Chapter 11: Lose

Endo walked with the rest of his class into Midoriya's hospital room, "Oh hey guys! Is everyone here?"

Endo saw that his eyes were wide and unfocused, he was probably still jacked up on painkillers. "No Jiro and Hagakure are still unconscious from the gas and… Yaoyorozu is still in bed with her head injury." Kirishima laid a hand on his friend's shoulder, he knew that Endo felt guilty about her getting hurt. "I had the most advanced armor on the planet and I still couldn't stop that thing."

"But other than those three, we are all here."

Uraraka muttered nervously, "Fifteen of us."

"Because Bakugo's not here." Todoroki declared in that blunt way of his.

Endo could see Midoriya's eyes clear a bit. Then they began to water, "All Might told me that there would be people I couldn't save, that he always just saved those he could reach. I could reach him, but my body wouldn't move… it was all I could do to save Kota. I couldn't save someone right in front of me." Tears began to truly fall from his eyes.

Kirishima stepped forwards, "Then let's save him this time."

Endo looked over at him dubiously, "What?"

"Todoroki and I were actually here yesterday and on our way to your room, we overheard Yaoyorozu talk to All Might about attaching a tracking device to a Nomu." Kirishima looked over at Endo, "Did you know?"

Endo shook his head, "I know Awase attached something to it, but I was still healing in a bush, I couldn't see it."

Iida became serious, "Does this mean you're going to ask Yaoyorozu to make another receiver?"

Todoroki nodded, "Or ask Endo to track it himself… if he can."

"Even if I could… I wouldn't." Endo looked down, "I can't condone it."

"I agree! This is something for the pros!" Iida barked at Kirishima. "This is no time to act you, idiots!"

"I know that! But… my friend… he was targeted and I couldn't do anything… I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! Endo saved a dozen people that night, he and Midoriya let their bones break to save others! If I can't do this now I'll never be a hero or a man." He turned to Midoriya, "Your arms can still reach for him."

"Kirishima, man I understand your frustration… I nearly wasn't able to stop that monster in time to save Yaoyorozu or Awase… I never would've been able to live with myself if I hadn't managed it, but they took Bakugo, he's still alive I bet. You should just leave it to the pros, they know everything we do and more."

Aoyama spoke up quietly, "Endo's right, let's just leave this to All Might, besides Aizawa's permission to fight has expired."

Tokoyami nodded, his beak bobbing up and down, "Aoyama's right. Although I can't say much since I was the one who needed rescuing."

"But…" Suddenly the door slid open, interrupting Kirishima.

A doctor holding a clipboard was standing there, "Sorry, but it's time for Midoriya's exam."

Everyone made their excuses, leaving to check on other classmates, but as Endo and Iida were leaving, they heard Kirishima, "If we're doing this, we're doing it tonight, out front the hospital."

"You're not doing it are you?" Endo had silently entered Yaoyorozu's room as she was packing a bag.

"I… I have to… for them."

"No, you don't, this is why the pros exist, leave it to them." He shook his head, "In fact, you're the only reason they have this info, you've done enough."

"Endo, thank you for saving me." She walked past him pushing into the halls as he followed her outside to the brightly lit courtyard. Midoriya followed close behind Endo.

"This isn't smart. Think Yaoyorozu, what will you do when you find him? You can't legally fight your way to him." He looked up to see Kirishima alongside Todoroki.

The red-haired teen put a hand on Endo's shoulder, "I know you and him aren't the best of friends, but you have to understand why we're doing this."

"I do! I understand why you're doing this, no one deserves to be kidnapped by villains, but there are times and places for heroics, and you aren't qualified." He scowled, "How are you going to defend yourselves?! Answer me truthfully! Say that guy with the fire quirk rushed you right this second, what would you do?!"

They all looked down, "We have to go. We're sorry."

"Why did it have to be you two?" Iida revealed himself, he was waiting for them apparently, "Why did it have to be you two who saved me in Hosu, who were granted asylum with me? UA's already in a bad position, we can't just do whatever we want!"

