Chapter 5

Kaori laid flat on the hot asphalt for a moment longer, unwilling to get up and face the aftermath of what she assumed was an explosion.

The loud noises had ceased, the heat lessened; the immediate danger was gone. Yet there was still lingering smell in the air, the only indication of what had gone wrong.

She had never been so afraid. She needed to get up, she couldn't lie here forever. Her arms felt like they had gone through a shredder and her ears were still ringing incessantly. She wished someone would come save her, anyone.

The weight on her back felt crushing. It draped over her like a weighted blanket, but without any of the comfort. Kaori bit back a sob.

Eventually, everything became too much to bear. With what remaining willpower and strength she had left, she crawled and stood weakly. Kaori didn't want to look, but she forced herself to survey her surroundings — she had to know.

The smoke had all but faded into the open atmosphere, only leaving behind scorch marks and a thin layer of ash in its wake. It looked bleak and completely devoid of life — almost as if she had been transported to a post-apocalyptic world.

Kaori's legs wobbled dangerously and almost gave out right away, but she persevered. Part of her, the four-year-old part, wanted to sit there and close her eyes, pretending like nothing had happened; but she wasn't a kid anymore, she needed to do something to help. Robotically, she gave herself commands. Move forward, turn around, lean down…

She prodded her mom, who was still lying on the ground, unmoving. She half expected her to spring up like nothing had happened and start telling Kaori what to do.

"Mom? Wake up!" The desperation and weakness in her voice were overwhelming and she hated it. If she was the real protagonist in this story, she wouldn't be this weak and powerless; she'd somehow save everyone effortlessly, with a smile on her face.

Her mom didn't move, and Kaori felt her heart stop. She wasn't dead, was she? She couldn't be.

Her scream echoed loudly in the alley, and yet, not one person stirred.

Kaori did the most logical thing she could think of, she turned tail and fled the scene.

Her throat felt scratchy and raw, and no matter how much she swallowed it persisted stubbornly. They screamed in pain as she ran, begging her to stop, to take a break and drink some water.

She ran away, like the coward she was. She told herself she needed to find help, that she wasn't qualified to deal with the situation, that there was nothing she could do. All Might could. All Might would know what to do.

She refused to believe her parents were dead. They couldn't be, not so soon, not from something like that. Her mom was knocked out, that was all. She wiped her eyes. Then why did her heart feel like it had been torn to pieces?

It felt like she had been running forever. The venue wasn't that far away, was it? Kaori leaned against a wall momentarily to catch her breath. Just a bit further, she told herself. Then everything would be alright. All Might will make sure of it. He was a hero, and heroes can do anything. She took in a deep reassuring breath; she just needed to find All might.

She could hear the crowd dimly from the distance, and not soon after she found herself back at the venue. Everyone looked so happy and carefree. Didn't they know what had gone down mere meters away from them? Kaori felt a tendril of rage start to grow. How dare they be happy?

She pushed past everyone, determined to reach All Might. She noticed vaguely that the crowd had thinned somewhat from before.

Concerned stares were thrown her way due to her ragged state, and some of the bolder people even made a move to stop her in her path. Kaori ignored them all. She had a goal. It was the only thing holding her together right now.

She shoved past more annoyed kids, who, at her blank stare, scrambled to move out of her way. Finally, she reached the front of the line where All Might was sitting.

"Hi there!" All Might greeted cheerfully without looking up. He was still in the middle of signing a shirt for the small boy Kaori had just shoved away.

"All Might … I …" In her haste to reach him, she had failed to think up of what to say.

He looked up and immediately his signature smile morphed into shock and concern. He stood up, placing an arm on her shoulder. It felt heavy.

"What is the matter, young lady?"

She shook her head, forcing herself to focus instead of just standing there like an idiot. "There was … a bomb, I think. Explosion at the alley near the parking lot." She hated the way her voice trembled. "I didn't know what to do."

Somehow, despite the situation, All Might smiled reassuringly, and for a brief moment, everything was alright.

"Stay here. Rest assured, I can handle it from here." He gave Kaori a quick pat on the head. "You did well."

Before Kaori could tell him she hadn't done anything exactly, All Might was gone in a powerful gust of wind, buffeting her hair and clothes.

A wave of nausea and discomfort hit her at once as the adrenaline in her system faded, leaving behind a blank vessel devoid of energy. Kaori stumbled and collapsed on the floor, ignoring the pain that the rough asphalt had wrought on her bare skin. A murmur of shock and concern went through the small crowd that had gathered around her, and people were by her side in an instant. Kaori wasn't sure what for. She was perfectly fine, with only a few scratches and scrapes to show for the ordeal they had gone through — that her parents had gone through. They were the ones who needed the attention, not her.

