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Chapter Text

Katsuki was already sick of this shitty internship.  

He’d picked Best Jeanist because of his ranking, expecting some sort of brilliance from the man. But all he got was moral arguments and ramblings about appearances. And the Jeans. All of his little extras wore jeans. Which meant Katsuki had to wear jeans, comb his hair, and be in the spotlight while wearing said jeans. He’d been shouted at by onlookers all day. Fans of the sports festival, kids remembering him from the Sludge Villain attack. On and on and on until Katsuki considered eating the damn jeans just to spite Best Jeanist.  

They were walking by a construction site, Jeanist would not shut up about his hair bursting up again when- 

KABOOM! 

Katsuki nearly cried from joy, a wicked grin covering his face instead. His eyes trailed after a villain trying to escape through the site.  

“Finally!” He shouted, ready to jump into action.  

“Not so fast!” Best Jeanist caught the threads of his jeans, hauling him all the way back and behind him. Katsuki squawked, taken by surprise as his jeans suddenly felt two sizes too small. “You will focus on rescuing the construction workers. I will apprehend the villain.”  

“What?! But I-”  

“You will do as I say, you and your egregious name!” Best Jeanist vanished, heading after the villain. Katsuki felt the threads of his jeans loosen, hissing in frustration, then turned to the construction site. He did his job quickly, scanning over the civilians and snapping at each one that took too long to answer, but by the time he got to the crane operator, something shifted.  

The ground trembled once, twice, then a tunnelling villain broke out. It felt like fucking Christmas as Katsuki squared up to the villain, but then it felt more like White Day when he realized the villain was shit. Boring and useless. A single blast of his quirk did him in; the giant mole-like villain falling onto his side. The ground rumbled again, and initially Katsuki thought it was just an aftershock of his tunnel collapsing.  

But then the ground pulsed again.  

His only thought was that there had to be more in those tunnels, and so Katsuki ventured closer. He wasn’t stupid, he didn’t plan to jump in, but he didn’t have to. The rumbling was coming from one of the side walls to the villains vertical tunnel.  

A black box. Pulsing, seeming to have reacted to the villain hitting it. Did that guy hit something important?  

“Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight! What did I tell you to do?!” Best Jeanist shouted. 

Katsuki growled, glaring at the man. “I did what you asked! Not my fault another one showed up!”  

“In any case,” Jeanist grumbled. “Did you finish surveying the surroundings? Did you check for injuries?”  

Katsuki shouted in frustration, his hair bursting up for the fourth time that day. He stomped on the ground with one foot aggressively.  

“I did all that shit and more alright?!” He snapped. As his foot came down, the pulse happened again. He paused, looking into the tunnel. The black box rippled, as if breaking.  

“Dynamight! Get away from there!” Jeanist snapped, eyes wide. He must’ve felt the pulse as well if he was reacting in such a way, but Katsuki was still staring.  

“There’s something inside here!” He called to Jeanist. The man blinked once, before making his way over. Suspicious and tense, and stood next to the boy.  

The pulse happened again.  

“We should-” Best Jeanist didn’t finish his reply. His hand on Katsuki’s shoulder to urge him away, when a stronger pulse shook the ground. A piece of dirt lodged from the pile of rocks in front of them. The pile the crane had been making was now falling over. Katsuki shot it on pure instinct to stop it from rolling them flat. He made a second blast with his other hand, destroying all the rocks in the vicinity. “Enough!”  

Katsuki felt like a kitten being tugged by the scruff as Best Jeanist hoisted him away. The man was tall and lanky, but oh by could he strong arm Katsuki clean off his feet. However, from the corner of the blond boy’s eye, he noticed something.  

The second blast had struck the box, which seemed to be pulsing rapidly.  

“Watch-”  

BOOM! 

Jeanist moved this time, pulling himself and Katsuki away just in time to hide from the blast.  

There was coughing from all the debris. Dust was flying everywhere. It wasn’t just a normal explosion. Katsuki had seem plenty of those in his life. Bit of a professional at this point. But this was different. It was like a shaken soda can had just been released. Pressure was being expelled rapidly. Was this inside the box?  

When everything finally settled, Katsuki popped his head up from their hiding place. Jeanist shoved his head back down, only to look up himself. Katsuki shouted, shoving the man’s hand off of him.  

In the distance, he could see it. A person. On their hands and knees, coughing. Initially he thought it was one of the workers, but they had been cleared out. It was too small to be the mole villain too. Their copper hair was unlike any of the victims or villains.  

It was a girl, who was looking around in confusion, before her eyes seemed to settle on him. Katsuki wasn’t sure what she saw, but her whole face morphed with confusion. She frowned, her thin brows quirking as she tilted her head.  

“Kudo...?” She asked. A beat of silence, and then she spat out blood. The girl coughed twice, then promptly fell into the pool beneath her, face down.  

It was so bizarre that even Best Jeanist didn’t move immediately. Katsuki wasn’t sure what to make of it, but both boy and man flung into action a moment later. Jeanist was there first, Katsuki hovering on the outskirts. Jeanist checked her vitals, brow furrowed.  

“Did she...?” Katsuki murmured. But Jeanist shook his head.  

“She’s alive, barely.” He double checked her injuries, before fashioning the torn clothing she wore into bandages. “She needs immediate medical attention. Let’s go, Dynamight.”  

He internally groaned, hating that he’d be at a hospital watching the pro fill out paperwork for the rest of the day.  

The day turned out even stranger than Katsuki had initially thought.  

“She has no dental records, birth certificate. Her blood test comes up with nothing. There’s nothing. She’s a ghost.” A detective had been called as soon as the girl was admitted to the hospital. The circumstances in which she was found couldn’t be ignored.  

Detective Tsukauchi was just as stumped about the girl from nowhere as everyone else. Katsuki loomed near the back of the viewing area, watching the girl stare blankly at another wall. She was bandaged, and awake, surprisingly fast. He’d been sitting here for hours, supervising, as Jeanist had stated. Which was bullshit, he just didn’t want Katsuki following him around all day. Fine by him, he would’ve preferred it if he could skip filling out papers forever once he went pro himself.  

The girl had been asleep until the nurse finished her bandages, waking slowly once she was leaving. Not a lot of said, other than a doctor would be in soon to talk. Katsuki had been in that room for hours now, unsure how the girl was acting so calm when he felt like climbing the walls.  

“Well, it’s just an unknown.” The detective rambled. “The biggest question is, how long was she in that box?”  

“It’s difficult to say, from what my intern has reported, the villain likely knocked into it, causing it to destabilize. There’s no telling how long she was in there or how it worked since the box was destroyed.” Best Jeanist said.  

“Alright, I’m going in.” Tsukauchi said, walking into the room. The girl immediately locked onto him. Her body was rigid, fingers gripping the sheets of the hospital bed. It was a normal room that she was in. Though the room was on the top floor and had a smaller window than others. It appeared welcoming, but was clearly meant for containment. 

“Who are you?” She demanded. As Tsukauchi sat himself by the door, Best Jeanist gestured over to Katsuki to approach. They stood by the one way glass, watching.

“You can tell a lot about a person by how they interact when under interrogation. You see how she asserts control? She wants to be dominant and handle the situation. Which means the detective may let her push him around a bit to get some information.” Jeanist explained. Katsuki clicked his tongue, but watched anyway.  

“Sounds like the long way around when you can just make her talk.” He said. Jeanist sighed.  

“Not everything can be solved with you fists or anger.” He scolded. 

Back in the room, Tsukauchi remained docile. “My name is Tsukauchi Naomasa. And yours?”  

She narrowed her eyes. Katsuki could hear the gears turning.  

“Never heard of you. Which side are you on?” She asked, eyes flickering to the one way. “And who else is here?”  

“Smart girl.” Jeanist murmured. Tsukauchi sighed.  

“A pro hero and his intern who found you.” He explained, trying to understand the first question. Her nose scrunched, a frown on her face.  

“A what? A pro what?” She looked genuinely confused. “Is this some new code shit? What, couldn’t think of something smarter? Are you even a Meta?”  

“I’m not sure what that means. What do you mean sides? You talk as if there’s a war going on.” Tsukauchi had meant the comment to come off as teasing, but the girl immediately bristled. Her whole body clenched as she shifted to her feet. To pounce or run, he wasn’t sure, but he didn’t feel immediately threatened by her. Holding up a hand, he made a quick gesture to Jeanist to stand down. The pro had been about to enter when he saw it, dropping his hand from the door.  

“What year is it?” She whispered, but they all heard it. “It has to have been a bit.... right?”  

Her eyes turned frantic, looking at the room. Murmurs of confirmations that it had been a while, as she double checked the place. Her ginger hair was a mess, fluttering around her in long waves.  

“You tell me. How did you get in there?” He asked gently.  

“I was-” She gasped, going rigid, then her eyes snapped to Tsukauchi. “Where’s Kudo?”  

“I don’t know who that is.”  

“He was there, I saw him.” The girl said, glancing at the one-way glass. She unknowingly looked directly at Katsuki. He felt himself clamp up at her amber eyes stared straight at him.  

“That was the intern I mentioned earlier. His name is not Kudo.” Tsukauchi explained. Immediately, her whole body deflated.  

“Oh.” It was a pathetic little voice, one that didn’t suit the aggressive tone she had earlier. Going out on a limb, Tsukauchi continued.  

“Who is Kudo?” He again, thought it would be a safe thing to ask, but her visceral reaction said otherwise. Her eyes were on him, fierce and dangerous. This time he felt danger in her glare.  

“Where am I?” She demanded.  

“Musutafu Hospital.”  

“That’s bullshit.” She snapped, looking angry. Tsukauchi frowned.  

“Why do you say that?”  

“Because I watched it get bombed you fucking moron.” She said with such finality that all three men were confused. “It’s been a pile of rubble for close to a damn decade thanks to Ashwind and his crew.”  

“I’m not sure-”  

She was across the room in the blink of an eye. Her bandages bled, but the girl was in front of Tsukauchi, crouched to get eye level and as close to him as possible. The detective didn’t move; Best Jeanist moved to the door.  

“I’m gettin’ real sick of this bullshit. So you’ve got about ten seconds to tell me what’s really happening before I snap you like a fucking twig.” She growled, eyes molten. Tsukauchi stayed calm, not reacting. It didn’t make any sense. Because she wasn’t lying, he could tell that much, but Musutafu’s hospital had been rebuilt decades ago. It would mean- 

“How long were you in that box?” He asked. She didn’t move. “What year do you think it is?”  

There was a beat of silence, then.  

“It’s 1995.”  

And everything suddenly made sense to the detective, and the others. It took another beat for Katsuki to catch on, but then it began to make a bit more sense. But that put Tsukauchi in a fickle situation as Best Jeanist opened the door. The girl bristle, jumping away, eyes sharp. Katsuki stepped through the door, and immediately she looked at him. A bizarre look of betrayal crossed her face, before she looked between the other two.  

“I don’t know how to tell you this.....” Tsukauchi began. And suddenly it was like time was slowing. “But it’s 2118.” 

And the world spun. 

The girl looked ready to collapse, as her entire world began to cave in from beneath her. All three stayed quiet, letting her process for a moment. She put her hands on her knees, gasping from breaths, her eyes wildly searching for clues around the room.  

“Can’t- no I..... I can’t- fuck!”  

Then she turned towards the window. Jeanist raised his arms to capture her, but in the next moment she was outside the window, barrelling into the open air. Then she vanished completely from sight. Glass shattered, bursting everywhere, with blood coating the window. Katsuki sprinted to the window, but it was too small for him to follow her out. It wasn’t meant to be used and yet she had forced herself through. Pieces of her hospital gown were torn on the glass.  

The detective sighed, mouth twitching.  

“Well, that could have gone better.”  

Chapter Text

“It’s been a day and already she’s left a paper trail in five different cities.”  

Tsukauchi replayed the collection of videos for All Might. Letting the deflated man review the footage himself. Some were simply stills from a security camera, while others had full video of her walking by. She’d been in a sporadic pattern, seen standing around, or looking at  her surroundings.  

“Safe to say she’s looking for something.” All Might mused.  

“Considering the technology of her era, it’s safe to say she isn’t overly familiar with what we have now.” Tsukauchi said. They may have had security cameras and computers, but he doubt the girl knew what a cellphone looked like, or how sneaky some security cameras were. It was evident by how she didn’t evade the more advanced or hidden cameras, as if she didn’t know they may be there, where as most would know to avoid the area.  

“She’s evaded capture from several heroes. None of them can describe how she does it either. Definitely an unregistered quirk at work. Her blood samples didn't show anything extraordinary though.” Tsukauchi added. All Might looked up at his friend, then back down at the videos. There was one of her sprinting in her gown outside Musutafu Hospital, but as she walked beside someone, it changed. She was suddenly gone. All Might watched the next video, confused about what had happened.  

Until he went back and realized the person beside her was missing their jacket. One that was now on the girl. One frame was all it took to change.  

“That video was slowed down to frame by frame, and we still couldn’t quite catch when she did it.” Tsukauchi said. All Might blinked, looking up at the detective. If what he was saying was true, this wasn’t just speed they were talking about. It was beyond that.  

“It’s like she paused time.” All Might murmured, replaying it again and again. He could see the faintest of movement as she looked at the other person, but nothing telling him how she used her quirk.  

“I thought you should know about this, since I also looked in on those Nomu for you.” Tsukauchi said. “Multiple quirks in one body, people from the past appearing out of nowhere....”  

“You don’t think it’s connected, do you?” All Might asked. “It’s impossible that All For One..... He was defeated.”  

Tsukauchi watched the struggle in his old friend’s eyes. The man, the myth, the legend, now a highschool teacher.  

“All I’m saying is, if he was, someone took up that mantle.” Tsukauchi said. He tapped the tablet’s rim, gesturing to the girl who was now on screen by a park. “She didn’t seem to understand what was going on. But that doesn’t clear her necessarily. If anything, it makes her an anomaly.”  

All Might stared at the photo, trying to decide if she had been someone his master had ever spoken of. He’d heard the tales of the creation of One For All, in the most vague of concepts, but he could not recall a girl ever being mentioned. If she was indeed from 1995 like she claimed to be, she would’ve been at the peak of All For One’s reign.  

“We will have to speak with her personally then,” All Might said, looking towards the open window. “Regardless of her allegiance, she has to be going through the motions. I doubt anyone would make a sound adjustment from that sort of experience.”  

“And if All For One is back? And she is part of his team?” Tsukauchi asked. All Might turned to him.  

“Then we deal with that when it comes around.”  

Tsukauchi smiled. “Sounds like you’ve already decided how you'll approach this.”  

He had. 

Hosu was in chaos.  

Izuku sprinted from one sight to the next looking for Gran Torino. Nomu were everywhere, with pro heroes taking up space to protect the city, shooing him whenever he got too close. He did his best to stay out of the way, surveying the chaos, trying to find anyone he might know. Wasn’t Iida here? Where had he gone? Was he alright? What about Gran Torino?  

“Where are you Tenya?!” He heard a pro shout. That was Manual. The pro hero Iida was supposed to work with, right? The pro who was in Hosu City..... where the Hero Killer had last been seen.  

Izuku tensed, turning to run into the alley, but he paused. Someone was sitting in said alley. Izuku presumed they were possibly drunk from the way they were hunched over. The Nomu were closing in from all angles, and the pros were busy. The least he could do was assist in moving the civilian from harm, right? He could chase Iida after this one was safe.  

Izuku rushed up to them. They didn’t move.  

“Hey!” He called, crouching down in front of the person. A girl, he surmised, when he saw her face. Too soft to be a boy, with long lashes coated with partially dried tears and eyes rimmed red. Streaks of dirty tears ran down her pale face. She didn’t react when he spoke, and Izuku was too focused on the looming threat to really take note of her appearance. He touched her shoulder, shaking it gently.  

The girl gasped, looking up at him, as if only realizing he was there now. Izuku did his best to smile, though it likely came off as nervous. He held out his hand.  

“Come on! We need to get you to safety.” He said. She blinked, ginger lashes fluttering as she looked between his face and hand. Hers was much smaller, fitting into his easily. He hoisted her to her feet with little effort, assisting her to stand by steadying her with his other hand on her shoulder. She wasn’t a lot shorter than him, maybe a few inches, but that baggy jacket was drowning her frame, making her look bigger than she was.  

A Nomu screeched, swinging in their direction. Izuku grabbed the girl by the waist, using One For All and leaping out of the way. She squeaked, a timid sound that surprised him, as she grabbed the front of his costume. Izuku landed on one of the buildings, holding onto the girl. He found another place with a fire escape, leaping over to it. She gasped once, her fingers gripping onto his shoulders now.  

“You should be alright here. You can take the fire escape to the ground.” He looked around, feeling urgent. “I’m sorry, but I have to hurry.”  

Her hands didn't immediately let go, making him look down at her, realizing his hands were still on her too. Now that they were so close, it was making him feel uncomfortable, staring into amber eyes. They flickered like flames, reflecting the fires below. He swallowed a lump in his throat.  

As if coming to her own realization, she took her hands off him, and he let go of her as well. They both blinked, while the girl backed up.  

“You’ll be okay?” He asked. She nodded, eyes owlish. “Good, I have to help my friend. Stay safe!”  

He used One For All, leaping away to where there was little activity. It was the perfect recipe for the Hero Killer to find someone beyond the havoc. Someone who no one would think to look for at this time. Which was why Izuku leaped from alley to alley, diving headfirst into battle when he saw them.  

Izuku got lucky, catching the Hero Killer off guard with a punch to the face.  

“Midoriya?!” Iida gasped. 

“Iida! Are you alright?” Izuku asked, noticing another person lying on the ground not far away at all. Great, one more person meant he couldn’t just pick up Iida and run. “Can you move? We need to get this other guy to safety too.”  

“I can’t.... I can’t move my body...” Iida groaned. “It must be his quirk.”  

“I was worried about that. It was a theory his quirk might be able to paralyze his victims.” Izuku said, feeling his nerves setting in. This was no longer a rescue; he’d have to hold his ground. Hopefully a pro would come by soon enough. Thinking quickly, he managed to send his location to the class 1-A group chat, but that was all he managed to do before being forced to put his phone away.  

“Midoriya, just leave! This has nothing to do with you!” Iida snapped, eyes sharp. Izuku was taken by surprise, not expecting such animosity from his friend.  

“What? Iida...”  

“I am the one who must avenge my brother. Do you understand? This is not your fight!” Iida declared. Izuku took a deep breath, squaring up to Stain. His eyes were different than the villains who attacked them at the USJ. His eyes were serious, and focused. He believed what he was doing with conviction. It sent a shiver up Izuku’s spine. 

“Maybe so,” he raised his fists, letting that breath out shakily. “But meddling in things that aren’t your issue is the essence of being a hero.”  

Stain’s eyes widened, then he laughed. It was all the invitation Izuku needed as he sprinted forward. He kept focusing on the sword, dodging past it, and underneath Stain, before flipping over top of him. He hit the Hero Killer in the head, knocking him into the ground with a 5% Detroit Smash.  

“I got him!” He felt victorious- 

His body went slack, falling to the ground. Stain chuckled, revealing the small patch of blood on his second knife as he licked it again. Izuku looked at his arm, noticing a small nick on it. He couldn’t move, but the Hero Killer walked right by him, up towards Iida. Izuku grunted, trying to will his body to go forward.  

“Wait! Stop!” He shouted. He was ignored.  

“There are plenty of false heroes in this city, but you, I think you’ll become something some day. These two, however. They deserve to die.” Stain stepped on Iida’s shoulder, holding his sword above him. “Goodbye, kid.”  

“Get off him!” Izuku shouted. A mass of flame flew at the Hero Killer, forcing him to back off. Ice coated the ground, building a wall that was angled to make Izuku and the other victim slide towards the quirk user.  

“Todoroki!” Izuku felt immense relief.  

“You really need to send more information when you text, Midoriya.” Todoroki said, not taking his eyes off the hero killer. “You’re not one to send cryptic messages, but I figured it out. Good thing, I was almost too late.”  

“Be careful! I think if he ingests your blood you’ll be paralyzed.” Izuku said, watching Stain slash the ice wall to smithereens. Todoroki stayed calm, watching carefully.  

“Then I just have to keep my distanc-” A blade slashed across his cheek, barely missing his eye. Two more implanted into his left arm. Stain was on the move, striking the half and half boy. Todoroki made an ice wall, but both looked up as Stain threw his sword in the air. It was a distraction, however, as he used the opening to grab the back of Todoroki’s head and pull forward. Todoroki activated his fire, forcing the villain back, but then he felt the telltale effects of paralysis. His body froze, before he toppled over. 

A horrified silence covered the alley.  

Stain laughed loudly, licking his bloody fingers clean. He’d managed to swipe the blood from the boy as he grabbed him.  

“You’ve got excellent friends, Ingenium, but they’re not strong enough to protect you.” He picked up his sword, stalking his prey like the grim reaper preparing to reap another soul, Todoroki couldn’t even shift from where he laid, unable to see what was going on behind him.  

“No! Wait!” Izuku grunted. The half and half boy cursed under his breath. Iida was the only one glaring as the Hero Killer stopped in front of him. The man smiled, showing teeth and cruelty as Izuku shouted for him to stop.  

“Perhaps you could’ve been something, but your ramblings of revenge will slowly eat you. And I’m tired of the trash this world calls heroes.” He drew his knife, about to kneel down next to the boy to slit his throat, when a noise came from down the alley.  

Stain jolted, dodging as a stone whizzed by, stepping back. It would’ve hit him square in the forehead if he wasn’t careful. Stain looked around, eyes narrowing on something Izuku couldn’t see.  

“Oh hey, you dodged it. Props to you, my guy.”  

Izuku saw the newcomer, then gasped. It was that girl, still drowning in her jacket. What was she doing here?! 

“Stop! It’s not safe. Leave now!” Todoroki shouted. The girl hummed. 

“Kinda why I’m here.” She murmured, stepping over Iida and Todoroki to take a stance between the Hero Killer and the four fallen victims.  

Stain sized her up, eyes narrowing. “You’re not a hero. You’re just a civilian.”  

She laughed, hands in her pockets.  

“Where I’m from, the only heroes are in comic books.” She said calmly. Izuku frowned, not understanding what she was talking about. “So piss off, man.”  

“Hmm?” Stain stared at the girl, wondering why she looked so calm. Izuku, on the other hand, was internally panicking. Did she not understand the situation, or was she hiding some sort of powerful quirk? He recalled not hearing the stone hit the ground. How far away had it flown?  

“Hey! You really shouldn’t get involved!” Iida snapped. “It is against the law for civilians to use their quirks!”  

“Good for you, bud." She took a calming breath, but her stance didn’t change. Stain’s eyes travelled down her leg. Izuku’s eyes followed, seeing blood trickling around her ankle to the floor. She was hurt? He hadn’t realized it earlier. How had she been injured?  

“If he ingests your blood you’ll be paralyzed!” Izuku shouted, gaining her attention. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “Go get the pros! We’ll be okay, promise!”  

She watched him, her eyes were sharper than he realized. The gold almost glimmered in the dark. Then she looked back up to Stain.  

“’m not leavin'.” Is all she said. Izuku felt surprised by the bravery. Stain chuckled, wiping his swords clean.  

“How noble.” He launched at her. Izuku flinched, feeling sensation come back to his fingers. What? Was the quirk losing effect?  

But in a blink, Stain was flying backwards. He slid several feet, looking confused. Izuku didn’t see a strike, nor did he even notice the girl move.  

“I’m bleeding, so I can’t go easy on you. If you attack again, I’ll kill you.” She said bluntly. It surprised all three boys how indifferently she said it. Izuku noticed then that her weight was on a different foot. She had moved, but he hadn’t seen it at all. Neither had the Hero Killer, by the looks of it.  

But that didn’t make him back down. Stain narrowed his eyes, then looked to Iida. He’d try to go around her if he had to.  

“Don’t do it.” She said in a sing song tone that belayed her warning. But Stain leapt around, attempting to get around her. But as he made to strike Iida, he hit the ground instead. Stain looked up, seeing the boy had moved, with the girl crouched beside him. Iida was still sliding, bumping into the pro still limp on the ground. Stain grunted, and Izuku watched the realization come to his mind that he would have to kill her first.  

Izuku made a fist, finally getting feeling back in his body. But before he could do anything to help the girl, Stain was upon her. He set two knives at her, which she shifted to dodge, but then used that moment to lunge into her space. His sword came around her back, closing her in.  

Izuku tensed, preparing to use One For All, when he blinked- 

Everything changed.  

The Hero Killer was struck, his own sword wedged into his back, with the girl putting all her weight into it from above. Stain gasped, blood pouring out of his mouth, falling to his knees. 

“Must’ve hit a lung. Oops.” She said, then in the next blink her foot slammed his head into the ground. The Hero Killer slid down his own sword, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. The man gasped, coughing up blood, but he didn’t move. His eyes looked vacant. 

Izuku struggled to his feet, panting. How had a civilian taken out the Hero Killer? And so easily? The girl grunted, rubbing her chest by her clavicle. Her eyes met Izuku’s. He didn’t know why, but he remembered her face from earlier, and how different she had seemed then. Vulnerable, whereas now she looked suspicious.  

“You alright?” She asked, hesitant. It took him a second to realize she was speaking to him. He nodded, blinking a few times. The girl got off Stain, turning to Todoroki. “Your friends should be up soon enough-”  

He saw Stain’s hand twitch.  

“Whatch out!” Izuku moved, lunging for her at the same time Stain did. But in the next second his chest was to the ground and the girl had moved on her own. Stain pulled a small knife, attempting to slice her. But she moved too fast, and the back of her jacket was sliced instead.  

She now straddled Izuku’s back, pressing him down. He squirmed, wanting to break free.  

“Don’t move.” She said. “He’s coughing blood. It won’t take long.”  

She was right. The Hero Killer screamed at them, something that made all the students and one pro tremble, before collapsing on his side. The heat of her body was removed as she stood. Her jacket ripped beyond repair, so she tugged it off. Her bandaged arms and body was more prominent with only a poorly fitted tank top. It looked too small, showing her midriff. The only piece of her not bandaged. Izuku tore his eyes from her to check his friends.      

“Todoroki?” He saw his friend’s hand twitch.  

“I’ll be fine.” The half and half boy said. Izuku moved to Iida, then to the pro still collapsed on the side. He heard the sound of fabric ripping, and turned to see the girl tearing up her jacket’s lining. 

“You’ll need some bandages.” She explained, offering the strips. Ice poured from Todoroki’s right hand. The girl tensed, but the ice travelled to Stain, encasing him in a thick layer.  

“Just in case.” Todoroki said after looking up at her. She stared at him, eyes analyzing his every move. Todoroki did the same to he. They had a sort of stare off for another minute, before she offered the strips, but he gesture to his belt. “I have medic kits.”  

“Hm, smart.” She mused, about to kneel next to him.  

Something came flying from the other end of the alley, a flash of yellow had the girl bolting away from the boys. The flash of yellow launched at her, but she appeared behind him, evading his strike. She winced more, holding her chest.  

Izuku watched as Gran Torino came to a stop between him and Todoroki.  

“Gran Torino!” He was surprised to see him. The old man whipped around at him.  

