Ochako and Midoriya exchanged a glance before looking back at Shion. There was a brief pause before Ochako hesitantly asked, "Hey, um… Shion? What's your Quirk?"
Midoriya perked up at the question, eyes practically sparkling with curiosity. "Ah, right! I-I mean, I saw it during the assessment, but I wasn't sure what it actually—"
Shion sighed dramatically, crossing her arms. "Well, if you must know…" She paused for effect, then smirked. "I can lift things and shoot some glowing energy from my hands."
Ochako blinked. "…That's it?"
"Yup," Shion replied smoothly, popping the "p" at the end.
Midoriya, ever the analyst, frowned slightly. "But—wait, what exactly do you mean by 'lift things'? Like telekinesis? Do you have a weight limit? And the energy, is it a projectile, or does it have different properties—?"
Shion raised a hand, effectively cutting him off. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, but that's all you're getting." She turned her attention back to the floor plan, as if the conversation was already over.
Ochako pouted. "Aww, that's no fun! At least tell us the name of your Quirk!"
Shion tapped her chin, pretending to consider it. "Hm… I could tell you… but where's the mystery in that?"
Midoriya looked like he was dying to take notes, but Shion's deliberately vague answer left him struggling to figure out if she was joking or being serious. Meanwhile, in the back of her mind, Shizoku cackled. "You're really just gonna leave them hanging? Oh, I like this."
Midoriya furrowed his brows, his mind already running at full speed.
"Lift things and shoot some glowing energy from her hands…?" He replayed Shion's words in his head, his analysis instincts kicking in despite the lack of details. That wasn't much to go on, but what little he'd seen during the Quirk Apprehension Test stuck with him.
Her movements were calculated, almost effortless—like she already knew her own limits. When she threw the ball, there was a distinct energy surrounding it, something he hadn't seen in any of his classmates. And her push-ups—she did them without breaking a sweat. Even during the other tests, she was quick, controlled, and eerily precise, like she'd been trained for combat.
But that wasn't what intrigued him the most. It was the fact that Aizawa hadn't used his Quirk on her during the test. At least, not visibly. If her Quirk was something purely physical, like enhanced strength or agility, that would make sense… but "glowing energy"? That sounded like something that should have been erased.
"Could it be that she can use both physical and energy-based abilities?" Midoriya thought, absently tapping his fingers against his thigh. If that was the case, it was an incredibly versatile Quirk. It reminded him of a mix between One For All's raw strength and someone like Aoyama's Navel Laser—but without the drawback of a bellyache.
His pencil twitched in his fingers. He had the urge to write all this down in his notebook, but Shion's reaction made it clear she wasn't going to explain any further.
"Still… if her Quirk is really just 'lifting things and shooting energy,' then why does it feel like there's more to it?"
There was something else—something about her presence that made her seem… experienced. The way she carried herself, the way she spoke, even the way she interacted with their teachers, especially Aizawa. Unlike the rest of them, who were still figuring things out, she acted like someone who had already been through too much.
And then there was that moment earlier—when All Might's eyes met hers.
He had never seen that expression on All Might before. It wasn't just acknowledgment—it was familiarity.
"Does All Might… know something about her?"
"We've infiltrated successfully! There are a lot of blind spots, so let's be careful." The fake villain hideout was dimly lit, its hallways narrow and industrial. The air smelled like dust and concrete, the artificial setting meant to mimic a real hostage scenario. Shion's footsteps were light, her silver hair catching faint glows from the overhead lights as she silently took in her surroundings.
Midoriya took the lead, whispering as he walked. "Okay, the 'weapon' is on the top floor. Bakugo is probably already hunting us down, so we should—"
BOOM.
An explosion ripped through the air, shaking the walls.
Midoriya and Ochako froze, immediately on guard. Shion, however, remained as expressionless as ever.
"Found you, nerd!" Bakugo's voice echoed from deeper inside the building. Another explosion roared from the end of the hallway. A blast of heat rushed toward them as dust and debris crumbled from the walls.
Midoriya tensed. "He's coming straight for me—just like we thought!"
"We need to split up!" Ochako whispered. "Iida's probably guarding the weapon, right?"
Midoriya nodded. "Yeah. If one of us can distract Bakugo, the other two can go for the weapon."
Ochako glanced at Shion. "You're quiet—you might be able to sneak past him."
Shion barely reacted. "I'll go."
Midoriya hesitated. "Are you sure?"
Shion just started walking.
"Ooooh, brave little lamb, aren't we?" Shizoku purred in her head, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Walking off to face the big bad wolf like you're in some tragic fairytale."
Shion didn't acknowledge her.
Midoriya and Ochako exchanged glances before nodding. Midoriya turned to face the hallway where Bakugo was approaching, while Ochako prepared to follow Shion.
As they moved forward, another explosion erupted behind them—Bakugo had arrived.
Midoriya spun around, readying himself. "I'll hold him off! Go!"
Shion barely had time to process the fact that Midoriya had just been tackled into battle by an enraged Bakugo before Ochako grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward.
"Now's our chance!" Ochako urged, her voice hushed but urgent.
Shion didn't need to be told twice. The two of them sprinted up the stairs, each footstep echoing in the empty hallway. The building was eerily quiet compared to the explosive clash happening below—Bakugo's furious yells and Midoriya's determined grunts filled the air.
"He's distracting Bakugo on purpose." Shion noted as she ran. "A good plan, but he's going to get himself beaten into the floor if he's not careful."
