42: 𝚁𝚎𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢
"Iida!" Uraraka said happily when her friend entered the room.
"Hello Uraraka." Iida greeted with a forced smile. He wished he could arrive with pride over a match well fought. Whether won or lost. But now he just felt embarrassed.
"Uh... Nice job Iida!" Midoriya complimented. He understood how his friend must be feeling right now.
Iida almost flinched at the empty compliment. Said only to make him feel better. But he continued to force a smile regardless. "Thank you... Midoriya." He said.
"Hey I know how you're feeling bro." Sero said with a thumbs up. "At least you get a second chance!"
Iida's smile warmed slightly. His classmate had a point, he needed to be mature about this. Think of it less as a defeat, and more of a stepping stone to progress! "You're right Sero, thank you."
The boy gave him a nod and went back to bickering with Kaminari. Who had started to quietly chant 'nice try' beside him.
"So! Who's the next match? It should be beginning soon correct?" Iida asked, sitting down between his friends.
"Nova and a boy named Abal." Uraraka told him, putting her hands together. "I'm excited!"
"Yeah... Nova sure is strong, and not just because of her quirk. She's physically strong too." Midoriya mumbled, nervously looking over his notes. "She was our class's top scorer in that first test too. It should be interesting to see how she fights one on one. Her fighting style seems to be more about evading and launching small attacks to capture enemies. Rather than actual physical combat or displays of power. Which as far as we know from records was the exact opposite of how her father-"
He stopped his mumbling immediately, face going red. "Sorry... I'm muttering again." He said with a nervous laugh. Even though she wasn't here it felt wrong to talk about her father and his... Feats of strength.
"Well... I'm sure it will be intriguing." Iida said with a sigh. "Whoever wins this match will be my next opponent!" He tried to stay optimistic. But the idea of fighting Kurayami...
The idea of repeating history...
Made him sick.
"Her opponent is a total wildcard from 1-B though... As far as I've seen he hasn't used his quirk yet." Ojirou commented.
"Yeah, I have no idea who he even is." Mina said with a frown.
"Kubota Abal... Hey I remember! I've seen him around school with his brother Kain Abal." Midoriya smiled. "Kain Abal is a third year, he won his first school festival two years ago!" The boy explained. "I took notes on him but that was a long time ago... The notebook is at my house."
"You take notes on... Literally everyone don't you?" Uraraka asked with a nervous sweatdrop.
"Haha no! Only heroes and really good fighters you know? So I can remember combat strategies and apply them myself!"
"I guess that's why he's so strategic.... He's been writing down everything combat and quirk related for years." Iida thought, looking at his friend. "I've never considered studying fellow heros as I would a textbook... Perhaps I should start doing it as well."
"Anyways, if I remember right Kain Abal's quirk had something to do with the venomous spines he could create on his joints. Like a wasp or scorpion stinger! He won the sports festival by temporarily paralyzing all of his opponents!" Midoriya explained. "Since quirks are genetic it's possible his brother has a similar ability."
"Oh yeah I think I remember that one now... Gee it was so long ago I forgot who won." Jirou mumbled. "Some memory Midoriya."
"O-oh! Uh... Thanks I guess.." The boy said with an embarrassed blush. Realizing he had totally been nerding out.
"Alright!!! The next battle is about to begin! Walking up now is Kobuta Abal representing Class 1-B! He hasn't shown off his quirk all that much yet! Giving him the advantage of mystery!"
Everyone turned their eyes to the center of the stadium. The arena. They could see a figure walk out of the hallway and onto the field. The crowd cheered despite not knowing quite who he was. They were honestly hyped for anything at this point. The last fight had been drag. They needed more.
They needed entertainment.
"And his opponent... Who placed fourth in the obstacle race and save her headband last minute in the Calvary battle! Securing victory for her team!!! It's Nooova Kurayami!!!"
All eyes on the field.
The cheering slowly died down as a second passed... Then two... Then three... Then ten.
Nova Kurayami...
Wasn't there.
⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘
Nova didn't know when she blacked out. Or how long she had been unconscious. Everything hurt.
It felt strangely familiar....
⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘
Nova was almost eleven when her father was apprehended and she was taken into police custody. Practically a full year after that she was placed in her first ever public school.
While Nova never went to any sort of public education, she still had all the knowledge a twelve year old should. When she was first in custody and they couldn't find a guardian Nova attended a private boarding school for troubled kids, but she started that only a month before graduation. Before that she had been taught by her father and any of her temporary caretakers he hired under the table.
School was hard... But it wasn't because Nova was stupid.
Nova didn't enter middle school with hope of things going well for her. She wasn't stupid, after a year of the adults around her struggling to find someone to take her in. After a year of hearing about her father and his crimes. After a year of being hated by the world Nova understood her place in society very well.
She was unwanted.
And everyone around her didn't fail to make that very clear. Adults hated to take care of her. Her father destroyed buildings and tore apart families. Now in his absence they had to take care of his family? It wasn't fair, even Nova thought so. She would have been content to go back to her secluded house and live alone for the rest of her life.
But according to the law that wasn't allowed. Children couldn't live and fend for themselves...
It was too 'dangerous.'
But to Nova... Nothing was more dangerous than school. Her first middle school was Aldera Jr high. It was a pretty shitty school. Over populated and huge. Too many students for the teachers to actually keep track of.
Every student in that school hated her. Even the ones who didn't know her, who didn't attend the same classes or the same grades.
But no one hated her as much as Daiki Boe.
Daiki was a troubled boy to say the least. He was a grade above Nova. They never actually saw each other during school hours.
He hated her so much he'd seek her out. Find her after classes. He told her about his family. How his father was a police officer who died on duty. Guess who killed him...
It didn't matter that it wasn't Nova who did it. Her father had shot his own down with a bullet fired from the officer's own gun. Killing him instantly not more than a year before his eventual capture and execution.
The weight of his father's death was still fresh. He was old enough to know him. Mature enough to understand how he died. With honor. Defending his country from the scum of villains. Daiki was old enough to remember the pain in his mother's sobs. The sadness as they moved away to live with his grandparents because she couldn't support them on her own.
He could remember the cold white skin of his father's corpse... When they said their final goodbyes.
Daiki took all of his frustrations out on Nova.
And she took it. Guilt from her father passed like a cursed torch. She hoped.. she'd make him feel better.
Things got worse and worse.
He hurt her more and more every day. First she was pushed around, then she got a bruise or two. Until one day before school he took a bat to her leg.
Once
Twice
Three or four times.
Her leg was never the same. She was late to school that day, in fact she didn't come at all. She was too scared to show up. Shivering in an alleyway with a completely useless leg.
She felt pathetic... Like a failure. She thought of her father. All he taught her. The love he showed her, that she felt to keep a secret from everyone else and... His cryptic last words, recorded via pencil and paper moments before his execution:
If they make you bleed...
Make. Them. Watch.
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