Last chapter was pretty intense, and that's not the worst of it. Hehehe, look forward to that! Enjoy~
Most of the students recovered in a few days, the ones who were injured. But… many of them would not be the same as before. PTSD would be very common in the first year classes. The terror of even going through the whole thing, not counting whatever they hallucinated. It was awful. The last twelve students were kept safe, away from everybody. Their families were put in safe places, as well.
The group all stayed in the same area, but there were curtains around the beds. Luffy held Law's hand a lot, sometimes really hard, clenching his fingers at any memories of the mess. Hearing his fellow first years screaming in fear, in pain. The echoes of all of their wails plagued his mind. He couldn't sleep without nightmares of him turning into one of the mushroom people. Those who had were still undergoing various treatments.
Those that were not the last twelve were kept away from the ones in most danger. The ones who fought back, who broke out and tried to escape. They were kept separate. They Face-timed with the class a lot. They were all scared about what happened, and when they asked about what went on once they were gone, they refused to talk about it.
Of course, that made them all curious, but when hearing them ask about it made Luffy flinch, they stopped. All the knew was that it was disturbing and traumatizing. It wasn't fun. And it wasn't just scary. It was terrifying and full of grief, regret, guilt. The feelings they all felt when leaving others behind.
All of them felt that way, but Luffy felt the most pain at his friends and classmates suffering and he could do nothing about, had to leave them behind as they had become burdens. He never even talked about his severed and reattached arm. It was kept in a sling so it was above his heart.
His three closest friends were very worried about Luffy, but he did his best to convince them he was okay. Not great, not good, but he was okay. He didn't want to talk about it, even to them, even to his family. He wanted to try and forget it for now and just focus on healing his arm. He didn't want to face those demons. The demons that would mimic the cries of those he knew. Those he left behind… to possibly die.
All For One was AWOL at the moment. Nobody knew where he was. His base of operations was destroyed, all of his work, everything was gone. Which was why Luffy and Law were surrounded by pro heroes at all time.
The two were in isolation for over a week and a half - heavy isolation - before All For One was found. He was actually very injured by Luffy and Law. He also lost most of his life-support equipment in the raid and destruction. His helmet Luffy had ripped off helped him live. So, when he was found, he was already dying. He lost everything he needed to live after such terrible damaging injuries.
He was already on death's door when he was reported being seen in a bunker in some unknown forest. A citizen saw somebody with no face or anything but scar tissue. He was now in Tartarus, in critical condition. He might die. The League of Villains was no more, thanks to a small handful of students. It wasn't only Law and Luffy that took him down. Everyone worked together to stall him from leaving, even if he thought it was playing.
So, it wasn't just Luffy and Law. But it seemed the danger was over for now.
Finally, the day came that they could return to school. Luffy wondered if they would continue to need to be in the dorms, or if he could finally go home. Those that were after the assumed mutant quirk users were gone, and so was the League of Villains. Hopefully they only had to stay in the dorms a couple weeks and then they could be empty, and Luffy could return to his family.
He missed his mom, a lot. He just wanted a hug after the trauma. He wanted his family, desperately. He wanted Ace and Sabo. He wanted his brothers. He wanted to go home.
When the bus dropped them off at school, many of the students were not returning that semester or even that year. Those of their class were returning, but Hagakure had nightmares of being trapped and eaten away from inside with those mushrooms. Ashido had been caught by the water monster, and had been badly hurt on her leg and stomach, but had recovered.
They found she emotionally stable except around any long, slithery creature. Even a small centipede set her off in screams. Luffy hadn't seen what the monster looked like, and nobody would describe it. Those who'd seen it up close were those that fell victim to it.
The rest of the class 1-A victims were those that made it to the end. And of those, Luffy was the worst off of them all. He had pain in his arm sometimes that he was told was not really there, but was the memory of pain. His ripped ear didn't cause any distress to touch, though. But he also couldn't see it.
He could see the part of his arm that was reattached. It sometimes gave him panic attacks. But they were controllable and the entire school had gone through brief training in accepting their traumatized classmates back. Lessons on how to ease panic attacks, how to comfort flashbacks, how to be patient with them. And Luffy was so thankful for that.
So, when they stepped into the classroom, nobody screamed or crowded them. Hagakure set the bar when she couldn't handle being hugged or touched. Not when all she felt was pressure, from the inside and outside. Ashido was fine with being touched, having physical comfort, but she was also much closer with the invisible girl than anyone else now.
