BNHA: Force Within

Anakin held out his hand, using The Force to pull the wrench across the room to his grip. Three months into his work-study at Kenobi's agency, and the support room had become his new obsession.

Kenobi watched from his desk. "You've been at that battery pack for hours."

"The power keeps dropping during practice." Anakin used The Force to hold tiny components in place while he worked. He'd never cared much about how support items worked until his battery-powered lightsaber started acting up last week.

The saber lay in pieces across his workbench. After it failed during training, he'd spent hours studying the blueprints the support department gave him. The Force helped him sense how energy flowed through the circuits, showing him things the diagrams missed.

"Most students would just request a replacement," Kenobi said.

"And wait two weeks for repairs?" Anakin reconnected two wires, feeling the power stabilize through The Force. "Got it. Should hold better now."

The support department's design was clever - replicating a lightsaber without a kyber crystal. But something about the power system felt wrong. The Force showed him wasted energy, inefficient paths.

"Speaking of repairs." Kenobi tossed him a broken radio. "The comms are down again."

Anakin caught it one-handed. "Third time this month. What'd you do to this one?"

"They're poorly designed."

"They're fine. You just drop them too much." Anakin opened the casing, letting The Force guide his fingers to the problem - loose connection to the power source. Simple fix once you could feel where the energy stopped flowing.

He worked quietly, moving between his saber modifications and the radio repair. Kenobi answered emails, occasionally glancing over as Anakin tested power readings.

"The support department's been asking about your work," Kenobi said.

"Yeah?"

"They're surprised. Said most students don't take interest in how their equipment functions."

Anakin adjusted another component. "I just got tired of the saber cutting out. The Force helps me see how things connect."

The radio crackled back to life. Anakin checked all channels before tossing it back to Kenobi.

"Try keeping this one intact."

"No promises."

Anakin turned back to his lightsaber. The new power setup felt right through The Force - steadier, more balanced. He reassembled the hilt, each piece floating into place.

The blade ignited smoothly. He gave it a test swing, sensing the energy pattern.

"Better," he said, powering down. "Still not crystal-level, but it'll work."

"Not bad for someone who couldn't tell a circuit board from a coffee maker three months ago."

"The Force helps. It's like... seeing how everything connects." Anakin clipped the saber to his belt. Even his hero costume had changed - small modifications he'd made after learning how support items worked.

"His phone lit up - Mirio asking about seeing that new All Might movie tonight. He and Nejire had been bugging Anakin to get out more since..."

"Ready for patrol?" Kenobi stood, repaired radio on his belt.

"Yeah." Anakin checked his equipment one last time, everything working in sync.

Support gear made more sense now. Understanding your equipment meant staying alive. And with The Force to guide him, Anakin was learning faster than anyone expected.

***

The outskirts of the city looked different during patrol. Empty lots became potential hiding spots. Abandoned buildings turned into escape routes. Three months at Kenobi's agency had taught Anakin to see things heroes needed to notice.

His modified 'lightsaber' hung at his belt while they walked their usual route. Kenobi led the way, checking the spots where trouble usually started.

Anakin sensed movement in an alley ahead. Someone running, scared. Another person following.

"There's-"

"I see them." Kenobi's hand rested on the hilt of his lightsaber. "Standard procedure."

Anakin took the parallel alley, moving silently. They'd done this enough times - catch anyone trying to escape from both sides.

He felt the danger before he heard the scream. Female voice, young. He picked up speed, reaching the connecting passage between alleys.

A man had a woman cornered, knife out. Simple mugging. But something felt wrong - the knife wielder's movements were too practiced, too precise for a common thief.

Kenobi appeared at the other end of the passage. The mugger glanced between them, then smiled.

The knife flew at Anakin's face.

The knife stopped inches from his nose. Not a wild throw - the aim had been perfect. This was no regular criminal.

The mugger dropped into a fighting stance. The woman he'd been "threatening" stood straighter, pulling something from her sleeve.

A trap.

Anakin activated his 'lightsaber' just as the woman attacked. She moved faster than any civilian should, her hidden blade clashing against his energy one.

Kenobi engaged the man, their fight spilling into the wider alley. These weren't opportunistic criminals - they'd planned this, waited for a hero patrol.

The woman pressed her attack. Anakin read her movements, parrying each strike. Her technique felt familiar somehow.

"Not bad," she said, voice cold. "But predictable."

She switched styles mid-strike. Anakin barely blocked in time. His modified saber hummed with the impact.

Behind him, Kenobi's fight had moved further down the alley. The man kept pushing him back, keeping them separated.

The woman's next attack came high. Anakin raised his blade to block - and realized too late it was a feint. Her knee caught him in the stomach.

He stumbled back, regaining his balance. The woman didn't press her advantage. She just watched, like she was evaluating him.

"Sloppy defense," she said. "Your master should train you better."

Anakin gripped his saber tighter. Something about her stance, her fighting style...

She attacked again, faster this time. Each strike targeted weak points in his guard. She knew Form I weaknesses - knew them too well.

