As I crashed into the cold grass, I went limp, accepting my fate.

I placed my forehead on the grass and held my breath.

But nothing ever happened.

I touched the grass to make sure I wasn't dead. Then, I pushed myself up and looked at where I assumed All for One would be coming.

Instead, my eyes were greeted with the sight of a glowing Izuku.

My text , I thought , he must have seen it.

I stood up quickly, wanting to help somehow. I paced nervously as they sparred. It would probably be best to strategize with Izuku, but he was at least 10 feet away from me, barely being lit by the school buildings.

Finally, in a split second stall, Izuku made eye contact with me, I tried to make a motion towards myself.

Before I knew it, I saw a green-ish flash and found myself standing on the gym building with Izuku carrying me in his arms.

I stopped myself from commenting on how quickly he moved us here.

Focus, Y/N, focus, I said to myself.

"Izuku, I know what to do," I said to him, stepping onto the room. "It'll finally stop this endless loop."

He looked at me to continue. I gulped.

"I need to be used as bait, then maybe you can get one good shot, he's desperate to get my quirk before killing me," I explained, biting my lip. It felt like I was grasping at straws— was All for One mortal in any way?

"Bait?! You'll get hurt!" he exclaimed.

"I-I would rather risk that. I want to help," I said, looking at the direction of the dorms we had flown from. My mind filled with anxiety.

"But— there's got to be a different way," Izuku said, his voice strained.

We heard the sound of distant wind.

I grabbed Izuku's hands. My fingers brushed gently over his scars as a variety of scenarios flashed through my head. I didn't want him to get hurt.

I sighed. It was always going to be him who put an end to the Mokushi, wasn't it?

Maybe, just maybe, I can convince myself that self-sacrifice is the highest form of love. Agape.

" Please, " I emphasized, "I just want to be free of this," I said, squeezing his hands.

"Take me to the entrance of the gym and then you can hide and enter through the windows when it's time, okay?" I smiled at him.

Izuku's face was solemn and he squeezed my hands back. He looked down and then pulled me into a close embrace.

"I'll see you soon," he said softly next to my ear. In a flash, we were at the entrance of the gym. He put me down and then planted a soft kiss on my forehead.

Then, he was gone. I put my hand on my forehead for a brief second and then entered the gym. It was dark and moonlight barely illuminated the inside through the windows.

I walked next to the door of the equipment room and slid down the wall. I sat slowly onto the floor. I pulled my knees up to my face as I began to cry softly.

" It's not fair," my mind played on repeat, " it's just not fair."

My body moved on its own when I caught something in the corner of my eye.

I rolled out of the way as quickly as possible.

"Aw, why did you move?" A voice I recognized asked. It was that girl— Toga?

I squinted my eyes but confirmed after looking that it was her. She still had a school uniform on like last time but was wearing an unknown contraption on her back.

But what really caught my eye was the knife she held in her hand. The sharp blade shone in the moonlight.

"T-Toga?" I gasped, standing from the floor.

"Yeah, I guess we were called as backup or something? I was told to come here, I even got to see you and Izuku before he left," she said flatly.

"You two were really sweet, but I have to admit, I'm kind of jealous," Toga said, stepping forward, "but I'm guessing… you're able to get away with a lot, so…"

She braced herself slightly, "just know this isn't anything personal, right?" Toga raised her knife up. I stepped backwards until I hit a wall. My stomach twisted, it was too dark to see her eyes and do anything.

My hand felt the wall. The light switch.

"I'm doing this just for myself!" She shouted and began sprinting towards me. I flipped the lights on, then saw a fully lit Toga running towards me.

Her eyes locked directly on mine.

I used my quirk before she could look away.

I watched my body fall to the ground and then looked at the knife that was now in my hand.

My hands trembled and I looked between the knife and my limp body.
I was safe, but I needed to think of the next step.

A previously thought of scenario ran through my mind.

"I could—" I squeaked, "I could erase my quirk from the world forever."

I stepped towards my body and stood over it.

Maybe if I do it this way, I won't feel any pain, I said in my head.

I had struggled with the idea of choosing two evils— to let them take my quirk or to just use it on Izuku.

But, I was alive for one purpose and would die with one purpose.

"I wonder where my consciousness would go afterwards," I said to myself, biting my lip.

Maybe it would just fade away, with nowhere to return to.

I sniffed quietly, wiping tears from Toga's eyes.

I always knew it was the only real option, but I didn't want to admit it.

Finally, I got on my knees and held the knife firmly in both hands, pointing it down.

It would be a straight path to the chest.

I closed my eyes, trying to clear my mind. I didn't want to see it happen.

Without a second thought I brought the knife down.

Idiot! The boss is going to kill me if you do this! A voice exclaimed inside my head during my motion.

It felt like an electric current ran through my body the moment before I realized that I was being kicked out.

But the knife still came down.

Somehow, I didn't feel anything, but upon looking I clearly saw the knife now in my lower abdomen.

