if life is a movie, you're the best part

IT WAS HALF-PAST FIVE in the morning, and there was nothing worse than waking up before the sun. The world was shrouded in the deepest hush of predawn stillness, like a heavy blanket draped over the earth. Only a slight breeze stirred through the trees, bringing the smell of dewy condensation into the air.

"This is a cosmic betrayal," Ivette grumbled, dressed in her P.E. uniform. She pulled at the collar of her blue shirt and was debating whether she should ditch and just head back to bed. Aizawa would beat her ass, no doubt, and drag her back out, but then she'd get a few more minutes of sleep, and that would be worth it.

"Come on, babe!" Kirishima's hands landed on her shoulder, steering Ivette out the door and into their training area, where the others had already gathered. "It's the first day of our summer camp! We can't miss this." Kirishima gave her a goofy smile as he peered at her.

She shrugged Kirishima's hands off her, turning to face him. Ivette almost groaned when he stared at her with bright, glimmering eyes.

"How do you have so much energy already? We woke up at the same time, and I feel like I'm gonna fall asleep any second."

"Just gotta embrace the day, you know? Plus, training's always more fun with high spirits!" Kirishima declared, his upbeat attitude unwavering. Ivette couldn't tell if he was being serious or not— that's a lie, she could tell. He was being serious, and that made her want to punch him in the face for some reason. But she couldn't bring herself to do it, not when her soulmate looked so beautiful when he was beaming, all sunshine and teeth.

Ivette rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. He's planning on killing all of us."

Aizawa was staring at them with his usual monotone, blank face, but Ivette could hear the thoughts storming through his head. He was going to push them to their maximum, force them to work their quirks until they either threw up or passed out from overexertion.

"̷͍͑W̴̳̚h̷͎͒a̴͕̒ẗ̵̯́é̷̼v̸̜́e̶̝͆r̵͓͛ ̵̤͝h̶͈̒e̷̻͆ ̵͔́h̸̘̕ǎ̵̗s̷̠̋ ̶̨̈́p̴͎̓l̷̤̾a̷̢̐n̸̗͋n̷̗̅é̷̝d̸̛̰ ̷̮͛b̸̼̑ḙ̴̓t̸̥̀t̸͍̾e̷̖̓r̴͚͒ ̶̧͆b̷͕̾ẹ̵̉ ̴̙́w̷̨͂ó̴̲r̶̨͠t̸͔͠h̶͗ͅ ̵̜͂g̸͕͐e̶͚͠ẗ̴̟t̵͚͒î̵͎n̷̼̊ģ̶͗ ̷͇͂u̴͚͠ṕ̷̰ ̴̨̀á̵͔t̵̝͑ ̵̘̅t̷̯͑h̶͓̔i̷̠͐s̸̨̐ ̴͍͗t̶̥̾i̶̮͆m̷̛̱ë̷́͜.̸̥͝"

Tell me about it, Ivette thought. It's bad enough we have to be here in the middle of nowhere, but waking up at five in the morning?

"̶͇̫̄I̸̘͐̌t̶͇̗͗̎'̵̧̀̎s̴͓͔̔̈́ ̴̘̖́p̵̖̼̈́̈́ü̷͎r̸̙͝͝e̸̼͋ ̵̓ͅt̴̝́̍o̵̻̖̊̏ŗ̵̣͋t̶̿̿ͅu̸͙̞̍ŕ̷͍͉͆e̴͍͋͘.̴̞̻͌"̴̲͆

Ivette huffed, Exactly.

"I'm sure it won't be that bad," Kirishima laughed as they stood behind their classmates. Ivette made a sour face and leaned to the side, slumping against him, as if the weight of the day had already taken its toll.

Kirishima snickered, but when he glanced at her face, a frown settled on his lips. There was fatigue in her eyes, and something about the way she put all her weight onto him told Kirishima that she hadn't slept well. With a gentle touch, he traced his thumb under her eye and inquired, "Did you get any sleep last night?"

"I stayed up late," Ivette confessed, her voice muffled into his shoulder.

"Why?" Kirishima probed as gently as he could, but Ivette felt how hard his jaw clenched above her head. His concern was written in his actions and movements. It warmed her heart.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Couldn't sleep."

That wasn't true. Ivette had spent most of the night awake, staring at the ceiling and talking with Bruno. They had brought up many things, speaking aimlessly about everything and nothing. Ivette hadn't noticed how late it got until the sky was gradually returning to its lighter form.

"̵̼̏L̴͖̇ĩ̴̗a̸͓̐r̵̩̚,̴̤̊ ̷̢͋l̴̛̠i̷̢͊a̸̮͠r̷̈́͜,̵̱̂ ̴̻̈ỹ̴͚o̸͈͛u̶̲͛r̷̕ͅ ̴̝̇p̵̱̅â̸̘ņ̴̈́ṯ̶͆ŝ̸̢ ̵̘̐a̷͍͊r̸͓̆é̸̝ ̵̭̄ơ̶͇n̵͙̾ ̴͍̅f̶͠ͅį̷͆r̸͙͠ẹ̸͗.̵̥̒"̵̠́

Shut up.

Kirishima's expression softened. "Next time, come sleep with us."

"We're not allowed to mix," Ivette reminded him, though a playful glint sparkled in her eyes.

