Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hi. My name is Akari Yamachi, and I'm currently staring at the stove in a restaurant. It's meant to be a fun day out for just me and my ma, but my positive energy has already died. For reference, it's lunch. 

That stove is using fire right now. I hear ma trying to wake me up out of my haze. She succeeds, briefly, before I'm taken beneath the surface by memories again.

"Akari? Akari...?! Akari!!" she squeaks, concerned for my mental health. I'm concerned, too. "Stop staring at the stove! It's not about to set this place on fire." 

I zone out again. "But, ma..." I wish I could tell her. 

"Hey, Akari! Wanna go play in the woods with me? Mum says it's safe!" Omaka asks loudly, running up to where I sit, studying silently. "I'm booorrrrred! Pleeeaaaaase??"

I giggle. "If your ma says it's safe, Omaka, then why not? I don't really like studying, you know!" 

Omaka grabs his little bag and slings it over his shoulder. "Water, check! Snacks, check! I've got everything, Aki!" He grabs my hand and tugs me into the bright, spacey woods behind our houses.

"Akari! Please, snap out of it! It's just a kitchen!"

We explore hollow trees, sunlit patches and shimmering ponds. It's all too peaceful until we realise we don't know how to get back. We're lost. Are we ever going to get back? I sure hope so. Omaka is 100% sure he knows where to go! We're fine! 

My breathing intensifies, and in the background I hear birds chirping, squirrels munching on nuts and my ma trying to get the cooks to turn off the stove. Futilely. My eyes squint and blur, and I swipe the tear that dares to show itself.

We've walked for hours. I know that, because I'm wearing my watch. It's purple with sparkly sequins. I like shiny things, I say to Omaka. He calls me a crow and pretends to caw like one. We laugh until we start crying. My ribs hurt. 

Then we stop.

The forest in front of us is on fire. I can't tell which one of us screams first, but I'm pretty sure it's Omaka. We turn tail and run in the direction we came as fast as our little undeveloped legs can take us. We cry for help, any help. The fire somehow grows a personality of its own and spreads around us, trapping us. We keep screaming, crying, trying to attract attention. Nobody comes, because there's nobody here. We walked ourselves to a remote part of the forest. 

After a few minutes, our throats are choked and our skin blackened. The flames are so, so close. Help is so, so far away. My Quirk is useless. Omaka is Quirkless.

I am aware of tears pouring freely down my face now, but not much else.

A large man steps out of the flames. His body consists only of fire, but I'm sure he's a man. He's shaped like one. 

"After all that laughter, children, you failed to notice the danger unfolding itself in front of you? My my, this generation is stupid. Don't you think we should change it all, revamp the system? Come on, dear offspring, give me a fair answer, will you?" the fire man sneers.

Omaka and I just cry. We cry and cry. Until our tears are so dry, they can't be counted as tears now. Omaka finally gains the courage to speak. I wish he hadn't. Of the two of us, he was always the most daring, the one who would sacrifice without a second thought. 

"This world is fine, thank you, and I don't see a problem with it." he looks the Villain (I now know) in the eyes.

"Then let me leave my mark." Before I can jump back, the fire man lunges forward and grabs us. We're in his grasp now. Stone-cold fear invaded my system ages ago, and thus my head is clouded with terror. But I know one thing- we're going to die. Fire Man squeezes Oma-

I hear Ma call an ambulance for me.

-ka and Omaka screeches in pain. Oh God, the man's hand is burning into his side. I scrape in vain at the Villain's hand. I burn myself. I keep trying.

My fingers are now red and sore. 

I've done nothing to the bad guy. I'm useless. 

Where are the heroes?

His hand tightens and moves up to Omaka's neck. He clenches the fist. Omaka's scream is a wail now, and I realise it. 

He's about to lose consciousness. Omaka. No. I can't use my Quirk. I have to touch my nose to activate it. If I could just... if I could... I... can't... reach... can't... break out...