Midoriya approached him, "Iida, it's not like that. We don't think it's just ok to break the rules eithe-"

Iida clocked Midoriya right in the face, "I'm frustrated too, and worried. You are my friends, all of you, the whole class! I care for every one of you… how do you think I felt when I saw your broken body in bed? All I could imagine was my brother! Paralyzed in a wheelchair for life!"

Endo's eyes widened, he hadn't heard about that part. Kirishima continued regardless, "We aren't going to fight them head-on. We know that's a death sentence, we'll extract him without fighting."

Yaoyorozu nodded, "I trust Todoroki, that's why I'm going, but I'll also be there to pull them out should it go too far."

Iida sighed, "Then if there's no way to change your mind, I will accompany you, to assure your safety."

Kirishima looked back at Endo, "So how about it bro? You willing to help us?"

Endo cursed under his breath and swung off his backpack, crouching over it on the ground. He pulled out a cylinder with a silvery substance on it and expelled the current Nanobots from his body, he jammed the cylinder against his arm, expelling the contents into his body. He was breathing heavily as Synapse spread back, "If… there's no way to… stop you… then you need… someone who can fight." He stood, fully integrated with the bots and pushed the old ones into the cylinder.

"What do you mean? None of us can fight."

Endo began moving Synapse around to make sure it was functioning properly, "After I-Island I reached back out to my government contacts and I just got permission to use Synapse to fight in extreme cases… you know for self-defense. After the camp happened, they approved it right away."

"So let me get this straight… you can fight, and you still refused to rescue Bakugo?"

Before Kirishima could continue Endo stopped him, "It was not cowardice or hatred that made me try and turn you away from this goal. It was you guys… I-I can't lose you because you went to rescue Katsuki fucking Bakugo." He looked down, "You're the best friends I've ever had, so that's why I'm willing to go."

The train ride was mostly silent, just discussing the plan of action and where to go right after the train stopped in Camino ward. Endo sat across from Iida who quietly began talking to him, as the others were occupied with their own conversation, "I must say, I'm not ok with any fighting at all."

"Iida you have to admit, fighting is almost required if we're going to get Bakugo out. Someone needs to cover our asses."

He frowned, "And you're sure you want to be that someone?"

"Like I said… no choice."

"Alright, where are they Yaoyorozu?! Let's get em!" Kirishima began to run off.

Yaoyorozu called after him, "Wait! From here on out we must proceed with caution. Remember, the villains know what we look like."

Suddenly Endo began to change, his muscles shrunk back to normal size, a scar appeared on his face, his black shaggy hair turned short and blonde, his bright blue eyes turned black, and he grew in size. He smiled at their expressions, his voice was now much deeper, "I've been learning how to change myself aesthetically for situations just like this. Unfortunately, I can't do the same for you guys."

"Then, I may have an idea." Yaoyorozu embarrassedly pointed at a thrift store.

Everyone else got elaborate disguises, but Endo just grabbed clothes that fit his new size better. It was honestly hard not to laugh out loud when Iida screamed how a lady had a huge rack. Midoriya was trying to act like a gangster, and everyone else was basically themselves. "Hey look it's UA!"

Endo froze at the voice, instinctively forming a dagger in his hands, but it disappeared back into him as he realized it was just a large screen above them with the UA teachers on it. "This is a clip from earlier today at the conference with UA's apology."

"We are deeply truly sorry for our unpreparedness in the face of the villain's attack, and for the twenty-seven first years injured in the attack." Aizawa surprisingly looked rather dressed up for the conference, suit, tie, and he had his hair slicked back.

"How do you plan to protect students in the future?"

"We are making every effort to further police and protect the school and our students."

In the crowd, everyone began to criticize the responses, "Schools have been attacked before, but never defeated like this! What a joke!"

Todoroki gestured to his friends, "Let's get out of here."

"I don't like this." Endo stared at the apparent hideout, "It seems too obvious, too many entrances."

