Chapter 143 - The Players

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- Have you ever copied Shoto's Quirk?

The question surprised Monoma.

Eyelids heavy, mouth dry, the boy ran his hand over his face to wake himself up.

The headmaster had summoned him on a sunday for something so... trivial?

- At the USJ, yes

He remembered touching his neck, and he also knew that Shoto had let him do it without flinching.

- Did you feel anything strange when you used his Quirk?

Ah, so that was what he was getting at.

Monoma himself had tried to remember what it felt like to use Todoroki's power after learning all the unimaginable things he could do.

Except for the duality of his power, Todoroki's Quirk had been no different from anyone else's.

He shook his head.

- I could try again

The headmaster seemed thoughtful.

- Not the slightest strange tingling sensation? Not the faintest hint that there was more to it than fire and ice?

- It was a Quirk like any others, Monoma said. I just copied what there was to copy.

The remark seemed to plunge Nezu into a new abyss of reflection.

Behind him, the sun was rising, turning the treetops pink.

Monoma, dazed and confused, was painfully aware that the question wasn't as harmless as it seemed: he tucked the information away in a corner of his mind, to think about it later, when he was less inclined to fall headfirst to the floor and sleep on the carpet.

- I could, uh

Nezu turned his inscrutable gaze on him. Neito cleared his throat. His voice was hoarse.

- His room is not far from mine. I could-

The headmaster shook his hand.

- I thank you for your concern, boy, but it won't be necessary to take such measures. Shoto is in no way our enemy : I only asked out of scientific curiosity.

Neito wondered what kind of scientific curiosity it was to keep him up at five in the morning.

And the strange way the headmaster talked to Neito without really looking at him - as if he wasn't talking to him...

He felt a corner of his mind stir, felt the veil of sleep lift over his nosy side.

He forced himself to turn off the cogs of his seething brain before the machine could really get going.

It didn't matter to him anyway: for all he cared, Nezu could be fomenting a coup with Shoto as his key player and he would still fall asleep as soon as he left that damned office.

Besides, his uncle owed Nezu a debt : Neito wouldn't stick his nose into his business unless he was specifically asked to do so.

- I'd like to organise something, Nezu murmured. I think you're free on Wednesday afternoon, right?

- I'm training with Aizawa Sensei, the boy reminded him. He had planned to take us out of town in the early afternoon and let us work through the night in an unfamiliar environment.

To see how they would react in an 'unfamiliar' environment, Aizawa had said.

Uraraka had been happy because she 'wanted to be an international hero' and 'this is a great opportunity'.

Monoma had found her enthusiasm worrying and had tried to talk to Aizawa-sensei about it, who had brushed aside her concerns by telling him, quote, 'I know what I'm doing'.

Surprisingly, Nezu mimicked the exact same gesture that Aizawa-sensei had used to shrug him off - a dismissive hand gesture with the tip of the hand hanging down arrogantly, accompanied by a dry flick of the wrist.

- Don't worry about Aizawa, Nezu says. I'll take care of it

Which meant that Neito wouldn't be allowed a night out in the middle of the week.

Great: he could tell his uncle that he didn't need to keep his men on the lookout in case something happened.

- Just out of curiosity, Neito asked, What do you want me to do on Wednesday?

The headmaster smiled.

- Curiosity is a bad habit, Neito.

Eyelids down, body limp, Neito offered his contrite smile - half asymmetrical - which made him look strange and, above all, very, very harmless.

He started to apologise, but the headmaster cut him off:

- I was thinking of making you copy All Might's Quirk

Neito's heart pounded in his throat.

Shit, testing the Quirk of the Number 1 had to be in the top ten of 'things Neito would dream of doing before he died but which will never happen'.

- I see you like the idea, Nezu said.

Neito replied modestly :

- I'd be lying if I said I hadn't wanted to do it more than once when we had lessons with him.

Nezu smiled indulgently.

- Curious, eh ? We're a lot alike in that way

Neito smiled politely and Nezu added nothing.

- I'll let you go back to sleep and won't take up any more of your time.

- Of course, thank you

He was about to leave, but hesitated.

- Yes?, the headmaster asked, seeing his reluctance to leave

- I was wondering about the camp... You know, about what I told you...

The headmaster's face lit up, as if he already knew what the boy was talking about.

- Don't worry, Nezu said. I've got everything under control.

Neito wanted to insist. Nezu cut him off:

- Everything is really under control. Sleep well

Nezu smiled without showing his teeth.

Neito nodded confidently, because that was what the headmaster expected of him.

He left, closing the door behind him, his mind - which he would have preferred to shut down - already buzzing with activity.

When you find a traitor, logic dictates that you get rid of him, right?

Neito racked his brain, trying to piece together what little information he had.

Neito was clever - cleverer than most people gave him credit for - but he was no Holmes. Understanding the headmaster's nebulous thoughts was a world-class mystery.

Still, he had the unpleasant impression that Nezu was playing several games simultaneously.

*

Panting, Katsuki looked Ochaco straight in the eye.

His forearms were on either side of her face, his leg wedged between the teenager's, slightly apart.

He could feel the warmth emanating from her skin without even touching it, intoxicated by the scent of sweat and fruity deodorant emanating from her skin, as if it had been the most delicious drink and he'd been thirsty for a lifetime.

Out of breath from the effort, Ochaco breathed loudly, her chest brushing against Katsuki's with each exhale.

Still dizzy from the fall, she looked around in confusion.

Katsuki watched her skin, reddened by the training, admired the soft curve of her neck, looked up at her rosy cheeks, where strands of hair clung to her lips and jaw.

A bead of sweat rolled from her ear to the hollow of her neck, leaving a wet, salty groove on the skin he knew was soft.

He clenched his fists to keep himself from falling on top of her and lapping her throat with relish.

His heart was pounding in his throat, his blood was pounding in his ears, his foggy brain was just the bead of sweat he wanted to drink and his reason preventing him from moving a millimeter for fear of breaking the spell.

Katsuki was on dangerous ground, he knew that.

He should have stood up. He should have.

She looked up at him, chocolate eyes with low lids and a misty expression.

Katsuki leaned over and kissed her.

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Author's note :

What ? Romance ?

There's also romance in this story ?

I know many of you saw it coming (hoping I still surprised some).

If you want to read ahead of schedule up to 27 chapters, the go check the story's P@treon, Nar_cisseENG

See you in the next update everyone !