Her soulmate winked.

"When has that ever stopped us?"

She snorted, unable to suppress a smirk. Ivette turned into Kirishima, pressing a kiss to his neck and mouthing her words against his skin, "Alright. But if I get in trouble, I'm blaming you." Kirishima shivered as her warm breath ghosted across his collarbone.

"I'll take full responsibility," he said somewhat breathlessly.

Seeing how a few simple words could render him speechless like that made her chuckle. Kirishima was such a dork, but that was one of many qualities Ivette loved about him. And she wanted him to know, wanted everyone to know that her soulmate was one of a kind, and, most importantly, he was all hers.

Ivette pressed another kiss to Kirishima's throat and moved to kiss him again, when Bakugo stepped between them suddenly, effectively ending whatever budding romantic moment she and Kirishima might have been having.

"Leave it for later," he grunted, crossing his arms over his chest. "We're here to train, not make out."

Ivette huffed and pulled away from Kirishima. She replicated the blond's stance and stuck out her tongue in a childish manner. "You're just saying that 'cause you're jealous."

She didn't miss Bakugo's eye roll nor the red rising in his cheeks.

Ivette turned her attention to their classmates, who were exchanging glances that spoke of a shared sentiment—dread mixed with a spark of determination. Aizawa's stoic gaze cut through the summer-morning silence, a harbinger of the rigorous day that awaited them.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Today, we will begin training camp to increase your strength in earnest. The goal of this training camp is to increase everyone's strength and, with that, for everyone to obtain their provisional licenses. It is to prepare you all to face hostilities that are becoming more real by the minute. Proceed carefully. So Bakugo–" he threw a baseball–"try throwing that."

The baseball sailed through the air, and Bakugo effortlessly caught it with one hand, his crimson eyes narrowing as he inspected it. "This is from the fitness test."

Ivette furrowed her brows. She didn't remember such a thing.

"Your previous record, from right after you started school, was 705.2 meters," Aizawa stated. "Let's see how much you've improved."

"̸̲͑O̶̢̔h̸͚͘?̸̥̇ ̵̔͜T̵̤̏h̴̦͠a̵̖̒t̴̟̑'̸͕̀s̶͙̆ ̶̢̕i̸̩̍m̴͓̽p̵̰̄r̷͙̚e̶͎͛s̷͍̔ŝ̴̠i̶̖͐v̴̠͠ẹ̴̈.̶̨̔"̵̳̋

"So we're checking our progress?!" Mina exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air.

Sero nodded. "Since a lot has happened these past three months, huh? Maybe he can throw it a kilometre or something now."

While Bakugo walked forward, Ivette turned to her side and spotted Todoroki standing there. "What fitness test?" she asked her soulmate.

"We did it on the first day," Todoroki explained, his eyes gentle as they laid upon her. Ivette loved seeing the two different colours swirl with affection. She found herself melting under his gaze. "It was before you joined."

"Ah, that makes sense." As she watched Bakugo roll his arm to warm up his muscles, she wondered, "Who came first?"

"Yaoyorozu," Todoroki answered.

That surprised her. "Oh? Not you guys?"

"I came second, Katsuki third. Eijiro came eighth."

Ivette hummed, "Well, it has been a while since the first day. I'm sure you guys have improved since then." She tilted her head back and looked at Todoroki, a mischievous smile on her lips. "Let's see if we can take the top four— all of us."

Todoroki smiled, chuckling softly. "We'll see."

"Do it, Katsuki!" Kirishima cheered, cupping his hands around his mouth.

Seemingly ready-to-go, Bakugo gripped the baseball with fierce determination.

"Then, here I go...go to hell!"

The baseball soared through the air, covering a distance of 709.6 meters. Aizawa's announcement filled the quiet morning.

"Huh? It's less than I thought?"

Ivette snorted.

"It's been about three months since you started high school. Through various experiences, you all have definitely improved, but that improvement has mainly been at the mental and technical levels, with some increase in stamina. As you can see, your quirks themselves have not improved that much. That's why we will work on improving your quirk starting today."

Aizawa smirked.

"It'll be so hard you'll feel like dying, but try not to actually die."

The rest of Class 1-A stepped forward, each taking their turn to cast the ball into the air. Hopeful gazes turned to disappointment as they compared their current throws to their initial scores, some finding themselves stagnated or even getting lower than before. Bakugo, amidst the collective disappointment, returned to his soulmates, only to be met with Ivette, who had the audacity to grin at him.

"Man, you really suck, huh?"

"Shut up!" he snapped, a hint of irritation lingering in his voice.

Ivette, however, couldn't contain her amusement, and her laughter echoed in the training ground. It pissed Bakguo off, but she just laughed harder. He clenched his hands into balls from where they hung beside him, his nails digging crescents into his palms.

Noticing his sudden aggression, Todoroki reached over, fingers urging his to uncoil.

Bakugo glanced at him, saw his expression and sighed forcefully.

They could talk about this shit later. For now, they needed to work on themselves, and like hell was Bakugo going to walk away from this summer camp without a definite improvement in his quirk and abilities. 

As the rotation continued, the moment arrived for Ivette to take her turn. Aizawa's gaze settled on her. "Midoriya," he called. "Your turn." With a casual grace, he tossed the ball in her direction, and Ivette caught it effortlessly.

