[A/N]
My new story, MHA; Ben 10 is finally out, hope you'll check it later. There's also Gwen in the story.
Chapter 26: The Roar and the Silence
The tunnel was a passage of concrete and shadow, a long, dark throat leading to the heart of the beast. The air within was cool and still, a stark contrast to the electric tension thrumming through the students of Class 1-A. The only light was the brilliant, blindingly white rectangle at the far end, a portal to another world. The only sound was the soft, nervous shuffle of two dozen pairs of athletic shoes on the ground and the ever-growing, muffled roar of the crowd, a sound that was less heard and more felt—a deep, resonant vibration that pulsed through the very foundations of the stadium.
Izuku Midoriya was visibly trembling, his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides as he muttered a frantic litany of strategies. Tenya Iida marched with a rigid, formal posture, as if his very gait could impose order on the chaos to come. Uraraka Ochako took deep, calming breaths, her cheeks puffed out, her eyes wide with a mixture of terror and excitement.
Gaara walked near the back of the group, a solitary figure moving with a quiet, deliberate pace. He was an island of unnerving calm in their sea of anxiety.
Then, a presence fell into step beside him.
He didn't need to look to know who it was. The barely contained, explosive energy was unmistakable. Katsuki Bakugo had deliberately slowed his own aggressive pace, allowing his classmates to pass until he was walking shoulder-to-shoulder with the silent, red-haired boy.
Gaara continued to look straight ahead, but he shifted his gaze just enough to acknowledge the other boy from the corner of his eye.
"You don't deserve a place among us here," Bakugo growled, his voice a low, menacing rasp that was somehow more threatening than his usual roars. He didn't look at Gaara either, his crimson eyes fixed on the bright light at the end of the tunnel. "And I'm going to make you regret ever accepting the offer to join this academy, you eyebrow-less bastard."
The insult was crude, personal, and designed to provoke. It was a weapon that had likely worked on every opponent Bakugo had ever faced.
But on Gaara, it had no effect.
For a fleeting, gossamer-thin moment, Gaara's calm eyes saw not the concrete walls of the tunnel, but a flash of memory: the scornful faces of village children, their mouths twisted as they spat the word "monster." He saw the glint of the stones they threw, which had always been stopped by a shield of sand they could not comprehend. He felt the phantom sting of a lifetime of hatred, a hatred so vast and all-encompassing that Bakugo's angry words were but a single, insignificant drop in an endless, bitter ocean.
He had heard worse. He had survived worse.
Gaara's expression did not change. He slowly, deliberately closed his eyes for a single second, letting the dark memories fade. Then he opened them again, turning his gaze away from Bakugo and fixing it firmly on the brilliant, white light at the end of the tunnel. He would not engage with the ghosts of the past. He would simply walk towards the uncertain future.
And then, they emerged.
The transition was a physical assault on the senses. They stepped out of the dark, muffled tunnel and into a colossal cauldron of light and sound. The roar of tens of thousands of people, a sound that had been a dull thunder, became a deafening, overwhelming wave that washed over them, making Gaara's very eyes vibrate in their sockets. The stadium was a breathtaking, impossible structure, a testament to the world's obsession with heroes, and every seat was filled with a cheering, flag-waving spectator.
"AND HERE THEY ARE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" a voice, amplified to a godlike volume, boomed from the loudspeakers. It was the Pro Hero Present Mic, serving as the event's announcer. "THE CLASS THAT STARED TRUE DANGER IN THE FACE AND DIDN'T EVEN BLINK! THE MIRACLE STARS WHO REPELLED A VILLAINOUS INVASION! MAKE SOME NOISE FOR THE HERO COURSE STUDENTS OF CLASS 1-A!!!"
The roar of the crowd intensified, a physical force of pure adoration.