"Like it or not, this is where the tracker says the villain has been for the past few days." Yaoyorozu peeked back around the corner, "This may not even be the main hideout, or where Bakugo is for that matter."

"We still have to check it out though."

Endo held out his hand, a clump of Synapse appeared, "They can go check it out."

Kirishima grabbed his hand, "Wait, there could be motions sensors, or something else."

The technopath shook his head, "I don't feel any." The Nanobots went around the building, sneaking through several openings.

"See anything?"

"No, I'm an idiot, I forgot to integrate night vision into this version." Endo looked around, his face a bright red, "Sorry, my bad."

"Then maybe we can sneak through that alley right there." Kirishima pointed at a tiny opening in between buildings.

"I feel like I'm gonna get stuck here." Yaoyorozu was just in front of Endo, who was at the back of the pack.

"Keep going, I think it opens up in a little."

Thankfully it did just that right beneath a window, Endo lifted up Kirishima and Midoriya, the former of which had a night vision device. His friend flinched backward, "Back corner… far right."

As Midoriya took the goggles and peered into the room, he breathed out in fear, "Nomu…"

Endo whipped his head back and forth, scanning the alleyway, "Do you see Bakugo?"

"No… in fact, I don't see anyone." Endo set Midoriya down.

"Then this is over, we leave now."

Kirishima clenched his fists, "Sorry Bakugo."

Endo began to edge out of the alley but was stopped as a truck was lifted into the air by a large purple foot. "Shit, the heroes are here."

The truck crashed through the building, smashing off the roof. The concussive winds buffeted the teens, pushing them up against the walls. Endo used Synapse to look over the wall, he saw a bunch of pros, even some of the very top, alongside a veritable army of SWAT agents.

Then as the heroes were securing the Nomu, the sound of shoes could be heard hitting the floor. "I'm very sorry Tiger, but Ragdoll's quirk was just too useful, I had to take it." A shout could then be heard, followed by a huge explosion.

Endo used Synapse to surround his friends as best he could without giving away their location. When the explosion died down Endo heard a slow clapping. "Oh ho ho ho… well done Best Jeanist, you managed to save everyone. That quirk of yours is quite powerful, unfortunately, it requires a bit too much focus. Therefore you are expendable." A loud grunt of pain could be heard and all six of the students pressed themselves up against the broken wall in fear.

Endo formed a katana in his hand, ready to attack should they be found. Then coughing could be heard, and a liquid sound filled the air. "Ahh young Bakugo, so nice of you to join us." The voice was deep and chilling, but also somewhat mechanical.

Everyone looked at each other, Bakugo was here? Nanobots peeked over the walls, giving Endo a haunting image of a man who exuded dread. He was wearing a normal black business suit, but in place of a normal face, there was a black mask, with dozens of tubes and wires feeding into it. Worse still, all of the league of villains, from what Endo knew, were there. "You failed again Tomura, huh?" More footsteps could be heard, "But do not be discouraged, I brought back your associates, even this child, who you judged as an important piece. Do it over as many times as you need… it is all for you."

"If I jump out now, could I keep them all busy? Two are unconscious, but then there's that new guy." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Midoriya and Todoroki try to take a step forwards, but Iida grabbed them, making a hasty move now would mean the death of them all.

"You're here after all… aren't you?"

All six sets of eyes widened in fear. They had been found, or so they thought, and Endo realized that there was hope, as All Might flew from the sky, impacting with the masked man. The villain caught him easily and the hero shouted at him, "I'll have you return everything you took All for One!"

The two began to trade blows, with All for One, as he was apparently called, holding the upper hand. As he sent All Might flying away, he dug some sort of red and black tendrils into the black mist that was the warp villain. "Forcible quirk activation!" A warp gate appeared suddenly, "Go Tomura, continue this for me."

One of the villains grabbed his two unconscious teammates, turning them into small pearls, "Grab the kid Tomura, let's go while we can!"

Bakugo smirked with his usual cockiness, "What a pain."

