Itami didn't sleep for the rest of the night after his visions. He could still hear the screams, the guttural voice whispering in his mind. While going through his usual morning routine, he stopped in front of the mirror. For a split second, the reflection staring back at him wasn't his own. The faker, the version of himself with glowing red eyes watched him, unblinking.But when he blinked, it was gone. Just his normal self.
He exhaled sharply, shaking off the unease. It was nothing. Just exhaustion playing tricks on him.
-U.A. High-school-
The school was already buzzing with energy when he arrived. A dense crowd of journalists swarmed the entrance, cameras flashing, microphones shoved toward anyone who looked like a student. They were all asking the same questions.
"What's it like having All Might as your teacher?"
"How does it feel to train under the Number One Hero?"
Some of his classmates were caught in the mess. Yaoyorozu and Iida trying to answer professionally, while Kaminari and Kirishima ate up the attention. Bakugo, on the other hand, looked about two seconds away from blowing up a reporter's microphone.
Itami moved through the crowd effortlessly, blending in as if he weren't even there. No one stopped him. No one even noticed him. Just how he preferred it.
-Class 1-A-
Inside, the classroom was already filled with chatter, some students were still waking up, others energized by the media frenzy. It was strange to him. Back home, mornings were quiet, tense, structured. Here, everything felt... lighter. Carefree. Warm.
He slipped into his seat without drawing attention, but that didn't last long.
"You seem tired," a voice noted.
He turned to see Momo Yaoyorozu studying him carefully, arms crossed. She spoke matter of factly, but there was a hint of concern in her tone.
"I'm fine," Itami replied simply.
She didn't look convinced. "A lack of proper rest can impair your reaction time and focus. Given that we are training to become heroes, you should be at your best."
Itami gave her a side-eye as a response, leaning back into his seat.
Momo huffed but didn't press further. Itami had noticed that about her, she was meticulous, analytical, but also respectful. He had to be careful around her.
Before the conversation could continue, Aizawa entered the room, his usual tired expression scanning over them. The casual chatter died down.
Itami found himself zoning out as Aizawa spoke. His mind wandered back to the dream—the voice, the red eyes, the black fire crawling under his skin. He clenched his fist beneath the desk.
Then a name snapped him back to the present.
"...Midoriya you still can't control your own Quirk and you will continue to break your own limbs if you don't know how to control it."
Itami frowned in thought. That's weird... he really can't control his own Quirk?
His gaze flickered toward Midoriya, who looked flustered under the attention.
I've never seen his quirk in action but the way our class mates talk about it seems like he's barely obtained it. The way his power will surge, wild and untamed. Its reckless, dangerous. And yet, there was something about it, like it's similar to another hero's...
Before he could finish his thoughts, the classroom erupted into chaos.
"Class rep should be someone reliable!" Iida declared, practically vibrating with enthusiasm.
"No way, it's gotta be someone cool!" Kirishima added.
"What about me? I'd be a great leader!" Kaminari grinned, only to be immediately dismissed by Jiro.
Itami sighed, rubbing his temple.
Why are they so loud...
After some time, a paper was passed around to write down votes for the class representative. Itami barely glanced at it before his eyes landed on Iida, who had been the first to submit his vote.
Why not? He's the most organized one here.
Without another thought, he jotted down Iida's name and passed the paper along.
-Lunch Break-
The school bell rang, signaling lunch, and the classroom quickly became a flurry of movement as students made their way to the cafeteria.
Itami exhaled quietly, as he got up from his seat. He debated skipping lunch altogether, finding a quiet place to clear his head, but before he could move, a voice called out.
"Itami! You coming to lunch?"
He looked up to see Ochaco Uraraka grinning at him, her hands on her hips. Beside her, Midoriya shifted awkwardly, glancing between them like he wasn't sure what to say. Iida stood tall with his usual composed demeanor.
Itami blinked. "Huh?"
"Lunch," Uraraka repeated, rocking on her heels. "Your always eating alone, huh? You should come eat with us!"
Itami hesitated, glancing toward Midoriya, who immediately stiffened under his gaze. The green-haired boy fumbled with his hands.
"U-uh, yeah! I mean, if you w-want to! You don't have to! But, um, we thought we can get to know our new classmate well, Uraraka thought—that, um, it'd be nice..." His voice trailed off into nervous mumbling.