“I have a LOT to say right now kid! And none of it is nice!” He turned back to the girl, who looked somewhere between startled and hurt. The blood trickling down her right leg was now soaking all her bandages. Had she not noticed? She’d been behaving so calmly Izuku had forgotten she was hurt. “But it will have to wait until I take care of this one.”  

“Ri-Wait! No, she’s just a civilian!” Izuku exclaimed.  

“Doesn’t matter, she’s currently classified as a fugitive.” Gran Torino said. This surprised Izuku, along with his classmates. When he looked at the girl, her eyes were narrowed, a frown on her lips.  

“But- she helped us.” Izuku said, feeling confused. She looked at him, but there was no hesitation in them. That vulnerability she had earlier was dead and buried. Now he saw a look that sent chills down his spine. Someone who hadn’t hesitated to attack the Hero Killer, a man who sent fear into his very core.  

“She’s a ghost who escaped from Musutafu yesterday. The order went out late last night.” Gran Torino said, adjusting his stance. He gestured to the girl. “If you’re really that good of a person, just turn yourself in. There’s no need to run.”  

She took a step back. Izuku leapt up, hands out in front of him.  

“Wait!” He urged, gaining her attention. “You don’t have to run, alright? I promise, we don’t mean any harm.”  

Her eyes flickered to Gran Torino, but Izuku took a step forward, regaining her attention.  

“You helped us. We’re students at UA. If anybody’s getting in trouble, it’ll be us, okay?” Izuku took another step. He was closer than Gran Torino now.  

“Midoriya....” Todoroki warned, but Izuku shooed him off. He had to make her talk, but she’d been rigidly quiet since Gran Torino showed up. When Todoroki spoke, her eyes widened slightly. Why?  

“You were crying earlier,” Izuku began. She tensed, but didn’t move. “I just- are you okay?” 

Izuku did want to know, genuinely. It was hard to believe this person in front of them was a bad person. She just seemed.... sad. Not like Todoroki had been, filled with vengeance and shame, but like someone who left their whole world behind. Someone lost.  

The girl swallowed, eyes darting around his face. She looked to each hand, when he offered her one. Her eyes met his again, hand twitching beside her as though she were about to lift it- 

“Hey! Is that the runaway?!” Loud voices, multiple ones, came from the entrance to the alley. Izuku watched in real time as the girl spooked, face going pale.  

Her foot turned and it was all Gran Torino needed to launch. But she used that ability of hers again, this time using it to run. She grabbed Gran Torino’s scarf, stabbing it with a knife to hold him down. It took the old man by surprise as he was pinned. In the next blink she was down the alley. She weaved between heroes, easily evading several pros at once.  

“Stop her!” Gran Torino said, trying to get at the knife, but it was at an awkward angle. Izuku launched at her, zipping past Gran Torino and chasing the girl down. He leapt over the pros, ready to catch her. She looked scared, and maybe if they stopped her they could calm her down. Her hair was between his fingers. He just had to close them and he’d have her. But as he neared her, she looked back. Her teeth were gritted, eyes wide. It reminded him of her face when he first found her.

Looking so lost and sad.  

Her hair left his grasp by the time he thought to close his fingers. She paused, and he was mid-air, making him fly straight into her. But in the next moment, he felt like he weighed enough to crack the earth in two, slamming down into it so hard.  

The dust and debris covered her getaway as Izuku was unable to move his body. It wasn’t like Stain’s quirk, this one felt more like he weighed as much as a building.  

“Midoriya!” Iida shouted. Someone tried to grab his arm, but it didn’t move. His face was stuck on the pavement, unable to shift.  

Then, as if the spell was lifted, he could move freely. Izuku gasped, leaping up. He’d messed up his leg in the fall, but his eyes were searching for the girl.  

“Where did she go?” He asked. Gran Torino landed next to him, coming from further down they alley.  

“Lost her. She used attacking you as a distraction to escape.” The old man muttered. Todoroki handed Izuku some tissue.  

“Your nose is bleeding.” He explained. Izuku hadn’t even realized, but he took the tissue, eyes still scanning the alley silently.  

He couldn't stop thinking about how strange her eyes were, like a bad omen coming to light. 

Chapter Text

With the Hero Killer caught, Shoto had only spent a single night in the hospital before heading back to work with his father. He’d been glad that he and his friends got to have a good conversation, and Iida looked a lot better now, but Shoto noticed the look in Midoriya’s eyes. He had mumbled something about that fugitive before, then admitted to rescuing her from the Nomu earlier on.  

“I just- I don’t know what it is, but something in my gut says she needs someone to help her.” Midoriya had said. It was like him to do that, extend his hand even if the other person didn’t deserve it. After all, it was how Shoto and he became friends. Shoto wasn’t sure if Midoriya was right, but he understood his wants.  

Back at the agency, his old man had zeroed in on tracking the mystery girl. Considering he’d just been named the person responsible for catching the Hero Killer, he wanted to keep on a roll. It was interesting to see him flounder, knowing a bunch of teens had captured Stain before he had the chance. It looked like he needed to prove himself.  

Shoto returned just in time to get a briefing of what little they knew. He also gave a firsthand account of her abilities. Endeavour took everything into account, studying the files he’d been given. 

“It could be a space-time quirk.” Burnin said. Endeavour stared at the video left available. Best Jeanist had found her, and she’d been inside that box for an undisclosed amount of time. According to her, it was 123 years in the past. He wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but it made some sense.  

“Where I’m from, the only heroes are in comic books.” 

That fit. The concept of heroes, according to textbooks, only rose around half a century ago. Before that it wasn’t a legitimate profession to have. All the items found on her were not interesting either. A broken comms headset, a Kevlar vest, army pants, boots, greaves, and a few different memorabilia like Pokémon cards that had blood on them. After further testing, it was found to not be her own. 

They were allowed to review the items, given photocopies to keep while the police officer that retained all the data left with the actual evidence. Several other pro heroes had been notified via the Hero Network. It appeared that they were trying their best to keep her out of the media. For a good reason. It wasn’t everyday someone successfully time travelled. Even time-related quirks had their limits.  

“Shoto, did you notice anything unusual about her?” Endeavour asked. He blinked, surprised his old man was addressing him.  

“Not really. Considering the situation. She seemed to be rubbing her chest in pain, but it’s difficult to say if it was because of her quirk, or the injuries she already had. She was bleeding badly.” Shoto said.  

“Which means she’s gunna crash soon enough.” Burnin said. Endeavour hummed in agreement.  

“Onima is currently tracking in Hosu. It is likely she is no longer in that city, but perhaps the direction she fled will give us a hint.” Endeavour said. Shoto didn’t like the idea of chasing a literal ghost; they didn’t even have a name to go by. Just the photos from the hospital to identify her.  

“Do you think she’d go back to Musutafu?” Burnin asked. Endeavour looked up at her. “Seems like she keeps circling around the place, lookin’ for something.”  

The doors opened to Endeavour’s office, revealing another one of his sidekicks.  

“Endeavour sir! Pardon the intrusion, but this just came up!” He showed his boss a tablet, playing a video. Endeavour watched quietly, before chuckling.  

“She’s in Yokohama. Practically at the front door.” He showed his sidekicks and Shoto the video of her walking down the street. Her clothing was different, now wearing a big black hoodie and baggy black pants, but the camera angles could still see her face. It was enough to ID her on the spot. 

Endeavour rose up, nodding to his sidekicks. They obviously had a plan.  

“Shoto, keep behind us. You will observe. If she runs, you may use your ice to create a barrier.” Endeavour said. Shoto grunted, not wanting to agree, but not being in a position to disobey either. After the Stain incident, he didn’t want to push his luck quite yet.  

When they arrived by where she had been seen, she wasn’t alone. Several pros were chasing a figure clad in all black. But when they caught them, it turned out to be a man with red hair.  

“Why did you chase me?!” He shouted. 

“Why did you run?!” The pro snapped back. The man balked.  

“When a guy with horns chases you, you fucking bolt, man!” He cried. Shoto noticed what he was wearing, the exact clothing that girl had on.  

“She did it again.” He said out loud. Endeavour grunted, taking off in the direction they had come from. Burnin called the police, keeping them informed.  

“Keep your eyes open!” Endeavour said. “Check every civilian if you have to.”  

Shoto had to admit, the girl was clever. She likely saw the pros and immediately swapped her clothing. She may not be familiar with technology, but she was brilliant at escape tactics. Had it not been for a camera surveying her, they would never have caught her. Her quirk gave her such an advantage, but he wasn’t sure how they were going to contain her. 

It didn’t take more than an hour for Endeavour to see her. His sidekicks flanked the scene, making her turn to go the opposite direction, but it brought her straight to Endeavour.  

Shoto could see the fire in that girl’s eyes, but there were now dark circles surrounding them. Had she not slept? It’d been almost an entire day now since he’d last seen her. She looked sickly, skin snow white with a sickly pallor.  

“This doesn’t need to be a fight.” Endeavour said, speaking clearly and calmly. His sidekicks moved people away, police showing up. But she didn’t look cowed. If anything, she looked ready to challenge him. Her eyes flickered to Shoto, then back to Endeavour. It was as if she was putting the pieces together that they were related. He didn’t like how easily she seemed to be matching the puzzle pieces.  

She didn’t move, initially, but that didn’t mean she was giving in. More people were circling, keeping her from leaving. The more they closed in, the more certain she looked. He knew that look. He’d seen it on his old man's face many times.  

A burning desire to not give in.  

She took a calming breath, rubbing her chest once.  

Burnin was the first to act, throwing a spear of her burning locks at the girl. She dodged, not using her quirk yet. Kido moved in, and as his bandages made to wrap around her, she must’ve activated her quirk. She squeaked, being thrown into the air. Endeavour gave a short laugh before launching at her himself. He sent a wave of fire, one that blanketed above her, and below. It wouldn’t hurt her too badly, mostly just knock her unconscious. A tornado of fire covered the sky as Endeavour rotated, a grin on his face.  

“Now, try and escape me!” He declared. But the girl didn’t look afraid. She lifted her hands, and suddenly she was falling faster than possible towards the earth. Through the flames, only to be running in another blink. Burnin was on her in seconds, but she dodged, maneuvering to kick her in the side of the neck, knocking her to the ground. Burnin went flying as the girl hissed; the movement obviously painful. Shoto created an ice wall to stop her escape, which startled her. She looked up at him, recognizing him from the look in her eyes.  

“Shoto! Keep her there!” Endeavour shouted. Shoto moved to make another ice wall, creating a tunnel, as Endeavour launched from one end. The girl ran at Shoto, so he switched to his left side's fire. She startled, her eyes wide as she came sliding to a stop. She was so busy staring at Shoto, her eyes glowing in the flames, that Endeavour almost made contact with her. But in a blink, she was behind him, Endeavour sailing straight past. The girl didn’t move to run this time. Instead, she was staring at them both. Her breaths were short pants; sweat glistened on her brow.  

“What the hell.....” She said it softly, but Shoto heard it. She looked at Endeavour, then back to him, then back to Endeavour. “What the fuck did you do to him?”  

Endeavour and Shoto were both taken aback by the question. She looked disgusted, staring at Shoto again. Shoto glanced at his old man, not sure what to say. But Endeavour didn’t look at Shoto. He stepped forward.  

“Shoto is a normal child.” He said, not entirely sure how to answer the question. She pointed at Shoto though, looking alarmed.  

“That’s not fucking normal!” She snapped, glaring at Endeavour. “What kinda guy are you, pal? You get off on designer babies? Hah?!”  

Endeavour actually took a step back at the accusation. In another situation, Shoto may have grabbed some soba, but hearing this from a girl like her was strange. Granted, he didn’t know what quirks looked like back in her day. How was he supposed to explain that he was a normal person? 

“Fucking gross, shovin’ quirks in your own kid.” She growled, eyes glowing in the dark. It no longer felt like she was trying to run. But one look at her body told him she wouldn’t last very long. Maybe this was better?  

“Wait a second, there’s something-” But Shoto didn’t get to finish, she was attacked by Kido and Burnin from behind. The girl blinked from existence, appearing behind them and slamming her heel into Kido’s head while letting Burnin flash past her. But Endeavour launched at her, finally making contact. He grabbed her neck, the easiest spot for him to latch on to. He came to a halt, holding her still.  

“Your quirk has a delay between when you can use it, doesn’t it.” He said, holding her in place. His flames flickered on his arms, not touching her. “And the time between tries is slower because you’re getting tired.”  

The girl coughed, some blood coming up and falling from her lips. It sounded like a wet cough from deep in her chest. Her arms feebly grabbed his wrist, clawing at it. He wasn’t choking her, but it would keep her down. The blood was her own doing. She was reaching her limit. Her skin was clammy, sweat clung to her skin, wetting her hair to a dark auburn.  

“That’s not it at all.” She said, hands turning firm with their hold on him. Endeavour’s eyes widened. “I just needed you to come closer.”  

The only thing Shoto heard was a sickening crack as Endeavour slammed into the ground like Midoriya had. The ground shook, dust flying. But she didn’t run; Shoto wasn’t sure if she could at this point. Her breaths were coming out ragged; she coughed more blood. This was her limit, but as she staggered back several feet, she didn’t kneel. It felt like sheer stubbornness over strength at this point. She coughed again. More blood.  

Endeavour was back up, freed much like Midoriya had been, about to strike her with intent. It made sense, considering how dangerous her quirk was, but Shoto reacted faster, building a wall of ice between them. The flames melted the ice, but both parties paused. They looked at him, and Shoto realized he wasn’t sure what to say. This was Midoriya’s strong suit. Butting in to others business and all that sort of stuff. But then he remembered Iida, and how he didn’t say anything when he wanted to.  

“I just- I don’t know what it is, but something in my gut says she needs someone to help her.” 

“You’re almost dead.” He said, before realizing it was pointing out the obvious. She narrowed her eyes, still panting. Her legs were trembling now. “You might be strong enough to run, or fight, but you’re not strong enough to take out all of Japan. Not in your condition.”  

“Fuckin’...... watch me.” She snapped, staggering when she tried to step. Endeavour stayed still, seeing how his son was handling the situation. But Shoto was floundering. What was the right thing to say? What would Midoriya say? He didn’t think shouting about how her quirk was hers would help the situation either. But maybe it had more to do with being assertive? Or.... 

Maybe Midoriya was the key.  

“You reached out to Midoriya before.” Shoto began, but then wondered if she even knew who he was talking about. “The boy from yesterday. He said he helped you earlier.”  

Her lip twitched, she was thinking. Shoto took two steps closer. She didn’t react. In the background he could see Burnin and Kido, but Endeavour held out a hand, saying to stand down.  

She was quiet, wavering slightly on her feet, her eyes turned to Endeavour and she tensed again.  

“You were going to take his hand. Why? Why did you run?” Shoto knew why. She was afraid. The old hero had attacked her, and called her a fugitive, but why did she behave like she was just wanting to be left alone? And yet she was listening to him right now. If it was about escape, she wouldn’t have attacked his old man. She would’ve used that chance to run. Did she even know what she wanted right now?  

“I get it. You’re afraid. I would be too.” That was an understatement. Shoto couldn’t fathom what it would be like, to wake up over a century in the future. He took two more steps, only five feet from her now. She flinched, tensing up. “You don’t have to be scared though, we’re trying to help.”  

She looked at Endeavour, at the ice wall behind them that illuminated with police lights as they blocked off the area. He understood why was acted like this. The more they pushed, the more she fought back. How the hell was he supposed to comfort her when he knew she’d be taken away in cuffs? She would likely be locked up for attacking pros, for attacking the Hero Killer. There was no way they’d let her be free.  

“You protected us. Why?” He asked, wanting to know for his own benefit. “You risked yourself, your freedom. Just to protect some strangers when it’s supposed to be us, protecting you. Why?”  

“You talk a lot.” She mumbled, eyes drooping. But she looked up at him, at his hair, a sad look on her face. “’m sorry.”  

For what? He wanted to ask but needed to keep her on topic. He needed her to reach for him. That was what Midoriya would do, right? Hesitantly, he held out his hand. She looked at it, stumbling a step before righting herself.  

“I’m not very good at this. I’m still learning. But I do want to help you. As a thank you, and as a hero in training. So please, let me help you.” He said, waiting patiently. She swallowed, looking from his hand to his eyes again.  

“S’weird.” She slurred but never elaborated. Her pants were still frequent; a droplet of sweat slid down the side of her face. The look in her eyes reminded Shoto of himself. Of someone drowning that desperately needed a lifeline. He couldn’t give that to her, but he could save her life.  

Another moment passed, her eyes contemplative, before she hesitantly reached for his hand. However, her hand didn’t land in his, falling past it, and back down. Shoto initially thought it was a rejection, but when he looked at her face, he realized there was no light in those eyes. She was standing, but there was a vacancy in her eyes.  

She looked dead. 

The girl fell forward a second later, but Shoto caught her. His body felt wet and warm, and he later realized it was blood. Blood that had soaked through her clothing and onto him.  

Everything happened rapidly. Burnin notified the medics, who were let through, along with the police. The girl was handcuffed, and then checked over. The news reporters flew overhead, thankfully it happened at the end of the skirmish and not at the start. He wasn’t sure the media would take lightly to his old man having been attacked so easily. Nor would his old man ever let it slide.  

Shoto watched the girl get carted away, then looked at his hand.  

Maybe he was right. His hands were a curse. Maybe she’d dodged a bullet with that one.  

At the end of his internship, Shoto returned to school. He had not spoken to Midoriya since that morning in the hospital, but he had hoped to speak with him in person upon return. But school had not settled, and with Hero Training, along with Midoriya running off as soon as class ended, he didn’t get a chance to speak privately.  

Two days later, he finally got to speak with him. 

The green-haired boy looked lost in his own head as Shoto approached, but he didn’t want to hold on to the information any longer.  

“Midoriya,” Shoto began, causing Midoriya to turn to him. “Can we speak privately?”  

He looked a bit surprised but nodded. Uraraka and Iida both said goodbye, leaving them to speak alone in the classroom.  

“So? What did you wanna talk about, Todoroki?” Midoriya asked.  

“I wanted to fill you in on that girl. The one that assisted with Stain.” Shoto explained. Midoriya immediately lit up, eyes widening. “She’s been apprehended. My old man and I ended up finding her.”  

“Oh,” Midoriya looked nervous, tilting his head down. “Was she..... I mean, I doubt she was thrilled.”  

“She broke Endeavour’s nose and fractured his wrist.” Shoto said easily. Midoriya squeaked, tensing up. “Natsuo said to invite her for dinner.”  

“I.... I can’t tell if that was a joke or not.....”  

“Neither can I.” Shoto admitted. They were quiet for a moment as Midoriya digested the information. “She’s being kept in a facility for now. I don’t know a lot, just what my old man would say, but I do know she hasn’t woken up since she was caught.”  

“She was hurt when Best Jeanist found her. Who knows how much blood she managed to lose that whole time too.” Midoriya said, frowning. He looked.... contemplative. Shoto wasn’t sure what to say.  

“Is there something the matter?” Shoto asked. Midoriya blinked, returning to the shy mouse he could be sometimes.  

“N-No, well- not something important. Just a thought.” Midoriya rambled. Shoto contemplated asking more but decided not to in the end.  

“I do know that they want to keep me on standby to speak with her,” Shoto added. Midoriya regained focus, watching him with curiosity. “So far, she has only been communicative with individuals her own age, and hostile to adults. I was actually going to ask if you would like to speak with her.”  

Midoriya looked surprised. Shoto looked at his hand, thinking about how much he struggled to speak to her.  

“I don’t think I would’ve been able to help her if it wasn’t for you.” He admitted. When he looked up at Midoriya, he looked almost sheepish. “I just thought what you would do in that sort of situation, and it seemed to work.”  

Midoriya looked thoughtful, before nodding.  

“If I could, I would be willing to speak with her.” Midoriya said, voice firm. Shoto nodded.  

“I’ll let my old man know.”  

Chapter Text

Matching halls, crumbling structure, and musty air that can't be good for your lungs.  

That's life underground. A buried shopping mall under a baseball stadium worth of soil and debris. I'd circled it a thousand times, finding all the nooks and treasures by the time I was thirteen. It'd been four years since Kudo brought me here, four years since I saw the sky. He never let me leave now. Not since we'd lost Hana. I didn't blame him, the smell of smoke and decay clung to my memory of the last time I'd seen daylight. Every time he went above ground, the smell of his clothes became soaked in rot and decay.  

I was seven when we first saw war. It had been out there, we knew that, but war had always been on the TV, in another place. Somewhere we couldn't see firsthand. War was never supposed to reach us, but it did. I watched my elementary blow sky high, as monsters with masks and powerful quirks ravaged our hometown.  

We lost Mom and Dad that day. Kudo didn't cry, but I did. He took me away, where it was safe, so he said. As far as he was concerned, the surface was too dangerous. We had to live down here, maybe for the rest of our lives.  

Life was the same no matter what we tried. We trained, we ate, we planned, and every time I watched my brother leave, I wondered if he would ever come back. 

"We're going to get up there, someday." He would tell me as we laid on our backs in the old movie theatre. The smell of oil and rotting kernels was muted by normalcy. I had long since blocked the scent out of familiarity. Ignoring the layers of dust surrounding us, we pretended the stars painted on the ceiling were actual stars.  

"You go all the time." I huffed, turning to look at him. The scar on his face was from the day we went underground. It had long since healed. Kudo tensed as I continued speaking. "Just take me with you."  

"Can't." He said swiftly. "You'd die out there."  

It was always Kudo's answer. Always the reason I couldn't come out. No matter how fast I improved, or how hard I trained, Kudo never let me leave. I may as well plan to live my whole life down here.  

I watched my brother leave, and every time I wondered what he saw, if he could see the stars when he escaped gunfire and bombings. And every time I waited for him to return eagerly by the entrance.  

Until one day he didn't. 

My head was throbbing. I sneezed, feeling like I had a migraine. A single cough wrecked my throat. A burning pain went up and down my sides. A tingling sensation that I remembered being told was nerve damage.  

When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by bright clinical lights, and a beeping monitor. A hospital? It looked similar to the one I had been in before, but this one had no windows. It hurt to move, but I forced myself to sit up.  

Something ripped in my ribs, but I ignored it, coughing. My arms were heavy, weighed down by chains. Handcuffs kept me on the bed, my legs strapped down. It took a second to realize I was panting.  

The only door in the room opened, revealing several men in white cloaks. I didn’t fight, unable to do much as they injected something into the IV drip on my arm. I felt dizzy, the edges of my vision going black.  

When I woke up again, someone was there. A man in all black, with long black hair. It was a stark contrast against the all white of the room. Clinical and clean, while this man looked haggard.  

“Good, you woke up.” His voice was grating, rough on my ears. I winced, finding myself tied even tighter to the bed. A strap went across my chest. Cold sweats wracked my body, the lights burning my retinas. “You were vaccinated last week. It was imperative with the changes in illness from your era to this one.”  

I groaned, clenching my eyes shut. “The light.”  

My voice was hoarse, but it seemed to be enough. He walked across the room, his boots hinting me to where he was. The lights dimmed on the left side of the room. Only the light above the doorway was active. I sighed, feeling some semblance of relief. I coughed twice, feeling soreness in my ribs. Shifting slightly, I tried to touch my cuffed hand to my side.  

“You pulled your stitches last time. They had to sew you up again.” He explained. I coughed, opening my eyes to look at him. He looked plain, taking a seat in a chair near my bedside. Carefully, I looked around the room. There were no windows here, was I underground? The wall ahead of me had a large mirror, or one way glass, most likely the latter. I blinked, feeling crust in the corners of my eyes. Instinctively I tried to use an arm, forgetting it was cuffed.  

“I could have those removed.” He offered. My eyes drifted to him, to the lack of emotion on his face. “If you are willing to comply, of course.”  

I scoffed, turning my head away from him, coughing again.  

“I’ll take that as a no. But you will need to comply if-”  

“Just kill me.” I said, cutting him off. The room grew silent with a very pregnant pause. Without looking over, I added, “’m not interested.”  

“No one’s going to kill you. Let me make that clear.” The man said. I didn’t take the bait, staring at the opposite wall. “But if you ever want to leave this room, you’ll have to work with us.”  

I didn’t respond, watching the imperfections on the smooth wall with rapt fascination.  

“There are others who want to talk to you. I’m sure you’re familiar with them. You saved their lives. Two boys, do you remember them?”  

He was trying to make me talk by asking questions. I could remember the two boys who reached out for me. Midoriya was the smaller boy, and Shoto was the designer baby. If he was talking about them, then sure, I remembered them. But I didn’t want to talk to them.  

I didn’t want to be seen like this. 

Weak, tired, and unable to even move. It was pathetic really, how far I fell in what felt like days. I couldn’t wrap my mind around it being over a century. It wasn’t possible.... and yet.... Yet I believed it. There was no evidence of the war. Life had moved on, and quirks seemed to be flourishing. What a strange place to live in. 

He was talking, but it fell on deaf ears. I coughed again, and it seemed to be the hint that nothing was getting through. The man stood, leaving. I sighed, doing my best to rest, forcing my eyes to close.  

He came back a few times. I didn’t bother talking. At one point he swapped tactics to bribery, then negotiation, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to talk to him. He tried six times, and six times I didn’t respond. I didn’t eat. All the food offered to me remained cold and untouched, even at the offer of removing my shackles. I refused. I felt like a dog people put in the yard to move around but never allowed genuine freedom. It was a trick, a lie, one I wouldn’t fall for.  

My stomach pains were dulled by the fact that I felt sick. They attached a different IV to me, one that must’ve been feeding me nutrients. It was frustrating, the feeling of wasting away but unable to die. They couldn’t even give me that peace. Instead I was forcibly kept alive. Why? What could they possibly gain from talking to me?  

On the seventh time the man was supposed to visit, he stood at my bedside. When I heard a familiar shuffling of cards, I bristled.  

“Um- Which one is your favourite?” A new voice, but a familiar one, spoke. It was quiet for a minute, before he continued. “This one looks cool. Though I’m not much for flames. Maybe more this guy? He looks strong.”  

I didn’t need to look to know which was my favourite. Instead, I gestured with my right hand for the boy to hand over the cards. They were pressed into the palm of my hand. One of the cards had a tiny rip at the bottom. I tapped my index finger against it. The boy pulled it away.  

“Gyarados? I mean, he looks like the type of Pokémon to be able to take on a wide variety. Oh he’s a flying/water type. Hm, I’m not super familiar with the play sets of Pokémon, but I do know that Gyarados is considered a formidable opponent with a strong defense and offense combination. What do you-” Mid-way through his rambling, I turned my head to glance at him. Midoriya looked just like I remembered him. Pretty green eyes, all soft shapes and curls in his green hair, with freckles dotting his cheeks. His ramblings came to a squeaky stop when he noticed my stare. It was hard not to stare after hearing him ramble away about my card.  

“S’not why I like ‘im.” My voice was hoarse, but in the silence of the room it carried easily. “It’s because he.... does it all..... He can..... do everything.”  

He stared for another second before a little smile spread across his lips. Midoriya gestured to the chair.  

“Do you mind?” He asked. I hummed.  

“It’s fine.” I coughed, turning away. Hesitantly, I looked back. Midoriya was looking at my cards. But he wasn’t just flipping through them. He was reading them, carefully switching to each one. “What...?”  

