//AN: Hey, guys!
I regret to inform you all that I have contracted a deadly disease.
Yes, that's right. I have Writer's Block.
To combat this harrowing illness, I will be taking a few days off to focus on one thing, and one thing only.
The Plot!
For the next few days, the only thing I will be doing is drafting a more permanent plan full of twists and turns for this story. I'll try to incorporate some of the canon but who knows what will happen!
Hopefully creating a well thought sequence of events will help me out. So, just be aware that my abcense is not permanent at all. In fact, by the time I'm back, I bet I'll be pumping out chapters like there's no tomorrow!
Enjoy the chapter, and I'll see you soon!
[One Day Later]
—Class 1-A—
Renji opened the door and walked into Class 1-A. Instantly, the chatter seemed to fall off a cliff and die as everyone watched him.
Paying it no mind, Renji moved to sit down at his seat.
Oblivious to the atmosphere, or maybe just choosing to ignore it, Kirishima gave him a bright smile and stuck out his hand for a high five.
"Good stuff the other day," Kirishima commented, giving him a sharp nod.
Setting his bag down underneath his table, Renji nodded along, taking out one of his shockwave canisters to fiddle with its settings.
"Weren't you scared?" Asui jumped into the conversation, her frog eyes gazing lazily.
Across the room, Bakugo snorted, leaning back in his chair. "Did he look scared? Seemed more like a villain on villain brawl than anything."
Renji clicked the dial on the canister, letting the faint whirr of shifting mechanisms fill the silence. "Scared?" he echoed at last, glancing up at Asui with a small shrug. "If I was, I didn't notice."
"If anything, I was having a blast," He said, eyes glazing over as he remembered the fun he had.
"Yeah, and enjoying it a little too much," Kaminari added, his usual grin faltering. "Kinda gave me chills, man."
Bakugo smirked, sharp and cruel. "Tch. Told ya. He looked more like a psycho than a hero-in-training."
"Oi, knock it off," Kirishima shot back, glaring at him. "Renji was fighting for us. You should be thanking him for keeping that giant monster thing off our backs."
At the far side of the room, Shoji shifted uncomfortably, his massive frame somehow tense.
"What… what even happened to that thing?" he asked, his voice low but edged with unease. "That… whatever it was. The one you fought."
Mina shivered. "Yeah, it wasn't even human. More like some kind of monster."
The word hung in the air, carrying a bitter edge before all eyes inevitably turned back to Renji.
Renji finally set his canister down, eyes flicking up to meet theirs. A thin smile crept across his lips.
"I'll find out soon enough," he said calmly. "I'll have plenty of time to pick it apart."
Suddenly, Aizawa strode in with a stern expression.
"Good morning class," He spoke, moving toward the podium.
"Morning!" Everyone responded, shaking off the grim talk of what happened at USJ.
"We've got a few things to cover." Aizawa's face seemed more tired then usual, probably due to all the ruckus.
"There's an important event coming soon…" He continued, taking the time to look at each student. "The U.A. Sports Festival."
The class exploded with noise, some shocked at the sudden announcement, others excited for the event.
"Are you sure we should be conducting such an event so soon?" Iida questioned, adjusting his glasses with a flash. "It seems far too soon."
Aizawa sighed, lifting his hand to rub at his eye. "It's one of the most viewed events in the world. Everyone will be watching so it'll be a major opportunity for you guys to get scouted by professional Hero Agencies."
"That's right!" Kaminari shook with excitement. "There'll be a ton of people ready to invite us to their teams!"
"As if anyone would pick you," Jiro snorted playfully, earning the stink eye from Kaminari.
"All being said," Aizawa interrupted the classes banter. "We'll be increasing security to the max for this event, so don't worry about anything strange happening and prepare yourselves properly."
Mina nodded enthusiastically, flashing him a thumbs up. "You got it, boss!"
Eager to discuss their aspirations, the class continued to talk. Meanwhile, Renji arose from his seat with his things and walked over to the teacher.
"Can I leave now?" He asked, adjusting the strap of his bag.
Aizawa gave him a once-over, his tired eyes narrowing just slightly. "Right. You're scheduled to assist with the analysis."
Renji adjusted the strap of his bag. "Exactly. Figured I shouldn't waste time."
Aizawa nodded, already moving on as if it were nothing unusual. "Fine. Don't be late for your afternoon classes." He leaned in close, "I don't want you sharing anything with your classmates. That's not information for first-years and… they shouldn't have to worry about that kind of stuff."
"Yes, sir," Renji said smoothly, though the faint curl of his lips made it unclear whether he was humoring him or not.
He stepped out of the classroom, the door shutting with a heavy click behind him. The silence he left in his wake was deafening.
—
Despite himself, an excited grin appeared on Renji's face at the thought of experimenting on the Nomu.
Of course, it would be much better if the specimen was alive, but oh well. I'm sure I'll find another chance.
Maybe I'll improve on its design. Renji considered, although judging by Nezu's call the other day, he doubted he'd get that much clearance.
Nezu had been polite as always—far too polite. The kind of cordial tone that carried a razor edge beneath it. "Your insight is valuable, Renji," the principal had said. "But don't get any bright ideas. We'll be monitoring everything closely."
Renji chuckled to himself at the memory. Bright ideas were the only kind he had.
Soon, he'd be in the lab wing. Soon, he'd get his first real look at the monster up close.
