CHAPTER 4. THE FINAL EXAM
❝Brave birds still fly through the fog.❞
Vespertilio M.List
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ˏ⸉ˋ‿̩͙‿̩̩̥͙̽‿̩͙ˏ⸉ˋ‿̩͙‿̩̩̥͙̽‿̩͙ˏ⸉ˋ‿̩͙‿̩̩̥͙̽‿̩͙.·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙ ✩ *̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .‿̩̥̩‿̩̩̥͙̽‿̩͙ˊ⸊ˎ‿̩̥̩‿̩̩̥͙̽‿̩͙ˊ⸊ˎ‿̩̥̩‿̩̩̥͙̽‿̩͙ˊ⸊ˎ
recap
Moving towards your own station, a look of determination is set on your face.
'Time for Plan B: Do the bare minimum and go after the faux villain with zero points to say at least I tried when I truly didn't to commence!'
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You take a glance at the students around you, some having faces of confidence while others looked damn near ready to drop out.
'Okay,' after a deep breath and some short stretches you walk up closer to the gates,'let's do this!'
Right as you finish your pep talk, Present Mic's voice fills the arena.
"Start!"
You burst into a sprint, leaving the gawking and still frozen students behind in the dust as you move further into the simulated city.
"Remember listeners, there are no countdowns in a real battle! So go! You're wasting time!"
Not even a minute later the sounds of explosions and battle-cries appeared.
You had to admit, these kids were beasts when it comes to wanting to get into UA.
One moment you'd see a 1pointer, and when you blink, it was gone; bits and pieces of metal being the only evidence it ever existed.
A good portion of your time consisted of you avoiding any robots while also dodging numerous fallen metal scraps.
With your only tasks being not being flattened or spotted, it gave you enough time to observe the 'competition'.
And truth be told, you felt bad for most of them.
While those with flashier quirks stole both the show and villain points, others resorted to finding other ways to gain points - some not at all.
"Dammit!"
Your head instinctively snaps towards the source of the angered shout.
He seemed to also dodge and avoid any falling metal while failing to destroy any of the robots.
A cracking sound echoes through the air.
You look up in time to see a destroyed robot fall back into a building, causing a big chunk to break off and tumble down.
Right above the boy.
"H-hey! Look out!" Your panicked scream makes the indigo-haired boy stop and look at you in confusion.
'Shit shit shit!'
Without a second to waste, you rush over, dodging any debris on the ground as the shadow of the falling piece of rock gets bigger.
"Fucking MOVE! IT'S GONNA FLATTEN YOU!!"
It seemed your words were finally processed in his head when he looks up.
His eyes widen in fear, body frozen from shock.
Putting all you have in your legs, you let out a shout and jump.
The boy releases an oof when your body makes in contact with his, both of you rolling and tumbling across the concrete just as the debris hits the ground.
Your eyes are closed, heart thundering in your chest as you lay on the rapidly beating ground.
Wait...rapidly beating ground?
You immediately sit up, looking down at the boy you somehow ended up landing on.
He could only stare up at you in surprise as your arms caged the side of his head like some cliche romance story.
With a yelp, you roll off him and kneel next to his still laid figure.
"A-are you okay? I didn't hurt you did I?" With a quick yank, he's pulled into a sit-up position.
"I'm...I'm fine," He ignores your second question and gets up with a sigh, "just bit off more than I can chew apparently. Couldn't even avoid some falling rocks...seems I'm not hero material after all."
You notice the way his hands clench into fists as he says that.
Not wanting to deal with whatever life problems he has on his own, you began to walk away.
That is until you suddenly picture Izuku in that same position of being told he wasn't hero-worthy.
"You know you shouldn't listen to them."
He looks at your back with furrowed brows. "Huh?"
"Whoever told you those lies. That you'll never become a hero. You shouldn't give up just because some bastard tells you to do so. Quirk or quirkless, villain or hero categorized quirk. Show them you mean business. That you have a goal and plan to stick with it."
His eyes widen at your words.
For years, that's all he's been told: he would be a villain. His quirk wasn't meant for good, but evil.
To hear a random stranger finally speak the exact words he's always wanted someone to say, the fire in his heart was set ablaze.
"Hitoshi Shinso...my name is Hitoshi Shinso."