While the sounds of battle got louder Midoriya pulled everyone aside, "I have a plan, a way to save Kacchan, without breaking the law. But… it all rests on Kirishima."

"You sure you don't want my jetpack to help you guys?" Endo was busy trying to hook up a manual propulsion system to Kirishima, it would have to work off a button since Endo would be busy.

"We need you here to protect them." Iida pointed at Yaoyorozu and Todoroki. "We should be going fast enough to escape, so they need as much defense as possible."

Endo nodded, "Good luck."

Kirishima hardened and pressed the button, Midoriya pushed off the wall behind him, and Iida used his engines. They went rocketing through the semi-broken wall in front of them as Todoroki created a large ice ramp for them to launch off of. Everyone looked up at them as the battle slowed, and Kirishima called to Bakugo, reaching out his hand, "COME ON!"

With a roar to rival a jet engine, Bakugo shot off the ground, flying up to his one friend and taking his hand, "You idiots!"

At the same time, Endo began ushering away his two classmates, "We need to go now."

"Oh, but you're so adorable, I don't think any of you can go anywhere." A girl in a school uniform stared at them with rosy cheeks and a too wide smile.

Endo shoved his friends to run and formed two daggers in his hands while his armor coalesced on his body. At the end of the alley, however, a man wearing a black and gray bodysuit appeared, "We won't let you escape!" He paused for a second, "Please go right on your way." He took a bow, almost gesturing for them to run.

"We'll take you up on that offer!" Endo shot forwards, kicking the villain midair with the assist of his armor. He landed on both feet as more villains began to appear, "Run!" The two daggers turned to swords and he hovered just off the ground, "Synapse let me know when they are at a safe distance."

"Confirmed."

The schoolgirl threw a knife at him, which bounced harmlessly off his silvery armor. Endo sent out a pillar of Synapse, locking her against the ground. Just as he finished the move two lizard-like men jumped on him, pinning him to the ground, but Endo exploded with Nanobots, flowing off every corner of his body they repelled the two twins. "They are clear."

Endo took off into the sky, not intending to stay any longer. Just as he was about to level out, he was jerked to a stop. He saw a faint blue aura around his body as he was dragged slowly back to the ground, "Synapse do something!"

"Adapting."

Dozens of Synapse pillars slammed into the ground, trying to push him back into the air, but the pull was too strong and his leg was dragged right into Tomura's grip, "This is gonna hurt little hero."

Later on in life, when people asked him what it felt like to bear witness to Tomura's touch and survive, he had a tough time recalling how it felt or putting it into words. At first, there was no pain, in fact, it felt almost peaceful, like your body mixing with warm sand, but as the disintegration traveled up his leg and the nerves finally told his brain what was happening, everything went into overdrive. "Adaption complete"

Synapse suddenly reversed the magnetic pull of the villains and took Endo back into the sky as his host passed into unconsciousness for the first time in a while. The shock and pain had been too much.

Endo dreamed of towering monsters, filled with glowing red blood, of beings that controlled the universe, and he dreamed of a longing that was not his own. Synapse had understood the trauma his host had gone through and as such let him rest for a while.

His blurry sleep filled eyes opened to a room full of worried and guilty faces. All five of his friends simultaneously noticed his alertness, rushing to his bedside. Kirishima put a hand on his shoulder, tears filling his eyes, "Endo I'm… so sorry… there was nothing they could do."

Endo took his sadness and anger and buried it, there would be a place for it later. He smiled kindly at the faces around him, "I know, it's ok, I know."

Kirishima truly broke down, "No it's not ok! I should've been there, or you should've taken one of our places."

"I'm sorry, I froze up and couldn't fight."

"I should've just told you to come with us."

"I listened to the law, but I knew it wasn't right, I'm sorry."

"There was another way and I didn't see it, it's all my fault."

Endo was becoming overwhelmed with all the voices at once, "Guys… stop… stop… STOP!" His voice echoed for a few seconds in the small hospital room. "You can't do that to yourselves."

"But it's our fault!"

