Caffeine was her greatest ally in her path to becoming a hero. She had started consuming the drug back in her first year and since then it has helped her power through the hardest of exams, but now it has left her a shambled mess.

Uraraka laid on her belly as the midday sun shined through the curtains in her dorm. It was Saturday and she had just come down from a major stress high after dealing with Bakugou and her schoolwork. That wasn't even getting to the real issue that now plagued her life out of nowhere. She had two unreported meetings with a wanted murderer and failed to use the chance to track her down. A groan left the gravity heroine the harder she thought about the blonde and how much havoc she was wreaking on her life, granted it could be MUCH worse given who she was thinking of, but still, why did that damn psycho have to be so gosh darn pathetic? It was like looking at a kicked puppy who wouldn't leave her alone because she fed it a treat one time and she couldn't get rid of it unless it was put down.

She grabbed a pillow and smashed her face into it. Why couldn't Himiko have just stabbed her? That would make things so much less complicated. Regardless, it did feel oddly good to know she was having a positive impact on someone who needs help, but it'd be better if said person hadn't tried to kill her and her classmates multiple times, on top of other more unnerving things done to her old crush.

The bed squealed as she turned over, the old springs complaining with every move. Her entire life was nothing more than work, and she didn't know what to do to unwind on account of having to save every bit of money for her parents. That left her stuck here with nothing to do, seeing the same old faces she had grown tired of seeing. A pillow was thrown against a wall, before it began to float after accidentally using her quirk. She just wanted to go do something, anything at all to clear her mind.

And as if to answer her request, a phone chime came from her nightstand.

Uraraka sat up and reached for the old flip phone she had possessed for nearly three years, expecting some random call from her parents. Looking at the caller ID she saw a private number and shrugged. Momo used those when she called and the everything hero was out with her parents right now, so maybe she needed something. Taking the device to her ear, Uraraka answered the call.

"Hello?"

A voice came through on the other line that sent a shiver down her spine with the familiar tone that almost gave her nightmares.

"Hey Cheeky, are you doing ok?"

She lurched forward in her bed with her heart suddenly pounding.

"Himiko? How the heck did you get my number?"

"I always had it since that time we had our first real talk. Anyway, I'm bored out of my skull and wanted to know if you wanted to hangout."

Uraraka paused with her chest feeling tight from the pressure induced on her mind.

"What do you mean by hangout?"

"Just walk around the mall, see a movie, maybe go exploring, that kind of thing."

"That's it?"

A scoff came from over the line.

"Oh come on Cheeky, I do more than just obsess over gore. Now are you going to come outside and go have fun or just mope around all day?"

Uraraka stood up from her bed and rushed to her window.

"Where are you exactly?"

"I'm right by the gate and I'm about to come in if you don't get out here."

She took another sweep of the area outside and to her absolute horror, someone was waving at her from near the barrier that separated UA from the outside world.

Fear wasn't the right word to describe the amount of panic that attacked Uraraka's heart as one horrible outcome after another formed in her mind. What would happen if someone saw Himiko outside the gates and captured her? She'd tell them why she was here and then all that would lead right back to her. She put the phone to her mouth, defeat evident in her voice.

"Alright, I'll be down in a few minutes, just please don't come any closer to the building, the last thing I want is for you to get found out."

"Aww, ain't you a big ol' softy? Don't worry, I know the drill."

The call ended with a click as the brunette hurried to ready herself for whatever her "friend" could throw at her. It had taken Uraraka a whole ten minutes to get ready after applying the minimal amount of effort into her outfit and slipping on some stab proof armor she had made a lifetime ago under the denim jacket that covered her entire upper body while the worn slacks around her waist had what could be considered plastic chainmail in the fabric. Taking one last check of herself in the mirror, she exited her room and made to go meet a convicted killer.

It was a strange business convincing everyone that she was going out to examine some new book sale in town and that none of them could come along on account of her making up some paper thin reason that even she didn't believe. Uraraka could swear that half of her classmates stared right into her soul as she left the building and quickly walked to where she last saw Himiko. The villainess was gone without a trace in the open street, which left Uraraka feeling very, very tense.

Then she felt a hand tap her shoulder.

Uraraka spun around and grabbed her assailant by the wrist and flung them to the ground with a hip throw. The person in question fell to the concrete with a thump that was soon followed by a mild shriek of pain.

"Goddamn, I was just trying to be funny."

She looked down at the person on the ground and found to her surprise that it was Himiko, dressed in all black right down to her shoes. The slasher met her gaze and chuckled as she got up from the ground. Uraraka's face became a slight shade reddier at the blonde's predicament.

"What the heck! You should know better than to sneak up on people like that!"

Himiko grinned at the heroine with her fangs peeking out of her lips.

"Unless I plan to…"

The smile faded as the gears turned in her head, instead she shrugged and dusted herself off.

"You have a point. Anyway, where do you wanna go? I'm buying and I got nothing but time, so take your pick."

Uraraka considered that when they both started to move away from the danger of UA by going west into the city. Skyscrapers began to grow the more they moved inward with the density of the area expanding more and more as the pair of girls kept on their way to nowhere as they chatted about current events, such as the local arrests she had made, charity events and how one person even asked for her autograph last week.

Himiko joked about the potential reason why, but Uraraka shrugged it off, strange people were around no matter where you go or what you do. They had eaten a few hours back and it was getting later into the day with the sun starting to set, which led both of them to look at their surroundings when the light rested right on their heads.

They were far deeper into the maze of buildings then they had wished to be and Uraraka was keen to point this out.

"Where are we?"

Himiko stared at her wide eyed in disbelief.

"I was following you."

"But, I thought you knew the way."

"Well I would if we were near Musutafu, here? I don't have a clue."

Uraraka stifled a groan at the brow beating she'd get once she came back home. Himiko shared the sentiment judging by how she turned her phone off.

"Come on, we're losing daylight."

Himiko said with a less enthusiastic tone than usual when she took point and started walking back the way they came. The day had bled fully into night by the time Himiko had reached a familiar landmark in the form of a sign that gave an idea of where they ended up, but to her dismay, it was still far from UA and no buses or taxis ran at this hour. Meaning that they were in for a long walk ahead.

Uraraka was silent as she trodden alongside the villain to her right. It amazed her how used she had gotten to Himiko's presence, yet some of the fear still lingered in her mind. Although compared to the area they were in, she actually felt relieved to have someone like her to walk beside.

It was a nasty place with rotted concrete walls and barriers dotting the claustrophobic streets around them in grey seas of lifelessness that had been partially covered in long since faded graffiti that gave an even more dangerous feel to the air.

