Author's Note: Random story idea that popped into my head. I sometimes like playing with cliche ideas and adding a fun twist. :) It starts pretty cutesy, but then gets darker as the story progresses.

Also! I don't really like writing Boku no Hero characters as the ages in the show, so I bump them all up to college. For the story, it's UA University, not high school, and there are a few other changes. ^^ All the events of season 1-3 are packed into Fall and Winter term, and the story starts Spring term.

This was written before season 4 or the anime came out, and I haven't read the manga.

Second Author's Note (written today, 3-14-2020): So, this story is one of my only bnha stories with an ending. It's a shitty ending, and I don't like it, but it's an ending no less. This ends up being 200,000+ words, each chapter around 10,000 words each. This story ended up being extremely cathartic for my very genderfluid brain. Some elements of the story are dumb, while others are super interesting. Fanfics are a way for me to vent, explore ideas that I don't want to publish in my books, try out different writing techniques, and just escape from the stress of everyday life.

Honestly? Chapter 2 is my absolute FAVORITE of this entire story, and most worthwhile of the entire thing. I update my fanfics about once a month, usually.

Warnings: violence, intense themes, later on mentions of rape (not described in detail)

Summary: She's a cute, adorable, hero cat girl, just like her sister. Haru Odoroneko doesn't mind being one of the most stereotypical girls alive; she doesn't mind the attention, the cat calls, the demeaning nicknames, because that's just how life was. That's how it has to be for girls like her, and she should be grateful… right? genderfluid OC, Bakugouxoc, Katsukixoc

Chapter 1

Neko Girl

April 4th, Thursday, 8:30 AM

A hum escaped her glossy pink lips, and she popped them in the mirror, smiling at her reflection. Wide pink eyes sparkled at her, with pink eye shadow around those glossy orbs, and blushing cheeks. Her short white hair curled perfectly, with a few small cute hair clips mixed in, and her white cat ears twitched on her head.

She hopped away from her dresser and went over to her full length mirror, and spun around. Her bright green skirt flowed out, and loose white shirt hugged at her breasts, but then flowed out, mixing with the skirt. For a girl, she was on the taller side, but not by too much. She was thin and lanky, with small breasts, but also had a tiny waist. That day, she wore simple yellow sandals and an anklet.

Her older sister, Hero Kitty, had taught her how to dress in order to look cute. Different styles of outfits to accentuate certain characteristics over others, certain colors and styles to make her look cute, and even mannerisms to accentuate how adorable she was.

Haru had a transformation quirk, just like her sister, which gave them the physical characteristics of a cat. Both of them were able to grow cat ears, a tail, paws, and alter their eyes and teeth; however, they just kept the ears and claws, since the other characteristics were difficult to deal with on a daily basis.

A knock came from her door, and her ears perked up at the sound.

"Kitten! You ready to go?" Ochaco asked outside, and she grinned.

"Yeah! Just a second!" Haru replied giddily, and grabbed her satchel from next to her bright pink bag. She grabbed her bag, slinging it onto her shoulder, and then took one last glance in the mirror, making sure that she looked decent. Then, she opened the door, and found both Ochaco and Tsu there.

"You look so pretty, Haru!" Ochaco exclaimed.

"Trying to impress someone?" Tsu asked with a teasing smile.

"No! Of course not!" Haru replied with a blush and smile.

There really wasn't anyone that she actually liked; but, there were a few people that she pretended to like. Haru rarely, if ever, found someone sexually or romantically attractive, but she knew that wasn't normal. So, she had a couple of people prepared to pretend to like. All of them were in the upcoming class.

"You're not dressing up for Tenya?" Tsu asked.

"What? Of course not! We have to get to class!" Haru stammered, pretending to be awkward as she hurried down the hall. Ochaco and Tsu trailed close behind.

"You're so obvious, Haru." Tsu said with a smile.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Haru replied.

"Come on, Tsu, leave her alone." Ochaco spoke.

"You're not any better. When are you and Deku going to go out, huh?" Tsu asked, and Ochaco's face turned bright red.

"I-it's not like that!" Ochaco exclaimed.

"Did you guys get the homework done last night?" Haru asked, and paused outside the elevator, pressing the button for 'down.'

"It took forever." Ochaco groaned, and Tsu had a similar frown on her face.

"It was a bit tedious. I learned a lot, though. Aizawa's assignments are usually worthwhile." Haru said, and they nodded in agreement.

"It took hours, though, and the questions were so specific." Ochaco pointed out.

