🔥 CHAPTER 5 — "COSTUMES & CONSEQUENCES"
Morning hit U.A. like a thunderclap.
Class 1-A filed into their seats, buzzing with whispers, side-eyes, and nervous energy. Word had spread fast:
The new kid ranked #1.
The new kid summoned a monster.
The new kid was dangerous.
Devon kept his head low, hood up, fingers tapping anxiously on his desk. He could still feel the echo of that shadow form—cold, heavy, hungry—lurking somewhere in his memory.
He didn't sleep.
He didn't smile.
And he definitely didn't feel like a champion.
Aizawa slid into the room like he teleported there.
"No time for chatter." His voice was flat but sharp. "Today… you'll be wearing your hero costumes."
The room exploded with cheers—
Until the door burst open like an explosion.
---
âś… "I AM HERE!"
All Might filled the doorway, sunlight beaming behind him like a poster come to life.
Devon felt his jaw drop.
The Symbol of Peace.
In the flesh.
All Might pointed dramatically at the class.
"Future heroes! Today, you enter the world of professional combat!"
Kirishima fist-pumped. Midoriya nearly fainted. Bakugo smirked like he'd been expecting it.
Devon?
His heart thundered.
This was real.
This was happening.
This was hero life.
All Might swept his arm toward the lockers.
"Suit up!"
---
âś… HERO COSTUME ROOM
Devon stood in front of a sleek metal locker labeled JACKSON, DEVON.
His hands shook as he opened it.
Inside:
A matte black tactical jacket with purple lines running through the seams like neon circuits. Light but armored. Fingerless gloves. A mask that only covered the lower half of his face. And on the back?
A bold silver emblem:
SOLE SHIFT
But no shoes.
Because he didn't need them.
The watch would take care of that.
He slipped into the suit—and when he looked in the mirror…
For the first time, he actually looked like a hero.
Cool. Sharp. Fast.
Dangerous.
He swallowed.
"Don't think about the shadows. Don't use them. Not again."
He tapped the watch, just to feel grounded.
It pulsed once.
Quiet.
Dormant.
He exhaled.
---
✅ TRAINING FIELD 07 — BATTLE TRIAL
All Might stood tall, cape fluttering.
"Heroes… versus villains!"
Gasps. Excited murmurs.
Bakugo cracked his knuckles.
Shoto glanced at Devon without a word.
Midoriya shook like a leaf.
Then All Might pointed dramatically to the pairing list.
Names flashed across the screen.
Team A: Midoriya & Uraraka vs Bakugo & Iida…
Team B…
Team C…
Then—
Team F: DEVON JACKSON & SHOTO TODOROKI
vs
Team G: KATSUKI BAKUGO & DENKI KAMINARI
The crowd reacted instantly.
"Oh, this is insane!"
"Bakugo vs the new kid!"
"Todoroki too?!"
Todoroki approached, calm but cold.
"You're strong," he said simply. "But you looked… frightened yesterday."
Devon's chest tightened.
"I wasn't scared of the robot."
Todoroki's eyes narrowed.
"I know."
Before Devon could explain, All Might waved his clipboard.
"Teams F and G—prepare! Your mission: Bomb defense scenario!"
A massive metal building rumbled open in the distance.
"Villains defend the bomb. Heroes infiltrate and secure it!"
Bakugo grinned wild and sharp.
"Come find me, shoe boy."
Kaminari laughed nervously. "Uh, dude, maybe don't taunt the guy who summoned a demon?"
Bakugo snarled. "I AIN'T SCARED OF HIM!"
Devon clenched his fists.
I'm scared of me.
---
âś… THE MISSION BEGINS
Devon and Todoroki stood outside the building entrance.
"Strategy," Todoroki said calmly. "We go in silent. I freeze off their escape routes. You use speed to reach the bomb."
Devon nodded. "Red Jordans. Got it."
Todoroki hesitated.
"And if… things get overwhelming?"
Devon knew what he meant.
The purple-and-black Jordans.
The shadows.
He shook his head.
"I won't use that form. Ever."
Todoroki stared at him for a moment.
Then simply said:
"Let's hope you don't have to."
All Might's voice boomed over the speakers:
"BEGIN!"
---
âś… AMBUSH
Devon hit the watch—
CLICK—FLASH—RED.
Speed surged through him. He darted inside the building—
BOOM!
An explosion erupted from the ceiling—Bakugo dropping down like a missile.
"You ranked above me." His voice was low and feral. "You think you're better than me?"
Devon skidded backwards.
"I don't care about rankings—"
Bakugo blasted forward.
"I DO!"