He spooked, staring up at me suddenly.  

“Sorry! I just- um- I don’t know much about the first generation is all.” Why would he need to know anything about them?  

“Is there lots?” I asked. He looked confused, until I glanced at the Gyarados card still in his left hand. “Of Pokémon?”  

“Oh! Uh- yeah, a couple generations now. Was it popular back in your day?” He asked, looking genuinely curious. This guy wasn’t very good at interrogations. Was he just here to soften me up?  

“Hmm, it just came out when.... well....” But he didn’t seem to understand. “When the world went to shit.” 

“What happened?” He asked, looking contemplative. It was strange to see such a serious look on a soft face. It didn’t suit him. I preferred the timid smile. But his words were strange. Surely such a huge world event would be recorded?  

“Did nobody teach you.....” I coughed, turning to cough into my shoulder. “About how meta-abilities came to be?”  

He thought for a moment. “Well, we’re taught it started with the glowing baby, and that she was the first recorded quirk in Qing Qing City.”  

I snorted, adjusting my position. “Mmm, and what happened to her?”  

Midoriya blinked, uncertain. “I... it’s not in our textbooks.”  

I huffed, remembering the day. It had been on national television when she died. It caused chaos in Japan. I was only thirteen years old at the time.  

“Fitting,” I said vaguely, eyes sweeping over Midoriya again. He wore what looked like a uniform. “How old are you?”  

“Hm? Me? Um- I'll be sixteen soon.” He began, looking shy. His eyes met mine. “How old are you?”  

I had to think, not remembering immediately. Midoriya mistook my quiet, throwing his hands up with my Pokémon cards tucked in his palms.  

“Oh but you don’t have to answer if it’s some kind of secret!” He rambled.  

“I don’t know, somethin’ like sixteen, I think.” I mumbled. He blinked twice, then lowered his hands. “Didn’t exactly have a calendar handy.”  

“When’s your birthday?” He asked.  

“January 6th, 1979.” I looked at my cards, trying to remember what the date was. “It was winter.... When I....”  

“When you went in the box?” He asked. I didn’t answer. He shifted closer. “Can I.... ask you your name? I’m Midoriya Izuku.”  

Izuku.... a nice name. It suited him.  

“Toshitsugu Ema.”  

He paused, then smiled. “Thank you, Toshitsugu.”  

“Just call me Ema.” But the bluntness caused the boy to short circuit. He turned pink, stuttering as he hid behind his hands, muttering about formality. “’m not used to people callin’ my last name.”  

He shook like a leaf, but that friendly smile was still on his face. It reminded me of someone who- 

A sharp jab hit my chest. It was a horrible reminder that those people.... that life....  

I turned away, struggling not to let any tears fall.  

“E-Em..... Toshitsugu.... I’m sorry if I.... said something.....”  

“It’s not you.... I..... Please don’t.... look at me....” I clamped down, struggling to keep my breathing level. Midoriya seemed to understand what I meant, raising from his seat. I felt immense relief when he did.  

“I’ll put your cards here,” he said quietly. “I.... I hope- um..... Goodbye, Toshitsugu.”  

He left quietly when I didn’t react. Once the door shut, I turned to look, finding the cards on the nightstand beside my bed. The top card was Charizard. Another stab at my heart, tears fell against my will.  

“Fuck....” I whispered, sucking in a rattled breath. The longer I laid there, the more reality seemed to settle in. I had been able to numb out reality with self-pity, but that boy took five minutes of actually speaking like he gave a damn and I was back to the surface. The cold truth that I had missed out on over a century, and the world had passed me by. My head was burning as I tried to commit every person to memory. But what was the point to remembering? 

It was gone. All of it. All of them.  

And there wasn’t a way to get them back.  

The man tried again, several times. He made comments about Midoriya wanting to visit but not being allowed until I was co-operative. All his bribery and threats were met with more silence. I didn’t look away when he entered the room, simply let my mind wander instead. Zoning out and pretending none of this was real. Maybe it wasn’t, maybe I would wake up in the bar, having hit my head, and Kudo was patching me up. A sharp pang hit my chest, my heart fluttering. The monitors caught it, beeping to warn the man I was acting up. 

He paused, staying still, but when my heart went back to normal, he continued his tirade of negotiations.  

I never answered.  

Midoriya was a nice breath of fresh air, but the reality was that I was being held captive in this place. They were waiting for me to either crack or heal enough to go somewhere else; that much I could glean. Cuffing me to the bed made them feel safer too, and so I remained silent as they played their little games. There were likely quirk suppressing drugs in my IV bag, but they didn’t need to know it was the wrong type of medications to give me.  

If I focused my quirk into my ears, I could hear the heartbeats of all the people in the room behind the one-way glass. Today there were two more behind the mirror. The one stubborn man left to join them, pointedly leaving all the lights on as he left. It was fine. In the time since Midoriya left, I’d recovered from my illness. Now I just felt weak in general, lying in a bed without moving was beginning to hurt my spine.  

Sleep was difficult, as I normally fell asleep without realizing I was falling asleep. Completely unintentional, I just wanted to stare at the wall and then- boom, asleep. It wasn’t great, most of my sleep mirrored my reality, blending with that guy’s annoying drawl and scratching the inside of my ears.  

This cycle continued five times before something changed. 

I had been asleep, unintentionally once again, when I heard the door open. Figuring it was the man again, I ignored him, pretending to still be sleeping. But it wasn’t the man, as this time the person approached my bed side. Midoriya? But the person didn’t talk, reaching down to touch my wrist and turning it over.  

My eyes snapped open, startled at being touched, seeing a nurse holding a needle to the inside of my forearm. Her eyes looked up at me, making eye contact. There was an unnatural aura about her; the empty look in her eyes was startling, as she then turned to insert the needle under my skin. She drew the plunger back-

In a panic, I activated my quirk, my heart pounding in my chest so hard it hurt. The machine screeched out a warning, setting off an alarm. I broke the restraints on my legs, cow kicking the woman clean across the room. She slammed into the wall as I broke the restraints on my arms, flipping backwards over the bed to find a corner and shove my back into it. My legs wobbled, whole body shaking, as the IV lines ripped from my skin. Something tugged painfully in my side, but my mind was fixated on defense.  

The man from before came back in, looking straight at me. I felt my heart rate drop shockingly fast. Alarm bells went off in my head. This guy had a cancellation quirk. Not good.  

The IV stand was within reach. I grabbed it, holding it in front of me as the nurse bolted from the room. The man kept his eyes on my, hair raised as a signal for his quirk. I gritted my teeth, waiting for the exact moment he blinked. The moment I could strike back.  

“Get out.” I snapped, arms struggling to hold up the IV stand without my quirk’s assistance. The man didn’t react.  

“You need to calm down, or they will officially arrest you.” The man explained. I didn’t care, glancing at the jagged broken handcuff that had previously been around my ankle. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”  

“Fuck off old man. I’ve taken on things twice as big as you.” I growled, trying to make myself bigger. He sighed, taking his hands out of his pockets. His eyes narrowed; he was close to blinking.  

Another person came through the door. I had never seen this one before. His clothes were too big; his frame was tall and boney. I’d never seen such a skeletal looking being in my whole life. His hair suggested he was younger than he looked. If not for the blond, I would’ve thought he was born when I was.  

But his eyes were different. I recognized those kinds of eyes immediately. Sunken, tired, carrying a burden he would never truly get rid of to the day he died.  

This man had seen war.  

I swallowed, lowering my weapon. He was looking directly at me, not saying a single word. He didn’t have to. I understood why he was here immediately. Because he knew it too, because I had the same eyes. He didn’t try to negotiate, didn’t try to console me, he just looked at me like I was real.  

I felt my quirk flicker back to life but settled my heart rate. Our eyes never left each other, as I felt my entire body calm down.  

“Aizawa, please leave.” The man said in a deep voice. It didn’t sound grating, or annoying. My chest unknotted, feeling calmer. The man –Aizawa- grumbled something quiet that I didn’t catch, before he left the room. The door shut, and the man stood there quietly for another few minutes.  

“Would you like me to leave?” He asked. I swallowed, wondering if this was another interrogation. As if sensing my hesitation, he added. “I just want to know why you attacked the nurse.”  

I blinked, dropping the IV rack, wrapping my hands around my knees curled into my chest.  

“She tried to take my blood.” I explained. His brow furrowed. “I can’t let that happen. I’d rather.... I’d....”  

I remembered what happened last time. A shiver ran through me.  

“Understood. I am going to leave this room now. Aizawa will be on the other side. He will accompany anyone who enters until I return. Is that clear?” He spoke firmly, yet kindly. I appreciated it. Orders, directions. It was familiar. I nodded once.  

“Yes sir.”  

His fingers tightened into a fist, but his eyes didn’t change as he turned and left the room. I considered listening for him, but my body was weak, and it felt like I would collapse from any more movement. Instead, I pulled the blanket off the bed, along with the pillow, and curled up in the corner. The bed and IV acting as barriers between myself and the door. I didn’t want to sleep, but sleep happened whether I wanted to or not these days. The last thing I noticed was my Pokémon cards laying on the floor on the other side of the bed. Charizard had fallen against the bedside table. He was watching me. My breath hitched, memories choking my heart again as I began to fall asleep.  

Chapter Text

“We can’t hold it!”  

Crash!  

The building fell.

Everything was falling apart.  

This can’t be happening! 

“Corner him! Don’t let him out of your damn sight!” Desperate- we have to win! 

Don’t let him leave!  

Pain pain PAIN!  

I can do this! I have to do this!  

SNAP! 

Thunk...... 

“KUDO!”  

“Don’t leave me..... not like this!”  

“T....Toshitsugu.....!”  

I leaped up, hand ready to claw out the eyes of my attacker. But they moved back, out of reach. My hand struck the ground, before green eyes registered in my vision.  

Midoriya.... 

My own amber eyes darted through the room, trying to remember where I was.  

“Hey,” his voice was soft, calming. Midoriya looked nervous, swallowing once, but forced out a smile. “You’re okay.”  

I mimicked him, swallowing once, before realizing my breaths were ragged. My hands were shaking, I quickly pulled back to cover myself with the blanket. Shame coloured my cheeks as I stared at Midoriya’s shoes. He was crouched in front of me, a few feet away. Smart. It took a few minutes of silence for my heart to settle.   

“’m sorry.” I murmured, red painting my face as I buried further into the blankets. Midoriya didn’t seem to mind; his smile looked a bit sadder.  

“No! I’m the one who woke you. Sorry, I was supposed to wait but... it looked like you were having a nightmare.” I bristled at his words, shrinking further into the blankets. My eyes flickered to meet his, and it was only a moment later I realized that tears fell freely down my face. I scrubbed them away, looking back at his feet, embarrassed. Silence stretched on, until Midoriya made a noise. “Ah, did- I'm not sure how to do this, I’m sorry, I’m still learning. Um... Well, I don’t know how to say this but.....”  

He held out his hand, offering it to me, nerves wafting off him despite trying to be calm for me. 

“I want to help you.”  

I looked up at him, face half buried in the blanket wrapped around me, then to his hand. He was still shaking, was he scared of me? No, couldn’t be, right? But why was he so nervous? I considered rejecting him, but a tug in my chest wouldn’t let me. My gut told me to reach out. Midoriya had, after all, never given me a reason not to trust him. Hesitantly, I pulled my hand from the blankets, and reached for him. Right before our palms touched, I second guessed myself, hovering silently. But Midoriya didn’t move a muscle, never reacted, so I let my hand fall into his. Immediately I noticed how rough his hand was, and how much bigger than mine it was too. 

He beamed, his green eyes brighter than the sun itself, a genuine smile stretched onto his face. When he stood, he easily pulled me with him. I staggered, gripping his hand tighter. Midoriya held me up, being the anchor as my fawn legs found strength.  

He didn’t look the least bit bothered when I teetered around, holding his hand out easily for me to balance on. I was right, Midoriya was a lot stronger than he looked, and it had nothing to do with his quirk. I swallowed, feeling oddly intimidated. He didn’t look like much, but he had potential. He scratched the back of his neck, gesturing to the bed. 

“Um, I thought you might be hungry, so....” There was a platter of food. My stomach nearly folded in half at the idea of a meal. The sounds of betrayal were so loud that Midoriya looked amused. I bit the inside of my cheek, nodding to the bed.  

“Help me?” I asked. He obliged, moving to help me sit on the bed again, while he pulled a chair up beside me.  

The food smelled delicious, granted it could’ve been roadkill and I would’ve still given it a chance at this rate. I poked a few pieces with the chopsticks provided, then held out a piece for Midoriya to taste.  

“Hm?”  

“You eat it first.” I insisted. He looked frazzled, hands held up in rejection.  

“But- it’s yours.” I didn’t move, staring him down. As if sensing the importance, Midoriya plucked the piece of food from my chopsticks and ate it. I watched him carefully, making sure he swallowed. When he did, I ate that food, repeating the process a few times. After the third, he seemed to understand, and just waited for me to give him something. He even took a sip of the water bottle, though his face turned bright red when I drank from it after.  

“What?” I asked, but his started rambling about it being nothing. Clearly it was something? But he instead reached down on the ground. When he returned, his hands were filled with my Pokemon cards.  

“These must’ve fallen before.” He said, gently cleaning them. I hesitated, looking at him.  

“You were here?” I asked. Midoriya glanced at me, then looked back at the cards.  

“Yeah....” Silence stretched between us. I didn’t want to eat anymore, my stomach hurting. After not having anything for weeks, it was unsurprising. Midoriya stared at my cards for a while longer, but then held them out for me. I took them, our fingers grazing. “Toshitsugu.... Why..... Why did that person want your blood?”  

I looked down at the half eaten food, pulling the cards to my chest. When I looked up to the one way glass, I increased the sensitivity to my ears, listening. Midoriya’s heart was raging next to me, he was nervous, but behind the glass, I could hear more voices.  

“How.....being said?”  

“We...... Midoriya..... only one who can.....”  

So, he was looking for specific information. Something clenched in my chest, but I didn’t know why. Midoriya had a task, he needed to question me.  

“She’s not...... complicated......”  

I sighed, closing my eyes.  

“Has it really been over a hundred years?” I asked, my voice smaller than even I expected. My eyes met Midoriya’s, trying to keep neutral. His face also went deceptively blank, head dipping once in a nod.  

“Yeah..... it has....” 

The loss slapped me hard, a fissure of pain in my chest. I put my hand over my heart, rubbing the spot, eyes back on my lap.  

“Oh.....” I swallowed, curling up a bit more. To me, it had only been a blink of an eye between the moment I was locked in that box and freed. A blink of an eye and everyone....  

Everyone really was gone. 

“Guess it doesn’t matter then.”  

“Hm? Toshitsugu?” He sounded worried, voice booming in my ear, why would he be worried? I looked up at him, and maybe it was because he had such a soft face, but Midoriya looked genuinely concerned. I relaxed, my hearing returning to normal.  

“Oi, Mr. Skeleton,” I looked at the one way glass. “If you come in here, I’ll talk.”  

Midoriya squeaked, eyes snapping between me and the glass. Nobody moved for a minute, but I simply sat still.  

The door opened, and the man from before stepped in. He looked haggard, but I was beginning to wonder if it was simply his default appearance. However, Midoriya’s entire persona changed the moment that man stepped through the door. He almost blurted out something- a name? But the skeleton shook his head. My eyes narrowed as I watched them both have a silent conversation. Was this Midoriya’s teacher?  They seemed very familiar with each other.  

“Toshitsugu.” He greeted. “You can call me Toshinori Yagi.”  

My eyes shifted between them both one more time, noticing the stiffness in how Midoriya sat, and how his eyes constantly drifted to the man. Yeah, couldn’t make it more obvious if they tried. But the skeleton before me still exuded the same aura as before. It was both alarming and calming all at once.  

“Pleased to meet you, sir.” I said with the type of politeness that wouldn’t earn a smack in the head from my brother. Midoriya’s eyes snapped to me, but Toshinori just pulled up a chair. “What do you really wanna know? Why keep me alive?”  

Toshinori stared. His gaze wasn’t hard, but it held a silent command to it. I sort of appreciated the look. It reminded me of Kudo when he debriefed us for missions. A calm before the storm.  

“To be clear, we aren’t ‘keeping you alive’ but rather trying to acclimate you properly.” Toshinori explained. “I imagine the world you grew up in was unfair and cruel, but please understand, this is not the same place.”  

I looked away, towards the wall, lips pursing.  

“Yeah, sure it ain’t.” I muttered.  

“It’s a different world, one that wants to give you a fighting chance.”  

“Why?” I asked, gaze flickering back to him. He didn’t react, simply stared. “Why bother?”  

On paper, there wasn’t much worth saving. In the off chance they were being genuine, and were just trying to help, I wasn’t all that special. I was..... 

I was just a failure. 

Midoriya looked devastated, but I couldn’t make eye contact with him.  

“Why did you reach out for young Midoriya?” Toshinori said instead. I looked down at my lap, trying to look at Midoriya, but I couldn’t.  

“Could you.... leave the room?” He would just be behind the glass, but I couldn’t look at him, I couldn’t speak about things in front of him. It felt almost cruel with how he was looking at me.  

“I... O-Oh, yes if you want...!” Midoriya was slow to remove himself, taking the half-eaten food with him. I couldn’t make eye contact, ashamed.  

Nothing was said even minutes after Midoriya left the room. 

“I had thought young Midoriya would make you feel more comfortable.” Toshinori said. I looked up at him, letting out a breath.  

He wasn’t wrong. Midoriya was a good person, and he made me feel even a fraction more comfortable. But having him look at me like that for such mild statements was hard. It was proof that the world I was in now had stark comparisons to the one I knew. He looked so kind, and soft, innocent even. I had struggled to see that kind of look in my day, never meeting someone so removed from struggle and fear that their eyes could shine like that.  

“He looked upset, didn’t wanna make it worse.” I eventually settled on. Toshinori seemed to understand, gaze softening just a fraction. “But you.... you’ve seen it, haven’t ya? War.”  

“I have.”  

“Hmm.”  

He paused for a minute.  

“I want to get you out of this room.” He admitted. I tilted my head a little sideways. “But you need to answer some questions first.”  

I narrowed my eyes.  

“You tryna see if I’m a danger to society or something?” I asked, stretching the tiniest fraction of trust towards his words. He nodded, looking honest.  

“Imagine someone appeared from a war torn era in history, when all your current era knows is peace, and you don’t know what side they’re on.” He explained. I snorted.  

“Imagine waking up after a century long nap just to have some freaks in spandex chasing you down.” I snapped back. He hummed, nodding.  

“Then we are at an impasse, and it’s entirely up to you, Toshitsugu, whether to put your faith in mine and Midoriya’s hands, or not.” Toshinori said.  

What a strange man. He wasn’t like Aizawa, negotiating or bribing or guilt tripping me like a child. Toshinori was speaking to me as one would an adult. It was nice, honestly, something familiar.  

“You seem mighty familiar with my time, old man, despite Freckles not knowing anythin’.” I deflected his choice, something he took note of from the look in his eyes. Toshinori sighed through his teeth.  

“My master told me what it was like in her time, and that was 40 years ago. Her time was the turning point of history, when Quirks were beginning to be accepted.” He explained. I hummed, nodding once. Made some sense. “It is a history that is lost to time except for those who lived it.”  

“Not surprising. I barely knew the date half the time.” I admitted, thinking of the strikes on the wall I would make to mark the time between sleeping and waking. “Wasn’t exactly a good time to remember anyway.”  

“Tell me about it.” He urged. I recoiled a little bit, glancing at the glass. There was no point putting up a fight though.  

“They’re all dead, so....” I murmured, reassuring myself. Toshinori was patient as I gathered myself. “What do ya wanna know?”  

He was silent again, contemplative.  

“When did you first learn about your quirk?” He asked. I glanced at my hands, feeling my heart thrum a little harder at being acknowledged before it settled again.  

“I was an infant when mine started, but my..... my brother was seven when his appeared.” I said, faltering slightly over my words. “Ours were easy to hide, so it wasn’t a big deal at the time.”  

“I was told quirks caused chaos in world order.” He provided words just to urge me in the direction he wanted. I nodded once, folding my hands to press my Pokémon cards to my thigh.  

“I remember a broadcast when I was a kid, before..... Before it really went to shit. There was a stats analysis that only 5% of the population might have a meta- a quirk.” Those days were hard. Being told not to do something but not knowing how not to. It was second nature, sometimes using it without meaning to. Mom was furious when we used ours.  

“Nowadays 80% of the population has a quirk.” Toshinori explained. I huffed, not surprised by the numbers.  

“Makes sense why it’s so normal to see people out in daylight. Mutants hid most of the time, some people passed as normal due to the nature of their ability, while others were forced to run.” I thought about the day my school was blown up. How my mother had lost me in the chaos, only for Kudo to find me later.  

“We call them Heteromorphic now.” Toshinori explained. “What did you think of those types of quirks?”  

“Hm, is this some kinda progressive thing? Whatever. I never really thought about it. S’not like you can change how you’re born, so I don’t really care.” He nodded, though it felt like I had gained a fraction of his approval.  

“Would you mind elaborating about those on the run? Where did they go?” He asked. It felt like there was something specific that he wanted me to say, but was dancing around the question for one reason or another.  

“I’m not a good source for that. I was seven when it started, not exactly a good age to remember. But when I was older, it seemed to be settled into four types of camps.” I held up four fingers, lowering one each time I listed a camp. “The first kind were simple civilians trying to stay alive. Usually non-combatants, people with non-weaponizable quirks, or the elderly. They were usually sparse, and often times pushed out of active war zones. Then you had those without meta-abilities who sought to eradicate those with abilities. They were lethal groups, often shooting first and asking questions later. Usually following behind larger battles to remove any survivors. Mostly guerrilla warfare tactics at work.”  

“And the other two?” Toshinori asked. I held my two fingers between us.  

“The worst group that captured anyone with powerful quirks and killed anyone without use. Some individuals with non-weaponizable quirks would join this faction in the hopes of meeting the creep who headed the organization.” I held one finger up. “And then you had the faction of people who’d had enough of the chaos. The ones who wanted to fix the status quo, who were working to overthrow that faction and to stabilize the country.” 

My voice wavered slightly, memories feeling raw as I lowered my hand. Flashes of people, of faces, and pain resurfaced in my chest.  

“That was my faction." 

Toshinori took his time to consider everything I said, eyes hard and thoughts sharp behind them.  

“The one in charge of that other faction. What was his name?”  

“You mean Shigaraki?” I asked, tilting my head. “Might know him by his other moniker. All For One.”  

His eyes narrowed, but it didn’t look angry. In fact, there seemed to be understanding in his eyes. It became all too clear that he knew who I was talking about. My eyes narrowed.  

“He alive?” I didn’t really want to know. Toshinori remained quiet, frowning. His eyes looked down, and for the first time since he walked in the room, I saw humility. A nerve that had long since died suddenly lit up with life underneath my skin. 

“It’s possible.”  

I let out a puff of air, blowing my bangs out of my eyes. “Then the world hasn’t changed that much.”  

A silence swept over us. I stared at my lap, contemplating everything he said. My skin itched as I realized what this meant. My family, my friends, everyone I knew, was gone. I could pretend some of them died of old age, but that was doubtful. Most of them likely died shortly after I was locked away. My whole world cracked in half, destroyed before my very eyes.  

They died for nothing. 

A paralyzing sensation washed over me, a weight sat heavy on my chest, limiting my ability to breathe. The air in this room was stagnant, overused.  

Minutes passed by, and I began to wonder if he had more to ask. But he didn’t, just stared at his own hands clasped in his lap.  

“Is there anything else?” I asked, voice lacking all emotion. Toshinori looked up, contemplative.  

“Your blood, is it something AFO would want?” I glanced at him, noticing how he evaded talking about what my blood did. Likely knowing I wouldn’t tell him.  

“Yes.”  

“One last question, if you wouldn’t mind.” He said after a few minutes of quiet. “Who is Kudo?”  

A shock of pain hit my heart; my eyes flickered down to the Charizard in my hand. Softly, almost affectionately, I brushed my thumb over him.  

“You were calling to him, and referenced him in an earlier interview.” Toshinori explained. I didn’t want to tell him though, but knew hiding Kudo from others wasn’t going to magically save him. My eyes felt hollow, unable to cry.  

“He’s- He was.... my brother.”  

He was all I ever had.  

The room stayed silent as I stared at the card. The silence slipped into every crevice, weighing me down. I felt a horrible pressure in my chest urging me to react, to move, to do something. But there was nowhere to run to, nowhere to exist in this new world.  

“I am going to get you out of this place, Toshitsugu.” His voice was firm, and when I looked back at him, I saw an immense resolve. It didn’t matter though. This room, another room. They would all be the same. I would live behind four walls forever, right?  

I didn’t reply, didn’t have to. He likely saw the same thing I did in him. A weariness that couldn’t be cured, only carried. When he left, this time I didn’t listen in. I just stared at my cards, at the six cards of my past.  

I wanted a hug, painfully badly. I wanted my friends to laugh with me at bad jokes, to try and ease and support each other. I wanted to feel my brother’s arm wrapped around my shoulders as we looked at real stars.  

It hurts. 

---  

Midoriya didn’t come back. I didn’t expect him to. Perhaps I scared him off completely. Wouldn’t be a big surprise to me.  

But Toshinori did. He brought food, sampling pieces as we spoke. Allowing me to choose what I would eat and what I wouldn’t.  

“I have found a few options for you.” Toshinori explained. I watched him, curious what sort of ideas he’d concocted. “Listen to all of them carefully, there are some that I can recommend while others are last ditch offers.”  

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, unsure why he put so much effort in. Toshinori hesitated, then looked back at his paper. 

"Believe it or not kid, there's people who want to see you succeed in life." He said bluntly. I looked away, unsure how to reply to that. It took a second before the desire to squirm left my body. 

"Whatcha got?" 

“The Hero Public Safety Commission is willing to take you on. But you will be required to train as a hero and work under them for a contracted amount of time. Likely a minimum of ten years. I also cannot guarantee you would ever properly acclimate to society, but they would teach you all you would need to know.” Toshinori explained.  

“Sounds familiar.” I murmured, but waited for him to explain more.  

“The second option is to go your own way. You would be given a stipend and have a sponsor who would be responsible for you. However, you would be completely left alone for survival and forced to wear a tracking device and attend regular check-ins until you are considered fully integrated into society. There would be no assistance whatsoever, but it is absolute freedom.”  

That option didn’t sound terrible on paper, but considering how quickly I was caught thanks to today’s technology, I didn’t think it was a viable path.  

“The last one is something I pulled strings for,” he said, holding out a paper for me. I took it, curious. “UA is a hero school. It is a high school with an academic program focused on training future pro-heroes. The principal is willing to take you on as a student considering your talent and skill set, but you will be treated like any other student. If you slack off or fall behind, you would be dropped from the program. You’d be on a six month probation to acclimate. If you are deemed a candidate for the hero track, you will officially apply to the hero course. If not, your trial ends and you will be forced out.”  

“Explain this hero thing?” I asked, glancing up at him.  

