Chapter Text
I didn't ask for the world to end.
Yet, surrounded by those I call my friends- no, my family, I can't help but think that I wouldn't rather be anywhere else.
We've come so far, seen and been through so much together… we truly are a family. A family tied by trauma, fighting to even survive.
My name is Quinn Sethler.
And this is my story of how the world…
No.
Wait.
How the worlds, plural, fractured into pieces.
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It was a completely normal Saturday at UA High. The sun dawned on a brisk, but pleasantly warm morning, the newly budded Sakura trees swaying on the breeze. Spring was here, and so was the end of our first year as Hero Course students.
Not everyone else was awake yet, since it was the weekend. I myself was an early riser, along with Tokoyami and Bakugo. Of course, Bakugo wanted nothing to do with us, instead favoring training, so Tokoyami and I were having a nice conversation over a cup of Yayorozu's tea.
"It's not really that difficult," I was saying. "All you need to do is simply put yourself out there, confidence is key! And soon you'll have agencies swarming to recruit you, from all around Japan."
Tokoyami scoffed.
"I'd rather not, thank you."
He sipped his tea, taking his time before replying.
"It's bad enough that we had to fight in front of all of Japan, I really don't get how you keep this up, Quinn."
"It's all about a positive outlook, man! You can't get everywhere in life with doom and gloom."
I smiled at him, before setting my tea down, and taking out my phone. Not really to do anything, just to look back at my milestones.
The day I got accepted into UA,
The day I met class 1A,
The day that we moved into the dorms.
The day that Bakugo beat my ass in the UA festival.
The day that All Might officially retired.
The day my mom died…
All of these memories, both bittersweet and sugared poison, recorded on my phone for as long as I chose.
I thought back to my elementary days. Back when my parents were still together, and we weren't even living in Japan.
Sometimes I would give anything to go back in time… to feel that Tennessee breeze, and not have to worry about anything. Six year old me had it made. Just learning his quirk, a family not yet touched by tragedy...
I jolted out of my little flashback. Tokoyami was shaking me, concerned.
"Quinn? You zoned out there. Are you alright?"
I shook myself mentally. Now, 9, almost 10 years later, there was nothing to be afraid of.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just… thinking."
We continued our conversation over tips to impress agencies, and as time ticked on, more and more of our classmates gradually trickled out of their rooms to grab breakfast. By 10:30, everyone (except for Bakugo) was all in the main room, talking, joking, laughing over various breakfast foods.
It was then that all of our phones went off at once. Mr. Aizawa, texting 'Practice field, 30 minutes, wear your hero outfits.'
"Wonder what he wants? It is a Sunday, after all…"
Denki. The class idiot, per usual. Several of us snickered at his slip up.
"You do realize that today is Saturday, right?" Jirou replied.
"Big deal!"
And with that, we finished the last of breakfast, and after cleaning up, made our way to get changed and meet Mr. Aizawa at the practice field.
–‡—‡–
20 minutes later, we were all surrounding Mr. Aizawa while he explained what we would be doing.
Eternally tired, per usual, of course.
"You all are probably wondering why I made you do this on a weekend," he drawled. "It's to test your response to a sudden call. A villain could strike, and before you're even ready multiple people could be dead. And had this been an actual emergency, you all would have failed. Lucky for you, This was just a drill."
I glanced around. Jeez, everybody looked pissed. One of Mr. Aizawa's normal little tests, it seemed… oh well. Only thing to do was learn from this.
But he wasn't done.
"But, I had another reason for dragging you out of your rooms today. A hero never takes an off day. So, we're going to be having some training today."
And with that, the entire class groaned.
"Come on, Mr. Aizawa! Cut us a break!"
Oh. Mina. Of course she would say something back.
Mr. Aizawa froze, then the telltale red glare locked onto Mina, all the way in the back.
"Are you telling me that you'd rather go back to your rooms?"
Mina quickly shook her head no, and Aizawa moved on.
"Now, today will be a series of one-on-one matches, picked by yours truly. Now, I'll be pairing you based on your quirk and physical limits, so don't get mad if you lose your match. It just means that you need more training to catch up."
It was then that we noticed the box. Not anything special, just a regular box. But it still hit us with something… menacing.
"I'll be drawing different battlegrounds out of the box, and whatever one I pull for your matchup is where you'll fight. For this exercise, try not to destroy anything if at all possible. Not only will I be looking for strategy, but how suited you are to fighting in different situations. Especially for urban areas. Property damage tends to throw a wrench in daily life."
Mr. Aizawa started assigning the matchups, and picking the places at random.
Jirou vs. Mina.
Denki vs. Kirishima.
Me vs. Midorya…
We'd all seen what he could do. How crazy he could go, and we all knew he hadn't even scratched the surface.
No wonder All Might seemed to like him so much.
While we got ready for the matches, I took a moment to slip into the bathroom. Knowing I was up against the (disputed) top of class in terms of pure ability, I was… panicking. I couldn't even beat Bakugo, and Midorya had actually done,
it before…
I slapped myself. What the hell was I thinking? Getting myself in this mindset was only putting myself up for failure.
I wiped off the mirror, staring myself down.
I had all the experience necessary. True, I had a bit of an advantage, being a bipedal lizard. Tail meant an extra limb for attack and defense, and I had the training necessary to use it well. Digitigrade stance also meant I was constantly on my toes, lending to dodging, which would be crucial in this fight.
I ran a talon over my face. Sky blue scales… lighter blue hair, almost white…
Damn, it was getting long. I needed a haircut.
And my eyes…
Those cobalt eyes…
So much was behind them.
Which is why they couldn't lose now.
I put my fedora back on, and finished tying my scarf. Some might call them cumbersome in a real fight, but they were… sentimental to me. It seemed fair to make them a part of my hero costume.
I had just finished when someone knocked at the door.
Speak of the devil.
Midorya looked about as nervous as I felt, which was oddly comforting. He was fiddling with one of his gloves, an odd little tic of his. He offered a weak smile.
"So… you and me. This should be fun!"
I nodded.
"Fun… yeah. I hope you still think it's fun when I manage to beat you at your own game."
He gulped, but didn't waver. He's come a long way from the jumpy kid almost a year ago.
"Our match is the next one, so I figured I should grab you."
I didn't say anything, just nodded. I can do this. I will do this.
"Oh. And Quinn?"
I looked up, meeting his gaze. He clenched a fist, meeting mine with steely determination in those eyes.
"Do your best out there!"
END CHAPTER 1
-STEELED AND READY-
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