Devon dodged, walls cracking from the impact, but Bakugo was relentless—faster, angrier, louder—
"USE THAT SHADOW THING!" Bakugo roared. "LET ME SEE IT!"
Devon froze.
His pulse spiked.
"No."
Bakugo's eyes went wild.
"THEN DIE HIDING!"
Another explosion blasted straight toward his chest—
Too fast.
Too close.
Too powerful.
Red form wouldn't save him.
He couldn't run.
He couldn't think.
His hand moved.
Toward the watch.
Toward the shadow symbol.
Todoroki's voice echoed faintly from the hall:
"Devon—DON'T!"
---
âś… THE CHOICE
The room seemed to darken.
His breath trembled.
The symbol pulsed… hungry.
Waiting.
Begging.
Devon's thumb hovered over it—
He could feel the power.
Feel the darkness.
Feel the wolf breathing behind him.
Use me.
Just one click.
One second.
One shadow.
Bakugo launched the final blast—
BOOM—
Devon's eyes widened—
And he whispered:
"I can't."
He twisted the dial—
CLICK—FLASH—BLUE.
Barrier Jordans.
A glowing forcefield erupted just in time—shattering Bakugo's blast and shaking the entire building.
Bakugo skidded back, eyes wide.
"You—blocked me?"
Devon panted, sweat dripping.
Barely.
Todoroki rounded the corner, ice blazing across the floor.
"Good choice."
Devon nodded weakly.
But inside?
He heard that whisper again.
Next time… you won't run.
Bakugo's blast faded into smoke, rubble, and echoing silence.
Devon stood inside the fading blue barrier, chest heaving, sweat dripping, legs shaking — not from the attack…
…but from how close he came to using them.
The purple-and-black Jordans. The shadows. The monster inside them.
Bakugo wiped his mouth, eyes twitching with fury.
"You're scared. I can smell it."
Devon didn't answer. He couldn't. His throat was tight.
Todoroki stepped forward, frost creeping across the ground.
"This match is already decided."
Bakugo roared, exploding toward them—
But Todoroki slammed his hand down.
FWOOOOSH—
A tidal wave of ice surged across the hallway, freezing walls, floors, and Bakugo mid-charge. The explosion froze in a burst of glittering frost.
Only Bakugo's blazing eyes remained unfrozen.
"I'LL DESTROY YOU BOTH—!"
Todoroki didn't flinch.
"No. You won't."
He trapped Bakugo completely.
And then—
Kaminari burst in from behind, electricity sparking wildly.
"BROS, I GOT YOU—!"
Todoroki turned slightly.
Devon's instincts kicked in.
"WAIT—"
Too late.
Kaminari fired a wild lightning bolt straight toward Todoroki—
Devon slammed the watch.
CLICK—FLASH—GOLD.
Strength Jordans.
He leaped into the bolt's path—
CRACK—
And punched the electricity straight upward into the ceiling, blasting a hole through concrete.
Everyone froze.
Kaminari blinked.
"That…was kinda awesome."
Devon winced, shaking his hand. "Yeah. Also hurts like crazy."
But now?
There were no villains left free.
No attacks coming.
No excuses.
Todoroki looked at him.
"The bomb room. Now."
Devon nodded.
They sprinted through the hallway—
Red Jordans activating just long enough to dash past frozen debris.
They reached the central chamber.
A steel sphere pulsed atop a pedestal.
THE BOMB.
Todoroki took position near the door.
"You secure it."
Devon stepped forward, hand hovering.
All Might's voice boomed through the speakers—
"HERO TEAM… WINS!"
Klaxons blared. Lights flashed. Training ended.
Devon exhaled so hard his knees almost buckled.
It was over.
They did it.
---
âś… AFTERMATH
Back outside, Bakugo was thawed — still seething, still shaking.
He stormed past Devon, shoulders trembling with rage.
"We're not done, Jackson. Next time, no running. No shield. No excuses. You're using that dark form."
Devon stiffened.
Todoroki stepped between them.
"He doesn't need a demon to beat you."
Bakugo snarled and stomped away, explosions crackling behind him.
Kaminari jogged by, half-fried, smiling dopily.
"You guys… rocked."
Devon managed a weak laugh.
But inside?
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Because as he walked back toward Class 1-A…
He felt the watch pulse.
Just once.
A deep, cold thump against his wrist.
Like a heartbeat.
Like something waking up.
And in the back of Devon's mind…
A whisper echoed:
You can't run forever.
Devon closed his eyes.
"I'm never using those shadows again."
But the watch glowed faintly—
Purple.
Waiting.