The colors were blurred due to old age, but she could still make out a symbol that had been the most prominent with a almost fresh coat of paint denoting it as such.

It was a crude picture of a golden smile with red curving fangs painted across a number of stray walls.

She stopped suddenly when the fear of the situation became too much for her. Himiko turned to the heroine with her eyes narrowed slightly in the darkness.

"What?"

Uraraka bunched her fists to her sides, making her appear more on edge than Himiko would have thought possible for someone so level headed.

"Could...Could you lend me a knife until we get out of here?"

Fangs poked out from between the unusually straight teeth that shined in the glow of the streetlights when Himiko pulled a combat knife from her hoodie with the handle pointed towards her companion.

"I'd be delighted to. You know how to use it, right?"

Blackened steel caught the absolute attention of the hero. She touched the rubberized plastic that covered the handle, feeling the course material dig comfortably in her palm as she examined the clip point blade that was no longer then her hand. It was beautiful in a simplistic way that brought a pain to her gut. How many lives has this thing ended?

She returned her gaze to Himiko, who was watching her in an almost smug way that screamed "I know what you're feeling"

"I know enough, Gunhead saw to that."

A smirk parried her answer, no words were said from the blonde haired killer, but the smile did more than enough to give what she thought about the martial arts hero's training. Uraraka paid it no mind when she slid the knife into a coat pocket. Let the girl believe what she wants about fighting, they had more important things to do.

More time passed by in a blur with each step they took down the empty streets. It was silent again, save for their footfalls, or rather hers if she was being honest. Himiko hadn't made a single sound for so long that Uraraka had almost thought she left, only to be reminded of the villain's presence when a hand pulled her back. She spun around with full intent to reprimand the girl, however she found that to be rather difficult.

Himiko's expression wasn't one of playfulness or even the strange excitement she had the few times they fought, this was the look of someone...something that was a lethal weapon which had no qualms about mercy or ethics. She put a finger to her lips, motioning for silence as she gestured towards an area ahead of them by a few meters. Uraraka followed to where she was pointing and saw what had drawn her eye.

A group of four rough looking men had gathered under a street light a few meters away from where they stood, each looked dangerous and every instinct in her body told her to avoid them. Himiko didn't wait for her response when she ducked low and grabbed her into a nearby alley before they could be spotted. It was an oddly clean space with no litter dirtying the ground that went deep between the buildings like a stab wound. Himiko's movements were calm, cold and collected with every step barely disturbing the earth. Uraraka tried to follow her example, but she misstepped when the fear got the better of her.

A trash can that had been set on the wall of the alley fell with a crash as the stray foot of one of the girls slightly touched it, sending the overflowing container tumbling. The noise may have been as loud as a cannon shot in the quiet of the night, causing Himiko to jump back with her knife drawn. Uraraka's spine was tingling in fear at being subjected to see the girl's other side, yet the sound of running footstep by the entrance to the alley made that quickly forgotten as the villainess pulled the heroine into a run.

They didn't have long before they suddenly stopped. A young woman was standing directly in their path with a broom in one hand and a garbage bag in the other, watching the two teens with puzzlement. The sound of hurried footsteps came to a halt as four figures peered into the alley, taking note of the three women currently staring back at them.

Uraraka noticed Himiko making slow moves towards one of her knives hidden inside her clothes and, much to her shame, she did the same. A cocky grin came from the apparent leader of this group of runabouts as he encroached on the girls with his friends following behind him. Yet none of the soon to be combatants were the first to close the distance, instead it was the civilian who moved to a nearby trash can and tossed her rubbish inside without a hint of fear.

She did the deed quickly as she had likely done many times before, but her eyes lingered on the gang with the relaxed posture of one either too stupid or too dangerous to recognize them as a threat. The girls nearly flinched when her head turned back to examine them. Her face was as normal as one could be with a set of sky blue eyes and chestnut hair tied in a lazy ponytail that added to her attire of one about to retire for the night, judging by the sweatpants and oversized shirt she wore.

However the normality only extended to the upper part of her face, the lower half was a much different story. The chin and cheeks of this woman had long, thin dark lines that went as far as the back of her head for a total five of these anomalies that seemed to have a far deeper depth then one would think possible.

"You boys have a problem?"

The thugs laughed slightly at the woman's question, but became far less enthusiastic when she didn't back down.

"Nope, we're just here looking for a bit of fun, that's all."

Said the leader of the group as he pulled a butterfly knife from his pant pocket and opened it with an amateurish flick of his wrist.

Uraraka suddenly felt a pressure become exerted on her arm, which was the result of Himiko backing away from the scene with legitimate fear now on her face. She looked to where the girl was staring and it wasn't at the four like the heroine originally thought, she was fixated on the woman in the same way a mouse is before a snake devours it.

"I'd suggest looking for your thrills elsewhere. The red light distract is a couple miles west from here, you could get it there for a hell of a lot less then what you'll pay if you keep this up."

The three flinched slightly at the confidence in the veiled threat, while the one with the butterfly knife suddenly grabbed the woman by the collar and slammed her against a wall with his blade set on her throat.

"How about we have our fun right here and now at your expense?"

A crash came from behind the group as something jumped down from what Uraraka thought was a fire escape, cutting off the coming violence with it's arrival. She could see the figure more clearly in the moonlight as it rose from the crouched position it landed in. The person was a tall man dressed in a tattered trench coat that had holes and patches everywhere on the black fabric that made him look oddly retro with his head being covered in dyed green hair that was gelled into a short mohawk. Yet that paled in strangeness to the condition of his skin.

Ghostly white and so thin that you could see the veins in his hands and his face lent him the likeness of a corpse while his arms had a surprising amount of muscle for one so sickly looking. Blood red eyes peered at the scene from sunken sockets as a malicious chuckle came from the man.

"I'd have to contest that, I'm afraid."

The thug holding the woman at knife point glared hatefully at the zombieish man as his supposed victim remained unafraid.

"Who the fuck do you think you are buddy? We run this shit, now fuck off before-"

He stopped mid sentence when the moonlight reflected off a pin attached to the man's trench coat as he stepped into the alley and through the people blocking his entry. Uraraka could see what the pin was, but she couldn't guess at it's significance or why the four trouble makers started to turn pale upon seeing something as innocent as a smiley face button on the man's chest.

"H-Hey man, we're sorry, we didn't know. Just let us leave and you won't see us ever again."

The ghoul grinned at the man's request, closing the gap as he walked further inside the alley with his hands swinging as he did so.

