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CHAPTER 86
Everyone dragging themselves back to campus felt weighed down, as if tied with sandbags. Every sprint, step, tackle, and dodge lingered. Everything that had pushed them beyond their limits was now tied to their ankles for them to feel.
They all slumped in similar hunches, unable to enjoy the scenery of a forest painted in gold and violet in the twilight. This only reminded them that they were losing daylight. Soon, they would be walking through the forest in the dark unless they picked up their pace. The class moved in scattered groups. Some murmured, others nursed bruises and talked about aches that would come overnight.
But there was someone who was grateful for this degree of exhaustion. It was keeping everyone's attentions away from the last chapter of events that caused a major outburst and risked the exposure of a secret.
Izuku trailed near the back, his gaze fixed on his hands. Even through his gloves he could see his fingers tremble. It was as if they were recounting the time they were covered in black mist and energy that took over his actions. He knew there was nothing left to see. Yet it felt as if the power was still humming beneath his skin like a live wire. He flexed his hands, deep in thought.
'That power…' Izuku's chin touched his shoulder and his eyes caught Sakura who had been further behind than the rest. The only one who seemed to be appreciating the scenery. The only one who now knew.
'Ah!' Izuku felt his pulse against his neck as he was reminded that Sakura had seen a lot of the picture he was meant to be covering, about himself, about his quirk and about All Might. Now that might be in jeopardy again, the only other person in his circle that knew his secret was-
A shadow fell over Izuku but he didn't notice in time before knocking straight into his childhood friend who was giving him a glare as strong as the sun.
"We've gotta talk."
Izuku's breath hitched. "K-Kacchan-
"Now," Katsuki growled, his eyes delivering a clear message, that made words unnecessary, 'Not here. Not where the extras can hear.'
Izuku swallowed hard. He didn't have many fond memories of Katsuki's "talks", the last time included a full on brawl that lead to them both being put under house arrest. And given what transpired, Izuku was sure this would be enough to turn Katsuki's conversation from less bark and more bite with a taste of nitroglycerin.
"Okay,"
..
..
Much to his relief, Katsuki wasn't the only one who wanted a word with Izuku but that also meant Izuku couldn't get a word in with Sakura. Because as soon as they left the locker rooms, they were greeted by Toshinori who called them before the other students were out of their costumes and heading for the dorms.
The faculty lounge was quiet at this hour, especially on a Sunday.
The room was quiet but heavy. Katsuki, Izuku and Toshinori were seated at the coffee table, watching steam curl from the tea pot and taking in the earthy scent of chamomile effortlessly carrying itself through the growing tension.
Katsuki was slouched in his chair with a rather sullen expression that could rival a storm cloud. His fingers drummed impatiently against the armrest. His calm worn out after the entirety of this day that had just pushed all his buttons deeply.
Next to him, Izuku fidgeted with his teacup, the porcelain clinking softly against its saucer as he recounted everything to him and Toshinori. In his Izuku-like fashion, prone not to miss a detail in the story he explained the experience of the new quirk awakening, the void he opened his eyes to, the vestige he met who was in physical form, the warning about One For All's growing power, and the new quirks that were lined up like switches waiting to be flipped. Quirk's that could appear any time without warning and might have the same catastrophic results as today.
Bony fingers wrapped around the teapot handle and poured into the cups, Toshinori's eyes focused as Izuku described the burly man with the shaved head.
"Hey All Might, did you know about Deku's quirk and that dark power?"
"No, I haven't even heard about the person who had that power. The wielder before my master had black hair," he murmured. She hadn't mentioned much about the vestiges never mind stored up quirks. "This evolution... it's unprecedented."
Katsuki's nails bit into the armrest, his words directed at Izuku but his eyes focused on his tea. "So you're the first scum this happened to."
"Don't call him scum,"
Katsuki ignored All Might's chastising and looked at Izuku. "What triggered you though?"
