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May kneeled over the bush, people beginning to stare at her from the streets. In her head, she heard the passerby's taunting her. As if saying, 'dumb May... stupid May... ugly and dumb... not even a real doctor. Look where she is now! Vomiting in a bush!'

May's cheeks glowed red hot, and her fingers shook. It was the worst thing she had done in a while. She fought the lump in her throat, hoping she didn't break a blood vessel in her eye. Meeting famous pro-heroes now felt impossible for her. How could she impress them and prove herself when she lost it all in front of her boss?

A boss that looked like a stuffed toy, to make matters even worse. She felt a furry paw poke at her hands. May coughed, not daring to look at him.

"A piece of gum, perhaps?" Nezu suggested.

She tried to wash the taste out of her mouth with spit. May was utterly convinced that the day could not get any worse. The positives were slim.

At least it wasn't in front of more members of the staff. Despite what he witnessed, Nezu didn't flinch. May's heart went out to him. It was never fun to watch someone spew everywhere.

But he did lie to her. Perhaps it was karma. That's not good to think about, May! She chastised herself, pleading with an imaginary voice in her head to take mercy on her. May's hand loosened around her bag, no longer fighting the weakness in her legs.

"Yes, that would be much appreciated."

She stood tall again, the plants around her morphing into little spirals. The struggle to stay upright weighed on her. She had a damn blood quirk and an iron deficiency. Life simply wasn't fair.

"Are you sure you're alright, Dr. Kataoka? We can postpone this to another day," he said, and she waved her hands back in forth.

"No! No, I'll be fine."

May's belly ached with both the force of vomiting and mild resentment. She swallowed. The desire to please her new boss rose within her— no time to back out now.

She was, after all, trapped within this arrangement. So far, she had done a stellar job at living up to her recommendations. "I promise."

"On with the tour, then?" He asked.

May nodded, relief washing over her. His little paws extended two sticks of spearmint gum in front of her. She gladly swiped them.

"This is the front of the school where all of the students enter. There are other entrances. I'll show you those later." Nezu gestured to the archway. "The school has a guarding system that keeps unwanted visitors out. We will give you a pass after the tour so you can get through without trouble."

The school shimmered against the solid blue sky. The emerald trees and grass appeared to be all the same length, manicured with care. All of the greenery and rainbow-varied flowers gave her heart some sparkle.

Perhaps the school wasn't so bad for a bunch of teenagers. It was nurturing and calming so far! She wondered if they had someone with a botany related quirk among the staff.

The coordination between buildings created a uniform and clean effect. It was a vast improvement from May's high school education. She took a deep breath, trying to focus on everything he said once again.

"There are several floors, and we will go through each one, so in case you are called, you can know where."

May pushed up her glasses, which thankfully didn't gain any backsplash. How can they afford all of this? She thought. The vast windows took in the golden light creating a warm ambiance throughout the halls.

The sheer size of everything was the most daunting task to May. The sprawling halls of the school did remind her of her typical workplace, which was a concern. She had a hard enough time when it came to navigating a hospital. And the numbering system wasn't exactly unique, so in a rush, it would be difficult to find her footing. Why does it always have to be A, B, and C?

"So, Dr. Kataoka, what do you think of our facilities thus far?" Nezu asked.

"It's all so... new," she said, putting a finger to her chin. "When was the school last renovated?"

"We update every year. The most recent one was in December."

Every year?

"That's impressive, how—" She bit her tongue. It seemed Nezu knew where her question was coming from and decided to indulge anyway.

"How do we afford it?" He laughed to himself. "We are pro-heroes and receive large donations. The parents also do pay for their students to be here. Not much, but enough to help with basic expenses. I was hoping to implement a dormitory service soon. We'll have to see!"

May couldn't believe kids had the opportunity to go there. Back in her day, she would be pushed up against the side of the hallway, trying to make it to classes. Instead of making it without trouble, an endless stream of poor hygiene and disrespect swept her away without fail.

The thought of being back at a school was horrible enough, but being around the inhabitants of a high school awakened another rush of nausea. The word school had two specific feelings associated with it for May: fear and loathing.

Throughout the tour, her mind was wandering about the upcoming days. Her smile relaxed at the idea of reconnecting with her friends from college. They made plans when May received her job offer.

Her friends carried sunshine with them wherever they went. The terrible awful that occurred would be soon forgotten in their presence. Even if it was a harsh reminder of her adulthood, which was proving less successful than she thought it would.

They were already married. One of May's friends was already a mother to three children. Then, there was May. Nothing to her name and stuck at pro-hero high school.

The outdoor spaces were grand and filled with state-of-the-art equipment. The arenas were huge, with different types of terrain. How intense is this school? Everything presented itself like it had won an award or something.

Before May knew it, they had reached the medical office. It was titled "Recovery Room." May peered through the little window; plastic blinds could draw for privacy. The spaciousness smoothed over her actual work concerns.

