My Healer Academia (Bakugo x OC x Todoroki)

[S2] Everyone's Internships

A/N: This chapter contains profanity and violence.

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               "A-Are you sure it's okay for me to do this again?"

               It has been five days since class 1-A's internships started. Hawks returned from his business meeting on the day he had promised, and the two took the sky. Once again, Hawks held around Ai's torso as she gripped his forearms throughout their ascension.

               "If you keep avoiding what you fear, you won't be able to overcome it," Hawks replied. Reaching the correct altitude, he began to hover in place. "Now before I drop you, why did you go to Hosu?" Ai went tense at the question.

               "How did you-"

               "What, you don't think I don't know where my feathers fly off to?"

               "You were tracking me?!" Ai squeezed her pant pocket, feeling the feather within it wiggle in disagreement.

               "I know you faced the League of Villains," Hawks said, making Ai gulp. "My agency handled the news reporter who was there, but I still saw the footage."

               "Then you saw that I was fine," Ai grumbled.

               "You were pushed off a water tower," Hawks countered.

               "But I survived!"

               "They let you go. There's a difference." Hawks sighed when Ai went quiet, shaking his head. "You can't keep freezing up or letting your quirk go haywire when you're scared."

               "I just... I can't control it," Ai whimpered.

               "Hey," Hawks said, "I get it." His hold tightened as he embraced her. "I know what it's like to have to be strong even when you don't want to, but that's life. You gotta keep moving forward. Didn't you tell me you're going to become a great hero?"

               A dry laugh escaped Ai's lips, and all she could think of was how much she was trembling at the moment. "Recently, I feel like all I ever do is get saved. I don't feel any closer to becoming a hero at all." Ai could feel Hawks' grip loosening, and she took a deep intake of breath.

               "You're already one step closer by admitting your mistakes," he said. "Now, prove yourself wrong." The drop was fast. As soon as Hawks let go, he placed a hand against the side of his mouth again, grinning down at the descending student. "And don't die!" He smiled contently to himself. I'm getting better at this teaching stuff.

               Because Ai's costume was still out of commission from their last flying session, Ai wore a uniform issued to her by Hawks' agency. It was similar to UA's blue and white tracksuit, except it had a black base color with yellow stripes instead. She could feel the adrenaline course through her veins upon her fall, but Ai wasted no time. She couldn't make use of her clothes this time, for their fibers had no organic cells to her disposal, so she utilized the only strategy available to her.

               "Junior," Ai said. It's what she named the feather Hawks had given her. She pulled it out of her pocket and gave it volume. "Catch me." The feather whipped around and floated underneath her like a magic carpet. Within one minute of her drop, she was safe.