[ENG]Shoto Todoroki : Modern-day Terrorist

Chapter 81 - The Sacrifice

I raised my hand, my eyes glued to the bottle.

The water oscillated before rising into the air, drop by drop: bubbles of different sizes floated in the air, reflecting the sun's rays like mirrors. The air was warm, there was no wind. I licked my upper lip, wiping away a drop of sweat that had rolled down it. Slowly I moved two fingers.

The bubbles swayed, slowly spinning around each other. Their surface was stable, and I rotated them until I was sure that none would burst like the previous ones.

Satisfied, I took a step toward the sea. The bubbles retreated, the distance between us remaining the same. Another step. Again they retreated. The foam slid over my feet, the sand sank under my toes. The waves turned into barrels beneath my bubbles, crashing against the beach.

I ventured further into the sea until I was knee-deep in water. I breathed in, engraving in my mind the way I felt the water - my water - so I could do it again.

I lowered my fingers. My bubbles crashed into the ocean, diluted in the sea. The feeling of familiarity disappeared, but I didn't lose hope.

I concentrated and extended my hand to the sea. The surface of the water shook, and for a second I thought it was the tremors of the sea - but I felt the familiarity of the water again, and with my heart beating fast, I commanded the water to rise.

There was resistance, almost as if it refused, but I insisted and forced it to rise before me. The water shook and then, slowly, a fine trickle emerged, rising vertically. As it rose, more and more water followed, as if a miniature tsunami was rising in front of me.

My arm muscles shook, the water resisting my call. Gritting my teeth, I raised my left hand. More and more water rose from the sea to join the web I'd created: in a handful of seconds, a wall of water had risen between me and the sun, floating in the air and vibrating with energy. I moved my left hand to split the wall, holding my right hand steady, and- My head turned sharply toward the makeshift school.

Aizawa.

My wall of water fell with a splash as I plunged into the sea.

I forced myself to sit cross-legged on the sand, my lungs burning. My chakra circulated throughout my body, slowing my heartbeat and forcing me to calm down. I wasn't capable of prolonged apnea, but I had learned long ago how to slow my heartbeat enough for my chakra to keep me alive for a while without oxygen.

I felt Aizawa approaching the sea before stopping short of it: his legs came toward me, blurred by the curtain of water that separated us.

He stood staring at the sea for a whole minute, waiting for me to come out, no doubt hoping to corner me.

I could see the scowl on his face as he turned and walked away.

*

- I can't keep bringing you food like this, Aizawa is beginning to suspect something.

I devoured my plate ravenously.

Keichiro and Kana prepared a hearty breakfast for me every morning at 5:30 and even took care of delivering behind the mess hall, where Aizawa never wentto fetch me.

At noon, I was content to nibble on my morning's leftovers, and in the evening, Katsuki would bring me my meal in the woods next to the refectory. At night I slept in the trees, and although my back was a little sore, it wasn't too bad.

It was a tedious but necessary organization: I'd rather die than humiliate myself cleaning something as degrading as a toilet, especially if it was for a bunch of poor and dirty teenagers.

On the bright side, I'd made phenomenal progress in my water skills, thanks to sixteen hours of daily training.

- Also, the kid's looking for you.