CHAPTER ONE:
ATOMIC START
SET IN:
EPISODES THREE AND FOUR

☢︎︎

NIKO SHIELDED HER EYES FROM THE GLARE OF THE SUN. UA High's distinctive crest stared back at her once the sun's harsh rays were blocked by her arm. Stood underneath the famous blue arch, Niko couldn't help but stop to admire it. After all, the fact she was even able to stand beneath it was a miracle in itself.

Butterflies stirred in her stomach as she forced herself to continue walking, passing underneath the following beige arches leading up to the entrance. There were parts of her that were still not completely on board with this whole hero thing. The opportunity was, of course, a dream for anyone. But for someone like Niko, who had never been deemed worthy of a life as good as this one, it would always be difficult to believe.

The Hero Public Safety Commission had taken a bargain on her; she knew that well. Given the fact that she was a reject foster child, who spent the majority of her childhood and early teenage years drowning in the endless waters of the system, Niko was not exactly the image most would think of when they heard the word hero. But despite that, they still saw something of worth in her, and her damned quirk.

It had been five months since they found her, and they had devoted the time up in till now to basic training. It certainly wasn't a lot of time, especially when Niko was considerably behind in combat and just wielding her quirk in general, but it had shaped her into hopefully the perfect starting point for UA to take and mold into something real.

  Though, that was all banking on her passing the exam and making it into UA.

  Niko knew she was in a precarious position. She knew how her quirk was, and how it could be perceived. It was powerful. Nobody could argue against that. But it was also hazardous. UA had taken the mundane and made marvels of them. But could they take the dangerous and make them subdued? Would Niko even be able to fit the strict definition of a hero, given who she was and what her past did to her? These were useless questions, and she knew that, but she couldn't help wondering.

  Though, despite her worries, Niko was not as afraid of her quirk as she used to be. During training, they'd made it a priority to explore all the different components and how she could use it to her advantage. She'd told them the little she knew at the start and they had ran with it. They helped her develop how exactly she would wield it for combat and defense. Niko had even undergone basic martial arts training to build up muscle and a fluidity to her movements that would hopefully help her stand out amongst her peers.

  This new understanding of what she had viewed as a poison her entire life, made her consider it in a different light. The poison that had rotted away so much of her life was now useful. Her quirk could now make her a hero, of all things. It made Niko feel something she had not felt in a long time: hope. It was a good feeling, much to her surprise. She had thought it lie for most of her life. Niko supposed the truth always came to fruition, whether you wanted it to or not.

  Niko continued on, taking a few quick glances around her at the other kids also trying to make it into UA. All of them were dressed significantly better than she was, which made her grimace down at her old baggy jeans and washed out t-shirt. It just helped prove the point further that she really wasn't the target demographic for this sort of thing. But at the end of day, did it really matter? After all, they supposedly don't discriminate when selecting students (Even though recommendations were a thing, which Niko thought was stupid as heck.). She was to have the same chance of getting in as the girl just ahead of her with the nice dress and shiny new shoes.

  Stop worrying. Niko scolded herself. All I am doing is pitying myself. She adjusted the borrowed bag thrown hastily over her shoulder, rolling her eyes at her own idiocy. She was not one for pity. That was weak, and Niko could never allow herself to be weak. The thought itself made her feel all icky inside.

  Niko climbed up the front steps, starting to make her way towards one of the three doors. A boy held the door open for the girl with the fancy dress, but when Niko went to grab the door for herself, he scoffed at her and let it shut right in her face. Looking appalled, she nearly jumped when a girl with short brown hair had opened the door for her, grinning at her.

  "That was really rude of that guy. Here, let me get the door for you! Show him how it's supposed to be!" she exclaimed, big brown eyes shining.

  Niko just stood there, confused. No one ever seemed to care when she was mistreated. Most people seemed to think it deserved, actually. But this girl was different. For some reason, she was being kind. Niko rarely gave anyone a smile anymore, but for this girl she did.

  "Thanks," she said, trying not to sound stunned as she walked into the building. "It was really weird of him to do that. I've never even seen that guy before."

  The girl rolled her eyes as she followed her. "People are so weird. I don't even know why he's here. No one wants a hero who's going to shove doors in their face."

  Niko found herself laughing softly at that. "Neither do they want an ugly one. But maybe he's blissfully unaware of that."

  A loud giggle escaped the girl. "Well, I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Ochaco Uraraka! What's your name?"