"Well HitoshiShinso," you turn to look at him with a smile, "are you gonna prove that you're more than just society's standards of a hero? Or are you just gonna quit?"
Taking his silence as an answer, you give him a wave and continue walking. "Look forward to seeing your success, HitoshiShinso! Who knows, you might be the one saving me next time we meet~"
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Minutes pass of you sneaking and passing through the fake city, occasionally helping a fellow participant whenever they're in trouble.
'Eh, what's the least that could happen? Not like I'm getting graded on helping...'
You stumble at the feeling of large tremors shaking through the ground, screams and crying reaching your ears not a second later.
You immediately dash forward, sidestepping students as they run towards the way you came from.
"Run! It's the zero-pointer!" A passing person screams out as they continue to run away.
"Wait...zero-pointer?" It took a moment before you realized what that meant causing you to bounce in excitement, "hell yes! Time to start Plan B!"
Not wanting to waste any more time, you speed towards where the zero-pointer should be.
"Wha-where are you going?!"
"You idiot! Go this way!"
"You're going to get yourself killed!"
You snort at their words. "Come on! Do you really think they're going to let children get hurt in this? I bet it's not even...that...oh shit."
Your words trail off once you take a good look at what they were running from.
There in all its glory stood the zero-pointer, enormous enough to fill the entire street while its claw-like hands caused nearby buildings to crumble just by a brush.
"Well damn...I see why y'all running." Releasing a sigh, you simply turn around with a shrug and get ready to follow the escaping crowd, "Welp, Plan B is out. So let me just go and—"
Your body stiffen at the sound before you could see them.
Screams, full of panic and distress.
Eyes zooming around the area as the thundering footsteps get nearer, you finally spot them: two people stuck in its path.
With one injured in the leg, the other was there for support as they try to run away.
Fortunately, it appeared you were the only one to notice. Unfortunately, it meant they were going to be squashed by the zero-pointer.
'Okay, I'll just grab its attention and go down another pa—' Your planning was cut off by another round of screams.
Searching for the cause, you see the zero-pointer's hand knocking into a nearby building causing some debris to crumble and fall.
Right where the two students were located.
"Are you shitting me?!"
Your heart thunders as you rush over to them, the world seems to fall into slow motion as you see them cower in preparation of getting hit.
'Think think think! It's too far to run and Zuki isn't here to take the rosary off. What can I do?!'
Body frantically moving, you pause at the familiar weight in your skirt pocket.
"Of course!"
Quickly grabbing the pouch of seeds, you grab the mini bag labeled grapes and pour the tiny seeds into your palm.
"Please let this work," with a quick mutter under your breath, you force the seeds into rapid growth and make the thick vines grow into a dome-like shape.
Not a second later, a heavy thud hits the vines.
You grit your teeth, body slightly shaking as you force the vines to hold up a little longer.
Sounds of awe come from the two students, you look up only to realize they were staring at you.
"Hi, name's Akashiya ____! Love meeting you and all," a strained smile is given as your knees began to buckle, "but I'd really appreciate it if you could leave and hide from that zero-pointer's view. Mind doing that?"
"O-oh right! Thank you for saving us, it's very manly of you!" The black-haired boy breaks out of the trance first and sends you a sharp toothy smile.
Sending him a sharp head jerk towards the direction of a couple of fallen debris to hide behind, he catches the hint and takes the injured girl away.
"The name's Kirishima Eijiro by the way!" His fading voice makes you relax in relief.
"Whew! Now that's ove—"
Your words are cut off by the sudden crash of both vines and pieces of rock.
On top of you.
Kirishima's wide eyes stare at the pile, mouth dropped open as he became a witness of a possible death.
It wasn't until he heard a few hacking coughs did he spot your disheveled form fanning away the floating dust around.
"Are you alright?!"
"Yeah!" You scratch the back of your head with a sheepish grin, "Turns out I relaxed too much after you left. Caused my powers to weaken and crash. B-but I'm fine, the rocks fell behind me. Look!"
Jumping up, you give a huge thumbs up causing the boy to let out a small laugh.
"TARGET ACQUIRED."
Once again, damn.
A jolt of fear travel down your spine, body shaking as you face the zero-pointer before you.
You just had to jump around like a dumbass just to prove to some cute boy that you're alright.
Not to mention your juice pack. Oh, your uneaten juice pack! Poor baby was the only thing that truly faced harm by the collapse.