She peered at it, her fingers playing with its weight. Ivette threw it lightly into the air three times as she stepped into the clearing, her every move exuding calm confidence.

What should I do, Bruno?

"̵̭̈́W̷̘̚r̷̞̓a̷̘͂p̵̣̈́ ̷͓͝y̴͚̓o̷̥͐u̶͖͆r̵͈̿ ̷͙͘ḛ̵͑n̷̲̚e̵̙͐ȑ̸͈g̸̝͊ỳ̴̥ ̷̗͆a̵̯͆r̶̭̚o̵̲̍u̸̝͛n̴͙͊d̷̠͑ ̸̹͐i̴̻͗ẗ̴̯́.̸̡̆ ̵̝̿Ṵ̸̂s̸̲͛ē̶̯ ̸̪̾y̸͕̌o̷̟͝ü̶͖ŕ̴͚ ̸̝͆p̸͙̎o̸̺͝w̶͙̏ȅ̶̯ŗ̶́ ̵͐͜t̷̼͑o̶̟͝ ̷̬́g̴̙̿u̷̡̓i̶̘͝d̶͙̃ȩ̶̑ ̸̯̂i̸̹̐ẗ̸̼́.̶̪̚"̴̆͜

Ivette arched a brow. How do I do that?

"̶̹̆C̷̖͋o̷̥͘m̸̼̐m̴̭̄a̷̝͊n̵͙̄d̵̼̈ ̷̘͝i̴̥̕t̶̟̍.̷̼͊ ̵̹̌I̴͙̅t̶̥̃ ̸͇͠w̴̛̜i̴̟̚l̶̲͂ḽ̴̈́ ̷̛̥ö̶̭́b̴̮̉è̵͙y̷̼̑.̴̖̚"̵͖͠

Vague, but whatever. Ivette could work with that. She squared her shoulders. The early morning mist clung to the training area, a silent witness to the spectacle that would unfold under the predawn sky. With a focused gaze fixed upon the baseball nestled in her palm, Ivette took a deep breath, centring herself.

The air around her seemed to ripple as she extended her hand, fingers loosening their grip on the sphere. In her mind's eyes, Ivette visualized an invisible force wrapping around the ball, a telekinetic embrace. Her quirk activated, responding to her mental command, and the ball began to levitate, suspended in mid-air as if cradled by an invisible hand.

"Go."

One word, one command.

The ball shot out of her hand. The air seemingly parted as the telekinetic force carried the ball, propelling it with a velocity that clearly defied the laws of physics.

Ivette's eyes widened with how fast it left her palm, the baseball soaring through the open space and tracing an arc against the backdrop of the sky. Her heart quickened with anticipation as she watched her green wisps travel farther and higher, dragging the ball with it.

The distant horizon became the target, and for a moment, the ball danced on the edge of the unknown.

As the ball descended back to the ground, Ivette couldn't help but marvel, whistling under her breath. This exercise not only unveiled the raw power within her but also hinted at the limitless possibilities awaiting exploration. The ball landed softly in the grass, a testament to the untapped potential that lay within Ivette's grasp.

Her head whipped over to Aizawa, ready to hear her score.

"703.8 meters."

Ivette's jaw dropped.

"̵̫̓T̵̥̚h̷̀͜a̵̗̒t̷̠͛'̶̥͋ṣ̴̿ ̶̫͆w̴̩̃ô̴̹r̸̠̒s̶̬͐ē̵̜ ̶͖̕ṯ̴̿h̶̡̃a̷͚͝n̸͎̔ ̸̯̐y̵̰͋ỏ̷̯u̷̺͂r̸̹̋ ̵̦̌s̶̼͝o̸̦͂ǘ̸̮l̵̡̽m̷͓̈́a̴̼͒t̴͍̕e̷͇͘'̸̼̐s̴̱͝ ̷̯̌f̴̱̓ḭ̸̾r̵͍̾s̶̮͆ţ̵̋ ̷̱̀a̵̝̋ṯ̴̑t̷̯̆e̶̛̥m̵̡̅p̸̞͆t̸͔̔.̸̘̅"̵͍̈

Gods, if that didn't piss her off.

It was Bakugo's turn to snort, his cruel amusement filtering through their bond. He was wearing a smug grin as Ivette turned to him, a deep, deep scowl on her lips.

He laughed louder— on purpose.

"Man, you really suck," Bakugo said, parroting her earlier words.

"Shut up," she hissed through gritted teeth.

"For your first time, that is a good score," Aizawa informed, stepping into her vision and blocking Bakugo from her sight. He didn't need the two to break out into a fight. Right now, they had to work on their own, focus on themselves and get stronger without it being some sort of competition. "Well done, Midoriya."

Ivette didn't look happy but accepted the compliment nonetheless.

Aizawa turned to the rest of the group. "Now that you know where your limits are, we'll move on to what we have planned. Each of you will go through your own training programme, with the focus on pushing your quirks to their max."

As the students shifted into their designated areas, Aizawa took charge, instructing each of them individually. He moved methodically, addressing their strengths and weaknesses with precision.

