**Chapter 7: Suit Up**
The second morning in the dorms crept in quietly, the kind of slow dawn that made Cid want to pull the blanket back over his head and pretend the world could wait another hour. His eyes cracked open to the same unfamiliar ceiling, the faint hum of the air conditioner mixing with distant voices drifting up from the commons below. No alarm, he forgot to set it, but the low clatter of dishes and the noise down stairs pulled him out anyway. He lay there for a long moment, arms stretched overhead, then swung his legs over the side of the bed with a quiet sigh. Today was the same as the one before it. Same wrinkled U.A. uniform from yesterday. Same crooked black eyepatch. Same half-hearted finger-comb through his messy dark hair that did exactly nothing to fix it.
Downstairs in the shared kitchen, the place was already alive in that easy, early-morning way. Toru's floating gloves were attempting to flip pancakes with way too much enthusiasm, Mina cheering every successful landing while flour dusted the counter like fresh snow. Momo sat at the island counter, posture perfect as always, pouring hot water into her fancy tea with the calm precision of someone who'd done it a thousand times. Cid shuffled in, grabbed a plain slice of toast straight from the toaster rack, and mumbled a sleepy "morning" on his way past.
Momo glanced up immediately, her expression softening with that gentle concern she seemed to carry for everyone. "Kageno-kun your tie….. again." She was already rising, moving around the counter before he could wave her off. Her fingers worked quickly but carefully, straightening the knot and smoothing the collar of his shirt. "There. Much better. You really should let it stay tied for more than five minutes—it's the first full week, after all."
Cid felt the faint warmth creep up his neck for half a second. He rubbed the back of it with his free hand, toast still dangling from the other. "Yeah… thanks. Again." He gave her a lazy two-finger salute and kept walking before the conversation could pull him in deeper. The toast was gone by the time he reached the stairs, and the tie already felt a little looser.
Morning classes dragged in that familiar haze—hero ethics with a professor who spoke in long, winding sentences about moral gray areas, followed by a quick history lecture on Quirk registration laws that had Cid got lost drawing doodles in the margins of his notebook. He caught snippets of Aizawa's tired voice calling on students for answers, but mostly he stared out the window at the training grounds, mind half on the six shrunken robots still tucked safely in his hoodie pocket back in his room. Lunch came and went in the commons with Toru chattering about dorm life and Mina challenging him to a quick game of rock-paper-scissors for the last pudding cup. He lost on purpose.
By the time the afternoon bell rang for basic heroics, the classroom buzzed with a different kind of energy. Cid slouched in his usual back-row seat by the window, visible eye half-lidded, one leg kicked out lazily under the desk. The door stayed closed a beat longer than normal, sparking a few whispers—"Late?" "Maybe it's part of the lesson." Then it burst open with a dramatic whoosh of air.
"I AM HERE… COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"
All Might filled the entire frame, muscles gleaming under the bright lights, cape snapping behind him even though there wasn't a breeze in sight. The class exploded—gasps, shouts, Midoriya nearly launching out of his chair with pure fanboy energy. Cid just sank a little lower in his seat, offering the smallest nod of acknowledgement while the rest of the room lost their minds.
All Might struck his signature pose, grin wide and shining. "WELCOME TO BASIC HEROICS! TODAY WE DIVE STRAIGHT INTO BATTLE TRAINING—BUT FIRST!" He jabbed a thumb toward the far wall. Hidden panels hissed open with a smooth mechanical whir, revealing rows of sleek, numbered costume cases lined up like soldiers on parade. "LOOKING GOOD IS HALF THE JOB, YOUNG HEROES! YOUR DESIGNS HAVE BEEN TURNED INTO REALITY BY THE SUPPORT COURSE. GRAB YOUR CASES, SUIT UP, AND MEET ME AT GROUND BETA IN TEN MINUTES! PLUS ULTRA!"
The room erupted into motion. Students scrambled from their desks, laughing and chattering as they claimed their cases. Cid took his time, rising with a slow stretch before grabbing case #12 and slinging it over one shoulder like it weighed nothing at all. He caught Toru's floating uniform bouncing past with an excited "I can't wait to see yours, Cid i bet it'll look so cool!" and Mina's enthusiastically waving her pink hand his way before slipping into the girl's locker room.
Inside the case, the outfit was exactly what he'd sketched on the form—mostly. The black cloak came with subtle gold highlights that caught the light when it shifted, the hood cut deep enough to shadow his face whenever he wanted. Lightweight armored plates sat across the shoulders and forearms without adding bulk, and twin dark swords rested in sleek sheaths strapped diagonally across his back. The fabric felt alive—flexible, breathable, somehow dramatic without trying too hard. He pulled it on piece by piece, adjusting the hood once, rolling his shoulders to settle the weight. The plain black eyepatch blended right in. "Not bad. Actually… kinda cool."
Back outside under the wide afternoon sky, the class slowly regrouped near the entrance to Ground Beta, costumes on and energy crackling. Cid emerged last, hands sliding into the cloak pockets as the fabric draped naturally over his frame and the cloak flaring out as he walked. The mock city loomed ahead—crumbling buildings, empty streets, twisted metal beams waiting for whatever chaos they were about to unleash.
Momo approached him first, her own costume hugging every curve in a sleek red leotard-style design, a book strapped neatly to her thighs. The material left little to the imagination, it was practical for her Creation Quirk but undeniably form-fitting. "Kageno-kun, your hero suit looks very mysterious," she said with her usual polite smile, tilting her head slightly as she took in the shadowy assassin vibe. "The cloak and swords give it a perfect shadowy feel. It really suits you."
Cid turned to reply, but his visible right eye drifted downward to the way the red fabric clung across her ample chest. Heat rushed to his face in an instant. He blinked hard and jerked his gaze away giving a quick,
"Thanks Yaoyorozu-san, yours looks good too."trying to avoid looking at her exposed form only for his gaze to land straight on Uraraka a few feet over. She was tugging at the edges of her pink-and-black space-themed suit with a small pout, the material skin-tight for mobility and stretched even tighter as she pulled. Her hand moved down to adjust the fit around her hips, the motion accidentally accentuating the curve of her perfectly shaped butt in a way that made Cid's brain short-circuit all over again.
Face burning under the eyepatch, he crossed his arms tightly over his chest, cloak settling dramatically around his shoulders. He leaned back against the light pole near him, then tilted his head just enough that the hood cast a faint shadow over his half-lidded eye, the twin swords shifting with the motion, and the wind made his black cloak flow slightly. He looked every bit the brooding, effortlessly cool hero, posture relaxed yet intense, aura practically radiating quiet mystery.
A few classmates glanced his way. "Whoa… Kageno looks intense," Kirishima muttered . "Total pro vibe already." Mina nudged Jiro with a whisper, both of them snickering. Even Bakugo shot a side-eye scowl that almost looked impressed before turning away with a grunt.
Cid didn't notice any of it. He was too busy internally dying, forcing his visible eye to stare straight ahead at nothing while his thoughts drifted to why all female hero outfits were made to be sexey. All Might's voice finally boomed across the field, snapping everyone to attention and saving him from his own thoughts.
"LOOKING GOOD, EVERYONE! NOW… LET'S GET TO IT!"
Cid pushed off the wall, hands staying tucked in his cloak pockets as the class started moving toward the gates of Ground Beta. Battle training was about to begin, and for the first time all day, he was actually a little curious how this would go. The mock city waited ahead—silent, ready, and full of possibilities he'd probably handle with the least amount of effort possible.