Half of its contents was wasted, leaving a giant bloodstain covering the side of your skirt as the finishing result.
And so, this is how you're going to leave the world: dead with blood on your skirt as if you had the period of a lifetime.
Tears pricked the corner of your eyes as you back away from the metal beast only to stop at the debris-made wall behind you.
At this point, you wished everything actually did collapse on top of you when it fell. At least they can say you died saving others.
You blink at a sudden realization. "Wow. I'm really gonna die a hero. The one thing I've avoided doing for nearly fifteen years of my life. The irony I tell ya."
The zero-pointer loomed over your trembling form.
Adrenaline rush faded, your exhausted body refused to take another step.
'Move...why won't you move!' Hands clenched into fists, flashes of your parents fill your head, flashes of Izuku's smiling face, hell even a scowling Bakugo.
Your head bows as tears continue to spill from your eyes, feet glued to the ground as you accepted defeat.
Unbeknownst to you, your rosary begins to glow, steadily growing brighter which each passing second.
"AKASHIYA GET AWAY FROM THERE!" Kirishima's shrill scream was the tipping point.
The rosary's red glow suddenly cuts off.
The once healthy flowers in your hair suddenly wilt and fall to the ground. Silvery white bleeds into your locks until no strand of [hair color] is left behind.
Your eyes open, revealing a set of blood-red irises.
The slitted pupils in your eyes thin as they take in the situation around them, landing on the charging faux villain with a hint of humor in them.
"Oh? Seems to be a test of some sor—"The zero-pointer punches the spot you're standing at causing a scream of disbelief to fall from Kirishima and other examinees around.
Dust billows around the area as people began to murmur.
"Is...is she dead?"
"I never knew there would be actual deaths in these exams..."
"Poor girl."
Kirishima's pupils shake as he continues to stare at where he last saw you.
Nothing but a crater and a patch of blood as a reminder of your existence.
You saved him...
...only to die.
"Poor girl indeed," the dust clears revealing you standing a few feet away from the crater with a blank, unamused face, "not only did you try to defeat me by some measly punch, but you even wasted the rest of my lunch. Tsk tsk, didn't your creator ever teach you manners?"
The robot attempts to attack you again only to fail.
Within a blink, you appear on the robot's shoulder. "Hmm...appears not."
You avoid the grappling hand and jump onto its other shoulder.
"Let me make it clear, you scrap piece of metal."
With a small lift of your foot, you stomp on its arm, causing the metal to tear off and land on the ground with a loud thud.
You miss the gawks and gasps of the audience around you as you focus on the zero-pointer.
"I'm not one to be trifled with." You do the same to its other arm, leaving it defenseless as it stands there.
Even so, the faux villain continues to walk up to you as if it can still beat you. A small smile pulls at your lips.
"You know...I'm actually in awe. Such drive, such motivation," your smile drops, a snarl of disgust taking its place, "almost pitiful to watch. Robot or not, you will never defeat me!"
Jumping into the air with such grace, you land a kick to its head, sending the metal contraption meters away until it finally lands with a blinding explosion.
You brush your hair back with an indignant sniff. "Just as I thought: weak..."
"TIME'S UP!" The booming voice of Present Mic fills the area.
People immediately flock towards you asking question after question only to stop with one sharp glare.
Most deciding their life is better to have, they continue towards the exit to seek help for any injuries.
"Recovery Girl is on her way, so just stay tight!"
"T-thank you for trying to help me earlier."
"Of course! It wouldn't have been very manly of me if I hadn't."
Your body stiffens. Taking another breath of air, the slits in your eyes thin once again as a sweet scent fills your nose.
'Mmmm, so there are others like him.'
Kirishima flinches at the sudden sight of you before him. "A-akashiya!"
Everything about you was different. From the change of hair color to the disappearance of the calming scent you gave off.
Your eyes are what troubled him the most.
No longer did they hold a certain kind of warmness in them, but instead pure coldness.
His body shakes as you continue to observe him, it took nearly all the self-control he has to keep himself from running away.
Especially when you grab his chin and force him to look at you.
"Yes, you will do," his brows furrow in confusion until you look him dead in the eyes, "when I faint, offer me your neck."
A flush fills the boy's face. "W-what?!"
