❝ 𝒊 𝒂𝒎 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 ❞

❝ 𝒊 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 . ❞

—abbey , mitski

trigger warning(s): child abuse, mentions of blood && burning

SEREIA VAIDA KNEW THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE OF NATURE—KILL, OR BE KILLED. Do, or don't—something that had been instilled in her mind at such a young age. For whatever reason, it was at the forefront of her head, things she could almost remember mixed in. In certain situations, she would have to choose between herself, and something else, though it would all depend on who was more important.

She should always come first, but what about civilians caught in the crossfire? Her, or them? Young children with potential, or her? Ersa had tried to remind her on some days that it should be her first. If she could save civilians, then she should try to, but wouldn't she rather be alive than dead?

"Just because they're civilians doesn't mean that they should live more than you. Being a hero isnt all about self—sacrifice, you know." Ersa's voice taunts, and Sereia almost rolls her eyes at the passing memory. Her sister shouldn't be one to talk—a high ranking hero, who would throw herself into battle, even if there was a low chance of her survival. (Of course, Ersa always ensured she would survive, but there was some points where Sereia would curl up into a ball while watching the news, praying her sister would come home that night.)

Or maybe it was just a U.A. thing—how Midoriya, without using his Quirk, was putting himself in front of Uraraka. How Bakugo, who's the same age as her, is seething with hatred, his hands somewhat outstretched. Small explosions dance amongst his gloved hands, and he doesn't take his eyes off of Midoriya.

Go beyond. Plus Ultra. Maybe that was what Midoriya was doing, in his own way—going beyond, without the usage of his Quirk. Or maybe Sereia was just being stupid, and looking into things too much.

"Hey, who's Bakugo talking to?" Kirishima asks, standing next to All Might as he looks up at the projector. On it, shows different angels of the battle—one was focused on Bakugo, who has something in his ear, which Sereia guessed to be an earpiece. Another was focused on Midoriya, Bakugo, and Uraraka, but from an angle above. "I'm not hearing anything. Can we get any sound with this video?"

All Might turns to look at the red haired boy, before pointing to his ear. "He's got a radio in his ear so he can talk to his partner. I gave it to him before the match started. Along with a map of the building." The Symbol of Peace explains, before turning slightly, and picking something up. "Also, this. A roll of capture tape! Wrapping this around your opponent means you've apprehended them, and they're out for the rest of the game."

Ashido nods, pointing up to the timer, which has 13 minutes left on it. "So, there's a 15—minute time limit, and the good guys have no idea what floor the nuclear weapon is hidden on, right?" The girl questions, looking up at All Might.

"Correct!" The man answers, hands on his hips as he speaks.

The girl moves slightly, obviously confused with his explanation. Or, really, his one word answer. "Then the heroes are clearly at a disadvantage here. A big one!"

"Think about it," Sereia starts, which makes Ashido, All Might, and a few other classmates look over at her. "A lot of heroes are outmatched while trying to subdue a villain. This can help prepare for that, if we encounter it. So while the villains do have the advantage, it can also be advantage for the good guys, because they get a long term advantage."

All Might simply nods at her words. "Like what Young Vaida said. Real Pros have to outwit villains on a daily basis. That's life. Even when the odds aren't in our favor, we fight!" At his words, Jiro gasps, whereas Kirishima seems to laugh. Two different reactions, meanwhile Sereia nods at the man's words. "All together!"

"Let's hear a Plus Ultra!" The entire class shouts out, though some are more quiet than the others. Sereia is one of those people, moving her hand up slightly, though she does still speak—just not loud enough for her to be heard over the shouts.

Aoyama suddenly smiles, before stating, "Monsieur, he's on the move." At his words, All Might instantly turns around, looking back at the screens—where Bakugo activates his Quirk, and Midoriya yells something. Suddenly, Uraraka starts running, and Bakugo kicks at Midoriya.

Sereia thinks it's going to land, until the green haired boy blocks it with his arm. The shorter boy tries to wrap the capture tape around his leg, though has to dodge out of the way once he realizes Bakugo is going on for another attack.

"The little guy's really good!" Sato calls out from the back. Sereia turns around, seeing him stand next to Jiro and Sero, both of whom are interested in the match.

It's not everyday that two heroes—in—training try and start a fight, though that's how it's been for the past two days. Bakugo was the one starting the fight first, though, so really, maybe it was Bakugo's fault. Maybe he had a problem with the other boy.

"He's holding his own and he hasn't even used his Quirk yet!" Sero comments, his black mask hiding his face. Nothing happens for a few moments, until Midoriya seems to notice something, and he starts running away.

Bakugo, of course, probably takes offense to it—from the way he has acted on the first day of school, Sereia wouldn't be surprised if he did—before he yells something and starts chasing Midoriya. The screens show five different angels—the nuclear weapon, Bakugo, Midoriya, Uraraka, and then an empty hallway.

"That guy has some real anger issues." Kaminari expresses, watching the screens like everyone else. "Kinda scary...I wouldn't wanna be his partner. Or enemy."

Sereia nods at his words. "It seems like Bakugo and Iida aren't really working together." Her words make Ashido and Kaminari look over at her, obviously confused, but Yaoyorozu seems to understand. "We've seen how fast Iida is. He would be able to capture Midoriya and Uraraka, but he has to keep guard."

"You're right!" Yaoyorozu says with a nod, smiling as she looks over at her friend slightly. "Iida is faster than Bakugo, so he should have been the one to find them, and not defend the weapon. Bakugo might have gone rogue, which makes them unable to work together. With Iida defending the weapon, it may be easier for Uraraka and Midoriya to win."

The words don't seem to be false—Bakugo shouldn't have been the one to go and find the other team. Really, if he started using his Quirk, Midoriya and Uraraka probably would have been able to escape, considering they would probably hear the sound. If it had been Iida, he could quickly grab them, and win the battle.

