My Hero Origins One-Shots

Cut The Problem In Half (Valentine Special)

Okay, this is not my fault. I get it, I can be clumsy around the café, I get spooked easily, I get paranoid. But at the end of the day, it's the stinking bird's fault!

    Spring break was a beautiful time for Monarch Academy. Blooming flowers, thriving life, lush plants, longer days, cleaner air with a hint of relaxing floral sent. But, Shino wasn't as big a fan of the spring time as I was.

    The pollen in the air apparently mauled his allergies. He couldn't go through a sentence without sneezing or going in a coughing fit! So when he left the dorm for medication, that's when things went wrong.

    I was designing a new outfit for the upcoming spring dance in a few weeks. I learned to get a head of the game with fashion when rumors of for formal events began to rise. And since we all had a week off school, I had plenty of time. But apparently, Rikku also had nothing to do.

    "Hey Arty!" She greeted, opening the door. My friend's hair had grown much more, almost to her hips, the ends curled and flowers dotting along some strands. Shino and I had spent days trying to get her to a salon to make it neater, but she refused.

    "Morning Rikku," I smiled, pausing my work. "How's it going?"

    "Morning? It's almost noon!"

    No it isn't, I almost said aloud, swiveling my chair around to see the clock. But Rikku was right.

    "You've been working all morning?" She exasperated.

    I chuckled nervously, "Apparently so,"

    My roommate groaned, walking to my desk. "If I were Shino, I could be dragging you downstairs for lunch and a glass of water."

    "Yeah, he would," I snorted, ignoring the sudden lightness in my chest at his reference.

    "But I'm just as bad, and I'm bored." Rikku continued. "So instead, I thought we could go to our café and just get something there with our friends."

    "Sure!" I needed the distraction at the time, and I was also craving Yuuto's new jelly donuts. "Let me get my phone in case Shino calls."

    Getting up, I headed to my nightstand, where I kept my phone in case of emergencies. But while crossing the room, that's when Flex made his appearance.

    "YO SHINO! I JUST LEARNED A NEW-"
PLOW!

    A bird with the annoying pitch of the shapeshifter's voice, and a neon yellow so bright it was blinding had charged at the window, ramming straight into it. Colorful feathers poofed in all directions like an explosion. Flex gave out a shrieking cry that was almost painful, but it wasn't as loud as mine.

    Mixing with my screams was Rikku's panic. My roommate proceeded to frantically pull out her staff, already sparking with heat that let off small piping noises. A blast of heat shattered the glass with the bird smudged on it, her power knocking me back.

    Now, I have a very controlled fight or flight instinct, but I don't know if what I did would fall into those categories.

    My quirk kicked in, blending my body form with the shadows that allowed me to pass through my floor. But only halfway. My body turned solid as my waist fell through, my legs vanishing beneath the birch wood.

    "Oh dear," I muttered to myself. My arms were still out, thankfully not pinned against me.

    "Artemis!" Rikku gasped, her blue eyes shining with fear, mouth agape. "Y-Y-You're cut in half!"

    "N-No Rikku, I'm fine!" I tried to recover quickly, "I-"

    It didn't matter. The use of energy and sight of me triggered her consciousness, her eyes rolling back into her head as she fainted.