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In a dimly lit dormitory room, heavy curtains were drawn tightly shut, shrouding the space in an almost somber security. The only source of illumination in the room was the occasional and almost eerie flicker of lightning from the storm raging outside, each flash casting fleeting, ghostly shadows upon the walls. The air of the dorm was still, like it hadn’t been opened at all that day.

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The room belonged to May, a student at UAU. The dormitory was fairly clean, save the remnants of a meal long forgotten about sitting on the small kitchenette’s counter. On one of the walls, hung May’s bow. A silent witness of the rooms lonely interior.

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Standing in the recently opened doorway, in the shaft of light that pushed it’s way into the room was the red haired Satori. Known as Repulsor to most of his students, but also known as Uncle Satori to the female who called this dorm home. He reached up, tousling loose strands of red hair as he leaned against the doorframe. The still air in the room was telling to him. His fuchsia eyes rolled over the drawn curtains, the untouched meal. Satori sighed lightly.

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“Only one place she could be during a storm.” He said in idle amusement, though her wrinkled his nose, not looking forward to what came next. Physically or emotionally. He turned, tugging the door shut and locking it with the spare key May had given him on her first day before making his way towards the nearby stairwell.

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At the top of the stairs, Satori noted the bobby pin sticking out of the lock of the door that lead out onto the roof. He stifled a small chuckle, “Never one to let a lock stop you…” He mused, tugging the bobby pin out of the lock and opening the door. The roof was dark, save the occasional flashes of lightning lighting up it’s soaked surface. It didn’t take long for his eyes to find the lonely pink-haired form sitting on the edge of the roof that faced the front of the school.

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Satori regretted not bringing his umbrella. With a small sigh he stepped out into the rain, letting the door close behind him with a click. Likely unheard because of the rain coming down in literal sheets. He walked across the roof, coming to stand beside none other than May, her dual-colored eyes staring up at the sky. She was completely soaked but seemed not the least bit concerned that a bolt of lightning could strike her down at any moment. Satori took a small peek over the edge at the long drop but then slid down into a sitting position behind the young woman, giving her space but sitting close.

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“Figured you might be up here.” Satori said, loud enough so May could hear it over the rain and rumbling of thunder.

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The young woman said nothing, just giving a small nod of agreement as she leaned back on her hands, legs kicking back and forth. Satori followed her gaze to the sky and decided to give her the moment, sitting there and admiring the sky much like she was. He wasn’t nearly as fearless as she was when it came to the destructive power of mother nature. But then, few things were as scary when your life was on a shorter clock than most he imagined.

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May’s gaze didn’t drift down to either of them as she hung off the side of the pole, her free, tattooed arm clasping her bow tightly in it’s grasp. It would seem the other two were just as content to break the rules as she was. Not that she was willing to break them generally, but she knew if they didn’t do something. If they didn’t try and mount some sort of distraction until the pro’s arrived, so much more loss of life could occur.

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May let bright eyes study the battlefield carefully, taking in the distance from them to the stranger, noting any vantage points outside the sphere of influence she might make of, and the many people trying to tug loved ones from the rubble or running to get away. The sight of the people, desperate, in pain. Tugged at her heartstrings painfully. This is part of what it meant to be any sort of hero, being able to deal with crises like these and offer some semblance of hope to those around you. May kept her smile on the whole time, though it was laced with resolve and perhaps a hint of anger as her multi-hued eyes kept close track of the man in the center of it all.

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The young man, spoke with a semblance of confidence. Like he was used to taking charge or had faced such odds before. She nodded in agreement, “I will do what I can.” She said flatly. The man had just taken out several city blocks in an instant, she very much doubted she was going to be able to do much more than distract him. It would be like throwing toothpicks at a mountain.

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But then he was gone. As quickly as they could blink. May furrowed her brows and leapt from the pole as soon as his voice came from behind them, yanking her bowstring back as she came to land on the ground, to face the…man who was gone yet again. Her shoulders slumped slightly as he taunted the shorted of them and proceeded to pull her towards where he’d just reappeared in the center of the crater.

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May glanced at the swirling tattoo on her arm. Would today be the day she broke her own rules?

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She looked up at Takeo and nodded, “Do what you can to keep his eyes elsewhere.” She said, turning and running the opposite direction that Bun was currently being dragged and trying to throw her rope attack at the man. May ran straight up a steel girder sticking out of the ground, using it to climb up to the second floor of the remaining half of a business. It was the highest vantage point she could reach at the moment. As soon as Takeo and Bun were out of earshot, she was on her own. She’d have to choose her shots, or alternatively help anyone in need if she had the chance.