Maybe it was Bakugo's pride. How he needed to go up against Midoriya, most likely to prove something. After the ball throw, he'd tried to hurt him—formulating his own Quirk to hit Midoriya. (And probably Sereia right after, but she couldn't worry too much about that.) If he did try anything else during the tests, Sereia was sure that Aizawa would just hold him back with his scarf.

"Do you think that Bakugo and Midoriya knew each other before they came to U.A.?" Ashido asks, and Sereia turns to look over at the girl. On the screen, Uraraka stands behind a pillar, watching Iida. If he was saying something, Sereia couldn't tell, as he kept his mask on. "It seems like they might have met before. I mean, maybe they were rivals, or something."

Sereia nods, clicking her tongue as she watches Iida turn to look over at Uraraka. "I wouldn't say rivals," The girl starts, crossing her arms over her chest as she relaxes slightly. "I mean, maybe in some way, they are, but I feel like there's something else. Bakugo, at the very least, doesn't seem to like Midoriya that much."

Ashido nods at her words, and the two watch as Uraraka walks out from behind the pillar. Iida points at her, and the girl looks almost embarrassed. A different clip shows Midoriya put his hand up to his ear, where the two were definitely talking. The boy was obviously hiding from Bakugo, crouched down so he could see the hallway in front of him.

Her eyes look up to see the timer—barely 6 minutes left. All the heroes had to do was capture the villains, or recover the weapon. With Iida guarding it, along with no items for Uraraka to grab, the latter option seemed awful. Though, the former didn't seem appealing, either—Bakugo wouldn't go so easily, and neither would Iida.

The best case scenario was probably to recover the weapon. Sereia sighs, shaking her head as she stretches slightly, hoping that she wasn't blocking the view for anyone. She closes her eyes, but a voice wakes her up from her tired state.

"Woah, look at Bakugo!" Kaminari cries out, and there he was on the screen—standing in front of Midoriya, a hand outstretched towards him. Though, it's not in a friendly manner—whatever he's trying to do, he's trying to injure Midoriya. The other boy just stands in front of him, holding the tape in his arms, getting in a defensive position.

Bakugo pulls back a section on the gauntlets he has around his arms, and that seems to make All Might...scared? Sereia doesn't really know how to describe it, considering he must hear whatever the boy was saying as well. "Young Bakugo!" All Might calls out, obviously speaking to him over the earpiece. Whether or not he hears it, is another question. "Don't do this! You'll kill him!"

Sereia can see the explosion start to manifest in his hand, the way he pulls back a switch—she doesn't really know what to call it, before the explosion goes off. It's huge, making the building rumble, and students gasp.

"Whoa, whoa! This's nuts!" Kirishima says, standing next to All Might, and Sereia nods at his words, even though she knows he can't see her.

"Couldn't that attack have seriously injured him?" Sereia states, looking over at Yaoyorozu and Ashido, though the former seems more...calm, in a way. Content. It makes her feel embarrassed, that she couldn't act that way—she wasn't even being attacked. "He seems like he's trying to seriously injure Midoriya. Shouldn't the battle be stopped?"

At her words, Ashido nods, and Yaoyorozu dips her head in acknowledgment. "Come in! Come in, Midoriya!" All Might yells into whatever he's holding, though Sereia knows he probably doesn't get a response. That area of the building was probably destroyed.

Uraraka, though, seems somewhat unfazed—she quickly acts, making herself weightless, trying to get to the weapon. Sereia almost yells out words of encouragement (even if Uraraka couldn't hear, it would be nice for her to know that someone was on her side), but Iida grabs the weapon, and runs away with it.

Bakugo stands in front of Midoriya, who's sitting on the ground in front of him. Most likely in shock, and trying to figure out a plan. "Sir, isn't this getting out of hand?" Kirishima asks, and then he looks over at Sereia. "Like Vaida said; shouldn't the battle be stopped? That Bakugo is acting real crazy. He's gonna kill him!"

Though, All Might seems to ignore Kirishima's concerns. "Not so." The hero states simply, before taking a moment to ponder, and then holding up a microphone—or, at least, that's what Sereia guesses it is. "Bakugo. Use that stored—up power again, and I'll stop this fight. Your team will lose. To employ such a strong attack indoors is inviting the destruction of the stronghold you should be protecting. That's a poor strategy, whether you're a hero or a villain. The penalty would be a massive loss of points."

The blonde boy seems to get over the words, screaming with his hands up in the air, just as Midoriya puts a hand to his ear, speaking to Uraraka. Right after he's done speaking, Bakugo rushes towards the other boy, yelling something else, explosions trailing behind him. It's an interesting way to use his Quirk—to push him off the ground, and into the air. For a moment, Sereia wonders if she could use any of the elements to help her.

Fire would be the first one she would try—though, she hasn't held a flame in the palm of her hand for years now. Air would probably be the next choice, and easier to manage than the former. To help her seem weightless, and not tethered to the Earth. Once she for more control, maybe she could try it out. Water would be the following answer, but probably on par with earth. She could push the water to follow her, and help her levitate from the earth.

Huh. Maybe water would be a much better choice than earth.

Her eyes follow the screen, where Bakugo jumps over Midoriya, and uses his Quirk on the boy—hitting his back with an explosion powerful enough to push the boy forwards. The action makes the students (including Sereia) elicit a gasp, almost taking a step backwards at the usage of his power. Her right hand covers her mouth, trying to wipe the expression off of her face.

"What was that move?" Kirishima asks, and he moves his body slightly, obviously concerned with the usage of the Quirk. Sure, some Quirks could make people act certain ways, but did Bakugo's make him upset all the time? Was it due to how loud his Quirk was, or something else?

A boy from the back interrupts Serena's thoughts, walking forwards slightly. Todoroki, another one of the students who got in based on recommendations. He was halfway covered with ice, and his left eye was almost like a red light—though, Sereia knew there was an actual eye underneath. "He doesn't come off as a guy with a strategy." Todoroki muses from behind her. "But he's actually quite intelligent."