Biting his lip, Izuku squirmed, at this point everything was speculation but he wasn't eager to share any theories this early. "I'm not sure, but he said the time is ripe. There might be some kind of external connection,"
"Could it be him? All for One?" Katsuki's voice was uncharacteristically calm with a controlled tone. "One For All came from him. And that bastard specializes in multiple quirks."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop. A villain, who had such monumental effect on the world, that many attempted to wipe his existence from history and leave him as nothing more than a boogeyman or ghost story. Now that he was confirmed to be real, tangible, the effects were only that much more chilling. Like when excitement would rise at the mention of All Might; hearts would drop at the mention of All for One.
"He said what I didn't want to say out loud," Toshinori sighed, rubbing his temples. "Anyway, in order to prevent this from happening again we need to learn more about this power,"
Katsuki abruptly stood, his chair screeching against the floor. "We're done here." He jabbed a finger at Izuku. "You. Training grounds. Tomorrow. We're figuring this shit out before your next quirk decides to redecorate the campus with your guts."
It wasn't a request.
"Oh…." Izuku trailed, catching their attention again with his fidgeting. "Um there's something else I didn't mention…while I was there in that place, um I sort of, I was kind of-
"SPIT IT OUT DEKU!" Katsuki shouted, slapping the words that were stuck in Izuku's throat.
"Sakura was there too!"
And just like that, the room went mute.
..
..
..
Katsuki stormed towards their dormitory, his footsteps attempting to rattle the walls themselves. And scrambling after him, like a newborn lamb trying to find its footing was Izuku, delivering protests that fell on deaf ears. They were currently being blocked by rage.
"Kachan wait a minute!"
"Why the hell didn't you say anything sooner!" Izuku nearly collided with Katsuki when he whirled around without warning. His expression like a hammer that wanted to crack open Izuku's head and figure out how exactly he was wired.
Izuku flinched. "B-because listen, I don't think Sakura is going to do anything-
"Are you an idiot or something?" Katsuki might as well of put a blade to his throat because Izuku couldn't even dare to say anything against him in defense. "You saw her inside One for All with you. She heard everything and you think she won't say anything about it?"
His palms sparked, the acrid scent of nitroglycerin sharp in the air that Izuku's mouth went dry, "She-she might not-
"She could," Katsuki cut in, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Are you a moron?"
Izuku's hands clenched, still trying to reason with him. "What are you gonna do? You can't just threaten her to keep quiet-
"Watch me."
When Katsuki burst through the door, he ignored the usual cheery greetings from Eijiro and pushed passed Denki who attempted to tease him about being denied supper since he didn't help them prepare it. The common room was filled with the familiar scent of instant curry and steamed rice hanging in the air.
Izuku's friend's also greeted him, but they could see he was somewhat distracted by Katsuki. Shoto wanted to ask Izuku about his power, as did Ochaco and Tenya but they could already tell from the greetings he wasn't entirely present.
"Deku? Is everything alright?" Ochaco asked.
"Um, yeah. Everything's fine we're just-
"Where is she!?"
No one flinched at Katsuki's threatening demeanor or tone of voice, already used to his behaviour and almost everyone knew who he was referring to.
"Who?" asked Shoto.
Almost everyone.
"Sakura? I think she just took Eri to bed," Mina pointed from the couch to the hallway.
Eri had been waiting for Sakura when they returned, she wanted to bath with her and ended up taking one with all the girls. After everyone had washed off the days grime and efforts of sweat, they made a quick dinner. Sakura left soon after taking Eri to her room. It was only plausable to assume it was to put the child to sleep.
"We just wanted to ask Sakura something-
"Come on," Katsuki snapped, grabbing Izuku's wrist and yanking him towards the elevator before he could finish his sentence. Leaving their classmates confused.
Ochaco's voice trailed after them, tinged with something uneasy. "...They must really want to talk to her."
..
..
..