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She did note in the distance, the presence of others approaching. Two of them by the looks of it. Reinforcements? Pro’s? More enemies? She had no way of knowing until she had more information at hand and luckily for her, she was good at gathering such things even at a distance.

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She drew her bow back with an audible creak, her tattoo pulsed slightly as she did, strands of inky black and silvery light extending from her arm drawing the bowstring, forming an arrow, “Thirty second speed, Thirty second impact.” She whispered softly, mostly to herself. Somehow, saving so many people felt like it should more than just a minute. But she only had so many shots to work with. Ten minutes at most, a hint more if she was lucky.

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She drew in a slow breath, letting his eyes follow the progress of Bun and Takeo. She waited until the moment the translucent hand thrust through the air around the villain, waited until it was nearly upon him and the second the tiniest gap opened, she would let loose her arrow. A silvery streak of black and white firing through the air at a rapid pace, aimed right for the center of the man’s mass. May could shoot an apple off a moving target at a hundred yards, but here she wasn’t willing to risk missing. She aimed for center of mass. Everyone had a heart…right?

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Whether or not her shot hit, she would draw her bow back immediately, another arrow of the same properties shimmering to life at the ready.

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~Hopefully his influence doesn’t extend beyond where it did before.~ May had chosen this specific spot, just outside of the range that the stranger had sundered the earth before. Although he’d teleported, so she wasn’t too optimistic about that.

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There were few reasons to be out QUITE as late as the young May was. 11pm on a monday night seemed a rather odd time for a university student to be walking down sidewalks on half-lit streets. The sky above rumbled threateningly, signally the incoming storm that had been forecast overnight.

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May was dressed in the most curious outfits. A form-fitting leotard adorned with shimmering rhinestones in a flowing pattern down her body. It had a halter neckline and a wide open back which was currently hidden by the slightly baggy sweater she had pulled over top of it. Her lower half was covered in high-waisted tights, also adorned in the same shimmering rhinestone pattern, supportive ballet flats skipped smoothly over the sidewalk as she moved along.

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Her face, while tired, showed signs of previous makeup. A hint of shimmer still playing about one cheek, a singular false lash dangling precariously from one eye and the apparently infallible pink-nude lipstick still clinging to her lips like it was holding on for dear life.

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It had been the end-of-year Circus show at the local performing arts academy May took lessons at. She’d put on her first solo performance ever involving some pretty high-flying acrobatics. She felt like it had gone well, she’d even gotten the cutest bouquet of flowers from her mother and her uncle after the show. Then came the long afterparty and cleanup. Which is why May had proceeded to miss the last bus, the last train and had only realized she’d forgotten her wallet back at the school when she called for a cab.

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So now, after a completely exhausting day. It was a twenty eight block hike back to her school. Her cellphone had died half an hour ago and her feet were incredibly sore as she trudged along, casting her multi-hued gaze at the sky which flashed brightly with lightning, another rumble rolled over her like a threat.

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“I’m going to get bloody rained on too…”

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How could you have one of the best days and worst nights at the same time?

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Adjusting the bow she held over her shoulder, after a recent incident May had gotten mixed up in. She carried it practically everywhere now.

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‘A hero must always be prepared.’

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Something half of her teachers touted on the daily. But for her it was a little bit annoying. Her quirk required her bow and it wasn’t exactly the easiest to truck around a composite bow EVERYWHERE you went. It was a bit wieldy at the best of times. But she’d been speaking to a few different manufacturers recently, hoping to get some sort of collapsible tech-bow made. Something a bit more convenient to carry around on a daily basis.

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But that was for the future. For now she simply carried her bow along with her, huffing and puffing slightly as she turned down a wide alley, taking a shortcut she’d walked a million times in the daylight before. Of course, the alleyway felt much more intimidating at night. Shadows clinging to every surface and flickering lights giving them a life of their own by making them flicker as she walked along.

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…Only twenty two blocks to go. What a night.

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“One doth not have to be a good storyteller, to weave a tale. Sometimes, it’s the worst told stories that are the most fascinating.” She offered him a bright smile before he went through his amazing quirk, tidying up the area with barely a thought it seemed.

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May settled down comfortably on the soft grass, looking at ease but somehow also alert at the same time. Like her eyes were constantly taking in the details around her. Part of that was being vigilant, part of it was her ADHD getting the best of her. Everything was interesting so she had to loo….SQUIRREL!

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Turning her attention to Sora after watching the squirrel make it’s way up the nearby tree she’d offer a bright smile, “Wind dragon. That’s a really awesome name! And thou is a pro? The time in America makes more sense now.” What a day, not only did she manage to run into someone to chat with, but she ran into a pro hero. Part of her wanted to ask a thousand questions, but the rational part of her was simply happy to enjoy the day.