"That shouldn't be too hard. It's the least you could do after I risked both my life and wasted my food saving you." You narrow your eyes at him, daring him to defy.
Kirishima mouth purses. 'She's right. It's the least I could do. What kind of man would I be if I can't help a fellow comrade in need!'
With a sigh, he gives you a nod despite his eyes still shining with hesitation. "Alright...I'll do it."
Just as he says that, your rosary turns back on, causing your retransformation.
He let out a gasp of awe at the sight of your red eyes shifting back to [eye color].
Silver hair turning back into its original [hair color] shade, new pink blossoms bud back into its strands with a scent of nectarine wafting off you once more.
You began to lean with a groan before falling to the ground.
"Woah!" Grabbing your shoulders, Kirishima gently sits on his knees and holds you in his arms. "I've got ya...I've got ya."
You feel someone tenderly brushing some hair from your face and let out a jumbled mass of unintelligible words.
Blinking open your eyes, everything is blurred and out of focus. The only thing you could pick up on was a scent of sweetness.
'Zuki? He's here...that must mean—'
"...blood..."
Even with your word being soft and slurred Kirishima understood.
"U-um...here," though still hesitant, he shyly pulls you closer, giving your mouth clear access to his neck.
Feeling skin against your lips with the beating of a pulse just underneath the layer, you immediately sink your teeth in.
A glow of red directs Kirishima's attention to the rosary hanging at your neck.
Huh?
Why is it glowing?
You let out a sigh of content after a few more moments of drinking Izuku's blood.
Although...something about it tastes different...
Pulling away from his neck, you blink your eyes a few more times only for them to widen in shock.
Ummm...what the FUCK is this?! This ain't Izuku!
Voice caught in your throat, you're unable to speak.
"Are you alright? Did you have enough to drink?" The concern in Kirishima's eyes causes all awkwardness to melt away.
Your lips soften into a smile. "Yeah. Thank you by the way. I'm sure you were uncomfortable doing something like this."
A spiky grin fills your view as he helps you up off the ground. "Nonsense! After you willingly saved me and that girl, I couldn't let you stay weak when I could help. Wouldn't be very manly of me."
"____!"
You turn to see Izuku waving near the entrance of the gate.
"Ah..." Looking back towards Kirishima, you send him an apologetic smile and bow, "I'm sorry! I wish our time was longer, but it seems my friend is ready to go. It was very nice to meet you! Thank you for everything, really I mean it."
A blush fills his cheeks as he rubs the back of his neck. "I should be the one thanking you for everything! It's the least I could do after you saved my butt. Hopefully, we will end up in the same hero-course class?"
Despite wanting to tell him you most definitely won't end up in hero course due to lack of points, you decide on simply smiling. "Fingers cross. Who knows, we may see each other very soon!"
"Alright!"
With a wave of goodbye, you run towards Izuku with an excited grin, ready to tell him the events of today and vice-versa.
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Eye of the storm
Ochako Uraraka x gn villian!reader angst
Uraraka is devastated when you join a group of villains. Confused and hurt, she confronts you, trying to understand why you’ve turned to the dark side.
word count- 1171 words
Ochako stood on the rooftop of a dilapidated building, her eyes scanning the city below, a mixture of rain and tears blurring her vision. Her heart pounded in her chest as she tightened her grip on the umbrella in her hand, though she barely noticed the cold. Somewhere out there, you were slipping further and further away from her—further into the shadows of a world she had sworn to fight against.
She couldn't understand it. You had always been by her side, always had that smile she had grown to love, a warmth that rivaled the sun. But now, there was only distance, the light between you two fading faster than she could grasp. The news of your defection had hit her like a gut punch. The disbelief. The pain.
The silence.
You had joined them. The villains. A choice that felt so wrong, so uncharacteristic, it shook her to her core. No one knew your reasons, and despite her best efforts, you remained an enigma. The other heroes said it didn’t matter. They called you a traitor, a lost cause, someone who had crossed a line that couldn’t be uncrossed.
But they didn't know you like she did.
Her head snapped to attention as the sound of movement reached her ears. A figure emerged from the shadows of a nearby alley, clad in a black cloak, their face obscured by the hood they wore. Ochako’s breath hitched in her throat as she recognized your gait, the way you moved—familiar and yet distant, almost like a stranger in your own skin.
