Colors in the Dark

[6] UA Sports Festival

A/N: Time for the big chunk of the arc to begin! I've got lots planned for our little orphan, and it won't be screwing too hard with canon. Hope you enjoy, my kits!

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Days passed even quicker than Ayami thought possible as she was swept up between her classwork, training in her spare time, and training at school, where her skills with each of her spirit's unique sub-quirks getting increasingly better each day.

It had reached the point that, even though everyone was working hard on improving their strength, Ayami was usually able to beat her classmates in one-on-one sparring matches. With her arsenal of different things to choose from, and learning about their quirks from a distance, she could variety to her advantage.

Tokoyami's Dark Shadow giving her a hard time? Merge with Gaia and shine light at him before taking him out. Mina's Acid preventing her from getting a close blow in? Bring in Ares' Copycat, Counter one of her acid blasts while protecting herself with a shield, and then use her red blade and borrowed Acid quirk to match, then overpower, the girl. Even All Might himself was impressed with how she was able to hone her quirk in, mostly due to the close bond she had with the spirits she had clung to when she had no one else.

And if worse came to worst and she didn't have a clear answer? She could bring in Deimos, ready Nightmare, and turn her classmate's fears on them.

Finally, it was the day of the Sports Festival, and there were tons of people. Mr. Aizawa (still in his bandages from what people were calling the 'USJ Incident') took a seat in the announcer's box alongside their English teacher, Present Mic.

The crowd was restless, whispering excitedly between all the people there. All the spectators had their eyes somewhere different, whether it be the infamous hero course kids, the business class, the support students with their inventions, or the General Studies kids wanting to prove themselves in one field or another.

Some of them were practically gossiping. The 'returning vigilante heroine' had supposedly been enrolled in UA's hero course, which Ayami was trying hard not to panic about as she put on her gym uniform in the locker room. Others were talking about 1-A and whatever happened at USJ involving a villain attack, and whatever else caught their attention.

"Aw man, I wanted to wear my hero costume! I'd totally rock the place, rolling up in my sweet suit and mask!" Mina complained, though she knew why they all had to wear the same thing: equality, which Ojiro had pointed out to her. No extra advantages, just skill for the festival.

Ayami's costume had arrived and was quite plain, just a tight jumpsuit with gloves, reinforced stockings, and a mask. The small holes in the back would allow her to grow her wings safely out if she used Shapeshift and the exposed skin between her forearms and shoulders would let her create items with Formation. Plus, the material would neither burn nor let water through in the case she used Gaia's Elements, so she didn't feel like, even if she could wear it, that it'd make much of a difference. She could still do everything without it.

Finally, Class 1-A was allowed out. Ayami, with her spirits cheering her on in her mind, let her eyes adjust to the sudden change in light before looking around, all the stands packed with people. Hello world. Guess who's back?

After her class, all the others filed onto the field, with Present Mic (not even needing a real microphone, since his quirk was Voice and it let him BE EXTREMELY LOUD ALL THE TIME EVERYWHERE CONSTANTLY if he so chose) talking about each one. He spent extra long on 1-A, which Ayami found both annoying and prideful.

Once all that was said and done, Ayami's attention was turned toward a podium, where a certain R-rated heroine stood proudly, a whip dangling from her hand's grip. "Yeesh, her again?" An indigo voice muttered.