Secrets [Todoroki]

*Chapter Sixteen*

"It's the U.A. Sports Festival!" Miri could hear Present Mic's voice boom from inside the building.

The students were gathered at the entrance, waiting for him to call them out. Miri played with the black strands of her hair, bouncing in and out of her thoughts.

"You know them as the group who have come face-to-face with villains, give it up for class 1A!" His voice boomed and the students moved out.

Miri looked around at the people in the stand and almost pulled her hair from her head. Panic gripped her chest viciously, and she found it a lot harder to breathe.

"We aren't that big of a deal..." Miri muttered to herself. "It's going to..." Her eyebrows furrowed together. "Paint targets on our backs." She looked at Uraraka. "The other class already has it out for us, this doesn't help it anymore."

Uraraka nodded her head. "I hope we can all walk away from this as friends..."

Midnight stood on a stage in front of them. "Now for the Athlete's Oath presented by Mirianne Shotomoto!"

Miri's mouth dropped open. "Nope. Not me." Her voice was a quiet whisper as Midnight's finger pointed to her. She quickly shook her head and waved her hands. "I don't even know it..." She lied.

"They must want you up there because you placed first in the Entrance Exam." Kirishima laughed.

Miri looked around desperately. "Please...I don't want to do it."

"Idiot," Bakugo climbed to the stage. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets and his stance was his signature 'I could care less' attitude. "MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT!" His voice rang out throughout the stadium. "I'M GOING TO TAKE FIRST PLACE!"

Miri stared up at him on the stage in absolute horror. "Oh my god...I should have gone up there..."

"You think?" Midoriya sighed.

Bakugo's straight-laced face came walking down the stairs. Miri watched his face, noticing for once there wasn't a hint of his snarky, narcissistic attitude he'd normally have.

'If Bakugo is getting serious,' Miri thought to herself. 'Then so am I.'

Miri steeled her face, looking over the crowd of students. Her eyes met the purple-haired boy's once more, and he started making his way over to her.

"So, you're the infamous Mirianne Shotomoto? Your name ghosts the classrooms from time to time, but you might already know that." He looked down at her.

"How do you mean?" She was standing perfectly in his shadow. She couldn't control the shadows of other people, but it definitely made her feel stronger.

Something started tugging at her mind. She blinked and stared up at him.

His face was awash with confusion. "You got first place in the entrance exam. Surely you'd know that by doing that people would talk about you?"

"I don't...see the point of this conversation." The tugging sensation in her mind again. Suddenly everything clicked into place. "Just...what exactly is your quirk?"

His eyebrow raised. He didn't expect her to catch on so quickly. "I suppose I could ask you the same thing?"

"I asked first...stop answering with a question." The tugging sensation became stronger.

He sighed in frustration. "Do you have the ability to nullify quirks or resist mind control?"

Miri stared at him for a moment. "Maybe...watch me in the finals and...you'll see." She smirked.

Deep inside, she too was confused why his quirk didn't work on her.

"Racers, to your positions!" Midnight cheered.