A deep sadness, akin to regret, was all she could feel. Kaori shut her eyes tightly.

The world was too much for her to bear.

It was difficult for Kaori's fragmented mind to comprehend the events that followed. She followed the gentle instructions issued by friendly bystanders, or perhaps they had been the police. She had no idea — it all seemed to blur together.

Even the blaring sirens of the ambulance had trouble registering in her mind. Kaori watched disinterestedly as paramedics surrounded her and ushered her inside. She didn't need to go to the hospital, Kaori tried to convey to them. The paramedics gave her matching looks of confusion, and she repeated herself. Had she accidentally switched to English? She couldn't tell anymore.

Very quickly, or perhaps it had been a long time, they arrived at the hospital.

Many people tried to speak to her, doctors, nurses, even a police officer, but Kaori couldn't muster the courage and brainpower to respond. She refused to acknowledge that something terrible had happened, not even in the safety of her own mind. If she doesn't think about it, it would go away, wouldn't it?

Time seemed to pass at an agonizingly slow pace as she laid on the hospital bed, and doubts began to plague her mind. When was All Might coming with her parents? Her parents were fine. It shouldn't be taking this long. She glared at the generic painting hung on the wall. Its non-offensiveness made it offensive for some reason, and Kaori wanted to tear it down.

"Hello." Another officer? She didn't even bother to raise her head. "I am Pro Hero Eraserhead, here on behalf of All Might."

Kaori's head shot up so fast it almost gave her whiplash. It was indeed, Aizawa, with his signature black clothing. He looked younger than the tired homeroom teacher Kaori was familiar with, but with the same ragged and exhausted look. It said a lot that Kaori didn't feel star-struck in the slightest.

"So?" she croaked. Kaori coughed to clear her throat before speaking up again. "Where are they?"

Aizawa shifted uncomfortably and didn't respond immediately. Kaori felt her blood run cold. Fear gripped her heart, and she couldn't breathe.

"Where are they?" she repeated, her voice dropping to a whisper. She wanted to run out of the room, anything to not hear the answer.

"I'm sorry," he said finally. "They didn't m—"

The ringing in her ears was back and Kaori's heart dropped to her stomach.

She hadn't noticed how much she was beginning to rely on her parents. She loved them, truly and deeply, as much as she had loved her real parents. Was there even a point in distinguishing the two now? Was there ever a point? Why had she wasted so much time on insisting which set of parents were her "real" ones, when they all loved her equally?

She felt a lump form in her throat. Had she ever told her parents that she loved them? She couldn't remember a single instance of it now. God, why hadn't she? Kaori wanted to scream, to shout, to hit something. Was this how her past parents had felt when she met her demise? Despair and regret at not having said the right words before their unexpected farewells?

Kaori gripped the railings of the bed so hard her knuckles turned white. It had all gone so wrong, and she couldn't help but feel the blame lay on her. It had been her idea to go to the All Might event, and because she hadn't wanted All Might's autograph, they had gone to the parking lot early. Her mother had died saving her — she who didn't deserve it.

She forced herself to snap out of her deprecating thoughts and zoned back into the present. Aizawa hadn't moved and was staring at her calmly, and it unnerved her. How could he be so calm?

"As I was saying," he said slowly, as if speaking to a particularly dense child. "If you have any information regarding the explosion and who could've been responsible, please tell me now. Any minor detail would suffice, nothing is too small."

Kaori stared at him blankly, uncomprehendingly. A sense of blind rage followed quickly, the white hotness of it expanding through her chest satisfyingly, replacing all of her previous sadness. She wasn't dumb, she was completely willing to help. However, the flatness of his delivery felt almost like an insult, as if Kaori's parents' death had meant nothing to him — only a part of his job. As if he didn't care at all. Beloved character from the show or not, Kaori's loyalties did not lie with him at the moment.

She gritted her teeth.

"No."

"Sorry?" He had the audacity to look surprised, though on his inexpressive face it wasn't obvious. Only a small upwards quirk of his eyebrow gave it away.

"NO!" With that, she turned around and buried her head in the soft and sterile pillows, away from the world; the world that didn't care for her.

To his credit, Aizawa was silent, and the only noise that could be heard was the sound of Kaori's sniffles.

A/N: First meeting with Eraserhead, not going so well is it? This fic has been so fun to write, the next chapters are going to be a doozy.

Anyway, thanks for reading :D Next chapter in a week, as always.