"Huh?" Ashido and Kirishima ask at the same time, turning around to look at him. Sereia does as well, taking one last look at the screen, before her eyes lay up on the boy. "What're you talking about?"

Todoroki seems to pay no attention to the surprise of his classmates words. "He changed his trajectory while in mid—air using a blast that doubled as a smokescreen. Very clever."

"A feint attack like that requires an extreme amount of precision." Yaoyorozu observes, and for a moment, Sereia feels stupid. She got in based on recommendations, just like the two of them, yet she wasn't observing the battle the way they were. When did she get to be so behind everyone else? "He had to calculate the physics and demonstrate control over his Quirk."

Sereia just nods. "His attack wasn't strong enough to push Midoriya on the ground, either. He's being careful with his Quirk—calculating what he would need to do. He isn't trying to let this be an easy fight. He wants to go against Midoriya in an actual fight." It seems too simple, but Todoroki and Yaoyorozu look over at her, nodding, and Sereia just nods back. "He's preserving himself. Maybe because of what All Might said, or because he knows how much of his Quirk to use to try and win."

The surprised faces of everyone makes her feel somewhat better. The smile on Yaoyorozu's face does as well, but it's not enough to sink the feeling of stupidity. Sure, Sereia knows that she's smart and skilled, but compared to the other recommendations students, she's average. Maybe so far below them, she would never catch up.

"Ugh, Bakugo is uber talented. I hate it." Kaminari complains, just as Midoriya moves forward, a hand resting on his back as he moves. Bakugo takes advantage of the scene, hitting Midoriya with a right hook, and then grabbing his arm and slamming him onto the ground.

All Might clutches his microphone tightly, just as Ashido says, "This is hard to watch! All he has to do is wrap tape around him, not kill him."

A boy standing next to Todoroki looks at the screen, and Sereia turns to look at him as he speaks. "Bakugo's certainly acting like a villain." The boy muses, and Sereia notices that his head is that of a bird, meanwhile he has a human body. Huh.

"I thought Midoriya was pretty amazing at the start of the fight, but he's completely outmatched in terms of combat power. Not to mention, Bakugo seems like a natural at all this stuff." Kaminari expresses, scratching his head as he speaks.

On the screen, Midoriya stays low to the ground as he tries to escape. "He's running away!" Ashido exclaims, standing next to Kirishima, who seems to agree with her words.

"Not very manly, but he doesn't have a choice." The boy with red hair states, watching the scene. "He's outgunned. Unless he's got some kind of plan. It's possible..."

Bakugo stalks towards Midoriya, who stands close to the window. From what Sereia can tell, they're speaking to one another—though she doesn't know if it's an argument or not. Bakugo clenches his fist, and she then guesses the fight wouldn't end well. They run towards each other, both with a fist raised in the air, ready to strike. Explosions dance around Bakugo's hands, just as Midoriya's sleeve seems to rip.

"They're gonna kill each other! Sir!" Kirishima cries out, and it takes a few moments for All Might to hear him. To hear the rest of the class scream that the fight was too violent—for whatever reason, All Might hadn't stopped the match up until now.

All Might holds the microphone tightly, yelling into it, "Both of you, stop!" Though, something Midoriya says seems to unbalance the hero, as he mutters a, "Hm?"

It's not a right punch—instead an uppercut, aimed at the higher levels of the building. From Uraraka's position, she activates her Quirk, swinging a pillar that sends pieces of the floor towards Iida. The girl jumps forward, hugging the weapon, winning the battle for the heroes.

The timer goes out as Sereia focuses on Bakugo and Midoriya, where the latter has a broken arm from the attack. Similar to the day before, when he had broken his finger during the ball throw.

Sereia watches as All Might lifts the microphone to his lips, saying into it, "You did it," very quietly. Midoriya falls over, obviously tired from the fight. "The hero team...wins!"

It's only a few moments later when Uraraka slides off the weapon, obviously nauseous from the use of her ability. "What a weird way for this to end." Kaminari observes, and Sereia can't help but agree with him—the hero team may have won, yet it seemed almost like a loss. Midoriya's broken arm, with Uraraka on her knees, looking sick. "The losers are practically untouched, and the winners are both on the ground."

The boy with the bird head looks down slightly. "How does the old saying go? They may've lost the battle, but they won the war."

"This class is intense." A girl with green hair comments. All Might leaves the class to go towards the building, which leaves them alone. Though, not for long, as he brings back the students with him. (Besides Midoriya, who was going to the nurse's office for his injuries.)

On the screen displays the results, with a win for Team A, and a loss for Team D. "Well, despite the results, the MVP of the exercise is Young Iida." All Might says, and the boy looks up in surprise—next to him, stands Bakugo, upset about the loss, and Uraraka, looking nauseous.

The same girl with green hair looks up at All Might, confused by the words. "Shouldn't it be one of the heroes instead, since they're the winners?" The girl asks, which gets All Might to move forward slightly.

"Mm! Valid question. Why didn't I choose one of those two? Who has a guess?" All Might asks, raising his hand, and Yaoyorozu is the first to raise her own. It doesn't surprise Sereia, considering the girl's analysis of the fight, and her calm attitude.

"Sir! I can tell you why!" She answers, keeping her arm raised as she speaks. "Iida embraced this challenge. He was the only one who truly adapted to his assigned role. I'll explain. Bakugo's judgement was clouded by a personal grudge against Midoriya. As you pointed out earlier, launching a large—scale attack indoors was a foolish move. It could have been disastrous. Similarly, Midoriya's plan was also poorly thought out, considering the amount of damage that  he received. He rendered himself helpless. Not smart. As for Uraraka...She let her guard down mid—battle, and her final attack was far too reckless given hypothetical stakes. If she'd treated the fake weapon as though it were real, she never would have risked using such an imprecise move."