The doors opened, and they all piled inside, going down to the main floor. For most of their walk, they talked about how their classes were going, random gossip, and waved to their fellow students also going to class.

The sun was shining, the sky was clear of clouds, and there was a gentle breeze. Countless trees provided shade from the harsh rays, the gardens looked recently maintained, and squirrels scampered around campus.

As they walked, someone came up next to Haru, and put their arm around her shoulders. Her initial reaction was dislike, but she looked up, and saw that it was Hanta. He was touchy with everyone, especially her, and she'd learned early on to not make a scene with small gestures like that.

"Hey, Kitten, how are you doing?" Hanta asked, his face a little too close. She smiled politely.

"Just walking to class." Haru replied.

"Deku, what happened to your face?!" Ochaco asked, and Haru realized that Hanta wasn't the only person to join them. Deku, Tenya, and Bakugou were all there as well.

"Idiot got in my way this morning." Bakugou answered.

"So you punched him? What the hell is wrong with you?" Tsu asked him, and Bakugou sent her a glare.

"Fuck off." Bakugou scoffed, and walked ahead of the group, shoving earbuds into his ears.

How is one person so violent and rude? Haru wondered.

"Why do you let him do that, Deku?" Ochaco asked him, and he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Don't worry about it, O-Ochaco. I'm used to it." Deku stammered awkwardly.

"That doesn't make it okay." Ochaco replied.

1.

April 4th, Thursday, 9:30 AM

After collecting all the homework assignments, Aizawa went into the usual lecture. That day, they would be going over common hero contracts involved with signing up with agencies.

Effectively, he was teaching them what a standard contract was, and a non-standard one, which could be harmful to them. Most hero agencies were good to their heroes, paying them well and giving them a lot of benefits, but there were some that tried to take advantage of their heroes. For example, some of the less reputable places had strict requirements for their costume, how they act in public, don't give health benefits, and other constricting things that could ultimately hinder their life or even get them killed.

Haru only loosely paid attention, doodling in her sketchbook for a new costume design while he talked. She was also taking a hero tech class, which went over costume fundamentals and how to incorporate new technologies into their costumes, so she planned to get a new costume soon with the upgrades.

She needed to figure out how to make her costume cute, but also durable and worthwhile in a fight. A lot of the more useful things looked ugly, so she was brainstorming ways to make them look good.

A costume could mean the difference between a good hero agency and a shit one. Hero sister had drilled that into her before she started college, and emphasized that she needed to be as cute and adorable as possible when she fought. For heroes, especially women, appearance mattered.

Strength was a factor, sure, but for women, people always looked at tits first. Strength was third or fourth on their checklist.

Their teachers said otherwise, or at least said that the order of importance was a little different, and Haru wasn't sure who to believe on the matter. She guessed that it varied from agency to agency, along with which scouters were representing them for that day, but there was also the factor that her sister didn't go to this school. Her scores hadn't been good enough to get accepted here.

So, either the teachers were ignorant to how much sex appeal in costumes mattered, or they were training their students for bigger name agencies, where they would consider ability over appearance.

Haru didn't have a particularly strong quirk, so she'd need to rely on appearances a lot.

Her current drawing featured a lot of white and pink, with a few small ribbons here and there. The final design wouldn't have as many frills or ribbons, she was just brainstorming, and couldn't think of anything else right then.

In the corner of her eye, she noticed that someone else was doodling a costume, too. Bakugou was intensely staring at a terrible drawing he was doing, which had lots of flames and spikes on it. One of his earlier draft hero names, "Lord Explosion Murder" was scrawled across the top in horrendous writing.

How is someone like that a hero?

As if sensing her, he looked her way, and she quickly turned back to Aizawa, acting like she was paying attention.

2.

April 4th, Thursday, 12:00 PM

After class, a large group of them sat in the commons together, eating lunch on the couches and chatting about the Spring Sports Festival coming up. It would be similar to the festival earlier that school year, but this time, the challenges would be different.

Hanta was next to her again, his arm around the back of the couch behind her, and leaned in close whenever he talked to her. She ignored him, focusing on her bento box.

"The deadline for new costumes is this Tuesday. I can't figure out a good design." Ochaco spoke anxiously.

"What's wrong with your current one?" Deku asked.

"I want to show that I've improved this year, and this time, they're letting us wear costumes. There's a lot of pressure to have a good design." Ochaco replied.

"They're not letting us add equipment, though, so there's not too much pressure." Tsu pointed out.