"Y/N!" she called out, her voice carrying an urgency that matched the storm brewing in her chest. She took a step forward, her free hand reaching out, though you were still too far away.
You paused but didn't turn. For a brief moment, the tension between you both hung heavy in the air, the unspoken words louder than the raindrops crashing down around you.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked, her voice breaking slightly. “Why are you with them?”
When you finally turned, Ochako's breath caught. Your eyes—those eyes she used to find comfort in—were darker now, colder, haunted by something she couldn’t understand. The shadows of your new allegiance clung to you, casting you in a light she wished wasn’t real.
“You wouldn’t understand,” you said, your voice low, almost as if speaking to a stranger. “You never did.”
The pain in her chest tightened, a physical ache. “That’s not true. I know you. I know you. This isn’t you, Y/N. Please… talk to me. Tell me what’s going on.”
You shook your head, the faintest trace of a smirk crossing your lips, though it wasn’t filled with the warmth she had grown used to. “It’s too late for that. I made my choice.”
“No,” Ochako stepped closer, the rain forgotten as she moved towards you. “No, it’s not too late. You can still—”
“Still what?” you interrupted, your voice harder now, the coldness cutting through her like a knife. “Go back to being a hero? Pretend like the world isn’t messed up? Like there’s some magical line between ‘good’ and ‘evil’?” You laughed, but it was a bitter, hollow sound. “The world isn’t as simple as you think, Ochako.”
Her heart shattered at the way you spoke her name. There was a time when you’d said it with softness, with affection. Now, it was like you barely knew her.
“The world’s not perfect,” she said, her own voice growing stronger. “I know that. I’ve seen the darkness, the pain, the things that make you feel like giving up. But that’s not an excuse to throw everything away, to become the very thing we fight against.”
You took a step closer to her, and for the briefest moment, Ochako saw something flicker in your eyes—something she recognized. Pain. Guilt. Maybe even regret. But it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.
“It’s not about giving up,” you said quietly. “It’s about surviving. And sometimes… you have to make sacrifices.”
Ochako shook her head, tears mixing with the rain on her cheeks. “What happened to you? What made you think this was the only way?”
You didn’t answer, your silence speaking louder than any words could. The rain fell harder now, drenching both of you as you stood there, a chasm between you that felt impossible to cross.
“I still care about you,” she whispered, her voice fragile. “I still believe in you.”
For a moment, it looked like you might respond, that maybe something inside you was struggling against the darkness that had taken hold. But then, just as quickly, the mask of indifference returned, and you stepped back into the shadows.
“You’re wasting your time, Ochako,” you said, turning away from her. “You should forget about me.”
“No!” she cried, stepping forward, her hands shaking as she reached out again, desperation in her voice. “I can’t! I won’t! You don’t belong with them. You belong with—”
“I belong where I choose,” you interrupted sharply. “And this… this is my choice.”
Ochako felt the weight of your words like a blow to her chest. Her fingers curled into fists, not out of anger but out of helplessness. She could feel you slipping further and further away, and she didn’t know how to stop it.
“You’re better than this,” she whispered, almost to herself.
You didn’t respond. The sound of your footsteps echoed in the distance as you disappeared into the night, leaving her standing alone in the rain.
Ochako collapsed to her knees, her heart aching in a way that made it hard to breathe. She wanted to scream, to cry out, to do something to bring you back. But all she could do was sit there, drenched and broken, wondering where everything had gone so wrong.
But you had walked away. And this time, you hadn’t looked back.
You were gone. At least, the person she had known—the person she had loved—was gone. And what was left was a stranger wearing your face.
But even as she sat there, defeated, a small, stubborn spark of hope refused to die inside her. She couldn’t give up on you. Not yet. Not ever.
“I’ll bring you back,” she whispered to the night, her voice barely audible over the rain. “No matter what it takes.”
The world around her felt as gray and hopeless as the storm overhead. Her body trembled, not from the cold, but from the emptiness left in your wake. She had thought she could reach you, had believed with every fiber of her being that if she just tried hard enough, she could pull you back from the darkness, no matter the pain.
Because that’s what love was—messy, painful, and relentless. And even if you had forgotten that, even if the world had twisted you into someone else, Ochako hadn’t forgotten.
She would find you, no matter how far you had fallen. She would reach you.
And she would bring you back.
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