MY EMBER (BNHA x OC)

Halloween Came Early This Year

The bell to inaugurate homeroom period rang and Aizawa walked into the classroom. His entire face was covered in white bandages.

"Damn, Aizawa," Sana muttered, "You know I was just kidding about the whole mummy thing, right? You didn't have to—"

Uraraka punched her in the arm.

"Ow!" Sana yelped, "Okay, I guess I deserved that."

"My bandages are irrelevant," Aizawa said, "Something far more important is approaching."

The students straightened in their seats, ears perked.

"The UA Sports Festival!"

The classroom blew up with chatter. Some expressed concern, thinking it would be too risky to host the Sports Festival right after the Villain League attack.

Aizawa assured them that the school had upgraded their security and the Sports Festival was too important to cancel. He explained that it was a tournament all students participated in to gain popularity and be scouted by Pro Hero Agencies. It was the most-viewed event in the country.

The class was practically shaking with excitement. Sana, however, suddenly felt very, very sick. Her stomach was in knots as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She raised her hand and excused herself to the restroom.

She locked herself inside a washroom stall and dramatically slid her back down the door. She clutched her stomach. The most-viewed event in the country. That means... he's going to be watching.

Sana picked herself off the floor and pulled the hair away from her face. I can't let him ruin the Sports Festival for me. I have to do my best no matter what.

She pushed open the washroom stall's door and started to make her way back to class. As she turned a corner in the hallway, she bumped into a tall, muscular figure. She looked up. All Might stared down at her.

"Sana Tachi!" he exclaimed, "You're young Midoriya's friend, right?"

Guilt crawled up her throat at the sight of the Pro Hero. She wanted to apologize on behalf of her adoptive brother for causing him so much trouble, but she knew better. She swallowed. "Yes."

"Well, when you see him, tell him that I want to have lunch with him. I'll be in my office." He flashed her a blinding white Colgate advertisement-worthy smile.

She muttered a quiet "Sure." and walked on. When Sana entered the classroom, everyone was still buzzing about the Sports Festival. They were all determined to get noticed by Pro Hero Agencies. Sana was once again reminded of what an ambitious class 1-A was.

The bell rang for lunchtime and everyone started to file out. Sana walked alongside Iida, Uraraka and Midoriya as they made their way to the cafeteria.

"Hey, Uraraka," Midoriya called, "I never asked you this before, but... Why do you want to become a Pro Hero?"

The girl stopped walking. They looked at her. She smiled sheepishly. "For the money."

Her friends were shocked. She rushed to explain. "It's because of my parents! See, they work in construction, so we're not exactly rich. My parents always looked tired. It pained me to see them like that. So I decided that I'd become a Hero to make money so they can finally take it easy!"

"That's actually a really noble reason, Uraraka." Sana said, smiling.

"I hope you work hard and become the Hero you aspire to be!" Iida said, moving his arms in rapid robotic movements.

Midoriya turned to Sana. "Why do you want to be a He—"

"Oh, that reminds me!" Sana interjected just in time, "I have something to tell you, Midoriya." She turned to Iida and Uraraka, telling them to go to the cafeteria and that they would join them later on. The pair shrugged and complied. Sana then pulled a very confused Midoriya off to the side.

"I bumped into your dad earlier," she told him, "He said he wanted to eat with you."

The boy was caught off guard. "My what?"

"Oh, you know, All Might, your dad."

"A-All Might is not my father!"

"Huh?" Sana sounded confused. "But I thought..." Her eyebrows furrowed together. "But your Quirks are so similar."

Deku stared at her.

"I'm sorry, I just assumed you were his adulterine child or something." She laughed at herself. "Anyway, he's in his office."

Deku took one more look at her, then nodded his head silently and left.

The classes dragged on one by one until the school day had finally reached to an end. Sana, exhausted, took her sweet time gathering her things into her school bag.

Meanwhile, her classmates had started to make their way out of the room when they were suddenly blocked by a horde of unknown students.

Sana would've been concerned, but her energy was totally drained that day. She faintly heard the taunts of two or three unfamiliar boys and Bakuogo's enraged retort.

She rolled her eyes. "It's not worth it, Porcupine Head," she called out as she made her way to the classroom door, "Ignore them." Sana pushed through the small crowd. "They're just a bunch of desperate attention-seekers anyway."

She felt a hand on her wrist. A blonde-haired boy was holding her back.

Her blazing brown eyes locked his dull grey ones in an intense glare. "Don't fucking touch me," she growled.

He dropped her wrist immediately, and Sana walked away without looking back.

——— • ———

The next two weeks were spent preparing for the Sports Festival. Students from all courses would be participating, so Sana knew competition would be stiff. Even among her own class, there were people she knew she would have trouble one-upping.

Shoto Todoroki, for instance. The boy had a ridiculously powerful ice Quirk already. If he decided to let his hidden heat Quirk shine in the Festival, Sana would stand no chance against him. Katsuki Bakuogo —no matter how infuriating— had a concerningly strong and versatile Quirk as well. So did Midoriya, Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami.

Sana knew that her advanced physical abilities and faux Quirk wouldn't be enough to defeat them. She had to use her real Quirk. It was dangerous, but Sana was determined to make a name for herself among the Pro Hero Agencies. Besides, I won't be using my full power. I'll only use enough to muddle my opponent's mind. Not enough to inflict any actual harm on them.

She thought back to her Quirk training from the League of Villains. Master personally oversaw her training. He used to bring in loads of men —usually petty criminals and lowlife vagabonds— for her to use as dummies to train her Quirk.

Tens of men were sent in every week, but Sana had never learned how to use her power in moderation. It was nearly always an all-or-nothing occurrence. And half the time her Quirk was activated by her emotions rather than willpower.

That's why Sana had to make up a faux Quirk. She was always very reluctant to use her actual one, but her resolve to get noticed by the Pros overthrew her reluctance.

Sana surmised that the reason she never succeeded in taming her Quirk before was that she was doing it under the obligation of Villains. If she decided to use her Quirk herself —at her own pace, for her own sake— maybe she would be able to control it.

Sana had no way to test out her theory, but she was confident she was right.

She thought back to the USJ Incident when she had accidentally unleashed her power onto her adoptive brother. She knew that her emotions were the trigger. But in the Sports Festival, if she could just keep a check on her emotions, she wouldn't have to worry about losing control.

It's going to be easy. I just won't get emotional, and I'll focus on only channeling a sliver of my power onto my opponents. Only enough pain to confuse their minds and hinder their senses.

No death.

Not again.