"Oh, but why would I ever do that? You and your friends here seem to be in need of a smile, don't ya think? I mean you sounded so eager to stay not a moment ago and now, you're in a rush to leave? I'd be doing the world a disservice if I didn't change your frowns upside down."

He said with his index fingers touching the dimples of his cheeks to exaggerate his already wide grin. The four began to shake in terror the more the stranger went on and once again, the leader was the only one brave or rash enough to act.

"We're fine, we don't need no smiles at all."

That made the grin widen to an almost terrifying length as the skin around his mouth was pulled by muscles so overworked that she could see them move.

"Everybody needs smiles and even more so, a reason to smile. Which is what I plan to do, because all I want and what we all want is a day where we can wake up and smile because the world is a better place, don't you think that would be so nice?"

The thug chuckled uneasily at this.

"Yeah, that does sound nice."

The sound of knuckles popping came as the stranger spoke again.

"Glad you agree, so I'll give someone a reason to smile by making this world a better place, right now, starting with you."

The man suddenly began to cough up alarming amounts of blood as he was lifted into the air from behind with what could only be described as a long tentacle punched through his body. The woman he once held at knife point now was a very different creature. The lower part of her jaw split open like a snake with pink rows of muscle extending out into a semi circle as the still spasming corpse was quickly lowered into her gullet and swallowed whole.

The three remaining criminals watched as their friend was devoured right before them, yet only one seemed to be able to appreciate the horror as the other two's eyes were filled with blood that swiftly left their bodies like an eruption when the ghoul made a pulling motion with his hands.

The last survivor ran with the speed of one faced with certain death as he dashed down the pavement. Neither of the two murderers made any attempt to chase him and their reasoning became apparent when the sound of something heavy breaking bone was soon followed by the cries of one in agony.

More footsteps came back towards the alley and the cause was disturbing in the extreme. A small...thing walked into the scene with the still twitching body of the strangler being dragged behind it. The creature was shorter then Mineta and completely covered in medical bandages with a bloody hatchet in its other hand.

"You ok, Mary? These creeps didn't do anything to you did they?"

The ghoul asked as he pulled a pocket knife from his coat and began to carve at the cadaver's flesh.

"I'm fine, though I'd be more worried about the poor girls those bastards chased down here."

The man eating woman said as her face folded back into its original form.

Heads turned to regard the pair of teens. The two older folks shared a glance with each other and with a nod, the woman moved to meet them.

"Hey, sorry about that ladies, things can get pretty ugly around here sometimes. Anyway, I'm Mary, the dracula knock off other there is Gin and the little dude with the ax is called Pop. We...We can understand how jarring this type of thing can be, believe me, but I promise that you're safe now."

The woman said almost apologetically as she threw a crooked smile at them that was laced with guilt. Uraraka nearly vomited when the smell from the corpses hit her nose, the only thing that kept her from doing so was how dangerous the situation was. Himiko for her part seemed less frightened, but still had her hand by her blade.

"We appreciate the help, but I'd think it's time for us to get going with the time being so late and all."

Mary shrugged understandingly at the girl's uneasiness and stepped out of their way.

"Well if you two need a place to stay for a bit, our home is always open for folks in need."

Toga grinned at the woman as she was about to rush past the remaining members of the group that saved them when she stopped to stare at a symbol that Gin had carved onto one of the cadavers' forehead.

It was a smiling mouth with curved fangs.

"On second thought, we can stay for a while."

Mary smiled graciously at them as she opened a door on the side of one of the buildings and motioned for them to come.

"That's great to hear, after all looking out for our neighbors is our duty isn't it? Anyway, come on and get out of this cold before we all start growing icicles."

Uraraka turned to Himiko, primed to demand what she was thinking when a heel was sent to her foot that made any action like that improbable for now as they entered one of the buildings, swiftly followed by Gin and Pop, who regarded them much like how their female counterpart had.

The smell of mildew and rot hung lightly in the air of the yellowish halls they all were traversing that was lit by the orange glow of mercury light bulbs overhead. Apartment doors were built into the walls that seemed well kept with the address numbers being the most prime example. The sound of conversation came from further down the way and grew louder as they followed Mary.

Uraraka's fear still remained with all the things she'd seen in the last few minutes. She allowed her hand to drift to Himiko's and the villain gripped her palm reassuringly.

The walk ended when they arrived at a lobby lined with stray furniture ranging from stained sofas to torn out leather armchairs and almost every piece was filled with a...person of some sort.

Mutants with quirks that distorted their bodies in ways that seemed too unearthly for it not to be uncanny took up the majority of the people present, along with a number of average looking humans who either had the hint of those somewhat mad or stricken with immense poverty. Yet despite this, the atmosphere in the room was homely and comfortable with many residences pausing from conversation or looking up from board games at the newcomers with slightly interested expressions. One such person was in the middle of a game of chess with a man who had stalks coming out of his eye sockets and rose up to address them. The mutant was massively tall with large metal spikes covering his entire body, save for near his lower regions where he was dressed in a pair of damaged shorts that subtracted to his brutish form, but the black pistol on his belt overturned the loss of appearance.

"Mary, I was wondering where you ran off to."

The mutant spoke in a deep, penetrating voice that radiated a sort of authority while at the same time held a gentleness which would have befitted a much less intimidating person.

"Sorry about that dad, but I ran into these two getting cornered by some rats and had to step in."

The man shifted his gaze to the hero and villain with a certain pity, before returning to the woman claiming to be his daughter.

"You did good tonight sweetheart, that goes double for you boys. We can't have more people get preyed upon because of inaction like before, last thing we need is to have things repeat. Now, enough about that, why don't you girls introduce yourselves? I'm Hitosi, the guy most come running to if they need things fixed."

Uraraka couldn't help but absorb the strangeness of the man as the spikes around his lips flapped around with each word, but thankfully she remembered herself and was about to talk when Himiko did it for them both.

"Nice to meet ya, I'm Himiko and pink cheeks here is called Uraraka. We got lost on our way from a day on the town and things kinda took a turn."

Hitosi smiled at the blonde with his spike covered hand popping with force as he made a fist.

"That's one way to put it. Scum of the earth right there, maggots who would try to do things like that…"

He paused and inhaled, his whole body shook for a moment until he regained his composure.

"I apologize about that, you girls have been through a lot tonight and hearing an old man groan about injustice ain't gonna make it any better. We were just about to get supper started, maybe you'd both like to discuss things with a full belly, eh?"

Himiko stepped to the older mutant with a grin that looked too artificially sweet for Uraraka to believe.

"That'd be great, but I have a important question to ask. See, my fiance went missing about two months ago and I was wondering if you've seen him. He's about ye high with green hair, green eyes, three freckles on each of his cheeks and carries a pipe around with him."