When it was Ivette's turn, Aizawa led her to a specific area where boulders were strategically piled up. It was obvious what he wanted her to do—train the duration of her quirk activation while holding the weight of the boulders. He instructed her to meditate during the process, to clear her mind and filter out distractions.

"Alright, sounds easy enough," Ivette said, adopting a casual tone.

Aizawa's smirk betrayed his appearance. "It won't be for long. Now, get to it."

Ivette plopped onto the ground and took a deep breath to centre her focus. With a controlled release of her telekinetic power, she lifted the massive stones. Minutes ticked by, and Ivette found it easy. And then, more minutes ticked by, and it suddenly got tiring too fucking fast.

"What the fuck?" she cursed quietly, sweat dripping down the sides of her face. Her hands were shaking with effort, and the green wisps wrapped around the stones were starting to flicker.

"̶͕̂Y̷̺̓ó̷̢u̷͚͌'̷̠͗ṛ̶̌e̶͋͜ ̷͙̀n̸̼͆o̷̻͆t̴̹̆ ̴̤̀u̷̗̾s̸̢̾ï̸͎ǹ̸̤g̵̻̀ ̸̛̜y̵̤͠o̶̘̕ũ̵̝ṟ̶͒ ̵̧̇p̸̤͝ō̸̞w̵͖̿ë̴̹́r̶̯̄s̴͈̉ ̴̫̓č̶̡ǫ̴̎r̸̘͠r̸̡̄e̵̥͗c̷̣̿t̷̡͑l̷͈̏y̸̖̽.̵̘̉"̵̿ͅ

Sometimes, Ivette loved that there was someone she could always talk to in her head. Other times, it pissed her the fuck off.

She clenched her jaw. What should I do then?

"̴̡͂Y̶̳͌o̴͎͌u̴̺͘r̷̙̽ ̶̭̎q̴͈̋ü̷͎i̷͓̍r̷̝̽k̶̛̯ ̶̠̚t̴̘͊ă̶̩k̶̖͗ë̸̢s̴̪̑ ̵͎̇ḯ̴͙t̸͈̔ș̶͆ ̴̟̊ė̸̜n̵̹͗é̷̫ŗ̵̈́g̷̞͋ỹ̴̥ ̵̡̛f̵̞̂r̵̯̓o̶̼͋m̴̫̂ ̵̣̔l̶̝̓i̷̺͝f̸̱̕e̷͚̓.̷̺͝ ̴̱͐Y̸̙͋ō̵̬ǔ̷͚'̴͚͠r̵̯͝ě̶͉ ̵͍͊i̶͇̊n̷͓̓ ̶̦̚t̵̫̍ḩ̵͂e̴͖͝ ̵̱̋m̶̫̃i̴͖̔d̴̼̊d̸̦̆l̸̘͂ḙ̴̚ ̷̫̈́o̷̟͊f̸̺̈́ ̵̲̚ą̴͝ ̵͖̓f̸̨̈ô̸͈r̵̫͝é̵͓s̶͆͜t̸͙̔.̷̢͂ ̸̮̄U̵̖͑s̸͍̈ẽ̸̘ ̴̗̒t̵̝͝h̷̯̓ĕ̷̻ ̸̦̈́e̸̜̐n̶̚͜e̴̡͑r̵̭͋g̸̢̅y̷̦̒ ̶̼͊î̸̙ṱ̴̕'̴̣̊s̸̰̊ ̶͎͋g̶̢̅i̷̜̕v̷͕̚i̷͈͘n̵͖͝g̸̤̀ ̴̤̌o̷͔̎f̸̮͛f̵̯͗.̸̰͌"̸̯̄

Bruno's tone was obvious, condescending. It irritated Ivette, but she knew better than to ignore his guidance. Not when, most of the time (all the time, really), he proved to be correct.

"̵̼̇Ẻ̵͇x̸͔͘ā̵̧ç̸̍t̶͇͑ĺ̷̝y̶̢͆,̴̩̂ ̴̺̀s̸̠̀o̴̙͝ ̴͎̓ş̴͌t̵̝͠o̴̺͆p̵̥̿ ̴̪̉f̸͓̄u̴̦͛s̶̗̍s̷̹̾ì̴̙n̵͔͌g̸̣̿ ̶̯̈ą̵̚n̵̯̋d̷͚͝ ̴̫͌ḍ̷̕ȍ̸̜ ̶͙̋ā̸͎s̸͙͑ ̵̭̅I̸̢͑ ̵͉̈ș̶͘ȃ̶̯y̴͙͐.̶̫̾"̸̥͊

She bit her tongue and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to clear her head. She delved into a mental landscape where the energy of the forest took on a tangible form, the air shimmering with a subtle, luminescent glow—the life force of the verdant surroundings.

She imagined the towering trees becoming conduits of vibrant energy, their leaves whispering secrets of vitality. She followed the tendrils of light weaving through the foilage and interconnecting all living beings within the forest. Each rustle of leaves, each chirp of distant birds, contributed to the symphony of energy enveloping her.

As Ivette breathed deeply, she sensed those threads respond to her presence. Suddenly, like the slot of a gear sliding into place in an intricate mechanical system, she became a part of this tapestry, intertwined with the natural rhythms of the environment. With each inhale, Ivette envisioned drawing in the ambient energy, a soft luminescence merging with the essence of her own power.