  "Niko Namai," she replied, still trying to wrap her head around what was happening. Was this girl trying to be her friend?

  "Oh my gosh. I love your name! It flows together so well," Ochaco gushed, that grin stilled plastered across her face. "You know what? We should sit together during the orientation!"

Niko deadpanned. She was trying to be her friend. This is weird. She thought to herself. People don't just act this nice, do they? Realizing her reaction probably made her look like she'd just cursed her out, Niko quickly fixed her face. Well, maybe this girl does.

"Yeah, I'd like that," Niko said, with the traces of a smile lingering on her face.

  Finding seats turned out to be easy. After getting their examinee cards, they had walked over to the right set of lecture hall seats and sat down right in the middle. While waiting for the lecture to start, Niko and Ochaco had talked a bit more. Mostly about their cards, and what exactly the different letters on them meant. Niko had a capital A stamped on hers, whilst Ochaco had a B. Were these letters a way of labeling them? And if so, what did each of them mean? Niko hoped their questions were answered during the speech.

After a few more dragging minutes of waiting, lights suddenly flashed on all across the back wall of the auditorium. UA's logo brightened up the screen in front of them, and a man had just arrived on stage. He had no microphone in hand, though when he spoke he was probably louder than what a microphone could produce.

"What's up UA candidates? Thanks for tunin' into me, your school DJ!" he began, as the spotlight made him come into Niko's full view. He looked oddly familiar, with his permanently stuck-up blonde hair, yellow sunglasses, and headphones clamped over his ears. "C'mon. And lemme hear ya!" he exclaimed, hoping to hear their voices in return, but only getting crickets.

"Keeping it mellow, huh?" he said with a tinge of awkwardness, before he just moved on. Niko found his stage presence and confidence to be quite admirable, especially in the face of thousands of teenagers. "That's fine, I'll skip straight to the main show. Let's talk about how this practical exam is gonna go down, okay?"

A big smirk formed on his face as he posed. "Are you ready? Yeah!"

Ochaco let out a giggle beside her, turning to her and whispering about how eccentric this man was. Niko agreed, before tuning back into his show. Inspecting him more, she came to the conclusion that she should have brushed up on her pro-hero knowledge before today.

"Like your application said, today you rockin' boys and girls will be out there conducting ten-minute mock battles in super-hip urban settings! Gird your loins, my friends. After I drop the mic here, you'll head to your specified battle center, sound good?" he explained, and a wave of nods passed through the crowd.

Niko picked up her card again, glancing down at her letter. On the screen, they had projected the first seven letters of the alphabet, which lead Niko to believe they were purposefully splitting them up into mixed-matched groups. She did not really care what group she got, though. Niko knew no one but Ochaco, and she had literally just met her. And she supposed whatever group she got she'd be a stand out whether she really liked it or not; given her quirk and the effect it seems to have on people.

"Okay, okay, let's check out your targets!" the man's voice boomed again, drawing everyone's attention back on him. "There are three types of faux villains in every battle center. You'll earn points based on their level of difficulty, so better choose wisely." Niko watched as each type of villain appeared on the screen behind him, focusing on memorizing each one so she could make the best decision in the arena. "Your goal in this trial is to use your quirk to raise your score by shredding these faux villains like a mid-song guitar solo. But, check it! Make sure you're keep'n things heroic. Attacking other examinees a UA no-no, ya dig?"

A rogue hand had gone up in the audience, belonging to a boy in the middle row. Unannounced, he decided to speak up. "Excuse me, sir, but I have a question." Niko immediately found herself raising a brow at his voice, which sounded extremely uptight and made her inwardly roll her eyes.

The loud teacher allowed him to continue speaking. Holding up the printout of the villains that laid on all of their tables, the spotlight now on the boy made the paper glare at all of them. "On the printout, you've listed four types of villains. Not three. With all respect, if this is an error on your official UA materials, it is shameful. We are exemplary students. We expect the best from Japan's most notable school. A mistake such as this won't do!" the boy firmly stated, so put together and privileged-sounding that Niko could basically hear the private school he'd definitely attended dripping in his words.

The high-strung boy then had whipped around, pointing an accusing finger at another boy in his column. Niko couldn't see him very clearly from where she sat, but she cringed a bit when she heard the private school boy talk again. "Additionally, you with the unkempt hair. You've been muttering this entire time. Stop that. If you can't bother to take this seriously, leave. You're distracting the rest of us."