Luffy was usually latched onto Law when they were in the same place. Holding onto one of his arms. He had been his partner in going through the mystery hell-hole. They were together, from the beginning to the end, and Luffy looked for him for help and decisions in what they should do. And in some ways, Luffy was closer to him than his long time best friends.
Luffy sat as his desk, his arm still in the sling for a bit longer. Not too much longer, but for now. His friends asked him how he felt, wondering if he was okay. "I'm okay. I'll be okay, you don't need to worry much." He didn't say they didn't need to worry at all. They needed to be considerate of Luffy, and not ask him questions about the place that the survivors refused to speak or open up about to anybody but police and their families.
Not a single person in school who hadn't been there knew about what what went on inside.
The sports festival had been panned that year, for obvious reasons. So nobody was getting calls based on their performance. The agencies had been very kind in offering spaces for anybody who was taken. Even Endeavor's agency was welcoming the victims. There was only a handful, though.
Luffy and Law were both formally invited to the Whitebeard agency. Luffy looked forward to working with Thatch and the people Ace and Sabo adored. Law was fine with coming along, too. The Whitebeards were very respectable. Nobody else wanted to start out with those. Midoriya was going with a relatively unknown hero, and Zoro and Sanji were braving Endeavor. Wanting to see if they could last without blowing up. This was just their short internships, not their hero work studies.
To the distress and disappointment of so many, they were staying in the dorms for the rest of the semester. Just because the League was gone before it even began didn't mean there weren't those out there who wanted to take advantage of the fragile state of many of the students. So, they were safest on campus.
Classes resumed as normal, with the teachers speaking quieter and slower for the students' sakes. Hero training was very oddly structured. All Might was in fine shape since All For One had been so fragile and weak when he was found. Apparently, they had been nemeses. What a boring way to go. Him losing due to health problems.
Well, Luffy was glad he was gone and hopefully died in an embarrassing way. He hated hearing his name, because phantom pains would rip through his ear and arm. They were psychological, but it didn't mean he didn't feel them. When somebody mentioned him, Luffy gasped and held his reattached arm close, trying to ride out the mental injury that was no longer there. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you," Kaminari said. Luffy apologized, saying it was fine. It didn't actually hurt, it was just in his head. The others looked sad. Luffy noticed not a single time did Bakugo insult any of them. Luffy especially, who he'd always disliked.
Bellamy looked at him like he was pathetic, but as long as he wasn't loud or triggered anything, he could be a prick as much as he wanted. However, somebody was not happy with those looks. Law glared daggers at him that vowed to punish the blonde.
So, that day's hero basic training activity was meditation. Meditating while things were happening around you. As in, people moving about, making some noises. But at once, the students who were in the pitch black refused this activity. They weren't going to close their eyes and listen to things all around them they couldn't see.
When asked why by Sato, Luffy simply said, "We were it pitch darkness." The others said nothing, but Ashido bit her lip and Hagakure's gloves crossed, showing she was holding herself. All Might accepted this and apologized. So it was changed, those who had been missing were going to be the ones to make the noise and distraction.
Besides, Luffy and Law didn't need to train their senses, even if meditating would help out sometimes. Especially after bad dreams. So, they walked around the circle, making sudden noises. It was boring, but it was better than them doing the activity itself.
Once it was over, Luffy hurried to the school, getting away from everybody. It would take them a while to get back. He went into the changing room and changed before going into the bathroom and sitting down, feeling the pain rip through his arm and ear. He wanted to move on, but knew it would take a long time.
It was upsetting. Very upsetting.
-x-
Luffy had recurring nightmares, almost every night. And he never talked about them with others. Well, he'd call his mom and talk with her, sometimes cry. She was very upset she couldn't come see him, and Luffy felt the same. He missed her, wanted this to be over already. Sometimes he'd cry into his pillow, so home sick.
One night, he kept having nightmares, even after waking up. He felt so alone and cold and scared, so he grabbed his pillow and left his room. He didn't think Law would have a problem with it. He knocked on his door lightly, and was told to come in. He was sitting up in bed, looking confused and tired.
"I keep having nightmares, can I sleep in here?" Luffy asked, being honest about why he was there. Law looked surprised before nodding. Luffy put the pillow on the floor, and Law handed him the blanket on the foot of his bed.