Stupid, stupid Quirk. Dumb, weak, pathetic. 

-

Villain. Releases. Omaka. And grabs his foot to throw him against a tree.

Omaka gets thrown into a tree. I can't do anything. Omaka screams weakly in pain. I hear a crack. I cry for him from up in the Villain's hand. Omaka tries to stand up, and partially makes it.

"I'm gonna... save you, Akari. And then... I'm gonna become a Hero...!" his smile is wobbly with agony. Our clothes don't exist anymore.

The evil fire man snarls. "A hero... is a bunch of crap."

He reaches forward and covers Omaka with his body, setting him on fire. Then, slowly, almost tentatively, he reaches an arm for my friend's neck. 

The wicked demon savours Omaka's blackening body and pathetic wails of 'Stop...!' 

Then he snaps his neck. 

And my friend falls, dead. 

"Hey, hey! It's alright now, let's just get you to the hospital." someone exclaims in the near distance.

I don't remember much of what happened afterwards, except the knowledge that the Villain burnt me too, the same way, and broke all of my bones. 

Afterwards, he left us for dead. More like, he left me for dead. Omaka was 100% dead. 

News: 17th January- Two children go missing.

That's when I manifested my second Quirk: Phoenix. The Phoenix Quirk is basically a Quirk that 'contains' lots of other Quirks. For example, fire manipulation, or flight. 

But there's also Rebirth. 

--

A few months later, I awoke, reborn from the very substance I had been killed from. 

I awoke facing Omaka's charred skull. That day, 17th January, was the day Omaka and I were killed, but the people didn't know that. They thought we were just missing.

I vowed never to use the Phoenix Quirk ever again, even though the first time I wasn't conscious. Fire was what killed us, and fire is a massive part of the Phoenix Quirk.

Over the next few days, I proceeded to find my way back, surviving only on what was in Omaka's backpack. It wasn't nearly enough, but for me, it was. 

I traced the route back in my mind, and over the next few years I would continue to come back here to pay my secret respects to Omaka and his skeleton, which lies on the surface.

News: 29th April- One child returns, other still missing.

I didn't tell them about my second Quirk. I later researched about having two Quirks, and found out that it's called Duo-Quirk. Two-Quirk. I got Control C-V from pa, but Phoenix isn't anywhere on the family tree (the closest is Wings), meaning it was totally random. 'Lucky' me.

Omaka's family is still searching for him, but I can't bring myself to tell them about what happened. Or anyone, for that matter. 

If only they knew.

Chapter Text

It's been two days since I passed out after reliving my worst nightmare.

The Incident isn't just a nightmare: it happened and it permanently traumatised me. Now, whenever I simply set my eyes on something that even uses fire, I feel my insides coil up and die like they did ten years ago. 

It's extremely annoying, and terrifying, and it often ruins my happy days. 

I'm now sitting in hospital, being bombarded with questions as to why I'm so afraid of the stuff that destroys lives and memories without a care. Ridiculous. How can you not be afraid of fire?

"Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Yamachi. Did Akari experience anything dodgy with matches, wood or cooking implements in the past? If so, that could lead us to the reason as to why." the nurse asks calmly. 

I can tell she's going to lose it with me soon, though. I've been here many times over the years, and on each occasion I refuse to spill the cup of tea. Spilling this cup of fire would wreck Omaka's family and mine. And about my second Quirk. I'd probably be sent to a laboratory. 

So, I've spilled nothing, written nothing and on top of it all, I didn't give the media my name when they asked for it. I was six after coming back from the woods, and already fully mature. I no longer played with minifigures or watched pre-school shows. I remained in shock for over three months. 

Not giving the media my name has meant that nobody chases me around, wanting answers, triggering emotions, until I would've inevitably told the truth. That's a problem with nagging. 

-

I'm released from the damn place. Finally. But hell isn't over yet, because I have to study for the Entrance Exam of UA High. More like I want to try the exam: my parents and tutors didn't and don't believe that I'll get in. Hopefully they're supporting me.