Laughs and giggles exploded around the auditorium, while Niko just felt slightly annoyed. Why did that clearly advantaged boy feel the need to call out the other kid in front of everyone? He must be a ripe pain in the ass. Niko thought, scoffing quietly to herself. People like him make me sick. That was mostly because she'd spent her whole life being looked down upon by people like that boy. But now she was equal to them in every way. Perhaps even above them; it all depended on their quirk and abilities. Niko would not let them walk all over her, especially after all the blood, sweat and tears she'd put into training.

"All right, all right!" the man on stage's voice sounded and echoed across the room. "Examinee number 7-1-1-1, thanks for calling in with your request! The fourth villain type is worth zero points. That guy's just an obstacle we'll be throwing in your way. There's one in every battle center. Think of it as a hurdle you should try to avoid. It's not that it can't be beaten, but there's ... kinda no point. I recommend my listeners try to ignore it and focus on the ones toppin' the charts!"

Interesting. She thought. So avoid the biggest dumb looking robot-thing. Got it.

The stuck-up boy bowed in respect and thanked the teacher on stage, urging him to continue. Niko breathed in a breath of fresh air once he was out of her sight again. She hoped he didn't have battle center A; she didn't want to actually have to deal with him in person.

"That's all I got for you today. I'll sign off with a little present. A sample of our school's motto!" the teacher said, grinning. "As General Napoleon Bonaparte once laid down, 'A true hero is one who overcomes life's misfortunes.'" He made a sound in agreement, nodding at what he had recited before continuing. "Now that's a tasty soundbite! You ready to go beyond? Let's hear a Plus Ultra!"

A large image of the famous UA motto graced the screen at his words, making Niko shake her head at the extravagance of it all.

"Good luck! Hope you practiced hitting more than just books!"

☢︎︎

  ADRENALINE RUSHED THROUGHOUT HER. Niko's body was unable to stay still. Anxiety swirled in her brain as she desperately tried to remember everything she'd learned over the past five months.

  Niko found herself biting the inside of her lip, aqua eyes wide as she stared up at the huge gate currently blocking them from entering the battle center. The entire structure was supposed to simulate a city, and it did exactly that. She absentmindedly wondered how much money had been tossed into these centers, before she realized that it was probably too much to think about at the moment.

  Niko needed to focus. This would be her one chance. Her one chance at a different life for herself.

  A familiar primal feeling started to bubble at the core of her chest, one she knew well by now. A tension-filled tingling sensation erupted in her limbs, and she began stretching them to avoid any chance of her quirk going wild before the exam started. Niko's body was preparing her for battle. She could feel the pressure ramping up throughout. It would only be when she actually used her quirk that the strain would disappear and be replaced by the satisfying feeling of pure, raw energy.

The too-big sweatpants she had been given for the practical exam swallowed her legs whole, despite the amount of muscle that she'd always had there. Her legs had always been her strongest asset, other than her quirk itself. However, after the intense training she went through, her arms had began to grow stronger too, which made wielding her quirk a lot more effective. Niko felt slight twitching in her biceps and calves, which made her glance around in impatience.

The examinee's around her all held expressions of fear and anxiety, though a few were attempting to mask it. Little words passed between the group as a whole. No one wanted to speak to their competition. Niko couldn't blame anyone for that, as she kept her mouth screwed shut. After all, small talk would do them no good.

"All right, examinees! Let's get started!" the boisterous voice of the teacher from the stage echoed from a speaker nearby, startling everyone. "Get moving! There are no countdowns in real battles! Run, run, run listeners!"

Niko felt her stomach drop, though the sick feeling she often experienced with her quirk had spared her for the moment. Since she was already prepared, her body sprang into action like it was nothing. The tingling sensation reached its height in her legs as she channeled the natural nuclear energy made by her body into kinetic energy, sending the power trickling throughout her body and into her limbs. Tendrils of aqua energy followed her feet and fists wherever she went.

They had discovered this ability of hers during a particular training session focused on speed and endurance. Niko had accidentally done it the first time, going off of what she knew to be her instincts, and they had picked up on it and made her train the ability up to be almost instantaneous. It proved to be a good call by her trainers, as she was one of the first in the race to into the city. The only person who had beat her raced through the air next to her, explosion-like booms of power propelling him.

Wait. Niko's mind froze, head snapping just ahead of her, memory reeling. Explosions. There's only one person I know whose quirk could ever do that.

That sick feeling in her stomach appeared.