It began to resonate with her core—it swirled and danced in synchronized harmony, blending in with her green wisps. Ivette's consciousness, immersed in this ethereal ballet, became a conductor orchestrating this melody.

Her heart pulsed, and with each beat, Ivette could feel herself getting stronger. Energy flowed through her like a river of power. She held the boulders aloft with a renewed resilience, and it all became so easy.

"̶͚͝T̷̩́h̷͔͋é̴̤r̷̼̂e̶̞͒ ̴͔̚y̶̨͂õ̵̯u̸̡̎ ̶̩͂g̶̢̓o̷̝̽.̷̩̋ ̶̘̆Ī̸̩ ̸̨͊t̴͙͘o̷̳͂l̵͎̽d̶͖͗ ̵͚̆y̷̠͘o̷͇͋ư̸͓-̵̺̎j̴̨́u̶̯͠s̷̠̒t̷͔͂ ̷̞̈́ȓ̷͓e̴̼̐l̵͓̔y̵̙͠ ̵͇̕ö̵̻n̷͓̽ ̸͎̍m̷̘̀e̶̢̕.̶͔̈ ̵͙̚Ị̷͘ ̴̼̎ẘ̶̪i̴̇ͅl̵͚̄l̴̩̿ ̶͕͗g̷͚͊ú̴̺i̴̫̊d̸̗̓e̸̗͊ ̴̨͛y̸͖͐o̴̺͒u̸̫͝ ̶̛̯d̴̪̀ỏ̶͎ẅ̸̼́n̸͕͋ ̴̧̔ț̶̾h̴͔͛ĕ̵̺ ̸̞̽r̴̩̅i̷̘̓g̴̜̔h̶́ͅt̶͎̆ ̸̰̍p̷͝ͅá̵̢t̸̲̍h̶̲̍.̵͖̓"̶̶̴̬̟̻̊͑̄

Seconds ticked by, turning into minutes, turning into hours. Ivette remained in that same spot, her breaths deep and even, mind clear of all thoughts. She was in a daze, and she didn't want to come out from under it. Her heart beat slowly, rhythmically. It felt like there was a dull ache pulsing through her body, the kind that would've hurt if not for its source being calm.

A soft humming came from somewhere around her, a soothing sound that made her relax further, as though it were easing the pain, or at least helping to alleviate the pressure building up inside her chest.

What is that sound?

Ivette could feel the smile on Bruno's face, soft and gentle.

"̵̡͌Ṱ̴̛ḫ̷̀ȅ̴͔ ̷̨̇f̶̮͗o̴̧͆r̸̥̄ě̷̲s̵͕̎t̶͓͠.̵͓̓ ̸͕̓I̴̪͗ṯ̴̓ ̸̗̈́s̵͈̈́i̸̙͆n̵̗̕ǵ̷̥s̵̠̍ ̸͔́f̷̺̎o̵̙̐ṟ̸̈ ̴̝͐ý̸̫ọ̶̋u̵͕͝.̶͙͂"̸̫̎

Her lips curled upward without any effort on her part, as well. She let herself smile.

"You're such a sap," Ivette said, her voice almost breathless. She sounded far away to herself.

Bruno laughed in her head, his voice kind, like the energy trickling into her.

"̴͇̎Y̷͍̓ḝ̶ṭ̴̚ ̴̣̈́i̸̫̇ṭ̴̓'̷͇̓s̸͖̈́ ̸͇͂ṭ̵̀r̵͉̾u̵͉͆ḛ̵̍.̸̼̆"̶̺̏

As she sat there, content and relaxed, feeling the world speak to her, Aizawa glanced over. He observed Ivette from a distance, his chin buried in his scarf. He scanned her over, noticing the subtle smile on her face. She was speaking to someone, but there was no one around her.

He assumed, then, that Ivette was just speaking to herself and left that aside.

"She's not struggling," Mandalay remarked as she moved to stand beside him.

Aizawa nodded. "She's enjoying it."

"How long has she been like that?"

"It's been two hours."

"Wow..." Mandalay's voice trailed off. "And she hasn't dropped them once?"

"Not once."

The contrast was striking; while the other students succumbed to exhaustion, dripping with sweat and panting with overexertion, Ivette persisted without respite. Mandalay found herself speaking without thinking, "That's... impressive. Almost too impressive."

"Agreed."

It was evident to Aizawa that Ivette possessed an innate strength, a potential that surpassed many. Her quirk, an untamed surge of energy under her control, held promise but also peril. There was a delicate balance that needed to be maintained to make sure Ivette didn't lose control or didn't succumb to corruption. The responsibility to guide her through this equilibrium fell upon Aizawa's shoulders.

"I'm going to go check up on her," Aizawa decided.

Mandalay nodded, her gaze fixed on Ivette. Ragdoll approached Mandalay, a sense of unease emanating from her.

"What's wrong?" Mandalay queried, shifting her attention to her teammate. Her paws were pressed against her face, brows furrowed, and a frown pulled at her lips. Ragdoll was staring off into the distance, at Ivette, lost in thought.

"That girl...I can't see her weaknesses."

Mandalay's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?" She whipped her head to the side, giving Ragdoll her full attention. "Are you sure?"