--

I groan and burrow my head in my arms. I've been sitting at this desk for three hours straight. And I feel like I still don't get Trigonometry. Or glucose. Starch. Whatever. 

My Quirk is useless as fuck here. Because I'm feeling bored, here's how my Quirk works. According to my parents, using me as the example.

---

Yamachi Specialties! Our Quirk: Control C-V.

Control C-V is actually an extremely powerful Quirk- it can both heal AND do damage! (OMG, seriously ma!?) However, in order to DO damage, you need to be damaged yourself. And using the Quirk on something doesn't mean your current condition is removed, no, it's like doing Copy and Paste. The original is still the same. Okay, so imagine you're injured and against a strong opponent. In order to activate the Quirk, you tap a finger on your nose and say "Control C". Then you focus on your target (either by looking at them or thinking about them) and say "Control V". The Quirk pastes your condition on the target/opponent. This is used for both fighting and healing. You cannot store or use multiple Control C's at a time. For example, if you say "Control C", but don't say "Control V", and 10 minutes later, you say "Control C" again, then the latest stored condition would be used if you then say "Control V". The previous Control C is discarded. Only one physical condition can be used in Control C-V. The previous one is replaced.

Okay, ma. She's the one who wrote that.

----

I used to go to the gym a couple of times every fortnight, but these days I'm going each day after school. In the months leading up to the exam, I need to prepare myself as much as possible. 

Boom. BOOM!! 

What's that?! I get off my weights and take a look out of the gym door. It's coming from the block down. 

"That sludge Villain snatched him! We need the heroes to come, quick!" a boy yells when I step out and look down the road. 

A massive crowd of people surround the car park and partial back alley where a Villain must've attacked 'him', whoever 'him' is. I sprint down and get a full view of what's happening.

There's a Sludge Monster Villain, apparently trying to hijack a blonde boy's body, according to the present heroes. 

And...?

There's a lot of fire. There's a lot of fighting. And I can't move, because there's so much fire. 

Burn, death, destruction. I absently recite in my head. I have to get away.

You know, if you just grew those Phoenix wings, wielded that Phoenix Quirk, then that boy could be saved already. My body tells me. 

I feel awful. I could save that poor boy. If I shift into my Phoenix form, then I'm immune to fire, and I could wield it too. I could be a hero.

I simply stand there, rooted to the spot because of my own indecisiveness. I have to get away. There is fire. It can and will kill me like it did last time. The inferno rages on, until a green-haired boy clamps a hand over his mouth and bursts through the water barriers a Hero made, and runs straight into the scene just to throw his bag at the Villain. 

"STOP IT, YOU FOOL!!" a Hero yells at him. He doesn't stop, though, and entirely disobeys the order and instead claws uselessly at the Monster. 

"KACCHAN!" the idiot screams.

"You!! Why?!" the captive growls.

They know each other?!

All at once, the heroes dash into the scene to help them. Then...

"DETROIT... SMASHH!!!" All Might roars. The Villain is blown apart instantly, and I take a few steps back.

Seconds later, it starts to rain. The media starts to ogle at him like usual. I suppose the Villain is going to custody now. 

Oh! I've spent half an hour just standing here! I have to prepare for U.A, idiot me!

Chapter Text

Ow. Somehow I managed to sprain my right ankle. I was sprinting a 100-metre dash, when I happened to slip on one corner and then proceeded (rather quickly) to face-plant. 

It's just two months before the exam. I have to keep hacking away at this. I can't go soft now. 

I clench my jaw and limp over to the water break station. Although I only have a few months of preparation time left, I think I'll have to rest this foot for a few days. Ugh.

I pack up my bag and wrap a bit of bandaging over the painful area. I let myself out of the sports ground, and slowly I hobble back home. It's taking a while though, because I thought today would be the perfect time to bring my own weights to the gym. They're personalised. 