Hitosi raised a spike covered eyebrow at the girl, as did the other people present when she kept up the facade.

"Well if you're looking for a lad with green hair, take your pick, because almost every lad here has got their hair that color and we don't have anybody around that height other than Pop over there, same with the freckles. If you're talking about a pipe as a weapon, that's a different story but, I'm afraid your love is elsewhere darling."

Fangs sunk into her lower lip as Himiko bit the skin and nodded with the fake grin still plastered on.

"I see….thank you anyway sir."

Pain played under the blonde's face with her hands showing the distress as nails dug into the palm to the point of nearly drawing blood. It was then Uraraka spoke up in order to take attention away from her cohort, a sympathetic guilt tunneling through her soul at the sight.

"So what exactly are you all doing here?"

The vagabonds all blinked at her with Hitosi answering as he directed them towards another hallway to the right.

"We live here obviously, though the government would like to have it otherwise. They've tried to force us out, but thankfully we've stuck together against 'em and managed to make a home here for the sorts of folk that don't have anywhere else to go...granted as long as they aren't a deviant of some sort of course."

They entered into a room at the end of the corridor that led to a ramshackled setup of tables and chairs which lined most of the space. Stoves, fridges and sinks were corrugated to the end opposite of the entrance where a team of ten were busily preparing a stew in a massive steel pot of some kind that smelled delicious to Uraraka. More residences shuffled in behind them as they took a seat next to the four mutants that had accompanied them, in a matter of moments the room was packed beyond the point that elbow room had become a rare object and the smell of the stew was quickly overpowered by the stench of body odor. In her chair, Uraraka noticed something attached to the far wall that was hanging high above the tables.

It was a banner depicting a grinning red fanged mouth entrapped by golden lips that looked down at them all. A chuckle came from Hitoshi when he followed Uraraka's line of sight.

"You don't know who that's for, do you?"

She shifted her eyes to the floor as a bowl landed in front of her.

"No, I'm afraid I don't"

The mutant grinned with his eyes becoming slightly crazed beneath the spikes concealing most of his face.

"It's for the man who saved us from tyranny and enslavement at the hands of animals like the ones who attacked you. He was the only one who gave people like us a chance to hope, he risked his life to free us and he-"

Mary interrupted with a sigh

"Dad, I thought we all agreed not to talk about that at dinner."

Hitosi regained some of his sense and leaned back in his chair, then suddenly sitting up straight as a hand was reached out to him by the person to his side. This continued with each person reaching over to grasp their fellows' hand until a human chain was nearly formed until it reached the two girls. Uraraka and Himiko glanced at each other, unsure of what to do, then following what they saw, completed the chain around the table.

"Lord, we come before you humbly to give thanks for this meal and the safety in which we now live, we ask for the lessons we have been taught to forever be in your favor and that you watch over us all as we continue to live and that you grant safety to that most noble of men to who we owe the greatest of debts."

A moment of silence followed for a few seconds before the link broke off and the feast began. Spoons scraped against plastic with the sound of what easily could have been over a hundred people eating at the same time. Uraraka examined the continent of the bowl and found nothing except potatoes and other vegetables floating in the stew.

Mentally shrugging, she ate it. The taste was no different from what her family had to eat in the harder times of their lives and oddly she enjoyed the memories the flavor brought back. Himiko was far less peckish as she stared at the others.

"So who were you talking about earlier? This guy sounds pretty badass from what you said."

Hitoshi set his spoon down and quietly reflected while staring at nothing. Mary, Gin and Pop all ceased their meals to check on the older man who cast a glance at the two girls which made them both flinch with its intensity.

"He was the man who defied destiny and gave us a chance in this world. I understand it's hard for more normal folks such as yourselves to believe, but for people like us who are either too mutated or have quirks that most deem "evil" that leaves us as good as dead right as we enter this world. Our only place to exist is away from proper society since they don't want us and we're fine with it, you can't change how people react to seeing things like us, so we just wanna be left alone."

He ran a hand over the spikes of his face when a fogginess came over his eyes.

"But the thing is that since we didn't have many places to go and nobody was looking out for us, the scum of the world decided to use us as play things. Loaning out money at insane interest to folks who couldn't even make rent, selling drugs to our people to steal even more money from the destitute and threatening our lives if their coffers went unpaid."

Anger boiled under the man's spike covered face.

"We were little more than slaves to bastards who gave no value to human life and used us as tax cattle and worse things. It's been like that since my grandfather's time, only back then when All For One was around you didn't have to worry about getting randomly stabbed for no reason. These monsters didn't care, thought of us like sheep set for the slaughter. I'd thought that would be my whole life, living in fear without an ounce of pride to my name while my daughter and neighbors were tormented day in and day out."

A distant look came to Hitoshi's eyes once again as he continued.

"That all changed one day. It was a Tuesday in December where the snow hadn't fallen at all for the whole month and I had just finished handing in my taxes to the gangs and was standing right outside my house when gunshots came from the old apartment building they used as a base. I ducked for cover like so many times before, but the bullets weren't heading for me. They came from inside the building and I could hear screams and smell blood wafting down after someone was thrown from the second floor window."

He shook his head in what may have been disbelief.

"It was one of the boss's henchmen, that little asshole was bleeding out on the concrete from a slash wound on his neck and more were coming down from above. Then everything in that building caught on fire in an instant. The flames had such a heat that you could feel it from miles away as it burned, but this guy...just walked out like he was fine. He was this short person that could barely reach my neck if he tried, but somehow he seemed almost invincible with this glare that dared anyone to try him."

The sound of conversation stopped when the man kept going with his story in a pitch that grew more deep as he worked himself into a sort of frenzy.

"He looked right at me with those eyes and tossed someone else out of the building right at my feet. It...It was the man who controlled our neighborhood, made our lives a living hell and toyed with us like dogs. He was laid out on his back with both of his legs broken and I saw nothing but fear in his eyes when this stranger pointed to me. He said that all this was our fault because we refused to fight back, that we allowed these animals to rule over us because we were too scared to band together. He said that it was our responsibility to protect ourselves and our neighbors because nobody was coming to save us."

A tug came from his side as he lifted up the pearl handled slide pistol from his belt.