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“Not to judge a book by it’s cover. But I can believe you weren’t a troublemaker. You look like the dorky type..”

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She paused and then blinked, “N…Not that I mean that in a bad way! Dorks are awesome. I’m a dork.” She nodded confidently as if that would make the almost-accidental-insult ok. She took a quick sip of her tea to stem the flow of words temporarily before she remembered her camera.

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She proposed the idea, but he seemed hesitant. She didn’t want to push when she shouldn’t. Then again, how many photo’s of surprised or unwilling people had she taken in the past? Sometimes it was easier to beg forgiveness than permission. But then he nodded in agreement and her face lit up.

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“Woo! Picture tiiiime!” She flicked a few settings on the back of the polaroid camera and held it out in front of them, pointed backwards at them. She didn’t even look when he asked if it was ok, “Thou could be making the silliest of faces and it would be ok. Saaaaay deoxyribonucleic acid!” She snapped the picture which the camera spat out. May quickly flipped the ‘grey’ picture over so it could develop out of the sunlight.

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Scooching over so she was no longer in Sora’s personal space she’d scoop up a petal, rolling it around in her fingers and smiling, “So, how were things on your venture to America? I hear hero culture over there is VERY different than what we have here. Was thou able to operate the same as thou might here? Or was it completely different?” She fired off the questions rapid-fire style before taking a long sip of her tea.

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“Not to be…let’s call it, rude. But what’s it like being a pro? My uncle says the media makes it difficult, it’s why he retired and became a teacher instead. What’s thou’s experience been like so far?” She asked this, accidentally inhaling tea rather than drinking it after and nearly choking herself out.

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She held up a hand, “Aaaaaaand she’s ok. For the second time today, May nearly chokes herself out. That’s got to be a bloody record.” She giggled softly and shook her head, digging through her bag and tugging out a bag of sour apple candies, she opened the bag and offered the open end to him, “Sour apple. Help yourself.” Whether he took one or not she’d set the bag on the ground between them and pop one into her mouth as she stared across the pond, enjoying the way the petals floated on it’s surface. She really did love nature.

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May stretched a little bit upon her approach. Part of her wondered about the approach of this ‘session’, but then…she was attending UAU. Pretty much anything was game in this place. The other night a teacher had kicked down her door and had her react like a hero might if someone broke into their room at night. It had been a bit of a shock to the system, moreso because it was her damn uncle.

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May moved up to Sadako and dipped into a polite and perhaps overly formal bow, “Hello Miss uhm…” She paused for a second, wrinkling her nose. She’d always been terrible with names.

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“…Sadako?” She said, almost cautiously.

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May adjusted the bow hanging over her shoulder and furrowed her brows slightly, “Hm. I mean, I’m feeling ok. The school has been a bit of a shock to the system, that’s for sure. But I think given time it will treat me better.” She chuckled a little bit. Of course she didn’t mention that she was lagging so far behind all of her classmates in everything hero related. Her quirk really didn’t compare to theirs at this point in time. She was essentially, an archer with fancy arrows.

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She nodded in response to WHY she was out here. May reached up again, flicking the bowstring gently, “Keep away huh?” She tilted her head a little bit. It seemed an odd test coming from a counselor, but May was down to clown so long as it provided some sort of active benefit.

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She tugged her bow gently from her shoulder, grasping it in her left hand and nodded, “Out seems as good a place as any.” She eyed the woman curiously but was smiling regardless.

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“Cmon then. Let’s dance, I’ve got all the time in the world.” She said with a hint of confidence. Of course, she wasn’t confident. The only upper hand she might have would be her gymnastics training but that was basics currently at best. May hadn’t been expected to get a workout today, but perhaps this would work up a sweat and KO her this evening.

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Sometimes, you just needed to get away for a while. Somewhere different to shake things up and help you sort through your thoughts. For the pink haired May, this happened to be a small but well-known archery shop in Adachi. She’d taken the day off from her studies to reset herself. Things hadn’t been so easy since she’d joined UAU. She was lagging behind every one of her classmates, she barely scraped by in anything hero course related despite having the heart for it. The only place she was doing ok were her regular classes where she had near perfect grades.



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More and more these facts had weighed on her and at her Uncle’s suggestion, she got away for a little while. She’d spent the early morning at a mounted archery lesson before taking the day trip to the shop which to her delight had a huge indoor target practice area in it’s upper half and it would seem today was one of it’s less busy days. May had poked around the store thoroughly before paying for several hours in the target arena.



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And it was here she’d remained for hours on end.



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Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.