"Kirishima, I told you about the trouble I had in middle school, bullies and such. But I wasn't the only one, in fact, one of my friends had it worse. He endured it for the first year before the bully told him to jump off a building… and… and he did just that." Endo wiped away his tears, "I was so angry at myself for not being strong enough to stand up for him." He looked at Yaoyorozu, "You once asked me why a hero, that's why, to be strong enough to protect the ones I care for. The guilt eats you up inside, you can't let it, because it wasn't your fault… it was my choice to hold them off, and it was the attack of a mad man that caused me to lose my leg, not you guys." Synapse appeared in his hand, "Besides, I'm sure I can figure something out with these guys. I'm not as bad off as I could be."

Yaoyorozu, Kirishima, and Midoriya lunged forwards tightly hugging him and crying all the while. He began to feel smothered by their embrace but didn't push them away, they had seen some pretty awful things themselves.

The injury itself wasn't bad at all, Synapse had immediately sealed the open wound after escaping the villain's grasp. No the worst part, was returning home, Synapse had flown him to his house soon after the hospital discharged him. His father had dragged him inside, set him up with crutches, and proceeded to berate his ears off. After that, he broke down, the scolding and parenting over, he was just a man worried for his child. His mother had arrived in a similar fashion, berating Endo, and then crying over him. It was a roller coaster of emotions for sure, but the bigger surprise came two days later when Aizawa showed up at his front door.

"So you want to move our son into dorms?" Akinari looked at his son, "Despite his… injury?"

Aizawa lifted his head, "Yes, from what I understand, those things inside him are capable of many things, I will give him the chance to recover, with all the help he needs from our workshops and its materials."

"Can you guarantee he would be safer there than here?" His mother straightened her back, both of Endo's parents were quirkless, but he knew they would defend him to their last breath.

"The school is just a five-minute walk from the dorms, and we will have constant surveillance on the buildings. Furthermore, there will be a curfew." He glared at Endo, "So no more excursions like that night." Aizawa paused to gather his words, "While what you did, and the reasons for it were brave and well-intentioned, your actions were stupid, and your injury is no one's fault but your own, I hope you understand that."

Endo nodded solemnly, "I do."

Aizawa replied with a nod of his own, "Do you permit Endo to continue to learn and grow under our care?"

The mother and father of the technopath shared a glance, as if mentally exchanging words, finally Akinari spoke, "If it is what he desires, then yes, we permit it."

Aizawa stood before the twenty students, directly in front of the new brick and mortar building that would house them. "I'll explain the dorms shortly, but first this is important. Yaoyorozu, Midoriya, Iida, Kirishima, Endo, and Todoroki." Endo shifted uncomfortably on his crutches, Aizawa had told everyone to wait and ask him about it after they had settled in, "These six went to rescue Bakugo that night." Everyone looked around as if trying to avoid the teachers gaze, "Your reactions tell me you were at least aware of it. I'm going to set aside a number of issues and just say this. If not for All Might's retirement I would've expelled everyone, but Jiro, Hagakure, and Bakugo. Of course, the ssix that went, but also the eleven that said nothing. You betrayed the trust between teacher and student, I would appreciate if you worked hard to regain that trust." He took a deep breath and turned around, "That's all, let's go inside. Come on, put some vigor in it."

Obviously, no one was any more energetic than their teacher after such a speech. Seeing the discord he was at least partially responsible for, Bakugo grabbed Kamiari by the scruff of his neck, "Wait! What are you… AHHH!" Electric discharge could be seen from behind the bushes. Seconds later the electric user popped his head out, pumping his fist back and forth, a dumb grin plastered on his face.

Everyone began to cheer up at seeing the expression, particularly Jiro, who nearly fell over with laughter. While everyone was distracted Bakugo handed Kirishima money for the night vision goggles he had bought and then proceeded to face Endo, he glanced down at the missing appendage, grunted, and walked away. "What… just happened?"

