Kirishima was the first to reach his feet, "COME ON GUYS, WE CAN'T WAIT AROUND".

After about 10 minutes, everyone was up and ready to move. They began traveling through the forest, each minute feeling like hours.

"How much farther Trace", Kaminari asked, tiredly.

"I don't know, but we need to keep moving", Trace said back.

A rumbling in the woods caused everyone to stop. The rumbling drew closer with every passing second. Trace began searching around, trying to find the cause of the rumbling. Trace had wandered quite far as when he turned around, his friends were gone. He began panicking as the rumbling was basically on top of him. He began running toward where he thought his friends were at, only to be smacked by a giant earth creature. Trace kept flying, flying through trees. Eventually Trace stopped against a tree that didn't break.

Everything was dark, but he had to get up. He managed to get his feet below him, he began walking in a random direction, hoping to find them. He needed to find his friends. He got 5 feet before getting sent flying by another earth creature. It was a cycle. Get sent flying, stand up, begin walking in a random direction. He kept trying to stand, he needed to find them.

He looked around to see one the earth creatures standing there, ready to strike. Trace looked to his left arm. He started putting a huge amount of power into it, he couldn't use his full power but he could at least knock it back. The creature charged with immense speed. Trace had 3 seconds to attack. He began swinging his arm forward, planning to meet the beast halfway. The beast was practically on top of him, He hit the beast, square in the face, but didn't even crack it. The beast swung it's arm straight into Trace, but he managed to get a barrier up, the beast broke through almost instantly, Trace was in so much pain. He couldn't even move. Djinn was silent, unable to assist without losing control. All Trace could do is watch as the creature swung again, sending him crashing through the woods. He slid for what felt like ages. Eventually he stopped but by then, he was practically out cold. He rose to his feet and tried to continue searching for his friends.

(Mandalay)

She looked down to a watch on her arm. An hour has passed. To be honest, they didn't expect a single one of them to reach the cabins in 2 hours. They were still gonna feed them for the first night, but they wanted to try to encourage speed from the kids. Mandalay was about to head inside when she heard rustling coming from the forest ahead of her. She watched in horror as Trace came flying in front of the cabin, stopping short of their feet. Blood was coming from his head, his mouth, and from his legs. She watched in horror as He got up, and began hobbling back toward the forest. Her, Tiger, and Ragdoll ran up to the kid.

Tiger grabbed the kid by his arm and yelled out, "you are injured young one, you need to rest".

Mandalay watched in horror as Trace started pulling against Tiger, screaming out, "I NEED TO HELP THEM, I CAN'T SIT AROUND WHILE MY FRIENDS ARE IN DANGER". Trace continued pulling against Tiger's grip. A sickening crack came from Trace's arm. Tiger heard the crack, let go of his arm and switched to bringing Trace to his knees and holding his shoulders, keeping the boy down.

(Trace)

Trace continued thrashing against Tiger, bent on finding his friends. He could barely walk and he was weakened, but he couldn't just stand by, he needed to find them. Trace began sobbing, "PLEASE, LET ME GO".

Tiger, though pained to see this kid in pain, was adamant on keeping Trace where he was.

Ragdoll, seeing his pain bent down to his level and wiped his face with a handkerchief. Trace was shaking uncontrollably. Ragdoll didn't know what to do. She saw his pain but didn't know how to help. She stared at him, trying to think of a way to help. She eventually saw his wolf ears, down in sadness. She reached a hand up and began rubbing his ears. "Maybe this will help".

Trace became wide-eyed at the contact. It was a nice feeling, but he needed to help them. He was about to pull away from Ragdoll's hand when she said, "it's gonna be okay, your friends are easily beating those creatures, they'll be here any minute now".

Ragdoll continued whispering reassurances to him as she rubbed his ears. Ragdoll needed to calm him enough so he wouldn't hurt himself further.

Mandalay came up and gave Trace a warm smile. "They're going to be alright, if you got here in an hour, they should be here soon". Trace started thrashing less and less. Mandalay began rubbing his other ear, following Ragdoll's lead. Eventually, Trace accepted their words, purring heavily. Tiger released Trace from his grip, but he didn't move. He was finally calm enough to understand the situation. He was injured, he shouldn't go out there. He closed his eyes, and passed out into Ragdoll's embrace.

Ragdoll held him closely, trying to keep him calm as possible.

"How did you know how to calm him down?" Mandalay asked, confused.

Ragdoll shrugged before saying, "he was part wolf and I knew how to calm wolves down, so I hoped it would be the same deal". Ragdoll looked down at the kid in her arms. "So what should we do about him".

Mandalay pondered this for a second before saying, "take him to his room, he needs to rest for now".

Ragdoll nodded before running to one of two big cabins. Once inside, Ragdoll went to where the boys would be sleeping at, and put Trace on one of the beds. After a few seconds, she walked out of the room, leaving Trace alone for now.

(7 hours later)

The other students came out of the woods, battered, bruised, tired, but mostly worried for their friend. Trace had just disappeared. They had searched for countless hours, but couldn't find him.