Images of the cramped school nurse's office at her high school flooded her memory. The grumpy nurse and over-dramatic students stressed May out to the point she wouldn't even dare to enter. That wouldn't happen on her watch.

"This will be your new workspace," Nezu said, handing her the key. "This key is the master key for every lock and medication within the room. We are changing them from traditional locks to ID scan, so while we are transitioning, you'll have to use this for now."

"Okay," May said. She had visions of herself losing it during a crisis.

Her knuckles grew white with how tight she was holding the key, which made it even more challenging to place within the lock. She fumbled, the key clinking against the lock in the silent hallway. Why are my hands shaking? It's only a damn room!

"I'll have it open in a second," May said, laughing at herself. The mouse man didn't move. He smiled and waited for her to pull herself together.

May finally managed to open the door. The room had a whiff of lemon and an anti-bacterial cleaning agent — a little old school with the setup, but fairly state of the art with the equipment. A pale yellow curtain separated a small desk area from the hospital beds. The monitoring systems had hundreds of buttons that looked brand new and without previous fingerprints.

It was better than some senior living centers where she used to volunteer. Soft pastel colors decorated the room. Against many of the walls, shelves upon shelves laid. They had files and various objects, sparking intrigue. May walked into the middle of the room, the window on the far wall overlooking a sea of trees. She crossed her arms, resting a finger against her cheek. Then pointed toward an empty corner.

"I'll have to move in a fridge."

Nezu chuckled to himself. "We have a staff room for breaks, and it has a huge fridge for food."

"Oh! No, not for food."

Someone made the beds like May had been taught. Neat with perfect folds and corners. The medicine storage closet had everything May could've needed. Medical instrument after medical instrument lined the cabinets. The shimmering silver colors dazzled in her eyes. I can clean these as often as I want to!

There was even a surgical kit with many different types of anesthetics. May's eyes searched the room for a proper surgical station, but there was none. I can't do surgery in a place like this, can I? How strange.

"I hate to interrupt, Dr. Kataoka, but the staff meeting is beginning soon."

"Oh, right," May said, flashing a quick smile. "Do you mind if I run to the restroom?"

"Sure, I will be waiting outside of the conference room."

And with that, he left her alone. May inhaled, rooting through her bag until she came across a water bottle and a bright yellow pill case. She sipped her water and downed a couple of pills, her eyes wandering around the room a little bit more.

May was feeling even more faint, even with the added pills. Had to be nerves. Or worse, was she sick? She lost time and made a mad sprint for the bathroom at this stark realization.

When she got to the bathroom, May took a good look at herself. You are meeting everyone. You need to look less like a swamp monster. May's face glistened with sweat and oil. Her hand swirled through her bag for powder. Luckily for her, she had forgotten it. Typical.

She shoved paper towels into her armpits, hoping some of it would soak up her stress sweat. Catching another look at herself in the mirror, a flustered pair of eyes stared back. May panic sprayed herself with a little perfume and tried to fix her flyaway hair.

A ponytail wasn't her best move, she concluded. She tried to fix it, the top looking lumpy and strange. With a dab of chapstick, May swept some of the hair out of her eyes.

She sighed, testing out a friendly smile in the mirror. She mumbled to herself, practicing some greetings. Shooting her hand forward like she was going to give an imaginary handshake, May smiled and forced a laugh. This is stupid. Why am I doing this? Then, May took a deep breath. I'm already a fool. I cannot do any worse.

"You can do this." May pointed at the mirror, contradicting her thoughts. The tip of her finger created a mark on the mirror. "You may throw up again, but that's okay. You're a doctor. You're better than this."

She scrubbed the smudge out of the mirror and dug out the paper from her underarms. It was scratchy but effective. May left the bathroom, consciously slowing down her pace. While power walking, her eyes scanned down her body for any signs of the earlier event.

Outside of the conference room, Nezu waited for her. She broke into a smile, exhaling as she did so.

"Don't lie to me, do I look alright?" May asked him with hesitation, her voice quiet to avoid garnering attention.

"Yes, nothing out of the ordinary."

"Perfect."

Nezu then opened the doors. Inside sat pro-hero after pro-hero. May would love to say she wasn't star-struck, but she was. They were all a lot larger and a lot more beautiful than she had ever imagined. Did she mention intimidating? The room hit her in the face, slapping her with her new life.

May's face tinged pink. The colors of all the hero costumes were distracting to her poor vision. She blinked, trying not to focus too intently on any specific hero out of fear them staring back. May didn't move from the doorway; her arms stick straight at her side.

Her body leaned over toward where she thought Nezu was. "Are you sure this is—?"

Her whispers were drowned out by a tap on the shoulder. A huge man stood behind her, casting a rather large shadow. May froze again, her body slowly turning to see who had touched her. The light-headed feeling came back in full force.