Eventually, my surroundings fade out and I focus on just the pain and walking. This trip should only take ten minutes on foot, but it's triple now. 

"Do you need any help?" 

I spin a bit too fast on my good foot and nearly hit the brick wall to my right. It's a red and white-haired boy. Oh yeah, it's Endeavour's kid from up the road. I see him quite frequently. Previously, I never really acknowledged his existence though. Apparently, he's applying for U.A this year too, and the girls in my school are fighting over him. It often ruins my lunchtimes.

"Oh! No, actually, I'm alright, thanks. Don't want to spoil your day." my joke falls flat, like it always does. He walks off without a sound. Good, no opinions. 

It only then strikes me that any other girl at my age would grab onto him and never let him go. Girls... seriously. I sigh. At least I got home on time.

-

"This looks quite painful, Akari. How did you do it?" ma says when she sees my swollen ankle. 

"I was just running, ma."

"At the sportsground?! Is it not safe?!" she panics. She often freaks too much over these things, which is why I don't usually tell her. But it's not like I couldn't after I practically fell onto our doorstep.

"It was just wet after the rain, ma. Now let me get some water."

"Not before I heal it for you." Ah yes, my ma's Quirk is Imminent Healing. It allows her to heal small injuries like cuts or grazes instantly, and I think a sprained ankle wouldn't be too hard to mend either. "The Entrance Exam is very soon, Akari. Do you think you're going to be alright?"

"I'll do my best, ma." I say with a resigned huff. 

I'll do my best.

--

Chapter Text

- 

The Written Portion was really hard. That's the only thing I can say about it for certain. Now we're about to do the Practical part, which isn't really worrying me, strangely enough. We're fighting against robots, though, which absolutely sucks. People would be better.

"START! What's wrong? It's begun!"

THIS. IS. IT. While the other contestants here look around, confused, I dash into the area as the gate rises. 

I'm first in. Yes. I like how this is going. 

I pass the city-like structures with ease while everyone else struggles to catch up. I skid to a halt in front of a one-pointer robot. Grit my teeth. 

I know what's coming. I've prepared for months just for this pain. 

"T@RG8T L0CK8D 0N. PR8P@R8 F0R D848@T." it hums. 

I loosen my body, and let it smash its arms across my chest. 

Two of my ribs break. You may ask what on earth I'm doing, but I have a terrible plan. Wincing, I straighten up again and look it in the 'eye'. It's just a one-pointer. Nothing more. 

"Control C." I tap a finger slowly on my nose. Then I look directly at the robot.

"Control V." The robot's middle instantly crumples (because of my two broken ribs), and because it's a robot, it stops functioning immediately. I stumble forward and slam my body weight into it, causing it to topple. Now everything hurts. I can't smash another robot like that again. They're made of metal. 

But, I've got one point. 1. Despite my headstart, I'm rapidly falling behind in terms of points and falling forward in terms of injuries. 

I find another one-pointer, and let it break my left arm, and right leg. If it broke my right arm, then I would be in trouble. 

Once again, I use my Quirk, and this time I don't have to smash it in. It counts as a point itself. 

All of this takes me 5 minutes. That's too long for two points. 

At a snail's pace, I limp around and use my Quirk 3 more times on two one-pointers and a two-pointer. From here on it should be easy.

"Help! Please!" I spin to see a boy about to get struck by a two-pointer. He's delirious and clearly over his Quirk limit. 

"Control V!" I don't have to say Control C again because I've already got my current condition stored in the Quirk. All I have to do is go around saying Control V. 

The two-pointer surrenders and collapses into a heap of nuts and bolts. That's a two-pointer for me. 

It's good to help others, but I'm in an exam right now. I don't have too much time to waste on other people, given we only have 15 minutes. 

To be honest, that's not long at all. 

I use my Quirk on eight more one-pointers, and summon the energy for seven two-pointers and even manage a three-pointer. I don't exactly know how. 