Pixie-bob had done a head count to make sure everyone was present (besides Trace for obvious reasons). Once she was sure everyone was present, she began telling them, "Well done everyone, to be honest, we gave you the time it would take us to get here, we wanted to see how fast you would make it here".

Mina looked at them with worry overpowering her voice. "That's fine and dandy and all, but where is Trace? we got separated from him when the creatures attacked".

As if on cue, Trace walked through the front door, bandages covering his head and legs.Ragdoll immediately got on Trace, telling him he shouldn't be putting pressure on his legs until he has healed.

"Apologies Ragdoll, but I was worried about my friends", Trace had a slight blush on his face.

"Trace, you're injured, you should be focused on healing so you can be at 100% for your friends", Ragdoll lifted Trace from his feet and carried him back toward the boys cabin.

Everyone sat there confused, some wondering how Trace got there so fast, some wondering if something happened between him and Ragdoll, some wondering how Trace was injured so badly compared to them. Or in Mineta's case, he was wondering how Trace scored Ragdoll, but we don't apeak of this.

Mandalay quickly explained, "He got here quicker than even we could have, He was bloodied and bruised but was adamant on searching for you guys, He tried to go back into the woods, but he could barely stand on his own two feet, so we escorted him to his room and made him get rest, so please be gentle with him until he has fully recovered".

Pixie-bob raised a hand to get everyone's attention. "We have food waiting for you all, and you can use the hot springs to bathe if needed".

Everyone began heading to the lunch room, most hungry enough for thirds instead of seconds. Ragdoll had grabbed a bowl of stew for Trace. She began taking it to Trace when Mina stopped her.

"Is Trace okay", Mina was worried for him, she didn't want him to over exert himself.

Ragdoll smiled warmly at Mina, "he'll be okay, he seems like a fighter". Ragdoll was about to continue walking when Mina continued.

"I know he's a fighter, but he's still my boyfriend, I don't want to see him hurt", Mina was in pain.

Ragdoll could feel her pain, she walked over to Mina and put a hand on her shoulder, "I saw how he did in the sports festival, if he could force endeavor to yield, he can handle some slight injuries, so don't worry too much about it". Ragdoll walked away, leaving Mina with those positives.

After a few minutes, Ragdoll got to the room Trace was in. it was big enough to comfortably hold 20 people at max. Trace was on the bed closest to the door so he could be checked on easier. Ragdoll took the stew to Trace, but he put a hand up.

"I'm okay", Trace put a smile to try to show he was fine, but the plan ended with Ragdoll's next sentence.

"From what your friends said, you hadn't eaten in the last 5 days, you need to eat something bud", Ragdoll set the bowl on a night stand before sitting at the leg of the bed. "Look, I don't know if something happened, but what you're doing, it's not healthy, you need to eat something Trace, you must be starving".

Trace was about to try to argue that he was fine but his stomach gurgled. Trace sighed before saying, "I don't want to take it if it means taking it away from someone else".

Ragdoll went wide-eyed at this. "We have enough for kids to get multiple helpings if they so wish, I think a single bowl of stew will be fine". Ragdoll couldn't help but care for the kid. He was so kind to his friends, he was caring, and he would help others, even if it meant him getting hurt. She wanted to get him back to a positive outlook when it dawned on her. Without thinking, she asked, "have you ever been diagnosed with depression".

Trace was taken aback. No one had ever asked him that. He looked to the ground before saying solemnly, "I was diagnosed back in 1st grade, I have a condition that heightens my anxiety levels to a crazy high level. For a long time, I saw myself as worthless, but my friends and my girlfriend showed me that I have a purpose, so I fight for them, and I try to protect them, cause in a way, they are my pack".

Ragdoll sat there silently. This kid really saw his well-being as unimportant as long as another was safe. Ragdoll approached the kid and began rubbing one of his ears, inciting quiet purring, though the room echoed so he was pretty loud. Ragdoll began speaking in a calm but caring manner. "Trace, you need to eat bud, you need to keep your strength up so you can help others, and don't worry", Ragdoll pulled Trace into a hug while continuing to rub his ears, "You are among friends here, ask anyone here and they will help you, me, Mandalay, Pixie-bob, and Tiger are here to help you guys".

Trace was blushing heavily but was smiling. She was right. He needed to get his strength up. He had avoided eating because of his anxiety, he needed to eat. Ragdoll grabbed the bowl and handed it to Trace who accepted it this time. "Thank you Ragdoll". Trace began slowly eating away at the stew, making sure not to choke on it. After a minute or two, the stew was gone, and Trace was sitting at the edge of the bed, in Ragdoll's embrace. He was purring heavily, content with his whereabouts.

They sat there for a minute when Trace remembered, he was a mix, he was an Omega, but he was also a healer. Trace reached down and removed the bandages from his left leg, much against Ragdoll's request to leave it on. His leg was healed completely, much to Trace and Ragdoll's surprise. Trace unwrapped his other leg to see it fully healed as well. "I forgot I was an Omega, but I was also a Healer". Trace was practically bouncing up and down.

Ragdoll looked at him wide eyed, "so you can heal when cheerful".