Sereia nods as she listens to the girl speak—it makes sense. How Bakugo had chosen to try and hurt Midoriya, instead of actually winning—which he had a good chance of doing. Midoriya, who had rushed in with a plan that would render him hurt. (Why did his Quirk hurt him? What was wrong with it?) How Uraraka had been careless when near the weapon, which had lead to a rash final attack from her. While it worked, it wasn't the best plan.

Whereas Iida embraced his role as a villain, thinking his actions out most likely—because Uraraka's Quirk was one used in close combat, he kept the weapon out of her way. The blue haired boy intended to try and win, unlike Bakugo—his plan was not rash, and did not end with him hurt afterwards.

"Iida was fully prepared for his opponent's arrival. He has a strategy, and never lost sight of his mission to protect the dummy weapon, even if he was foiled in the end." Yaoyorozu explains, and Iida looks almost ecstatic at her words, smiling along with blushing. "Technically, the hero team won, yes, but they took advantage of the fact that this was training. They didn't respect the spirit of the trial."

Everyone states at the girl in awe, and All Might lightly grunts at her words. Uraraka and Bakugo seem disappointed enough, letting their heads drop, interested in the floor. Iida, though, was most likely fully of pride and excitement, as he clenches his fists and cries. Most likely tears of happiness, but he still cries.

All Might points a finger to the score behind him. "Yes. Well, you overlooked a few things. Young Iida could have relaxed a little bit in the exercise, but otherwise, you nailed it!" The hero explains, and Yaoyorozu opens his eyes, just as he extends his arm, giving her a thumbs up.

"One should always start with the basics, and devote themselves whole heartedly to learning. That's the only way to become a top hero." The girl states, which makes the rest of the students continue to stare in awe of her presence. A student who got in on recommendation, showing her difference in skill—Sereia was so similar to her, yet so different.

The hero walks towards the score, standing behind the same boxes from earlier, ready to pick out new teams. "Now, then. Time to blow this joint. Let's move on to the next match! Think about everything we saw, and discussed as you tackle this training for yourself."

"Yes, sir!" The students repeat back to him, and Sereia watches the drawing of the teams—Team B against Team I. The boy with ice covering half of his body, along with a man who had multiple arms. The other team, with an invisible girl, and the boy with the tail. Todoroki, Shoji, Hagakure, and Ojiro. 

Sereia watches as the match ends as quickly as it starts—Todoroki freezes the entire building in a minute, and Sereia wonders if she has that kind of power. (Of course she does—why wouldn't she?). It leaves the entire class freezing, though she doesn't think of it as too cold. Sure, it's no tropical island, but it's not something that would freeze the blood inside her body.

"He incapacitated them without compromising the weapon or his teammate. All Might states, the class closing in on him, trying to find any semblance of warmth. "Take close note of his technique, students."

The brunette rests a hand on Yaoyorozu's open skin, and the girl looks at her with shock. "Your hands are...very warm." She muses, and then Sereia rubs the girl's arm with her hand. She needed it—Yaoyorozu's costume showed a lot of her skin, and the freezing temperature didn't seem to help. "Why are you so warm?"

Sereia shrugs her shoulders, but she knows why—it's her Quirk. The embers of fire showing themselves, but only in situations like this. Ones where she could feel something. Fire can symbolize many different things—power, divinity, transformation, control—but Sereia doesn't think the reason it's helping her now is for any of those reasons. Maybe it's just because she's cold. "It's my Quirk. I can control the four elements—my hands are warm because of fire." Sereia starts, and upon seeing the girl's shocked expression, she pulls her hands away. "I won't burn you. I'm sorry."

Something akin to fear falls upon her—that her friend was scared of her Quirk. Sereia didn't have full control over the element, so what if she did burn Yaoyorozu? She couldn't heal it—she wasn't Recovery Girl, or a doctor. All she could do was form some water, trying anything to stop the burns. The embers of an ability that is almost there could hurt someone else, yet not her.

Though, Yaoyorozu...shakes her head. It's surprising reaction for Sereia, as she expected the girl to pull away as well. To watch her, silently, fearing the girl's abilities. "The warmth helps," Yaoyorozu murmurs, though the words are loud enough for Sereia to catch them. For a moment, the girl does nothing, before her hands find Sereia's, warming her cold skin. "Thank you."

Kirishima yells out, "Whoa, he's so strong!", somewhere else, but all Sereia can focus on is the words—the kindness that spills from one act. The fear of burning her friend falls away, burning itself. The embers feeling stronger, almost there for her to use. Shes so close, yet so far.

(Sereia also ignores Bakugo's shocked expression—his fear, though a quick glance in his direction confuses her. The boy was prideful, based on how much she knew of him, yet his expression was so different from earlier. From when he'd tried to hurt Midoriya—during the mock battle, and during the Quirk apprehension test. Somewhere, Sereia thinks that she almost understands. Maybe his fear lies that he isn't the best. He certainly wasn't, ranking below her during the tests.)

Todoroki walks forwards on the screen, placing his left hand up against the weapon. "The hero team wins!" All Might announces, as Todoroki burns through the ice. The losing side looks upset, as Ojiro hangs his head in disappointment, and Sereia doesn't blame him—it's a quick battle, over in less than a minute.

Sato leans forward, his fists clenched as the class watches the screen. "Holy crap!" He explains with a gasp, though Sereia doesn't comment on it, choosing to stand next to Yaoyorozu and Ashido. She's moved away from the former, as heat filled the building.

"That guy's kind of intimidating." Kaminari says, leaning back as he watches the scene take place. Some of the other students surrounding him seem to nod, and Sereia almost agrees. He's good—Sereia won't deny it.

Her eyes fall upon Tsu, who's also watching the screen. "He got in on a recommendation, so he must be good." The girl speaks up, though no one seems to pay any attention to it, with All Might wanting to continue to review the next match as quickly as possible.

Sereia understands why—they don't have the entire day to watch Todoroki, and a review could benefit them all. "Moving on!" All Might calls out, looking at his students. "Time to gather around for a review of the second match. After that, we'll jet on over to our next battle!"