The alarm went off early, and Luffy woke up, having had no nightmares after moving into his friend's room. He left it right after the alarm went off, thanking him for allowing Luffy in the room, even if he made it awkward. "It wasn't awkward. I'm most comfortable around you, it wasn't a big deal." Luffy smiled and nodded, leaving the room after making sure nobody was in the hall.
He showered in his own room, and then got out to blow dry his fur and then get dressed. He couldn't believe how long it took for Law to dry off with so much more fur than Luffy due to his size. The smallest frowned, touching his face. His too wide eyes. The childish ears resting on his head and drooping widely on both sides.
The reflection was one of a child. He wasn't, though. He was fifteen. He was strong, dependable, smart. But this appearance wasn't any of those. He just looked little and cute and fluffy. He looked at his reattached arm. Maybe if he didnt have it reattached, he would have looked tougher. Or maybe it would have made him look weaker.
He dressed and left, getting his backpack and heading downstairs to breakfast, knowing food was being cooked by the smell. He found Sanji and Uraraka cooking together. The others were on the couch or dining tables. Luffy just got a bagel and left. He saw Hagakure was not out there. Well, he saw no floating clothes.
He could smell her still in her room. He felt so sorry for her. For all of those that had been affected by whatever spores those were that turned them into tho- stop it, stop thinking about it. Zoro called after him, but Luffy didn't turn around, putting his earphones on, walking to the main building down the path that had been made when the dorms were erected.
When he got to class, he was way too early, and sat against the door, waiting for the morning to start, still eating his bagel. He heard Midoriya and All Might coming down the hall, talking. Luffy had noticed All Might favored his friend. He wasn't upset about it. He already had a hero that favored him. Thatch. He couldn't wait to patrol with him, or do whatever they would do during the internships.
When the two went into one of the teacher's rooms, Luffy took his earphones off, folding them into his backpack. He didn't try to hear, but their voices were the only ones around besides some quiet teachers, so they were easy to distinguish.
They were talking about All For One, which sent a shooting pain through his arm and ear, making him breathe slowly, deeply, wanting it to pass. If it was real pain, he wouldn't be so ashamed of it. He curled up, putting his head to his round knees, holding his hands over his ears.
He was too distracted to noticed somebody else coming over before Law sat down next to him. "You okay?" he asked quietly. Luffy nodded, but then sighed and shook his head. "Were you listening to Midoriya and All Might? They mention him a lot." Luffy looked at him in surprise. "I eavesdrop on people all the time." Luffy let out a small laugh.
He didn't ask what he'd heard. He was curious, but didn't want to invade his friend's privacy. He was glad Law didn't say anything else. He was just quiet, and not staring at Luffy. "Do you think people would ever take me serious? I didn't get to prove anything at what would have been the sports festival."
Law said he wasn't sure. But that he'd have to work hard, go big and get noticed. "You're recognizable, but based on appearance, they may not recognize how strong you are until you show them, spit in their faces if they underestimate you. You're strong, took the second spot in the entrance exam. And since nothing came out to the public about what we all went through, nobody knows how strong we all were for managing to get through that disaster. Those who made it to the end should be getting job offers from everywhere, but since nobody knows shit, I doubt anything will come of it," Law explained honestly, making some good points.
Luffy wished they could all prove they'd handled an emergency alright. At least, when it mattered most. Luffy felt he had it the worst out of the final twelves, or at least out of their class, but he could be wrong. Tokoyami and Shoji were quiet people. They could be suffering in silence. Luffy was glad none of them got badly hurt in the long term.
And Luffy's injury wasn't long term. It was fixed, he only just had lingering problems and needed some physical therapy, which he did on his own once the more intense things were done. And he wasn't learning to walk again, so the exercises for his arm was easy enough. But he wouldn't say he was the one who had the hardest time in their class.
By far, it was Hagakure. By far. Ashido had lingering problems, but she could handle being touched by her friends. Luffy wished none of his friends had gone through it, even though he was so happy he had Law and hadn't been alone.
He was no longer listening in on Midoriya and their teacher when All Might came out and actually asked for the two fauptas to come to him. Luffy wonders if he knew they were listening and were now in trouble. But they weren't, passing Midoriya in the hall, who smiled at him. Luffy nodded back, and they both entered the room his friend had just been in.
