only actual friends there. Plus, with all of what she knew now, Karashi agreed that she had a right to be as closed off as she was.

And that's when a sudden thought hit Karashi harder than any punch she received from Amai.

Her inhospitable gaze, the subtle clenching of her hands… She knew exactly why Kaminaga was here, and visiting Amai might've been her secondary desire, but it sure as hell wasn't her main goal.

Sighing inaudibly, Karashi shuffled in bed before slowly turning to wave at the taller girl as she feigned a bashful demeanor. Kaminaga's sky-blue eyes then seemed to clash with her own golden ones. Her expression remained unreadable, almost as if she was sizing Karashi up before turning her attention to Amai once more.

"Yes, I'm fully aware of this, but my point still stands," Karashi noticed that Kaminaga's speaking tone was more monotonous and deadpanned than before. "Which reminds me, Amai… how are you now? Physically and whatnot? Are you able to walk on your own now?"

Amai tilted her head, seemingly confused. Karashi, like a hawk, sneakily observed their conversation, pretending to be more interested in her damaged nails. Did Amai also notice Kaminaga's change in attitude? Maybe the girl was more perceptive than she gave her credit for.

"...Ah, yes!" Amai finally chirped, gently prying herself away from Kaminaga before standing on her own bare-feet. "I'm perfectly fine! Eri-sensei fixed me up all nice and good, see?!" She then pirouetted in a flash before finally stopping on her sixth twist, though she was obviously quite dizzy if her stumbling was anything to go off of. "I feel like a million yen, aside from the vertigo and being a little woozy in the eyes~!"

Kaminaga smiled, rolling her eyes playfully before holding Amai in place. "That makes me really happy to hear, Amai. Now…" For a split-second, Karashi could've sworn that she saw her eyes flicker towards her before returning to Amai. "I think your new friend's fight is gonna be up next soon. Yamamoto-san, I believe? Wouldn't you like to see him showcase his skills? He wanted to tell you that he'd be delighted to have you watch if you weren't too injured."

Amai's eyes sparkled like fireworks, moving in a quick dash towards her shoes and different tracksuit set. "Are you kidding me!? I already missed Yanaihara's fight, I'm for sure not gonna miss Yamamoto's! I hope he makes a killer teddy bear like he promised me he would!"

"Well, go on out there and find out for yourself, Amai-san!" Kaminaga exclaimed. "You'll never know unless you go out there and see!"

As Amai rapidly changed her clothes, Karashi couldn't stop the large grin that snuck onto her catty features. She wasn't a fool. Anyone could've seen that Kaminaga was obviously rushing the girl off. Amused, Karashi spoke out for the first time since Kaminaga entered the room. "Yeah, tell me all about it when it's over and I'm out of here, Amai-chi~!"

Karashi barely noticed that Kaminaga was staring at her from the corner of her eye. An action was quite subtle and tenuous, but not enough for her to miss it.

Amai placed a finger upon her lips, tilting her head at Kaminaga. "Oh, Kami-chan? Do you wanna come too? It'd be nice to watch it alongside you!"

It took a few seconds for Kaminaga to reply before raising her head to smile warmly at the shorter girl. "Ah, I'm afraid that I must decline for now! I have matters to discuss with Okurimono-san."

And there it was. She knew it. Karashi arched her eyebrows before laying her back against the medical cot, positioning herself in an… oddly provocative manner. If this was going to happen, Karashi figured that she might as well look pretty. Maybe she'd be able to change the topic at hand and steer it towards more desirable matters.

Nah. She was good, but not enough to melt through Kaminaga's icy walls, Karashi thought despondently. At least, not yet.

"Okaaaay~!" Amai replied in a singsongy manner, "I'll be waiting for the two of you! Ah, I can't wait until your fight especially, Kami-chan! I really wanna see the full extent of Tale-Teller's abilities!"

Kaminaga hummed, awkwardly giving Amai a thumbs-up as she walked through the threshold, disappearing into the halls. "Then I won't disappoint you, my friend."

And all that was heard after Amai's departure were the clattering of her shoes against the hallway's marble floors before it faded out of the earshot of the two individuals in the room. Silence followed afterwards, as Kaminaga sighed slowly before finally turning her head to meet Karashi.

And if looks could kill, Karashi was sure that she would have instantaneously combust at any moment's notice. Kaminaga's stare was hollow, her stance rigid, and there seemed to be an almost hyperborean aura encompassing her as she walked towards her. Karashi bristled. Was that… killing intent that she sensed?