"He walked towards me with these two guys flanking him on either side and handed me this. It was the same gun that the monster on the ground waved around to make us comply. I asked what he thought I was going to do with it and he told me that I was going to take my life back and make sure that despots like this never ruin people's lives again. I held it in my hands, the weight made it even worse when I started to shake, but he looked at me with that sort of expression only people who had absolute faith possessed. He told me he knew it was a hard thing to do, that he understood how it felt, but if I didn't do it and let this mongrel live then nothing would change, it would all stay the same until we died with a noose around our necks the next time another petty warlord moved in. He told me that our fate was in our hands, that now would be the time to make a future where people can smile without fear and all that I had to do was do the right thing."

He took a swig of water from his cup as he slipped the weapon back in its holster.

"I shot the bastard between the eyes right then and there. Nothing felt quite as righteous as that, it was like I was seeing clearly for the first time where I could see a path ahead for us all. He told me one more thing, he asked me for a promise. A promise that we would all watch over ourselves and look out for the helpless so that he would never have to come back, and then after all that, he vanished in a black mist."

The room grew silent with a dangerous sensation encroaching on the two girls. Every person around the tables had a look of someone with nothing left to lose that also had everything to gain, it penetrated the soul with its intensity.

"We owe everything to that man and that's why we exist as we do. To make that promise a reality one day at a time and make sure innocent folks don't fear getting up in the morning. Our lot isn't enviable, we all know that too well, but we can still do good on this earth before the reaper comes for his toll. Which is why we raise that flag, to remind the downtrodden and forgotten that hope is still alive and show the wicked that there are people who won't stand for their actions. That sums it up for ya?"

Himiko nodded when she realized that everyone was now staring at her, the mental picture of the story giving her goosebumps from the passion it invoked in not only herself, but these people as well. Dinner resumed eventually with conversation returning to the previous tempo it held while the two girls ate in silence. The night went on as bowls were handed back to the counter and new shifts of clean up crews rotated to fill in for the old cooks who had yet to eat.

Uraraka followed behind Himiko as Hitoshi and Mary led them to the lobby, where they all sat around a rounded table.

"So what you're saying is that you aren't in need of a place to stay?"

Hitoshi asked with a cup of tea in his spiked fist.

"Yep, we appreciate your kind hospitality but we already have homes and taking away from people who need help more than we do wouldn't be right."

Himiko said with a hint more authenticity than her other claims, which earned her a nod from the mutant while Uraraka was still processing what she heard not too long ago.

"Glad to see that you've got a sense of right about ya, young lady. Still, it be best to stay the night at least to avoid issues like what happened before."

Himiko reluctantly agreed with the man to stay in one of the spare rooms to keep the conversation short. Yet Uraraka was still turning over her mind to understand everything when a voice cut into the room.

"If you're really itching to know more about The Man then maybe you girls wouldn't mind tagging with me and the guys to a meeting in a few minutes."

Every head turned to see the corpse-like face of Gin standing in a corner of the room with a small pocket knife twirling in his hand while Pop busied himself by examining the chipped edge of his hatchet. Mary stood up immediately at this.

"No way in hell are you taking these girls to one of those meetings. Last time you went someone got burned alive."

The ghoul shrugged as he put his knife away.

"So what? These girls clearly wanna learn and there's no better place than those meetings."

Mary marched over to him with her teeth bared.

"You don't know what everyone at those things are like Gin, they may look up to him like we all do, but that doesn't mean they won't do some crazy shit if you give them the chance."

He grinned mischievously at her as he stepped over to the table.

"There's nothing worth having without risk."

The pair of newcomers shared a look of confusion that the eldest amongst them recognized.

"It's a monthly convention held somewhere in the mountains by various groups like us who follow His creed. They ain't as dangerous as other factions who fancy themselves heroes or villains, but like she said, it is there."

Himiko spoke again, this time with much more hope in her voice.

"We'd love to go!"

Gin grinned smugly at his neighbor who stood agasp at the girl's acceptance.

"You can't be serious! I already-"

She inhaled for a moment with her eyes closed and continued.

"Fine, but I'm going too and you two are going to stick to me like glue the entire time, understand?"

Himiko nodded energetically while Uraraka blinked stupidly, then winched when another heel was driven into her foot.

"Yep!"

She said as both pain and pity forced her words.

The night was still cold in the city streets. They stood under a lamppost a few blocks from the building the outcasts called home. Over forty people stood with them in the low glow of the light, men and women both quietly shivered while some huddled for warmth. The attire of each had similarities, be it dyed green hair or a face mask with a smile design or a trench coat of some kind.

Mary had come as she said she would, currently her hands gripped the two lost girls like they were her children that were about to be taken. No words had been spoken nor movements made, they simply stood under that light for what felt like forever. Then something happened that drew a deep bead of fear into the hearts of everyone present.

A sharp chill entered the air which dug deep into the bones of everyone. With it came a slow moving fog that seemed to rise from the ground as it consumed everything around it until nothing existed save for the lost ones under that lone street lamp. Footsteps echoed from deep within the mist as figures appeared at the very rim of the light's edge. Robed in black tunics inscribed with a grinning red maw covering them from head to toe stood five individuals. Their bodies and faces were hidden by the fabric, but the outlines still remained underneath.

Limbs bent the wrong way, skin that had more in common with chitin then flesh, a single end of a mutated arm that possessed nothing but suckers and more, were what made up the beings before them now.

"G-Greetings Br-Brother, we trust all i-is well?"

The voice had a slight buzz with every other syllable that sounded reminiscent of a cricket's chirp.

"Yes, all is fine and we smile still. May greatness come upon you and your kin so that you find reason to smile."

Gin said as a high pitched chirp came from somewhere in the fog.

A-As to you, brother."

The robed figure turned its head towards the girls, causing Mary to step between them and the figure. Compound eyes watched them both beneath the thick black hood as the light reflected off the bulbous orbs, exposing the mandibles sticking out of a face too human and yet too animalistic to be whole.

"N-New sisters come to g-gain new reasons to s-smile, w-we presume?"

Gin spoke up once again with more urgency.

"Yes and they wish to learn as we have. Hearsay is the only word they have heard of His exploits."

More chirps came from all around, seemingly in protest until a stomping from within the mist made the ground shake as it grew closer. The smell of cinnamon wafted on the frigid breeze as a massive creature moved into the light. The thing towered over them all when it exited the fog. The height of the monster was enormous enough to where it had to bend down to see under the lamp post.

It too was dressed in a black robe inscribed with a red, grinning maw and under that hood was a face with many tiny, pinhole sized eyes glaring over a massive split mouth where two spider like fangs dangled. Flesh melded with tiny orange and black hairs to grant just enough humanity to hint at where this abomination originated.

It stared at the girls emotionlessly, with only the soft sound of its breathing being the only act of motion it made. Fear gripped them all, but Himiko somehow found it in herself to speak.

