Forced Circumstances. [Event]

To be completely frank, Naoru didn’t trust the military one bit. While he approved of the idea of common folks and military personnel learning more of the quirkers for co-operations, the Semper Fi camp made the whole movement seem more like an experiment than anything else. He knew most of the people here had good intentions, and they really wanted to understand the people with unique abilities and co-exist with them. But after the little time he spent in the camp, he couldn’t help but have this vague suspicion that something was going on. Maybe it was his paranoia resurfacing again after he became so composed in the atmosphere of U.A. high. Maybe it was just that he was seeing eyes watching them with ill intent and harmful curiosity instead of genuine interest. Maybe he was in the wrong, but he could never be careful enough.

As the military facilities were slowly closing their gates to the public, and the training was coming to an end, Naoru caught the news of a closing event that they were welcome to attend where the military would unveil their findings. With some unease and much more curiosity, he decided to see what the military had in tow for them one last time.

If it was up to his father, Naoru would have spent the whole month in the military camp. His father couldn’t be happier that people seemed to be interested in quirkers, and he urged his son to attend as much as possible. Naoru only kept him updated about progress, and was careful never to mention any of his suspicions. His father would call him paranoid anyway. Maybe it was his time back with the psychologists, or with Sutetchi, that made him less trusting of those that showed interest in quirkers. Naoru was no mind-reader, so he could never be sure of intentions if it was coming from unreliable sources. It felt as if the military only saw them as weapons, reverence to the exceptions that did not. In hopes of proving himself wrong, he walked to the main tent erected in the middle of the combat area.

Following some inclination, he pulled out his phone and typed a message for the person he had the chance to spar with in the area, his classmate, Kutsushita Ito.

It is the last day at the military camp and they said they will reveal something about their findings. The press is here too. I will be in the combat area main tent if you are interested in coming as well.

He sent the text, and looked through his previous messages and bit his lips before typing another one, for a completely different person.

I am at the military camp for a short while. I can head over after I am done, if you want.

After sending that last one to Sutetchi and hoping to get a reply later and see the young man after this job is done, he concentrated on the matter at hand again. Nearing the tent and stepping into it, he decided to carefully observe even though there seemed to be nothing amiss as of now. The chattering of the few civilians and the press filled the area. He carefully stepped around any crowd forming and instead walked toward the rows of chairs to take a seat somewhere near the edge, paying no attention to the snacks table, as he didn’t intend to stay for too long anyway. He only found one person familiar among the people, as the blonde sitting at the back row reminded him of someone from school. He couldn’t be sure of the familiarity, especially since the boy wasn’t wearing a uniform, so he dismissed the suspicion and sat down. He wasn’t wearing his uniform either. Donning instead a slightly more casual form, he decided to wear a black button-up shirt with black pants. His Aura was out and about, settled around his upper torso and arms as a strange, white coat with a fluffy neckline. Anyone could have mistaken it for a real jacket. His left hand, the one not made of flesh anymore, ended in claws as usual, but much smaller, appearing like any normal hand at first glance. After spending so much time with rather accepting people in class 1-C, he found it much more comfortable to have his Aura out even in his everyday life. His hair was still carefully brushed to hide part of the markings on the left side of his face, and the pale grey contact lenses were present as well, but he could still consider this much a progress by now.

He kept his head low, but couldn’t help but look around curiously. The man standing at the front near the white board was unfamiliar, but considering he was proudly wearing the military uniform, Naoru could take a wild guess at his status. As he didn’t spend too much time at Semper Fi before, he hadn’t the chance to meet many of the higher-ranked military personnel, but it seemed like he will be fortunate to meet one now. It made sense that a higher-up would be the one presenting their results, but it just made him be slightly more on edge instead. The many power-cables running into the tent were also rather strange, considering Naoru couldn’t see anything in sight that needed so much power, but maybe it was all just for the air-conditioning.

He checked his phone again for any replies he might be getting, and hoped Kutsu would come so Naoru wouldn’t feel so alien and alone in the tent full of strangers. When he heard a slightly annoyed mumbling from nearby, he turned to see a foreigner, hunched and grumpy. He knew a little English, so he could understand the root of his annoyance, but he didn’t comment. It might be rude to put his nose where it didn’t belong... right?