Ragdoll affirmed with repeated nods. "I'm sure."

Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, but it was unmistakable that she was serious. A shiver ran down the length of Mandalay's spine.

"How is that possible?"

But Ragdoll couldn't pull her eyes away from Ivette. Her senses were thwarted, and she struggled to decipher the information piled in front of her sight. The words and symbols appeared glitched, forbidden for her to see.

"The words are all...glitchy. Like I'm not allowed to see it—like I'm not meant to. Mandalay—" she turned with wide eyes. "This hasn't happened before. Everyone has weaknesses I can see, except for her. It's like the unknown...it's scary."

Mandalay could only stare, her gaze trailing Ragdoll's, both now captivated (and perhaps, maybe terrified) by the enigma that surrounded Ivette's unprecedented strength.

As Aizawa approached, his narrowed eyes scanned the surrounding forest, its verdant hues seeming almost too vibrant and vivid in Ivette's proximity. It was as if the colours themselves pulsated with life, as if her very presence was feeding them. It was odd, especially given how Ivette wasn't even moving or looking around — she appeared to be frozen in place, like all of her senses had been shut down.

Aizawa glanced at her for a moment before calling out to her, "Midoriya."

Ivette opened her eyes, and they fascinated him. They sparkled, vibrant and green, shimmering ethereally like the finest jewels. "Aizawa-sensei," she sounded, and her voice was as melodious as the song of a nightingale in the summertime. But it did not sound like a bird at all. It was raw, earthy, and so deep that he felt he was listening to her own soul itself.

"How is it?" Aizawa asked, resuming his usual state of nonchalance.

"Good."

"Not tired?"

A playful grin danced on Ivette's lips as she shook her head. "You underestimated me."

"It seems that I have," Aizawa mused. He crossed his arms and noted, "I'll make sure to change your programme for tomorrow."

"Do I have to do this for much longer?" Ivette inquired, tilting her head up towards the boulders hovering in the air. She seemed completely comfortable here, at ease.

"Yes. Until you can't keep going."

"But I can keep going."

Aizawa's stoic expression barely concealed a hint of intrigue. "Then don't stop until you can't."

Ivette sighed, her breath drifting from her mouth like smoke in the wind. She twisted her neck to the side, stretching the sore muscles.

"But it's starting to get boring."

Aizawa frowned, his gaze evaluating the scene. "I'll get Pixie-Bob to create more boulders," he said after a few moments. It would be the easiest way to keep up with Ivette's progress without causing a disruption to the other students.

"That won't change anything."

Her tone caught his attention. She sounded confident about that.

"How do you know?"

"There's energy all around me. Until there isn't, I won't get tired. I'll just keep channelling it."

Aizawa's frown deepened, and his eyes narrowed. "You can draw energy from your surroundings?" he questioned.

Ivette nodded. "Something like that."

The confidence in Ivette's voice wasn't just a mere assertion; it radiated from her, and Aizawa sensed something different in Ivette. There had been an element of uncertainty in her voice when she spoke before, but now it seemed that she believed herself. And that made Aizawa pause. He looked at his student, surrounded by boulders and trees, and watched her face.

There were times, rare times, when Ivette reminded Aizawa of himself. The same fire in their eyes, the same resolve that drove them forward no matter the obstacles they met along the way. It unsettled him, and the thought didn't escape his notice. Was it possible for Ivette to see into his mind? His past? If so, to what extent? Aizawa was aware of the fact that she could read minds when her telepathic quirk was activated, but could she do that while her telekinetic quirk was activated, too? Or was she limited to using one or the other like Todoroki?

These were the things he wanted Ivette to explore during their camp.

Ivette was strong, yes, but how strong? How far could she go, in terms of power and endurance? Her physical capabilities and her ability to channel energy through her surroundings (which was an impressive feat in and of itself) told Aizawa that she could probably hold her own against any other hero. They had all seen how easy it was for her to fight Endeavour, how quickly it was for him to succumb to whatever pain she had brought upon him.

Even though she was slightly smaller than most, Ivette's reflexes were quicker, and she moved like water flowing over rocks rather than sand.

Yet somehow, despite all this, there was still something...off about her. It was a bit like the feeling he got when she activated her quirk—like he could feel the energy but could also sense the limits of the amount of energy she used. His instincts warned him that it was a dangerous quality to possess. Dangerous to everyone, even if those powers were useful to protect others from harm.

Ivette Midoriya was an anomaly.

Anomalies could be dangerous if not monitored.

"Aizawa-sensei?" Ivette asked, snapping Aizawa out of his thoughts. He looked over at her and saw that Ivette was looking curiously at him, her gaze flitting across his features.

He cleared his throat. "Go up the cliff and try lifting these boulders from over there."

"Why?"

"Test the distance of your quirk."

"Alright." The boulders dropped to the ground with a crash, and in an instant, the colours seemed to dim, returning to their natural state, the ethereal glow disappearing. Everything reverted to normal. Ivette got up, dusted off her pants, and left to ascend the cliff.

Aizawa watched her go. He couldn't shake off the nagging suspicion of Ivette's power. It was unsettling how well she wielded her quirk, like some sort of natural talent, and even though Aizawa had seen countless quirks and efficient quirk-users, it was something new. Something unique. That was the only explanation.