"Yes, sir!" Almost all of the students reply (besides Bakugo, who seems to sulk because of his loss—or maybe because of something else), looking up at their teacher

The third match has Kirishima and Sero as the villains, and Sereia watches the latter tape up the room. To try and make it almost impossible to get through and touch the weapon. Kirishima uses his Quirk, hardening his body, before Sereia's eyes fall towards Tokoyami and Tsu, who are the heroes in the mock battle.

It's not as quick as Todoroki's win, but Tokoyami uses his Quirk to push the two villains away, and Tsu touches the weapon. Another win for the heroes.

The next match, Sereia feels bad for Yaoyorozu—the girl is paired up with Mineta, who's already been creepy enough the past two days. It's those two as the villains, whereas Kaminari and Jiro are the heroes.

She almost feels bad for not paying too much attention—her eyes follow Sato and Koda, trying to get a read on them. Devise a plan quickly—she could copy Todoroki and freeze the entire building, or she could freeze Sato and Koda. She could grab the two of them with water, capture them, and then retrieve the weapon.

Sato seems to be a heavy hitter, whereas Koda is more of the quiet type. That could be an advantage point, or something truly negative.

"Surf's up!" Ashido calls out, though it's not too loud, as acid falls upon Aoyama's cape. Sereia's quick enough to step out of the way, not allowing it to get on her costume. Aoyama groans at his ruined cape, though Ashido just giggles, and Sereia covers her mouth. "Oops! My bad!"

The girl looks at Ashido and Aoyama, and then smiles. "I have a plan," She whispers, and the two look at her, wanting more information. "I can freeze them, so that they can't touch us. You two just have to get the weapon."

It's simple enough, and Sereia hopes the two follow it—they don't seem to be stupid, and both of them have almost opposite Quirks to her. They both just nod, and Sereia makes her way up the steps, looking into the room where the weapon is. Where Sato and Koda stand, ready to defend.

Koda looks nervous, meanwhile Sato has sugar packets in his hand, swallowing them. Okay. Interesting, she guesses. Most likely his Quirk.

Sereia slowly places her hand to the ground, feeling the way the water pushes itself inside, before she blows on it softly, letting it freeze up. The two villains are covered with it, and that's to be expected—Sereia expects Sato to break out quickly, but if she can wear him down, he's out.

She presses a hand to her ear, allowing the water to freeze up, and Koda tries to help. "Now," Is all she says, but it's enough for Aoyama and Ashido to run in, touching the weapon, a smile on their faces. Sereia smiles as well, before allowing the water to go back to its normal state. "Sorry."

The five of them walk out of the building, meeting back up with the class, and they look at her almost differently. Something similar to the way they all looked at Todoroki—awe.

The analysis of the battle isn't too long—how Koda and Sato could have had a better plan, and how Sereia knew Sato's powers enough to limit him. (She wins MVP of the exercise, and Ashido smiles as she does, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.)

Once that's over, the class walks towards the exit, where All Might stands, blowing a whistle. He's in front of the exit, blocking it with a smile on his face, looking at the class. "Thats a wrap! Super work. You really stepped up to the plate. And we didn't have any major injuries, except from Midoriya. You should be proud. Excellent first day of training, all around!" All Might praises, giving his class a thumbs up.

Tsu raises her hand, standing in front of the class. "It's nice to hear some encouraging words after our homeroom class." At the mention of Aizawa, Sereia just remembers the day before—how he'd looked at her, as if he knew something. That feeling had left her for some time, but now with the mention of the man, she needed to ask him soon. "Mr. Aizawa was kind of a buzzkill."

The two seem different—Aizawa and All Might. The latter seems happy that he can teacher, his hands in the air as he exclaims, "I'm happy to bring such staggering positivity to my alma mater! That's all for now, folks. I should go and check on Young Midoriya's progress. Now, watch how a pro exits. Like he's got somewhere to be!"

All Might runs away, the air hitting all of the students, and some of them gasp, whereas others cover their faces. That was another difference between Aizawa and All Might—Aizawa didn't leave that type of impact on the class, one of positivity. He seemed like he hated the class, holding a sleeping bag that he had used before it had even started. Meanwhile, All Might couldn't be happier to be around his students, rushing to check on Midoriya.

"Okay, you guys, that is a hero!" Kaminari exclaims, excitement evident in his voice as he clenches his fists, smiling.

Ojiro doesn't seem as happy, which could also be due to how quickly he lost earlier. "Aww, I'll never be able to run that fast."

Mineta covers his mouth. "Super awesome!" The short boy cries out, watching the hero leave, and Sereia does as well—the man didn't seem too focused on her.

Maybe there was something else—like there was with Aizawa, who eyes had widened upon seeing her. Who had glared at Mineta when a comment was made towards words her—certain things like that had to mean something. It didn't seem like it was out of the kindness of his heart.

Sereia purses her lips, looking over at Yaoyorozu. Then, she notices Todoroki—she is a student who got in on recommendation. She'll figure this out.

❝ 𝒊 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒏 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 ❞

IZUKU MIDORIYA DOESN'T SEEM LIKE SOMEONE TO SKIP CLASS. That's, at least, what Sereia thinks—the boy misses all of his afternoon classes, most likely due to the injury he got during the mock battles. The sky is a light pink when he walks in, with some clouds. She's talking to Yaoyorozu, specifically about their Quirks—they're completely different, which is interesting, in its own way.

The girl can create any non living thing, which Sereia had somewhat noticed during the mock battles—even if she wasn't paying that much attention. Meanwhile, Sereia just admits what she can do—how water is her strongest element, but she's been getting better with air. How fire is difficult, but earth takes more skill.

"Hey, it's Midoriya!" Kirishima calls out, which makes Midoriya hum and look up, noticing the people standing in front of him. Sereia watches, and then walks over, along with Yaoyorozu, who gives a slight shrug. "Good to see ya back, super! Ha! Man, I don't know what you were saying during that match. But you are all fired up, huh?"