My stars, it's —

"Welcome to the staff, Dr. Kataoka! I'm glad the students will have a non-traditional hero to look up to!"

"All Might?" May squeaked, her eyes making their way upwards.

She didn't think she would react this way upon meeting him. No one said he was going to be an instructor! All Might was the hero.

He was as imposing in person as she imagined. His blonde hair shined in the fluorescent light, his beaming smile blinding her. May turned out to face the room again, searching for more faces, and she saw— Midnight?

"That's me!" He laughed. The rest of the staff groaned at his erratic movements to his chair.

May noticed she was alone at the front of the room. Eyes raked over her. She felt the beads of sweat gathering on her forehead. I'm sure they can't believe I'm a doctor with the way I'm standing here like an absolute idiot.

"Everyone, welcome Dr. Kataoka. She told me she's not familiar with pro-heroes, so if you could introduce yourselves, that would be wonderful."

Every member of the staff greeted May, but she had a hard time paying attention to what everyone said.

May tried to remember to breathe, as the ranked heroes spoke, some more cheerfully than others. I'm their glorified nurse. I'm centered; it's okay. They're patients, that's all! World-famous patients.

"I am happy to help and be of service," May said, forcing her medical school pride down her throat.

"Oh, Nezu! This one is so cute!" Midnight's mouth corners quirked upward into a flirtatious grin. "It's been a while since we had a younger staff member."

"Hey, I recognize your name," a deeper voice said. Vlad King was in the corner and crossed his arms. "You were a long-time employee at my namesake blood donation clinic."

The least stupid of her jobs was recognized. May had an extensive work history, ranging from being a mascot to working several retail jobs. Being a Mascot was by far the worst.

May's heart swelled, tipping her head in a respectful bow. "It was the best job I've worked by far."

"That was your best job, Doc?" A louder voice boomed and cut through the rest of the staff. May's moment of bliss shattered at the noise level. "Should've worked with me while I was promoting, just saying."

"Shut it, Yamada," Vlad king, or Sekijiro as May had learned, grumbled.

"Enough with the chatter, we must move on to more pressing matters," Nezu said. "Dr. Kataoka, please take a seat next to Eraserhead."

May snapped out of her trance and moved quickly to her chair, seeing a file at her place. She focused on slowing her heart rate and easing her breathing. It was the only way she was going to survive the meeting and the next two years.

On the table, she began the best method of calming herself. She arranged everything, so it was straight and fit together geometrically. Straight. Perfect. The raven-haired man that sat next to May leaned back in his chair.

May folded her hands, listening to the new policies Nezu was planning to instill. But, throughout the meeting, she kept glancing at her right.

The whole time, May could feel his dead stare burning holes through her skull. Why is he staring at me? Uh— is he asleep with his eyes open? She adjusted in her chair. Pay attention, she told herself.

The staff meeting wasn't as long as she anticipated, and May had a hard time focusing, though she tried. Truthfully, she was trying to memorize everyone's names and become used to staring at them, which was a whole other ordeal. She sunk in her chair.

She was the puniest person in the room. Skinny, weak, and without a mind-boggling quirk. They all were so robust, nothing that May was or could ever be within her mind. When Nezu finished speaking, everyone began flipping through papers chatting amongst each other.

A smooth voice sounded from behind the nervous doctor, interrupting her frantic memorization.

"Always do that?"

May turned to look at the source. It was Eraserhead. He had a scarf around his neck, the lower half of his face hidden behind it. She could barely see his eyes through that mop of hair, but from what she gathered, it looked as though he hadn't slept his whole life. Is he okay?

Her already pink face deepened as her eyes flashed between Aizawa and the organization she completed.

"Force of habit, I suppose!" May gave a painfully awkward smile, forgetting all social graces.

"Extreme organizational habits are signs of inflexibility and perfectionism."

The air became dead. May felt her smile fall, her mouth gaping open. The poor girl's face was tomato red. What was that supposed to mean? The man that had halfway insulted her stood up and walked out of the room in complete silence.

May looked back down at her neat space and made her pen crooked. Then, she couldn't take it, so she moved it back. Maybe I am the worst. Let's add inflexible to the growing list of things I am today — Gross, embarrassing, dumb, and inflexible.

May couldn't stop thinking about his words, gathering her stuff. Her mind flew around with what he was trying to get at by saying that.

Had he ever heard of 'if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all?' May knew it would haunt her for a long time. The whole day would haunt her for a long time, who was she kidding? After everyone filed out, May heard Nezu's voice call out to her.

"Dr. Kataoka, I have one more thing we must discuss. Can you stay behind for a moment?"

"Of course!" May said, clicking the buckle on her bag and sliding it on her shoulder.

When May turned her gaze upwards for Nezu, she saw him standing next to All Might. Then, instead of Nezu, the Symbol of Peace spoke. "Actually, it's something I would like to discuss."