"Okurimono." Kaminaga's wintry voice echoed within the room, maintaining a monotonous and wearisome tone of voice. However, there was another hint of… danger to her cadence. "I have something to ask you, and I need you to be honest with me. No lies."

"Hmmm~?" Karashi hummed, smiling widely as she shifted to sit on the right side of the medical cot. Kaminaga towered over her, though not enough to outright intimidate her. "Sure! I've got plenty of time and we're all alone! Ask away… Kamiiii-chan~!"

Kaminaga's fist quivered, but she kept her look of indifference. Her sky-blue eyes were now blazing embers as she leaned in close to Karashi, placing both of her hands on the cot. Karashi felt blood rushing to her face as Kaminaga closed the proximity between the two of them. With how close her slightly plump lips were, she was tempted to risk it all, but she knew better. Now wasn't the time.

"Your Quirk," Kaminaga whispered softly, almost too low for Karashi to hear even with how close she was, "Explain it. I want to know every aspect of it. How it functions, it's capabilities," Her eyes were shadowed, though Karashi could still make out their powerful glow throughout the darkness.

"Because I watched you closely in that fight between you and Amai… your behavior, shifts in demeanor… and everything in-between. Taking appearances and Quirks isn't the only thing you can do."

Well.

As if he wasn't already lacking in faith or mental strength, THAT had to happen.

Hibiya wasn't quite sure what to make of that last fight, in all honesty. In the beginning stages, it seemed like it was going to be a standard, one-sided showdown with Hitomi and Makise picking up the victory quite easily. He'd heard small fragments of their conversation and from what he was able to gather, the strategy they had going for themselves was admittedly pretty solid and one that even he'd prefer.

Then again, those plans never included a metallic, mountain-sized bug swallowing them whole, he was pretty sure of that. The next thing he knew, the cameras on the screen displayed them fighting within its inner chambers, and things only got more hectic from there. From Makise's almost villainous edge to the implosion of his and Hitomi's partnership. The whole fight was much too… dramatic for his taste. It felt like less of a battle and more so the climax of a cheesy soap opera, only with a lot of violence on the side.

The only thing missing were a few Michael Bay-styled explosions. Sadly, other than the crashing and burning of the centipede, there was a severe lack of them.

He rated the fight a six out of ten, not enough explosions.

He raised an eyebrow at his own thoughts. What exactly was he even thinking? He couldn't even figure that question out. Maybe it had something to do with the looming feeling of dread and anxiety that filled his inner being as he came to the realization that he was the next in line for a brawl.

Hibiya released a quivering sigh, slowly pulling his sleeves over his hands. While all of the others were too invested in the twist added to the obstacle course, his eyes were subtly glued to Asa. The main source of his discomfort.

He watched as the boy finally stood from his spot. He could hear incoherent mumbles coming from underneath Asa's breath as he stalked towards him. As Asa approached, Hibiya was immediately on edge. What was with this school and letting in psychopaths? Who looked at this kid and said, "oh yeah, he's definitely hero material", and why did they still have a job?

And yet, a bitter thought entered his head after all of his questions. Hero material? What right did he, out of all people, have to decide who could be a hero?

"Remember what I told you…" Asa's disturbingly raspy voice reverberated in his ears as he passed, and Hibiya held himself from bristling. Instinctively, he created more distance between the two of them, having barely noticed the close proximity until the other boy had spoken.

'Oh joy, do you want me to just go ahead and open up my head so you can carve it into my brain while you're at it? I know you're under the impression that we're all spineless, mindless idiots here, but even as a mob character, my memory isn't that bad yet, thank you.' Despite the thought flitting across his mind easily, the words never left his mouth, having decided that the risk wasn't worth it.

"Hey, Kudzuruki."

Hibiya, startled by yet another voice coming from out of nowhere (what was up with people and sneaking up on him, why was this such a running gag?), turned to see a hand pressed against his shoulder. He then looked to see the golden-yellow eyes of Akui, who offered a soft smile.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, I just wanted to… tell ya good luck out there!" He chuckled, lifting his hand from Hibiya's shoulder before yawning and covering his mouth. "And… afterwards, no hard feelings, right?"