Iida cleared his throat, stepping in. "What Midoriya is trying to say is that it's important to form bonds with our classmates. As future heroes, teamwork is essential."
Uraraka rolled her eyes. "You don't have to make it sound like a lecture, Iida." She turned back to Itami, her expression more earnest. "What do you say?"
Itami looked between them. Midoriya was still fidgeting nervously, Iida was standing firm like he was preparing for a speech, and Uraraka was waiting, her warm brown eyes filled with expectation.
"...Sure," he finally said.
Uraraka beamed. "Great! Let's go before all the good food's gone!"
The cafeteria was already packed by the time they arrived, the air filled with voices and the occasional clang of trays. Itami followed the group to an open table, settling in as the conversation flowed around him.
Itami stayed quiet,poking at his food as he listened to the conversation between Midorya and Uraraka until Lida clears his throat to get his attention.
"Itami, I must say, you seem quite skilled in combat. Your fighting style is unlike anything I've seen."
Midoriya perked up at that. "Yeah! I noticed it too. Your movements are really sharp, like you're always calculating your next attack, Like a ninja."
Itami blinked, caught off guard by the sudden interest. "Something like that." He poked at his food before adding, "I was trained from a very young age on how to fight. So fighting someone is second nature."
Uraraka leaned forward, curious. "Whoa, really? So, like, you have a family fighting style or a dojo?"
Itami hesitated. He wasn't sure how much he wanted to reveal. "Just lots of training with a style my family came up with" he said.
Midoriya's eyes sparkled with interest. "That's amazing! So about your Quirk, I only got to see it though the recording of your training ma—"
Before the conversation could continue, a blaring alarm cut through the cafeteria, sending a ripple of confusion through the students. Within seconds, panic set in as upperclassmen rushed toward the exits, their voices overlapping in a growing frenzy.
Seeing the chaos as the perfect opportunity to slip away, Itami moved quickly. While Iida, Ochaco, and Midoriya were caught up in the commotion, he silently navigated through the crowd, disappearing before they could notice.
Passing through an empty hallway, he glanced outside and spotted a hooded figure walking toward a wall.
Is this guy ditching school?
Before he could finish the thought, the wall crumbled into dust, bits of the wall blowing into the wind. The figure walked through, vanishing into the distance as if they had never been there.
Itami's phone buzzed. He answered without taking his eyes off the spot where the wall once stood.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's me, Akuma. I got notified that your school's alarm system went off. Anything going on?"
Itami considered his answer. Then the ringing alarm stopped, making the hallway eerily quiet.
"...No. It's most likely a false alarm or someone triggered it by accident. I mean, who would come here?"
There was a brief silence before Akuma spoke again. "Yeah, you're probably right. They'd have to be a complete dumbass. Anyway, the elders want to talk to you in a couple days something about training. I-wasn't really listening. Anyways Catch you later."
Before Akuma could end the call, Itami heard him yelling for another pitcher of beer.
Itami lowered the phone from his ear, his gaze still locked on the spot where the hooded figure had been. The wall was completely erased, not destroyed. Just emptiness.
What the hell was that?
He debated investigating further, but the distant sound of voices echoing through the halls reminded him that the situation in the cafeteria was calming down. The last thing he needed was to get caught snooping around. With one last glance at the missing wall, he turned and started making his way back to class.
By the time he slipped through the door, most of his classmates were already seated, still buzzing from the incident. While taking his seat he heard that the alarm was triggered by the press. Itami then took his seat resting his chin on his hand as he thinks about the whole situation while watching the rest of his classmates.
Something isn't right... It can't be just that right?...
The rest of the day was a blur, once class was over Itami quickly exited the classroom before anyone can talk to him. He started to make his way towards the wall. Once he got there he was caught off guard that it was repaired and look like nothing had happened to it. Inspecting the wall he noticed little fragments of debri getting blown away into dust.
They repaired it... The-
His thoughts were cut off as his phone started to buzz again. Picking it up and answering he heard Akuma. " Hey where are you? I'm picking you up today and I don't want to wait all day"
"Weren't you drinking earlier?" Itami asked as he started to make his way to the front of the school.
"I am flabbergasted that you are accusing me of drinking under the influence, I would never!" After hearing Akumas response he rolled his eyes as he responded. "Yeah yeah give me a minute."