The afternoon sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the training camp. After an exhausting morning session, Class 1-A was given a brief break to recover before their next round of training. Most of the students were sprawled across the grass, rehydrating and catching their breath, but Amelia found herself sitting on the wooden steps of the lodge, lost in thought.
Her training session with Mandalay had pushed her to her limits. She had made progress—real progress. The mental barriers she had been working to build were slowly becoming sturdier, and for the first time, she had managed to block out the invasive influence of an external force. It wasn't perfect, and she still struggled with prolonged resistance, but at least she had broken past the mental chains of her worst memory. She had faced that fear and won.
"Amelia?"
She looked up to see Izuku approaching, his usual bright expression tinged with concern. His messy green hair was slightly damp, likely from training, and his uniform clung to him in places where sweat had soaked through. Despite his exhaustion, he offered her a small, reassuring smile.
"You okay?" he asked, sitting beside her.
Amelia nodded, exhaling as she pushed her damp hair back. "Yeah. Just... processing. Today was rough."
Izuku gave a small chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "Tell me about it. Mr. Aizawa wasn't kidding about reinforcing our Quirks. I feel like my arms are going to fall off."
She smirked, nudging him with her elbow. "Well, at least you still have them."
Izuku laughed, shaking his head. "For now." Then, after a short pause, his tone softened. "Mandalay told me you did really well today."
Amelia's eyes widened slightly. "She did?"
He nodded. "Yeah. She said you're getting stronger—mentally. And I think that's incredible."
A faint heat rose to Amelia's cheeks. She quickly looked away, focusing on a stray leaf on the ground. "It's not that big of a deal."
"It is," Izuku countered, his voice sincere. "You've been through a lot, and you're still pushing forward. That takes real strength."
Amelia swallowed, her fingers gripping the edge of the step. "I just... I have to be stronger. If I can't control my mind, then what's stopping someone from turning me into a weapon?"
Izuku's expression turned serious. "That won't happen."
She looked at him then, his green eyes filled with unwavering determination. He wasn't just saying it to reassure her—he genuinely believed it. And something about that made her chest feel lighter, even if just for a moment.
A comfortable silence settled between them, the sounds of the forest filling the space. Then, Izuku hesitated before speaking again. "If... you ever need someone to help you train, or even just to talk to, I'm here."
Amelia's lips curved into a small smile. "Thanks, Deku."
He blinked at the nickname before his face turned slightly pink. "You don't usually call me that."
She shrugged playfully. "Felt appropriate."
He laughed, shaking his head, but before he could respond, a loud voice interrupted them.
"Oi! Nerds! Quit flirting and get back to training!"
They both jumped as Bakugo stomped past them, scowling. Amelia groaned, running a hand down her face while Izuku looked flustered. "We weren't—"
"Yeah, yeah," Bakugo cut him off. "We all got stuff to work on, so stop wasting time."
Amelia rolled her eyes but got to her feet. "Guess he's got a point."
Izuku stood up beside her, still looking a little embarrassed. "Yeah... right."
With their break over, Amelia returned to Mandalay for her next training session. This time, the exercises were even more intense. Mandalay gradually increased the difficulty of her mental endurance, forcing Amelia to withstand multiple intrusive thoughts at once. The pressure made her head pound, and there were moments where she thought she would lose control, but she dug her heels in and fought through it.
She struggled. She stumbled. But she kept going.
By the end of the session, she was exhausted, but she had held her ground longer than before. Progress was slow, but it was happening.
As the sun began to dip below the horizon,
Class 1-A gathered near the cooking area, where Pixie-Bob and Ragdoll stood before them, their usual high energy practically bouncing through the air.
"Alright, kiddos!" Pixie-Bob called out, clapping her hands together. "From now on, you'll be making your own food!"
Ragdoll grinned. "That means survival training starts now! You're all making curry tonight!"
Tenya Iida, always the first to take a challenge seriously, straightened up and pumped his fists. "This is a crucial skill for all future heroes! Proper nutrition and self-sufficiency are key to survival in the field! We must take this task seriously!"
The class groaned at his usual enthusiasm, but they still got to work gathering the ingredients.
Mina Ashido crouched next to the unlit fire pit, holding a bundle of firewood. She turned to Shoto Todoroki with a pleading look. "Hey, Todoroki, help me out! You can light the fire, right?"
Momo Yaoyorozu frowned, placing her hands on her hips. "Ashido, the point of this exercise is to learn self-reliance. You should start the fire yourself."
Mina pouted. "But it's so much easier if he does it!"
Shoto, who had been quietly preparing his own ingredients, sighed. Without a word, he held out his hand and let a small burst of flame ignite the wood.
Mina cheered. "Yes! Thank you, Todoroki!"
Momo sighed in exasperation. "That's not the point…"
Meanwhile, Amelia worked on her own pot of curry, focused on cutting vegetables as neatly as possible. Izuku ended up beside her, trying his best to chop onions, but his watery eyes made it difficult.
She smirked. "Need help?"
"N-No, I've got it!" he said, blinking rapidly as tears streamed down his face from the onion fumes.
She laughed, shaking her head as she continued her work. Despite the exhaustion from training, she enjoyed moments like this, when things felt normal.
As they worked, they naturally fell into a rhythm. Izuku handed Amelia the ingredients she needed before she could even ask, and he stirred the curry while she adjusted the heat without a word. Every movement was seamless, as if they had cooked together a hundred times before. At one point, their hands brushed while reaching for the same utensil, causing Izuku to fumble and nearly drop it.
"Ah—sorry!" he stammered, flustered.
Amelia chuckled, nudging his shoulder playfully. "Relax, Izuku. It's just cooking."
Izuku nodded, but his cheeks remained pink as he focused intently on the pot.
Once the food was finished, everyone sat around their campfires, enjoying their hard-earned meal. The aroma of warm curry filled the air as they dug in, chatting and laughing.
As Amelia took her first bite, she glanced around at her friends. Even though the day had been exhausting, she still had a long way to go; she knew one thing for sure: She wasn't alone in this.