"All right everyone, let's check out the dorms." They walked into a spacious open common room, with plenty of windows to the beautifully manicured lawn, couches, a tv, tables, everything they needed to relax as a class. "Each dorm student building holds one class, girls right, boys left. The first floor is a common room, food, baths, and laundry are on this floor."

Mineta practically began drooling, "Doth my ears deceive me? Baths are located on the same floor?"

Aizawa glared at the purple midget, "They're separated by gender, and you'll behave yourself." He quickly showed them inside an undecorated room, "Everyone gets their own and the stuff that you sent ahead is all ready for you to move in here. I'll tell everyone more about dorm life later, but for now, dismissed." He began walking away, "Oh, and assist Endo when necessary."

"Well everyone, let's get started unpacking!" Yaoyorozu hopped away to grab her stuff. Endo shaking his head and hobbling after her laughing at her enthusiasm.

When Endo got to his boxes Iida appeared behind him, "Endo! I will not allow you to do this yourself!" He began loading up on as many boxes as possible, but in a moment of rare clumsiness, several of the containers started to slip, and then fall.

But thankfully, they stopped midair, "Thanks Iida, but for the sake of my things, I'll let Synapse take it from here." He smiled, "I'm not helpless yet."

Endo was laying on the couch by the time Kirishima and everyone else had finished. Thanks to Synapse, his room had gone the quickest. Tokoyami, always the straightforward one, similar to Todoroki, just a bit more talkative, had questioned the leg, "How will you continue with such an injury?"

"Synapse is very flexible, I'm hoping I can figure something out."

Kaminari moved on to lighter topics, "The events leading to it weren't too great, but it's kinda cool to be living together now, ya know?"

"Hey, boys! You all done with your rooms?"

"Yup just relaxing."

Mina jumped up and down, "Great! Cause we were kinda antsy and had an idea… let's have a room contest."

Immediately Tokoyami and Midoriya were against it, but the girls didn't want to hear it and broke into both the rooms. Midoriya's was basically a shrine to All Might himself, but now knowing the importance All Might held in his life after I-Island it made a lot more sense to Endo.

Tokoyami's and Aoyama's were shrines to opposing ideas, light, and darkness. One made you blind and the next you could barely survive in the room without cutting yourself there was so much edge.

After his perverted schemes, no girls had any interest in seeing Mineta's room, so next, it was Endo's turn, "Just don't expect much." He opened his door with one hand to reveal his personal space. The desk was the main attraction, it held a beast of a computer, with a three-screened monitor to boot, a keyboard and mouse sat there unnecessarily, alongside a veritable host of tech gadgets. His bed had octogonal bedsheets, and the weirdest part of the room was.

"Soundproofing? Do you play instruments?" Mina suddenly beamed with excitement, "Or better yet, do you sing?!"

Endo scratched the back of his neck, "No, although I'm sure Synapse could influence my body and voice to be perfect during a song, but no I don't. The real reason is that I don't sleep anymore, so I figured it would be common courtesy to put these in place just to make sure I don't wake anyone."

The rest of the rooms were quite varied, from Ojiro's spacious and normal, to Yaoyorozu's, cramped and fancy, to Iida's straight-laced and OCD organized.

"Alright, has everyone voted?" Mina held a box with slips of paper. Everyone except Bakugo and Asui, who were absent nodded in affirmative. "With an overwhelming five votes, the winner is Rikido Sato."

Everyone exclaimed their surprise, while Endo just shrugged, he hadn't expected to win anyways but was a little surprised when all the girls admitted they had voted for him after trying his delicious cake. Several of the boys began to yell at Sato for bribing the girls and while that commotion was happening, no one noticed a new person enter the room just behind Endo.

She put her hands over Endo's eyes and whispered almost seductively in his ear, her warm breath caressing it, "Hi Reiji."

Well, sorry this chapter took a little longer to get out. College started back up and it isn't too fun with two night classes and two morning classes immediately following it. Hope it was good, it's pretty obvious who the girl is if you've read this far, but I wanted to end the chapter there. So thanks for reading and leave a comment or review about what you think so far.