Hibiya scoffed lowly, casting a subtle glance towards Asa before muttering, "I have a feeling even all of the luck in the world won't do me any good, especially when I'm about to end the day being murdered by my oh-so-supportive partner." Then, belatedly realizing his mistake, Hibiya shook his head briefly to clear his thoughts before looking back up at Akui and smiling back lightly, "Thanks for the sentiment though, and good luck to you as well, Chisaki. This… might be an unreasonable request, but try not to get more injured, okay?"

Akui merely snickered in response, "And miss you heroically handing me more water like a gracious bishōnen? I'll break a bone or two, at the least." Akui then winked before making his way over towards a smiling Yamamoto, fist-bumping the boy in the process.

'Wow, would you look at that, that's what real teamwork looks like…Agarashi.' Hibiya cast another bitter side-glance to the taller boy. However, as he did so, he noticed that Asa was glaring daggers directly at the back of Akui's head, and he subtly rolled his eyes. 'And why do you two have beef already? It's the first day of class, this isn't some kind of shounen anime rivalry—'

"NEXT TEAM, ÁNDALE! MOVE OUT!" Olé shouted loudly, and good lord, was 'conspire to give Hibiya as many jumpscares in a day as possible' trending or something?

Wait, did he just say they were next?

'...shit. Welp, it seems like I don't have time to write my will beforehand, so let's just do this, I guess.'

"Hey… so you must be that Agarashi kid that her boys were telling me all about… you're a young little treat, aren't you~"

"I-I don't know you, leave me alone, jerk! I just wanna serve my sentence in peace!"

"Oh, I'm sure that would be a wondrous dream now, wouldn't it? It could all be so easy if we all did our time and minded our own business, huh? I can't do that though… I can't let you sit in here all protected and coddled… after you fucking killed my business partner."

"He… had it coming—!"

"Oh no, I don't think so, pretty boy. You see, your mother was a whore, and he treated her like one. He slutted her out and when she got out of line, he handled her like anyone else should've. But, you… didn't understand that, did you?!"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY, I WAS HELPING MY MOM!"

"Hehehe, and look where that got ya? The bitch turned you in and gave you to the feds, played my boy for being the victim, and now you'll likely never see the outside of these walls ever again. Was it worth it?"

"..."

"Well?! WAS IT WORTH IT, HUH?! ANSWER ME!"

"Please… just… leave me alone… stay away.."

"That doesn't answer my fucking question, kid! You brain-dead?! You need your head examined?!"

"NO! NO! STOP! GET BACK!"

"LEMME HELP YOU WITH THAT THEN! SINCE YOU LIKE CRACKIN' SKULLS SO MUCH, WHY DON'T YOU SHOW ME WHAT'S IN THAT PRETTY LITTLE HEAD OF YOURS, HUH?! HEHEHE—!"

Incessant droning was an agonizing constant, and as it faded into an endless cacophony of unintelligible mumbles, it was all that Asa had to serenade his overwhelming feeling of restlessness. It wasn't easy to grow accustomed to, but he managed to make due in regards to ignoring their existence. However, today was just one of those days where such a luxury wasn't available to him.

Asa walked at an expeditious pace, never even bothering to take in the stunning scenery of the course, which held an ocean-like body of water that spread as far as his crimson eyes could see. As the setting sun reflected across the large body of water, his boots made contact with the endless surface of asphalt beneath his feet, creating an almost rhythmic series of steps before finally coming to a stop. He glanced over his shoulder, making sure that his partner was still there.

And there he was, keeping his eyes and head entirely to the ground as if he was planning on kissing it. His slow movements and his apparent inability to stand up straight was beginning to work on his very last nerve. How he got saddled with such dead weight, he wouldn't know. But, he figured that it didn't matter too much. He'd make the most of it.

Asa looked around, scanning the decks of the large ships that encompassed the dockyard for any signs of movement. Such an act was more difficult than it needed to be, especially since his frequent hallucinations had been persistent all night.

From there, he checked around the large freight containers, slowly pacing around each of them in search for their prey. And yet, there was nothing. Not a single sign of them in sight.

'Looks like they're gonna take the hide-and-seek approach, huh…' Asa's pupils dilated, and suddenly, every inch of the dockyard was visible as he peered through the insides of every structure, searching for the heat signature of something even remotely humanistic. He disregarded all of the monstrous amalgamations and abominations that his Quirk conjured, having become fully used to them by this point. 'Tch… nothing but annoyances.'

