i hate you. (Bakugou Katsuki x OC)

41 | Broken Promises

The third morning of camp comes like all the others—too early, too loud, and far too intense for my liking. Aizawa all but drags our exhausted asses to the cliffs again, nitpicking at the remedial students for just about everything they do along the way. He must be just as sick of this camp as we are. But, plus ultra doesn't exactly include packing up and going home early.

Much like the day before, Aizawa divides us into our own tasks. Today, he partners me with Shoji, no doubt for the same reason he did for the final exam.

"You'll spar today," he instructs without much interest. "Toshiba, you will mask your location using your illusions—preferably make yourself invisible. Shoji, I want you to track her using your heightened senses."

I glance at Shoji. His serious expression doesn't falter as he nods at Aizawa's instructions. We both have our work cut out, by design, no doubt. My invisibility illusion isn't perfect—at least, not yet. When I cast it, it takes a lot of focus to maintain, and even more focus if I want to move without breaking it. But it's still invisibility. Tracking it with nothing to go on is going to be a challenge.

"Ready?" Aizawa asks, scanning us with his usual calm but unyielding gaze.

Shoji nods, taking a defensive stance, his extra appendages forming a shield of muscle and eyes.

I close my eyes for a moment and center myself. Focus. That's the key. I inhale deeply and activate my quirk, channeling my concentration into projecting the illusion of invisibility. The world around me feels distant, almost blurry at the edges, as I fade from sight.

For a moment, I'm not even sure I'm here.

I move slowly, careful not to make any noise, not to disrupt the air in the space. My steps are featherlight, and I feel my pulse in my ears, thrumming against the delicate thread of my illusion. The ground underfoot crunches with each step, but I trust Shoji can't hear that.

At least I hope not.

Shoji's tentacles twitch, his eyes scanning the field. One of his arms stretches out like a radar, its ear open wide to catch any sound. He's trying to pinpoint me, but his movements are slow, measured.

This is a game of patience.

I circle him, using the breeze to mask any sound I might make. For a brief second, I manage to slip behind Shoji without him noticing. The thrill of being unseen, even if just for a moment, pulses through me—until the soft sound of my metal hand clenching echoes through the clearing.

Shit.

Shoji suddenly lunges forward, sweeping his arm through the space I occupied just moments ago. My heart leaps in my chest, but I dodge to the side. His attack missed, but barely.

He's close. Too close.

I dart a few steps back, trying to put distance between us. But maintaining my invisibility while moving faster proves difficult. I can feel the threads of my quirk unraveling, the edges of my form flickering back into view.

In a flash, his tentacle wraps around my waist, pulling me toward him. I yelp, my invisibility shattering as I tumble to the ground.

"Got you," Shoji says, though there's no smugness in his tone. He releases me immediately, stepping back to give me space.

I push myself up, brushing off the dirt from my clothes. My heart is still racing, and I feel a wave of frustration wash over me.

Aizawa steps forward, his gaze assessing. "Not bad, Toshiba. Your illusion quality is improving, but you need to work on your focus. A quirk is worthless in a fight if you can't multitask. Shoji, good work on tracking, but you need to be able to get the first hit in. Rely less on sound and more on your instincts."