Solivigant

Remora

Remora:
an obstacle, hindrance or obstruction

Screams. They split the air, fear overflowing his mind, crowding his senses. He curled in on himself, body shaking with sobs. Small hands clutched pink hair, digging into his scalp as he clawed at his head. Being so young, the sudden activation of his quirk was overwhelming, but for some reason, his brain wouldn't shut down, his eyes couldn't tear away from the horror that he was seeing.

"- UA sports festival!"

Ely's eyes fluttered open in time to catch his homeroom teacher's exit. Today, the class was full of nervous chatter. After Aizawa had dropped the bomb of the UA Sports Festival - which Ely had apparently slept through - they wouldn't shut up. Now, waiting for their next class, they bickered with each other while Ely just rested his head on his desk. Last night, he hadn't gotten much sleep and his ribs still throbbed from the night's encounter. He took a sharp breath in, adjusted his white mask, then settled back down, hoping to get in even a few minutes of sleep.
As soon as Ely's body went still, the class immediately switched subjects.

"What do you think his quirk is?"

"I don't know, but that 'thing' that happened yesterday was not okay."

"Do you think that was his quirk?"
"If it was, that was such a villain-like move."

Kirishima stayed silent during the whole attack on the secretive and mysterious pink haired boy. He was worried and hated keeping this secret to himself, but he didn't know what would happen if he did tell someone. The red head knew the risks, he knew that it may not help the situation and could potentially make it even worse. All he could do now was grit his teeth and remain silent, watching from behind to make sure that he was okay no matter what would be said to him or about him if someone were to find out. He had to protect him in some way.

"Yano, I'm quite excited to see what he can do during the Sports Festival." Kaminari Dekni leant back in his chair, swinging on the back to chair legs as he spoke to his red headed best friend.

Kirishima nodded, eyes still on the small boy as he 'slept' during the ruckus.

"I'M GONNA CRUSH HIS SORRY ASS!"

"Sure you will Bakubro, sure you will." He smiled at his friend's typical antics, knowing that they meant no sort of harm even though they tended to jeer and sneer. They were just curious, but expressed it in their very own ways and he loved them for it.

Movement at the edge of his vision caught his attention, and Kirishima looked over just in time to catch sight of Ely adjusting his mask. He glimpsed a slightly black splash on the other boy's face before it got covered by the black medical mask. That was something else he'd noticed - yesterday the boy had donned a bIack mask, the day before white. He wondered, only briefly, what this meant, but he moved on quickly as someone slapped his shoulder.

"Whatcha lookin' at-" Kaminari broke off when he finished following Kirishima's gaze, golden eyes coming to rest on Ely's sleeping form.

"Ah, uh, nothing," Kirishima cleared his throat and turned to look at his best friend, shaking his head, "Nothing at all."

Nothing much was really said after that. The chatter continued, but soon died down after all the interesting topics had gone by, leaving them all to just sit there and generate small talk as they waited for the lunch bell.

***

A hand took a hold of the red head's wrist, keeping him in the classroom while everyone else left for their lunch. The three boys remained in silence and in place as they each evaluated the situation and what was going to be said.

"Say it now, Shitty Hair..." Bakugou glowered down at the person he somewhat considered a 'friend', towering over him even with the small-ish height difference.

Red eyes darted about the room and landed on the blonde pikachu resemblant, hoping for at least a little help, but the look said it all: he wanted to know too. Kirishima knew that he was cornered here and he wanted to tell them - or at least someone, but then he'd lose the trust (the little he had been instilled) Ely gave.
He shook his head in defeat, looking down to the ground and watching his feet shuffle.

"It's Ely-"

The door scraped open, showing the small, pink haired boy looking coldly through the doorway. His piercing gaze penetrated Kirishima's soul and he gulped, immediately shutting his lips and swallowing thickly.

"N-nothing."

And that was that. They all left the room in an eerie silence. None of it felt right and they all knew something big was going to happen, but what was another question. They passed Ely at the door, exchanging glares as the smaller boy slipped past them.

After Bakugo and his questionable group of friends had left the classroom, Ely let out a quiet exhale of relief, wincing as his head throbbed mercilessly from the action.

Why didn't you just wipe them?

The voice echoed in his head, an ear splitting noise despite not actually existing in the 'real' world.

Shut it.

Ely forced the thought, stumbling forwards and sinking down at his desk. He had suspected that Kirishima's friends would interrogate the red head, but why it had to be today that it happened was a mystery. It was Iike the world was out to get him, trying to expose what Ely wants to be hidden so badly. He could never drop his guard, never let down his walls for even a moment, but being so on guard was taxing and it ate away at Ely's mind. To be frank, it was exhausting and now, Ely's head thudded softly against the wood of his desk as a wave of pain and fatigue washed over him and he drifted into the blanket of darkness that wrapped around him.