They reached the hallway where the mock "nuclear weapon" was located. The large fake warhead sat in the middle of the room, humming faintly as if it were truly armed.
Ochako grinned. "This is easier than I thought! If we just—"
A sudden gust of wind roared through the room, followed by a sharp, mechanical voice.
"Halt, heroes! Your villainous ambitions shall not be fulfilled!"
Shion barely had time to turn before Iida blurred into view, positioning himself defensively in front of the weapon, his hands in a chopping stance. His helmet gleamed under the artificial lights, his sharp, disciplined posture making it clear—he was fully committed to this role.
Ochako let out a small "Whoa," clearly impressed. Shion, on the other hand, felt an immediate headache forming.
"Ah. Right. The fast one."
Of all the opponents she could've faced, it had to be someone with speed. Shion sighed and rolled her shoulders, her eyes narrowing as she assessed the situation. "Of course, my natural enemy would be standing right there."
As soon as Shion and Ochako rushed into the room, they saw Iida standing guard over the weapon. His stance was firm, and his posture screamed discipline—he had already taken his role as a villain too seriously.
"I won't allow you to get past me," Iida declared, his arms moving in a sharp, robotic motion. "As a villain, I shall fulfill my duty with utmost efficiency!"
Shion's eyes darted to the surroundings. Unlike before, the room was mostly empty—Iida had already removed all the furniture and obstacles to give himself the perfect space for high-speed movement. That meant Shion had a clear shot, but at the same time, she had to be careful. A wide-range attack could damage the walls or the mock nuclear core. If the surroundings got wrecked, the exercise could be called off. She needed to be precise. Iida didn't wait. His engines roared to life, blue flames sparking from his calves as he shot forward. Fast.
Shion didn't hesitate—she fired.
A streak of glowing energy burst from her hands, aimed directly at Iida's feet.
BOOM!
The attack struck the ground right in front of him, forcing Iida to leap to the side to avoid direct impact. But Shion had aimed with intention—the burst of energy kicked up debris and sparks, scattering in his path.
Iida's footing wavered for half a second. It wasn't enough to knock him down, but it forced him to adjust his speed. Shion clicked her tongue. Not enough.
Ochako, staying back, whispered, "Shion, I need a clear shot at the weapon."
"I need a clear shot at him," Shion muttered back, eyes locked on Iida. Iida recovered, resetting his stance.
"Your ranged attacks won't work! I can simply outmaneuver them!"
"Tch," Shion sighed, already expecting this. "Then I'll just make sure there's nothing left to maneuver around."
She fired again—this time at a different angle. Instead of aiming directly at Iida, she struck the ceiling near him. The force shook the room slightly, sending small fragments of the ceiling crumbling down.
Iida reacted instantly—he dodged, pivoted, and prepared to launch into another sprint.
But that was the opening Shion needed.
Her hand flashed forward once more—one last precise shot, aimed at his feet. Boom!
The explosion sent debris flying exactly where Iida was about to step. His foot skidded, forcing him to halt mid-sprint. Iida skidded to a halt, his momentum completely disrupted. But before he could recover—
BOOM!
All three of them—Shion, Ochako, and Iida—staggered as a violent tremor shook the entire building. The shockwave sent dust and debris falling from above, the walls groaning under the force. Shion's eyes darted to the side.
That blast—it came from Midoriya and Bakugo.
She quickly scanned the area. The building was barely holding together. Looking through the fractures and gaps in the walls, she realized something—
Midoriya had deliberately shattered the ceiling of every floor beneath them. He must have used One For All to punch through the structure, creating a collapsing chain reaction.
And that meant—
Ochako had ammunition.
Shion's gaze snapped to her teammate. If she had debris, she could use it.
Without wasting a second, Shion lifted a fallen pillar with her Quirk, angling it toward Ochako. It was a silent message—an unspoken plan.
Ochako's eyes widened, but she understood immediately. She grabbed the pillar, tapped it with her fingers—Zero Gravity activated. The pillar floated weightlessly.
Then, with a wide grin, she swung. "Meteor Homerun!"
WHAM!
The pillar, now a flying projectile, shot straight at Iida. His engines roared to life as he attempted to dodge, but—too late. The impact forced him to brace and stumble, losing his stance entirely.
That was the moment.
Ochako dashed forward, her fingers stretching toward the mock nuclear core.
A tap—
"Got it!" Her voice rang out, triumphant.
Team A: Victory.
But Shion wasn't done yet.
As soon as the announcer confirmed their win, she turned her attention back to Midoriya and Bakugo. The fight had escalated beyond control. Bakugo was lunging, a massive explosion primed in his palm—
And Midoriya wasn't moving.
Tch—damn it.
Without thinking, Shion extended both hands, her Quirk activating in two different directions at once.
One hand— she grabbed Bakugo mid-air with her energy, halting his momentum just before he could strike Midoriya again.
The other— she seized the collapsing debris above them, holding it back just in time to stop it from crushing them both. Midoriya, weakened from the recoil of his attack, slumped unconscious to the ground.
Shion exhaled sharply, keeping her hold steady.
Bakugo, however, snapped his head toward her. His crimson eyes burned with unchecked rage.
"The hell do you think you're doing?!"
Even with her energy pinning him, he still struggled, resisting with everything he had. His palm twitched, sparks crackling as he tried to detonate another blast.
Shion met his glare head-on. "Stopping you from killing him, durian head!"
Bakugo's face twisted into a snarl, his body still tense. For a second, she swore he was going to fight her next.