Song Recommendation for this story is: “Did It On’em” By Nicki Minaj

✦━━━━━✦

The training grounds were loud.

Not the normal kind of loud, either. The usual clatter of quirks firing, shoes skidding across concrete, and instructors barking corrections was all there. But underneath it, there was a different noise. A shift. The kind of quiet that happens when a room full of people collectively decides to watch something go down.

And they were all watching you.

A few students nearby had gone very still. Mina Ashido's head whipped around so fast you'd think she'd been slapped. Eijiro Kirishima was already wincing, mouth half-open like he wanted to intervene but knew better. Denki Kaminari made a low, nervous sound somewhere between a laugh and a whimper.

Because everyone knew that tone. The one that meant Bakugou had just said something he couldn't take back. And Todoroki had handed him the match.

Somewhere behind you, Kyoka Jiro muttered something under her breath. It sounded a lot like oh, they're dead.

But no one moved.

Because this wasn't a normal argument. This was the kind of thing that had been building for days. Weeks, maybe. Every little comment. Every smug look. Every time they'd brushed off your bad week like it was proof you'd never been good at all.

And now they'd said it.

Out loud.

In front of everyone.

The ball, as they say, was in your court.

Todoroki still hadn't moved. He was watching you with that infuriatingly blank expression, like he was waiting to see if you'd do something interesting or just walk away.

The sun was high. The air was thick with dust and heat.

And everyone was waiting.