The Storm Within (aizawa x Female reader X Present Mic)

Early mornings

I sat straight up in bed, panting. I could feel the humidity outside and tried to calm down before my quirk caused a bigger storm. I rubbed my black cat tail gently as I felt my heart rate finally began to slow down. I glanced over at the clock and sighed. The nightmares often woke me up around this time, 3 am, and I knew I had to be up soon anyways. There was no point in trying to go back to sleep now. I stretched as I got out of bed and moved to start the coffee pot. Two hours of sleep would have to cut it, but that was nothing new.

With the coffee pot started I shuffled my way towards the bathroom. I started the water in the shower and looked in the mirror. I could see the dark bags under my eyes and sighed; It would be a makeup day today. I looked up at my black cat ears fidgeting against my short black hair. I had gotten the cat quirk from my mother, who always told me my black cat features were the cause of all of our misfortune. The quirk was fairly unhelpful in battle so I kept it hidden from the world since I could control whether it showed or not. When in private it just felt better to let out my ears and tail, it's not like I was scared of bad luck.

To the rest of the world my name was "The Herald of the Storm" and my only quirk was black lightning. Black lightning allowed me to shoot blasts of lightning but the bigger the blast the more draining it was. No one knew that the storm clouds reflected what I was feeling either. I sighed; there were a lot of differences between the me everyone saw and the real me. I stepped into the water, washing off the rest of the panic from my dreams.

When I stepped out of the shower and checked my phone it was only 3:45, so I still had plenty of time before I needed to leave. I dried off and pulled on my hero costume, which I usually wore under my clothes. My hero costume was fairly plain; it looked like black shorts and a skin tight black tank top, but it was all one piece. Over that went a black harness that held my fighting staff across my black with clips. For now, I pulled a black hoodie over the top and started my favorite classic rock playlist on my phone. I poured my first cup of coffee for the day and stretched, my tail swaying. Today is going to be a big day and first impressions are very important. Today is my first day working at Japan's prestigious U.A. high school.

My mentor and only friend, All Might, had gotten me this job so I took the first flight from America to Japan. All Might, though I always called him Toshinori instead of his hero name, had taken me under his wing during his time in America. We had kept in contact and stayed close ever since. Especially after his injury which the world knew nothing about.

I started my makeup, being sure to cover every trace of exhaustion and sadness. No one else needed to know the darkness in my head. A hero should always wear a reassuring smile and be calm. What kind of hero was broken? I brush through my hair and pull the top half up into a tidy ponytail. I finish off my coffee and pull off my hoodie looking for something bright and cheery in my closet. I want to make sure I look nice to make a good first impression, not just for me, but also for Toshinori who vouched for me. Also Toshinori had told me everyone usually goes out for drinks together to get to know each other and catch up before the school year. I settled on a pink sundress covered in white and yellow daisies. I put on the dress then placed my staff into the clips so it sits over the back of the dress.

I grabbed my second cup of coffee and checked the time, it's 4:45. With 15 minutes before I need to leave I decide to grab a pop tart from the cupboard of my rental. I'm sure my American snacks won't last long so I'll have to find alternatives soon. As I eat the pop tart I pour the rest of the coffee in the pot into a travel mug and finish up the cup I had poured earlier. I grab my bag and put the strap over me across my chest, checking I have everything I could need. I grab a book from the bookshelf and put it in the bag just in case I have some free time. Lastly I slide on my black converse hi-tops.

I stand in front of the mirror next to my door and force a smile, practicing for the day. I take a deep breath as I make my ears and tail disappear, smoothing out my dress.

"Fake it till you make it." I mutter to myself as I put in one earbud so I can still hear around me.

I do have a car, but the school is so close there isn't much point in driving. Besides, walking gives me more time to fit into the upbeat personality I'll be wearing today. Thoughts of doubt and anxiety swirl in my head but you could never tell by looking at my cheery smile. I look up and see a few dark clouds scattered around the sky, betraying the mask I'm wearing. The song switched as I got closer to the school and I smirked.

" Riders on the storm, how fitting." I chuckle to myself.

As I got to the steps of U.A. I saw Toshinori frowning at the sky.

" Well well what have we here, I thought you were always smiling!" I said playfully as he turned to smile at me in his hero form.

"Ah (y/n), how wonderful to see you looking lovely as ever! Can I assume it's been a long night." He said pointing to the storm clouds in the sky.

Only Toshinori knew the truth about me and all the ins and outs of my quirk.

"Lots of storm clouds since you arrived last week." He added, raising an eyebrow at me in concern.

"Nah." I laughed back, "Probably climate change."

He seemed thoroughly unconvinced, but let it go.

" Let's go in, the less time you spend out here in hero form the better." I said looking at him with a smile.

As I linked arms with him and began to walk in, I thought of his injury. I knew he could only hold this form for a few hours, and it is very painful.

Despite the smile on my face, I heard a crack of thunder as the doors closed behind us.