~BNHA~ Everything That I Am

Chapter 36

Hatsume had the room buzzing like a circuit board, alive with energy as she directed everyone's attention to the new gadgets spread out like treasures. "Alright, gear up, everyone! Shout out if something's weird or wonky!" Her voice carried over the commotion as eager hands reached for her inventions.

As the noise level climbed with the tinkling of metal and the murmur of impressed voices, Hatsume tapped her screen, and Inasa's face burst into the space, his laughter almost tangible. His enthusiasm was a spark, igniting excitement in the room.

"Dude, Hatsume, you're seriously genius!" Inasa's voice filled the space, his presence felt even in pixelated form. "Wish I was there to try out the cool stuff!"

A small sigh slipped from Hatsume, and Izuku caught the flicker of something more in her eyes as she replied, "Miss having you here, Inasa. You'd totally rock the gear I made just for you."

Izuku, watching the scene, felt a smile creep onto his face. That yearning for someone's presence? He got it, felt it deep in his bones. His gaze slid over to Kacchan, who was poring over a set of new gauntlets, his critical eye missing nothing.

Izuku took his chance then, weaving through his friends, moving closer to Hatsume under the cover of their chatter. She was in her element, a conductor of chaos, her focus never wavering from her tech.

"Hatsume," he began, infusing his voice with an ease he didn't quite feel, "could I borrow a pair of those comm bees? I've got a... mission coming up and they could be of help."

She glanced up, a teasing skepticism in her squint. "My bees for a mission, huh?"

He could almost see the cogs turning in her head. "Yeah, it's just, you know, precautionary stuff," he fumbled, his heartbeat a stuttering drumroll.

With a shrug that said she wasn't buying it but was too intrigued to pry, Hatsume reached for a pair of sleek, metallic bees and handed them over with a flourish. "These are fresh off the press—improved signal, crystal-clear sound, and they come with their own little screens."

He took them, feeling the weight of the small machines like a promise in his hand. "Thanks, you're a lifesaver, Hatsume."

She flashed a quick grin, then turned back to Inasa, her curiosity already swallowed by her explanation of the gear she made for him.

While tucking the bees away, Izuku embraced the laughter and lightness around him, even as his mind raced with the weight of what lay ahead.

Izuku felt the twinge of guilt as his mom's cough cut through the buzz of excitement. She looked small, almost swallowed up by the surrounding chaos, cradling a mug of tea that Chieko had brought her. Despite the heat steaming off the cup, the sound was a harsh reminder of the delicate balance of their lives here.

It's okay, Izuku. Go, see what your new gear can do," she said, her voice a balm even as it rasped slightly, telling tales of whispered fears and fought battles.

Kacchan was already at the door, a restless energy about him that made the air crackle in anticipation. "These better not disappoint," he growled, more an invocation than a statement, beckoning them to follow.

Denki's whoop of excitement, a lightning bolt of levity that zapped through the heavy expectations, broke the moment. "Time to crank up the volts in the training room!" he exclaimed, brandishing his device like a war prize.

"Just make sure you don't fry the rest of us, Sparky," Shinso tossed back, a smirk playing on his lips, as rare and quick as a shadow in the bright light of Denki's enthusiasm.

Then Chieko was there, her touch on his sleeve grounding, her whisper laden with unspoken truths. "We have to head out, remember?"

Hatsume raised a curious eyebrow at them, and Izuku's stomach twisted with the performance he had to give. "Oh, yeah, Chieko and I have some... one-on-one training planned," he said, his voice a shade too bright, like a flashlight trying to cover a cavern.