At the station on Saturday, Aizawa meets with us briefly before sending us our separate ways. I wrap Ochaco in a tight hug before she heads off. We are quickly joined by Mina, then Kirishima and Kaminari who all promise to text every single day. Mineta runs over to try to join, but Kirishima kicks him away. Ochaco pulls a very blushing Midoriya into the hug as well. The poor boy looks like he's gonna pass out. 

I wave goodbye to all of them and make my way over to my train to Nanao. 

I pull a book out from my duffle bag. The Lightning Thief. I found it at a thrift store back when I lived with Grandma. Checking the date, I had noticed it was the same as some of the years on the movies, so I wondered if GGG had read it as well. 

I still haven't finished watching that video yet. I should do that when I get back. No, we'll be studying for finals by that time. After finals, then. 

I crack open the book and start reading. I know there are many other books in this series, but I've only read the first one. I had told Grandma that I wanted the others and apparently, she got the other four to this main series for my birthday that year, but never got to give them to me. They are in a storage unit back in America, along with all the other stuff I couldn't bring with me. 

A gust of wind rushes by me, flipping the pages. I look up to see the train has arrived. I quickly board, putting my luggage in the holder, taking a seat, and settling in for the long ride. 

I notice somebody else wearing a UA uniform further down the compartment, but I don't get a good enough look at them to see who it is. Probably someone from 1-B. Anyone from 1-A would've come with me to the platform. Or, they could be from another grade! What if they are interning with Nyikang too? That would be so embarrassing, trying to keep up with someone that much more experienced than me. 

I push my worries aside, logic telling me that whoever it is probably won't be working at the same agency. I once again open my book and reread it for the 30th time. 

When the train arrives in Nanao, I grab my belongings and get off onto the platform. I pull the address for the agency up on my phone and set off, stopping for boba before my 20 minute walk. 

I walk hastily down the road, checking my phone every now and then to make sure I'm on the right path. I take in the city, admiring the architecture and trying to memorize the streets. 

The grand classic Japanese style compound sits on a large stretch of land. I walk through the gate and make my way to the dojo in the very center of the courtyard. I cross a small bridge over a clear trickling stream. The courtyard is filled with cherry trees and other modest plants. 

I enter the dojo to see a man decked out in full maroon and grey armor with a helmet and mask obscuring his face speaking with a tall boy in a UA uniform. I recognize him as the purple haired boy who went against Midoriya in the festival. 

That's right, Midoriya looked like he was possessed during the first half of their fight. Ojiro said he didn't even remember the cavalry battle because he was under his control. No wonder he's interning with Nyikang!

"Geez, what are you two, the Insomnia Squad or something?" A rough tenor voice says from underneath the man's mask, referring to the bags under our eyes. Makeup can only do so much. 

We wordlessly stare at each other for a moment, taking each other in. 

Fricketty frack, this kid is tall. But if his fight with Midoriya is any indication, he's not exactly strong. Not to mention, he looks like a tired purple twig. I probably don't look any better, I think as I take in his messy purple hair and tired lavender eyes.

"Okay…" Nyikang trails off, standing beside us. I return my attention to him. "My name is Nyikang, but you two already knew that. Introduce yourselves."

"Hitoshi Shinso," the boy says in a low, tired voice. "Class 1-C."

Huh, I thought only the hero courses were interning. 

"And you are?" He speaks again, seeming impatient. 

I sling my bag off my shoulder and go to unzip it, but Nyikang stops me with a hand on my shoulder. I look up at him. 

"Writing during a battle is too time consuming. I am aware of the abilities of your quirk, so you will use it to communicate this entire week. You must build your endurance with constant use. So, with that said, introduce yourself."

I take a deep breath, clasping my hands behind my back, and illusing my mother's voice, "Koto Yamada. Class 1-A."

"Good," he seems content with my response, though I can't see his face. "Now, I'm sure you're aware these internships are mainly given to hero course students, yet there are sometimes exceptions, such as Shinso. Due to placing so high in the festival, as well as his pending application for the hero course, your principal thought it wise to allow him to participate in an internship."

He gestures to the boy before tilting his head to the side. "Such a strange man, your principal. He said there may be a spot opening up due to 'reports of a perverted grape in the locker rooms that must be addressed,' though I have no clue what that means."

My eyes widen slightly. Mineta could be getting moved? Or even expelled, maybe? He hasn't really bothered me, but I know he gives the other girls hell. Of course there were all those times he's tried walking into the locker room with us. That must've cost him big time. Sure, he has a useful quirk, but it's morally wrong to let someone that perverted be a hero. Then again, people like Endeavor are still heros, so that just proves the personality screening process isn't as good as it should be. 

"Due to his place in general studies, he is lacking in the combat training you have received in the hero course." Nyikang addresses me. "I will be training in hand to hand combat with him today, while you complete your task. Shinso, go change into athletic wear."

He beckons me to follow him. I give Shinso a questioning look to which he merely shrugs as I follow the pro hero. The man walks over to a wall and places his hand on it, though doesn't lean against it. 