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Arrow after arrow pierced through the air, thudding into targets with high accuracy. May had always had good aim, well, better than good. That and her quirk allowed her to make arrows. The enhanced ability to aim however, was a part of her quirk without her knowing. Everyone including her had just assumed it was ‘natural talent’. She scoffed at that notion, screw natural talent. Hard work was what paid off and she’d busted her ass to get as good as she was now, she’d busted her ass to get into UAU…



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…And now she was failing.



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To her adoptive family this was nothing but a good thing. They saw her pursuit of a hero career as a ‘waste of her life’. Not because they disliked heroes, but because her quirk quite literally cost her pieces of her life. But what better way to make her life have purpose than giving her life for others? She’d happily trade a dozen years if it saved even just a single person. But she was the only one who saw it that way. So she had pressure from family and from school.



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She pulled back her bow, shadow and light twining slowly around the arrow, enhancing it before she let loose, it slammed into a target, shattering it.



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“Poop..” May mumbled.



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Shouldering her bow, she’d look left and right to make sure nobody else had shown up while she was in her own world. They hadn’t. So she hopped the barrier and walked towards the target, the least she could do was take it down to Takeshi and offer to pay to replace it. She lifted her arm, looking at her tattoo for a long moment. Intricate layers on it denoting units of time. Life had a lot more meaning, when you could see exactly how much time you had left in the world.



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She headed towards the target, tousling her hair gently.



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Of course she never actually made it to the target. There was a sudden rumble that she felt in her chest and then, well. She didn’t quite remember what happened next. One minute the front side of the building was there, and the next half that building was shoved so forcefully into the other half that the resulting crash sent May hurtling backwards to the other side of the room.



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She was dazed for a moment or two as she lay there against the wall. A rather intricate and strangely padded tapestry on the wall had broken her momentum enough that her back wasn’t in pieces. She rubbed her head, multi-hued eyes looking up at the crumbling remains of the front of the building. It was like half of the building didn’t exist anymore, looking out into a crater where part of a city had once been.



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May shook her head a few times to clear her head and climbed to her feet, slinging her bow over her shoulder, Whatever had done that was not friendly. You didn’t level several city blocks without hostile intent. She felt the adrenaline already pumping in her chest as she hurried to the stairwell, “Takeshi! Is everyone ok down there?”



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For a minute no response came, making May’s face pale visibly. The stairs were broken and shattered so getting down there would be no easy feat.



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But then a voice, “May? Yes! We’re all ok, are you?”



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She looked herself over, “Good. I'm fine! Get yourselves to safety as quick as you can!”



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That was all she needed, turning and leaving over the sundered barrier and hurrying to the edge of the building where the remains of the front of the building made an easy enough path for the fairly agile May to make her way down, she ran over broken pieces of the building, only stopping long enough at a cry for help. A woman and child trapped beneath debris that she was quick to yank off of them and help them to their feet. She’d never really done any her work before but something inside told her what to do. A unheard voice that guided her heart.



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“Everything will be ok Miss. Go back through the shop here and get as far away as you can, ok?”



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The woman nodded, clutching her child, “What was that?”



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May looked over her shoulder at the rope nets forming, having caught many people, and despite knowing this was likely beyond her she put on her biggest smile and looked to the woman, “Nothing the heroes can't handle. Get yourself as far away as you can, ok? If you see anyone else in need, please given them a hand. Some may not have been as lucky as you.” The woman nodded. May turned and ran up a steel beam, leaping onto the ropes like some sort of tightrope walker. Who knew her training in circus arts would come in handy so soon?



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She made her way along, helping people down to the ground as best she can until she got to the source of the ropes.



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A woman of small stature and a young man speaking to one another. May crouched down on the ropes above them, pausing to listen only for a moment.



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‘He’s too dangerous to wait for the heroes.’



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May looked towards the center of the ‘crater’ at the man. Purple lines sparking around him like electricity arcing through the air. How far out were the heroes? Someone like that could level another dozen city blocks unless someone did something. May ran fingers over her bow.



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‘You will to break the rules with me?’



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“If she won’t. I will.” May said from above finally. She knew the comment hadn’t been directed at her, but she’d be damned if she sat back and let whatever was happening, well, happen. If they were both students like her, they likely had little chance of success. But even just distracting the man until someone who could go toe-to-toe with him arrived could likely save dozens of people.



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May pressed a button on the blue camera hanging around her neck and leapt from the ropes to land on the ground near the other two, “I’ll stand with you, if it means more people can make it to safety.” She looked around at the destruction. Part of her wanted to just go help as many as she could in that moment. But at the current second, keeping whoever was at the center of that crater from dealing out more destruction felt like the priority.

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