This was like getting in the way of a tiger and its prey and Izuku knew this and the terror that came with angering this particular predator but before Katsuki's thundering footsteps could be picked up by Eri or Sakura as they were coming down the hallway, he decided to attempt to placate the beast.
He lunged forward, grabbing his arm with enough force to yank the blonde to a stop. "Kacchan, wait-
The contact was brief before Katsuki wrenched his arm free with a snarl but it was enough to halt his momentum.
"The hell's your problem now?!" Katsuki rounded on him. The veins in his neck stood out like cords, and his pupils were practically shaking.
Izuku didn't understand this. The agitation that Katsuki was carrying right now and how he clearly wanted to hurl it directly at Sakura.
Yes, she now knew more about Izuku's quirk and Toshinori's secret, but even Toshinori didn't appear too concerned after Izuku assured him that Sakura didn't come off as the type to use this against them. In fact she appeared quite mellowed.
Izuku wasn't even feeling worried at the thought of her wanting to confront him about what happened, perhaps because he wanted her to open an opportunity for them to talk about what he saw within her as well.
His manner of speech, especially around the topics of quirks and heroes tended to get a bit over analytical and difficult to follow, however when he did that with Sakura she was always able to follow his train of thought that even he would, at times lose on the track.
Izuku swallowed, his throat dry and his voice in a whisper. "What are you going to do?."
"What do you think moron? I'm going to find out how much she knows and make sure she doesn't talk to anyone about what she saw in your damn mind!"
"You can't just barge in the room and threaten her!"
Katsuki's eyes narrowed. "The hell not? You're the idiot who let her see you! I'm just making sure she keeps her mouth shut about it!"
Izuku gestured vaguely toward the door at the end of the hall, to Eri's room, where the soft glow of a nightlight spilled from beneath the frame, and the sticker of a rabbit on the door. "You'll scare her."
Katsuki's scowl deepened. "The hell's that supposed to mean?"
"It means your face is a little... intense," Izuku admitted, wincing preemptively. "And if you come in there screaming, Sakura's gonna get mad too."
Katsuki's eye twitched. For a moment, it looked like he might explode, literally but then he scoffed and jerked his arm free. "Tch."
He began walking to the end of the hallway at a softer pace, and Izuku let out a huff before joining him.
..
..
..
Beyong the door, everything had become softer. Eri's room was washed in the color of honey, glowing from the nightlight. At the small wooden desk opposite her bed, Eri sat starting at the mirror, as Sakura sat behind working her fingers through her silvery strands with a brush. The strokes were gentle but firm in detangling her hair painlessly.
Sakura also hummed a melody, something from her childhood, a melody native to a place that didn't exist here but its notes still having the same effect. With each pass of the brush, Eri's shoulders sagged a little further, her eyelids fluttering like moth wings.
"Did you have a good day?" Sakura asked
Eri nodded, her small fingers twisting in the fabric of her nightgown. "Mm. I worked on my letters... the ones to say thank you to everyone."
There were many times at UA, that Eri learned, that included the fact that it was easier for her to convey her feelings through written words than verbal expression. Writing gave her a safe place where she could take her time formulating the structure of her thoughts and keep her mind from overflowing with anxiety the way it did at times when she was in front of people. Sometimes she felt she was too slow to respond verbally, even though no one here had said anything. Those thoughts were like phantoms still haunting her.
Eri peeked up at her through the curtain of her bangs. "My teacher said she was impressed I knew how to write a little, and she said I was good at maths too,"
"Of course you are, and you're going to learn so much more," Sakura gave a playful nuzzle on top of her head, "And don't be afraid to come to your teacher or me if you need help with something okay?"
Eri blinked, her brow furrowing. "But... Sakura, aren't you busy too? You also have classes. They also give you homework right?"
"Yes, but I can still help you." There was an obvious show of hesitation in her expression. A relief since Eri had developed a habit of hiding her true feelings, unlike most children who were always open with their emotions regardless of the effect it would have. And that's how Sakura wanted Eri to be as well unapologetic for her own feelings.