"Hi, I'm Himiko and that's Uraraka. We're kinda new here and heard about this really cool dude that went around saving people and we wanted to know more about him. But you already knew that."

The giant remained unmoving as the villain talked, then after staring at the mob, stood back up to his full height.

"I like this one. They're alright to go."

The giant said in a voice far too deep for normal human vocal chords as he lumbered back into the fog.

"Thanks Yuri, we've been trying to get some new blood in lately."

"No problem Gin, just remember if anything happens it's on your head."

The giant answered back to the ghoul. The robed figures disappeared again into the darkness when the chill grew into an icy wind that whipped around the outcasts, swirling the fog until nothing at all could be seen in the vortex. Then in a heartbeat it ended as Uraraka felt something underneath her give way and the smell of trees and nature consumed her senses. The mist lifted instantly and all those under the streetlight were now, somehow in a forest alight with bonfires and electric bulbs suspended overhead by cables leading to a massive stage at the end of the clearing where countless people moved from various events and groups.

Each was different in mutation, attire and affiliation, but like the outcasts they all shared a common trait which was visible somewhere on their bodies. It was a smiling face of some kind. Some had no mutations at all, while others looked barely recognizable as human. The same went for the outfit worn by the groups, some even had costumes and weapons reminiscent of Stain that Himiko couldn't help but think Spinner would find either flattering or offensive.

The party of outcasts dispersed to mingle with the other gangs and groups attending this...whatever it was while Gin and Mary stayed close to Himiko and Uraraka, the latter of which relaxed her grip somewhat when the mist had parted completely.

"I keep telling you that those guys creep me the hell out."

Gin rolled his eyes at his friend while also keeping a lookout for something in the massive crowd of people.

"Yuri and his boys are on the level, sure they're weird, but they believe in Him just like we do."

Mary pointed an accusatory finger at the ghoul as she gradually let her hold on the girls loosen.

"That doesn't change the fact that they eat the bodies of their kills. I-"

A hand appeared out of the darkness and patted Gin on the shoulder fondly.

"Hey Blood Driver, good to see you could make it this time. I see you brought some extra company with you, always nice to have new followers join the cause."

The man speaking was tall, roughly around the same height as Gin with his hair dyed green, but in a sloppier fashion. He wore a patched up tan trench coat with a smiley face button pinned to the collar who's sleeves could easily cover his hands if pointed straight down.

"Same to you Shadow Walker, I couldn't make it last time since my family needed some help during that night, so you know how that goes."

The man nodded as he threw a drink towards the outcast.

"Hey shit happens, that's what He made us plan for anyway. Life isn't just knife fights and adventure, everybody's got things to do and that's a sad fact of the world."

The stranger shifted his gaze to the two girls and offered a hand to both.

"Tojo at your service and you fine ladies would be?"

Mary hissed at the man with her lower jaw expanding somewhat.

"None of your concern, they're just here to learn a bit about Him and that's it. These aren't combatants for you to recruit."

Tojo cast an eye towards Himiko that lingered for far longer than what would have been comfortable.

"You can say that and you may even be right about one of them, but this one has the look of a killer about her."

The girls both flinched at the devotee's accuracy of statement. Then he started to laugh.

"That isn't funny you, jackass."

Mary said with the folds of her jaw returning to normal while the laughter from Tojo died down.

"I wasn't trying to be funny, just tell the truth like I always do. Anyway you should find a spot, the main event is gonna start soon."

Himiko pushed away from her companions and stepped in front of him with a glimmer of hope returning to her eyes as Tojo raised an eyebrow at the villainess.

"I'm sorry to ask this right after meeting you, but can you help me find someone? My fiance went missing a few months ago and I was thinking that maybe he could be here? He's about this high, with natural curly green hair, his cheeks have three identical freckles on each side and-"

Uraraka patted her gently on the arm when her words began to come out in a frenzied blur.

"Himiko, I doubt he's here, if he was then we definitely would have heard about it by now."

The slasher glared at her comrade, not in a threatening way, but in a pleading facade as she gritted her teeth with tears forming building over her eyelids. She made to shove the heroine with her voice going into unintelligible muttering as a redness flushed her face, yet the attempt failed when Tojo spoke to her.

"This guy, does he have a big scar on his face that goes from the top to the bottom?"

The girls turned to him with such a speed that the three converts around them flinched.

"Yes!"

They both answered at the same time with an intensity that only long held desperation could create.

Tojo's expression became one of slight pain as he rubbed the back of his neck to avoid watching the hope die in their souls.

"I met a guy like that months ago when a few nobodies tried to jump him, he was a fast little bugger, managed to lay out most of 'em by the time I showed up. I tried to recruit him, but unfortunately he wasn't a supporter of the cause so I just left him with our number and I haven't heard a word or seen him since."

Sorrow extinguished the grand emotions without a hint of hesitation, yet it left a visible relief in the heroine and the villainess that there was at least an assurance that their old partner was alright. One of them grabbed the sleeve of the man's coat and pulled to make him center directly on what she had to say.

"If you ever hear from him again, tell him that Himiko misses him very much and...that he's always welcome back and that I'm... sorry for everything."

Tojo patted the buns of blonde hair with an affectionate touch as tears started to stream down her cheeks.

"I think I can do that, can't make any promises, but I'll be sure to remember that, alright Himiko?"

He didn't get a response due to the sobbing the killer was making that had her dig into Urarka's chest after she nearly collapsed to the ground. Mary wrapped an arm around the girls once more and tried to comfort them as best she could while Gin glanced uncomfortably at the whole affair. Tojo shrugged at his ghoulish comrade as he looked to the stage by the end of the clearing.

"It's almost show time, guess I should get it started."

Shadows casted by the lights simmered suddenly for the briefest of moments as Tojo seemed to fall into the darkness until he was no longer where he once stood. On the stage something arose from the darkness like a man leaving deep water that clung to his body, it was five figures shrouded in the liquid darkness that followed behind the first that cleared away to reveal the brown eyed face of Tojo. The people behind him were a varied lot, drabbed in trench coats, leather jackets or with the one farthest to the left, nothing at all save for red reptilian scales covering their body that had a tattoo of a smile on the chest. Each save for Tojo had a mask of some kind concealing their faces that left a sense of interest in the crowd that gathered below.

The numbers in the crowd were unaccounted for with no real idea of how many attended this event, but Uraraka could tell by how quickly the field became tight packed to the point that she and Himiko could barely move without bumping into someone that it had to be over hundreds of people. All sound died immediately when Tojo took to the stage with these others, only the crackling of fires still lit dared to be heard. A microphone was in his hand that reflected the yellow glow and with a raising of his palm, the sky practically shook when he began his sermon.