“Right. The new laws in society prohibit the usage of quirks without a special license. Heroes have that license, and proves that they have been trained in measures to assure the public are not put at risk. This can include anything from rescuing civilians from disasters, to fighting against villains- the name we give anyone who commits enough crimes according to the law.”  

“I see, so it’s kind of a catch all. A means to ensure everyone using their quirk is trained to the same extent.” I murmured, looking back at the paper. The pros and cons were even listed under each option. “I just- I'm not sure that’s my kinda thing, y’know?”  

“Being a hero?” I didn’t answer him. “Think of it as a career path over an actual title.” 

I looked up at him.  

“There are hundreds of heroes in Japan and some do things like basic patrols. Some actively seek out criminal activity and fight. Some stay in the shadows without wanting to be seen. You can absolutely be a licensed hero and still have a good life, Toshitsugu.” He tapped the option for UA on the paper. “Also, for this option, a teacher from UA has already agreed to sponsor you. If you choose this option, all of your fees and costs will be taken care of.”  

My eyes fluttered. “What? Why would someone sponsor me?”  

He smiled, looking a lot kinder. “Something about your eyes is all he said.”  

My eyes?  

I looked down at the paper, hesitant. This was a big step, a choice. But it was mine to make. It was clear what Toshinori wanted me to take, but I wasn’t certain.  

“If I fail.....” I looked back up to him. “What happens to me then?”  

He hesitated, “You would be put into the second option.”  

I hummed, mouth twitching, a smirk wanting to form on my lips but unable to.  

“I always wanted to go to school.....” I sighed, then looked back at Toshinori. “I think option three is my best bet, yeah?”  

He smiled kindly, looking pleased.  

Chapter Text

"Her academic scores are dreadful. Granted, it is what I would expect of someone who has not been to school since Elementary.” Principal Nezu said, looking over her papers. She’d been given exams in all subjects, along with a general exam to gauge her deductive reasoning. The mouse flipped through the tests. “Her English and Logic tests are the only ones that just scrape by. The rest would be that of a middle school student at best.”  

“But she has time.” All Might urged, fists clenched in his seat across from Nezu. “I’m certain she can catch up in six months.”  

Nezu laid the tests out, sighing. “With scores like these, she’d have to perform at the level of a third year to stand a chance. Are you certain you want to risk this, All Might?”  

The blond man nodded, stiff and stern. “She managed to escape multiple pro-heroes and capture for days. This was all with life-threatening injuries. I truly believe her experience and skills are far enough along for her to focus on her academics.”  

“Perhaps. Only time will tell. But I would like to perform several physical tests to be certain she is even trainable first. If what you say is true, and her history is truly in wartime, then she may not be able to adapt to the current state of the world.” Nezu noticed All Might’s frown. “All Might, have you ever considered what sort of acts she had to commit in that era?”  

He had, many times. A rising level of disgust had torn through his body at the mere thought. Not at her, but rather at the reality that this child had been forced to face what most adults would never experience in their entire lives. When he had arrived at the facility with Midoriya, expecting to give the boy another chance to speak with Toshitsugu, he had expected a rather calm discussion. But the alarm on her heart monitor went off at her increased heart rate, and he’d been greeted by a vicious looking woman.  

Snarling, panting, she looked ready to kill Aizawa with her bare hands. All Might suspected she was too traumatized to be let out of that room. It would be her cage. 

But he had been wrong. When he entered that room, he could see it clearly. That girl was just that, a girl. A child who had been forced to be a soldier, puffing up to seem bigger and scare off her enemy. She was terrified, and pushing her like this was only making it worse. Her eyes were heavy, a shadow lingering inside them. Whatever she saw in him, it made her calm down almost immediately. He could recognize the way her body softened, how she didn’t challenge him. She knew what he was without him having to show it.  

He nearly crumpled seeing the look of understanding on her face, just managing to exit that room before leaning against the door.  

“All Might?” Midoriya had asked softly. The man couldn’t speak right away, covering his face with his boney hand.  

“She will kill herself if we push too far.” He said to Aizawa. The teacher narrowed his eyes, looking suspicious.  

“I don’t think giving in to her demands will yield positive results either.” He said gruffly. All Might clenched his fist, lowering it to his side.  

“Aizawa, if you don’t give her an out, she’ll make her own.” He warned. Midoriya covered his mouth with both hands, trying to stop the noises he would make. Aizawa looked at him for a long moment, then to the girl curled up in the corner. She was trembling, even as she hid beneath her covers. Her face to the door, back to the corner. Aizawa took some time to consider their options.  

“What do you suggest?” He asked. “I’ve given her the option to leave if she speaks, but it had no effect. She won’t speak to me at all.”  

“I can do it.” Midoriya piped up. Both men looked at the boy, but the green haired boy was staring at the girl through the glass.  

“Midoriya should not enter when she’s unrestrained.” Aizawa warned.  

“I don’t think she would hurt me.” Midoriya insisted. Aizawa crossed his arms, frowning. “I just... I can’t explain it, but.... It feels like I should help her.”  

All Might watched his successor, studying him. He felt the inexplicable pull as well, a need to help. Perhaps it was One For All urging them both into action.  

“Midoriya, are you certain you want to do this?” All might asked. Aizawa frowned, silently judging the blond hero. It was no secret Aizawa didn’t want Midoriya involved, but All Might trusted his student’s gut in this matter. Midoriya looked up at him, nodding firmly.  

It had been a good choice in the end, with Midoriya managing to crack the girl’s shell. No, it wasn’t just him. She also found an affinity with All Might. He had been correct, she was a child of war, and seeing his eyes seemed to put her at ease. It wasn’t trust but rather understanding that made her feel comfortable. 

She also proved to have a kind heart, urging Midoriya to leave so she could speak of her life before the present day. Midoriya had been upset, thinking he had made a mistake, but All Might assured him this was a good sign.  

It meant she cared about him, in some capacity, which meant she also was capable of compassion. 

“I believe anyone put in that situation would do the same. And only by giving her a chance to prove herself can we know for certain what sort of person she is.” All Might said to Nezu. The mouse sighed, but smiled afterward.  

“I am doing this as a favour to you, All Might, but to be clear, we cannot keep strays for the soul purpose of rescuing her. She has to progress.” Nezu made it clear he was not on anyone’s side, but All Might understood what he was saying. Toshitsugu would need to adapt and prove herself. Something that made him feel ill. A girl who had clearly fought her whole life was now expected to fight once more. “Don’t be discouraged, All Might, I wouldn’t have agreed to this if I didn’t also believe she was up for the challenge. But it will be hard, not just physically, but mentally. Where is our new charge anyway?” 

 “With Recovery Girl, getting a full work up.” It had taken a very long time for Toshitsugu to even enter the medical bay. Her wounds would need to be healed over the next day or so to begin her physical testing, but Recovery Girl had also wanted to get a good look at all her injuries. It was like giving a cat a bath, to the point that All Might had to call in back up.  

“I imagine that will be mentally taxing, judging from her behaviour prior. I won’t keep you waiting then, please head down there  

He bowed to the principal, heading down to the clinic. The walk allowed him to clear his mind and think for a moment.  

All Might was certain the girl had everything she would need. She would be housed in on campus dorms with the staff for the time being. It was an optimal location and was sometimes used for exchange students, so putting her in a room wasn’t difficult. Midnight and Present Mic both grinned ear to ear when he mentioned clothes shopping. They’d gone and got a basic set, some shoes in her size, and the essentials for her room. She’d need to shop for more once they were certain of her admittance, but for now she was covered.  

She hadn’t complained, or made any comment about her situation. Toshitsugu mostly just nodded and asked for the rules. The only condition she was given was not being allowed to use her quirk without supervision, and that she was not permitted to leave campus without supervision either. She wore an arm brace with a sensor. If she passed the UA entrance wall, it would automatically alert all pros at the school. Other than that, she was free to move around until curfew. 

With his duties completed, All Might began to wonder about the timing of everything, and whether Tsukauchi was correct. Did Toshitsugu’s appearance have anything to do with All For One? How had she gotten into that box? The subject seemed almost taboo. It appeared she would speak on matters that didn’t affect her other others from her past any longer. Did that mean how she was contained mattered? Each time he’d even grazed the question about her containment, she’d dodged the question immediately. He wanted to know what it was she still wasn’t telling him.  

All Might entered the clinic, hearing Midoriya’s voice squeaking.  

“Ah- um- you're doing gr-great Toshitsugu!” Midoriya squeaked. He understood why moments later. Initially he expected it to be nerves. Staying so close to a pretty girl was Midoriya’s ultimate weakness, after all. But no, it wasn’t that. Toshitsugu was holding his hand, and looked to be squeezing it for all she was worth. She had to be stronger than she looked, even without her quirk, as Midoriya looked pale as he cheered her on.  

Toshitsugu was shaking, staring at Recovery Girl as she drew some blood from her. It surprised All Might, that the girl would agree to such a thing. But Recovery Girl seemed calm, letting the girl hold the vial while she pointedly sprayed the used needle with alcohol and disposed of it.  

As if realizing she was slowly killing Midoriya’s palm, her grip released.  

“Sorry... I...” But Midoriya held her hand again, that same determination in his eyes as before.  

“No it’s fine! I offered.” He assured, catching sight of All Might over Toshitsugu’s head. “Ah All- Uh, Mr. Toshinori!”  

A tiny bit of All Might regretted telling Midoriya his real name, but he would need to know. It would allow him to interact with Toshitsugu more freely, especially since he didn’t know how well she would react to his muscular form.  

The red head didn’t turn away from Recovery Girl, hesitantly handing her the vial.  

“Come with me, child, I’ll show you exactly what I’m looking for.” The red head followed after the medic, leaving Midoriya and All Might alone.  

“I'm surprised she allowed a blood sample.” All Might said as the duo went out of earshot. Midoriya scratched the back of his head.  

“It didn’t go that way to start, but after I promised her it would be destroyed after use she hesitantly agreed. I think she’d scared of needles too, so that doesn’t help.” He rubbed his abused hand, massaging the meat of his thumb.  

“Everything was good for her physical?” He asked. Midoriya nodded.  

“She said she’s had lots of those and went with Recovery Girl quietly. I just stayed over here, talking over the curtain, and she was okay with that. Recovery Girl healed her, which seemed to make Toshitsugu trust her a little bit more too, but weirdly enough she doesn’t look that tired.”  

“She went three days on the run, possibly not sleeping, it’s probable that she is used to fatigue more than we are.” He paused, looking down at his successor, wondering if he should say what’s on his mind. Midoriya looked up at him quizzically. “It’s clear she puts a lot of trust in you, Young Midoriya. I’m sorry for involving you.”  

“No it’s alright. I really want to help! She seemed surprised to see me earlier, and I think she’s not used to people helping her, so I understand why she hesitates. I actually think her and Todoroki would get along really well. They both have a trauma they’re actively dealing with, and they both are missing family, granted Toshitsugu is certainly ahead in terms of what she’d had to go through- not that it’s a contest- but it really puts into perspective the type of world we live in now-”  

“You’re spacing out kid!” All Might laughed. Midoriya squeaked, halting his thoughts. “Trying to pawn off the responsibility to Todoroki, are you?”  

“What? Oh, no I didn’t. I’m not- um.” He glanced over at Recovery Girl and Toshitsugu, all the way across the room. Recovery Girl was actively explaining something to her, and beaming at the girl when she replied. “I think she’s a good person, and I enjoy talking to her. But... But I wonder if there’s someone more suitable to help her? I mean, how could I possibly understand her situation?”  

All Might considered himself for a moment, watching his protege collapse under his own self-doubt.  

“She chose you,” he said, gaining Midoriya’s attention. “Even if there is someone better, she chose to trust you.”  

All Might looked at the red head, considering the sheer fight in her eyes. Aizawa was a trustworthy person, but she took one look at him and rejected him. From what Todoroki said about the incident in the reports, she only agreed to capture after Midoriya’s name was spoken. For some reason, she chose Midoriya, and All Might knew from personal experience what that meant.  

“Do you know why?” He asked, genuinely curious. Midoriya thought back.  

“I met her when I tried to help clear civilians from the Nomu attack.” He said, looking at the teen girl. “I didn’t realize at the time who she was, just thought she needed help. So I offered her a hand.”  

All Might smiled. “That might’ve been the first time someone did.”  

Midoriya’s eyes widened. He looked at the ground, surprised. But he didn’t look overwhelmed, rather, he looked more determined. The boy nodded to himself, face in a hard-set line. All Might couldn’t help but smile, amused by his determination.  

Midoriya offered to show me around the campus, explaining some of the details Toshinori may have left out. Places the students were more familiar with than the faculty.  It was a nice swap from the frazzling experience of watching Recovery Girl show me the data slides of my blood. I was anemic, and needed more calcium in my diet. She allowed me to destroy the blood sample once we were done, never taking it out of my sight and keeping her hands exposed. I liked the woman, she understood trauma, probably saw a lot of it in her day as a medic. She was very alarmed by the amount of injuries I had. Most had long since healed, for better or worse, but some were fresh. Her quirk was fascinating, but fraying my nerves. Being tired and in places I didn’t know felt off. I wanted to hide back in my room, but also had the itch to explore.  

Midoriya came in clutch, helping me find places quietly, never lingering too long or asking too many things. He was better than Toshinori was for company in that regard. We ended up seeing more of the student occupied locations that Toshinori thought I wouldn’t need to see.  

The teachers had a separate dining hall from students, and it was supplied with food from Lunch Rush morning noon and night. I was allowed to eat with the other students at lunch today, but opted against it, since it was my first day. One more lunch quietly sitting in my dorm room wouldn’t hurt me. It was strange to call the guy making food a hero, but honestly, it wasn’t a bad system to have. All heroes were trained equally, so there was no questioning their validity, and it made it a lot easier to manage who could do what. A good starting point.  

My room was simple, but it was quiet and warm. It had a small TV with cable, allowing me to find something to dull the thoughts in my brain. Toshinori had let me watch some popular shows, trying to let me adapt. I had to explain to him I knew what a god damn TV was, and knew what movies were. It wasn’t like I lived in the stone ages. The mall I lived in had a game shop and a movie rental. There was also an electronics store. After Lee figured out how to rig up electricity to the mall, it wasn’t too bad. Even if we had to shut it off a lot to stay hidden. It took me a while to figure out some of the newer designs to controls, and to understand what the actual fuck wifi was, but I eventually figured it out on my own. Small victories and all that.  

The Sports Festival was one of the highlights Toshinori mentioned in passing. After searching for it, I found the one that happened last month. It was being replayed on the sports network and seemed to be a big deal. Several familiar faces were on screen, from Midoriya, to Todoroki, to that boy- Bakugo?- that gave me the chills to look at. I paused the screen when it zoomed in on his face during his match against Todoroki.  

If his hair was red, he would’ve looked like a teen Kudo. I touched the screen, wondering what kind of person he was. But when I watched the end, and his temper tantrum, I felt a bit unnerved. 

It was exactly like teen Kudo. Maybe a bit meaner. 

My brother had been forced to mature at sixteen, we both had, but Kudo had been a firecracker as a child. Always gruff and angry at the world, even before war.  

I skipped over Bakugo’s fights, watching the others battle.  

I watched Todoroki use both ice and fire, knowing I was completely on the mark with him being a designer baby. There was another classmate that had a bird head who looked interesting, and then I watched Midoriya.  

He won the obstacle course, which was impressive since he used his brain over his quirk. More impressive was the sheer amount of power in his limbs. These attacks weren’t even focused or controlled; just easy shots of power launched off at high speed. It looked like he couldn’t control his quirk yet, but once he learned to, he’d be a god damn menace. 

Midoriya Izuku looked like he was trying to go for the record for how many bones someone could voluntarily break. I had felt nauseous watching him, questioning how the hell someone would willingly do that to themselves.  

“And this is the main classrooms for the hero course.” Midoriya explained. I jolted, realizing I had zoned out again. I’d never zoned out on missions, only at base. Was I getting soft, or tired? He’d been about to pass by the door he gestured to when I stopped. Midoriya looked back with a soft frown. “Toshitsugu?”  

“Can we go inside?” I asked, curious. His eyes widened. I scratched my neck, looking at the big doorway. “It’s just.... uh.... I’ve never been in a classroom. Not since first grade.”  

He paused quietly, then nodded, opening the door and gesturing inside. No one was in there, which was nice. I surveyed the room, noting how some desks had items stashed into them. When I looked back, Midoriya was watching me.  

“Which one’s yours?” I asked. He made a noise of acknowledgement, moving to go and sit in it. I sat in the desk behind him, looking out the window. Midoriya turned to look at me. In the setting sun, his hair glittered, looking pretty. His eyes were always shining, but now they were looking at me curiously, sadly. He looked at the desk between us, contemplative, frowning. “Midoriya?”  

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. With a small huff, he tried again. 

“I..... I can’t imagine what sort of life you’ve lived. And I never will, so.... I know I can’t help you in that regard, but... but you should know that if you need help, you can always ask for it.” He looked up, eyes reflecting the setting sun. I’d never seen something so pretty. “You’re not alone, Toshitsugu.”  

I was right, he’s way too kind. It unnerved me a little bit. My shoulders tensed as I leaned away from him.  

“That sorta thing will get you hurt, Midoriya.” I warned, watching his eyes reflect surprise. “Don’t hurt yourself for strangers.”  

He opened his mouth, about to argue, but then hesitated. He turned fully around in his seat, hands resting on the edge of my desk.  

“Why did you take my hand then?” He asked, speaking about the day we met. “Why did you save us? A bunch of strangers?”  

I looked out the window, unable to meet his gaze. 

“You have kind eyes.” I explained, looking back at him. He looked surprised. “You wear your heart on your sleeve, and you’re eager to please.”  

His face turned pink, seeming shy as he stared at the desk. “I don’t think I do, not really. It’s just- you're a good person, and I want to help you.”  

No, he was wrong. I wasn’t a good person. I had done terrible things to survive, to save my friends. I was a failure and a killer, but..... But when Midoriya looked at me like that, like I was a good person worth noticing.... Something cracked a little in my chest. I rested my head on a hand, sighing once. 

“Whatever you say, Midoriya.” He looked up, but when our eyes met, not as far away as we had been a moment ago, he panicked. Midoriya flung back, almost tipping his chair over. A squeaking noise slipped from his mouth as I raised a brow. “What’s wrong?”  

“N-N-Nothing I’m just- um- haha I’mmmmm okay.” He looked terrified. I frowned, feeling a dig in my chest. 

“You don’t have to be scared o’ me, Midoriya.” I said, voice wavering slightly. “’m not gunna hurt you.”  

Midoriya froze, looking stunned. A moment of silence passed between us.  

“Toshitsugu.... I’m not.... I’m not scared of you.” He said quietly. I snorted, leaning more on my palm.  

“Right." 

“I’m just not- um.... I don’t... y’know....” He looked flustered, unable to form proper sentences, curling in on himself as he looked away. Then, in the tiniest voice, he whispered something, looking embarrassed.  

“Hah? Ya gotta speak up Midoriya.” 

“I don’t.... talk to girls.... outside of class.... so um.....” I didn’t understand what the problem was, blinking once, then twice.  

“So it’s ‘cause I’m a girl?” I asked. He laughed a little bit, scratching the back of his neck. I hummed, finding it a little funny. “Well, I don’t talk to boys either.”  

He looked back at me, surprised. My eyes drifted to the desk, glancing at the scar on his crooked right hand. Was that from the Sports Festival? 

“I’ve only met one person my age, and that was a girl. Back then..... I knew a lotta kids and a lotta adults. But my age? There weren’t any boys so.....” I cleared my throat, feeling weird. “I guess my point is, just think of me in the same boat, alright? You don’t have to be nervous just ‘cause I’m a girl, alright?”  

But Midoriya didn’t say anything. When I looked back at him, he was looking directly at me, his  usual too kind eyes on display.  

A small sensation crept up my spine, making me look away again.  

Chapter Text

“Pleasure to see you again. I will be the teacher overseeing all of your academics for your probation.”  

Fuck. 

It was him. The guy with that awful voice and the ability to cancel my meta-ability. Aizawa was it? He sounded just thrilled to be working with me too. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak up. He hummed, as if expecting my silence, before sliding a sheet across the desk to me. On the paper was a long list of dates, along with subjects on them.  

“This will be your exams for the next six months. During school days in the evening, you will take classes with each of the teachers to learn your fundamentals. On weekends, if the teachers are free, you are welcome to request additional lessons. During school hours you will be given free time to study or use any facilities that are available. I will show you how to book those and what the expectations are. Anything from the training grounds, the gym, and the library study rooms can be booked, but you are expected to be respectful of the space and follow the rules.”  

“Yes, I understand.” I said quietly. He clearly thought I was a thug from how pointedly he said everything.  

“Most students receive a general quirk assessment when they enter UA, but the principal has decided on testing you in a different way. This afternoon you will have your first assessment. There will be two other assessments tomorrow based on how this one goes, and your score on each assessment will decide the probability of you passing your probationary period. Until then, I suggest reading the assigned books and doing some self-study. Please wait outside Class 1-A at the designated time. I will escort you to your first assessment. Do you have any questions?” He drawled, sounding bored.  

I shook my head. “No, I understand.”  

“Good, then go to the library and give this slip to the librarian. She will hand you your first packet.” He offered another paper, which I took, before excusing myself from the teacher’s office. I sort of remembered where it was. Not like I had a time limit, it was still half an hour until classes began. Students were trickling in, but nobody paid mind to the kid out of uniform. I had been given the UA track uniform to wear, hoping not to stick out, but considering the colour scheme of the usual uniforms, something I hadn’t been privy to yet, I still stuck out.  

Thankfully, I found the library, remembering it from my travels. The librarian was kind, not the least bit put off by my attitude. So I shuffled into a corner, going over the list of exams and reading material.  

Horrifically, I was almost five grades behind in nearly all subjects. Most of them seemed to be condensed down to just important information for me to learn from, but I was expected to catch up with all the students in the hero course by the end of my probation. After a quick glance at the subjects being covered, it dawned on me that I was royally. Fucking. Screwed.  

My head hit the table with a soft groan.  

Well, I could probably knock out that reading assignment while I waited for my assessment. 

I had finished reading with a small amount of time to spare before the lunch bell rang. It had been a brief surmise of Japanese history over the past century. At least, some of it. There was no mention of the war-torn era, or of what happened after my team’s demise. All it said was that there was a ‘time of disruption’ that slowed progress as quirks became more mainstream.  

The concept of heroes started in America, which didn’t surprise me in the least. It had been rumoured that they were trying to weaponize meta-abilities back in my era. I suppose the work I did back then made me a vigilante by technicality. Which was outlawed when Hero became a profession to follow. It was a neat little trick to do, banning the usage of quirks, something that was literally second nature to use, all in the name of safety and justice. Perhaps society needed this to feel normal, particularly since quirks were now more common than not.  

I made it to the cafeteria, waiting patiently in line for lunch. Today I chose to head into the students cafeteria, wanting to begin acclimating to the noise. To all the people. As I waited, my eyes wandered around. Meta-abilities hadn’t changed much in a century, but they certainly were less oppressed. Mutants- Heteromorphics- were no longer shunned entirely by society. I remembered the first time I saw a girl with shark teeth, she’d been abandoned by her parents and left the fend for herself. But here there seemed to be a lot more openness to individuality.  

“Toshitsugu.”  

I turned, seeing the half and half boy standing behind me in line.  

“Todoroki.... right?” I asked. He nodded.  

“Midoriya mentioned you would be at UA. I did not think you would be out here though.” He admitted. I shuffled along in line.  

“’m on probation for six months. If I can catch up, in book smarts and trainin’ then I’ll be admitted. As for the cafeteria.... well, it’s not so bad, just noisy.” I explained. Todoroki and I stepped up to grab out trays, getting our meals. When we got them, Todoroki stayed to speak with me.  

“Would you like to sit with me and my friends? Midoriya will be there as well.” He offered. I considered it, but was a bit hesitant when he gestured to a long table.  

“I’m not great at talkin’ to people.” I warned. Todoroki didn’t react.  

“Neither am I, but they are nice to sit with.” He insisted. I clicked my tongue.  

“Hah, well don’t say I didn’t warn ya.” I muttered, following him over. Midoriya looked up briefly, then did a double take as he watched me follow Todoroki over. But then I noticed Midoriya and Todoroki freeze as the only other male at the table looked up. It was that guy from the alley. He looked straight at me, and his whole world seemed to come to a halt.  

“It’s you.” His voice was tight.  

“Iida.” Midoriya said briefly. The taller boy’s eyes hardened as he leaped from his seat. Was he about to fight me? I tensed, ready to counter anything he threw at me. Iida’s eyes were heavy as he politely gestured to the hallway.  

“Please, come with me.” He urged. I narrowed my eyes, leaving my tray at the table.  

“Wait, Iida this isn’t-”  

“’t’s fine, Midoriya.” I assured, turning to the direction Iida had gestured to. But Midoriya followed, stammering about how this was going to be out of hand.  

“Iida don’t make a scene-”  

“You are the one making a scene, Midoriya.” I pointed out, stuffing my hands in my pockets. Iida moved us into a quieter hallway away from the cafeteria, looking borderline robotic as he stared down at me. Midoriya looked nervous, as if uncertain who he should help.  

However, Iida only bent at the waist and gave a very exaggerated bow.  

“My name is Iida Tenya, and I owe you a great debt.” He exclaimed. Midoriya halted all squeaking, looking at Iida in surprise. He wasn’t the only one.  

“For what?” I asked, confused. Iida looked up, still bowed.  

“For saving us all in the alleyway. While I cannot condone the usage of quirks without a license, I also recognize that we were also doing the same.” He stood up again, eyes filled with emotion. “Had you not helped us, my life would’ve ended that night. And I never got to thank you for what you did.”  

I bit the inside of my cheek, unable to meet his gaze. When my gaze landed on Midoriya, silently asking for assistance, he just grinned happily at me. Not much help at all.  

“Toshitsugu Ema and, uh, you’re um..... you’re welcome?” I felt awkward, scratching the back of my neck. Nobody had thanked me for saving them before. I stuck out my hand to shake his, which he shook, but then he squeezed it a bit tighter.  

“Which brings on the next question that I have. Specifically, why are you here?” He asked.  

I thought of the cover story the principal had explained. They had done a good job of keeping my face out of the media, so even though it was common knowledge that something had happened within the country, they were unaware who exactly was involved. As far as anyone was concerned, I had been terribly ill during the application, but had received a glowing resume from several pro-heroes, and so UA had given me a chance.  

“She’s been cleared of her charges,” Midoriya piped in. I turned to look at him, surprised he said as much. Midoriya stepped closer, smiling. “Toshitsugu is being tested to join the hero course with us!”  

“How strange, though I feel like there is something I must be missing.” Iida said, letting go of my hand. “How did you go from vigilante to UA hopeful in under three weeks?”  

“I was supposed to be part of the recommendations exam but got sick and couldn’t do them. I recently got better, mostly, and UA had agreed to give me an assessment to decide whether I was worthy of entering the hero course or not.” I explained, expanding on the lie given to me. Todoroki and Midoriya were the only students who knew the full truth, and would be the only ones I could speak freely in front of. Iida seemed to eat up the explanation though, looking thoughtful.  

“I suppose UA is designed for the Hero Course to be a top priority. If someone were to present with enough talent it would make sense to accept them.” He mused.  