"Appearance matters a lot for girls, though. Even if we win, if our costume looks like shit, no one is going to offer us internships." Haru pointed out, and Ochaco's worried frown deepened. "But no matter what design you choose, Ochaco, you'll look adorable."

"Have you picked out a new design, Haru?" Mina asked nearby.

"Not yet." Haru replied. "I keep trying to make it look super cute, but also professional, but right now it has too many frills and ribbons."

"You could add a bell. That would be cute." Hanta suggested.

"That's so overdone, though." Haru pointed out.

"So are frills and ribbons." Hanta pointed out.

"I guess you're right. I'm just an unoriginal nobody." Haru said with a sigh and pout, her ears flattening in despair.

"That's not true, Haru! You're going to be a great hero! There's not that many cat heroes out there." Ochaco assured.

"OUT OF MY WAY, LOSER!" Bakugou shouted from across the room, and kicked Mineta in the face roughly, sending him tumbling away and smacking into the wall.

"He's such a bully." Tsu said in a low voice, and the group nodded in unison.

"Tch," Bakugou muttered, shifting his shoulder strap, and sent the group a glare when he realized they were watching. "FUCK OFF!"

"You're the one randomly screaming at people." Hanta pointed out.

"Whatever." Bakugou scoffed, and walked off. He went over to the stairs on the boy's side of the dorms, disappearing behind the stairwell door.

Such a mean person. Haru thought quietly

2.

April 4th, Thursday, 11:00 PM

That night, Haru went down to the kitchen for a late snack, and called up her sister, who was usually a night owl. She set her phone on speaker, and held it as she went to the fridge.

She wore a pair of bright pink pajama pants and a white shirt with a chibi cat on it. Her ears occasionally twitched, keeping an ear out for any other late night snackers, and her pink eyes perused the contents of the fridge.

"Today was good. We went over hero contracts today, and how some agencies have ridiculous requirements for when you work there. Some of them can be really constricting; like, some places regulate your diet and fine you if they catch you eating bread." Haru explained, and looked for anything good to snack on. Upon finding a jug of chocolate milk, she pulled it out, and set it on the counter.

"Yeah; unfortunately, most places have requirements like that. My current agency is pretty strict about appearances." Shizuku spoke tiredly. "I get fined if I say something even mildly offensive in public, and I have to make sure that my costume is perfectly clean when I go out in public. If there's a tear or smudge or anything, I get fined. I'll get instantly fired if I shift to my shadow form."

"Wait, what? Seriously?" Haru asked, pausing after pouring her glass. She'd set her phone on the counter. "Even if you're fighting a powerful villain, you're not allowed to use your stronger form?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty good at dodging, though, and my partner is strong enough to protect me. It's not a big deal, and I mean, I hate that form, anyway. It's so ugly." Shizuku replied.

"But it makes you stronger, and makes it so that you don't take almost any damage." Haru pointed out.

"Yeah, but… it's so ugly, and I mean, my agency is mostly just publicity. We don't actually fight that often, just grab the occasional thug and do a lot of photoshoots." Shizuku argued, and Haru put the jug back into the fridge, feeling a pang of worry in her chest.

"Why not work somewhere else? You're weakest in your cat form." Haru asked. Shizuku commonly paraded around with her long white tail, cat ears, and even paws when she worked.

"But I'm also the fastest in that form." Shizuku pointed out. The more catlike they made their bodies, the faster they were. Unfortunately, cat bones were pretty weak, and the process made them more vulnerable to hits. So, the more catlike they were, the faster reflexes they had to dodge hits, but when a hit did land, they took heavy damage.

"That still sounds sketch, sis." Haru said, and took a sip from her glass.

"It is what it is. Since you're going to UA, you'll probably get to work somewhere that's better, but you should be prepared. A lot of agencies have requirements like that. It's just part of being a hero." Shizuku said.

"That's stupid, though. If you face a villain that's really strong, you basically have to choose between losing your job and living." Haru pointed out.

"That's just how it is sometimes, but whatever. I don't plan on getting fired, and my partner is really strong, so I'll be fine. Besides the shitty rules, it really is great publicity, and I like the cash. I'm saving up for a bigger apartment to live on my own." Shizuku replied, and Haru frowned, but decided to not push it.

"How did your date go yesterday?" Haru asked, and heard someone else approach the kitchen. She looked over to the door, and to her slight terror, a pair of angry red eyes locked with her. His eyes narrowed into angry slits, and he turned to the fridge, angrily yanking on the door to open it.