"Good evening to you all, we meet again under the night sky to gather our forces, to strengthen the bonds of our commitment to the cause He began and the kinship we all share from it. This night is a time for thanks and celebration for all the good we have done since learning from his example so long ago and it is also the time for judgement of both ourselves and the ones who would do harm to our mission. Those who call themselves heroes but carry only the name and abstain the virtue of the title, those who dub themselves villains and act as such and the unseen evils that prey on the powerless all stand before us. Pity them for they are but human and as such are not beyond redemption nor should any who swear fealty to His words think themselves above the mire of humanity for within each is the potential for great good and evil, regardless of their identity."

He stood up straighter with a craze overtaking his expression as he went.

"Yet that does not absolve them of the wrongs committed and punishment must be handed out for the sake of those wronged, but the retribution must not in of itself be crueler than the original crime, for that shall only fuel ressentiment and foster fear in the people we wish to help. Kindness and understanding is our greatest weapon against the forces of despair which drives most such as us into a fate worse than death. We must not remake the world as we see fit for we are by design flawed, no, our duty is to grant the downtrodden and the hopeless reason to make lives worthy of smiling for and only through kindness may that ever be achieved. However we must use force as a tool to force those beyond the reach of our human reasoning for that sadly is the way of the world. Never shall misery fester like a cancer in the hearts of the people so long as the flag flies and we continue to grant mercy to the meek and wrath to the wicked. He saw that truth and acted upon it without hesitation and as such we are forever indebted to continue on in his name to make a future where people may smile for the things to come. Do you not agree my fellows, that we are all but a small portion of the bright future that is to come? That our mission shall do it's duty and empower those who need a voice to create better lives for themselves!?"

A roar came from the crowd that echoed out into the starry sky above and made the ground tremble with the sound of hundreds if not thousands of voices. Tojo said nothing as he waited for the fury to pass, then he handed the mic to the person to his immediate right, who was dressed in a leather jacket studded with cosmetic spikes and pants made of the same design, their entire face was engulfed in a metal mask that looked riveted to the skin where a long pony tail of fire red hair went from the back of the head to near the waist. Hard blue eyes stared out from the metal slots to the gathering of bodies just a meter from where they stood.

"I hear you all tonight, which is why I'm glad to share this. As of last week the slum lords of Saitama are no more! My sisters and I have banded together to buy up their buildings and now after quite a few lawsuits and an "accident" or two, we can give back to those that were taken advantage of and from there we created jobs for those who were displaced and gave them the starting step on the path we all now tread!"

Applause and cheers came from the crowd, but it lacked much of the same primal power as the first chorus. The mic passed hands again to a bulky man with thin, skeletal wings of black feathers poking out from the back of his trench coat, he too wore a mask, but this was a white plastic sort with a single line crossing from one end of the mouth to the other while purple irises darted to each person below.

"And my brothers and I have liberated over two hundred captives from crime syndicates all over the nation, many of whom join us tonight!"

More cheers came from the mob in a wild frenzy that took a moment to grow quiet again as the microphone changed hands, two of which simply passed it onto the next without a word, the black robes they both wore giving Uraraka a strong guess as to who they associate within the groups or gangs attending. The final one to grab the mic was a humanoid lizard who seemed more removed from baseline humanity than Spinner was. It's arms were as thick as iron bars with each of it's fingers having short curved claws at the end which shone like steel blades in the light. The body was completely absent of hair and the eyes were that of a beast with a single black pupil filling the sockets and the teeth within it's maw were needle thin that curved inward as the lower jaw passed the yellow cloth around it's head when it spoke in a voice that distinctly marked it as human in spite of its appearance.

"Our efforts as of last month have yielded great gain. We have sieged a shipment of weapons made by a section of the Shie Hassaikai and left none of the bastards that dared to encroach on our homes alive! We are armed now with the tools of war needed to take down an army and should the need arise to defend our way of life then never again will we be found lacking the force to do so!"

As if to emphasize the point, the red lizard grabbed something from behind the stage and lifted it over his head. Uraraka knew a bit about firearms from both her training with Gunhead and UA, which allowed her to guess at the weapon. An Uzi perhaps?

This made the crowd roar louder than ever before at the blackened steel in the beastman's hand. Vibration rang throughout the air, turning in a wave of pure, unadulterated fervor that seemed it would last forever with more power granted to it with a new voice coming from deep within the sea of people. Silence only returned when Tojo retook the microphone and raised a hand for order to commence.

"Here is the proof of our righteousness, every word said, every action taken, every deed done for the sake of those without hope that has been confessed this night is evidence of the power dwelling in each beating heart to create both a paradise and a hell for themselves and those far beyond the reach of our eyes. This world has never belonged to the mighty and the powerful alone, we all exist alongside them, those that deem themselves above the common folk and possess the wealth to legitimize their claim. They proclaim lordship over us lowly vagabonds and riff raff while never once seeing our way of life or care to hear our voices, I say let them! Let the diluted fools rot away in their luxury and affluence while we grow resilient and strong! What need do we have for such things when our happiness, our purpose, our power lies with our every action! These ignorant fools think us little more than pebbles to be stepped on, we are not! Everyone here has more value then any of those who act without noble reason, for while we may be unknown in name or saga, ours is the very thing cleansing the corruption from this world so never again will we or our children be compared to nothing, for already we have proven that!"

The shouting returned once again, as did a smile to Tojo's face.

"Tonight is the first major step we have all made to follow His path in absolution and in that everyone here should feel proud. We may never live the lives of the elite, but I for one couldn't ask for a better life. My only wish, as I'm sure everyone else's is, is that our one true leader was here to hear us, to see the rights we have done and to know our deep thanks for the example he had given us. Sadly, He is yet to be found, so as such we must carry on in His name as always, that way the dream He has given will never die. Am I right?"

A resounding "Yes!" came from the masses.

"Then we must remember to keep smiling so that those who cannot will be able to someday, I hasten to remind everyone that our duty should not come without its joys, so please, enjoy the rest of the festivities for as long as you wish and leave here with a smile on your face and memories worth sharing."

At that, a curtain was drawn over the stage and the mob broke apart, freeing up space that Uraraka and Himiko forgot was there in the first place. People moved all around to dying fires and old games, flat drinks and long cold food, others vanished right before their eyes in ways neither could have imagined. A hand touched both of their arms and tugged at them tightly.

"Come on, you've both seen what you came to see, now we're leaving before things get out of hand."