"Rgggh! Back off, you fucking hunk of metal!!" a girl spits from behind me. At first, I think she's talking about me, before I remember that I'm not a robot, obviously. 

She's wrestling a one-pointer that rivals her in strength. 

"Here, let me help." I offer, but don't wait for a response. "Control V."

The already-battered machine crumples, which means we both get one point, I think. 

In that case, in this exam, wouldn't it just be better to team up? 

No, otherwise how would they decide who to pick to join U.A??

"I didn't need your help." she scowls and saunters off.

"Like hell you didn't." I hiss under my breath. The girl is underappreciative. 

I defeat another one-pointer, and a two-pointer, before I begin to notice that I'm nearly at my Quirk limit. Copying does take energy, you know.

Mentally, I count up how many points I have now. Uhh, I defeated eleven one-pointers, nine two-pointers and a three-pointer. That's 32 points. I cannot pass this damn thing with 32!

I've got two minutes left. Let's see what I can do.

-- A minute later.

Goddammit! There's... no robots left! I didn't think we'd actually run into this problem...

A boom and a crunch resound from behind me. I spin to face a massive five-pointer! Whoa! That's worth five points, right?! If I can defeat that...

Except I'm not actually facing it. It's just so massive that it towers over the buildings in front of me. So I have to get there first, hmm? 

I summon the last dregs of my energy and limp around a couple of blocks as fast as I can until I find it. 

And there's a brown-haired girl trapped under it. Can this exam kill?! She's alive, though. I stare. I have to save her. 

I know that we're all against each other, but if the machine keeps moving forward like that, I'm relatively sure she's gonna die. 

I steal a breath. "Control-"

A green-haired boy-no- THE green-haired boy from the Sludge Incident leaps into the air to meet the robot's head. That's a creepy 15 metres up. 

"-V!!" I screech. The gargantuan robot that's worth five points crumples and begins to topple just as the boy punches it in the face with his Quirk. 

Imminently, it's clear that his arm is broken. And so are his legs. I gasp for air as I hit my Quirk limit. I fall to my knees, clutching at anything I can. I can't breathe.

Can't breathe. 

The shock wears off after a second, leaving me free to gulp air. 

I look up just as the brown-haired girl reaches out and slaps the boy's cheek as she floats on some rubble. I guess that must be her Quirk then.

The slap slows his fall and they both descend calmly to the ground when she shouts "RELEASE!" 

Hmm, she needs an audible stimulus for her Quirk too. That's cool. 

But what isn't cool is when she throws up immediately after. Guess she went to her limit too. 

"AND THAT'S IT!! TIME IS UP!!!" Present Mic yells. 

"Just... one... point!" the boy cries. 

What? 

But the machine is worth five, right?

Another boy who has engines on his calves confirms it for me. The machine is just a gimmick that isn't worth any points. 

Ah. 

I must have failed then, I think as Recovery Girl goes around offering Haribos and healing. I blink once when she heals all of my broken appendages. I'm tired. She tutts.

I must have failed.

I failed.

Chapter Text

My hot chocolate doesn’t taste of anything nice when I lap it up in unappetizing gulps. It feels like failed dreams and high expectations. Cupping the mug with my hands to stave off the cold, I lean my head back on the couch. I’m tired, even though the stupid Entrance Exam was last week. 

“Hey, Akari, you got a letter.” My father throws a sealed letter in my face. We’ve all been pretty down ever since I told them of my supposed failure in the exam. Damn. Looking at the front of the fancy envelope, I scream. 

Then glare at him. His irresistible grin meet my eyes in a fierce match, and he wins. “Shut up!” I yell, even though he isn’t saying anything. He’s talking with his eyes. “You’re playing with me!” 

When pa doesn’t comment, I screech. He’s joking. He has to be. This isn’t possible. Who the hell hacked into the U.A. test scores and changed mine?!

Fuck, the dumb piece of parchment currently in my hands says that I passed. Racing up to my room, I peel the sides apart carefully, and a slab of light metal slips out. Eagerly, I jab the button on the side.