He wore a sleeveless tanktop, leaving his muscled arms exposed, and she gulped.

"The guy was a total loser. He trembled and quaked the entire time, and looked like he was about to cry." Shizuku spoke from her phone, and Haru quickly grabbed her phone and drink, hurrying out of the room.

Later that night, after her conversation with Shizuku, Haru stood in front of her mirror again. She shifted into her shadow form, which turned her eyes bright red and skin black as night, and frowned.

So scary. Haru thought with a frown, and reconsidered her stance on the rule her sister had to live with. She used this form so infrequently that she forgot just how creepy it looked, and understood her sister's hesitance to use it. If Haru used this form at the competition, no one would offer her an internship.

She switched back to her cute self again, and she giggled with a grin, happy to see herself again. Her white ears twitched, and she spun around a few times, thinking about the festival coming up.

3.

April 5th, Friday, 1:00 PM

The next day in training class, after All Might explained the assignment, Haru frowned. She hated sparring sessions.

They were in a padded room with a large circle in the center. Every once in a while they would pair up and fight each other in the ring, with the objective to either push their opponent out of the ring or subdue them. Most of the time, the pairings were random, or whoever All Might felt like seeing fight. Most of the time, he kept the pairs relatively even in strength.

"Uraraka and Odoroneko, how about we start with you?" All Might suggested.

Haru kept a smile on her face as she went to the circle, and faced Ochaco.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you, okay? I'll try not to scratch you." Haru told her with wide, innocent eyes.

"No, don't hold back, Haru! Fight me with everything you have!" Ochaco replied heatedly.

"I still don't want to hurt you, though." Haru replied awkwardly.

"Haru, this is a training class for heroes. If you intend to become a hero one day, you'll need to learn how to fight." All Might reminded her.

"Fighting villains is a different story, though." Haru replied with a frown, and looked over when she saw Ochaco charging her in the corner of her eye.

As Ochaco tried to grapple her, Haru swiftly moved out of the way, dodging all of her attempted grabs. In order to make dodging easier, she grew out her tail, which made her movements faster. Ochaco kept reaching out, doing moves that they'd been taught in class, trying to get a hold of her.

When Haru saw that her balance was off, she swiftly spun behind her, and then pushed her out of the circle. Ochaco stumbled out, and Haru smiled guiltily at her.

"Sorry." Haru apologized.

"You shouldn't apologize, Haru, you did great!" Mina exclaimed.

"But Ochaco did great, too!" Haru yelled back.

"You are so pathetic." Bakugou sneered, and Haru looked his way, seeing an expression of hatred on his face.

"Ka-chan, don't be so mean. She just has a good heart." Deku argued.

"Not everyone enjoys beating people up, like you." Mina said, and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Yeah, back off, asshole." Hanta added.

"It's fine, let's just move on." Haru said politely, and moved to her spot back on the sidelines between Tsu and Ochaco.

"I think you did a great job, Haru. Your reflexes are amazing." Deku told her.

"Yeah, they're so cool!" Hanta added, and some of the other guys complimented her. She smiled and thanked them, and moved her attention to the next pairing that was chosen: Bakugou and Eijirou.

Bakugou smirked, a cocky snarl tugging at his lips, and he cracked his neck from side to side. Eijirou similarly smirked, a look of excitement in his eyes, and he got his hardening quirk ready. When the explosion quirk user launched at him, Eijirou blocked, and consequently started to fight with him.

They went back and forth with blows; Eijirou rarely, if ever, landed a hit on Bakugou, but Bakugou always landed a hit on him, using his quirk to amplify the power of each attack. Each hit sent a resounding 'boom' through the building, practically sending shockwaves through the room, and the students took hesitant steps back as Bakugou's explosions got more and more out of hand.

Haru watched them go back and forth, and thought back to her sister's contract. What would I do if I had a contract like that, and had to fight a villain like Bakugou?

In the few times they had fought, Bakugou's reflexes rivaled her own, and he'd managed to land some hits. He always won.

What if he was fighting to kill, though?

How much was she willing to lose in order to maintain her appearance?

What if she fought someone who used blades as a weapon? What if her partner was injured or killed, and Haru had no other option?

Of course I'd use my other form. She thought to herself, but in the event of a surprise attack, she wouldn't have much warning. A single hit could mean her death.

But that's the risk of this job. Haru remembered, and sighed, recalling the League of Villain attack. She'd managed to avoid using her lesser known quirk against them, but what about next time?

