Finding Me (Todoroki x Reader)

Heroes Rising - Chapter 1

As I walked along the golden sand, feeling the soft grains crunch beneath my boots, I couldn't help but gaze in awe out over the sparkling water that lapped at the seashore. Smalls waves crashed the line where land met the sea, staining the golden sand a honied colour. This was a much different environment than the busy big cities I was used to - calming, serene, and built on beautiful foundations of nature.

Not far down the beach, a lifeguard chair stood with my classmate Shoji sitting in it. And out on the ocean, I wasn't surprised to sea Tsu and Sato in a boat, a little kid with them. I smiled. They'd been dubbed the rescue squad thanks to their quirks, and it seemed as though they were doing a great job, as expected.

Taking another step, I let my eyes wander from the sea back to the shore. People laid on the beach - some were families playing in the sand and water, and others laid alone, basking in the sun. Holidayers or local residents, Nabu Island was certainly the ideal location to kick back and relax for a while. Watching them all filled me with the sudden urge to join them, but I knew I couldn't. That wasn't what I was here for. What any of us were here for.

{A few days ago}

Going to class today, I wasn't expecting anything new to come out of it. It had been the same story everyday since the school festival ended. Wake up; go to morning classes; have a lunch break; spend our afternoons doing practical work; and then go back to the dorms to either study more or sleep. Thinking about it, the past week and half had been the most consistent and drama-free period of this whole year.

However, the moment my classmates I stepped into class today, I could tell from Mr. Aizawa's anxious energy signature that something big was coming.

"The Hero Work Recommendation Project," Mr. Aizawa announced, turning to the blackboard behind him where a projected image of a small island was being displayed. "You'll be stationed here - on Nabu Island in southern Japan. It seems their previous hero in residence got old and retired, so the lucky people of Nabu Island will have to depend on you until a more permanent successor arrives."

Jumping out of our seats, we all cried, "We're going to be doing real hero work?!"

Excited murmurs and squeals filled the room, my classmates all vocalising my own eagerness to partake in the project. However, I couldn't be excited as the rest of them, not when one fact stood out like a sore thumb in front of me. This was organised by the Public Hero Safety Commission - the people who'd conducted our Provisional Licensing Test - which meant that this wasn't just some internship or work study. This was going to be the real deal. We were going to be in charge of a whole island's safety. We were going to be heroes.

Mr. Aizawa's eyes suddenly flashed a menacing red. "I wasn't done talking, yet. Quiet down!" Immediately, we all fell silent, not wanting to upset him anymore than we had already. He heaved a sigh, closing his eyes and opening to reveal they were normal, once again. "Better. While you're there, you'll be completely on your own - no teachers to help you or Pros to back you up. You're responsible for everything that happens, good or bad. Keep that in mind, and behave as heroes should at all times. Understood?"

"Yes sir!"

{Present time}

Before we knew it, the week had ended and UA had us on our long flight down to Nabu Island, where we got stuck to work straight away. It may be a relatively small island, but it contained many different terrains to work in. Iida - as our intelligent and admittedly bossy Class Rep - suggested we all be split into different teams to cover the areas. I was placed with the beach team because the beach is the most exposed area to the sun, which is beneficial considering my quirk. Ojiro, Mineta, Tokoyami, Sero and Shoto were also part of the squad including the ones on lifeguard duty, and were all split up to cover the beach.