The Eyes That Make the Storm

20) Research

Stasia, Kirishima, and Midoriya were all in the common room, seated down on one couch as they stared down at the laptop on the coffee table at a loss of what to type. "Yama?" Kirishima called and Stasia looked at him reluctantly, still not used to the nickname.

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to type anything?"

"Are you?" They maintained eye contact for a moment before they turned simultaneously.

"Izuku?"

"Midoriya?"

"Y-yes?"

"What do you think we should look up first?"

"I- maybe the sports festival?"

"Right!" Kirishima agreed and moved forward to search up the videos.

"The what?"

"Right you weren't here yet." Midoriya realized. "It's a tournament where we can prove our physical capabilities against one another and it gives us the opportunity to be scouted by hero agencies."

"Oh, that sounds kinda stupid." She said bluntly and as the boys stared at her in shock she clicked the video that was waiting in the queue. The videos started with the cavalry battle first as they thought it would be beneficial for Stasia to see how Todoroki and Bakugou worked in teams before anything else. She was silent the whole time, presumed to be deep in thought as she watched. When the video ended she didn't take her eyes off the screen until Kirishima adjusted the laptop to get her to notice the change, and when she did she looked at him with the thought that he wanted her attention, but he just nervously smiled.

"What?"

"What do you think?"

"All of you are stupid."

"Wha-"

"How one-track-minded can you possibly be? You all wanted the singular ten million points headband and couldn't do the simple math to get the points you needed elsewhere, to still advance to the next round? But no, everyone wanted Izuku's headband. And Kirishima, your teamwork with Bakugou and everyone else is trash. Why was he throwing himself off of your weird makeshift carriage every five seconds? Did you even discuss anything before it started or was it just him just talking to everyone and you nodding? Letting idiotic behavior happen is just as bad."

"I- that felt more like an attack on my team." Kirishima winced just as Stasia took a deep breath.

"Another thing Izuku, why were you doing next to nothing up until the last five minutes? And then you went against Todoroki and lost and instead of scraping together what points you could, you went back for that ten million just like everyone else."

"Sorry."

"And who's idea was it- wait why are you apologizing? Was this not like several months ago? No one cares about all the many stupid mistakes you made throughout the battle. It's fine. You too Kirishima. Plus not that it really matters, you did manage to advance anyways, so you know, good job." She congratulated them and they both took a sigh of relief. "But let's watch the one-on-one battles next. I think we should take notes on that."

"Good idea." They nodded.

"I'll go get my things." She said as she got off the couch and headed to the elevator and the doors opened before she could press a button. Bakugou walked out of the elevator not noticing her at first, that was until she dragged him back in.

"What the hell!"

"Help me find my notebook."

"No."

"That wasn't me asking." Before he could leave the doors closed in front of him and she hit the button for the fifth floor.

"Make this quick, I have to be remedial."

"Got it."

"What do you need your notebook for? We didn't have any homework, idiot."

"I'm taking notes on your fighting style and weaknesses as well as the other kids so we know how to properly beat your ass."

"Please you losers don't stand a chance."

"At least we have our licenses." She sneered.

"You are so lucky we can't go head to head anymore."

"Sure." The elevator finally dinged and they both stepped out so she could lead him to her dorm which he got to see for the first time. It wasn't a thought that occurred to him before but now that he was presented with it, he did wonder what her room looked like. So when she opened the door the first thing he felt was disappointment. It was normal. Everything was neat. Gray bed sheets with accents of purple scattered around the room. The room, which by the way smelled like the air after a storm with a hint of sour candy. There were black and white photos with pops of colors placed horizontally, side by side on her walls that surrounded the perimeter. A singular stuffed animal lay on her bed and the way it was set up stared you down as you walked through the door.

"It's Eri's." She said, already feeling his judgment as she crouched to the drawers at her desk. Rummaged for a moment before she found the notebook and a pencil. She closed the drawer softly and stood back up, motioned for him to follow her out, and closed the door behind them.

A hand wedged itself between the doors for them to reopen and Todoroki to walk in. "Hey."

"Hi, Stasia."

"Gross," Bakugou remarked. The three stepped out of the elevator just as Midoriya ran up to it.

"Hey, you good?" Stasia asked.

"Yeah, we were just looking for you, you were taking a kind of a long time."

"Oh, because I got Bakugou to come with me."

"Oh and Todoroki too?"

"No, we all just met in the elevator."

"Hi, Midoriya."

"Hi!"

For whatever reason, neither Midoriya, Todoroki, Bakugou, or Stasia moved. Something then changed about the air. The atmosphere shifted and it was almost as if something locked this moment in time. To show how these four would soon turn into three, in more ways than one.