Was she willing to die to maintain appearances?

Watching Bakugou and Eijirou fight brought a sobering concern to her mind, weighing down heavily on her heart. They were on a completely different level, just like all of those villains, and she was nowhere near their skill level.

She was good at dodging, sure, and she was decent at teaming up with other people, but that put a lot of pressure on her partner for strength. Ideally, she should be able to team up with anyone and succeed.

Then, she smiled, and shook her head. She was overthinking things.

Most villains weren't anywhere near this level, and she would be able to handle them fine. Her sister managed fine, afterall, and she was pretty sure that she could beat her in a fight at this point. Shizuku had more experience, but Haru was getting better training.

She continued to zone out for most of the class, not really paying attention to her classmates. Instead, she thought about tomorrow, when she planned to volunteer with her sister at a homeless shelter. It was going to be a big publicity stunt for Shizuku's hero agency, and she'd invited Haru to come along.

Haru thought through her outfits, wondering which one she should wear for tomorrow.

4.

April 6th, Saturday, 5:00 PM

The next evening, Haru grinned and giggled from her bed, sitting with Mina and Toru. They were all staring at the laptop in front of Haru, gasping and admiring all the photos that Haru had been featured in that day.

"That is so cool! I wish that I had a sibling that was a hero." Mina said with a frown. "And you look so damn cute!"

They paused on a picture of Haru and her sister. Shizuku was in her hero costume, which was a pink and white outfit with a large bell on her neck, and smiling with an arm around Haru. Haru was in a pink miniskirt, white tights, cute bright green top, and she had ribbons in her hair. Both of them were flashing peace signs at the camera with a matching smile.

"You're so lucky, Haru. I would give anything to look so cute and adorable. Those ears are to die for." Toru said, and then reached up to touch Haru's ears. The white ears flicked away at the contact.

"And your nails are so cute! Did you get them professionally done?" Mina asked, fawning over them and reaching for her hand.

"Shizuku and I got manicures afterwards." Haru answered.

"I'm so jealous! With my black eyes and horns, no one is going to want to offer me an internship." Mina pouted.

"But your eyes are so cute! And your horns look so cute!" Haru exclaimed. "What if we put sparkles on them!?"

4.

April 7th, Sunday, 11:00 AM

After a night of studying and doing silly things, ranging from nail painting to gossiping about boys, they ended up in the commons together, sitting on the couches. Mina, Toru, Momo, Tsu, Ochaco, and Haru all sat together with a smile. They had textbooks on their laps, only passively studying, and were laughing, when they heard people walk in.

They all turned, and saw a group of guys walk in, all looking sweaty and tired. Two of them, Eijirou and Hanta, were shirtless to show off their abs. The other three, Deku, Tenya, and Denki, were in sweatpants and hoodies.

Haru had planned to go back to talking with the girls, but realized that they were gawking at the guys, absolutely hypnotized by them.

"Did you guys just get back from working out?" Mina asked, causing them to look up in surprise.

"Yep. We've got to get strong for the upcoming competition." Eijirou said with a cocky smirk, and to Haru's dismay, the group of five approached them. They hadn't showered yet, so they stunk.

"Why don't you girls join us sometime? Training is always more fun in groups." Deku offered with a kind smile.

"Muscles don't look as good on girls, but thanks, Deku." Mina said with a smile.

"Then how do you plan to get stronger?" Deku asked, blinking in surprise.

"There's more to being a hero than muscles." Haru pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but… they definitely help." Deku said uneasily.

"Extra training isn't required, so don't stress about it. They get tons of exercise in class." Hanta pointed out with a smile, and leaned against the couch. "So, how are you girls doing today? Studying hard?"

"I have a test on Monday in my hero tech class. There are so many chemistry and math questions." Haru complained.

"Not good at math and science?" Hanta asked.

"I'm terrible at both." Haru confirmed.

"Well I could help you, if you want. I'm not too bad at either." Hanta offered.

"I can help, too, since I'm in that class with you." Deku offered with a genuine grin, and missed the side glare that Hanta sent him.

"I'd appreciate any and all help." Haru said with a smile.

4.

April 7th, Sunday, 11:00 PM

That night, Haru went to the kitchen again to find a snack. She did have food in her room, but nothing sounded quite right, so she went to the main kitchen.

As she stood in front of the fridge, wearing her usual pajamas and letting the cold air wash over her, she put her phone on speakerphone as she called Shizuku's phone again. She did have a shift today, but that should have ended by now, and usually she was free this time of night.

