Lightning Serenade

Chapter 12: Fields X

It was procedure for the examiners to experience the quirks for themselves whenever possible.

When the examiner was released from Hitoshi's quirk, he was heaving. He couldn't get enough oxygen. Honestly, the experience was terrifying, and he was uncertain about the ethics behind allowing underage mental health patients to undergo the same treatment under Hitoshi's quirk. Along with the policy and procedure, he also wanted to get a feel for Hitoshi's quirk for himself so that he would be an accurate observer, but for how young Hitoshi was, he had the examiner under his complete control with no way for him to break free.

The examiner had been under many different types of quirks before, but Hitoshi's was on another level completely. There was usually a mind-over-matter element to mental quirks that you could fight back if you were calm and fought hard enough, but there was absolutely no way for Hitoshi's quirk, and that was terrifying all on its own.

The examiner tried to quickly compose himself, but the terrified awe must have been obvious in his expression because Hitoshi looked quickly away from him and tensed, bracing himself for whatever was to come next.

"Ah! Me next! Please!" Denki pleaded, jumping up and down and waving his hands erratically like his request might be considered more carefully if he was as visible as possible. "Do you want me to break out or not fight it?" Denki asked, facing Hitoshi in thought.

Hitoshi looked over at the examiner who was still in too much shock to speak. Getting no guidance from the examiner, Hitoshi shrugged, stating, "let's just get into it, and we'll let you know if you should try to break out after."

Denki nodded enthusiastically, waiting in excited anticipation to answer the trigger question that was sure to come soon. Neito leaned back in his chair, coldly observing, displeased about the examiner's reaction to Hitoshi's quirk, but mentally deciding to not jump down his throat about it until he says something negative about Hitoshi.

Neito tried to cut the guy some slack; reactions cannot always be controlled, after all, especially after experiencing the power that is Hitoshi's quirk. But Neito would be damned before the examiner did any more damage to Hitoshi's self-esteem. Neito stared coldly at the examiner, not even bothering to watch his soulmate and roommate for the moment, ready to spring into action to cut off any potentially damaging statement that might try to burst free from the man's lips.

The examiner looked hesitant, eyes switching between Denki and Hitoshi, but he was also aware enough to look intrigued and a little confused as well. He was smart enough to keep his mouth shut, at least, and observe, as it was his job to do so.

"Are you ready?" Hitoshi asked, for once feeling a little peace while slinging his quirk through the words that left his lips.

Ordinarily, he would be anxious about the end results and would not look so relaxed. The words had a lazy drawl as they exited his mouth, primed with quirk, and Neito saw a new confidence in his soulmate that he had never seen before.

Hitoshi was relaxed, even while he was starting off this experiment to see if it was his quirk that was messing with his and his soulmate's heads. Maybe it was because he was putting Denki under, and he had already learned that Denki wouldn't let him down. Maybe it was because he was surrounded by friends, and he had never felt that kind of support before. Hitoshi didn't even give much thought to the scared look in the examiner's eyes as he dropped his quirk from his mind, knowing that right on cue, as always, Denki would burst into the conversation like All Might bursting in on a villainous plot in action and relieve any negative attention by redirecting it to himself.

"You know it!" Denki chirped, shooting a comically dramatic wink and finger guns in Hitoshi's direction.

Neito knew that Hitoshi was feeling good when Denki's reply wasn't cut off. Hitoshi was not feeling rushed. He did not feel the need to hurry and get it over with. He allowed the full answer, chuckled at Denki's antics, and calmly reached over Denki's mind, enveloping his consciousness and taking over control. Denki relaxed into it immediately. Hitoshi knew he would, but it still made him feel amazing each time, just like it was the first time. He didn't know why he was so awestruck, but Denki's reaction to his quirk, how he just relaxed into it and enjoyed the experience would never cease to amaze him.