The once vivid and evocative view of the dockyard was only a desolate nightmare for Asa, with the waters of the simulated oceans appearing black and gore-riddled. Large, scaly fins floated to the surface of the waters, almost as if they were filled with abominations unlike any that anyone's imagination.

Other than his own, apparently.

Asa bristled suddenly, feeling a shiver down his spine that elicited the smallest river of saliva to pass along his lips. Hastily, he turned to his left and grinned in a black-hearted. There was one silhouette that stood out above all of the rest. One that closely resembled a human for once. They seemed taller, somewhere around his own height, so it couldn't have been the freak-show that tried to give him a happy meal from earlier.

'Chisaki…' Asa revealed his strangely fanged teeth, making sure to keep his eyesight on this silhouette for as long as he could. He remembered the bad shape that Akui was in previously. His battered form was the only thing that had made him smile all night beforehand. 'And it looks like he's all by himself too. And he's dealing with fatigue from the process of healing, if I remember correctly… pretty dumb, Chisaki. Bold, but still dumb.'

Asa then cancelled his Quirk, turning towards Hibiya, who was caught giving him an obviously annoyed expression before flinching and looking towards the ground again. Asa didn't care. He figured he'd let it slide for the time being.

"Oi." Asa grunted, gaining Hibiya's attention once again, "What's your Quirk? I need to figure out how I'm going to make use of you, but I can't do that If I don't even know what you're capable of… which I'm sure isn't much, seeing as you can't even look me in the eye properly."

Hibiya, though visibly irritated, sighed before responding, "It's… called Secret Hand. B-Basically, I have an invisible and intangible hand that originates from the base of my shoulder that can stretch long distances. It d-doesn't… well, it's not always active either, I guess."

Asa blinked. Though his deadpan expression lasted for only about five seconds, it seemed like an entirety to Hibiya. Hibiya scoffed lowly, having fully grown accustomed to this same exact look from so many others. 'Let me guess… "that's all" will be his next line…'

"That's all?"

Hibiya scoffed and whispered, "Well, we can't all be blessed with all-powerful, protagonist-worthy Quirks now, can we?"

Hearing Hibiya's hushed voice whisper, Asa growled and responded immediately, "That might be true, but it takes a special kind of idiot to come to a HERO SCHOOL with something as pathetic as that." His delivery was uncaring, and he couldn't stomach looking at Hibiya any longer than he had to as he moved to look forward once more. "Did you really take a look at that Quirk and say, "oh yeah, I can totally be a hero"? Especially when the only kind of usefulness that it could be made for is passing a soda or carrying a fast-food tray?"

That did it. A nerve was finally stricken. Hibiya lowered his head before chuckling bitterly underneath his breath. "Oh, that's rich coming from you…"

Asa stopped right in his tracks, never finally turning his face to look back at Hibiya. "What in the goddamn fuck… did you just say?"

'Deaf and dumb, huh? The whole package…' Hibiya then strengthened his resolve, refusing to be spoken to in such a manner any longer. Was he a pushover? Sure, but there was a limit, and Asa had long since surpassed it. "I said that's fucking rich coming from you, Agarashi. Excuse me for actually wanting to do something good for once in my life. So maybe I have a good-for-nothing Quirk and a good-for-nothing personality, and maybe I'll end up quitting by the end of the week. All right, that's old news. And? What about you?"

His voice was shaky, but every statement that passed his lips came out concise and as clear as day. Hibiya knew that he was pushing his luck. He knew that if he continued, there was a slight chance that Asa would make a move to end him. However, no matter how anarchic this school was, he knew that there were witnesses everywhere to back him up. He'd take his chances. He would not be silenced any longer.

"Don't… think I don't have eyes, Agarashi," Hibiya spat bitterly, "You're clearly not here because you want to be. What makes you think that you have any right to to tell me what I can and can't be when you're A, not even here of your free will, and B, clearly not the most shining example of the next generation of All-Might yourself?"

Asa was silent, eerily so, but the tightening of his fists told Hibya all of what he needed to know. Suddenly, a hazardously low chuckle rumbled within the taller boy's neck. After a small moment of pacing, he turned towards Hibiya, stalking as if he was a frenzied predator in a cage. It had honestly been a long time since someone had gotten away with talking to him the way that Hibiya did. In a way, he respected his defiance. He finally showed some semblance of having a backbone.

Regardless, curbing his temptation to have Hibiya bite the curb of the dock's edge before stepping on his head was an incredibly difficult endeavor. And yet… he couldn't. Not anymore, at least.