It's him. Her throat went dry. Katsuki.

His name sounded so comforting. Akin in her corroded mind to a kind of homesickness. Niko had to force herself back into the moment. Memories, long barricaded in the prisons and mazes of her head, threatened to break free and bring that ugly feeling of attachment back to torment her. Niko couldn't allow herself to feel that weak again. Especially not when her future depended on her performance in this exam. Right now, Katsuki Bakugo had to mean nothing to her.

Even though her heart had began beating faster at the mere sight of him; even though it took all of her mental strength not to just run to him, as she had countless times before. Niko. She scolded herself. That is in the past. You destroyed that a long time ago. Get over it and yourself. Niko could not allow herself to drown in the waters of emotion, as it always led to ruin.

But not this. She thought, narrowing her eyes back onto the city. I won't allow myself to mess this up.

This opportunity was for her, and her alone. And that meant it was her complete responsibility to ensure she got what she had worked for. Forcing him and his stupid spiky blond hair out of her mind, Niko focused on the task ahead: destroying as many of those robots as possible.

The road they had all been racing down split into three different paths, and the second Katsuki had dashed down one corner, Niko went the opposite direction. Almost immediately, what she recognized as a 2-point mecha sprang out in front of her, repeating some recorded line that sounded vaguely like a threat to her. A slight smirk appeared on her face as she raised her right hand, pointing it directly at its torso. A blast of pure radiation arched across the space between them, meeting the metal of the machine and instantly melting the whole surface to nothingness.

Niko heard slight gasps from her competitors behind her, which made her once again aware that this was a competition. Glancing behind her, she was met with at least of half the exam group attempting to run down the road she had chosen. Anger flared within her, and she found herself acting irrationally. Twisting around, she swiped one hand in the air towards them, making them flinch in fear that she was actually attempting to harm them. A large wave of radiation burst from her hand, stopping mid-air and creating a barrier of nuclear energy between Niko and the other examinees.

Another round of gasps and some yells of anger erupted from them, but Niko couldn't care to pay attention to them long enough. The wall of radiation would keep them out of her space, meaning she had just bought herself an entire third of the battle center to ravage for points. Niko knew it was a dirty play, and felt a little bad for her actions, but ultimately she hadn't broken a rule. All she did was use her quirk to the best of her ability, and it wasn't her fault that they didn't have a quirk capable of withstanding nuclear radiation (as if anyone actually did.).

  Niko's focus snapped back to where it had been before as a 3-point mecha jumped out from atop a building, landing so steadily on the cement that it caused slight cracks to form. Two metal heads glared down at her, causing Niko to form a shield of radiation around herself, just in case. The machine creaked as it raised an arm at her, ready to swing. Niko predicted this, however, and rolled to the side, raising her hand once again to send a blast of her radiation into the side of its torso. Watching in satisfaction as it almost instantly melted into the ground, Niko quickly moved on.

  She made quick work of every single robot that showed itself to her. Niko found herself enjoying just how freely she could use her quirk, relishing in each swift, practiced movement that led each of the bots to their demise. Here, instead of other people, she was fighting machines. She didn't have to worry about regulating the amount of radiation she put out each blast, as it wasn't human flesh she was causing to burn. Though, as the minutes ticked by, she found herself growing increasingly more weak as the nuclear energy her body had supplied her this morning dwindled with each passing use.

"Two minutes left!" Niko heard the teacher's voice boom again, stopping for a moment to breathe. Her breathing was harsh, and her limbs felt heavy as she walked forward some. Shit. She cursed inwardly. I used too much energy. I'm out.

A loud tremor suddenly shook the ground. Niko nearly fell over, just barely catching herself on the half-destroyed concrete wall next to her. Eyes rushing to find the source, she found herself gasping as a fittingly named OP mecha loomed over the entire battle center. Niko then glanced over to where her wall of radiation had been, seeing it now was gone as she'd ran clean of nuclear energy within to keep it alive. Screams and sounds of feet pattering the ground sounded a few blocks away from her.

I need to get out of here. She thought to herself, mustering up the energy to brake into a sprint down the road. Once she reached the intersection, Niko was met with chaos. The other examinees ran in terror from the mecha, some jumping and hurdling over debris from the other bots that had been destroyed prior. Her eyes locked on to where Katsuki was standing, crowned in gobs of broken metal that she was sure was his own doing. He had spotted the large robot, however he didn't seem to care that it was barreling towards him.