Her eyes landed on the chocolate milk again, and she licked her lips. Next time she went out, she'd have to replace it, since she'd been drinking so much of it.

The phone went to voicemail, as she reached out to grab the jug. Her fingers wrapped around the cold object, and she lifted up, causing the brown liquid to slosh slightly.

"Hey sis, just felt like chatting. Call me back, I'll probably be awake for the next few hours." Haru spoke, and pressed the 'end call' button with her nose. She brought the jug over to the counter, set her phone down next to it, and reached for the cabinet. For a moment she paused, humming quietly as she tapped her chin, and contemplated her choices.

There was a wide variety of cups available, since they frequently broke and students would replace them with random glasses they bought at the store.

She settled on a simple glass with flowers painted at the top, and closed the cabinet softly.

As she set the glass on the marble counter, her phone started to ring, and lit up. Her mom was calling.

She accepted the call and put it on speakerphone.

"Hey, mom, what's up?" Haru asked, and paused when she heard a sob.

Her body froze in place, her hand in mid reach for the jug of milk.

Her heart raced in her chest, and absolute dread tugged at her heart. Just by the quiet sounds, she knew that something terrible had happened, and couldn't bring herself to ask what happened.

Her hand started to tremble.

"Y-your sister…." Her mother sobbed, and she didn't need to finish her sentence. Tears welled up in Haru's eyes, and a numbness spread through her. "She's dead."

Her mom went back to crying.

That's all that Haru could focus on. Those quiet sobs, the pain and sorrow in that voice, the implications of her words.

Shizuku was dead.

For the next few hours, Haru didn't feel in control of herself. A dull haze clouded her mind, keeping her from feeling or thinking anything. All she knew was that she was moving.

At some point, she changed into a hoodie and her black yoga pants, and went outside. She roamed the expansive campus, occasionally seeing late night joggers and security making their rounds.

Nothing really registered. Not the cool night air nipping at her skin, the quiet sounds of owls and crickets, nor the crescent moon hanging in the sky.

Nothing, that is, until she stumbled across two people fighting. The sound of quiet explosions and skin smacking against skin registered in her mind, and she got closer, hiding behind a bush. In a small clearing, away from the main pathways, were Eijirou and Bakugou, sparring with each other.

Except, they weren't holding back anymore.

They were doing moves that they hadn't gone over in class, doing more high kicks and turns, and seeming to experiment. Their movements were a bit faster, not necessarily aiming to hit hard, but to practice disabling their opponent without focusing on their quirk.

Haru was temporarily mesmerized by the way they moved. The way they anticipated each other's moves, moving seamlessly from one move to the next, as if it was all second nature to them.

They were both shirtless, sweating profusely, and were covered in bruises.

I wonder how she died. Haru stayed silent as she watched, observing them and unable to keep up with what they were doing.

I wonder if I could ever fight like that. She wondered.

5.

April 8th, Monday, 12:00 PM

She managed to get excused from her classes the following day.

The room was unnaturally still and sterile, with a fluorescent light shining above them. The temperature was cold, like the inside of a refrigerator, and there was a strange hum, like from a generator.

Quiet sobs kept coming from her right, and when the examiner reached for the top of the white sheet, hurried footsteps left the room. Outside, the horrid sounds of wretching and vomiting echoed into the room, until the door shut behind them.

Leaving Haru alone with them.

The examiner, a portly older man with black hair slicked back, looked from the door to her. He wore a white coat and purple scrubs underneath, and his face was clean shaven, making him look much younger than he likely was.

Haru nodded at him, indicating for him to continue.

He hesitated, before taking the sheet again, and pulling it back.

Shizuku's eyes and mouth were closed, and some of her makeup remained. There were sparkles on her bruised flesh, her nose was dented, and part of her cheek caved in. More bruises were on her neck and peeked from beneath the sheet. Her pink hair was matted with a brown substance, most likely blood, under her head.

The hair was parted strangely, and she stared at part of her head, and realized that it had been brushed that way recently. When she looked closer, she realized that her skull was slightly caved in. The examiner had probably tried to make it seem less extreme and horrific than it was.

As Haru stared, the less she saw Shizuku, but herself.

"Would you like some time alone with her?" The examiner asked.

Haru didn't respond, trying to grapple with the body before her, and piece together what had happened in her mind. This didn't make sense to her.

Shizuku couldn't be dead.

Her big sister couldn't be dead.