“It will start soon.” He said in accented English, to no one in particular, but clearly there for the boy to hear.

So much for not butting into other’s business.

WORD COUNT;

TAGGED:

TAGGED: Fluffy

The brunette foreigner just shot a grumpy glare at him and lowered his head again in response, at which, Naoru looked away. Rather than being discouraged, he just thought he got what he deserved. He was probably speaking needlessly when the boy didn’t want any consoling and instead wanted to be left alone to his grieving. There were times when some people just liked to be miserable for a few moments to feel that much better later. He fidgeted slightly in his chair, but his Aura didn’t give off a flare that would be telling of his current emotions.

Then, thank the heavens, Kutsu actually arrived! Naoru more or less wrote that text on a whim to his friend, and he felt somewhat bad for inviting him even though he probably had something better to do, but still, it made him feel much better that there was someone he actually knew.

“Ito-san!” He waved back, giving an extra wave to Sir Hopsalot so the battle plushie wouldn’t feel left out. He was ready to playfully retort at the mention of his coat again, because seriously, this wasn’t the first time Kutsu saw his Aura being worn in the way he did. But when the brunette was the one to answer to the question, he instead stayed silent and just smiled, shrugging, and moved just slightly back to let Kutsu onto the chair he choose for himself.

He couldn’t help but find the foreigner’s reaction to the offered granola bar somewhat adorably childish, still pouting, but trying to be polite and actually appreciative at the offer none the less. At least Kutsu was able to shake the guy out of whatever misery he wanted to drown in. He found that the slightly naive and happy-go-lucky Kutsu had that exact effect on others, as if the boy was a living and walking teddy bear himself. Naoru politely refused Kutsu’s offer, and turned back to the other once introductions were made. “Nice to meet you, Robin-kun.” He added with the trademark, calm smile of his that was reserved to those who were kind in turn.

“Aliens...” Naoru deadpanned, and stared at Kutsu before looking to the side. He doubted anyone would be interested in aliens when there were people with superpowers being born at every corner of the world every day. But Robin’s idea of hearing some PR presentation seemed somewhat lacking as well. There would be no need for inviting anyone other than the press itself, and then the whole point of opening the Semper Fi camp would be meaningless. Instead of PR, Naoru suspected a more serious announcement, but still, the paranoid distrust was there despite the easygoing and the grumpy suggestions of both his current acquaintances. “I hope it is just PR...” He murmured and frowned, looking down at the ground and then adjusting his posture to the straight-backed, calm one he wore with his Aura out. Another boy of their age mentioned the Q and A portion of the presentation, and he had to wonder if that particular, purple-haired boy had some questions prepared for the military personnel. They usually didn’t like to answer, or at least not truthfully. Diplomatic answers were called that for a reason, so if they wanted their curiosity sated, they would have to talk to the assigned people personally.

He looked back toward the whiteboard, noticing that the person who stood up there when he entered, the person that looked like he was a higher-up, was now absent. Instead, an equally competent woman was standing at the front, although different in rank, if the markings on her uniform were any indication. The presentation started, and Naoru squared his shoulders for any bad news they might receive. He kept close watch of the Sergeant talking, watching for any indication of personal preference about quirk users.

He didn’t have to wait long as her face twisted, and the sirens blared.

Naoru’s heart jumped to his throat from the loud and sudden noise, and he closed his eyes, lowering his head to hide himself just a little. He opened his eyes to catch a glimpse of the message on the whiteboard, and his world stopped for a moment.



The noise, the sprinkled substance and the white flash was enough to confuse him into a momentary panic. He stood from the chair but he immediately fell to his knees from the shock he received to his senses. Trying to keep himself upright as his buckling knees failed him, he grabbed at the back of the chair in front of him, lowering his head while his ears rang and the spots occupied his vision. His Aura flared, as that was the only thing undisturbed from the attack to his remaining senses. It covered his head in a makeshift hood, but the sensation of being coated by something unnatural and uncomfortable was gnawing at the back of his mind, together with a pull, a claw, a saw that told him to run and hide because he was invaded in a way that he shouldn’t let anyone do. Sensations were rushing through him, through his nerves, through his whole body, and for a moment, he felt himself being as light as the white shroud surrounding him. His heart was hammering in his chest, the beating resonating through his brain and smashing uncomfortably against the back of his eyes.