Toga was able to put some restraint into my motion and change the course, but couldn't stop it entirely.

" Shit! Hey, you can't die, okay?" Toga said, standing up quickly. She looked panicked.

I laid back and looked to the ceiling in shock. I didn't want to die, I just wanted to evaporate.

"They're going to kill me…" I heard Toga fumble her phone and then pick it up off the ground, "didn't even get to use your blood to talk to Izuku—"

I closed my eyes, afraid to move. I felt so stupid. What was I hoping to do?

It made so much sense in the moment. I couldn't let them take my quirk, but I couldn't be the one to do their bidding either.

" Get over here now! I'm done with her— she stabbed herself!" Toga yelled to her phone.

I couldn't keep track of time, but it sounded like muffled glass breaking around me after Toga yelled.

Then, she yelled something I didn't expect.

" Izuku!" She squealed and then sighed, "if only we had Ochako here too… it would've been perfect."

Why was he here now, wasn't he supposed to wait? Didn't he basically come in after Toga called for help?

" Stay away from her!" Izuku's voice echoed in my head as my consciousness became fuzzy. I opened my eyes to try and see what was happening.

I rotated my head, All for One was standing close to me with a few other unknown figures. I thought I saw Izuku too — but I couldn't tell, he was fast.

Then, it seemed like things were moving in slow-motion.

All for One moved even closer. I closed my eyes. I didn't want to see it happen.

I kept my eyes closed as a painful sensation moved through my body. Was it worse than being stabbed— or was my pain just compounded?

It felt like my brain was being separated from my body. I gasped in pain as it moved from my toes to my head.

Then finally, just nothing.

I felt a quietness in my body.

Finally, I could close my eyes in my peace.

I made a final wish for Izuku before resting my body.

The next thing my eyes were able to interpret were white ceiling tiles.

I tried to search my memory for what could have happened but found nothing. I frowned as my mind replayed the moments before I either passed out or slept.

I frowned and focused my eyes on the ceiling. A daft realization came to me. I was in the hospital and my quirk was taken.

It's gone, I said in my head, maybe I'll be free.

I focused my attention to my body and nearly jumped as I saw another person at my side.

Eventually, I realized it was Izuku, he was sleeping and rested his head on the bed. His hands gently cupped my right hand.

I looked at him and my breathing became shallow. He looked injured as well— in fact, he was probably more hurt than me. What was he doing?

I put my hand gently on his hair, resisting the moisture forming in my eyes.

Are you safe now, or just in more danger, Izuku?

I watched Izuku's eyes blink groggily as he woke up.

"Y/N!" He exclaimed once he saw that I was also up.

"What a relief," he sighed.

I smiled at him but quickly changed my tone.

"What are you doing? Shouldn't you also be in bed?" I asked him. He smirked and looked away from me.

" Probably," he stated, "but I'm good at keeping promises."

I looked at him blankly, trying to remember us having a similar conversation. But as far as I could recall, we had never really promised anything to each other.

"Promises?" I asked him.

He blinked at me, I assumed he was wondering if it was okay to explain himself.

"I didn't want to tell you— it was private, but..." Izuku muttered.

"Do you remember my birthday situation? It was kind of weird, but when I went to put those blankets into your mother's room, she woke up for a second," Izuku began to explain, "she got on her knees and gave the sincerest bow I had ever seen. It kind of scared me."

"She did what?! Why?" I said, nearly yelling.

"Your mom… she apologized to me for her past choices which had put both of you into tough positions," he continued, "she said that you both only had each other. Then, she begged me to take care of you if she ever passed. She wanted to know that somebody would look out for you."

I frowned. She knew it was coming. She always did, didn't she?

"It was hard to say no. So, I thought she would always stay by her daughters' side if she got hurt, right?" Izuku lamented.

I sniffled and just looked down towards my hand.

" Yeah, she would have," I blubbered.

But I didn't want to rely on him or weigh him down.

"I don't have a quirk now, but I can still take care of myself," I said quietly. There were many implications to my sentence, but I kept it at that. Izuku nodded in understanding.

"Well, if you want know what happened, after All for One took your quirk, I was able to badly injure him, enough that they were satisfied enough to retreat. But other than that—" Izuku muttered.

"It's okay," I started, "don't be sad for me. I'm glad he took it. I'm not happy about it being used in that cult, but it's a weight off my shoulder."

"Are you sure?" Izuku asked me. I bit my lip.

"No, but I know it was for the best," I grieved.

The aftermath of what happened played out differently than I had expected.

Despite not having my quirk, they were still going to let me graduate. I wasn't going to be kicked out of the dorms. It was going to be a different ending to my school career, but they decided that the uproar from removing me would be too much. Too much tragedy had happened for them to justify it.

The school year ended too quickly for my liking, and I found myself sitting, ready for the graduation ceremony one day in March.

All I could think about was the possibility that All for One could strike at any time. It was a difficult thought to put out of my mind and invaded my consciousness frequently.

