Joint Training: Ai

" You're that Yaoyorozu-san, you're even cuter up close. Your hero costume is a little too much though, don't you feel cold in here? And speaking of costumes, I've been wondering which one would you have worn for the beauty pageant if you had the chance to participate. I've seen you on a TV commercial before so I thought you're awesome and beautiful and was pretty convinced that you would participate. Speaking of that commercial, the product was actually rather good..." The blond ranted on and on as she circled Yaoyorozu that Kendo had to pull her away.

" Calm down, Ai," she told her sternly. " Either way, I was also wondering why you didn't participate, Yaoyorozu-san?"

"Aizawa-sensei did not tell us about the beauty pageant. I had band practice, as well, so I would not have been able to enter anyway, though," Yaoyorozu answered.

As Ai got back to her feet and dusted her fluffy pink fur jacket after being dragged for a while by Kendo, she could see sparks of rivalry igniting between both teams. My heart is beating fast. This is exciting. It's my chance to fight against other people outside of my class. And there are other boys too. The one with the bird head is quite interesting. How should I get him to go out with me?

" Ai!" She snapped out of her thoughts as Kendo called for her." We're going to the camp, don't linger behind! And focus, how are you going to get the plan if your mind isn't there!"

" Sorry." Ai rubbed her head before walking behind them, still, her attention was easily averted by the slightest things from the shapes of the clouds to the bugs crawling on the floor Kendo had to tug her along.

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Ai didn't bother hiding a yawn as the whole team went over the plan. I don't need that. She thought counting the animal keyholders attached to her belt and pulling on her colorful over-the-knee socks.

Ai's costume consisted of a black sleeveless t-shirt reaching above her navel, and a pink and orange fluffy coat with its hood drawn on her head, bear ears protruding from it.  A black belt secured dark black shorts, and she wore colorful striped socks along with a pair of white trainers. Not to mention the batches of keyholders flanking her.

She was told so often that her choice of clothes was so colorful and mismatched but she never once cared for that. As long she thought it was cute she would wear it.

" Hope you got the plan, Ai." The girl looked back at Kendo and nodded to her with a broad smile.

" Go! Kendo team! Start the second match!" Vlad's voice permeated the area and the horn was blown again.

" All right! Let's go!" Kendo smirked as they all fist-bumped then tore down the path.

" Yeah!"

" This requires a little speed, right." Ai smiled as she caressed the white rabbit keyholder and the tip of her finger glowed at the touch. " Animal, rabbit!" The girls took the vanguard with high long-spaced jumps.

Class B's Dobutsu Ai. Hero name: Teddy-chan. Quirk: Animal Touch. By touching the skin or fur of any animal, she can copy their features and abilities. And after developing her Quirk she is able to copy more than one animal at once. The effect lingers for three hours. The keyholders she has are specially made by the support company for her from real fur/skin. (By the way, no harm was inflicted on any of the animals they got them from.)

" Don't venture so far ahead, Ai!" But the girl was having the time of her life leaping and heading towards where their opponents were. It was until something caught her eyes.

" Something black is coming!" She warned them as she herself halted. Before them was none other than Dark Shadow.

" First you!" He lunged at Ai.

" Get back here!" Kendo's enlarged fist pulled the girl away but not before Dark Shadow had managed to wretch her keyholders. " Are you alright?"

" My animals!" She looked back at the shadow as though he had taken her close friends.

" We know of your Quirk! Without these, you won't be copying any animals' abilities," He said throwing his hands up and discarding the keyholders about. " Don't just 'wait-and-see'!" And he lunged on the rest of them, separating them. " I'll get those I can get now!"

" I'll leave it to you, Kuroiro!" The boy used the girl's now strong feet midair as leverage to escape to the shadow before the dark shape could catch him, then he fell through the shadow of a pipe overhead.

"I'm off!" He said smirking broadly. As he merged with Dark Shadow, he retraced his path and went to fight against the other team while they split up and hid for their next move...

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"Was that girl in the sports festival?" Whisper turned around while rubbing his head. " I mean, with her Quirk, it would have been easy for her to get past the first round, right?"

" Oh, about that." Tobio approached them from behind. " Dobutsu-san went out of course right after she exited the venue." Everyone saw a large bead of sweat trickling down his face.

" Went out of course as how?" Sora asked.

" She saw some rare bird around and followed it, getting herself disqualified." Tobio sighed. " That girl is talented, really. And her Quirk is amazing too. But, she tends to lose focus so easily." His eyes trailed back to the TV just as Kuroiro was wretched out of Dark Shadow.

" Tell us about that. I've heard her bring about a hundred topics in about 5 seconds." Whisper folded his arms.

" Aside from that, she isn't an enemy you would rather reckon with." With that said, their attention went back to the screen just as Mushrooms began growing everywhere in the arena...

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Ai was ogling at a centipede that was climbing up the pipe, ignoring anything else around until Kuroiro's head peeked from behind her. " Oi! You should get working!"

Ai snapped and whirled around. " Oh, it's just you."

" It's not just me! If you don't get working Kendo will be furious!"

" Oh jeesh!" She groaned clutching the two spray guns she received from Komori. " But you know, Kuroiro-kun, sometimes I wonder how you're barely heard when you talk with Kinoko-chan but can get so loud at the rest of us," she said spraying the area around, oblivious to the boy's face growing red behind her. " Speaking of Kinoko-chan, I saw her put some troublesome mushrooms over there. I mean, she is set on winning like any of us but isn't it dangerous? And speaking of dangers, shouldn't we be careful while conducting our attacks, Fukidashi blew away a whole sector. Oh, and that reminds me, that sector contain-"

" Could you just, stop talking for a second!" Kuroiro was vexed.