If she kept getting stronger, and kept growing, then what else would Ivette be capable of? What might she learn? What might she become?

Aizawa figured they had three years to find out.

Oh, if only he knew.

༺═──────────────═༻

"̶̠̚T̶͇́ḣ̵̹ḯ̵̻s̶̭͛ ̴̭̀i̴̡̾s̶̲͌ṅ̵͎'̷͔̕ṯ̶͆ ̶̳͊ȩ̸̕n̶̟̐ŏ̵͉u̷̢̓ḡ̸͚ĥ̸̲.̵͝ͅ"̷̤͐

What are you grumbling about now?

"̶̮̈́Y̶̬͆ǒ̸̲u̷̹̍ ̷̠͐w̸̜͝o̸͇̒n̵̯̎'̴̘͊ẗ̸̩ ̵̱̋ḃ̷͇e̵̻͝ ̵̡̑p̴̧̿ú̷̻s̴̈́͜ĥ̴̻i̵̞̿n̵͔̆ḡ̵̹ ̷̣͐y̴̗̆ō̷̥ṳ̵̓r̸̦̚s̷̪͠e̴̫͝ḽ̵̎f̶̬͝.̷̗̚"̴͔͒

But Aizawa-sensei is right, Ivette thought. I don't know the scope of my power.

"̸̠̊Y̸̙̐ô̷͔u̸͎͠ ̷͇̌w̸͉̋o̸͕͋n̴̤̔'̷̙̑t̴̝͠ ̸͎̕k̷̛̳ñ̸ͅo̸͇̾w̵͖̾ ̴̖͝l̵͍̉ḭ̷́k̴͜͝ē̴̡ ̶̝͆ẗ̶̘́h̵̬̚i̸̝̋s̶̨̄.̸̳̎"̴̹̀

Ivette paused, halfway up the cliff. For a split second, she seemed annoyed. Then she resumed climbing and thought softly, What do you propose instead, Bunro?

"̷̻̐S̴̡̾ẽ̵̟ë̷̹́ ̷̰̀ḫ̵̀o̴̪̾w̷̫͝ ̷̹̀y̵̘͂ǫ̶̈́u̴̖͑ṙ̶̼ ̶̭̀s̴̱̊ò̸̱ụ̶̏l̴̥̋m̵̼̑a̶͎͝t̷͔͘e̵̤̍s̵͖̊ ̸͚̔ȧ̵͙r̴̩̐ė̷͙ ̶̼̍p̸͎̂u̴͚͛s̵͔̄h̸̀ͅí̵̭n̶͉̓g̶̱̕ ̶̟͠ṱ̶̾h̶̘̐ȅ̵̦m̷̝̉s̸͔̏e̸̛͚l̶̑͜v̵̠́e̵͍͂ś̵̝?̸̠͌ ̶͇͗T̷͍͋ḧ̶̫è̶̹y̷̪̎'̷̀͜r̸̹̓e̴̬̎ ̵͈͠e̴̓ͅx̵̰̉e̸͇͂r̴̠̒ț̵̏í̴͜n̷̳̒g̷̫̀ ̸͚̉t̸̻̐h̶͎̏e̸͈̽i̶̦̋r̷͙̂ ̶̭̇q̵̪̆u̵̳͗i̸̯̅ŕ̵̮k̸̹̏s̶̱̍ ̶̟̕t̶͙͝ö̴͔ ̴͖͐ẗ̶̡h̴̡͗e̷͉͆ ̶̥͂m̶̙̾ã̵̮x̴̤̎i̷̟͋m̷̥̋u̸̼̽m̶̹̒.̵͕̈"̸̱̒

Ivette turned to see Bakugo, Todoroki and Kirishima in action. They were all breathing heavily and sweating profusely from exertion. She smiled wryly. It was hard to tell with Ivette, but she looked pleased. They were nice to look at like that, all hot and bothered.

"̵̜̏D̷͕͘o̷̤̐ ̷̖̆y̶̧̌ó̸͈u̵̥̽ ̷̼́f̸̗́é̵̥ë̸̦l̶̪͛ ̶̞̐a̴̺̿s̸̨̉ ̷͓͝t̷̳͘ḯ̷̖r̶̥͌ẽ̶͖d̷̛̙ ̸̺͗ȧ̵̼s̴̼̄ ̷̟̆ṫ̶͈h̴̢͛é̴̼m̸͕͘?̶̣́"̸̪́

That made her realize the difference between them. While they looked like they were going to pass out right that moment, Ivette appeared entirely normal, fresh even, like she had a good night's sleep, which wasn't the case.

Nowhere near close.

