Into the Shadows...

Streamline

It's him.

Mei freezes as she locks eyes with the familiar shabby-looking man that was present in her shabby apartment so many years ago. Her pulse quickens, a thin film of sweat covering her skin. Suddenly, she's freezing and her head feels as if she just finished a joint of the most potent weed in existence. Onyx, raging and rampaging within her mind, did little to calm her in this situation. As usual, no insight or advice. Just shivering, cowering, and all around freaking the fuck out. Useless.

He doesn't look much different from how he did six years ago. He's still ragged and he still looks like he hasn't slept or showered since. He wears all black with an infinitely long grey scarf wrapped around his neck. His tired eyes and shaggy hair were as black as the night in which they met.

"I'm Mr. Aizawa. I will be your homeroom teacher, " he states addressing the class.

It doesn't seem like he recognized her, she thought, and she wasn't sure how she should take that information. Though, it didn't matter, if he did or didn't. It doesn't affect the mission. She remembers Shigaraki saying the heroes are already aware of her past before she joined the League. He has probably saved tons of kids. Why would he remember one that wouldn't let him?

"Please go change into your gym uniforms and meet me out on the baseball field," Mr. Aizawa orders monotone with a bored expression.

The students chat amongst themselves as they file out of the room. A gentle tap is felt on her shoulder as she begins to get up to leave the classroom as well. Turning to face the owner of the gesture she's met with pink. So much pink. Her eyes widen as she's immediately thrust into conversation involuntarily.

"Heya! I'm Mina Ashido! You were such a baddie in the face of that hothead! Wanna walk together?"

Mina chuckles as she watches Mei's expression twist in confusion.

"Baddie?" Mei visibly cringes at the word, not even wanting to know what it means, or how she was one. She also assumes hothead was referring to the angry blonde she altercated with.

"Yeah, you know! Like a badass woman! So, whaddya say? Wanna walk with me?"

The gears were turning in her head finally fully comprehending what the girl was squealing about. Is being loud a requirement to be a hero? Having 'friends' would help her overall image in the long run, she thought, to come to her defense should any suspicions arise.

"As long as you never call me a 'baddie' ever again," she answers the girl of alien likeness.

"Yay! Now come on let's go!"

The pink girl with bright shining golden eyes and black sclera links her arm with Mei's as she pulls her to catch up with the rest of the class. The girl primarily talked to herself but every now and then she'd turn to Mei with an energetic 'You know?'. Mei would nod silently with a variety of expressions depending on the emotion the girl was expressing. They also sent a shared glare as the blonde 'hothead' scowls at them, having heard the loud, mainly one-sided, conversation behind him. At some point during the walk, the girl had told her to just call her Mina, then asked her what she should call her.

"I don't care, as long as it's not Emo Phase," Mei answered honestly.

It seemed to have been a comical answer the way she laughed, although Mei was being completely serious. She assured her that she wouldn't call her that or 'baddie', crossing her heart and swearing dramatically on her life.

They reach the girls' locker rooms where most of the other girls were already changing into their gym uniforms. Mei starts to walk away from Mina to find her locker, realizing they were all labeled, but the girl drags her front and center of the aisle. The other girls from class are chatting as they change.