That didn't mean that he couldn't talk his shit before getting to the important task at hand though.

"Rich, huh? Is that what it is?" he growled, finally towering over Hibiya who moved back ever-so slightly, but stood his ground as much as he could. "I bet it is... but the main difference between you and me is that, like All-Might, I know how to fucking win, and I can AND have hurt people, with or without restraints. That gives me more potential as a hero than you'll EVER fucking have, so if you try to come at me with another smart remark, I'll have your head rolling... so, you'd better watch your goddamn mouth, boy..."

He couldn't help himself. Asa reached out and gripped Hibiya roughly before pushing him backwards, hopeful for him to retaliate in some fashion. "A witty comeback isn't gonna save you from me slamming your eyes out of their goddamn sockets, so think on that. Oh yeah!" Asa mockingly feigned a look of surprise before harshly pressing his finger into Hibiya's chest, snarling and gaining a much more venomous expression. "Since you want to be a funny man, lemme tell you a joke! You... are going to handle Toy Freak all by yourself while I go to Chisaki. Okay? You handle him... All. By. Your. Yourself."

"Now, MOVE!" Snapping loudly, Asa pushed Hibiya to the side before setting his sight into the direction that he last saw Akui, sprinting off into the distance at a break-neck speed.

Hibiya's breathing was heavy, fighting the urge to yell, to scream at Asa as he rushed off. Was this all that his life was reduced to? Was being judged for trying to do the right going to be just another unnecessary constant in her life? As if he hadn't already been torn down enough?

"Wow... because THAT is the most hero-worthy thing that's ever been said." Clicking his tongue, he struggled to slow his breathing to a reasonable pace. "What even is my life..."

"It would seem that you and your partner are in quite a peculiar position... would you like to speak on it?"

Hearing a voice that was as whimsical as it was annoying, Hibiya looked over to the side to see probably the last person (other than Asa, of course) that he wanted to see at this very moment. It was Akio, standing with an ominous button within his left hand and a double-barreled, cannon-like gun in his right. He sighed to himself, rolling his eyes before he mustered enough bodily strength to prepare himself.

The next thing Akio knew, an invisible force knocked the amused expression clean off his face, caving his chin inwardly while Hibiya took off in a surprisingly fast dash.

Hibiya hurriedly looked behind himself, hoping that his secret punch was enough to stun Akio momentarily, just enough for him to gain enough distance. Instead, he was greeted by the taller boy developing a bright yet inauspicious smile as he yelled out to him in a crazed and excited manner.

"Ahhhh, so a game of Cat & Mouse is what we'll partake in instead, Kudzuruki!?" Akio then hurriedly spin his double-barreled gun in the direction of his target. "Then since you have chosen the role of Jerry, shall I indulge you by being your Tom?!"

Akio then pulled the trigger, firing an assortment of colors from one end of the cannon. Hibiya gulped, turning his pace around the corner of a warehouse before what appeared to be… confetti could reach him. The barrage of colorful paper missed Hibiya by mere centimeters, instead colliding with the vessel of one of the ships docked to the harbor.

'Great, can't even get ten seconds to angst in fucking peace. Also, confetti? Really? I feel like that's a downgrade from the death threats and I can't tell if I should be offended or flattered.' Hibiya peered from around the warehouse entrance, looking for any possible traces of Akio. He watched as the confetti pathetically connected with the enormous ship that wasn't too far from him. "Seriously? That was what I was running from-!"

BOOOOOOOM

And, of course, Hibiya found himself speaking way too soon, for an enormous blast suddenly fulminated violently, creating kaleidoscopic fumes to spread throughout the vicinity. Not long after, the large freighter followed in the wake of the destruction, becoming undone as the vessel of the boat had been separated into two halves. The blowback was so powerful that Hibiya couldn't help but compare the very wind from the detonation to being shoved into the face, which was a familiar feeling, that was for sure.

Nevertheless, he shifted behind his cover once more, running within the sea of boats that were stationary within the building he hid. He'd hoped that the cover would be enough for him to regroup and think of some sort of strategy, but he wasn't sure how or even if it would buy him the time that he needed to properly adjust.

"Now, noooooow!~ Where did my new friend run off too in such a hurry!?" Amongst the creaking and churning of the freighter splashing and sinking into the endless waves of ocean encompassing the docks, Hibiya could still hear the unsettling cheer in the voice of his assailant.