"Do you know what happened? Have you pieced together how she died?" Haru asked, still staring at that relaxed face.

"... well, from what I understand, she was on patrol with her partner, and they encountered two members of the League of Villains. Her partner was killed almost instantly." He spoke slowly.

"My sister didn't die instantly." Haru said, her voice devoid of emotion. There was clearly a struggle, based on all the bruises.

"... after killing her partner, one of them, I think his villain name is Hard Hitter, fought with her one on one. The fight was drawn out, probably because she was trying to distract him until back up arrived, but he eventually overpowered her. He grabbed her neck, and hit her head against a brick wall."

"And did she use her shadow quirk?" Haru asked.

"... her what?" He asked, and her cold gaze moved to him, causing him to jump slightly.

But then, she turned back to her sister, and noticed her ears. Shizuku still had her white cat ears, which meant that, in the end, she chose dying over using her more powerful quirk.

"What kind of quirks did they have? The people she fought." Haru asked.

"Um… one of them could produce fire, I think. The other one, Hard Hitter, well… I don't know the specifics, but he's strong."

"Did either of them have a quirk that could cancel out other people's quirks? Or mess with them at all?" Haru asked.

"Not that's I'm aware of… why do you ask?"

Shizuku was so still. There was so much blood in her hair.

"Where's the paperwork for me to sign? You only need one close relative to sign, right?" Haru asked, looking back up at him.

"... yeah." He nodded uneasily, and put the sheet back over Shizuku's face.

6.

April 8th, Monday, 4:00 PM

While her parents took a taxi home, Haru took the bus back to her school. She had earbuds in her ears and sat towards the middle, staring out the window and ignoring the world around her. The streets zoomed by in a blur, pop music akin to static in her ears, and her ears occasionally twitched when someone started to reach out to touch them. Usually, the movement made them reconsider, for some reason.

People loved touching her ears, especially kids.

As she sat there, she felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned, finding some of her classmates smiling down at her. Eijirou, Denki, and Bakugou were all standing there, moving to sit or stand near her. She pulled out her earbuds, reluctantly.

"What are you doing out and about? I didn't see you in class." Eijirou asked, sitting next to her.

"Family stuff." Haru replied in a dead tone.

"Oh? Like the shelter thing you did the other day?" Denki asked behind her.

"Not really. What are you guys up to?" Haru asked.

"Are you okay? You seem a little down." Denki asked.

"I don't feel like talking about it." Haru replied.

"Well, we were just doing a little shopping before movie night tonight. You're joining us, right?" Eijirou asked.

"... movie night?" Haru asked.

"Yeah, we're trying to get a group together to watch a movie in the commons tonight. Should be fun." Eijirou said with a smile.

"What movie?" Haru asked.

"Guardians of the Galaxy." Denki answered with a grin. "You should come, it'll be fun. We'll have popcorn, snacks, soda, all kinds of stuff."

"I'll think about it." Haru replied, and felt her pocket vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out, and realized her dad was calling. She shifted from cat ears to normal ears, and answered the call. "Hey, dad."

"I just… wanted to let you know, the funeral will be this weekend. Does that work with your schedule?" Her dad asked.

"Yeah." Haru replied, and looked out the window again. "Is there anything else that I need to do?"

"No, we should be able to handle things from here… we'll let you know if we need anything. You just focus on your school work. Make your sister proud. Do well at the festival coming up." Her father said.

"... alright. Love you. Let me know if you need anything." Haru said, and hung up, putting the phone back into her pocket.

"... something really bad must have happened, huh?" Denki asked behind her, and she glanced his way, noticing that he and the others, minus Bakugou, seemed concerned about her.

"The League of Villains killed my sister. I had to identify her body a little while ago and do some paperwork." Haru said, and they all gasped in surprise.

They all tried to console her, but she didn't really care, just wanting to be alone with her thoughts.

7.

April 8th, Monday, 4:45 PM

"Damn." Eijirou breathed, once Haru was out of earshot in the elevator. The small group went over to the empty couches and plopped down, their hearts heavy after the news that Haru had shared. "That's so brutal."

"She's handling it a lot better than I would. Poor Kitten." Denki sighed, and rubbed his hands over his face. "Like… that sucks so much."

"Her sister had the same quirk as her, too. That must be traumatizing to see your sister, who has the same quirk, in the same profession, die like that. Tenya's brother survived the hero killer, but he still ran off and nearly got himself killed." Eijirou recalled.

"You've been pretty quiet." Denki commented, looking in Bakugou's direction.