Mary said as she appeared behind them, hurrying along in a motherly fashion when the smell of alcohol started to grow in the air and mix with the scent of wood smoke. They arrived at the base of a tree where Gin and Pop had mingled in with some of the robed ones and some apparent Stain supporters, both men regarded the older woman with a bit of childish disdain.

"No, we aren't leaving yet, this night only comes once a month and it's the only time we can let loose. If you wanna leave early, go talk to Yuri and his boys, otherwise you're gonna have to wait."

Mary flexed a bit of her lower jaw at the ghoul, but didn't say another word as she walked away with both girls still being led by the hand. Suddenly, a person appeared from around the tree and blocked their path. It was Tojo.

"Hey there, hope you all enjoyed our speech. It does my soul good to see the hope grow in peoples' souls. Anyway, since you two seem to be on the level, I'd like to grant you these."

He opened his palm to reveal two smiley face badges dotted with a red outline around the lips. The girls took them without question, the events of tonight rendering them practically mute with shock.

"Thanks for that Tojo, but would you mind giving us a ride home? I wanna get them both outta here before people let their vices get flowing, if you know what I mean."

He raised a hand up understandingly.

"No problem, I was gonna say something about that anyway. This isn't really a place for people who ain't used to parties like the ones we throw. You already talk to Gin and the rest?"

The ghoul in question walked in behind his neighbor with a drink in his hand.

"Yeah, we're good, just please make sure these two goofballs get home safe tonight, okay? We all went through a lot of trouble to save them and I have a feeling more is to come."

The preacher shrugged.

"I promise I will, now go have fun you crazy SOB before I make you."

Gin saluted with two fingers on his forehead as they dripped into the shadows at their feet. Darkness covered everything in a choking fullness that touched every part of the body. It invaded the nostrils and ears like water, instinctually making everyone hold their breath for a few moments before they suddenly arrived back at the doorstep of the apartment complex.

"Hope you all have a good rest of your night. It's been a pleasure like always to see you again Mary and give your dad my regards."

Mary stepped over to the entrance of her home and smiled at the young man while cast a glance at the two girls she'd been overseeing.

"Of course, he'll be glad you stopped by, but are you two sure you don't wanna spend the night? We have more than enough room for just two extra people."

Himiko answered back with the usual sweetness finally returning to her voice.

"Nah, we've got rides home. Don't worry yourself about us, we'll be fine ok?"

Reluctantly Mary agreed but remained where she stood as the villainess pulled out her cell phone and turned it on. She minded a scroll for something and called a number.

"Hey Giri...yeah, yeah, I know...look you can be angry as you want but I need to get back, now can you please get me home?...I'll send you the coordinates."

Ozone scented the feted air around the alley as the very fabric of reality rippled and bent inwards to give way to a swirling vortex that was encircled by a purple energy.

"So, I assume my services are no longer required?"

Tojo asked as Himiko approached the portal.

"Nope, thanks anyway Mister Spooky, but could you give Cheeky here a ride back? My family and hers aren't on the best of terms."

He smiled at the villainess kindly while she disappeared into the anomaly, leaving Uraraka alone with only him and Mary, who was still watching her like a hawk.

"Ready to go?"

The heroine nodded as her fingers started to fumble with the button in her while the darkness consumed her. A moment in purgatory ended as they emerged back a block away from UA, Uraraka opened her mouth in surprise, but Tojo wouldn't give her that chance.

"Easy now Uravity, I know damn well what you do and where you dwell. I don't give two fucks if you're a hero or a villain like your friend, just as long as you do your job of making life better and she doesn't make it worse, it doesn't matter to me which side you play in this stupid ass game of dress up. Just keep your mouth shut about what you saw and we'll be peachy, got it?"

That was the only words the spector gave before he melted away into the shadows once again. She had had enough adventure to last a lifetime tonight, her mind rattled with all that she witnessed. How on earth did any of this happen and why did she somehow manage to get directly involved with it? She laid the blame squarely on Himiko and left it as the universe shifting some of the insanity of the villain's life onto her to balance the order of things. Still, how did someone as innocent...no, not innocent anymore, but rather one man give rise to...that!

She pulled the button out of her jacket pocket, examining it closer as the trek continued. What was so special about it? It looked like any run of the mill novelty button that almost every store sold, so why-

Her ponderings were cut short as the sound of running feet came directly towards her with the beams of flashlights shining on the ground as it grew closer. A boom echoed off the walls that was swiftly followed by warm arms wrapping around her torso and lifting her off the ground.

"Where the fuck were you!?"

Bakugou's loud, domineering voice rang in her ears with a wetness soiling her shirt as he crushed her to him, barely allowing her to breath with his own breathing being uneven and hardly controlled. More beams of light followed after him, with the majority of class 1-A and 1-B clad in their respective hero gear surrounding them. Eraserhead and Vlad King strolled to the front, wading through their students with an anger and a relief that few times have ever brought out in the professionals.

"Uraraka, you are in quite a bit of trouble, now we're going to discuss this once you get inside and-"

The underground hero stopped suddenly as his eyes focused on the badge in her hands that quickly vanished into the main pocket of the gravity user's jacket.

"Sure thing , I'm sorry for being late I-"

"You were gone for four hours past curfew and you went alone without telling any of us where the hell you were going! I- We thought that those fucking shit bags had gotten you!"

She cringed internally when tears teased themselves over Bakugou's cheeks as he somehow was not losing complete control of his emotions.

"That's enough Bakugou, we all agree with what you're saying, but right now we need to get things in order. Now, Uraraka principal Nezu would like very much to see you and I expect All Might to want the same, meaning you come with me, understand?

Eraserhead ordered with his quirk giving more authority to his words. Uraraka complied with what she was told to do and the rest of her was spent explaining how she had gotten lost on a trip through the city that had her end up on the other side of town where she stupidly ran out of money and had to walk back after taking the train since her phone also conveniently died not long after. The staff seemed to buy her story, which she gave a silent thanks to Himiko for those lessons on how to spot a liar, but Eraserhead was a different story with how his gaze never left her even when All Might and Nezu gave a slap on the wrist and a major restriction on her travel for a month.

She was sitting in her room again, just like she had when this whole mess started. The button and the knife were in her hands, making her reflect on her actions. Fear and guilt attacked her psyche like any hero would be faced with when such a night befell them, but for some reason the words Tojo said came back in crystal clear quality. The man was insane, no doubt about it, yet for some reason the more she thought about his message, the more she found herself...agreeing with it. A sharp pain rattled her body when she considered the ramifications of what all this could mean and from there she slept as best she could with a single question ruling her mind.

"What's going to happen next?"