He seemed to relish in playing mind games with him at his most vulnerable. "You seemed so lonely without my edgy friend by your side, so I wanted to be one of the first to introduce you to how fun and fantastical life can truly be! But! I can't do that if you don't wanna come and play with meeee~!"

'Goddamn it…' Hibiya could feel his own heart threatening to beat through his chest, searching and fumbling in his own mess of a mind in hopes of finding some sort of plan, yet nothing was coming to mind. It was a nut-job who could seemingly create toys of mass destruction against someone with a damn hand that no one could see.

"Did you really take a look at that Quirk and say, "oh yeah, I can totally be a hero"? Especially when the only kind of usefulness that it could be made for is passing a soda or carrying a fast-food tray?"

"Why would Hibiya apply for a hero school? I mean, it's not like he'd make it anyway! He's Hibiya, he's not good at anything, nevermind hero work!"

'Honestly… fuck you ALL for clearly knowing me better than I do…' Hibiya failed to stifle the feeling of complete and utter anger from wafting within his chest. Slowly, he brought himself from behind the corner of one of the larger yachts in the storage room, no longer underneath the suffocating control of anxiety or fear. 'Well, alright, since the expectations for me are so high anyway, it doesn't matter how badly I fuck up in the end, right?'

"Ahhh! There you are, my friend!" As Hibiya approached the entrance of the warehouse, he found himself coming face-to-face with his pursuiter, who brandished an impossibly serene smile upon his face as he closed the large proximity of space between them. "Shall we have a wackily wondrous battle of epic proportions?"

"You should've gone to find Agarashi instead if that's what you wanted…" Hibya stated bitterly, preparing for what was to come next as he crouched into what was supposed to be a fighting stance.

"Oh no~!" Akio chirped, pulling several small Matryoshka dolls from his pocket, juggling them in an impressively fast speed. "Nononooo~! He won't do at all, for he already has his hands full! And besides…"

As swiftly as he shuffled them, he stopped, slapping his hands together and seemingly fusing them at all into one, holding the doll behind his back.

"Unlike all of the others… I believe in you, Kudzuruki Hibiya~! I… believe… in you…"

Hibiya snorted and retorted dryly, "Spectacular. Expect to be disappointed then because the majority rule says you're wrong. Me included."

His movements were constant, much faster than anyone that Akui had ever seen in his life. That included Rappa. The ground surrounding him created an endless arsenal as the asphalt was continuously dismantled with every single touch. Gargantuan pillars extended from the gravel at a rampant pace, as Akui controlled their every direction, plowing through whatever structure he had to in order to reach his target.

And yet, with the pace of a possessed leopard, Asa gracefully dodged each and every single structure created by the ground, desperately trying to make his way towards Akui. All the while, there were no taunts or even an exchange of words, for Asa was much too focused on his objective to be denied his thirst for victory.

Akui clicked his tongue, seeing that playing the role of long-ranged combat was a fruitless effort with his current assault. Swiping a single digit across the asphalt, the pillars broke into thousands of bite-sized pieces before forming once more and becoming almost malleable, as they twisted and turned while speeding directly for Asa.

Cursing to himself, Asa performed a quick baseball slide to evade the pillars of pure concrete as they brutally slammed in his previous position. However, nothing could've prepared him for the feeling of the ground underneath his back breaking apart and suddenly propelling him high within the air. The action was so abrupt, so out-of-nowhere, and yet Asa had barely even grunted. He relished this type of excitement. He craved it, even.

'Got him!' Meanwhile, Akui was quite taken aback by how much of a struggle it was to hit Asa, even with how well he was controlling Overhaul despite his immense exhaustion. Without wasting a single opening, the pillar of concrete crumbled and shifted to resemble a colossal fist that opened to grasp Asa, holding him in place for a few seconds in hopes of squeezing the fight right out of him. 'Maybe Eri-senpai was right… but I can't settle for anything less than a victory, even if Asa is a little better than I thought he'd be…'

Akui carefully restrained Asa's movements with his granite-made construct, squeezing into him with just enough force to where he wouldn't kill him, but he would certainly feel it. Akui tried to keep his anger to a minimum, but he wasn't ignorant of the fact that Asa was giving his friend a hard time, and that was something that hadn't sat well with him from the very start. Besides, he was better than that.