" Ok, calm down!" Ai sighed as she continued her work.

" I've got Aoyama and put him in jail. I will be rejoining Komori. After you finish humidifying this section, head straight to Fukidashi. It's unlikely they would find our hiding spot but he would need protection nevertheless." He sank down into the shadow but emerged less than a second later. " And don't you space around again. Kendo will really get angry."

" Got it!"

" Hope you really did." And he went back.

" Man, they're so strict. What's wrong with playing around every now and then." As she closed her eyes, a furious Kendo flashed before her and the girl shivered. " Better focus then." And she continued with her work.

It was hard to tell what was happening with the others. But the fighting sounds quelled. That made Ai finish humidifying the area quickly and rush back to the meeting point...

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" Ho? I'm surprised she could find her way easily in that maze." Whisper remarked. " Even you would find trouble navigating there, Yuu." The boy nodded.

" That area especially is dark and narrow."

" How could she..." Sora cocked her head curiously as she watched Ai jump nimbly through the small tunnels of pipes in one direction as though knowing exactly where she should go...

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I wonder what that plant is called? I should- no. She shook her head vigorously. Fukidashi comes first. The fact that everything went calm suddenly, and Itsuka-chan not reporting yet is worrying.

Before her, Ai could see something strange happening. Fukidashi was backing, swaying around as though being hit. Don't tell me. With one lung she reached for him and hauled him away from danger, jumping over the place where she presumed the invisible opponent was.

" Dobutsu!"

" Dobutsu-chan, right?" A disembodied voice called. Hagakure-chan. " Without your small dolls, you can't use your Quirk. And even if, there is no way you could find my whereabouts! Invisible Girl! I'm invincible!"

Ai heard her running for them. Hagakure-chan, there is so much I want to talk about with her! I want to know her more! Her quirk is awesome and all! No- Ai focus! She shook her head again as she jumped even higher, out of Hagakure's reach...

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" Dobutsu-san you know..." Tobio talked from beside them. " She can easily get sidetracked and her mind may be full of trifle stuff but..."...

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Even I know when I need to go beyond plus ultra! She hunched over. "Invincible? Can't tell your whereabouts? You're wrong, Hagakure-chan!" The tips of her fingers touched a purple-colored stripe on her socks and they glowed. " Your Quirk deflects light, right? Regardless, you're still human in every other aspect." She looked up at her with a broad grin, eyes turning red in color. " I can still see your heat, with the vampire bat eyes!"

" What! How?! She has no more dolls with her!"...

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Tobio could tell the two next to him had the same question too. " The dolls are just a decoy. Anyone who knows of her Quirk would surely aim for them. But that's not all she has in store."

Yuu turned back to him, eyes wide. " Don't tell me! The colored socks..."

Tobi nodded. " They're made of different furs and skins as well, each stripe is. And not just her socks..."...

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" I will take you on!" She touched her jacket then her black gloves before lunging at the other girl...

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" Her jacket is made of bear fur, a source of strength. And her gloves have snake skin, which gives her nimbleness." He watched as the girl hared around the pipes easily and was directing vigorous attacks around.

" Still, the stripes on her socks are too many! How could she tell which one is which?" Sora inquired and Tobi smiled.

" She could remember all those trivial things can't she? Our Teddy-chan..."

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" You know, people before thought vampire bats could make one turn into a vampire with their bites. Does that mean I'm the same too now that I copied their ability?" Hagakure was hardly dodging the onslaught of attacks coming her way, and the other girl's strength overpowered her. "Speaking of bats, People don't usually like bats but I adore them! After the training tell me what you think of them too!"

" Our Teddy-chan has a strong memory! She remembers anything she had heard or seen even for once! Memorizing the order of the fur patterns on her socks is nothing!"

With one last punch, Hagakure was knocked back and grasped into Kendo's hand. " Itsuka-chan!"

" Sorry I'm late. Well done, Ai. You've taken this training seriously." The girl panted, she was tethered to an unconscious Yaoyorozu and a large cannon.

" She saved me," Fukidashi said as he joined them before pointing at Kendo. " What in the world is that?"

" Well, I knocked her out, but she still got me... She tied herself to me with her cannon attached. It was so hard to move." Kendo looked back at the other girl. " Everything she created, showed that she was looking ahead. I don't feel like I won."

They regrouped just as Komori freed Kuroiro from Tokoyami's cape. The match ended with their win. " We overdid it though," Ai said pointing at Tokoyami who didn't stop coughing, and Yaoyorozu who had to be carried away to the infirmary. " Which reminds me, we've caused a lot of damage. And, do you know, Kinoko-chan's desperate last move could have been a serious one if there were any other people in the area. Did you know, Itsuka-chan?"

" Yes, I know." Kendo sighed just as Vlad pointed the same thing over the mic. " We had to get a little reckless to win. On the other hand, class A was careful."

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" The whole thing is in rumbles." Pointed Whisper.

" It sure is." Sora agreed.

" If they were fighting with civilians around, it would have turned into a rather complicated situation." Yuu nodded.

" Everyone, we will be having a break," Aizawa announced, gaining their attention. " We need to change location with what happened."

" So my match will be delayed." Sora sighed. She glanced over her shoulder at Todoroki and the others gathering around to revise the plan and she knew she ought to head over too.  " I think i better get going too." As she looked back at Yuu, her chest clutched, not knowing what she ought to say. She was feeling hurt but... at the same time, she didn't want to be angry at Yuu of all people.

" I will be watching. Good luck."

Sora nodded and ran off. But as she halted on her steps and looked over her shoulder at the purple head, her look softened. Why does it seem like you're deeply hurt, Yuu?...