“I’m not immediately accepted. I’m on probation for the time being. If I get accepted, it would be in the winter.” I assured. He seemed more understanding.  

“I apologize for taking up your lunch break, but I truly had been thinking about that time in the alley. A true hero goes out of their way to help those in need. And your actions, along with my fellow classmates, simply revealed to me that I have a long way to go before I am ready to truly call myself a hero.” Iida bowed his head once more, before gesturing for us to walk back. Midoriya tapped my shoulder, slowing his walk to speak with me.  

“Is it true? You’re on probation?” He asked. I nodded.  

“The principal wanted to give me his own quirk apprehension test this afternoon.” I felt my shoulder unwind a little bit, enjoying the peacefulness that came with Midoriya. A warmth followed the boy wherever he went, it seemed. He began to mutter to himself, dissecting the test without even knowing anything about it. His right hand held his chin, making his scars come on to full display. I thought of his quirk, wondering what exactly it was, but waited patiently for the rambling to stop. It didn’t, but Midoriya looked up at me and startled.  

“Ah sorry! I didn’t mean to ramble! I do that sometimes, haha....” He looked nervous, maybe a little ashamed. I shrugged it off.  

“It’s fine, you were thinking.” Whatever I said made him perk up a little bit. “But I did wanna ask you somethin’.”  

“Hm? What is it?” He asked.  

“Your quirk....” He tensed up. “What exactly is it?”  

“Uh-uh-um well it’s ah, haha, it’s technically just Super Power. I get a brief enhancement in my strength. Still learning to control it.....” He stammered, looking shy. I hummed, nodding.  

“Sounds like mine, actually.” I said. Midoriya’s eyes snapped to mine. I looked at him from the corner of my eye. “I watched the Sports Festival over the weekend. Noticed how easily you broke your body.”  

My eyes roamed over the scars on his hands. He crossed them over his chest, hiding them from my sight. It looked like a self-conscious act. When my eyes flickered back to his face, he had turned pink with embarrassment.  

“I used to break a lot of bones too. But.... if you ever wanted some help, I could give you some tips.” I offered, a little hesitant. But Midoriya lost all nerves immediately, eyes widening as sunlight practically poured from behind him.  

“Really? I would love that!” He beamed. I flinched at his eagerness, not used to it, but nodded.  

“You might know all that I can help with, but ‘m also a good sparring partner.” I murmured, feeling like I might not be enough to help him out. But Midoriya continued with that grin on his face, rambling away.  

“I doubt that! Your quirk looks incredible. It allows you to get a brief amplification? But you can use it on other objects, right? That would explain how you managed to slam me into the concrete, and how you were so fast. I’m curious what exactly it is that makes your chest ache, is it a drawback or an injury? I would imagine it’s something like Todoroki overusing one side of his quirk-”  

Midoriya stopped talking when he realized I wasn’t following. I was too surprised he managed to figure out my weakness. This guy was way more observant than I thought, granted he was the only one who took note of my Pokémon cards and used them as an opening to talk with me.  

“You’re pretty damn smart, Midoriya.” I praised. It caused pink to tint his cheeks. Hesitantly, as a means to show my trust, I touched my chest, rubbing the spot that usually ached. “’m not gunna tell you everything, but you’re on the right track.”  

He hesitated, looking like he wanted to ask. I shook my head.  

“Nothin’ against you, but.... I never told anyone but my brother what my quirk was. Well, him and one other friend.” I looked sideways, out one of the windows lining the hallway. “S’not the type of thing you talked about back then, but... if you figure it out, I’ll explain it.”  

He seemed to understand, smiling a little. It was always a bit unnerving how easy it was for him to smile.  

“Midoriya!” Iida called. We cut our talk short, moving back into the cafeteria.  

I met the others at the table. The two girls –Uraraka and Asui- both whispered about Iida’s behaviour, but with the three boys saying nothing everything eventually settled down. They asked about me, and I fed the same excuse as before, with Iida dodging the question as to why he needed to speak with me.  

But the girls were nice, if a little soft. I’d only known Psyren back in the day, the only girl my age, and was not very good at speaking to new people. But Todoroki was right, they didn’t mind me not speaking much. I ate my meal quietly, answering the odd question, and listened to the group talk. It was nice, I could understand why Todoroki enjoyed this.  

At the end of the meal, I helped Uraraka and Asui with their trays, cleaning them off and stacking them while Midoriya rambled his theories about my first assessment. His theories were ranging from the mouse himself fighting me to there being some sort of maze I would need to run through faster than said mouse. I was trying to listen, but something caught my eye and distracted me.  

Momentarily, I thought it was Kudo. The guy was with a boy with spiky red hair and another blond. But he had been brushing a hand through his locks, covering the ash blond. It sent a painful slamming sensation in my chest. Red eyes looked up, straight at me. He paused, blinked once, then glared, stomping over.  

“Toshitsugu? Are you alright?” Someone asked me, but my eyes wouldn’t leave the boy. Bakugo, right?  

But when he glared at me, I only saw Kudo, only remembered that night. 

Snap! 

Thunk! 

My vision went white.  

“I wanna go with you!”  

Kudo sighed, turning to clutch each of my shoulders. His eyes looked red in the low light of the tunnel. They nearly glowed, staring straight at me.  

“Can’t take you, Em. You gotta stay here, where it’s safe. I can’t protect you out there.” Kudo said, voice firm. I huffed, grabbing his wrists. The halls of the mall were boring. I’d already walked them a thousand times, but the surface was constantly out of my reach.  

“But who’s protecting you?”  

SNAP! 

No one was.  

THUNK! 

Someone touched my arm. I jolted, glaring as I whipped around the strike-  

Midoriya. 

At the look in his eyes, I felt hot shame. He looked genuinely worried, holding my forearm. When had I begun to hyperventilate?  

“Oi! Deku!”  

He even sounded like him.  

I couldn’t do this. My body turned to run, my quirk about to activate, but Midoriya held onto my arm. I looked up at him, and something must’ve clicked for him, as he looked down to meet my gaze. I grabbed his forearm, fingers trembling.  

“The hell’s she doin’ here?” It was Bakugo. My whole body locked up, the sound replaying in my head. Against my own wishes, my body turned to look at him. Bakugo glared at me, but whatever look I had on made him pause. God it was worse in person.  

“I don’t think you should be here right now, Bakugo.” Todoroki said.  

“Fuck off IcyHot!” But his eyes returned to me. “And you! The fuck’s your problem?!”  

I felt like I was going to faint, but at the same time, I just couldn’t look away from him. Bakugo glared, saying something, but my mind was locked onto his eyes.  

"If there was one thing I’d wish for,” Kudo said, letting his arm flop across my stomach as he sprawled beside me. I winced, whining out. He smiled. It was rare to get one from him these days. From either of us. “I’d wish for you to live on top of a mountain. Somewhere that you can always see the stars.”  

“You’ll come with me?” I asked, hopeful. Kudo’s smile waned into something nervous.  

I watched the light leave his eyes, flickering to the dull brown they were the last time I saw him. Blood was everywhere. On my hands, on his face, coating the ground in a sticky texture that stank of copper and raw flesh. It was raining, but the water didn’t wash it all away. It gripped into crevices, but the blood poured from his mouth, creating dark pools beneath us to drown in.  

Kudo turned away to look at the stars painted on the ceiling.  

“No,” he whispered. It was shaky, billowing in the wind like a flag about to slip from its mast. “No I don’t think I will.”  

I grabbed his hand, clutching it between both of mine. Kudo looked at me, his eyes tired beyond physical weariness. It would be impossible to guess he was just a teenager. Kudo might’ve been tired, but I was still here. I would never let him fall.  

“I’ll make sure we do.”  

“Toshitsugu?” Midoriya asked softly.  

“What’s going on? Hey, is she okay?” A voice I didn’t recognize asked. Midoriya tugged me to move, but I couldn’t look away from Kudo- Bakugo.  

That’s not your brother.  

Your brother is dead. 

I blinked, pulling away from Midoriya and taking a step back. Bakugo looked me up and down warily. I blinked rapidly, cursing under my breath.  

“Fuck.” I hissed, scratching my nose. Bakugo glared at me, taking another step forward.  

“Hah? Gunna answer me?!” He growled, towering over me. Midoriya yipped, saying something to Bakugo as Iida squawked behind him. But the moment Bakugo got too close, my instincts took over.  

I activated my quirk, kicking him in the gut. It was too fast for him to react, but not strong enough to genuinely hurt him. Bakugo cursed, crashing into the other two boys that had been there. He glared at me, but I didn’t back down.  

“Fuck off.” I growled, taking a warning step towards him.

"Enough you two!" Iida shouted, only to be quieted by Midoriya. My teeth ground together as I crouched slightly, ready to fight. Look alike or not, he wasn’t about to get the jump on me. Bakugo shoved the two guys away, glowering at me. All teeth and rage.  

“Don’t fucking touch me!” He yelled, taking a step forward. I genuinely considered fighting him, ready to defend myself, but Midoriya jumped in.  

“H-Hey, guys. We’re making a scene.” He said gently. Bakugo rounded on him.  

“Shut the hell up, Deku!” He snapped. I narrowed my eyes.  

“Shut your ugly mouth, Fizzy.”  

“The fuck you call me?!”  

Midoriya and Todoroki grabbed my arm at the same time the two boys with Bakugo grabbed his arms. He was yelling over them while they apologized for his attitude. I didn’t fight the hold the duo had on me, watching the other trio leave.  

“That was.... so strange....” Uraraka murmured.  

“I feel like we’re missing something, ribbit.”  

I stared after the door the trio left out of. The cafeteria had quieted as we got into the argument, but had begun to return to normal. I felt both boys let go of me a moment later.       

“Are you alright, Toshitsugu?” Todoroki asked. I turned to the half and half boy, face carefully neutral.  

“Fine.” I said. But he continued to look at me. His mouth opened, as if to say something, but then he shut it again. My gaze flickered to Midoriya, but then to the ground, embarrassed I had lost it so quickly back there.  

“Sorry.” I said to the green haired boy, unable to look him in the eye.  

“No I....” He trailed off. “Why don’t I walk you to your test?”  

He wanted to know what that whole interaction was. I flinched, looking at everyone else. Uraraka’s eyes kept looking at Midoriya, as if questioning his behaviour. The others were looking at me, curiously.  

“Sure.”  

“Toshitsugu,” Iida began. “I don’t mean to overstep, but please let me know if Bakugo ever behaves terribly to you. As the class representative, it’s my duty to assure all students remain exemplary.”  

Asui looked thoughtful. “Yeah but that’s easier said than done with Bakugo.”  

“Regardless, I apologize for his behaviour.” Iida said. Uraraka piped in, looking impressed.  

“Yeah but you can really handle your own! Nobody’s ever gotten the drop on Bakugo like that except Deku!” She said. I glanced at her, and some of her energy seemed to wane a bit.  

I said nothing, no longer in the mood to talk with everyone. As if sensing this, Todoroki piped in.  

“You should head to your test, it would not look good for you to arrive late to your first one.” He reminded. I nodded, thrilled for the out. Midoriya waved to everyone, walking beside me.  

Not even ten minutes later and the boy looked like he might burst at the seams trying to keep his questions in. I felt a bit frayed, not wanting to tell him everything. It was a bit overwhelming to think about actually, how many reminders there were in the modern world that harkened back to my era. At least there weren’t other lookalikes.  

The thought made me rub a hand over my eyes.  

“He looks like someone I knew.” I said quietly. Midoriya’s gaze snapped to mine. I peaked at him through the gaps of my fingers. “I just had a lapse of judgement is all.”  

“Oh, I..... I’m sorry.” He said softly. Midoriya was sweet to worry, but I didn’t want him to look at me like that. There was a stretch of silence, and then he added on. “It must be hard, being constantly reminded of.... back then.”  

“Yeah.....”  

“If.... This might be dumb but.... If you could go back, would you?” He asked. I hadn’t thought about it seriously before. Realistically going back was a pipe dream. Even if I could, what was there for me? Who was even left?  

“I’d wish for you to live on top of a mountain. Somewhere that you can always see the stars.” 

“No.....” I said softly. “There’s nothing left.”  

“I’m sorry.” It was an instant response. I shrugged. 

“It is what it is. Besides, Kudo wouldn’t want me to go back.”  

“Your brother?” He asked. I hummed in confirmation. “Did.... Would you like to talk about him?”  

Another stab in my chest. He didn’t understand that boy had dug up memories about my brother. He didn’t realize that Kudo was all I’d been able to think about these days.  

“Not yet.” I said. Midoriya met my eyes, but there was a softness to them that chased the ache away. “I just.....”  

He stopped me. “No you don’t have to say anything. But how do you know Kacchan?" 

“Kacchan?” I raised a brow. He scratched the back of his neck.  

“Ah, yeah. Bakugo. We’re childhood friends.” I frowned.  

“Boys are weird.” I murmured, but remembered how Kudo and Lee spoke to each other sometimes. So strange. Midoriya laughed. The sound eased some more tension out of my shoulders. I was a bit envious he could laugh so easily, but the sound was nice and calming to hear.  "That's the guy who found me, I think. Saw him when I woke up." 

Something clicked, like a light bulb going off for Midoriya. He nodded, looking thoughtful. 

"I’m impressed you caught Kacchan off guard like that. He's not easy to surprise. But he didn't even react to your kick." 

"Sorry." 

"No it's okay. I don't think he'll try and get you in trouble. So you don't have to worry." He said thoughtfully. "Besides, I think most of our class has wanted to do that to him too at some point. Iida won't say anything because we managed to calm him down, though he is a stickler for the rules. Uraraka looked so thrilled to see Kacchan go flying, and Todoroki isn't about to say a word. Plus I don't think Kacchan would be okay admitted he got kicked so easily by a girl. Nothing against you being a girl it's just-ah, sorry, I rambled again." 

"It's fine, you can ramble. I don't mind." I said, finding his voice soothing to hear as he thought. It was interesting to watch his speech change when he forgot anyone was listening in. Midoriya smiled as we stopped in front of his classroom. 

“Um, so where is your exam taking place? Would you mind if I watched?” Midoriya asked. I hesitated, turning to see Aizawa at the end of the hall.  

“Toshitsugu will be taking her test in Training Ground Gamma. You have your own class to attend, Midoriya.” He said bluntly. I bit the inside of my cheek as he turned to me. “Did you finish any of your tasks?”  

“All of them. I read the required readings as well.” I said just as flatly. He hummed, sizing me up. I got the feeling he liked me as much as I liked him. I turned to Midoriya. “If you want to watch after your class, I don’t see a problem, but maybe ask your teachers.”  

Midoriya looked at Aizawa, and the pieces clicked into place. Aizawa was in fact Midoriya’s teacher, which made sense why he was the one overseeing all my work as well. Aizawa’s brow furrowed.  

“I am in fact Midoriya’s teacher. If it were up to me, no one would attend. However, I’ve been given the go ahead to let you watch if you finish your assignments early.” He said to his student. Midoriya beamed, looking back at me.  

“Yes! I really want to see your quirk in action. I only saw it briefly, and it was so fast I couldn’t keep up with you-”  

“Midoriya, you won’t finish early standing around.” Aizawa bluntly cut him off. I frowned, side glancing at him, but Midoriya didn’t seem to mind.  

“Right!”  

Aizawa turned, marching off. “Follow me.”  

But I paused as Midoriya looked at me. He opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something.  

“Midoriya?”  

Aizawa paused, Midoriya still hadn't moved yet.  

“I...” But whatever he was about to say died in his mouth, never getting lose. Midoriya closed his mouth again, then gave a forced smile. “Good luck on your test, Toshitsugu.”  

I nodded, shoving my hands in my pockets, feeling something like dissappointment. 

 “Thanks.”  

Chapter Text

The monitoring deck was near silent as Recovery Girl entered. Without so much as a hum of acknowledgment she slammed the folder in her arms down in front of Nezu. She didn’t mean to; it just happened to be so heavy that she could do nothing less.  

“All of Toshitsugu Ema’s medical information.” She said, taking her seat beside the mouse. Nezu thanked her, thumbing through all the pages while All Might paled. Recovery Girl sighed. “She has more injuries than all of class 1-A and B combined. That’s with Midoriya!” 

“It is unsurprising. However, I do believe this also proves our choice of test to be adequate.” Nezu said, noticing a particularly long list of heart conditions on the paper. “Curious that the most intensive injuries surround her heart. Perhaps it is part of her quirk?”  

“She remains tight lipped about it.” Aizawa said tiredly as he leaned against the wall. “The only admission she gave was in passing to Midoriya, commenting their quirks were similar in damaging their bodies.”  

All Might stiffened, looking pointedly away from everyone. His eyes scanned the screen, showing Toshitsugu standing in the middle of Training Ground Gamma. From far away, she didn’t look like much of a fighter. She was thin, too thin for someone to have undergone years of combat training. She should’ve been the same weight as someone her size. Her and Uraraka should’ve been in the same weight class, but Toshitsugu was at least three sizes smaller. Her build was more wiry, streamlined. Granted, he recalled the fact that she had hardly eaten during her stay in the facility. It was possible her dietary needs had never been met growing up, preventing her from growing adequate amounts of muscle.  

That was what she looked like from afar. But up close, All Might had already noticed the small scars littering her body. Her right leg had many wounds on her calf, a small hairline scar went from her left eyebrow into her hairline, but only the spot where no hair grew over said scar was visible from a distance. A tiny scar on her chin, and one that looked like a puncture on her neck were also visible.  

“Are you certain about her choice in opponent?” All Might asked. Nezu nodded.  

“I’m certain he can hold his own.” Nezu assured.  

“I’m more concerned about her going overboard.....” All Might admitted. “She was able to wound Stain and Endeavour even while injured.”  

“Toshitsugu has been informed she cannot use lethal force in any of her tests. Togata has also been informed to use whatever level of effort is required.”  

The test itself was simple. Toshitsugu did not know her opponent. She could either run away, or fight. She just couldn’t be pinned down by her opponent for longer than 3 seconds. She had to last for 30 minutes. If she managed to pin Togata it was an automatic pass.  

“I just hope Togata remembers how to hold back.” Recovery Girl sighed. All Might noticed how there was a clearly skewed opinion of who would win this fight. However, the blond man didn’t feel the same way.  

Meanwhile, on the field, Ema was waiting where Aizawa left her. She knew to wait until her opponent arrived, but how long would that take?  

“Oh hey! Sorry I took so long!” Togata greeted. He had the same gym uniform as her. Ema turned seeing the blond guy. It was a clash of personalities as Ema’s blank face met Togata’s exuberant smile.  

“Are ya ready?” She asked. Togata smirked.  

“Right down to business! I like it!” He waved in the air, signaling the supervising teachers to begin the timer. A loud buzzer rang out, and Togata beamed at Ema. “How should we start? Did you want to go first or-”  

“Ya talk too much.” Ema said, sprinting at Togata. In a quick arc, she went to kick him in the chest. But to her surprise, she passed straight through him. Ema landed, moving away to reassess herself. Togata grinned, turning to look at her.  

“Went for the chest huh?” He launched at her. Ema lifted her arms to guard, but Togata’s fist went straight through her block. Her eyes widened, his fist reaching an inch from her face, before she shifted out of the way, aiming a punch to his face. It went through, but Ema kept up the momentum and did a wide sweep of her leg to catch his ankle. Togata felt the impact, but sank into the ground.  

“What?” Ema whispered to herself, staring at his clothing as it crumpled to the ground. Realizing she was in a bad position, she ran from the area, guessing right that he tried to come up behind her. Togata looked surprised, but was grinning as he leaped up, grabbing his pants that had fallen. Ema didn’t look the least bit phased, watching him very carefully. 

“Oh, you’re not a shy one, are you? Or are you just too focused?” He asked, pulling said pants up. But Ema wasn’t listening, the gears in her brain working overtime. Unlike the rest of the world, fighting was something she could easily keep up with. It had always been the one thing that remained constant in a changing world. The need to fight, even if it took different forms of life. Ema felt her body naturally fall back into rhythm, having to subtly fight the ease to settle in and strike.  

‘He’s the type of guy I would’ve avoided. Too much hassle and not a lot of power.’ She thought, more annoyed than impressed. ‘He can clearly make his body phase through things, and from how he tried to strike he can make it happen in different areas. But what’s the extent of that ability?’ 

They went at each other again, Ema being mindful of how he struck while Togata used carefully planned permeation to evade her strikes. Ema observed the movements Togata showed, along with several of the odd reactions that he did not seem to realize he was doing. Like not noticing where she was immediately if his face was the target. The teachers watching were taking careful notes.  

“She has the sense to test his quirk out and is clearly a capable opponent in hand to hand combat.” Aizawa noted. Principal Nezu hummed in agreement.  

“On first glance she doesn’t appear like someone who could make such careful planning, but she is dodging Togata differently each time. She is testing him as much as he is testing her. Not only that, but considering the side-effects of his quirk, her focus is impressive.” He wrote notes, feet swinging happily. “Regardless, she is already performing above any of the first years, and she has yet to use her quirk.”  

All Might noticed the calculating gaze the ginger wore. She wasn’t here anymore. Her mind was completely in the fight, which was part of the problem. He understood how difficult it was to leave a fight behind. Her minute hesitations, shifts in her facial features, told a clear picture. She was trying her best to put it behind her for now.  

You might come home from war, but it always finds a way to visit.  

Togata attempted to dodge underground, then attack her again, but when he resurfaced, she was nowhere to be seen.  

“That’s useful information.” He heard. Turning to look above him, he saw her kneeling on a metal pipe. How had she gotten up there so fast? Ema crouched on all fours, no longer looking defensive. The teen boy noticed the shift and grinned.  

“Whew, does this mean I gotta defend myself now?” He teased. She didn’t react, as if she hadn’t heard him.  

“You’re annoying to catch, I’ll give you that.” She admitted, her body pulsing.  

‘Let’s try two thousand.’  

She pushed her quirk through her entire body, feeling her heart pumping harder. Ema jumped off the pipe. She was faster than before, landing and launching at him faster than Togata expected. He dodged, noticing how she was going for his eyes. She was too good of a fighter to be so obvious; it had to be a fake out. Which it was when she went to slam her heel into his ankle. Togata permeated his leg at the last second as Ema spun, tossing her jacket in his face. Togata went through it, coming back to his senses fast enough to see Ema stomp his other ankle.  

He grimaced, letting himself fall through the ground. She was getting faster, and catching on to his quirk too quickly, while he hadn’t learned much about hers. When Togata resurfaced, Ema was back on the pipe, well away from the ground. He limped slightly but couldn’t stop smiling despite the serious look on her face.  

“That’s impressive! I never expected you to have this much talent!” He praised, pulling his pants on the umpteenth time. Ema remained stone faced, watching him. Momentarily, the field flickered, turning to a harsher landscape of destroyed skyscrapers and broken city roads. But then it was back to normal the next time she blinked, and Ema squinted with a frown, trying to keep her focus on what was in front of her. Togata wasn’t the least bit bothered, and they resumed their battle.  

“It’s surprising, but Toshitsugu is showing intense restraints.” All Might mused. 

“She didn’t take it easy on Togata’s poor legs.” Recovery Girl said. Ema missed one kick, slamming her heel into the ground, cracking it. Aizawa noticed how the girl behaved though. She wasn’t concerned about missing.  

“It’s a fakeout to keep Togata from trying to take any of her swings. Saves her energy while keeping Togata busy.” He said. “She expected him to dodge but is trying to keep him in his permeation longer. Toshitsugu is taking her time to wear him out. A solid strategy.”  

“I believe it’s more than that,” Nezu mused. “The one with a clear advantage is Togata currently. We gave Toshitsugu the instruction not to use deadly force, thinking she would need to keep herself in check. But something I forgot to account for was the type of battles she likely faced back then.”  

All Might understood what the principal was implying. “It is possible that lethal force was the main combat option.”  

“Which means she will need to relearn all of her strategies.” Aizawa sighed. Nezu hummed.  

“I believe that is what she’s doing right now.” He said, taking more notes. “It truly is remarkable to see the most dreadful academics paired with a skillset beyond most pro heroes these days.” 

Despite drawing the battle out, Ema had begun to pant softly while Togata was still going strong. Clearly, she was less fit between the two of them; she could acknowledge that. A diet of instant ramen, military rations, and stale junk food wasn’t exactly the meal of champions. She was too skinny, lacking the muscle to do damage without her quirk. Togata took advantage of that lack of stamina, striking and not letting up. Ema was forced to take all the attacks seriously, dodging them in order to keep distance. Togata grinned, launching at her. On instinct she guarded, but he went through her arms and punched her in the gut- 

Ema took it, not moving at all. Togata’s eyes widened, shocked the tiny girl could take such a punch, but that’s when he noticed her one arm had reached out, touching his fist. She was watching him, her lips pulling back in a cruel grin. All teeth as she hissed.  

“Predictable.”  

He didn’t see her move, permeating his head on instinct, but Ema when for his ankles, swiping them out from under him.  

“TIME!”  

Ema was above him, fist aimed for his face, when their match was called. She blinked, startled back to reality. A small part of her had forgotten where she was. Togata grinned at her, and Ema felt a bit bad about planning to break his nose. She extended her hand instead, awkwardly helping him to his feet. Togata didn’t seem bothered though, accepting her help with ease.  

“Man, that was awesome! I learned a lot from that fight! You’ve got a lot of battle experience, I could tell.” He praised. Ema felt weird, thinking of Midoriya briefly. She scratched her neck, weirded out by his kind nature.  

“I’ll admit, I don’t like fightin’ your types. Takes too long.” She said, face still neutral. Togata laughed.  

“If you’re going to become a hero, you’ll have to face all types of quirks. So learning to deal with each one is important. Yours is very interesting. Mind explaining it to me?” He asked, gesturing for them to walk. Ema shoved her hands in her pockets.  

“I do mind, actually.” Togata laughed cheerily at that, not at all off put by her gruff behaviour. She immediately found a difference between Midoriya and this guy, not liking the blond as much anymore. Granted, she didn’t know his name.  

While the teenagers exited the grounds, the teachers were discussing what to do moving forward. Nezu looked thoughtful, sipping his tea in silence. The others waited for him to make a choice.  

“Let’s proceed with the next test.” He said finally. All Might was surprised.  

“Did she not perform above your expectations?” He asked.  

“Oh she did, but Aizawa has already expressed wanting to get the first years into the licensing exam. While Toshitsugu clearly has enough talent to hold her own, I do want to confirm if her mind can handle the stress that comes with real life emergencies. Realistically, Toshitsugu will need at least her probation period to even begin proper adjustment to this era. But unfortunately, we don’t have that sort of luxury.” Nezu watched the duo on camera, still leaving the grounds. “Why don’t we move tomorrow’s exam to today, All Might?”  

The old pro grimaced, knowing this would be a far more arduous test for Toshitsugu.  

“Are you certain?” He asked hesitantly. Nezu looked to All Might, then over his shoulder to Aizawa.  

“Eraserhead, what do you think?” The mouse asked. Aizawa looked at the screen, watching the teens vanish as they left the testing grounds.  

