Colors in the Dark

[27] Recollection

A/N: Previously, we saw Ayami desperately flying home to UA to spread the word about the incident at the training camp, and here's what happens when she gets back! There's finally peace- but it might not last!

Ayami didn't dare check her phone for the time from how high up she was, flapping her feathered wings as hard and fast as she could. She didn't know how long she flew, following that aura trail, until she saw the lights of UA high and faltered, nearly collapsing in midair.

She landed hard, letting Prometheus and Hecate practically pass out upon returning to Headspace, her appearance normal once more.

Weakly stumbling inside, she managed to run into Present Mic and Midnight- Ayami had just faced a squad of villains and had her classmate captured, she wouldn't let the explicit teacher scare her now- who helped her up and walked her to the lounge.

With her wind-blown hair, burnt arm, charred clothing, and the veteran-like faraway look in her eyes, Ayami knew she must have appeared in horrible condition. She was just glad the horrible was on the outside and not the inside, because she'd rather not internally bleed to death.

Alongside Mic, who was patting her shoulders and reassuring her, calling her "little listener," and Midnight, there were multiple others waiting for her in the room. Principal Nezu himself, then Snipe, a skeletal blond man she faintly recognized (Prometheus would later tell her his aura matched that of a certain Pro Hero she looked up to), Hound Dog, and Recovery Girl were all seated and ready for her telling of the story.

Ayami was sat on the couch, given a cup of hot tea and a plate of cookies and told to take as long as she needed. She began.

The training; the test-of-courage tournament being interrupted; flying off to gauge the situation; fighting Twice and Dabi in the woods; being told by Mandalay's Telepath that Mr. Aizawa allowed them to fight and that Bakugou was a target, before being ambushed by Mr. Compress and retreating; finding Kendou and Tetsutetsu with the gas villain; meeting up with some of her classmates, finding Tokoyami being taken over by Dark Shadow and defeating Moonfish; having his quirk be brought back to normal with Todoroki's fire and Bakugou's explosions; copying everyone's powers to help her along before flying off with Bakugou's explosions (she left out the One for All thing); saving Momo and the 1-B Awase from a Noumu before it walked away peacefully; receiving a vision about the villains and returning to see Tokoyami and Bakugou trapped in the marbles, the Vanguard Action Squad capturing Bakugou, though Aoyama's laser was enough to help them get Tokoyami back before the villains were gone. Then when she, Aoyama, and Kodai driving her little tractor to collect some of the 1-B students, returning them to the camp's makeshift med center. Being cleared to go before helping stop the forest fires and flying back.

By the end, Ayami hardly recognized her own voice, strained from holding back her tears. She was shivering, likely a side effect from literally zooming around hundreds of acres of forests for hours straight before flying all the way back to UA.

Midnight stroked her hair, uncharacteristically motherly, as she and the other teachers reassured her they did- that she did- as much as she could. That a lot more students would be harmed, a lot fewer villains stopped, had she not done what she did.

"There there, Ayami," Midnight whispered once the ginger girl had practically fallen back onto her, trying her hardest not to weep. "I'm sorry that I traumatized you before, when Shouta- I mean Eraser and I had to capture you, then at the Sports Festival, and in class when you were choosing your hero name. You're such a strong little heroine, and you've only improved since you got here. I might be a little sadistic sometimes, but young kids like you inspire a caring side in me, too."