𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐈 | bnha

flu

(Y/n) was, at this point, absolutely convinced that the universe hated her. Or at least was playing an escalating series of pranks on her. In junior high, she was pumped to have landed a spot in the U.A. Support course, which was an absolute miracle for her under-achieving ass. Beyond that, she was ecstatic to find out that she could qualify for the Sports Festival. But then she had to get the fucking flu, which led to her current predicament.

(Y/n) was hunched over as coughs racked her body, her lungs stinging as tears welled in her eyes. "You sound like someone who's smoked for over twenty years," a boy commented dryly as he glanced over her form with tired eyes.
"Thanks for the encouragement, Hito," the girl rasped out, her voice rough and cracked. "Anything for you, devil girl." He flicked one of her horns, drawing a grumble of protest. Hitoshi let out a disinterested hum before speaking again.
"Tell me why you decided to do the Sports Festival, an incredibly physically taxing event, while you have the goddamned flu?" She evaded the question, something that she was talented at.
"Ok, you and I need a plan, yeah?" He shrugged in response.
"I hypnotize a couple people and make them carry me through. It's easy really." She straightened up, narrowing her eyes.
"And practically broadcast how your quirk works? Once someone avoids your quirk, you lose. You aren't strong with hand-to-hand, Hito." (Y/n) propped a hand up on her hip, tilting her head as she suppressed the urge to cough. Hitoshi's lips pressed into a fine line.
"What do you propose?" Her grin was sharp as she responded.

"Sabotage."

~~~

The boy up on the makeshift stage finally stepped down, allowing for Midnight to start the countdown. The screen near the top of the stadium beeped cheerfully.
"Its time to get started!" Midnight snapped her whip, the sound like a sharp crack of thunder. The display fizzed to life above her, playing the same 3-second bit several times before stopping with a flourish. "Looks like its an Obstacle Course!"
(Y/n) hacked out a huge cough, startling almost everyone in the crowd of students. "You might wanna get that checked out after this is over."
"Yeah, probably."
The crowd's cheers fade away and deathly silence fills the stadium. The lights above the door are green and fade in contrast to the brilliance of the sun's glare. The students around the duo tense. (Y/n) finds herself fidgeting with the support item pinned to her gym uniform.
The first light blinks away. "Stick to the plan, devil girl. No improv."
The second light is gone. She smirks. "I haven't the slightest clue what you're talking about," she responds, bouncing on the balls of her feet. He chuckles.
The last light is gone and so is the silence.
(Y/n) steps back a few paces, coughing a little into her elbow. "Boost?" Hitoshi nodded, folding his hands together to form a step. She dashed forwards and he launched her over the heads of a few at the back of the crowd, landing on another head. She hopped from head to head, stifling giggles and coughs as disgruntled shouts filled the narrow doorway.
"Huh?" The P.A blared as Present Mic yelled into the microphone. "The contestants are literally climbing over one another!" (Y/n) snorted at the pun before stumbling and nearly losing her balance. "What did the rep say about 'stepping stones to victory'? Looks like he isn't the only one that feels that way!"
(Y/n) leapt off a head on the front and the ground froze seconds before she landed. Her heart jumped into her throat.(Y/n) landed half-crouched, one leg straight and the other folded beneath her. Her gaze flicked up as several students jumped overhead with a yell. "Hito?" She glances around.
"I'll catch up. Stick to the plan." His response is faint. (Y/n) nods and pushes off, sliding over the frozen ground.
"And already a contestant pulls ahead! Todoroki Shoto of Class 1-A is in the lead with another student at his heels," Present Mic shouts into his microphone in the observation box above. "Class 1-A may get all the attention, but U.A is filled with talented students!"
Eraserhead spoke then, leaning forwards as though interested. "(L/n) (Y/n) from the Support Class." His eyes narrowed. "A Hero Course hopeful."

Aizawa turned the corner to reach his classroom, every bone in his body aching under his weight. He bumped into a small figure and stepped back to squint at who it was.
"Un- I mean, Aizawa-sensei."
"(L/n)." There was a brief silence before (L/n) shook her head.
"Shouldn't you be in the hospital? I heard what happened- at USJ-"
"The Sports Festival is coming up," he interrupted. "You'll have a chance to transfer into the Hero Course." His scrutinized her, noting that she was both carrying a box of spare parts and that she had broken dress code again and worn heels.
"You know I can't do that-"
"All I know is that you give excuses about why you won't. Fear isn't a rational reason."
She tilted her head up to look at him, studying him with careful eyes. She stepped to the side, walking a few meters before stopping. "You should change your bandages soon. You're bleeding through them." She started walking again, heels clicking and metal jangling in the box she carried.
"(L/n)." He heard her stop. He tilted his head forwards and closed his eyes. "Your enrollment in the support course is disrespectful to both the teacher and this school. Above all, its a waste." He opened his eyes, not needing to turn to see she was still standing there. "Unless you find a more adequate pursuit, I will be pushing for your expulsion." He resumed his course towards the towering door of 1-A.
"Aizawa-sensei?" He stopped at the door, glancing at the girl. (L/n) had a glint in her eye, the kind of fire that was only an ember when he saw her after the hero course entrance exam. "Thank you."
A smile tugged at his lips, invisible beneath his bandages.

An unexpected benefit to having the flu: tunnel vision. She was too tired to be startled by the groaning metal as the robots came crashing down. Instead she raised an arm and her skin swelled and grew, growing new muscles and bones as claws spawned, sharper than the devil. The metal screeched as she swept it aside, pain flickering through her arm. The arm shrunk to normal size as she sprinted forwards, bruising drifting over her arm like the kiss of a ghost. 
She dashed through the path, her lungs already heaving from the stress of this race. The kid that had pulled ahead of her disappeared around a bend and she jogged to catch up.

What little color she had left in her face drained away when she saw the chasm. (Y/n) swallowed the lump in her throat, her wings fluttering and tail lashing anxiously. Her jaw worked as her mind threw itself into a frenzy.

She knew how to fly. Well, she knew how to avoid crashing, but that should be enough.

(she had gone out of her way to avoid flying ever since she was younger, when she thought she could safely get out of a tree. children always think themselves invincible. her wings flapped in a frenzied fashion as she plummeted, but her wings were too small and underdeveloped at that time to do anything more than slow her fall. so she fell, like an icarus reborn of darkness. she crashed into the ground, fracturing two bones. she'd developed a fear of heights after that.)

Would- would that be enough? She stretched out her wings, two vast things of bony and inky darkness with thin membranes stretched between each finger of the wing. They were large, swallowing up the sunlight that had kissed her skin moments prior with dark matter and midnight skies. And, with a thunderous flap, the ground beneath her feet vanished and there was only the steady rush of air in her hair, the thump thump thump of her heartbeat as it leapt into her throat and, oh God she was flying; she soared and sucked in each frigid breath as it was forced into her lungs.

(alas, she forgets that what humanity we have damns us, condemns us. even rome burned. even icarus fell. and, oh, what a rush it is to fall rather than fly. and so she falls, like every creature before her, she plummets and her heart beats so intensely it feels like starfire in her fingertips. she tumbles end over end and the ledge approaches. she snatches it in hand that trembles because, oh god, the abyss whispers at her back and it makes her head spin.)