Akui then controlled the large construct, extending it even higher within the air before finally dismantling the fist and allowing Asa to fall to the ground. However, before the boy could reach the solid, jagged surface of the ground, Akui rushed forward, pulling his foot back for a brutal kick to his abdomen.

"GYUCK!" At that move, all of Asa's dinner from earlier that night had spilled from his gullet and onto the asphalt, as Akui violently pushed him away with a fist to his kidney area to follow up. Asa tumbled across the surface of the ground, grunting as he felt his upper lip and frontal teeth collided with the rough terrain of the dockyard's flooring. Blood spilled past his lips and painted both his landing spot and hand as he tasted the metallic essence of his own bodily fluids.

But despite the pain he was in, he still stood up as if he hadn't suffered a bit, keeping his head down as he tried to reach Akui. Reacting quickly, Akui moved out the direction of the powerful fist, side-stepping Asa before swiping a pinky finger against the ground, creating a small chasm underneath Asa, trapping his foot in the process. From there, Akui reassembled the granite and conjured a multitude of chains that shot from the ground, holding each of Asa's limbs in place before tightening with enough force to hear his bones crack.

"You know…" Akui sighed, approaching Asa with a deepened expression, "I've been waiting a while for this all night. Because you've been nothing but an asshole to my friend throughout the entire night. I'd like to say that I feel bad for ending this as fast as I'm going to, but… I'd be fucking lying."

Meanwhile, Asa was held within the air, bound by rocky chains that held him in place like a puppet on a string. However, he never even struggled, Akui noticed. Asa simply remained stationary, with his head looking downward and a small, shit-eating smirk on his face. He laughed feverishly, as his darkened hair casting a shadow over his crimson-colored eyes. "Is that right, Chiaki? What, you and him swapping spit or something? You seem to be pretty offended over his puny ass, it's not my fault he's a little bit-AUGH!"

Before Asa could even finish his statement, Akui embedded his fist deep within Asa's rib-cage, twisting it in an incredibly painful manner before unleashing several more blows to his solar plexus. Finally, he stopped on the twelfth hit, savoring in the sound of Asa's heavy breathing while glaring at the boy with vicious yellow eyes.

"He's my friend. That's what he is… though I suppose that you wouldn't know much about that, wouldn't you? Especially considering that you probably have next to none." Akui failed to hide the bitterness within his vocal inflection as he stared Asa down. "Look me in the eyes, why don't you?"

Asa darkly chuckled once again, "Are you sure about that? Wouldn't want your boyfriend to think I'm trying to cuck him, would you?"

Akui constricted Asa's limbs even more, forcing the latter to hold his head backwards as he winced in immense agony. His eyes were still closed, but his smile only brightened as he laughed even harder. Akui ignored it, brushing it off as the boy simply being even more insane than he thought he was. "Look. At. Me."

Asa's laughter finally came to end in an abrupt fashion, as the grin on his face faded into an almost satanic snarl. "As you wish… Chisaki…"

And the moment that Asa's crimson-colored eyes, as red as hell itself, looked into Akui's… Akui felt a powerful chill shiver through his spine.

His body locked up immediately, shaking wildly as he foamed from his mouth in a frenzy. His skin felt as if it were attempting to crawl off of every inch of his body, securing him within a state of immobility. His eyes rolled towards the back of his skull, before he fell to the surface of the asphalt, barbarically hitting his head against the concrete and opening a wound that he'd thought had completely faded away.

Pain. Nothing more than unfathomable pain unlike anything that he'd ever felt before. It was all that comforted him as he drifted into a state of unconsciousness, spasming wildy as the chains that once held Asa had come undone. All Akui could do was watch as Asa, looming over him, grinned with clear murderous intent before lifting his foot in the air and stomping on his head.

Darkness followed thereafter.

"Nighty-night… Overhaul Jr… hope the dreams won't be too much for ya..."

Asa Agarashi

Quirk: Bad Trip

Asa has the powerful ability to lock others into a permanent drug-induced state before forcing them into a realm containing all of their worst nightmares. His Quirk also leaves them in a similar state to a drug overdose! However, as a result of his Quirk severely damaging parts of his brain, Asa suffers from schizophrenia and intermittent explosive disorder!

Hiyaaaaaaa! So here we go! A new update! I… don't have anything to add here other than finals suck, huehue~ Leave a review, favorite, and follow if you haven't already, as it really helps a lot for motivation! It gives me… the good chemicals UwU~~

Love y'all~!