“On the surface, Toshitsugu is an equivalent of a vigilante with ten years battle experience in the modern age. All footage and evidence points to her being an extremely capable combatant that is above the average professional. She’s not particularly polite, but she is capable of restraint when necessary.” He crossed his arms, looking at the principal. “Her mental state is the biggest gamble. Since being confined to the facility, and her subsequent move to UA, Toshitsugu has had a record-breaking number of nightmares and bizarre reactions. The most recent occurred not two hours ago in the cafeteria.”  

All Might shifted, looking at Aizawa curiously.  

“Kirishima from Class 1-A appeared concerned with Toshitsugu’s mental state, informing me at the end of lunch period of the event. Kaminari also confirmed what had transpired. Apparently Toshitsugu saw Bakugo and had a visceral reaction to his presents. Physically attacking him when he got too close.” Aizawa explained. Nezu hummed.  

“Yes, I have reviewed the camera footage. She indeed had a reaction to Bakugo, but I must give her some leniency as his behaviour was dreadful as well. She showed great restraint, only trying to keep him from her personal space. I suppose the matter can slide, as long as it does not happen again. If it does, a disciplinary action will be needed for both of them.” Nezu sipped his tea, remembering the panicked look on her face as she saw Bakugo approaching. “It is because of these reactions that we must assist her in other areas until she is ready to carry herself. Which is why I would like to confirm my theories with the next test.” 

The door to the observation deck opened; Midoriya stepped through. He froze upon seeing all the teachers, a squeak leaving his lungs.  

“Ah! I’m so sorry! I thought it would be alright to watch Toshitsugu’s test!” He panicked, arms flailing in surrender. All Might turned in his seat to look at the teenager.  

“She just finished. It was only a brief examination.” All Might explained. Midoriya visibly deflated, though it seemed more nerves than sadness. Something lit up in All Might then. “But you’re just on time. We were just discussing her next exam.”  

Midoriya’s brow furrowed, curiosity winning out as he came forward. “What do you mean, All Might?”  

Aizawa cottoned on to what All Might was implying. 

“Midoriya, you would know more about Toshitsugu than any of the teachers-” Aizawa was cut off by a squawk from Midoriya. The green-haired teen turned bright pink, stammering.  

“Wh-I mean I know her but I don’t think I know the most about her...!” Midoriya said, arms flailing, trying to hide his face. All Might silently chuckled, amused, while Aizawa was indifferent.  

“You and All Might are the individuals that have shown her the campus and introduced her to others. As such, you would know the inner workings of who she’s interacted with and how.” Aizawa continued. Midoriya paused, noticing how much his teacher emphasized her interactions. The boy calmed, looking up at the tired man.  

Nezu swivelled his chair to look at the boy, his little legs swinging gleefully. “What Aizawa is trying to say, is we are looking for someone from Class 1-A to assist in the next training exercise, but they must fit certain criterion.”  

Midoriya blinked, looking to his principal, as he tried to grasp what the next exam could be. He focused more, looking to Aizawa again.  

“Right, what do you need to know?”  

Ema parted ways with Togata, getting his whole life story by the time they left the training grounds, only to be told by Aizawa she can stay at the gate. The sullen man met her there, explaining they wanted one more test today. Seeing no reason to say no, Ema agreed to it. 

“What’s the test?” She asked, stuffing her hands into her pockets. Aizawa held a similar stance.  

“Your task is the same as last time. Either defeat your opponent, or escape. Except this time, you can automatically finish the round by passing through the designated gate.” Aizawa explained. Ema nodded, thinking it would be an easy game.  

“S’good. Who am I fighting?” As she asked, a shadow loomed above them. Ema looked up to see a hulking figure flying at them. It landed nearby, cracking the cement as they landed. A loud, booming laugh reverberated through her skin as the being stood up.  

“I am here!”  

He was huge, at least seven feet tall. Ema had never seen someone that big in her life. The closest second would’ve been that flame hero. But this guy was the whole package. Tall, broad, built like a truck. He beamed down at her, his blue eyes sharp, his teeth gleaming in the light. He struck a pose, fists on his hips. But his eyes unnerved Ema, they weren’t the eyes like others here. Her hackles stood on end when she recognized that battle hardy look. Without realizing it, she took a single step back. It was noticed by both pro heroes. 

“Your opponent will be All Might.” Aizawa explained, but Ema’s amber eyes were locked on the tall man. She almost missed what he said next. “The number one hero in Japan.”  

Chapter Text

“We’ll have to cut them off here.”  

Kudo drew a circle around the remains of Abekawa Station. It was mostly destroyed, but the line was still operational.  

“Why there?” Lee asked.  

“Because it’s the last place they’ll expect an ambush. They’ll expect Atami Station, because it’s beside the coastline and easy access.” Kudo pointed out. His red eyes looked up at me. “Em, you and Mirage will secure the cargo. Lee and I will ambush at Atami, like they’ll expect. But we’ll fall back once you’ve escaped.”  

“How am I transporting ’em back?” I asked, crossing my arms. “And why the fuck are you the one ambushing, huh? S’not like you’re built for it.”  

“Whatch your mouth.” He scolded, but quickly moved on from it. “Because you’re the one they’ll want to see. They’ll follow you, and they’ve got legs, don’t they?”  

“You want them to walk back to Shizuoka?” I huffed.  

“If they want their freedom, they’d walk across Japan for it.” Kudo said. I hesitated. He wasn’t wrong per say.... 

“Three hundred people.... Kudo, are you sure we can do it?”  

He nodded, a confident smirk on his face. “The last supply run did good. We can manage the extra mouths. Put ‘em to work too.”  

Lee scratched his chin, looking between the two of us. When I turned, he was staring at Kudo’s profile.  

“What if we disconnected the cars?” Lee asked. Kudo looked at him, then tapped the map. “If we disconnected it by Higashi, and ambushed at Kusanagi, we won’t be giving away our location immediately. And if we removed the car from the track, they’ll have a harder time finding us.”  

“I’ll get more time, but I can’t do it quietly. The couplers take a lot to wedge loose.” I said. Kudo didn’t look the least bit worried.  

“Leave Mirage on the train. He can hold it down for an extra hour.” Kudo said, turning to redraw plans on the map. “Even if they figure out we’re in Shizuoka, they’ll have a hell of a time searchin’ through all the rubble.”  

“We’ll have to vet all of them, make sure you don’t disclose any security intel, Ema.” Lee reminded me. I scoffed, glaring.  

“The fuck I look like? A rookie?” Kudo slapped the back of my head for that one, but I only cussed more.  

“Watch your damn mouth!”  

“That fucking hurt!” I yelled back. Lee leaned back against the desk behind himself, crossing his arms.  

“You sure you wanna do this? It’s one of the biggest crews we’ve ever tried to reach.” But he wasn’t looking at me, he was looking at Kudo. Our fearless leader. Kudo sighed, turning to look at his right-hand man.  

“It’ll work. Gadget and Psyren are working on our equipment, and as soon as they’re done, we’ll head out. Besides....” He turned, eyes flickering down to meet my eyes. A wide grin spread across his face. I knew what he was going to say and rolled my eyes.  

“Victory is on our side.”  

“MATCH! READY?”  

I jolted, blinking once. Coming to, standing in the middle of the industrial Ground Gamma. How long had I been zoned out?  

“START!”  

Well, at least I didn’t miss the buzzer.  

The giant walking building of a man wouldn’t be hard to miss, but I wasn’t about to take my time with him. No, he wouldn’t be like the other blond. His eyes betrayed decades of experience. He was a man that’d seen war, and had an aura of raw intent. Taking him for granted would be a terrifying mistake.  

I leaped into the pipes, hiding from view inside one of the buildings, using my hands to leap through smaller gaps, and lunging hands first through other small openings. If that All Might guy wanted to come and get me, he’d have to break a few things, giving me a heads up. I didn’t know anything about him, other than he was massive. Finding out his quirk would need to be a priority. Until then, stealth was the primary objective. 

Not a minute later, his booming laugh could be heard from the entrance I came in. Did he have a tracker on me? 

“Trying to hide from me, eh?” He laughed, and in the next second, a blast of wind came flying down the path I had crawled into. Pipes went flying; the whole area rattled and groaned. The blast was so strong that the pathway from him to me began to clear, my own body sliding backwards from the wind. I bolted sideways, hiding from the blast as I crouched on the ground, belly down, the balls of my feet and palms holding me steady.  

From where I was, I could see All Might with his fist extended. Had he punched the air so hard it made a shockwave?  

Well, at least now I had an idea what his quirk was. 

The blast had cleared a pathway as I leaped back towards it. All Might grinned wider as I approached. 

‘Four Thousand....!’ I sprinted at him, appearing to his left, sending a kick at him. He blocked without effort. His grin widened as I rotated to land a second kick over top of him. He grabbed my calf with his other arm, aiming to swing me into the wall.  

‘Zero!’ I came to a halt just before hitting the wall, surprising the man. I took a huge breath, then let out a scream straight into his face. Pushing my quirk into my vocal cords hurt, but it made the man let go as a petrifying shriek deafened him. He lurched back, stunned, before leaping away.  

My body hit the floor, but I scrambled to stand again. A cough wretched from my throat as I spat out a bit of blood. Son of a bitch! That sort of move was a last resort, and he’d made me use it. If I hadn’t, I might’ve gone splat immediately.  

“Damn.” I muttered, squaring back up. Doing that again would do damage; I needed to evade getting caught at all costs. This All Might guy was clearly a power type, one that got some sort of amplification to his body. Super strength? Regardless, I needed to finish this quickly.  

All Might stood on the ground below, still grinning like a psycho. I took a deep breath, pushing my quirk through my body again. Keeping up more than eight thousand long term was hard, but I could do six with bursts of twelve if I had to.  

“My turn!” He declared, leaping from the ground.  

He had to be immune to Mirage’s quirk. 

I hit the side of the train, cursing loudly, forcing my body to move as a powerful punch hit the spot I had been moments ago. One hit like that and it was over. He lunged again, but I spat blood in his face, blinding him as I scrambled to the control car. He crashed into the wall. The door slid open, but the man was hot on my heels. I pumped my quirk through my body, hopping to the next train car, sprinting for the controls.  

In a blink I got behind him, kicking his shoulder, sending more power through his body. He stumbled forward, but as I touched the floor of the train, it came to a dead halt. I cried out from the recoil, wincing, but held my ground as he went flying from the train. Then, as he stood up, I lunged for the acceleration, slamming it down.   

‘Twelve thousand!’ 

Blood coated the front of the car, some making it through the destroyed windshield. I gasped, clutching my side in pain, finally laying myself out on the floor to breathe. Waiting for Mirage to come find me. 

I blinked, confused when I saw buildings surrounding me. On my back, staring at the sky. My ribs hurt, when was I hit? Where was the train? I sat up, panting unevenly, looking at my surroundings. My brain had forgotten where I was, until I zeroed in on the blond tank that was only fifty feet from me. He’d taken a knee, looking thrilled with that stupid smile. There was damage around us, what had I done? I couldn’t remember any of it.  

‘Right, I’m right here, not the train. Focus Em, you need to stay here.’ I talked myself up as I stumbled to my feet. All Might was in front of me in a single second, which I dodged, and we played that song and dance like I had on the train. I knocked up dust to hit him in the face, blinding him, pumping my quirk to maximum output for a split second. It gave me the power to dodge a blind strike he sent out. 

Said strike shattered the building behind me, but I didn’t hesitate, getting onto the man’s back. The moment my hand touched his uniform, I pushed my quirk into him.  

“Eat shit old man!”  

He catapulted to the ground, crashing so hard the tender building rattled and groaned once more. I came launching at him, rotating in my fall, pushing my quirk back into me to increase the output in my right leg. But All Might came flying at me, moving so fast it startled me, and I barely managed to dodge him.  

How the fuck did he defeat my quirk?! Is he just that strong?! I sprinted for cover, hiding from his direct sight. If he could fight my quirk at six thousand rpms, I’d need to max the output just to keep him down for a few seconds.  

“Think you can run from me?! Foolish.” He appeared beside me, but I turned to meet him. He raised his fist to punch, but I caught his wrist right before he could make contact.  

‘Zero!’  

The punch stalled out, barely shifting me. I glared up at the beast, snarling. All Might looked a bit surprised. My feet moved, sweeping to strike his ribs. Surprisingly, he flinched, blocking the strike to his left side. He grunted as my leg hit his forearm, but in the next second I slid between his leg, and above his head. He spun to block, but I moved again. 

He’s weak on the left side, but if I went for it again, he’d just protect it. Instead, I swept for his ankles, using the maximum output I could handle again.  

My heart stuttered, sending a jolt of pain through my body. I winced but spun and landed an amplified blow to the chest. All Might fell in practically slow motion compared to me as I put everything I could into the attack. My shoulder cried in protest, threatening to break, but the blow made contact. 

All Might shattered the ground as he landed. I was partially blown away, partially had leaped away. The blast sent dust flying as I came to a sliding stop against the far wall. A cough echoed in the area as I caught my breath. The dust settled, my heart rate going back to normal, my body aching in protest. 

But the crater was empty. 

“You’re good.” My breath caught in my throat. All Might was next to me. My eyes widened as I turned to see him. He was only a few feet away, swinging his arm back to strike.  

I couldn’t negate the strike due to the distance; he must’ve realized that and was forcing me to leap away with the blast as cover. I sprinted, using as much strength and speed as I could before hiding in another area of the grounds. My heart wouldn’t calm down this time, beating angrily in my chest. I winced, falling against the wall. Was it another heart attack? I didn’t have anything to shock myself, forced to endure the pain.  

“Fuck.” I cried, clutching my chest.  

“You had a heart attack.” Lee explained, showing me the scans. He pointed the damages out. “You have swelling here, and calcifications here and here.”  

“Probably why I can’t use my max output anymore.” I murmured, rubbing the sore spot. Kudo looked over the scans himself, sizing them up while Lee turned to me.  

“Ema, your quirk hinges on your heart being healthy. If it gets damaged, you’ll slowly stop being able to use your full strength. This just means you can’t go all out all the time anymore. You’ll need to use some level of self-control.” Lee explained. I glared, crossing my arms over my chest.  

“Ya think the enemy’s gunna sit around and wait for me to get my shit together?” I asked, frowning. Lee sighed.  

“If you have a heart attack mid-battle, shocking yourself is only going to make it worse.”  

“How much can she use?” Kudo cut in. Lee scratched his neck.  

“Maybe fifty percent.” I gawked at the number.  

“You can't be serious. That’s fucking-” But Kudo cut my off.  

“Em,” he turned to look at me, completely serious. “You have to show restraint.”  

I resisted the urge to whine. “But Kudo-”  

“Promise me,” he demanded, looking concerned. “Unless it is the end of the line, all bases are loaded, do not go over that number. Make it your new maximum.”  

I looked away, but Kudo shook my shoulder. When I looked up at him, his eyes were filled with fear. I hadn’t seen that look in a long time. It gave me pause.  

“Promise me, Em.”  

“I promise. I promise.” I whispered, rubbing my chest. When my heart settled, I finally let a breath out I’d been holding onto, before forcing myself upright.  

He was stronger than me; that was a fact. But that was nothing I hadn’t faced before. I just needed to stay calm and focused. Power types had a limit to how strong they could remain. My stamina may not have been amazing, but I could use hit and run tactics to tire him. He used a lot of strength too, which must’ve eaten at his stamina. To force himself out of my quirk before had to have been work, no matter how powerful he was.  

I sidled down the alley, trying to find where he was without giving away my position. I leapt into another hiding spot but stayed close to the entrance for a quick escape. A booming sound came from the other end of the alley. He was close, almost on top of me within seconds. I grit my teeth, preparing to bolt, when something else caught my eye.  

Another blond, though significantly smaller than either of the others I had seen today. He had to be around my size, though it was hard to tell since he crawled along the ground. Where had he come from? Why was he here? 

All Might turned to look at him. The boy squeaked, petrified as he stayed stock still.  

‘Move dammit!’ I thought, willing him to get away. No matter what choice I made right now, I wouldn’t reach him before the truck did. Saving him was impossible right now.   

I clenched my teeth, watching All Might take a step towards him.  

“You can’t save everybody, Em.” Kudo said, sitting across from me. Our knees knocked from the closeness. It sent jolts through me; my body still felt like a live wire as stars continued to explode behind my eyes.  

“But I can try.” I said weakly. Voice hoarse, eyes dry. There was only so much you could cry before your body gave up on it.  

“You can, but don’t kill yourself over it, or you can’t save the next ones.” His hand sat on my knee, feeling like millions of tiny pinpricks went off at once when he did. “Besides, that kid thinks the world of you.”  

We looked over, seeing the boy in question as he made his bed in the receiving bay. My body vibrated, finding more tears to fall.  

“He’s an orphan now too.” I said shakily. “He’s going to grow up knowing this life. He’s going to see the world through our eyes.”  

I looked at my brother, desperate for him to tell me I was wrong. Desperate for him to give some sagely wisdom beyond his years. But his eyes were pained, just like mine, and they were older than twenty-two, but not with wisdom. They bled experience and trauma, like mine. Not a word passed between us more a moment. Nothing had to be said until I broke the silence. 

“I don’t want it to be like this...!” I cried. Kudo launched forward, pulling me to him. His arms wrapped around me tightly. Like a frayed wire, my senses exploded, blocking out everything except my brother to stop from overloading. I whimpered; he shushed me gently.  

“It won’t always be like this.” He promised, arms pulling me tighter. “We’ll get out of here, one day.”  

It didn’t sound like he believed himself. 

“And if we don’t?” I asked, afraid. He sighed, head resting against mine.  

“We do what we do best." He said, breath fluffing my hair.  

“We fight.”   

Izuku watched Toshitsugu on the screen, unable to look away. Blinking meant missing a split second of the match. He was in awe of the intensity of the fight, and the speed of it. Toshitsugu was far more experienced than he initially thought, moving with fluidity and precision. Now that she had recovered from injuries, her movements were far more certain. It reminded him of a cat leaping around, how she used her arms in place of legs sometimes to get around objects, or to rotate in the air. No motion was wasted; the transfer of pressure from palm to foot was seamless.  

Where had she learned to move like that? 

“She has full mastery of her quirk.” Recovery Girl praised, though Izuku wasn't sure how she would know. Considering Toshitsugu's quirk was unknown. However, the match began to turn to the wayside as Toshitsugu nearly collapsed in between two buildings. Recovery Girl lurched, as did Izuku, when she nearly fell. They didn’t have an audio feed to the match, but they did have the cameras. Toshitsugu looked pale, and sweaty, slapping her chest before rubbing it. It seemed to calm down after a minute, the girl taking shaking steps forward.  

“Did she have a heart attack?” Izuku asked out loud, voice trembling with nerves. Should she even be walking right now?! Was this normal? Was it because of her quirk?  

“Midoriya,” Aizawa said, gaining the green-haired boy’s attention. “Be prepared to step in and talk Toshitsugu down.”  

“What? Me?” Of course, he would help but why couldn’t they just call the fight?  

“I’m not certain she remembers this is a match.” He said a moment later, as if reading the boy’s mind. 

“I believe you may be right, Eraserhead.” Principal Nezu said. “She reverted to excessive force the moment All Might broke through her first attack.”  

“Frankly she does need it to hold a candle next to All Might, but her behaviour is completely different from her battle with Togata.” Aizawa said. Izuku listened, wondering what they meant. To him, Toshitsugu looked to be very focused, thinking rationally as she hid. But on the next close up, he realized what they meant.  

It wasn’t a long period of time, maybe a second or two, but in that second her eyes looked vacant, as if she were thinking of something far away. She wasn’t here, not exactly. But then her eyes would come back. She’d slap her chest, and then refocus.  

When the teachers had told Izuku the true goal of the test at the start, he had initially had no worries for it. He told them freely what he thought of Toshitsugu, and how he believed she would pass easily. But seeing Toshitsugu now, he understood the full scope of the test. 

Put in an impossible situation with an opponent you cannot defeat, how would she react if a civilian were in the way of the fight? Would she help them? Would she run? It was similar to the Hero Killer, but in that fight, Toshitsugu had been confident she could win against him. All Might was in a league of his own. Toshitsugu didn’t stand a chance unless she somehow figured out his time limit. So how would she proceed?  

As it stood, Aoyama was in position, on the opposite side of All Might from Toshitsugu. It was an unfair ask, something Toshitsugu wouldn’t be able to pull off, but it was her behaviour they were trying to test, not her skill. Would she find a way to try and protect Aoyama?  

But Toshitsugu was still hiding, blank faced. All Might was taking his time to stalk up to Aoyama, only fifty feet from him now.  

Toshitsugu moved, but not towards Aoyama and All Might. She jumped into the roadway, catching All Might’s attention. He swivelled, focused on the girl, but she continued to run away.  

All Might paused, likely surprised she didn’t try to attack him. Izuku was surprised as well, expecting the ginger girl to fly at All Might, or find a way between them. Why run?  

But the answer was given to him as the camera panned to follow Toshitsugu. Izuku’s eyes widened as he watched her. She was just on the other side of a tall building, facing All Might’s direction. In her hands was a metal rod with a flat sheet of metal at the end. A sign? 

But what Izuku noticed, and couldn’t look away from, was the molten gold her eyes transformed into. She gritted her teeth, a pained look crossing her face, as she swung at the building between her and All Might.  

With power Izuku could not understand, Toshitsugu made a wind tunnel much like All Might had before. It shattered through the base of the building, surprising his mentor as he blocked with both arms up.  

The wind was so strong that debris whipped up, blinding All Might as he closed his eyes for a split second. But not even a half second later, Toshitsugu was beside him, tears in her eyes, as she landed a kick to his left rib.  

‘Oh no!’ Flashes of the injury All Might had shown him went through his mind as the massive man crumpled on the spot. It wasn’t even a full two seconds before the ginger had landed both attacks consecutively.  

Toshitsugu wasn’t without damage either, her right shoulder looked injured from how she shoved it in her jacket. Her legs were skimmed with road rash and ripped from her failing her fall. But she rolled and scrambled to her feet, moving towards Aoyama.  

A few seconds is all All Might took to get back up, but it was enough for Toshitsugu to reach Aoyama. The blond boy played his part, only moving when she offered a bloody, sweaty palm to him and said something.  

All Might shifted, grit his teeth, and prepared to fight, but Toshitsugu smiled at him, all teeth and cruel, like Kacchan would do to him, as she pointed up. All Might looked up, seeing the building that Toshitsugu had blown through was finally toppling over. Izuku’s breath hitched as All Might chose to leap backwards instead of risking going after them. It effectively gave them enough time to amble away.  

“Call it, that’s enough.” Nezu said. A wide shot on screen showed All Might on the other side of the building.  

“TIME! MATCH OVER!”  

Izuku was so stunned that he forgot to react. He watched Toshitsugu’s eyes widen, as she realized what had happened. Her body was trembling as she looked at Aoyama, who was suddenly nervous. She turned, limping away, looking deep in thought.  

But the match continued to play in his head. Every move, every arch, he’d never seen someone their age fight so well. She wasn’t strong enough to take All Might head on, so she immediately worked around that, immediately decided on hit and run and stuck with it.  

Izuku’s heart did a little flip as he thought of the intensity in her eyes.  

“Midoriya, it’s time for you to leave.” Aizawa’s voice broke through his thoughts. Had he been rambling again? He didn’t realize. “You can go and speak with Toshitsugu. Bring her to the medical bay.”  

“Right!” He practically sprinted out. He spoke to Aoyama briefly, who commented on how he needed to use the bathroom from nerves, before finding Toshitsugu. She’d stumbled away from the training grounds, sitting against one of the trees. Her body was curled into a ball, her breaths were still heavy. Izuku initially wanted to sprint closer, but noticed a tremble going through her body.  

He was brought back to the moment in the cafeteria. How desperate she looked as her eyes met his. Like she wanted him to help her even if he didn’t know how. She looked so small, her hand grasping his forearm shakily.  

Izuku slowed to a walk, stopping a few feet from her, and crouched.  

“Toshitsugu?” She flinched, curling tighter. “Are you hurt?”  

He tried not to be overbearing, but he noticed her flinch again. Her right arm was swollen. Did she break it? He briefly remembered her comparing their quirks and wondered if she understood what he was going through.  

Toshitsugu didn’t move, and for a moment Izuku was at a loss for what to do. But he waited, patient, eager to help. Eventually she let out a breath, then lifted her eyes to him. They looked tired, but not from fatigue. He remembered that look back in the facility, where she stared at the wall and refused to make eye contact with anyone. When she’d first looked at him, his heart had clenched.  

She looked so alone.  

He wanted to hug her, it was what his mom would do in this situation, but he also knew she would likely strike him. Instead, he patiently kept his hands on his knees, trying to keep a steady smile.  

“Hey,” he greeted. Toshitsugu’s eyes looked away, but she didn’t hide.  

“Sorry.” She apologized. It hurt, knowing she was embarrassed for feeling something. If anything, Izuku felt embarrassed whenever he helped her, or tried to, because he had no idea what he was doing.  

“Don’t apologize,” he urged gently. Toshitsugu looked up at him, hesitant and.... shy?  

“Were you..... were you watching?” She asked, looking almost nervous. But Izuku couldn’t fathom why. A huge grin covered his face as he nodded. The ginger shirked back, hiding half her face as she stared at him. She’d done similar when she was in the facility, hiding behind a blanket. It was cute, in a way, making pink grip his cheeks until he stammered out words.  

“You were amazing!” He gushed. She blinked twice, eyes widening a fraction. “I was so impressed by how fluid the movement was. You built a strategy on the fly and executed it perfectly! You even managed to make All Might wince. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought you were a pro already.”  

She stayed half hidden, her eyes still looking shy, but they softened back to her usual neutral gaze.  

"He held back," she said, surprising Izuku. She looked down, gaze thoughtful, if a bit bothered. "He has a lot more power than he was showing, and I didn't realize until the second time I caught his arm, but he had to have been holding back. There should've been more power in that punch." 

Izuku was nearly bursting at the seams with praises. The fact that she knew how powerful All Might should've been, and still tried to take him on. Not only that, but she had analyzed all of that information off just two strikes.

"Your analytical skills are incredible! You managed to figure out all of that, all while fighting the number one hero in Japan." He gushed, noticing her shirk further into herself.

“Oh.... um.....” Why was she being so timid about it? She was amazing! If Izuku had half that talent he would’ve been on cloud nine!  

“You don’t have to be scared o’ me, Midoriya. ’m not gunna hurt you.”   

Izuku wondered if that was it. Did she expect him to be scared of her? Should he say something, or would that make it worse? What was the right thing to say? But Izuku didn’t know what to say yet, so he said nothing. Instead, he offered his hand. Toshitsugu looked at it.  

“Come on, I’ll take you to Recovery Girl.” He offered. She looked up at him through thick ginger lashes, then took his hand. Hers were smaller than his, but her hands were surprisingly warm. There were callouses, and scars, but something about her hands had him hesitating. He watched her hand become enveloped in his own. How were her hands so small? She was such a strong person, and yet her hands were soft and warm like his mother’s.  

“Midoriya?”  

Izuku spooked, looking up. Toshitsugu was staring at him, her face no longer hidden. He stammered out an apology, helping her to her feet as he stood. She winced, but went with him. Izuku smiled, looking her over. Her right arm was still held close, and she had small wounds all over her. He wanted to help more, but knew forcing his help on her would make her run. 