Midoriya is still in his costume, which makes sense to Sereia, with one arm wrapped in bandages, while the other is in a sling. "I can't believe you held your own against Bakugo. He's super strong!" Sero points out, standing next to Sato and Kirishima.

"You did a great job dodging!" Ashido exclaims, waving her arms, excitement written all over her features.

Sereia stands next to Yaoyorozu, who's right next to Kirishima. "You guys really turned up in the first match, so none of us held back in our rounds, either!" Sato says, and Sero nods at his words.

"Your Quirk is very interesting," Sereia starts, which is awkward coming out—Midoriya looks over at her, tilting his head slightly, before being interrupted by Aoyama, who's behind Ashido. His head is in his hands, as he waits to speak.

Aoyama has a smile on his face, though it's uncomfortable, really. "You were far from elegant, but I suppose—" The boy begins, though he is cut off by Ashido jumping up in the air, smiling as she gets closer to Midoriya. The boy moves backward, obviously surprised by the interaction.

"And the dodging was like, whoa!" The girl repeats, and the words seem to break through to him, as he blushes slightly, a smile on his face. He looks amongst his classmates, gasping at their words.

Kirishima is the first the introduce himself, a hand out words Midoriya as he speaks. "Hey, I'm Ejiro Kirishima." He then points to Sero, who smiles as he looks down at Midoriya. "We've been goin' over training results while you were in recovery."

"Hi, I'm Hanta Sero." The taller boy introduces himself, the smile not falling off of his face yet.

Aoyama doesn't get the chance to speak, as he tries to introduce himself as well. "More importantly, I'm Yuga—" He starts, only to be cut off by Ashido, which Sereia almost laughs about.

The pink haired girl stands in front of Aoyama, waving her hands as she speaks. "I'm Mina Ashido! And I just gotta say, your dodging was awesome!"

"Sereia Vaida," The brunette says, which makes Midoriya's eyes widen, and she guesses it's because of her sister. Though, he's not able to speak, as Tsu walks forward, standing behind Ashido.

She's shorter than the rest of the girls. "Tsuyu Asui. But please, call me "Tsu.""

"I'm Momo Yaoyorozu," The girl next to Sereia states, her voice similar to the way it was during her explanation of the mock battles. Something admirable. Or, at least to Sereia.

Sato moves forward, standing behind everyone else, and he has his thumb up as he speaks. "Hey. Sato."

Midoriya looks shocked, moving backwards slightly. "Um...hey, guys." He says, putting his hands up, as though he were trying to wave to everyone in a friendly manner. Or, if he was trying to get some space. Neither really work, though, as Mineta jumps forward.

"And my names Mineta!" The short boy cries out, which makes Midoriya move backwards more, but only by a small bit.

Kirishima looks down at Mineta, tilting his head slightly. "Where the heck did you pop out of?" The boy asks, and Yaoyorozu covers her mouth in disgust as she looks at the small boy. Sereia rolls her eyes—why was he everywhere?

"U.A.'s shiniest star here..." Aoyama tries, though he's cut off by Sato, who looks down at the blonde. It's almost like sparkles follow him around, as he waves his hand slightly.

"You might sparkle, but you sucked it up in training." Sato points out, and Sereia covers her mouth, trying not to laugh. He's not wrong—Aoyama didn't do a lot during their battle, and Sato seems to recognize that. How Sereia had been the one to freeze them, meanwhile he just touched the weapon.

Tokoyami sits on a desk behind them, and Sereia hears him mutter, "So noisy," He looks down, watching the scene take place, and Sereia looks over, watching Iida rush over, his hands in a chopping motion.

"Tokoyami! Stop using that desk as a chair! Get off of it this instant!" Iida scolds the boy, who doesn't seem to care. Ojiro and Jiro stand beside him, and the purple haired girl puts a hand on her hip, staring at the boy.

She doesn't seem impressed—more so, she seems annoyed. Maybe bored with him. "Dude, you need to chill." Jiro remarks, which shocks Iida, who doesn't even know what to say. It's similar to the first day, when Iida had berated Bakugo, who didn't care either.

"You're carrying a lot of tension." Ojiro brings up, one finger pointed towards Iida, who allows his shoulders to hang slightly.

Iida sighs, before speaking. "No one understands. I cannot condone actions that disrespect these desks. Not when great men and women, our upperclassmen, once used them." The blue haired boy exclaims, his hands in a chopping motion once more, and Sereia rolls her eyes.

"He's got a stick up his ass." She murmurs, which makes Kirishima cover his mouth, most likely finding her words funny. Maybe he was listening to the conversation as well—it was somewhat interesting, how Iida was trying to act like the class father. They didn't even have a representative yet.

Just as she speaks, Tokoyami had muttered, "Also noisy,", which makes sense. Midoriya smiles at the scene in front of them, though it's interrupted when the door is opened, where Kaminari and Uraraka emerge from.

"So, anyway, wanna grab a bite sometime? What kind of stuff do you like?" Kaminari asks, pointing to something behind him, where Uraraka looks at him with shock. She tilts her head as she thinks.

"Anything sweet," The girl starts, before noticing Midoriya, running over to him. There's books in her hands, along with some in Kaminari's. "Hey, Deku! Why didn't she heal your injuries?"

The green haired boy turns towards Uraraka. "Oh. Uh...Well, it has to do with how much stamina I'm using." The boy explains, laughing awkwardly, before he looks around the classroom.

"Stamina?" Uraraka asks, obviously confused with his words, before Midoriya gasps softly at something. He looks towards his seat, where his yellow bag sits, and the empty desk in front of him. Empty.

Bakugo had left, sulking about the loss. Or, something else. "Um, Uraraka, where's Kacchan?" Midoriya asks, and the girl sighs, looking at the empty seat, and then back at Midoriya.

