The sun dipped low in the sky as Valerie walked through the UA hallways, the buzz of her first day still ringing in her ears. She was exhausted, not from the classes or the overwhelming introductions, but from keeping herself together. It had been a whirlwind—new faces, new responsibilities, and the ever-present reminder of her past swirling in her mind.

"Oi!"

The sharp voice cut through the noise of students leaving class, and Valerie didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Katsuki Bakugou.

She sighed softly and turned to face him. He stood a few feet away, arms crossed, his eyes narrowed in challenge. Behind him, Kirishima and Denki were hanging back, watching with curious expressions, clearly familiar with Bakugou's tendency to challenge anyone who caught his attention.

"Fight me," Bakugou demanded, his voice rough and determined.

Valerie raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "I'm not interested."

The Duo behind him fell into a fit of laughter at Bakugou;s blank face fro her response.

Bakugou's scowled. "What? Scared I'll fry you?" He took a step closer, sparks of nitroglycerin crackling at his fingertips. "Come on. I saw how you handled Mineta earlier. That wasn't anything. I want to see what you've really got."

Valerie's eyes flicked to the ground, the shadows of her thoughts looming closer. "Not everything is about fighting," she said calmly, her voice steady, despite the storm still brewing inside her. "Especially not today." Denki stepped forward and stood beside Valerie concerned at how low her mood had dipped through the day.

Bakugou grunted, clearly unsatisfied. "Tch. You're just scared. I don't care if you're new or if you've got some fancy lightning quirk. If you're gonna be in this class, you better learn how to back it up."

Silence.

Before he could press her further, Mina bounced up beside Valerie, throwing a friendly arm around her shoulder.

"Let it go, Bakugou!" Mina said with a playful grin, steering Valerie away from the tension. "You'll get your chance to fight Val, and so will everyone soon enough! But right now, it's time to relax. I'm showing Val to the dorms."

Bakugou growled in frustration, but he didn't push it. Instead, he stomped behind them, his heavy footsteps echoing as he trailed them on the walk back to the dorms.

The air between them was thick with unspoken tension as they crossed the campus. Mina, as always, kept the conversation light, but Valerie couldn't help but feel Bakugou's presence just behind her. His eyes seemed to burn into her back as if daring her to turn around and face him again.

When they reached the dorms, Mina led Valerie up to her room. "Here it is!" she said brightly, swinging open the door. "Nice and cozy, right? You'll feel right at home."

Home...

Valerie glanced around the small but comfortable room, grateful for the privacy. "Thanks, Mina," she said softly.

"No problem!" Mina flashed her a smile. "I'll let you settle in. If you need anything, my room's just down the hall."

As soon as Mina left, closing the door behind her, Valerie exhaled deeply and leaned against the doorframe. Finally, she was alone. The weight of the day crashed over her like a tidal wave, dragging her under.

The room was quiet, but her mind wasn't. Memories she had tried so hard to keep buried surfaced, flooding her senses with sights, sounds, and emotions she had been running from. Her breath quickened as the walls seemed to close in around her, and she sank down to the floor, resting her back against the door.

Flashback: Back in South Africa

The sun hung high in the sky, scorching the earth as Valerie stood in the doorway of her family's home, her fists clenched at her sides. Her mind raced, swirling with a storm of anger and disbelief. Moments before, her mother had dropped the bombshell—one that shattered the foundation of everything Valerie had ever believed.

"Your biological father... he's in Japan," her mother had said, her voice soft, almost apologetic. "Todd... he isn't your real dad."

Valerie's world had crumbled in that instant. Todd, the man who had raised her with stern discipline and tough love, was not her father. The man who had pushed her to harness her quirk, to be stronger, faster, more controlled—he wasn't really hers.

Fury surged through her like a wildfire. Her whole life had been a lie.

"And you tell me now?" Valerie had spat, glaring at her mother. "Why? After everything? Todd might not have been perfect, but he was here. And now you just expect me to accept that some stranger in Japan is my real dad?"

Her mother's eyes had softened, regret etched into her features. "I'm sorry, Val. I wanted to tell you sooner, but there was never a right time. We were young and he would not have coped with being a young father and a pro!"

"I don't care about your excuses," Valerie had snapped, cutting her off. "You lied to me my whole life. Todd lied. You both did!" Valerie felt the tears sting her eyes

Todd, who had been standing in the corner of the room, his arms crossed as usual, had given her a hard look. "Watch your tone, Valerie. We did what we thought was best for you. I raised you. Doesn't matter if I'm not your real father. I still love you as my own flesh and blood"

But that only fueled the rage burning inside her. She couldn't stand it—the feeling of betrayal, the thought that everything she'd known had been false.

Valerie caused a surge to rush through their home before storming off to her room and letting go...

When her mother asked her to come with them to the lab that afternoon, Valerie refused. "I'm not going anywhere with you," she had hissed, Valeries mom had tried to reach out but instead it caused Valerie to storm off into the bush beyond their property.

Hours later, Valerie was still seething, wandering the outskirts of their property. The guilt gnawed at her, but she couldn't bring herself to face them again. Who was her real father then? Did he know? Did he want her? Todd was there yes, but somehow she always felt distant from him. she never had the bond her friends had with their fathers... Yes he said he loved her, but it was tough love... almost, toxic... She had been so consumed with her anger and thoughts that she hadn't noticed the thick black smoke billowing into the sky—until it was too late.

Her heart dropped as she stared at the smoke rising from the direction of the lab.

"No," she whispered, her feet already moving. "No, no, no..."

Before she knew it, she was sprinting toward the source of the explosion, her quirk stirring wildly inside her. Every muscle in her body screamed as she pushed herself faster than she ever had before, the raw power building up in her veins, sparking at her fingertips.

And then, without warning, her body surged with energy. The world around her blurred into streaks of light as she became lightning itself—zapping through the air, racing toward the lab at a speed that defied everything she had ever known.

But the strain on her body was too much. Just as she reached the edge of the burning lab, her quirk fizzled out, the energy leaving her in an instant. She collapsed to the ground, her body heavy, drained of every last spark of power.

She couldn't move. She couldn't save them.

Through the smoke and flames, she could see the wreckage of the lab—twisted metal, shattered glass. And there, in the wreckage, were her mother and Todd. The two people she had pushed away in anger, now gone.

"Mom... Todd..." Her voice was barely a whisper as tears blurred her vision. They were gone, and she hadn't even had the chance to make things right.

The weight of her failure crushed her, burying her beneath the guilt and regret that would haunt her forever.

End of Flashback

Valerie's chest heaved as the memory faded, her breath catching in her throat. She wiped at her eyes, but the tears kept falling, her heart aching with the pain of loss and regret. Her body trembled, not from exhaustion, but from the storm raging inside her—the storm she had tried so hard to contain.

Sniffling, she pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face in them, the loneliness of the moment sinking deep into her bones.

She had a father, somewhere here in Japan, yet she knew nothing about him except certain traits she must have gotten from him. Her quirk was not even passed down by her mother but by her grandparents instead. Her mother and Todd were quirkless so finding her biological father could mean she'd gain some answers on why her quirk was so unstable... but where would she start...

Valerie's sobs escaped from her throat at the thought of finding a man who barely knew she existed, but she had to try...

Once she had composed herself, Valerie continued to unpack. She hung photos and posters, unfolded blankets and examined her hero suit design. The design she had drawn at the age of 10 when she decided to be a hero... the design her mother and Todd had loved... it was time for a new one, a new start

a new life....

***********

Hello,

Thanks for joining in on chapter 2,

please vote and comment your thoughts :)