"You may be wondering why I chose to extend a request for you to intern with me. Watching the obstacle race, I was of course impressed with the girl who had better mobility than most, running under the robot too fast to be natural and balancing on the wires almost effortlessly while also running. Though I was still unaware of your quirk until there came the minefield. That's when I noticed one of the mines exploding even when you weren't near it. Then, the zero gravity girl made you both float, though you didn't continue in the direction she was heading, as inertia would expect. You not only moved, but accelerated in another direction," he explains. 

"Of course the cavalry battle wasn't ideal for your quirk, but you did something that essentially made me decide this was a good decision." Nyikang pauses for dramatic effect. "You had done something to Fumikage Tokoyami that made him lose control of his shadow creature. It was something that made the monster go crazy. Additionally, you made your opponents somehow twitch. As if you were messing with their muscles."

He taps his fingers against the wall beside us. "I took it upon myself to find your quirk registration form. What I found was surprising. I didn't expect your quirk to be sound based, but I realized it was more powerful than you were able to show."

He gestures with his head towards the wall. "I have a soda can placed in the room on the other side of this wall. Your task for today is to find the can and open it, without looking inside or entering the room. You must stay on this side of the wall."

He pats the wall one more time before leaving to return to Shinso who has returned to the room. "You have until 6 pm to complete your task. When that is done, you may join in our training. If you cannot complete it, you will not participate. Get to work."

I still at his words. I have 5 hours to figure out how to open a can? I could always just blindly illuse until I hear something, but who knows how big the room is?

I turn back to the wall to stare at it. I can't break through the wall. He wouldn't be too happy about that and I'm sure that breaks the rules of this task. Though, if I broke the wall without looking at it and then used Echolocation, I would be able to find the can because the sound would travel freely between the two rooms. That technically wouldn't break the rule that I can't look into the other room. 

But I doubt he wants me to break the wall, so I'll have to think of something else. 

I consider my potential methods for a while before approaching the wall. I press my ear up against it and illuse a very low tone that isn't too powerful into it. I place my hands on it to feel how it reacts to the sound. It's not too thick. Not even an inch.

There's something else attached to the wall. It's somewhere high up and to the side, mounted. I can feel where it is hung. 

I raise the vibrations until it reaches the item, walking along the wall. Whatever is on it rattles, though it doesn't sound like a full can. It is metal but with a lighter tone. Maybe a sword? There's a thudding that happens as well. That's probably the grip. 

I move the vibrations around a bit, trying to find anything else that might be hung, but I soon hear a loud crash on the other side. I cringe at the sound, looking over my shoulder apprehensively to where Nyikang and Shinso are training. 

The boy had turned to look at me, but our mentor took the chance to swiftly kick him in the face. He stumbles back, falling hard to the floor. I wince and return my attention to the wall. 

There can't be any openings in the wall. I would've been able to feel it. It's so thin though! If only I could just break through somehow!

I take a step back, assessing. 

"No breaking the wall either!" Nyikang calls out, snapping me from my thoughts. I jump, turning to see him swipe Shinso's feet out from underneath him with ease. 

Poor child. He certainly isn't taking it easy on him. 

I look at the wall once more, lost in thought. 

•°•°•°•

Three hours later, I'm sitting cross-legged in front of the same wall. Annoyance bubbles in me. Stupid wall. It's just sitting there, taunting me. 

A sudden thought occurs to me. Most objects have pores. They might be very small, but they're there. Even if it's on a molecular scale. Everything is porous to an extent. Maybe if I can focus on that, I can use Echolocation between the pores! That would be so difficult though.

Wait.

Can I use Echolocation through a wall?

I've only ever tried using it in the room I'm in, but what if I could fill an adjacent room with sound?

I stumble to my feet, nearly falling due to my leg that had fallen asleep. I place my hands on the wall in front of me, not really sure why, but it's a gut feeling. My eyelids flutter shut as I focus on the air of the adjacent room. 

C'mon, Koto. Focus. 

I illuse softly into the room. To my utter shock, I can feel everything in there. My eyes snap open and the noise ceases. 

I just did that, I think excitedly. I hastily close my eyes again, searching the room. I quickly find the can on a shelf and open the tab with a resounding pop. The fizz accompanies my white noise. I once again deactivate my quirk, stepping back. 

"I did it!" I illuse excitedly, turning back to my mentor. 

He looks up from where he has Shinso pinned under his foot, struggling to get up. "Oh, is that so?" I nod enthusiastically. "I'll go check." He removes his foot from the poor boy and walks out into an adjacent hallway. 

Shinso sits up with a groan. "You couldn't have done that any sooner?" He winces and brings a hand to his ribs. "He's killing me over here."

I cautiously walk towards him, examining his bruised arms. Man, he really did a number on him, huh?

"Good work," Nyikang says, walking in with the open soda can. He walks over and hands it to Shinso. "Take a breather. If she had worked faster, it would be colder, but take what you can get."

The boy nods quickly, taking the can and moving to the side of the room. 

"Now change into some athletic clothes and get back out here. Your training starts now."