“Did you need help?” He asked, but the girl shook her head shortly. She was staring up at him again, and Izuku was caught in that molten gaze again. He remembered how pretty she looked in the setting sun of his classroom, enamoured.  

“I don’t understand you.” She said finally. He blinked a few times, returning to Earth.  

“Huh?” He asked, confused. Her lip twitched, Toshitsugu’s eyes narrowing in suspicion.  

“I said, I don’t understand you.” She repeated. He paused for a moment, about to urge her that she could understand him, when he realized the futility. Instead, he gave a short laugh, it was breathless and lacking mirth.  

“That’s fair, because I don’t understand you either.” He said honestly. “But maybe we can help understand each other?”  

Her eyes softened, looking warm and calm despite the dirt dusting her cheeks. He felt a pressure on his hand and looked down. Time came to a screeching halt when he realized they were still holding hands. Him. Midoriya Izuku. Holding hands with a pretty girl.  

His soul almost left his body.  

“Sorry.” She murmured, letting go. He immediately regretted overreacting but couldn’t find the words to explain himself. Anytime he tried to talk it was just babbles until he finally said, “I’ll just shut up now!” 

Toshitsugu limped along, doing her best to walk normally, but Izuku noticed. He slowed his pace, hesitantly wondering if offering his arm to lean on was a bad choice. But Toshitsugu wasn’t looking at him anymore. She had that look again, like she was all alone. He wanted to reach for her, to promise her she wasn’t, but his hands hung loosely by his sides. Who was he to make that sort of promise?  

“What are you thinking about?” He asked, immediately regretting it when she looked pained.  

“My brother.” She admitted. He wondered how it felt, knowing her brother was on the other side of a century.  

“You think about him a lot.” He said his observation out loud. She hummed in agreement.  

“I was thinking about......” She trailed off, hesitating. Izuku leaped at it, urging her on as gently as he could. He didn’t want to look pushy, but this was a moment.  

“You can tell me, if you want.” He said softly. She glanced at him, but then looked away.  

“I was just thinking how much I wanted to tell him about today.” She admitted. His chest lurched, tears sweeping into his eyes. Izuku brushed them away furiously, doing his best to hide them. When she looked up, he didn’t know if she had caught them or not, but she didn’t comment on it. “I was thinking about what he would think of everyone I’ve met.”  

“Yeah? What- um, what do you think he’d say about us?” He asked. She was quiet for a moment, face blank.  

“He wouldn’t like anyone, granted, Kudo hated just about everyone.” She said honestly. Izuku chuckled, a small smile flitting on his face.  

“Sounds like Kacchan.” She flinched, and he remembered her visceral reaction to his childhood friend. Did Kacchan..... Did he remind her of Kudo? Or was this a coincidence? He wanted to ask, but was afraid to make her angry.  

“Yeah..... they uh.... seem alike.” She said quietly, and Izuku felt horrible for ever bringing it up. He got his answer but had never been more desperate to abandon ship.  

“Wh-What would he think of me?” He asked, throwing out the first thing he could think of. Anything to get that sad and lonely look out of her eyes.  

“He’d hate you.” She said bluntly. “But..... he didn’t like anyone I was friends with.”  

He blushed, cottoning on to the last thing she said. At least he knew where they stood. She saw him as a friend. That was good, right? He wasn’t sure what sort of thing he should be for her. An emotional support buddy? A friend? Seeing eye dog? It was all new territory, and Izuku wasn’t sure how to navigate this.  

“Hah, sounds like he was tough.” Izuku said. She sneered, frowning like she was looking right at her brother.  

“He was the leader, but he was also a good brother. Liked to act tough but was a big softie at heart.” The way she spoke about him was with such love that it made Izuku want to cry all over again. “But I was stronger than him.”  

He wasn’t sure if it was a joke or the truth, so he didn’t say anything. But as that look started to return, Izuku scrambled to stop the sadness from seeping in.  

“I was watching your quirk and have some theories!” He blurted out. Toshitsugu looked at him, raising a brow. Izuku launched into his theories and observations. Some of them were a bit outlandish, but possible, while others were more cut and dry. He was talking for so long they’d walked three blocks before he realized. “Ah, haha, sorry, I was rambling again.”  

“’t’s okay. I don’t mind.” She said, sounding calmer than before, more relaxed. He was surprised.  

“Really?” He asked. She nodded, looking a bit shy again.  

“I.... I like hearing you think.” She admitted. Izuku felt his heart do another flip, his cheeks were on fire, but the moment she looked up at him again he turned and continued his theories. Willing his heart to stop pounding in his chest. He hadn’t felt like this since Uraraka spoke to him for the first time.  

Izuku rambled, and Toshitsugu listened. She hummed along, and disagreed with him when he was way off home base, but never quite revealing what her quirk was. She did praise him when he got something right, like how she had to touch the object to affect it, and his was thrilled when he got a few steps closer.  

He had almost felt disappointed when they arrived at the medical bay. Interrupting their one-sided conversation. But the way she looked at him, like she wanted him to stay, had him ambling through the doors after her.  

Chapter Text

Things moved slowly following my assessments.  

After debriefing with the giant mouse, I was told that all physical tests were cancelled. It was surprising, particularly because he said I was beyond their current expectations. My next practical exam would be in September. I would be shadowing Class 1-a and Class 1-b, the hero course classes, to observe their training each once per week, starting in second semester based on my results. Aizawa and Vlad, the respective homeroom teachers, would each be in charge of my practical education.  

In other words, they didn’t like my fighting style, saying it was too rough for a hero. Fair enough, and I was willing to tone it down if I could. Though spending more time with Aizawa than was physically necessary was already a dark spot in my days. Vlad was equally grumpy, if a more animated version. Was this the average high school teacher? I didn’t get to know Vlad’s real name, he never gave it.  

From my understanding, I would slowly be integrated into the classes and be placed in either class based on the results of my grades and training. Aizawa made a passing remark of another person also being on probation, but never spoke another word about it. 

I met most of the pro heroes at the school by the end of my second week, but would only be taught by four to keep the program simplified. Midnight was easy to get along with, mostly, and Present Mic nearly got a chair thrown at him when he screeched at me while entering a room.  

He walked in quietly now.  

Cementoss was sturdy, and indifferent to me, and the last one I would be working with was apparently All Might, the guy I fought. He didn’t visit me at all, but Toshinori did in his stead, claiming to work for his agency. Whatever floated his boat. He made a passing remark about All Might being impressed by my constitution, whatever that meant, before assuring me I was doing well. 

Which brought me to my neck problem. 

I was ass at studying, and no matter how much the teachers tried to help me, I floundered. It was damn near painful. With the end of June coming up, my first round of exams were starting. I hadn’t seen much of Midoriya, but had run into Todoroki. When I asked if he had any tips for studying, he stared at me blankly and just said “read the textbook” which was just so fucking helpful my guy. Fuck you.  

Recovery Girl was trying to get my sleep cycle stabilized, claiming it wasn’t normal to crash when I wanted to and stay awake for days on end. I’d never had a normal sleep cycle to begin with. Being underground meant never knowing what the day and night cycle looked like for years at a time.  

She wanted me to get on some pills, adding medications for my heart that she insisted were important, but I didn’t want them. I took them once and felt completely off, like my body wasn’t in my control, and ditched them going forward.  

Midnight was also supposed to be my shrink. She wanted at least once per week appointments, but I refused, insisting I didn’t want that. The principal insisted, and I struggled through an hour of silence every week instead of speaking.  

Contrary to what some might think, but I deeply enjoy the hum of people talking in the background of my mind. It dulled the ache of my thoughts, and let me truly relax. It was at night that I struggled, unable to rest when I was supposed to be drifting off to sleep. Recovery Girl wanted me to sleep at least seven hours every day.The problem with the meds was that it did nothing to stop the thoughts. I kept seeing them, all of them. The ones I saved, the ones I lost, the ones that tried to kill me. I could see Kudo, the look in his eyes when they met mine, as they slowly dimmed.  

I flushed the meds first chance I got, spending time on the rooftop of UA instead. The fourth pillar of UA was my preferred spot. It was the best place to see all the stars. It wasn’t a mountain top, but it was up high, and it was a place to see them.  

“Made it.....” I whispered, hearing the dejection in my own voice. 

The world answered back with a cold breeze.  

June 29th was the end of my exams. These weren’t supposed to be hard, but fuck me I hated testing. What was the point? In what universe did I need to know all this shit? Most of these tests were for grades 4-6. Why the fuck was there so much math? And why was there so much detail of the dumbest shit in history? Nothing about prior to quirks was even covered anymore, and nothing about my era. It was like the world slapped the reset button and forgot everything.  

I had my final exam during the lunch period of the other students. English wasn’t the worst since I’d attempted to teach myself in order to read more at the bookstore in the mall. One of the few benefits to being trapped in the mall was the unlimited supply of reading material. It was how I got most of my history down pat. Granted, it meant shit if they never asked about pre-meta era. 

“Good work, Toshitsugu. You may have this evening off to rest. Tomorrow we will start the next practicum.” Aizawa said, tucking my tests away into a folder. I sighed, holding back a complaint.  

“Am I still allowed in Gamma? I need to move.” I said, feeling itchy from the lack of exercise. In the past few weeks Toshinori had taken me on supervised trips to the training grounds, but today was supposed to be a free day for me since I had been on best behaviour. 

“Yes, you may use it after class is finished today.” Aizawa said dismissively.  

My wrist was cramping from all the writing as I stepped out of the classroom, nearly crashing into someone on the way in. It was Bakugo, looking just as pissed as he did the time I saw him in the cafeteria.  

“What the hell? Why’s she here?” Bakugo snapped to Aizawa. The teacher didn’t look up from his papers.  

“That is none of your concern.”  

Bakugo hissed, not stepping aside. He looked down at me with a glare. As he did, the look Kudo had in his last moments played in my head. I swallowed, flickering back to reality.  

“Move.” He growled. I narrowed my eyes.  

“Fuck off, Fizzy.” I said back. Bakugo’s hands crackled as he loomed over me. 

“Hah? The fuck you say?!” He snapped.  

“Bakugo, Toshitsugu, that’s enough. Out.” Aizawa snapped, sounding like a disgruntled parent, before going back to his work again. Bakugo grunted, glared one more time, then slammed the door in my face. I grumbled but opened the door to walk out. Bakugo was against one of the walls, glaring across the way. As I shut the door behind me, his red eyes snapped up to mine.  

I looked away.  

“The fuck’s your problem?!” He hissed. I ignored him, opting to walk the other way. “Don’t ignore me!”  

I did. 

“Toshitsugu!” Midoriya’s voice came from down the hall. He waved, making me pause. His two friends were with him. Iida and Uraraka. I hadn’t spoken much to them, other than at lunch. I hadn’t seen much of Midoriya either, unfortunately, since we had opposite schedules. They approached me as I paused in the hallway. “What’s up? Why are you outside the classroom?”  

“Grumpy wanted to chat with me about somethin’.” I said, nodding to his two friends in greeting. “Hopin’ to grab some grub before I got train today.”  

“Oh you booked the training grounds? Would you mind if I joined you?” Midoriya asked in a flurry. A notebook whipped out of nowhere as he began to frantically flip through some pages. “I’ve been coming up with some theories about your quirk, and also, I wanted to ask you about your fighting style. When I watched you before, it was amazing to see how you moved around and used the environment to your advantage! I want to learn to do that too!”  

Iida looked scandalized. “Midoriya, you can’t just insert yourself like that!”  

“Sure, sounds like a plan.” I said, hands in my pockets. Midoriya beamed while his friends looked surprised. “We can work on your mobility first, you’re pretty rigid, which is likely why you struggle to keep up the tension.”  

Midoriya blushed, looking a little shy as he scratched his hair. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Uraraka was staring at me.  

“Ah hah, yeah well, I guess I am. I used to always break my bones so....” He muttered. I snickered, gaining his eyes back on me.  

“The first time I tried to use my quirk properly, I collapsed a tunnel on my head, so don’t worry, you can’t do worse.” I said, gesturing to the scar that ran through my eyebrow. Iida looked horrified.  

“Just what kind of training do you do?!” He squawked. I scratched my eyebrow.  

“That’s a good question.” But ignored him, turning to Midoriya. “I’ll see ya at Training Ground Gamma after class.”  

Midoriya grinned, looking way too thrilled.  

Izuku was nearly sprinting to collect his things at the end of class.  

“Whoa, where’s the fire Midoriya?” Kirishima asked. Izuku grinned sheepishly.  

“Sorry! I’m supposed to meet a friend for training.” He grunted when Kacchan’s bag hit his head. The blond passed him, then paused before swivelling on the spot.  

“Deku!” He growled, making Midoriya tense up. “You tell that damn freak to stop looking at me funny or else I’ll give her something to look at.”  

“Damn dude, who pissed in your cheerios.” Kaminari sighed. Kacchan rounded on him, but Izuku was still stuck on the idea of him trying to take on Toshitsugu. It almost seemed comical in his head, the idea of Kacchan trying to strike her but being too slow for it. He was amazing, sure, but Toshitsugu was on a different level. Above them, above most pro-heroes. 

He didn’t think Kacchan stood a chance against her. 

The angry boy rounded back on him. “Hah?! What’d you say?!”  

Izuku squeaked, covering his mouth. Had he said that out loud? The whole class was quiet as Kacchan stomped closer to him. His childhood friend was never going to let that one go, so he said it anyway. 

“I said,” he did his best to stand a bit taller, his gaze neutral. “You couldn’t beat her.”  

Kacchan seemed to short circuit, his body trembling with rage. His hand twitched, almost going for Izuku , but instead he spun on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.  

The class took a moment of silence before Kirishima broke it.  

“Hey, he isn’t talking about that girl from the other day, right?” The red head asked. Izuku realized he had slowed down, turning to fumble for his things.  

“Yeah, that’s Toshitsugu!” He finished packing his bag as Uraraka and Iida approached him.  

“Mind if we join you, Deku?” Uraraka asked, beaming at him. He hesitated, unable to speak for a second. Was it okay if they joined? He didn’t want to impose on Toshitsugu. She was already being kind enough to help him on his training. Was it too much to ask of her?  

“I’d like to join.” Todoroki spoke up. “I’d like to ask her a few questions too, if that’s alright.”  

Izuku felt cornered, but nodded hesitantly.  

“I-I mean I don’t see why not?”   

Jirou perked up, listening in on the conversation. “Hang on, just who is this person?”  

Iida was the one to answer. “From what’s she’s explained, Toshitsugu has been ill for quite some time now. UA took special measures to allow her to prove herself and attend the hero course now that she’s getting better. She is currently on probation until further notice.”  

“Oh sick, so this girl must be super talented if they’re still letting her in!” Kaminari said.  

“Is she hot though?” Mineta asked. Izuku immediately thought of that other day in this very classroom. He looked to the ceiling, willing the lights to burn his eyes and rid the image from his brain. No, he couldn’t think of her like that, it wasn’t something friends did.  

“Dude she’s stunning, for real.” Kaminari said, grinning ear to ear.  

“That’s highly inappropriate, Kaminari!” Iida scolded. Kaminari shrugged.  

“Do you think I could join?” Asui asked. 

“If there’s room, count me in!” Kirishima said. Izuku scratched the back of his head, wondering if this would be too many people. But unfortunately, he’s terrible at saying no.  

“S-Sure....”  

“Oh, yeah sure. ‘t’s fine.” Toshitsugu said, stretching. Izuku felt immediate relief. Todoroki, Asui, Uraraka, Kirishima, and Iida all joined them today, and initially Izuku was worried it would be overwhelming. He’d pulled her aside, wanting to make sure she was comfortable. All Might had warned him about how she likely had deep seated trauma and needed to be aware of what he did around her. If he was completely honest, it just made him more anxious about making a mistake. 

“Okay, I was worried I overstepped letting them come and didn’t want to crowd you. Ah, not saying you can’t handle yourself, but I just felt bad putting you in a position you don’t feel comfortable with-” He cut himself off when he realized he was rambling. Toshitsugu didn’t mind, but he wasn’t keen on standing there forever.  

“’t’s fine. In fact this might even the odds for you.” She said, something close to a smirk lifted the corner of her mouth. He perked up, wondering what her plan was. She stuffed her hands in her pockets as they rejoined the others. “I presume you all want to spar against me?”  

“Um- well...” Uraraka looked nervous while Todoroki spoke up in his same neutral voice.  

“I would be interested in learning more, yes.” He said bluntly. Toshitsugu nodded.  

“Well, why don’t we warm up first? Let's give ya thirty minutes to do it.” 

“Which is....?” Asui asked. Toshitsugu smirked wider.  

“A little game of tag.”  

Well, it wasn’t what Izuku had been expecting.  

“Each of you needs to either land a hit or hit me with your quirk. You can use whatever means necessary." 

“Wait all of us? At once?” Kirishima looked worried. “No offence but, are you sure?”  

“We’ll need all of us.” Todoroki said. Uraraka’s eyes snapped between him and Izuku’s. Toshitsugu’s grin turned almost like Kacchan’s, mean and surly. Izuku dropped back to join his classmates; a nervous but excited grin took over his lips. He wanted to make a good impression on her. This was the first time she’d properly see him fight.  

“Anytime guys.” She almost sounded impatient. 

Kirishima rushed forward, but as he went to tag, Toshitsugu easily moved around him, barely moving her feet. She tripped him in a quick movement as Asui’s tongue launched out. The ginger dodged, not falling for the trick as Asui pulled her tongue back.  

“Watch out!” Todoroki sent his ice forward from the ground. Just as it was about to hit, she moved, with Iida appearing behind her. She flipped around him, only to have Izuku lunge for her. Caught in mid-air, she shouldn’t be able to escape!  

But Toshitsugu dodged, grabbing his arm and swinging him into Iida’s path as he returned with another swing. It knocked both of them into Uraraka as she approached. Izuku grunted, correcting himself in midair, and trying to salvage his attack. Toshitsugu didn’t immediately strike back, instead opting to dodge him with her quirk, landing on the ground. He chased after her, not letting her relax as he struck again.  

Izuku felt like he was improving, the feeling of One For All remaining at five percent without him needing to focus felt really good. He knew Toshitsugu was stronger than him, but he had to try.  

But as she tried skirting him around the area, Todoroki’s ice made a giant wall, closing them in. She couldn’t go anywhere unless she touched the ice and risked capture. But Toshitsugu looked thrilled, her eyes lighting up as she closed the gap between them.  

“Sorry.” She whispered, not looking the least bit apologetic as she rotated them both in the air. Izuku panicked, realizing what she was about to do as she slammed him into the ice, using him as a steppingstone to escape the ice that slowly coiled around them. He struggled to get up, spinning to see her strike Todoroki with a kick to the gut, before dodging an attack from Kirishima and Iida. Izuku was stuck in the ice, but if he punched it, he could break free.  

He shattered the ice, rejoining the fight.  

Toshitsugu continued to dodge, easily escaping the area once the ice became too much to avoid. She wasn’t striking at them right now, which meant she was probably observing how strong they were. She leaped away anytime they got close to cornering her, coming up with plans of attack that she just dodged or escaped. It was beginning to get a bit frustrating for all of them.  

Finally, she stopped.  

“Good! I think we’re warmed up!”  

Todoroki and Izuku were still standing, but the others looked exhausted. Iida had used his Recipro Burst too many times, tiring himself out. At least Toshitsugu looked tired too, granted she always did.  

“That was a warm up?!” Kirishima cried. Toshitsugu surveyed the group, an analytical glint in her eye.  

“Well, the next part is similar, except I will fight back.” She looked at Todoroki first. “Todoroki, you rely way too much on your ice. It tells me your ass at close range fighting.”  

He didn’t respond as her gold eyes turned to Izuku.  

“Midoriya, nice attempts, but you move too much like what’s his face.” He froze, realizing she was talking about All Might. “Try coming up with original moves instead.”  

She went down the line, speaking to each of them briefly, but Izuku was just staring at his hands. Did he really just do what All Might did? He thought he moved like Kacchan, but now that he thought more about it, it was a lot like All Might. Even his attacks were his, but this power was his power. Shouldn’t he carry it forward?  

“Alright, ya wanna try again?” She asked. Izuku looked up, closing his hands into fists. He’d have to work hard to improve. Toshitsugu looked back at him for a moment, but said nothing.  

They continued their fight.  

He got his ass kicked.  

Izuku know that Toshitsugu wasn’t really fighting back, just striking when the openings were obvious, but she still whooped them all. Even Todoroki looked like he’d been knocked down a peg, which was surprising. However, as they were all leaving, he saw Todoroki speaking with her. She gave a nodded, and Todoroki pulled out his phone. Were they planning around schedules when to train? He’d wanted to ask her to train more too, but felt like it was too pushy. She was being asked to learn five grades worth of information as it was.  

And yet she seemed to be planning something with Todoroki.... 

Izuku waited for Toshitsugu, lingering at the entrance to speak with her. It was one of his favourite times, when he got to speak with her alone.  

It was hard not asking her questions that would give away her cover. She was interesting to talk to, and always intrigued by things he had to say. He appreciated that, especially since he disappeared in his own head so often.  

With exams coming up, he’d only seen her a hand full of times in the past few weeks. He’d seen her just freely moving around in the training grounds for exercise, with All Might supervising her from above, but he’d not truly spoken to her in a while.  

“Midoriya.” She drawled his name, pulling him from his thoughts.  

“Hey,” he smiled, watching the way her eyes softened. She never truly smiled, but her face seemed calmer sometimes. He liked seeing her like that, almost peaceful. “I just wanted to thank you for training with all of us. You could’ve spent your time focusing on other things.”  

“It wasn’t entirely self-sacrificing. My stamina’s been ass since I... well.... woke up. So it gave me a workout too.” She said, eyes glazing over like they always did when she thought of the past. Izuku rushed to say something.  

“What made you think of that for training?” He asked. Her eyes returned, looking up at him with softness. “It seems simple, but it was so effective in letting us think of how to use our quirks in tandem. Plus without any real restrictions we got to think outside the box.”  

She blinked twice, looking a bit shy. “Oh well, it’s how I would train with Psyren.”  

Psyren.  

He’d never heard that name before.  

“Another friend?” He asked, but Toshitsugu visibly flinched. Her eyes were dimmed, but she was still here with him. She just looked horribly sad.  

“She was.... my best friend. We grew up together.” Her voice was steady, but quiet. As if speaking any louder would break her focus. She sighed, looking away from him, her eyes far away. “We spent hours runnin’ around the mall, playin’ tag.”  

She was right next to him, but it felt like Toshitsugu was miles away. He remained silent, wondering what he should do, if he should do anything.  

“I.... don’t know what happened to her.....” She said softly. Which was strange, considering she seemed adamant everyone was dead. They would be, by now, but there was a look in her eyes as she stared at the pathway to the school. It was almost like she was implying she knew what happened to the others because they had- 

They had died before she was trapped.  

His heart broke a little more, wondering what sort of horrors she’d seen. He tried to imagine it, but knew it wouldn’t be anything like facing it. His mind went back to the USJ attack, and how terrifying that was. Was that her day to day life?  

"I’m sorry.” He said lamely, stumbling over his thoughts. “What was she like?”  

She flinched, hand going to her chest. He panicked, putting a hand on her shoulder. She felt cold despite the summer heat.  

“A-Are you okay? Should we go to Recovery Girl?” He rambled, watching her force back a reaction.  

“’M fine.” She insisted, standing up properly. Toshitsugu took a deep breath, then let it out. “Just hurts.”  

He understood then, that it wasn’t a physical pain that ached. Izuku imagined Kacchan going missing, and never knowing what happened to him. His chest ripped open with the thought.  

Her hand went over his, still planted on her shoulder. Her hands were cold and small, but her eyes found his again.  

“I’m okay.” She said softly, but her face was neutral, hiding her true feelings. His hand gripped her shoulder a bit tighter.  

“You don’t have to lie, or spare my feelings.” He urged, watching the way her eyes lit up, just a fraction. “You can talk to me, Toshitsugu.”  

She stared at him for a moment, her eyes searching his. He couldn’t help but feel small under her gaze, shrinking back slightly. Her hand left his as she looked away from him, and he lowered his to beside himself.  

“You’re a good person, Midoriya.” She said casually. Her head tilted up as she looked at the sun in the horizon. “Can’t say I’ve met many like you.”  

“Hah, hope that’s a good thing?” He asked nervously. She looked at him from the corner of her eye, her pupils dilating slightly, before looking forward.  

“C’mon.” She gestured from him to follow. He hesitated for only a second before stumbling to catch up to her. The silence didn’t last long as she looked up at him while they walked. “Toshinori mentioned getting me a cellphone. Would you... ugh.... would ya mind helping me set it up?”  

He looked down at her, surprised, before it dawned on him she probably didn’t know how to use one. Did they even have cellphones in her era?  

“Have you used one before?” He asked. She looked ahead, frowning.  

“No. I saw some in the shops in the mall, but they didn’t work.” She bit the inside of her cheek. “’M guessin’ they’re different now.”  

He smiled, happy to help. “I’ll help! Oh, and I was wondering if you would be willing to help with more of those training sessions? Our exams start in two days, but after our exams we could make it a weekly thing? O-Or I could maybe train with you separate?”  

She relaxed a bit on the subject of training, looking more in her element.  

“Wanna come back for more?” She teased but quickly continued. “I think going twice per week would help ya. You have better stamina than I do, but your sloppy control eats it up so you can’t last long. But... you’re more mobile than I expected. Ya surprised me.”  

He would never. Ever. Tell her how badly he’d wanted her to say that. Ever. With a little more pride, he grinned down at her. Toshitsugu’s eyes went to his face, then quickly adverted away, ducking into her collar.  

“I think everyone else liked training too. You’re very detail oriented when it comes to battle.” Izuku freely praised. “And you’re a good teacher! You made notes on all of us so quickly!”  

“I trained a few people, back then.” She explained, though her eyes stayed with him. “My team always brought new people in. Had ta see where they fit, y’know?”  

He hesitated for a second, stumbling a bit. “A team? You had a team?”  

She blinked, eyes widening, like she didn’t mean to say that. He panicked, not wanting her to backtrack or hide from him.  

“You don’t have to say-”  

“Yeah,” she said softly. Her eyes looked up at him, sad, and alone. “I had a team.”  

He didn’t know what that look meant, but he stopped, turning towards her. Toshitsugu turned as well, staring at his chest.  

“You were close with them.” He tread carefully, wondering if he’d already fumbled when she tensed. Toshitsugu said nothing for a long moment, staring a hole into his shirt. Izuku tried not to internally panic, but felt his heart begin to hammer in his chest.  

“Relax.” She said, gently touching his forearm. “I can hear your heart from here, Freckles.”  

When she touched him, he felt how his mind lurched in both directions. His chest clenched at the sensation of her skin on his, but then he felt himself immediately calm, almost unnaturally. 

“Did- Was that you?” He asked, grasping her forearm back. Ema looked up at him, then gestured to where her thumb was on his pulse.  

“Imagine it’s a circuit,” she said softly. He looked up at her as she continued to explain. “I just made it take longer to complete the circuit.”  

Complete the circuit. 

Was she telling him....? 