"̶̺̚T̵͚̊h̵͙̋å̷̧t̵̪̒ ̶̼̾m̶̙̕ë̵̥a̵̟͘n̷̘͆š̷̭ ̶̜͆ý̶̯ŏ̴̖u̴̞̒'̸̇͜r̴̮͆ē̷̘ ̵̛̗ń̷͓ô̴̩t̶̤̄ ̸̯̎ē̸̤x̶̫̐e̶̙͝ŗ̵͂t̸̗̔i̷̝̎n̷̬͆g̴̳̈́ ̵͉̉y̴̝͛o̴̪͌ǘ̸͇r̴̭̃ ̷͙̈́q̴̞̈u̸̞͑i̴̞͘r̸̠͑k̸͚̓,̷̢͝ ̷̃ͅḛ̶̈ĭ̷̯ẗ̵̝́ḧ̸̜́ȩ̷̀r̶͎̕.̵̲͂ ̸͕̉W̷͕̑h̶̪͐a̷̦͘ṱ̸̽ ̷̣͝y̶͕̾ȍ̶̞ṵ̶̋ŕ̴͔ ̴̰̕t̷͜͝ë̷͈a̸͚͛c̵̬̉h̴̹̅e̷̢̅r̷̪͗ ̸̘̇w̴̫̾a̷̭͒ñ̸̥t̸̡̆s̵̰̍ ̸̝͗y̷̲̅ọ̴͠ǘ̷̦ ̸͉̇t̸̮͌o̵̘͒ ̴̙̾d̶͔̔ó̷̟ ̶̘́i̵͖̊s̸͎̆ ̴̙̀g̴̯̒ỏ̸̳o̵̲̾d̴͚͝,̷͓͝ ̶̗̄y̷̯͌e̶͉̚s̴̘͑,̸̙͒ ̵͓̔b̶̼̍ũ̷̘t̷͖͝ ̷̭̿n̵̼̑o̴̫͋t̴̢̽ ̵̙̑f̴͍͗o̸͇̍ŗ̵͐ ̶̡̉t̴̫̔h̵̝̒ḭ̴̓s̴̨̒ ̶̋͜s̴̖̄ì̴̡t̷̹̍ů̵͚a̴̳̓ť̸ͅi̸̖͠ő̴͔n̷̤̊.̷͇͘ ̶̙̀Ỳ̸̧o̵̗̎u̵͔̅ ̷͇͝w̵͙͛a̴̤͋n̴̙͝t̸͙͂ ̸͕́ţ̶́o̷̮̎ ̶̘̈́ġ̷͚e̸̞̓t̶̫̏ ̸̪̃s̷͔̿t̷͕̃ř̵̫o̷͖̐n̴̢͠g̷̮̿ḙ̷̄r̴̜͝,̶̲̀ ̶́͜ṋ̸͐ȍ̴̮t̶̮͝ ̵͇̎s̴͚̓m̴̬̎a̵̩̍r̴̬̈́t̵͎̏e̵̯͠r̴͝ͅ ̶̻̓r̴̬͑ì̶̠g̵͖͑h̸̲͑t̶͈̂ ̵̣̀n̷̤̑o̵̝̅w̸̘̃.̷̺͌ ̶̜̆W̴͍̉e̸̱̅ ̷̢̿ĉ̴̻à̶ͅn̸̳͘ ̴̦̓f̶̹̏ŏ̷̝c̷̖̔u̶̼͌s̵͈͝ ̶̢͗ǒ̵̼n̶̮͘ ̷̭̉ṯ̸̓h̸̞̀e̸͓̒ ̸͔͌d̶̨͝i̸̤͌s̵̳̚t̵̋͜á̷̩n̷̪̎c̶̢͘e̸̠͊ ̴͉͝ḽ̸͊a̸̭͋t̵̺̎e̶̢̎r̴̭̈́.̵̘̓ ̶̽ͅR̸̬̈́ī̸̙g̴̻̈ḥ̴͛t̸̜͐ ̵͙͝ñ̵̩o̶̭̎ẃ̸͕,̷́ͅ ̵̙͗ṱ̵͘h̸͂ͅę̷̑ř̴̲ẽ̶̜'̷̓͜s̸͇̀ ̵̝͛ä̶͕́ ̷͓͂w̴̜̓ẖ̶̈́o̴͎͂l̴̞͛e̶̘͑ ̷̩͆f̷͚̄o̷͎͂r̷̡̈ḙ̸̈ś̵̡ẗ̸̰ ̶̟̍ȃ̷͜t̸͓͆ ̶͉́y̸̰̆ơ̶̠u̴̪̿r̸͐ͅ ̷̱̊d̵̛̬i̴̢̾s̶̼̋p̸̥̊o̶̠͆ṡ̸͍ă̷̦l̴̗͠.̸̠̂ ̴̮͌Ṷ̷̑s̷̺͋ȩ̴̃ ̸̻͆i̶͛͜t̴̰͐.̸̰̿"̶̺͆

Ivette contemplated his words. It was true that they had time to focus on the tiny details of her quirk later when they were alone. That would give her a chance to fully give up control to Bruno safely, without fear of anyone noticing anything weird. And it was true that right now, Ivette wasn't here to concentrate on the small tasks. She wanted to get stronger, not smarter.

Bruno was right. As always.

With a look of renewal, Ivette faced the sky. It was bright and endless.

Alright, show me how.

"̸̳̂Ḽ̵͠ĩ̸͎s̴̠̑t̶͍̏e̸͝ͅn̶̜͠ ̷̣̽ǎ̸̫ń̶̝ḓ̷̏ ̴̜̕l̷̞͆ẹ̶͊a̵̗̓ř̴̫n̵̺͝,̸̬͠ ̶̧́I̵͕̅v̷̝̽e̵̩̕t̴̬͆t̷̙͝e̸̥͝.̶̗̀"̸͉͑