Bakugou looked calm and thoughtful, lounging in his spot with his feet on the table and phone in his hands. His ruby red eyes glanced their way, emotionless, and he shrugged. "It's a shit situation. Not much to say."

"I feel so bad for her. I wonder if there's anything we can do to help." Denki spoke.

"I have no idea. She seems to just want space." Eijirou commented lamely.

"I feel so bad for her." Denki said.

"Same." Eijirou said.

8.

April 19th, Friday, 11:00 AM

The following week and a half were largely uneventful, with students stressing and preparing for the sports festival. Many of the freshmen who bombed the first festival were determined to do better this time around.

Haru was the only person who forewent a hero costume. Instead, she donned the same school uniform from the first festival. Her hair was dyed dark brown, her ears a normal human shape, and everything else about her seemed remarkably normal and average. To an average person, they probably wouldn't even think she was a hero.

She even wore brown contacts, making her look even more mundane.

All of the freshman students stood together in the center of the arena, with the stands filled with people. The fellow students talked anxiously to each other, some smiling and waving to the audience, others focusing on their breathing.

Haru's hands were in her pockets as she boredly looked around her.

"Kitten!" Mina exclaimed, getting her attention, and she realized that Mina and Momo were gawking at her. Several other students were staring at Haru as well. "Why aren't you in costume!?"

Haru shrugged.

"But there are so many scouts out there today! And what happened to your eyes?!" Mina exclaimed.

"Are you insane!?" Momo added.

Haru shrugged, and to her fortune, Kayama announced on stage that they would be starting soon. She also called Bakugou to the stage, which caused a round of boos and groans.

"SHUT UP!" Bakugou shouted as he made his way to the stage, and went to the microphone. "I'm going to beat all of you again!"

"You suck!" Several students yelled, and his face turned red as he glared and started shouting at them again. Mina and the others, thankfully, were some of the people shouting at him.

Kayama soon stole the mic back, and Bakugou grumbled as he walked off the stage.

"Let's see what the first challenge will be!" Kayama yelled, and a giant slot machine appeared. It started rolling through the different options, and eventually landed on "robot fight." "Alright! You lucky students will be facing off against giant robots! The people that deal the most damage will proceed to the next round!"

9.

April 19th, Friday, 11:20 AM

After being transported to the other location, Haru stayed towards the back with her hands in her pockets. As soon as the event started, with Present Mic announcing, all of the students, save Haru ran forward.

They used their quirks at full force, attempting to do as much damage as possible and go to the next round.

Haru simply watched, doing nothing, and waited until the time ran out.

Even if she'd planned to fight that day, she wouldn't be able to do much damage.

10.

April 19th, Friday, 5:00 PM

Later that day, after the festival was over, Aizawa asked her to meet him at his office.

When she arrived, she knocked softly, and heard a faint 'enter.' As she pushed the door open, she was unsurprised to find that his office was rather typical. There was a bookcase with folders, a desk, and small dying plant on the tiny window sill. He looked tired as he sat there, with his hair in the usual fray and bags under his eyes.

"Why didn't you participate in the festival like the others?" Aizawa asked her.

"... claws don't do much damage against robots." Haru answered.

"You still could have tried. The smaller ones weren't that strong." Aizawa pointed out.

"Against people like Bakugou, I didn't stand a chance. I didn't see the point." Haru replied.

"You never intended to make any effort. Otherwise, you would have dressed appropriately." Aizawa said, and she grit her teeth. "You were the only person not in costume, and didn't participate. You didn't put in any effort whatsoever, and that reflected poorly on the school. Everyone else worked their hardest today, but you didn't."

Haru didn't really have a good defense for that. He wasn't wrong.

"Is it because of your sister?" He asked, and her heart fell. She moved her gaze to the dying plant on the windowsill, withering away. "... I'm sorry about her death." Aizawa spoke in a softer tone.

"I'm going to train this summer to be stronger than her. Next year's sports festival, I'll do better." Haru said, her voice sounding dead even to her own ears. She couldn't bring herself to give any emotion as she stood there, leaning against the doorway and facing her critical teacher.

"What kind of training do you plan on doing?" Aizawa asked.

"I haven't decided yet." Haru replied.

"... I know that your sister died, and that's terrible, but unless you do better, we'll have to bump you down to the other training class." Aizawa said, and she slowly nodded. "Just… so long as we see you're trying, we can work with you, but not if you just stand on the sidelines doing nothing."

"I understand." Haru nodded.