He'd given her so many theories, even just imagining it to be another stockpile quirk similar to One For All. She'd told him she would only explain if he got it right. He'd been close to the idea, but seemed to have danced around it. But now she was telling him outright. 

“Nothin’ against you, but.... I never told anyone but my brother what my quirk was. Well, him and one other friend. S’not the type of thing you talked about back then, but... if you figure it out, I’ll explain it.”  

“Toshitsugu?” She looked up at him, feeling how his pulse picked up slightly. But Izuku was too impressed as he finally understood what her quirk was, and he'd been the one to figure it out. With a little bit too much inflection, Izuku added on. “You’re really amazing.”  

She just stared at him, but Izuku was beginning to get used to understanding the soft little reactions she gave. Her eyes softening was equivalent to smiling, and he could feel her pulse pick up slightly as well.  

They separated to go opposite directions. Izuku had to change while Toshitsugu would return to her dorm. He wondered where that was, briefly, but decided not to pry. As he turned to leave, he heard her voice speak softly.  

“It’s a good thing.”  

But when he turned back, she was still walking away.  

Chapter Text

“Toshitsugu.”  

I turned, seeing Todoroki approaching me. My fingers raised in a lazy wave as he stood behind me in the lunch lineup.  

“Todoroki, how’s your shoulder?” I asked, remembering the hard knock he took during our last spar.  

“I’m alright. It just needed a night a rest.” He looked down at me. “How about you?”  

His voice was hesitant, like he didn’t know how to interact. I shrugged one shoulder lazily.  

“’m fine.” I said, getting my tray. My eyes raked over the food options, trying to think of what I wanted. I turned to the half and half boy. “Todoroki, what are you getting today?”  

“Soba.”  

“Huh, I’ll try that.”  

He looked confused. “Have you never had any?”  

I shrugged, ordering my meal. Todoroki ordered his as well. As we waited I looked back at him.  

“If I did, I can’t remember. Or it was crappy stuff.” I said simply. Despite being a relatively neutral guy, he somehow looked horrified. “You okay?”  

“I couldn’t imagine such a time.” He admitted. I snorted, amused.  

We took our trays, but as I made my way over to the usual place, Todoroki stopped me.  

“Would you mind eating with me? Alone? There’s just something I wanted to ask you.” He said bluntly.  

“Oh, uh, sure?” We found a place that was a bit quieter, away from the other tables. I dug into the soba, mimicking Todoroki. If he noticed, he didn’t say anything, and I enjoyed the meal. After a few moments, he spoke again.  

“I just wanted to ask how you’re adjusting.” He blurted out after a few bites. His mismatched eyes met mine. “I know it’s really none of my business, but I am curious how you’re doing.”  

“Fine.” I said quickly.  

“You don’t look like you’ve been sleeping.” He said. I shrugged.  

“Honestly? I never did sleep much.” He hummed, eyeing me with a curious look. I continued, elaborating on his silent question. “Sometimes I was just too busy, or we had a mission, or-”  

Or Psyren couldn’t force me to sleep that day.  

He observed me for a moment longer, frowning.  

“You don’t have to pretend, you know.” He said, always to the point. “You can just.... talk.”

I gave a weak laugh, a single beat with zero humour. “Everyone wants to talk to me, I’m practically famous.”  

"I guess I'm just trying not to make the same mistake as before." Todoroki said, pausing in his movements. "I didn't talk to Iida when I noticed something was wrong, and he almost died if not for you. We all almost died. So I wanted to speak up now, and be sure I said something." 

He was worried. Touching, but unnecessary. 

"I'm fine, Todoroki." I insisted, but he didn't look convinced. 

“You look tired.” He said again. My irritation waned slowly. He looked down at his soba. “I was tired too. Before.”  

“Yeah? How’d you finally rest?” I asked, wondering what sagely advice he’d have to offer. But Todoroki just shook his head.  

“Someone made me realize it was me who made myself tired.” He said cryptically. When his eyes flickered up to me, there was a hint of understanding in them. “Midoriya reached out to me, and I guess he said all the right things.”  

I raised a brow. “Is he always like that?”  

“It’s annoyingly consistent.” He admitted, though there was no bite to it. “But Midoriya is a trustworthy person, as I’m sure you’ve figured out.”  

“Yeah.... I... I guess.” I looked away, wondering where he was today. I hadn’t seen him yet. A heavy sigh left my lips as I thought about the boy. He was good, soft, but not the kind that annoyed me. He was the kind that....  

“I guess I’m just.... cold.” I said, not sure what words to use. “Been cold for a long time.”  

Without saying another word, Todoroki reached his left hand across the table. I raised a brow as he continued to eat his soba.  

“I can help you warm up. My left side creates heat and my right side ice, so if your hands are cold, you can hold my left hand for a minute.” He said in between slurps of soba. I blinked once, twice.  

“That’s not-” He was kinda strange too, but I didn’t mind it. “You’re a cool dude, Todoroki.”  

He just looked at me with a confused expression. “I just told you I can warm up or cool down. I’m actually quite thermoregulated.”  

I hung my head, sighing.  

“Do I really have to be here? I’d rather watch the exams.”  

Midnight wrote something down. “I will be heading there as well. We have time.”  

I sighed, crossing my arms, sitting back in the chair. Midnight continued to write, before looking up at me patiently. I was supposed to be observing class 1-B and seeing their exams today. Tomorrow was Class 1-A. I hadn’t met anyone from that class yet. The only people I did see were in the sports festival and even then they shined minimally.  

“Why can’t y’all just leave me alone?” I muttered, shirking back under her gaze. “I’m fine.”  

“Have you been sleeping on a regular schedule?” She asked.  

“Sure.”  

“Let me rephrase, have you been sleeping from 10pm to 6am like Recovery Girl requested?” Midnight quipped back. I closed my mouth, narrowing my eyes. “Have the pills not been helping?”  

“I hate them.” I said instantly.  

“May I ask why?” She seemed to genuinely care, which was worse. I looked at the office surrounding us, hoping to find any indicator of her true intentions. This was the hardest part, where people who wouldn’t understand were trying to solve a puzzle they’d never truly wrap their heads around.  

“’Cause I’m stuck, can’t move, can’t sleep, just.... thinking.” I grit my teeth, remembering the helpless sensation. “Hate it.”  

“That’s good to know. We can discuss with Recovery Girl about other options. If we went to the hospital we could-”  

“No.” I snapped, freezing at her suggestion. Midnight held up a hand in surrender.  

“That’s fine, Toshitsugu, it was just a suggestion.” She wrote more things down. I hated the sound of her pen scribbling. Was this chick even qualified for this?  

“Whatcha writing?” I asked. She looked up over the rim of her glasses.  

“Notes for Recovery Girl about how the meds made you feel.” She turned the clipboard to me. “Would you like to see?”  

I looked away. “It’s fine.”  

She wrote some more, making me antsy. I didn’t speak that much, what could she possibly want to write down? But the writing continued for a moment longer before her gaze returned to mine.  

“Alright, tell me, Toshitsugu, what sort of diet did you have in your era?” Midnight asked. I narrowed my eyes. Last time she tried to push me to talk about my feelings. Was this her trying a work around?  

“Whatever I could get,” I said suspiciously. “Sometimes you ate ramen, or old candy bars. Sometimes you got lucky and got some meat. Sometimes you just..... didn’t eat.”   

“Judging from what Recovery Girl said about your bloodwork, and your physical, you are underweight. She’d like to see you on a more standard diet.” Midnight said. I frowned.  

“Ain’t ya supposed to be my shrink? What’s with the hose down?” I asked, not trusting it. Midnight shook her head.  

“I am not. Unfortunately, when we took you into UA, we could not risk having a licensed therapist also attend due to exposure. It was purely to protect you from the media. But I am trained in crisis counselling and quirk counselling. Think of me more as the person who connects you to everyone else and does the tracking of your progress.” Midnight explained. I frowned, but settled a bit more.  

At least she couldn’t lock me up.  

“Toshitsugu,” she began, regaining my attention. Midnight pulled off her glasses, looking me in the eye. “This is a safe space. You will not be judged.”  

“That’s a lie.” I said quickly, surprising her. “You will judge me, even if you don’t want to, it’s already happening.”  

“Why would you think that?” She asked, neutrally. I looked between her pretty blue eyes. Far too soft, far too mischievous. There was a light in them that I couldn’t produce. A magnetism that was lost at seven years old when my father left me and Kudo on the street. 

“Your eyes.” I said simply, looking at the coffee table between us. Midnight wrote more, the sound grating in my eardrums.  

“What about my eyes bothers you?” She asked. My own flickered up to meet hers. Midnight was calm, with a smooth voice, but her eyes were always dancing. I didn’t like her eyes. They were pretty, but they were thinking. Constantly. I thought of Mirage, and how his eyes did the same. Without thinking, mine narrowed, feeling uncomfortable.  

“You won't understand." I said flatly.  

“Try me, Toshitsugu.” She said, sounding confident. I frowned, my skin feeling tight.  

“Fine, ya got soft eyes. They haven’t seen real shit.” I shifted, curling my legs closer to myself. “So how can you get what I’m saying? Y’know?” 

“I assure you, Toshitsugu, anything you say will not surprise me.” Midnight almost seemed humoured, which pissed me off even more. “Why don’t you tell me some of the things you’ve seen?” 

I thought for a moment, wondering what to say to that. Would she even understand?  

“I’m cold.” I said simply. Midnight raised a brow, slipping her glasses back on.  

“Please explain what this means to you.” She lightly encouraged. But I couldn’t.  

“You won’t understand.” I said again. She hummed, writing something down.  

“Why not?”  

“Because-” I hesitated, frowning. “Because you’ve never seen it, have you?”  

She remained quiet, looking at me over the rim of those glasses. I looked down at the floor, at a tiny crack in the corner of one of the tiles.  

“You’ve never seen something die.”  

“No, I have not.” She said, though her voice was still completely even. “Have you?”  

I scoffed. “Whatdya think?”  

 She wrote something down. It made my shoulders clench.  

“No wait-” I sat up higher, staring at her. “Don’t write that.”  

“They are simply observation notes, Toshitsugu.” She reminded me, but something felt off. My skin felt itchy.  

“Hey, stop it.” 

“It’s just observations-”  

“But if you write that weird it’ll sound bad. It’ll sound like I-”  

She paused, for the first time, her pen froze. Midnight looked up at me, really looked, then began to write something again.  

“Perhaps we should-”  

“Don’t write that shit down!” I snapped, frowning. Midoriya’s face passed through my mind as a clenching sensation gripped my lungs. “Don’t!”  

Midnight paused again, looking up at me. Her eyes were wide as I glared at her, gripping the armrests tightly in both hands.  

‘He can’t know.’ 

“I am only writing down your emotions-”  

“Bullshit. Lemme see.”  

“Toshitsugu-”  

“Lemme see!” She handed over the clipboard, almost hesitantly. I could see that most of the notes were abstract. Her handwriting was in English, likely expecting to show me and I never being able to read it. But I could figure out most of the words.  

“I can translate it for you.” She offered. I ignored most of the words, seeing a lot of question marks surrounding words like Trauma and Family, but the word that caught my attention was at the very last line. Incomplete. 

M U R D- 

“Murder.” I said quietly. She froze as my gaze lifted to her. Midnight tensed, clearing her throat. “That wasn’t- I’m not...” 

I felt like a frayed wire, my chest burned with shame, the clenching feeling of looking at Midoriya, of seeing the kindness, and knowing what kind of person I was- 

“I didn’t- I don’t-” The room was spinning, blurring at the edges. My blood hammered in my ears. “I can’t- No I didn’t-”  

“Toshitsugu-”  

“GET AWAY FROM ME!” I kicked the coffee table in front of me, sending it flying. Midnight was just a blur as I stumbled behind my chair, curling back into the corner. My fingers gripped the fabric, dragging it between us as I crouched behind it. “I-I didn’t- No I- stop- away! Get away! Kudo!”  

The room turned white, a ringing sensation burning my ears. It rang louder than my heartbeat did, blood pumping so hard I couldn’t breathe.  

“I didn’t want to.”  

“Little bitch!” He slapped me hard enough that I saw black filtering the corner of my vision. A hand grabbed my leg, dragging me back.  

“No no no!” I screamed, clawing at the ground. “Please! Stop!”  

I begged. I wailed, but then he flipped me over and slapped me again. I looked up at the controls. I just had to hit the button. That was all I had to do, and now-  

He hit me again.  

“KUDO!” I sobbed, terrified. He hit me again, and my vision went completely white for a second. He grabbed my neck, pinning me into the ground, looming over me. His eyes glanced over my body and something lurched inside of me horribly.  

'It’s you or him.’ 

“Pl...ease.” I begged.  

It fell on deaf ears, his nose curling into the side of my head to sniff. Hot, putrid breath wafted over me. I looked away. Double vision, unable to completely focus, but I saw it. Laying on the ground.  

A shard of glass from when he bashed my head against the window.  

‘It’s you or him.’  

He felt me shift, grunted, and slapped me again. I couldn’t feel anything until a grunt involuntarily left me. He’d flipped me onto my stomach; the glass was so much closer.  

‘It’s you or him.’  

I moved quickly, grabbing the glass, and wilding flailing. It caught him in the neck. He made a gurgling sound, falling backwards. I scrambled, spinning to see him panicking.  

‘It’s you or him.’ 

I lunged for the glass, pulling it out, before stabbing him again.  

‘It’s me.’ 

And again.  

‘Always gunna be me.’  

And again. 

I stopped, staring at the hole I made. My hand was covered in blood. His? Mine? I couldn’t tell. The glass shard was partially imbedded in my palm. I stared, stunned. His eyes were glassy, body unmoving. My hand went slack, the glass shard falling to the ground.  

What have you done? 

By the time I realized he was dead, his neck was no more. Bile rose in my throat as I vomited it out, shivering on the floor of the security room. In the back of my mind, I remembered my task. My fingers numbly found the button, hitting it, before I hid under the computer desk.  

Minutes later, there were footsteps. I could barely hear them over the sound of the blood coursing thrumming inside of me.  

Kudo appeared in the doorway, eyes frantic. He looked at me, immediately down on one knee to check.  

“Em, hey, hey are you hurt? Did he hurt you?”  

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!” I started crying, panicking as a sensation of dread dug deeper into my gut. “I didn’t mean it!”  

Kudo checked me over, his hands gentle against my cold face. Another set of footsteps ran into the room. Lee looked around the corner.  

“Hurry up! We only have minutes!”  

“Em’s hurt.” Kudo said simply, bandaging my hands.  

“We have to go!”  

“Bruce!” He snapped, looking up at him. Lee saw the rest of the room a moment later.  

“Kudo, we have to leave.” He said calmly.  

“She’s fourteen!” He snapped, quieting his comrade. I shivered at the yelling. Kudo scooped me into his arms. His voice so much softer for me. “It’s alright Em. You did amazing. You were so strong.”  

He held me tighter, letting out a shaky sigh.  

“I’m so sorry.” He said weakly. I buried my head into his shoulder, holding myself together by the smallest of threads. “I’m sorry.”  

I never understood why he was sorry. What did he do? I was the monster here. I was the one who did it. So why did Kudo feel responsible for it?  

“Here,” he said, wrapping me in his jacket, forcing me to my feet. “You’re freezing.”  

Right...... 

I’ve been cold ever since that day.... haven’t I? 

I blinked, staring at the tile beneath me. It wasn’t covered in blood though, confusing me.  

My head was pounding, snot wanting to fall out of my nose. I objected, trying to sniff it back in.  

“Tissue?”  

I jolted, not realizing anyone was here. I was behind a chair- when did I get here? When I peaked behind it, three teachers were there. Aizawa and Midnight were against the far wall, with Toshinori sitting in a chair on the other side of the one I hid behind.  

What?  

It all came flooding back. 

Oh no.  

I looked up at Midnight, then to Toshinori, feeling ashamed. My heart plummeted at the serious look on their faces. Toshinori held out a tissue, I hesitated before taking it, wiping my eyes and then blew my nose.  

Was this the part where they locked me up? Called me a lunatic? A villain? I waited, expecting them to have a lot to say.  

“Are you with us, Toshitsugu?” Toshinori asked. Slowly, I nodded. He looked over at the two teachers. “I’ll take it from here.”  

Aizawa and Midnight shared a look, but they did leave. A moment later, the door shut behind them.  

“Would you like to come out?” He asked, sounding so much softer than the last time we spoke. It was less commanding, more accommodating. I didn’t like it. 

“I’m not fragile.” I muttered, gritting my teeth.  

“You are.” He said bluntly. I frowned, climbing over the chair to sit in it, almost out of spite. But the act felt exposing as I realized there was no barrier between us. I shivered. “You can go back if you need.”  

“’m fine.” I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.  

“Then what happened?” He asked, regaining that familiar tone. I looked at the ground, feeling embarrassed. My eyes traveled to find glass in the room, remembering the one-way glass in that damn prison cell. “Midoriya’s not here. Would you like to see him-” 

“No.” I said too quickly, cursing myself internally. Toshinori looked surprised. I looked away. “He..... He can’t know.”  

“Can’t know what?” He asked. I felt my nails leaving crescent marks on the skin of my forearms.  

“What I am.” I said simply. Toshinori was quiet for a long time, before his voice softly spoke again.  

“And what are you, Toshitsugu?” He asked. I flinched, thinking of that moment again. The first. Of many. The one I couldn’t forget no matter how hard I tried.  

‘I’m a monster.’  

“Cold,” I offered instead. “I’ve been cold for years.”  

When I looked up at Toshinori, he held a look of understanding and sadness. My mask fractured as I sniffled. He gave me another tissue wordlessly. I took it, blowing my nose again. It was silent once more as the minutes ticked by. How long had I been in there? Locked in my own mind? Did I miss the exams? 

“Toshitsugu,” Toshinori began. “Why don’t you want him to know? Why Midoriya specifically?”  

Wasn’t it obvious? I didn’t want to admit it, but Toshinori was being awfully patient right now. I didn’t know why he was, or why Midoriya was, but some part of me felt like I shouldn’t waste his time.  

“Because he’s so.... so warm.” I admitted, feeling shy at my own words. But it was true. When Midoriya spoke to me, looked at me, even when he gently held my hand.... For a minute, I felt a flicker of warmth. It was small, almost insignificant, but it was there. Midoriya Izuku was a warm sunray in my otherwise cold world. He wasn’t lying to me when he said he wanted to help me, I doubted he could lie if he wanted to. Wearing his heart on his sleeve like he did, it was mind blowing. Who fucking does that? Midoriya did, that’s who. I just didn’t understand why he’d want to help me of all people.  

A cold bitch who’s murdered 17 people, not including collateral.  

He couldn’t know that. He couldn’t see that. I couldn’t possibly bear the thought of him looking at me with fear, or disdain, or god help me- disgust. My chest ached at the idea of the first person I knew I could trust losing that tiny thread of trust in me.  

“He can’t know.” I repeated. Toshinori looked so sad, and I still couldn’t fathom why. But he nodded.  

“I will make sure.” His words surprised me.  

“Why?” I asked, confused. “Aren’t you his mentor or somethin’?”  

His eyes widened. “Hm? What’s that?”  

“He- He acts differently when you’re there. Just you.” I said, gaining a look of surprise from him.  

“Very perceptive.” He mused, then looking a little sheepish. “But let’s not spread that around, alright?”  

I narrowed my eyes, wondering why the secrecy. “Sure. Eye for and eye, or whatever.”  

“To answer your question, I won’t tell Midoriya anything, because it’s not my place.” He looked a little more serious. “Also, because I know you’re not a bad person.”  

I tensed, leaning away. “I-”  

“Care about Midoriya enough to put value in what he thinks of you.” He cut me off. I licked my teeth, feeling uncomfortable with the idea. “It’s alright to be afraid, Toshitsugu. This world is not the one you lived in. You can rebuild.”  

With what? I have nothing.  

“But you can’t run away from what happened in your past.” He continued. I looked down, unable to meet his gaze. “You survived. And now you can learn to heal.”  

I said nothing, unable to fully form a coherent thought except for the word heal. Could I even do that? Where would I begin? How? 

“I dunno how.” I admitted. Toshinori hummed in response.  

“Neither did I.” He admitted. I looked up at him, understanding what he meant. “But that’s why I want to help you. You can never leave your past behind, but you can keep moving into your future, Toshitsugu. You can feel warm again.”  

A shuddering breath left me.  

Feel warm. 

I thought of Midoriya’s eyes, so bright in the sunlight, filled to the brim with warmth.  

“I.....” I closed my eyes, unable to say it. “You sure?” 

When I looked up, he was smiling, his eyes filled with a semblance of warmth.  

“I’m a terrible person.” I tried to warn him. But Toshinori didn’t look bothered.  

“I believe in you, Toshitsugu.” My eyes widened, my entire body shirking back at the tone of his voice. My eyes darted to the floor, reminding myself that there was nothing there. No blood, no damage.  

I couldn’t voice it, so I nodded, slowly, uncertainly. At the very least, I could try.  

“Deku!” Ochaco called out to the green-haired boy. Deku turned to looked at her, smiling. “Are you going to watch the matches?”  

“Yeah! It’s the only time we ever really get to see each other fight. Plus.... well, I doubt Kacchan will talk strategy with me.” Deku sighed. Ochaco understood, pointing to the windows where Aoyama was busy checking himself out.  

“My partner also doesn’t want to talk strategy.” She teased. Deku gave Aoyama a little side eye.  

“You don’t say.”  

They entered the monitoring room, seeing two people seated already. Recovery Girl was in one chair, swatting at the other occupant.  

“Don’t eat over the monitors!” She scolded. Toshitsugu sat in the other, leaning away with a bowl of food in her hand.  

“I’m bein’ careful.” She assured lazily. Ochaco felt her stomach drop when Deku immediately perked up. She watched him march over with a beaming smile.  

“Toshitsugu!” He greeted. The girl looked over at him, and Ochaco had to do a double take. 

Toshitsugu usually looked a bit tired. Sometimes she looked completely dazed and checked out, but today she looked dreadful. Her eyes were rimmed red and puffy; her skin looked horribly pale. It was as if she hadn’t slept in days.  

“Hiya, Freckles.” She greeted softly, not changing her pattern at all. She always seemed to soften up when Deku was near, not that Ochaco would know any better since she only saw her if Deku was around. Ochaco could understand that. Deku had that kind personality that drew people in.  

“Whoa, are you alright?” He asked, standing beside Toshitsugu to see her better. “Have you not slept?”  

She opened her mouth to speak, but then hesitated. Ochaco watched, curious about their relationship dynamic. She knew Deku was kind, and knew that he would ask anyone about that sort of thing. It felt like a normal thing to see. Toshitsugu closed her mouth for a second, hesitating, then spoke.  

“I hate math.” She deadpanned. Deku paused, his smile waning for a beat, before he gave a short laugh.  

“I don’t think anyone likes it.” He said. Ochaco came to stand next to him.  

“Maybe Iida.” She joked. Deku hummed in agreement, but when Ochaco turned to ask him something, she could see him watching Toshitsugu out of the corner of his eye. She paused, watching the concern knit into his brow. Ochaco's eyes dropped to the bowl of snacks in her lap. “Why all the food, Toshitsugu?”  

The ginger blinked, then turned to look at her, then down to the bowl of snacks.  

“I kinda suck at eatin’ good food, so she’s making me eat what she gives me.” She said, throwing a thumb in the direction of Recovery Girl. It was a strange thing to say, why would Recovery Girl be in charge of that?  

Wait- she had been sick, right? Ochaco wasn’t about to pry into why or what kind of sick, but clearly Toshitsugu struggled to take care of herself. She could understand the worry Deku had now, if the other girl was in need of a friend.  

Still, there was a sinking feeling in her gut whenever he mentioned her in class. She’d assumed Toshitsugu was just a new person, someone he was helping out, but it was more than that. She was extremely talented. She did well against the group of them, making Todoroki seem like a novice; while looking like she was having fun.  

Ochaco felt even dumber when these thoughts didn’t leave her head during her own exam. It was the center of her focus and so painfully obvious that even Aoyama noticed.  

“Do you like him? Midoriya Izuku?”  

She wanted to curl into the ground and ever return. Maybe switch schools. In a different country. No stop Ochaco, that would be dumb. It’s fine.  

So when she returned to find Tsu in the monitoring room, she was mortified when she asked, “what was Aoyama talking to you about? You looked pretty upset.”  

Ochaco wished her quirk would take her as far as outer space, thinking Deku was just over there, able to hear.  

Her heart sank, however, when she saw him talking with Toshitsugu. He was writing in his notebook, frantically taking notes, lapping at every word she said.  

Ochaco felt herself wilt a little, something Tsu noticed. The frog girl leaned in, whispering in her ear.  

“They’re talking about you, ribbit.” Tsu said. Ochaco felt her cheeks tint, watching to realize that Deku wasn’t writing notes, but reading them out. “He’s explaining your quirk to Toshitsugu.”  

Ochaco didn’t know why, but it made her heart flip a little, seeing Deku knew so much about her.  

“Dunno if I’d have the balls to do that.” Toshitsugu said, something Deku nodded vigorously to.  

“Uraraka’s always been really brave.” He agreed, catching sight of her finally. “Ah, Uraraka! Good job!”  

She felt a bit more welcome, even if he did go back to speaking with Toshitsugu. A small smile played at her lips as she turned to speak with Iida and Yaoyorozu.  

Soon it was Deku’s turn to go for his match. He looked nervous, and Ochaco didn’t blame him. His opponent was All Might and partner Bakugo. This couldn’t have turned out worse for him.  

“I.... I should go...” He sounded so worried. Ochaco turned to him, giving him a big smile.  

“You can do it!” She encouraged. Their friends said the same thing. Deku gave a queasy smile.  

“Hey, Freckles.”  

Deku paused, looking over at Toshitsugu. She looked at him, and Ochaco watched in real time as her eyes softened for him. Her heart sank.  

“He’s just a guy,” she began, surprising her and her classmates. But Toshitsugu and Deku were only looking at each other. “If you ever want to stand up top, you can’t think he’s anything other than a man in spandex.”  

“But- All Might is....”  

“A guy,” she reminded him sternly. Then her voice grew softer. “Admiration is the furthest from understanding.”  

Something seemed to click in Deku’s head then; his eyes widened a fraction. She turned back to the screen.  

“You’ll win.” She declared, sounding so much more at ease than he did. Ochaco noticed how Deku stood a little bit taller; his face was more serious.  

“Right,” he took a breath, trying to look collected as he turned from Toshitsugu. His eyes were fixed on the door. “I’ll be back soon.”  

He left, and Ochaco looked over at Toshitsugu, but Iida was the one to speak up.  

“That was an inspiring pep talk.” The boy said.  

“Saw it in a tv show as a kid.” She said indifferently, not really sparing them much attention. Her gaze was fixed on Deku’s match, even if he wasn’t in it yet.  

Ochaco bit the inside of her mouth, preventing herself from bugging the girl too much. But she watched Toshitsugu watch Deku and Bakugo fight. She couldn’t tell what the girl was thinking, but her eyes never wandered far from Deku on the screen.  

When they won, even that reaction was muted, but Ochaco could never miss the way her eyes softened as the monitor zoomed in on Izuku’s tired face.  

She didn’t like it, not at all.