Mystery from Another World--MHA

Part 56: Pigeons trigger Todoroki

The day after that, normal training resumed with the full class. Momo felt tired but less on edge than she had been feeling... only she had a sort of calm but depressed aura. She thought it was because things had become harder for her to sort out than before.

Did she really want to know the truth now? Maybe it was okay not to...

Jiro didn't admit to getting Shine-- she just asked Momo if she was okay. Momo nodded. "I'm fine now."

Before Aizawa came in, Todoroki glanced over at her desk. "Uh... Yaoyurozu?"

"Hmm?" Momo realized that she's barely said anything to Todoroki since the whole thing happened. Perhaps that was selfish...

Todoroki didn't actually know how to follow that up. "I... hope you're feeling better..." was all he could think of.

He was worried about her? He was the one who almost got kidnapped. Momo nodded. "I'm all right... Uh... are you?"

"I'm fine," Todoroki said, "I don't really understand what that forced break was about--" He was cut off by Aizawa coming in.

"Since the whole class is now back together, how about we celebrate by having a little extra challenge in training?" Aizawa said.

Aizawa never learned.

The extra challenge was simulating a villain attack with some of the teachers again. Things were going fine. The class was doing very well. All this was beginning to feel like old hat to them... but the teachers always liked to make the odds impossible whenever the students got too comfortable.

No one was really having any problems though, even after the third unexpected exploding building.

Todoroki was actually very focused, having wanted to make up for the missed training... and demonstrate to Shine that all that vacation time was going to be unnecessary in the future.

But while he was running by Koda and Tokoyami, a weird thing happened. Koda was calling some pigeons, and they flew overhead to ward off the attacks of Ectoplasm's clones.

But Todoroki found himself flinching, as if to dodge when they went over his head.

He couldn't understand why a bunch of birds were startling him so much, but he actually noticed his hand shaking, and he felt a little nauseous. He slowed to use a pressure point on his foot, something his Dad taught... just so he'd train longer, really, but, in a pinch it usually did the trick...

But when he stopped to do that, he got knocked aside unexpectedly. He wasn't ready at all.

That was so out of character for him as a hero that Ectoplasm actually asked him if he was okay (the real Ectoplasm).

"Uh, yeah..." Todoroki said, "I don't know why I lost focus... I'll be fine."

"Keep your head in the game, Todoroki," Ectoplasm scolded, "But sorry, I think you're officially out if I stopped you..."

"But that's not fair-- I didn't ask you to!" Todoroki said.

"If you're gonna break focus like that, you're out anyway if a villain is involved," Ectoplasm said, "You'd better just leave the training ground."

That was the worst way he'd ever been eliminated. Todoroki sat off waiting, wondering what had happened.

Recovery Girl called Shine to come escort him back to the dorms, but he said he wanted to at least watch.

Shine shrugged and sat down to wait with him. "Looks like Deku's doing a bit better at control," she said, "Oh... ouch, Kirishima. That had to hurt... Bakugo is doing well as always. At least he's never hurt badly... That a girl, Mina.... I really don't know if Momo should be doing this today, but at least she's better."