Trace got to his feet and removed the bandages from his face, feeling for scaring or gashes or anything, but he didn't find any of that. He was fixed up. He looked to Ragdoll, a big grin on his face. "I can heal when i'm in a cheerful mood then". Trace eventually got to his feet, and jumped up once to confirm if he would hold steady. His legs held his weight. He could go join the others in the bath house, but there wouldn't be a point as he was already cleaned up. He decided he would head to the main area and find Aizawa and ask about the training.

Ragdoll and Trace began walking down the hall, heading for the main area where they found Aizawa speaking to Mandalay.

"Excuse me Aizawa, but when should I be ready to go by tomorrow?", Trace wanted to ensure he was as efficient as possible to increase his power levels further.

Aizawa and Mandalay both turned to the kid and Ragdoll. Mandalay was the first to respond. "Trace, you shouldn't be here, you should be in bed resting".

Trace smiled before spinning his head around, showing no signs of injury.

Mandalay and Aizawa both stared at Trace with surprise. He had never shown such healing capabilities. "How are you healed so fast". They said it simultaneously.

Trace explained his role as a Healer as well as an Omega, and explained his purring comes from his joy so when he is joyful, he can heal himself.

Mandalay and Aizawa both returned to their calm demeanor before Aizawa responded with, "since you're feeling better than earlier, training begins at 6:00 AM sharp".

Trace nodded, "Roger that Aizawa".

Mandalay quickly spoke up, "even though the injury seems healed, I still wish for you to rest until tomorrow, you will still train but we want you up at 5:00 AM so we can ensure your injuries are healed".

Ragdoll walked up to Mandalay and whispered something in her ear. Mandalay had a face of shock but regained her composure quickly.

"May I ask the reason for this request", Mandalay said quietly.

Ragdoll whispered, "The boy was diagnosed with depression back in 1st grade, he hadn't eaten in 5 days, and he has recorded records of self harm, so I wish to watch over him until another student arrives".

Mandalay put a paw to her elbow, and the other to her chin, pondering the pros and cons. "Well, this way we could ensure nothing occurs involving him", Mandalay turned to Ragdoll smiling, "good idea Ragdoll, I shall grant this request".

Ragdoll returned Mandalay's smile with one of her own. "Thank you Mandalay".

Ragdoll was about to begin escorting Trace back to his room, He noticed a little kid, hiding behind the door. "Is that Kota, Mandalay?".

Mandalay turned to the entrance to see Kota, without a second thought, she smiled and gestured for Kota to come out of hiding. Kota walked over to Mandalay who waved a hand at Trace. Kota, this is Trace, a kid who wishes to be a hero for his friends, go ahead and introduce yourself to him".

Kota walked over to Trace who extended a hand out to Kota. "Nice to meet you Kota, I'm Trace".

In response Kota attempted to hit him, but Trace was faster than that, he got out of the way in a second, causing Kota to trip. Trace quickly caught him, and stood him upright. "You okay bud".

Kota began storming off without another word.

Trace just sat there confused. "Apologies, but what was that about".

Mandalay sighed, "you know the hero team, water hose?". Trace nodded, allowing Mandalay to continue. "You see, he lost his parents in a fight with an extremely powerful villain, they gave their life up to save so many lives, but Kota felt abandoned by this, that's why he despises heroes".

Trace simply sat there stunned. The kid was similar to him. Trace was about to run after him when a hand found its way to his arm.

Trace turned to see Ragdoll, holding him in place. "I know you want to go after him, but we would rather you rest".

Trace could have easily broken the hold… he thinks… but he decided against it, he didn't want to be on their bad side. Trace nodded and began following Ragdoll who still had him by the arm. They eventually got to the room. Trace was guided to his bed and told to rest up as much as possible. Trace threw the blanket over himself when he noticed Ragdoll staying in the room. "May I ask what you requested from Mandalay".

Ragdoll blushed slightly before saying, "Since you had been diagnosed with depression, I requested that I watch over you until another student arrives to ensure your safety".

Trace smiled. The old him would have insisted he was alright… but he wasn't like that anymore, but something else had his curiosity. "Thank you so much Ragdoll, but if I may ask, why have you been so caring with me".

Ragdoll quickly answered, "I used to go to orphanages to raise spirits for kids, and when I saw how broken you were, it reminded me of those kids, of one specific kid, he ran away at the age of 4".

Trace's eyes widened. "Did the kid run away from Northern Chergs", Trace asked solemnly. Ragdoll nodded. Trace sighed before asking, "How did you know it was me".

Ragdoll simply laughed before pointing to her head, "The ears were a dead giveaway".

Trace smiled, seeing her stay so positive. Without thinking, he hugged Ragdoll, saying, "Thank you so much for helping me Ragdoll".

Ragdoll, though surprised, returned the hug. "Trace, we are here for you, your classmates are here for you, we all want to help as much as possible, so please, stay strong for them, for Mina".

Trace simply smiled. "I'll do the best I can, I'll try to stay positive for others".

They broke from the embrace. Trace laid back down and fell asleep in seconds, causing Ragdoll to chuckle lightly. "Good Night, Trace". Ragdoll turned the light off as she left.