Sakura rubbed Eri's shoulder's, "Did you hear something?"
"Well, when I came from class…other people were talking about how hard their work was, and then someone said the hero students have it really bad. And you're in that class too…
"Ah," Sakura said with understanding. "You're so sweet for worrying about me Eri but I have another secret to tell you,"
Eri whirled around to face Sakura, eyes wide as a cat, that she chuckled to the obvious eagerness. Sakura leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I already graduated school when I was twelve."
Eri's eyes went wide, her lips parting in a silent oh. "Really?"
"That's right, I'm just here for fun, and because I get to spend time with you!" Sakura said, tapping the tip of Eri's nose with one finger. "So I can teach you everything you need to know, all you need to do is ask me, alright" She set the brush aside and scooped Eri up, spinning her once just enough to draw a peal of laughter from the girl before depositing her onto the bed. "Now, what story do you want tonight?"
..
..
..
Outside, Izuku and Katsuki were leaned a little too close at the door, backs on opposite sides, able to hear Sakura starting the story of Lionheart. Katsuki clicked his tongue softer than usual,
"I'm out of here," Shoving his hands in his pockets, he strolled with light footsteps back to the elevator.
"Kacchan, what about-
"Get her out here tomorrow, I'm not sitting through another damn second of this... this fluff."
Izuku sighed but nodded. He just hoped he would be able to sleep tonight.
..
..
..
The moment the presence behind the door vanished Sakura felt it. Her intention wasn't to use Eri as a cover to avoid anyone but her priorities shifted and she had enough prying for one day. While Sakura was reading, she noticed that Eri wasn't holding the same gushing expression as before. And Eri loved fiction, the stories that came with magic, and happy endings so this was concerning. Her hands were fidgeting under the blanekts.
"Hey, what's the matter sweetie?" Sakura brushed at Eri's hair, cupping her cheek soothingly.
While she appeared like a startled mouse getting caught reflecting her emotions, Eri was still coaxed to answer. When it came to Sakura she always found it easier to tell her what was on her mind, even easier than writing letters. "Aizawa-sensei asked… if I want to start training. To learn to control my quirk."
"I see," Adjusting their seat, Sakura pulled Eri into her lap, "What do you think about it?"
Eri shrugged, and she didn't know how to verbally express her confusion on this, or the feelings that came at the idea of using her quirk again. But something inside her just twisted at the very concept. So she voiced the purest unfiltered thought that came to the young mind of a child that had been haunted by her own ability.
"I don't…like this quirk,"
Squeezing her shoulder's, Sakura took Eri's hand that she held out as if she had touched something icky. She kissed Eri's hand.
"Eri, listen to me, I know it's scary for you and if you don't want to learn to use your quirk it's fine. I'm here to help you, and so is Aizawa…" She brushed her cheek again, "But sweetie you won't know unless you try. And you are so brave and smart, you can do anything you set your mind to. And this is the safest place for you to do it. All the teacher's at UA will be here to help you, and I'm gonna be here too, so I can help you as well."
"Really?"
"Yes, but you don't have to force yourself,"
"The teachers said…they'll bring someone who can copy my quirk. To see how it works."
"Copy?" Her eyebrows raised.
"Yes, um…Mo-Mo…noma? Aizawa-sensei said, I think,"
Sakura's spine went rigid as she recalled the chaotic mess that was class A's number one hater. It was theatrical to say the least and didn't bother her until now where she knew Eri would be exposed to this.
But she didn't say that. Instead, she leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Eri's forehead before tucking the blankets snug around her.
"Alright," she murmured. "But let me know when. So I can be there."
Eri blinked up at her. "…Why?"
Sakura's smile didn't waver. "Just because."
THAT'S ALL MY LOVELIES! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and remember to stay strong and keep reading!
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