Is he stupid? The thought came quickly, accompanied by a few memories of his famous stubbornness and prideful behavior. Of course. She remembered playing video games against him, and his tendency to get cocky and underestimate his opponents' abilities—which was often how she was able to beat him. He thinks he's already won.

Niko knew there was less than two minutes left, and that most likely the gigantic machine would never reach him, but some sort of protective instinct overpowered her rational thought. Katsuki was in its direct line, and when it made a move with its large mechanical arm, her body moved on its own. Fading embers of nuclear energy were forced throughout her body once again, giving her the boost of kinetic energy, but also leaving a stinging pain in her chest. Grunting through the pain, she made it to him at the last moment.

Niko's eyes met his in a flash. Sick aqua into warm crimson, the shock of recognition was evident on his face. Katsuki's permanent scowl she had found comfort in years ago vanished from his face. Instead, he looked nearly happy for a moment, as if he'd just seen a miracle happen right before his eyes, before his face twisted into unbridled rage.

Her body collided roughly with his, sending them both backwards and out of the robot's grasp. Niko landed right on top of him, her face resting on his chest. She coughed as dust irritated her throat, her vision ebbing in and out. She didn't even realize that she'd landed on him till she felt him moving to sit up beneath her, which made her quickly scramble off of him. A burning sensation heated her cheeks, making her hide her gaze from his.

Niko could practically feel Katsuki's stare on her skin. She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes again. Everything she once allowed herself to feel for him would come flooding back and she couldn't deal with it all right now. Especially when he was glaring at her like that, with so much anger that it made her stomach sick again.

He knows, then. The thought came with a wave of nausea. What I did to that man. Why else would he be looking at me with such resentment?

A siren sound erupted around the battle center, signaling the end of the exam. Niko forced herself to stand up, doing everything to keep her body from succumbing to the pain in her chest and the weakness in her limbs. She had way overused her quirk's current abilities, and now she was paying the price.

"You idiot." His familiar voice scolded her, deeper and harsher than Niko had ever heard it. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

She peered over at him, brows furrowed. "What—"

"You show up here out of nowhere after disappearing for years and think you can just do that?" Katsuki snarled at her like a rapid dog, glaring daggers into her flesh. It felt as if he actually had. A stinging feeling of hurt and what Niko knew was longing pained her chest.

  "Katsuki, I—"

  "Save it, Namai." He snapped at her, turning his back on her. "I don't need you to save me. Stay out of my way."

The use of her bane of a last name nearly made Niko fly off the rails. Katsuki had never even dared to speak to her like that before. He knew she hated being called that name. The way it had slipped from his mouth, so rough it sounded like a curse, made her blood boil. The pain in her chest started to weigh her down. This was why Niko never allowed herself to feel this much. Emotions were dangerous to a scorned girl like her.

Niko stepped in front of him, shooting him a glare to match his own. "I shouldn't have saved your ass. It clearly wasn't worth it." She watched as his face twisted into what Niko recognized as hurt, before it was back to rage. "Should have let that stupid robot get you."

"I thought I told you to get out of my way."

"When have I ever listened to you?"

Katsuki's red eyes narrowed in pure anger. "Don't bring that shit up."

Niko raised a brow at him. "Why not, Bakugo?"

"Because clearly it never mattered to you, so it doesn't matter to me," he thundered, pushing her out of the way. She didn't miss the blink-and-you'll-miss-it flash of anguish in his eyes at her calling him by his last name, but she didn't acknowledge it. "Now, stay out of my way."

Niko let him go. Remnants of sickness lingered in her stomach as she watched him stomp off. His words were confusing to her. He looked at her with rage, but yet spoke of nothing regarding to what she'd done to her foster father. Did he just think her that rotten? That he couldn't even bring himself to mention the horror she had committed? Shame flooded over her, sudden and all-consuming.

Even Katsuki, the one person who had always seen her beyond her poison, believed her to be vermin.

Damn him. Niko cursed. And damn myself for letting someone get to me like that.

Niko took this as a preface. If she made it into UA, she could not let anyone in. She would not allow useless feelings and emotions to destroy her future. It was already too delicate to begin with. Niko had fought tooth and nail for all she wanted; suffered years and years in the system for an a simple chance at a better life. People made her far too destructive. Attachment was a risk Niko could not take on anymore.

  In order to survive, Niko Namai would have to be the one thing she had always been: alone.

