A Silent Kind of Strength

Chapter 72

Izuku groaned and tried to rub some of the tension from his temples before going back to stirring the giant pot of stew. The last two hours of that day's lesson had been on the theory of relativity and how it might influence the quirks of astronauts. Nedzu had even patched in a contact from NASA to give a short lecture on ways the agency was trying to counteract common issues.

It was fascinating to be honest. But hard to follow. He had written copious notes for things he planned to go and do further study on during the rest of their break. He had a feeling he would be reading a couple of Stephen Hawking's books.

Shinso snorted at his display in sympathetic humor even as he flipped the chunks of meat he was searing. The two of them had chatted about their afternoon lessons as they got set up for helping with dinner. Shinso himself looked just about beat after four hours of struggling to control his capture scarf. And his hands were wrapped to protect bloody blisters. He was eager for the day when he had built up enough calluses to protect his hands from the chafing.

He was also thankful that Yaoyarozu had taken one look at him wapping his fingers before dinner and promptly switched him from dish duty to the lighter work of shoving beef around a pan. The heat was still unpleasant but he was way less likely to get an infection.

Luckily the premade stew base the heros had provided meant the meal only took about an hour to put together. The teens were very appreciative of that fact and practically inhaled the filling soup and the rice that had been made alongside it.

When they were done the kids in the remedial lessons were dragged back into the building as Pixie Bob and Tiger lead the rest of them into the trees for an 'activity'. Eventually they made it down a well worn dirt road to a large clearing. Mandalay greeted them with a smile and a wave from where she was setting up a few lanterns hanging from a tree.

The pussy cats explained the little bonding activity they had planned for the night. A test of courage. Where one class would set up in the woods and scare the other before switching roles. Safe to say Izuku was a bit uncertain about the event. He had never fared well in the tests of courage he had been forced into during middle school. Though to be fair those often turned from scare each other witless into scare the quirkless kid until he cries.

So not fun for him even though the others always found it hilarious.

He really hoped this wouldn't go the same way.

Class B won the rock paper scissors round and decided to be the scarers first. So they headed onto the darkened path while class A drew lots to determine who would be partnered with whom.

Shinso looked pained when he drew Iida and Izuku had to stifle his laughter. The greenette got lucky and drew Jirou, she was down to earth and pretty chill so he hoped she wouldn't spook easily.

They got in line behind Aoyama and Uraraka. The two louder classmates tittered nervously to each other as they waited much to Jirou's amusement. Izuku himself was too busy signing back and forth with his purple shadow. Ribbing the taller boy about the fun he was about to have walking through a haunted forest with a robot. The freckled boy almost died of laughter at the mental image of Iida trying to jump into Shinso's arms from fear. Mirthful tears springing to his eyes as the pale insomniac swore to drop him if it happened. Face selling the deadpan delivery.