Danger flashed in his mind. Anakin ducked as her blade swept where his head had been. He pushed back, but she seemed to expect it.

"Better." She landed gracefully. "But still not enough."

Sirens wailed in the distance. The woman's partner disengaged from Kenobi, falling back to her position.

"Time to go," he said.

The woman nodded. "For now." She looked at Anakin. "We'll finish this later, boy." Suddenly, she and her companion walked behind a nearby wall, disappearing from sight as if swallowed by the shadows.

Anakin couldn't feel their presence anymore. It's as if they had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind. 

Frustration bubbled within him as he scanned the surroundings, searching for any sign of their whereabouts. But they were gone, slipping away before he could track them down, as if they had never existed at all.

Kenobi joined him, breathing heavily. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Anakin deactivated his saber. "That wasn't random."

"No." Kenobi studied the alley. "They were testing us. Testing you."

"Why?"

"Good question." Kenobi's expression darkened. "And I don't like the possible answers."

Police arrived to take statements. The woman's fighting style bothered him. She'd known Form I's weaknesses.

"Go meet your friends," Kenobi said after they finished the reports. "I'll look into this."

"But-"

"Go. The movie will do you good." Kenobi's tone left no room for argument. "Just stay alert. I doubt this is over."

Anakin nodded, heading for the train station. His phone showed three messages from Mirio about the movie.

The encounter played through his mind. The woman's words about his training, her knowledge of Form I...

Something was happening. He just couldn't see what yet.

Anakin leaned against the train window as the city lights rushed by. The sound of the train helped calm his thoughts. He kept remembering the fight from earlier—how the woman moved, what she said, and how she seemed to know his weaknesses. But now wasn't the time to dwell on it. Mirio and Nejire had been pestering him for weeks to take a break, and after everything that had happened, he owed them that much.

The theater was packed when he arrived. Mirio waved him down near the ticket counter, beaming as always. "There he is! Thought you bailed on us."

"I almost did," Anakin admitted, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Long day."

Nejire tilted her head. "Kenobi put you through another crazy training session?"

"Something like that."

She frowned but didn't push. Instead, she grabbed his wrist and tugged him toward the entrance. "Come on, the movie's about to start!"

They settled into their seats, and for the first time in a while, Anakin let himself relax. The film was another over-the-top All Might biopic, full of exaggerated action and speeches about justice. Mirio cheered at every dramatic moment, while Nejire muttered critiques about how the fight choreography didn't make sense. Anakin found himself enjoying it more than he expected. For just a couple of hours, everything else faded away.

After the movie, they stayed outside the theater. The night air felt cool against Anakin's skin. Mirio stretched, grinning. "Man, that was great! Classic hero stuff."

Nejire crossed her arms. "It was fine. But the villain's plan made no sense."

"That's not the point! It's about the message!"

Anakin chuckled, shaking his head. This was normal, this was good. But as he glanced at the time, he sighed. "I should get going."

Nejire pouted. "Already?"

"Kenobi expects me early tomorrow."

Mirio clapped him on the back. "Alright, alright. But next time, you're staying for dinner."

Anakin nodded and started walking down the street. The city was quieter at this hour, with fewer people around. He took the longer route back, not out of necessity, but to have time to think. His thoughts went back to the woman he had seen earlier. Something felt unsettling about her fighting style, as if she had been watching him for a while.

Then the air shifted.

A cold presence made him stop walking.

"Going somewhere?"

He barely turned before red energy blades erupted from her hands, carving through the pavement where he'd been standing.

His attacker stepped into the streetlight. She was tall, dressed in dark armor. Her hands glowed red, transformed into energy blades.

Anakin backed up, cursing himself for leaving his saber. "Who are you?"

"Asajj Ventress." The energy from her hands hummed. "Remember it well."

She lunged. Anakin threw up his hands, using his quirk to hold her back. But she was strong - stronger than anyone he'd fought before.

"No weapon?" She pushed against his hold. "Sloppy. Unprepared."

Her blade sliced through his defense. Pain erupted as her blade cut across his right eye, leaving a burning scar above it. He stumbled back, blood dripping into his eye.

Ventress didn't let up. She spun low, sweeping his legs. Anakin hit the ground hard. Her boot pressed into his chest.

"Pathetic." She leaned in, energy blades humming at either side of his neck.

"Let's fix that, shall we?"

Pain shot through him as her blade came down. His arm - his right arm was gone. His scream echoed through empty streets.

Rage surged through him. Not fear, not pain. Pure rage.

His remaining hand shot up. Ventress's eyes widened as he grabbed her throat using his quirk.

"What-" she choked out, her hands clawing at her throat. The energy blades flickered as she struggled against the invisible grip.

Anakin squeezed harder. Her eyes bulged, feet dangling above the ground. A crack echoed through the empty street.

The energy blades died with her.

He let her body drop, his vision swimming. Blood dripped from his face, his arm a mass of burning agony.

Footsteps approached. A familiar voice called his name.

Everything went black.