"We tried to stop him from leaving. But he wouldn't listen. You just missed him." Uraraka explains, and it's not long before Midoriya runs out of the classroom. "Woah!"

There was history between the two, and Sereia thinks to the first day of school. How Bakugo tried to insist that Midoriya was Quirkless. How upset he had been when he realized that Midoriya had a Quirk. Maybe the boy was a late bloomer. But there was history between the two—not exactly rivals, but something.

Uraraka turns to Tsu, then Mina, and the Sereia and Yaoyorozu. "Do you guys want to follow them?" She asks, and Sereia shrugs her shoulders.

"Uraraka! That is an invasion of someone's privacy! Do not—!" Iida tries to scold, and he's starting to annoy Sereia. He wasn't the class's father, so he needed to stop acting like it.

She turns towards the taller boy, who's come running forward, arms in a chopping motion. "We just want to make sure that nobody gets hurt. You know, so Midoriya doesn't break all the bones in his body. So another fight doesn't break out." She really wants to tell him to leave her alone, but her hand is grabbed before she can say anything, and she's being dragged out of the classroom, the rest of the girl's besides her.

"Woah! You really went off on Iida there, Vaida!" A voice cries out, and Sereia realizes it's Ashido, who's smiling at her. "But I agree with you. We shouldn't listen in. You know, personal privacy."

The five girls stand behind the glass, way above the scene of Bakugo and Midoriya, where the former seems to start screaming. It's not long before All Might arrives, and places his hands on Bakugo, who shrugs it off, walking away.

"Huh, I wonder what that was all about." Mina starts, her hands placed up against the glass. Sereia sits next to her, and Yaoyorozu is on her right. Next to Mina is Uraraka, and then Tsu.

Uraraka closes her fists. "The fated battle between rivals.."

"I don't think they're rivals. But they do seem to have history," Sereia states, and Tsu looks over at her, a finger under her lip as she watches the taller girl.

Bakugo walks further away, and Sereia shrugs her shoulders. "Whatever Midoriya was saying, it looked like Bakugo really wanted to punch him."

Uraraka presses her head against the glass. "Childhood friends turned enemies!"

Yeah. That sounds more like it.

❝ 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒊 𝒃𝒆 ? ❞

IF THERE'S ONE THING IN THE WORLD THAT SEREIA VAIDA HATES, IT'S NIGHTMARES. The ones where fear grabs at her, ripping her away from everything she's ever known and loved. Where she sees her sister dying, coughing up blood, yet still fighting. Pushing herself. Ersa Vaida was like that—she needed to be the best, and she proved that every day.

Sereia, on the other hand, didn't. Maybe the other students looked down on her. Maybe her sister did. Her teachers, whose eyes would widen seeing her, as though she were a ghost. Her friends, who watch her closely, wondering what she can do. (Is she measured in what her Quirk can do? Is that it? Is she not valued for herself?)

"Get up!" A voice cries, and Sereia follows the order, looking at a woman who's...very similar to her. Her hair is long, pulled back into a ponytail, wearing a blue hero suit. Though, it's ripped up, and there's blood almost everywhere. "Do not give up now!"

Sereia walks backwards, looking down, noticing her hero costume, before looking back up at the woman. "Give up?" She asks, tilting her head slightly, confusion most likely evident on her face. "I'm not giving up. I don't know what you mean."

The image shifts, but not before the woman reaches her hand out towards Sereia, screaming, "Do not give in!" It's loud, and the younger girl takes a step backwards. The scene shifts to an older man, and a young girl. A young brunette girl, with a strand of silver in her hair.

Oh. That's her. The strand was in the back, covered, which made Sereia not think about it much. Out of sight, out of mind, she guessed. The man grabs her arm, and Sereia can almost feel the bruising grip on the younger girl. His eyes were full of anger, and he seethes with hatred. "How weak are you?" He growls out, and younger Sereia flinches away slightly. "Are you seriously giving up? How pathetic are you, you pitiful girl?"

Sereia turns towards the young girl, who shakes her head. "No!" The younger girl cries, and when Sereia turns her head to look back at her, the silver piece of hair is gone. As though it never existed. On instinct, Sereia grabs her hair, finding the piece easily. "Please, stop it! I'm sorry!"

Memories like these wouldn't be forgotten. She'd remember the bruising grip, the fear she'd felt, the anger the man was feeling. It wouldn't disappear so easily. The man scoffs, letting go of the younger girl's arm, and Sereia almost sighs in relief.

It doesn't last long, when the man grabs Sereia, and his grip isn't just bruising—her arm starts to burn. She gasps, and all she can think about is getting away—fight or flight. His grip seems to tighten, and she realizes that running away isn't the easier option. Her hands feel for the water she's grown accustomed to, yet his nails dig into her skin. She clenches her teeth, looking up at him. "Let me go!"

Air is the next element she thinks of, as she tries to feel it surround her. It does hit him, though she gets backhanded. This has never happened before—she's never had this dream before, so why was it showing up now?

"Is death the option you want?" The man asks, and Sereia backs up, pressing a finger to her bleeding lip. Great. "You stupid girl."

Sereia watches, feeling her hands shake. Why is she so frightened? She was never hit—at least, she never was to her knowledge. Ersa didn't hit her, so why was she shaking? "What are you talking about?" She asks, looking down at the blood that flows from her lip onto the ground. Watching it, she feels...something. It's like an itch, as her hands shake more. She scratches at her arms, though when the feeling doesn't go away, she stops. "I'm not dying."

The man shifts into a taller one, with green hair. He looks down at her, and then his face form into an expression of shock. "Levana?" He asks, reaching down and lending the girl a hand, to which Sereia takes. "What are you doing here?"

She stands up fully, and Sereia shakes her head. "Who are you?" She asks, looking around, before a bright white light enters the area. A woman with brown hair walks forwards, her dark blue suit stained with crimson. She reaches a hand out, her palms cut with blood.

