A/N: This chapter may seem rushed (because it is ._.), and I apologize in advance for the lack of depth I may have otherwise been able to write for character development. This is the best I am able to provide at the moment.

The League of Villains kept their hostages separated. In their regular bar setting, Bakugo was strapped to a chair with his hands encased in steel. The villains surrounded him, watching the news as Shigaraki was the only one to speak, pressuring the young teen into joining the dark side. All of the members were present except for one.

Underneath them were stairs that led down to a metal door into a concrete room. It was illuminated by a single white light bulb, highlighting Ai's figure as she sat against one of the walls, hugging her knees. When the door opened, she instinctively scooted away from it, bringing her legs closer to her chest. She felt tense as Dabi came in and knelt in front of her, flinching when he reached out.

"Would you rather have one of the other psychopaths tend to your wounds?" Ai hadn't noticed the medical kit he brought in until he placed it down. Hesitantly, she slowly extended her arm, to which Dabi yanked her wrist and pulled her forward. His face was dangerously close. "Try anything funny and I'll burn the rest of your body." Ai quickly nodded in understanding, clenching her hand to try and stop her shaking as he applied a cream and gauze to the injury he caused during the kidnapping.

"Todoroki-kun," Ai finally said, tensing when Dabi's gaze met hers. "You… Spoke like you knew him." Dabi stood up, motioning for Ai to do the same.

"His name was on the kill list," Dabi simply replied, rolling out more gauze into his hands. "Lift up your shirt." There was a shift in Ai's demeanor as her face heated up, but she remained obedient as her fingers brought the material of her shirt up just above the wound that Muscular had inflicted. When Dabi wrapped the bandage around her abdomen, Ai bit down harshly on her bottom lip to bear with the pain. She also clenched her eyes, but they soon opened again when he finished and placed a hand atop her injury. The low heat was unexpected, but it was soothing.

"Bakugo-kun didn't have any injuries," Ai said, letting her shirt fall down once Dabi removed his hand. "What… Are you doing to him?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Dabi said. He was just about to pack up and leave until the room suddenly shook. Ai could hear muffled, chaotic noises from above, along with the faint sound of the word, "smash." All Might?! Ai's body immediately turned towards the door, but she was pushed back against the wall with one hand pressed down on her mouth, and another clamping her forearm against the concrete next to her head. She screamed against Dabi's palm, only to have her cries escalate when he squeezed down on her wrapped injury. "Be a good girl and be quiet."

Ai's free hand came up to the wrist of the arm that was planted over her lips, and she gripped it tightly. There was only one option she had of freeing herself, but the thought came to her in the form of a bad memory. As her eyes widened, Dabi morphed into the sight of Muscular, on his knees as his body was deteriorating before her. If I use cell decay, I'll kill him… Ai's breathing started coming out in short, panicked breaths. Her quirk activated mindlessly, and before she knew it, Dabi let her go.

He staggered backwards, gripping onto the arm she had touched before grazing his face on the same side. "Did I," Ai stammered, staring down at her trembling hands before looking up at Dabi, "hurt… you…?" Her breathing stopped entirely when they made eye contact. Half of the burnt skin on Dabi's left side had been regenerated, and his face… held frighteningly familiar features.

Suddenly, a thick, liquefied gray mass appeared out of nowhere, slowly entrapping both of their bodies. Dabi's arm and left side of his face summoned a fire that made his skin scream for mercy, and as Ai struggled against the warp that was sucking her in, the last thing she saw was his disappearing figure with an index finger against his lips. His identity was once again burnt from existence.

When the ground reappeared, Ai had dropped down on her hands and knees, nearly throwing up from the warp. The familiar sound of her friend's complaining next to her brought Ai back to her senses. "Baku-" As she looked up, her voice halted at the sight of the villain in front of them: All for One. His voice was terrifyingly monotone as he apologized to the two students for the unpleasant trip, turning his attention to the other villains behind them. Ai's figure was trembling as he walked past them, and she could feel the heat of tears lodge itself within her throat until a tight grip came down and squeezed her hand.

Bakugo knelt in front of Ai, and his stare was narrow as their gazes met, willing the both of them to remain strong. His eyes wandered to the bandage on her arm, and he couldn't help but grit his teeth. I didn't do shit when that damn villain burned her, Bakugo thought, I won't make the same mistake again.

And he didn't.

All Might came down from the sky within the same minute, and the backlash of his and All for One's collision sent everyone flying. Ai was immediately caught within Bakugo's embrace as he landed on his side against the ground. When All for One forced Kurogiri's warp quirk to activate, all hell broke loose.

"It's hard for All Might because we're here," Bakugo growled, bringing Ai and himself to their feet as the villains started encroaching. It was seven against two, but the students were at an even bigger disadvantage because of Ai's injuries. "Keep up, damn pipsqueak!"

The attacks were consecutive, and every attempt that Bakugo took to dodge merely made the gap between him and Ai larger. From her exhaustion, Ai only managed to rip vines from the ground and wrap them around herself as protection, though it did little against Dabi's flames. Within seconds, her armor flew through the wind as ash, and the tattered villain was a few feet from approaching her. He reached out with a bluely lit hand, though Ai was met with the material of a sweaty shirt against her face.

"Shit," Bakugo cursed as his back was struck diagonally from his right shoulder to his lower torso, though it only made his embrace around Ai tighten. The blond leapt forward, tucking one arm around Ai's waist as his other palm went straight down to his side. "Hold on." She glanced up at his face, and her arms immediately wrapped around his neck.

It was in that moment that Shigaraki came close, but he was unable to touch the two students who had exploded into the sky. When Bakugo's hand met Kirishima's, he pushed Ai onto the redhead's back as they all continued to fly.

Mr. Compress shot into the air thanks to Big Sis Magne's quirk, and Dabi's flames followed suit. Their attempts to bring back the children, however, were stopped by Mt. Lady's gigantification before she was knocked out. "Prioritize… the rescue…!"

Within minutes, all of the students who were present had escaped into the crowd of civilians.

Midoriya spoke on the phone with Todoroki, who had been separated from the group alongside Yaoyorozu during the rescue mission. After exchanging placement information, Todoroki asked about Ai's wellbeing, to which Midoriya turned his gaze. "She doesn't seem to have any new injuries," he informed.

"May I speak with her?"

"I…" Midoriya's voice trailed as he watched Ai, a relieved yet nervous smile planting his face at the scene that unfolded before him. "I don't think you can right now, Todoroki-kun."

Bakugo held both of Ai's wrists, though his grip was gentler than usual, especially on her wrapped arm. A scowl plastered his lips as he glared down at her pouting form. "Don't you dare heal me," he warned.

"I won't be able to fully heal you," Ai said, "but I can at least-"

"That shitty villain burned you and I did nothing about it," Bakugo interrupted, "this damn scar will be a reminder for me to move." When he let go of Ai's wrists, her hands merely fell to grasp his. She bit down on her bottom lip as a conglomeration of guilt, envy, and trust washed over her at once.

"You're going to be a great hero, Bakugo-kun."

"Damn right I will," Bakugo said. There was a brief pause before he gripped her hands tighter, and it was within his next statement that changed the tide of their relationship. "We both will, Ai."

A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read and giving your opinion (: You can also find this story by searching its title on these other platforms, or going to my profiles:

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