Bzzp bzzp!! “Hello, young Yamachi!” Present Mic greets me from a hologram cheerily.

“This is a projection from the prestigious U.A. High for Budding Heroes, have you got that? So, Yamachi Akari, you scored VERY high with 64 Points in our Hero Course Entrance Exam. As Candidate Number 7099, that accounts to 32 Villain Points and the same in Rescue Points! That’s satisfying: they’re the same number!”

“Get on with it, please, Present Mic.”

“Oh right. As I said, you gained 64 Points in total, and that is quite a considerable amount. You must wonder: ‘I didn’t think I got that many points!!’, well then, you’re wrong! As well as Villain Points, we had a secret Point awarding system known as Rescue Points. Rescue Points were given out during the exam when a Candidate performed a heroic deed: that is, of saving or assisting someone! You received 32, after assisting two others and doing the same against the gimmick, which is, for your information, NOT worth 5 Points. So…” Present Mic waves his hand behind him, his cockatoo hair sticking up. A screen flashes into life and displays some rankings. 

After looking closer, I see… 

WHOA!!! I’M FIFTH!! (Hopefully that’s not for stupidity, LOL.) Does that mean… But I would have to pass the Written Portion…

“Well done, Yamachi! You passed the Written Portion rather successfully too, I may add. That means… you have passed the U.A. Entrance Exam, my new student, and will be joining at the same time as All Might! Yeah, he’s starting to teach here. So thank you, girl, and good luck!”

Bzzzzzzzzzp. 

What just happened. 

I look monotonously at my bedroom desk for a long, long while. Finally, though, my brain catches up. 

“OMGGGG!! I PASSED!! I PASSED!! PA, I HATE YOU!!” I screech, then proceed to realise that I’ve mortally wounded my voice and descend into giggles. It doesn’t matter. It’s all unimportant to me, life is. What’s going on is that-

“I… PASSED!”

“My my, Akari! If you keep screeching like that, you’ll make Mr. and Mrs. Toma cry! Do you know how grateful you still should be for Omaka sacrificing himself for you?!” Ma scolds me from downstairs where she’s just returned from working at her day job at the hospital. 

Well, that’s what they all believe happened. And recently, his parents have been in a worse mood.

Do they… hate me?

Wish that their son had come home instead of me, stupid, Quirked me?

Do they-

I can’t think bad now. I’ve just had the confirmation that I’ve got into U.A., haven’t I?! There’s nothing bad to thing about!

- 

I swallow a deep and fruitful breath before checking my timetable AGAIN. It’s my first day at U.A. today (eep!) and I absolutely CANNOT wait! But, I’m also really nervous- what if the big kids gang up on us? (Knowing U.A., that’s rather unlikely.) 

What if I get lost? (This is quite a possible possibility.)

What if I don’t make friends? (I’m the only one from my school to get into U.A.)

What if I mess up in the middle of an important class?!

What if the boys are handsome?!!

What if I become the class loner?!!!!

What if…?!

--

I scan the hallways of the (absolutely) holy U.A. Class 1-A is surprisingly hard to find, but it’s noticeable enough due to the unholily large door sporting ‘CLASS 1-A’ on the front. 

I’m freakin’ scared to push the door open. I’m early, but I wonder who’s gonna be here…

Closing my eyes, I push. 

And it occurs to me that the door is too heavy to just ‘push’. 

Shoving all my weight into it, the brick-like door slides open and I open my eyes and GRIN. 

I’m the first one here, aah! There’s no-one to be aware of yet, so I’ll just take my seat, near the back, which has my name on a card on top of the desk. To my right, the card reads… Todoroki- shit! It’s that guy (Endeavor’s son) from my neighbourhood. Just typical, of course he’d choose to come here. 

To my left, ‘Yaoyorozu’’s card lies. Hmm, I’ve never heard of her before. 

I take my seat and wait.