Wilted Bloom

Maya's body sank deeper into the couch, the soft blanket Midnight had draped over her legs providing a sense of warmth and security. She let her gaze drift, unfocused, as the quiet hum of conversation filled the lounge.

At a nearby table, Ectoplasm sat with a stack of math tests, his skeletal hands methodically flipping through the pages. He paused on one, tapping the table lightly as he examined the paper. "Unanswered again," he muttered, his deep voice rumbling through the room. "Let's see... how should I explain this one?"

He leaned forward slightly, reading the problem aloud as though mulling it over to himself. "If 4x−7=134x - 7 = 134x−7=13, solve for xxx. Then substitute xxx into y=2x+5y = 2x + 5y=2x+5 to find the value of yyy."

Maya, lost in thought and forgetting for a moment that she wasn't alone, stared blankly at the wall. Without hesitation, she answered, her voice calm and instinctive.

"It's 52," she said softly. "Start by isolating xxx in the first equation. Add 7 to both sides, so 4x=204x = 204x=20. Then divide by 4, so x=5x = 5x=5." Her voice was steady, and she continued without missing a beat.

"Substitute x=5x = 5x=5 into y=2x+5y = 2x + 5y=2x+5. That makes y=2(5)+5y = 2(5) + 5y=2(5)+5, which equals 10 plus 5. So, y=15y = 15y=15."

She paused for a moment before finishing. "The answer they're looking for is 15 for yyy, and if they're asking for x+yx + yx+y, it's 52."

The room stilled.

Ectoplasm froze, his skeletal head tilting slightly as he turned toward her, his expression one of astonishment. Present Mic, lounging nearby, sat up straight, his trademark grin widening with curiosity. Even Aizawa stirred in his sleeping bag, one eye cracking open to observe the unexpected scene.

Ectoplasm, still holding the paper, decided to test her again. He read out another question, his tone deliberate. "If a train leaves a station traveling at 80 kilometers per hour, and another train leaves the same station an hour later traveling at 120 kilometers per hour, when will the second train catch up?"

Maya, still staring blankly at the wall, answered instinctively. "The second train will catch up in two hours. The first train travels 80 kilometers in the first hour, so the second train needs to cover that gap. Since it's moving 40 kilometers per hour faster, it takes two hours to catch up."

Her tone was calm, matter-of-fact, and precise. Ectoplasm leaned back slightly, the surprise in his skeletal expression almost comical.

Present Mic whistled low, leaning forward with wide eyes. "Alright, that's impressive!"

Ectoplasm's intrigue deepened. This time, instead of another problem from the papers, he decided to shift tactics. He leaned forward, his tone changing to something more dramatic, like a scenario being narrated.

"Alright," he said, his deep voice commanding the room's attention. "You're a hero running to a disaster site. A building has collapsed two kilometers ahead, and there's heavy debris blocking your route. You're traveling at 40 kilometers per hour, but emergency services are delayed by five minutes due to road closures. How do you calculate the remaining time to the site, and what protocol would you follow to ensure safety upon arrival?"

Maya's posture shifted slightly. Her shoulders straightened, and her expression hardened into focus. She spoke without hesitation, her voice calm, collected, and oddly professional—as though she were speaking directly into a comm line.

"You'll reach the site in three minutes," she began, her tone precise, almost robotic. "Travel time is reduced because of the short distance, but the delay puts emergency services behind by at least eight minutes once they reroute. On arrival, assess the debris for structural instability before entering the site. Prioritize communication with on-site personnel to locate survivors. Protocol dictates securing the perimeter to prevent additional casualties."