The effect on Gaara's classmates was immediate and electric. Kirishima's eyes filled with tears as he pumped a hardened fist in the air, yelling about how "manly" the reception was. Kaminari struck a pose, a cheesy grin on his face, trying to look cool for the cameras. Mineta was crying for a different reason, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of attention. Uraraka, her face flushed with a brilliant, nervous blush, gave a small, hesitant wave to the cheering masses. They were basking in it, drinking in the love and admiration of a world that had already chosen them as its future champions.
Gaara, however, lowered his gaze. He stared down at the vibrant green grass of the field, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. He understood with perfect, chilling clarity. This deafening cheer, this wave of adoration, it was not for him. It was a celebration of the heroes who had survived the USJ. He had been on the other side. They were, in fact, cheering for his defeat. He was the villain in the story of their triumph.
High above, in a private, glass-fronted viewing box, Yagi Toshinori watched the scene unfold on a large monitor. A faint, proud smile touched his lips as he saw his students walking into the arena, their faces a mixture of determination and youthful awe. His gaze lingered on two figures. He looked at young Midoriya, his successor, a trembling bundle of nerves and limitless potential. Then, his eyes shifted to the small, solitary figure at the back of the group. He saw Gaara looking down, refusing the crowd's cheer, an island of solitude in a sea of celebration. Toshinori's smile faded slightly, replaced by a look of deep, paternal concern. The path ahead for that boy was the steepest of all.
Present Mic continued his introductions, his voice a whirlwind of energy. "THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN AS MUCH SCREEN TIME, BUT THIS CLASS IS ALSO PACKED WITH TALENT! GIVE IT UP FOR HERO COURSE CLASS 1-B!!!"
The other classes poured into the stadium, their expressions a mixture of determination and fierce rivalry, their eyes all fixed on the backs of Class 1-A.
When all the first-year students were assembled on the field, a new figure appeared on the central stage. It was the R-Rated Hero, Midnight, who cracked her whip and gave the students a suggestive smile that sent a wave of flustered blushes and excited whoops through the crowd.
"Now, for the athlete's pledge!" she declared. "Representing the first-year students is the top scorer from the U.A. entrance exams… from Class 1-A, Katsuki Bakugo!"
A low murmur went through the assembled students. Bakugo, with his usual arrogant scowl, walked onto the stage. He stepped up to the microphone, looked down at the hundreds of his peers with an expression of utter disdain, and spoke, his voice flat and bored.
"I pledge… that I'm gonna win."
The entire stadium fell silent for a second, and then erupted into a cacophony of boos and furious shouts from the other classes. Bakugo simply gave them a contemptuous smirk and walked off the stage.
Gaara stood in the middle of the ensuing chaos. Students around him were yelling, arguing, their competitive spirits now ignited by Bakugo's supreme arrogance. He, however, remained perfectly still, observing the strange, passionate rituals of pride and conflict.
Midnight cracked her whip again, silencing the crowd. "Now then, let's get this party started! The first game of this year's festival is…" The massive screen behind her lit up, spinning through images before locking onto the result. "AN OBSTACLE RACE!"
She explained the rules: a four-kilometer race around the entire stadium, where their Quirks were not just allowed, but encouraged. As long as they stayed on the course, anything goes.
The hundreds of first-year students were herded towards the starting line—a massive, monolithic gate that loomed over them like the entrance to a coliseum. The air was thick with the scent of ozone, sweat, and anticipation as students began to subtly activate their Quirks, preparing for the start.
Gaara found a space for himself near the back of the pack, away from the pushing and shoving. He looked up at the starting signal above the gate. It was a set of three massive, red lights. He was not here to win. He was here to pass a test. He would endure. He would prove that he belonged. That was his only goal.
Present Mic's voice boomed over the stadium, filled with an almost manic excitement.
"ALL RIGHT, YOU JUNIOR HEROES! ARE YOU READY?!"
The first red light blinked off.
"THREE!"
The roar of the crowd became a solid wall of sound.
"TWO!"
Gaara's teal eyes narrowed, his focus absolute.
"ONE!"
The final light went out. A deafening buzzer sounded. The gate flew open.
His test had begun.