 
☢︎︎

  THE LETTER FROM UA ARRIVED THE DAY AFTER. The president of the Hero Public Safety Commission herself had given it her and watched her open it. Niko figured this was because she had been desperate for months to find out if the bargain she had taken with her was actually worth it.

  As it turned out, it was.

  The envelope contained a projection device that showcased a holographic video of a man with the most visible eye bags Niko had ever seen. He stared haphazardly at the two of them, before he began to speak. His voice was deep and rough, as if he had never gotten even an ounce of sleep.

  "Hello, this is Shota Aizawa here. I was specifically asked to do this because apparently you're the student who will be staying under my care," he began, sounding uninterested. "Well, I'm sure this is no surprise since you got this letter in the first place, but you got in. You passed the written test with flying colors, apparently. And in the practical exam, you scored seventy villain points and fifteen rescue points. Turns out, you ranked second among all your peers, so good job."

  Niko fought hard to keep a smile off her face. After everything she's been through in her life, something had finally gone her way. She had not only made it into UA, but also placed second in the practical exam overall. To a younger Niko, who had been drowning in the depths of the system for so long it had made her numb, this new reality would have been nothing but a delusional dream. But now, despite everything, it was real.

  Niko Namai had a chance to make her life hers. To claim back what had been wrongfully destroyed when she was far too young to have a say. For now on, she would never be that useless foster care kid again. Now, Niko would be something. A hero, of all things.

  The smile won out in the end.

  "Don't get too cocky yet, kid. That quirk of yours may be powerful, but it's also dangerous. UA will be keeping a close eye on you. Especially me, so I suggest you rein it in more. The practical exam may have had you face off against robots, but in real life you'll be facing humans, meaning you're gonna have to learn to regulate your quirk or you could take someone's life. Not exactly the most heroic kinda thing, so let's try to avoid that," Aizawa continued on, reaching up to scratch at his facial hair. "As I stated before, you will be living with me during the duration of your studies. I've been granted guardianship of you in order to do this. Sunday night you move in, as the following Monday is our first day of school."

  Niko nodded. Though his comment regarding her quirk made her feel a little abrasive, she pushed those feelings down. He was right. Her quirk was dangerous, and as she had seen with her own eyes, was fully capable of killing if it was not properly controlled. UA was reasonable to find worry in this. However, Niko hoped they would not mistreat her because of it. Though it was the bare minimum, she had experienced the worst for so long that even the slightest amount of mediocre was enough for her.

  "That's all I have for you right now. Welcome to UA, Niko Namai," the man finished off, giving her a respectful nod that came as a surprise to her. That was the most amount of effort she'd seen him put into a movement the entire time. As soon as he had finished talking, the projector shut off and left Niko alone with the president once again.

"Well, isn't that a relief," the woman started off, sighing. "All our hard work wouldn't go to waste." The president turned to her, an odd smirk forming on her face. "Great job, Niko. I'm sure you will turn out to be quite the useful hero."

Her tone of voice and choice of words made Niko furrow her brows, however she did not question the woman beside her. Whether her way of expression was abnormal or not, this woman had given her the opportunity that had now got her into UA. Niko had no right to question her.

"Thank you," she replied, nodding respectfully.

The president nodded back at her. "I will leave you to your own devices now, dear. You've quite impressed me. Make sure to keep that up. Wouldn't want to lose that precious spot at UA, would you?"

Niko shook her head, frowning. Why did she feel the need to say that? Was she really on that thin of ice? "No, of course not, ma'am."

The smile that the president gave her in response was chilling. "Good. That will be all."

Her heels clicked as she walked away. Niko let out a breath of fresh air. Lying down on her stiff bed, it took her no time before her eyes began to droop and she allowed herself to be carried off into a deep sleep. Well, the deepest sleep she could get. Ever since her mother's death, Niko had been a light sleeper.

Dreamland took her away. She had always preferred it to the real world when she was younger. Now, she found herself thinking that maybe real life would become alike her dreams.

Niko would find out soon enough that dreams were only ever possible in the delusions of her mind.

☢︎︎

That's the end of chapter one folks!! How are we feeling??

This chapter was kinda just background for the entire first act, hopefully it set up the things I was trying to set up right 😭. Niko is such an interesting character to me and I have such a fun time writing her!! Her and Bakugo's relationship gets better I SWEAR!! He's just in his emo phase rn 🖤 (internally he was jumping for joy when he saw her, he's just too nonchalant to show it).

But anyways, thanks for reading!!