Walking down the hall towards the lab, Renji stopped mid-step at the corner, preventing a catastrophe from happening.
Rushing past was a fair skinned girl with long, periwinkle blue hair. Her eyes were wide and bright, a striking shade of royal blue that nearly glowed under the fluorescent lights.
She skidded to a halt when she realized how close she'd come to colliding with him.
"Oh! Whoa, whoa—sorry, sorry!" the girl chirped, spinning lightly on her heel to avoid a collision. Her voice carried a sing-song quality, words bubbling out almost faster than her mouth could keep up.
She blinked at him, recognition lighting up her face. "Heyyy, you're that first-year, right? The one who fought the crazy big monster thing!" She leaned in far too close for comfort, her hair swaying like waves. "What was it like? Was it scary? Or cool? Did it smell weird?"
Renji blinked slowly at her barrage of questions, still holding his bag strap in one hand.
Nejire tilted her head, grinning. "I'm Nejire Hado, third-year! Nice to meetcha!"
Renji sighed, opting to not answer her countless questions. "If I'd known you'd be like this, I wouldn't have come down this way."
"Hmm?" Nejire hummed along, seemingly oblivious to the hidden insult. "Anyways, what's your name?"
"Renji." He replied, choosing to continue walking towards the labs.
Nejire skipped a few steps to keep up with him, undeterred. "Renji, huh? Cool name!"
"Are you a transfer student or something?" She asked, tipping on her toes, staring intently at his brown hair and hazel eyes. "You look foreign."
Renji glanced her way before responding. "My mom was from the United States of America but I was born here."
"Ooo~" Nejire's eyes lit up in surprise.
"America, huh? That's so cool!" She clapped her hands together, practically bouncing at his answer. "Do you speak English? Say something in English! Ooo, wait, say something mysterious, like—'I'm hiding a big secret!'"
Renji gave her a flat look, his steps unchanging. "…No."
"Aw, c'mon!" she whined, though her grin never faltered.
When she noticed the strap of his bag tugging at his shoulder, her curiosity shifted gears. "Sooo, what're you carrying around? Some kinda gadget? You look like the smart kind! Wait—where are you going?! Isn't class still going on?"
Renji adjusted the strap on his shoulder, his gaze never leaving the hallway ahead. "Books and tools. Nothing that concerns you."
Nejire puffed her cheeks in mock disappointment. "Boooring! You made it sound way cooler with that scary serious tone of yours."
Renji didn't look at her. "That was your assumption."
"How long did it take for you to get a handle on your Quirk?" He asked suddenly, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"My Quirk?" Nejire asked, titling her head.
"Was it mainly the stamina issue you solved or the efficiency?" Renji asked again.
Nejire blinked, clearly caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone. Her bright expression flickered into genuine thought for a moment.
"Well…" she started, tapping a finger to her chin. "It was tricky at first, yeah. I couldn't control how much energy I was putting out, so I'd get really tired fast. But I figured out a rhythm, and now I can sustain it longer while still making my attacks… spiral nicely."
"What does it feel like?" He continued asking questions. "Did it feel like you were dying?"
Nejire blinked, weighing how to answer. "Uh… not exactly dying, I guess. It's more like… my body's a battery that's running low, and I can feel the energy leaking out. It's exhausting, and my muscles start trembling, but it's not pain—it's more like… warning lights flashing everywhere."
Renji's eyes narrowed slightly, analyzing her words. "So your body gives you feedback before you hit a critical failure point. And the spiral attacks—does maintaining them amplify the drain?"
She nodded, a faint laugh escaping her. "Yeah, if I push it too hard, I get dizzy, my arms shake, and sometimes I almost trip over myself. But I've learned to read it, like, a sixth sense or something. I can pull back before it goes too far."
Her eyes widened, then lit up as the realization clicked. She clapped her hands together, beaming at him. "Aha! You do know who I am! I knew it!"
Renji didn't answer right away, only giving her a sidelong glance as he adjusted his bag.
Nejire leaned in closer, her grin stretching wider. "C'mon, admit it—you've heard of me! Everyone has, right? Big third-year, part of the Big Three? Ring any bells?"
Renji scoffed, "Big Three? How arrogant."
"Hey!" Nejire complained, playfully swinging her hand to hit Renji—only for him to swiftly dodge and continue walking as if nothing happened.
"It's a cool name!" She puffed out her cheeks in an exaggerated pout.
"Yeah, yeah, Hotshot." Renji said smugly, stopping at a reinforced door labeled: Biology Lab. "I bet I could take all of you on without breaking a sweat."
"Eh? No way!" Nejire declared, curling her arms into a clumsy pose. "We're pretty strong, you know."
Renji paused and stared at her for a moment before his laughter rang out, genuine and unrestrained—the kind that came only from hearing something utterly absurd.
Nejire blinked at him, frowning. "Hey! What's so funny?"
Still wiping tears from his eyes, Renji pressed his hand to the lab's detector. "Heh… you really were a breath of fresh air."
Nejire tilted her head, brow furrowing. "…Thanks?" The uncertainty in her voice only made the compliment stranger, but she accepted it anyway.
"See you around," Renji said simply, slipping inside the lab.
"Next time you have to answer my questions!" Nejire shouted after him, her arm flailing in an exaggerated wave.
Renji lifted a hand in half-hearted reply, his faint chuckle trailing off as his focus returned to the work that truly mattered.