Something wanted to be let out.

Scratching.

Something screamed at him to move, yet his body was shivering from the momentarily overload he received. Bare, solidified nerves that were making up his Aura’s structure were screaming, and he could feel every one of them. Every little million of them.

He gasped. His fingers curled, and he could hear the cracking sound of something breaking under the pressure of his extending claw. Slight pain resonated with every other sense he could feel, and it was like a

SNAP!

He opened his eyes. Licking his lips he could taste blood where he bit hard enough to rip through skin. The chair in front of him was still intact, but a visible crack was running through it. His left hand was now bigger, clawed, as if ready for battle.

Was he ready for battle?

Claws. Scratching. Let me out.

He took a shuddering breath and looked around just in time to hear a scream from another guest.

She was breaking. Naoru could see her breaking, her form shuddering in front of his sight as something was obscuring his vision not from the outside, but from within. It was familiar, this feeling. Everything was way too bright, way too accented, and he almost felt nauseous from the rush that made his knees weak.

A voice broke through his hallucination, stern and hurried, and it forced him to look and actually see the form of the new acquaintance beside him.

“Quirks”, the other said, and Naoru didn’t understand at first. His Aura was like a coat, covering his body and forming a hood over his head, his left arm mutated into a claw, more monster than human. Wasn’t he more monster than human?

Wait, no.

He had to concentrate. Robin was actually talking. The boy’s features were rushed, almost sweaty, as if he just went through a panic attack, and Naoru couldn’t sympathize more. But his demands were pulling Naoru back to reality like an anchor, grounding him where he knelt.

But something was clawing at the back of his mind. He could feel it.

Scratching.

Naoru was listening to him talk, and it was strange, so strange, that this brunette was so grumpy, so withdrawn a moment ago, and now he was hurriedly speaking and demanding them for opinions. It was not right. He felt sticky. It was not right.

“Slow down.” Naoru said, and he was surprised at how calm and collected he sounded. As if it wasn’t even his own voice talking.

Clawing. Scratching.

He glanced toward the whiteboard, and read, no inhaled the words he saw there. They had two options. And none seemed to be a decidedly good choice. None sounded safe. None sounded like it would give them salvation. He looked back toward Robin and Kutsu, seeing their disorientation and feeling them as if it was his own.

Took a deep breath. Swallowed hard. Stood up.

He straightened his back as if he wasn’t about ready to smash something with his Aura that dared to say a wrong thing to him or the people that mattered to him. Eyes and pupils blown wide, he looked at the two, deciding on what needed to be done.

“You will not die.” He said, conviction present as if he was the one to decide the physics of the world, breaking it down and creating anew. “None of us will die.” They can not die. No one.

Claws. Let me out.

He stared at the words on the whiteboard again, and turned toward the other two. “Ito-san. Robin-kun.” Formality was present even when the mind was bombarded by alien sensations. “Can I trust you two to go and get the antidote?” He asked, soothing and kind. Was it his own voice? “I will see what I can do about the quirker being held underground. There is no need to worry, I heal faster than others, and my mutation might give me more time against the effects of this substance.” It was pure speculations. Bullshit. Naoru had no idea if he can last longer than anyone else. But there was a chance they will need to fight down there. He could fight. He didn’t want to admit it, but his body was good for battle. Kutsu had strength in numbers, and if they met complications during getting the antidote, Robin’s quirk might be able to help. He, in the meantime, would go and visit subject X320.

X320. What an unjust name. X320. XE20. XEZ0. XEZO. He will just call her Xezo.

A glance at the shaking teammates was enough to strengthen Naoru’s resolve. He could do this. There was no time to be scared. If he let his emotions bubble up and burst, his Aura will break down. His mind was crumbling under a terrifying pressure from within, but they had to act. And they had to do it fast.

“Can you two do it?” He asked again from the others, and looked around to see if anyone else was reacting to the message, getting ready to decide for themselves what they want to do with their remaining twenty minutes of sanity. “What about you all?” Only the purple haired teenager was near them and another person, seemingly unknown, wearing a mask, but he wasn’t yet sure if they were in any state of hearing his question. If it came down to it, he will go alone.

He could do it. There was nothing he couldn’t do right now.

Let me out!