"Do not fear it," The woman starts, pressing her bleeding hand to Sereia's cheek. She just...allows her to do it, as the aura of the woman was so familiar. Too familiar. She pulls Sereia close, letting their foreheads touch. "I did what I had to. You know that, my dear. Do not fear your abilities. They shall help you. Do not follow in my footsteps—you are going to be better than I ever was."

Tears fall from her eyes. "Mom?" Sereia asks, her hands finding her mother's. She's so confused. Nothing makes sense. Not her mother, bleeding in front of her, with the green haired man looking at the two, fear evident on his face. "Mom, what's going on?"

"It's awakening," Her mother whispers, pulling Sereia in close, her daughter's head resting on her shoulder. Her mother's hands are cold—a way that wakes her up, slightly. Better than the burning grip of the man. "My daughter, my youngest," Her mother praises, pulling back slightly to push the hair out of Sereia's eyes. "Do not fear yourself. Open up. I love you so much, my love."

Her arms wrap around her mother, feeling her fade away, and Sereia ignores the way her body shakes. This is too much. The scene continues to shift—she sees a woman with short brown hair, bleeding from her lip. Her hair has silver streaks in it, and she holds her side, where she's bleeding. A body of water sits right next to her, and she's all wet—as if she had just gone swimming.

Beside her, sits a taller boy, with black hair, bleeding as well. His hands are all torn up, and Sereia realizes why—the girl had scratched him. She guesses that may have been due to getting choked, with bruises around the girl's neck. Neither of them look good, but the girl takes a moment, before standing up.

"I'm so sorry," The girl with short hair whispers, and she struggles to hold herself up. The boy doesn't say anything, and Sereia realizes he's dead. No coughing, or moving of the chest—gone, most likely killed in self—defense. Sereia watches the girl grab another girl, placing her arm over her shoulders. "We have to—!"

The scene cuts off. Sereia watches the way the scenes continue to shift. There's too much going on, and Sereia sinks to the floor, holding her hands over her ears, tears falling down her cheeks. "Stop!" She cries, hating the way the itch shows up again. "I don't want to see these things!"

A hand finds itself in front of her, and when Sereia looks up, she can't figure out whose face it is. Can't figure out who it is. "You're missing out, Reia," The person says, and she can almost figure out the voice. She wipes the tears from her eyes. "Come on. They're all waiting for us."

Sereia swallows, her hand shaking as she reaches out for the other one, and—

And she wakes up, screaming. Thunder and lightning boom outside, and Sereia holds her hands over her ears. Rain hits the ground hard, and she turns to look at the clock outside—it's too early, and Sereia frowns, getting up. Leaving her room, she walks towards the kitchen, needing something to drink.

(Tears fall down her face, but she can't feel them—her body is numb, trying to figure out what had happened during that dream. A nightmare—memories, and the future in one. Her hand finds her stomach, and Sereia wraps her arm around it. She feels sick—though, she doesn't know if she can throw up. She'll probably sit by the toilet, crying her heart out. Maybe she'll throw up, before the tears will fall once more.)

Her hand comes up to eyes, rubbing at them harshly as she presses the light on in the room. "Fuck," The girl curses, annoyed by the bright light. Her eyes haven't adjusted to it yet, but Sereia can't find it in herself to care too much. She's not fully awake, and a groan falls off of her lips.

That's when she sees the burn on her arm—just where the man had touched her. Her hand finds her lip, and when she pulls her fingers away, there's blood. Her hands shake as she pours herself a glass of water, manipulating it over the burn, clenching her teeth at the cool liquid. It almost hurts, but she sighs and wraps it up once she's taken care of it.

Sereia washes the blood off of her lip, rubbing at her eyes. Shes tired. A type of tired she hasn't been in a while—one that drags at her eyes, where she could fall asleep where she was standing. Her hand hits the light, before she realizes it's too dark—her mind hasn't processed yet that she can't turn the brightness up too much. It's too late (early) for that, but if it's too dark, she'll fall asleep at the kitchen table. She flicks the light back on, turning down the brightness, where a note appears on the table.

Hey Sereia. I got called in for patrol tonight. Sorry. I bought some food for you—it's in the fridge if you get hungry.

Being a student at U.A., her time has been taken up—she's somewhat forgotten about her life outside of school, and she wishes to forget it. Sereia closes her eyes, rubbing at them softly, a sigh falling off of her lips as she thinks.

(A girl that looks similar to her, with a hand around her neck. A body of water—frightened faces. "They said it would be you," A voice states, before the girl starts to cough. "I don't know why he would've wanted you. You, with your silly dreams of being a hero. Grow up, Sereia Vaida.")

The glass she's holding breaks, and Sereia presses a hand to her mouth, trying to ignore the thoughts. That wasn't apart of her dream—the girl's face was her own. What was this? Something of the future? Something foretold, written in the stars?

Her name was said. Her full name.

The glass that sinks into her hands brings the itch back. Something was going to happen soon, where she was trapped. Where people would look at her, hoping to help, yet not being able to do anything. Tears fall from her eyes once more—she can cry now, and she'll be okay later. Okay enough to go to school, and be normal.

The rain falls harder.

☆; i watched heroes rising and oh my god

☆; def making the movies canon in this fic...

☆; i dont rlly like this chapter but there's foreshadowing (to an extent) besides the fact of the random lore dump of sereia's nightmare...to which most of it hasn't even been written... hoping sereia's characterization made sense this chapter bc i haven't read it in awhile 🙏

☆; currently just finished writing the sixth chapter of this fic ! up to the seventh (around 600 or so words into it) but it'll be completed this week no worries 🙏🙏

☆; next chapter gets more into sereia n izuku's relationship considering it's the events of the usj n whatever...

☆; anyways pls lmk if there's any grammatical errors or anything!!

☆; going from writing sports festival izureia to pre usj them is insane...save me sports festival izureia...save me...

☆; word count—9.4k