I stared at the back of Izuku's head during the ceremony.

Only once did he turn back and notice my staring. He gave me a wide grin. I smiled back at him.

No anxiety, it'll be fine.

And it was.

Leaving our dorms was a teary process as dozens of boxes were carted out of the rooms. We stood in the lobby as we said our final goodbyes.

"We'll—" Ochako hiccuped while pulling me and Tsu into a group hug, "we'll keep in touch right? We have to!" She wailed.

Tsu, also teary eyed but much more composed, nodded at her.

"Ochako, I think it's not possible to become out -of-touch with you," Tsu stated.

Ochako still cried, wondering how their lives would treat them as they tried to become pro-heroes now.

I smiled at the both of them, also teary eyed.

"You guys are the best of the best, you'll be fine, I'm sure of it," I said to them quietly.

" Y/N! " Ochako said loudly, "what are you planning to do now? I can't apologize enough for your quirk—"

"Hey! It's fine. I'm just applying to regular jobs and university now. Maybe I'll end up managing you guys— you'll be the one listening to me!" I joked.

We shared teary laughter and a final hug.

I wandered outside as we said goodbye and everyone made their way to their original homes.

As everyone exited the building for the final time, I spotted Izuku sitting on the porch.

I sat down next to him, tears still in my eyes, but with an enthusiastic tone.

"Hey!" I sang. Once I saw his expression it took me a second to compose myself. He was crying more than Ochako.

"Hey— I-Izuku, we're going to keep in touch with everyone! It's okay!" I tried to reassure him, unsure of what to say.

His expression turned back to normal surprisingly quickly and he smiled at me.

"I know, I'm fine! Sometimes things just change and you can't control how you feel," he stated. I just nodded.

I saw him out of the corner of my eye give me a smirk and then I felt him nudge me.

"Hm?" I looked over to see him holding something out with his hand. I laughed when I saw it.

"Your button? Why are you being so cheesy? Our uniforms only have two buttons anyway," I snickered. He still held out the button.

I sighed and grabbed it.

"What is your confession?" I asked him.

"It's supposed to speak for itself," he replied.

I put it in my pocket. We would probably never wear our uniforms again.

We shared an understanding silence.

"Izuku- I know this isn't related but," I began somewhat nervously.

"My mother wasn't wealthy, but she had a good job and a place," I explained, "I'll be living on my own now— but if you and your mother agree to a different living situation, I think it would be a nice way to say 'thank you'."

Izuku looked to me for clarification, not completely understanding.

"I want to buy a house with three bedrooms and plenty of room, basically!" I said straightforwardly.

I was surprised to see Izuku blush vividly. I didn't think it was too surprising of a thing to suggest.

"But—" He muttered, "that's your money, it's for you to spend. Your mother left it for you."

"Exactly— it's mine to do with what I please," I said confidently.

~ 1 ½ years passed ~

It felt like I had blinked and a year had passed. I managed to get into university a quarter later. Izuku had already been working as a sidekick for a year as well. We both shared the same anxiety about All for One, since everything was too quiet on their side.

Izuku and his mother agreed to move in with me to a house that was big enough for the three of us.

Despite buying the house, I wanted to assist in the upkeep as much as possible while I was in school.

I wasn't sure of what I wanted to focus on in university, so I ended up focusing on hero business studies.

When Izuku asked: "Hero business studies? Is that how to run an agency or heroes?" I could only give him a brief overview of the degree.

It seemed to dabble in everything, managing the finances, navigating the laws, and even skills on managing individual heroes.

Otherwise, despite Izuku's confusion on my life's progression, our relationship progressed steadily.

Admittedly, to have progress it had to be cultivated outside of the house. We were relatively hands-off around each other at home— despite the enthusiasm that Izuku's mother showed towards our relationship.

In terms of U.A., I decided that it was best to keep a low-profile, considering their connections.

If they didn't bother me, I wasn't going to bother them.

"Hey, it's so warm today, since I'm off do you want to go get ice cream and walk to the park?" Izuku asked me one day while I sat at the table writing a paper during a hot summer day.

It sounded like the perfect break.

We walked to the convenience store and chose two popsicles. Izuku's was apple, mine was banana.

The park wasn't too far. We walked there in about 5 minutes with our snack and sat in the grass.

"It feels so nice to cool off," I remarked, the grass cooling my legs. It felt nice in the heat.

Izuku nodded, "it's nice…" he trailed off.

"Hey, can you believe it's about 2 ½ years since we met each other now?" He posed a question to me.

"No," I replied, "I can't believe it. Time doesn't feel real."

Izuku and I both laid on the grass, gazing at the clouds and watching them pass by.

His hand gently grazed mine and grabbed it tightly as we relaxed.

I closed my eyes, letting the sun lull me into a sleep.

Before I fell into a sleep, I swore I heard Izuku mumble.

"You're safe now. You can rest. I love you."

I rested, finally free, finally satisfied.

I barely registered Izuku's gentle kiss on my forehead as I slept.