All Might gestured for them to sit on a couch across from him on a chair. "How are you both doing?" he asked kindly. His smile was a bit dimmer, not seeming so happy. It would be insensitive to ask how two kids were doing with their trauma while smiling brightly.
Luffy said he had phantom pains whenever he heard his name. Also nightmares, but they were manageable. He didn't mention the waking nightmares, the hearing of screaming in his mind that he hid. He knew his two closest friends could see those moments, as could Law as well. Most likely.
Law said he felt fine. Had had a few bad dreams, but they weren't regular at all. "I see. I'm so sorry for your trauma, and that we were unable to get to all of you in time. But, I wanted to tell you what good you've done for the world. By incapacitating him. You may not have defeated him at the moment you attacked, but he was doomed thanks to both of your bravery. All twelve of your bravery, but especially you two."
Luffy didn't have any pain as long as his name wasn't said. He didn't like thinking about his stubby looking head and missing face, so he was able to see him in the mask, which wasn't as scary. "I was deeply wounded by him many years ago. If you two had not done what you were able, then I may be very sick or incapacitated in a battle against him." Luffy didn't know how he knew the bad guy, but didn't ask. He didn't want to hear anymore about it.
"We don't want to hear anything about him, you don't need to explain. We want to move on," Law said, and Luffy nodded in agreement. All Might said he understood, and thanked them one more time, saying they were heroes already. And very strong for what they went through.
Even if he said that, Luffy had mixed feelings about being stronger after it. Sure, he had more experience with hellish situations, but there were mental scars. They left the room, and Luffy thanked Law for shutting the conversation down. He nodded. They found some were in the class, and they went inside. Law, like usual, gave Luffy his book bag, and class started.
-x-
It had been two months since school had started. There were large chunks cut out for various reasons for those months, but there was enough learning to take the midterms. Those would be the next week. Rayleigh told them that those who were taken were going to take it in another room. They didn't need to know why. Being in a silent room, stressed over a test, unable to say anything might be hard.
Luffy was glad he would take it with only a couple others. So, they were to all study for the test the next week. "Have you all decided where you wanted to intern? If you have, drop in your form as soon as possible," he said. A handful brought their papers to the front of the class. The four and Law all chose theirs already and put their papers in the little box.
The rest of the day was normal. Honesty, there was nothing ever memorable in their other classes. Hero training depended on the day. Some days it was boring, others it was exciting. That day, they would be fighting two on two. To try and keep your enemies from getting to one goal. So, one group of two would try to get to a goal on the first floor. The enemies were trying to get one on the third floor.
You either tried to keep the enemy from getting to their goal or trying to get to their own faster. It depended on who the enemy was. What their quirks were. Luffy was paired with Todoroki against Ashido and Sato. Sato had a bad quirk, needing to eat sugar to be strong. What happened if he ran out of sugar? What if he lost it, if his sugar packets fell out during an emergency?
He didn't like to think badly about someone's quirk, since they couldn't control it, but some were just useless or inconvenient. But, you make the best of what you have. So, Luffy and Todoroki planned on what to do. Luffy would be slipping past them while Todoroki kept them busy and also formed an ice wall around their prize they had to keep the enemy away from. It was decided, and they waited where they were meant to.
The buildings made were newer. Luffy like ground beta more than any other one of the areas. It was the best to him. Lots of room, variety, and space to run inside the buildings. He didn't like ground gamma at all.
Once the buzzer sounded, Todoroki formed the ice wall and iced up the floor. The gloves on Luffy's hands and fingers were made of a material that was just fine for this, and his back feet had the booties on. He darted around them, but Ashido sent acid at him. He dodged each drop just by the scent, knowing where they were. Todoroki was there and froze up both of their feet.
By the time Ashido and Sato were free, Luffy had reached the goal. They protected their own and stopped their enemies without either of them getting a single hit in. Todoroki un-iced the place, and the four of them left, no hard feelings. Luffy rarely lost in his activities. Only once, and it was against Zoro, who kept keeping him back with one magnetic bomb after another. After that, his friend's hands had been swollen and sore.
After class was over, Luffy was feeling down again. He took the booties off and stuffed them in his pocket before going back to change and then going back to the dorms. He had his hands on his ears. He didn't even notice he was doing it sometimes, it just happened. When he got back, he took off his uniform and got into a tank top and shorts.
Again, he looked in the mirror, and disliked himself. It was getting worse, his view of his body. So small and childish. He put a blanket over the mirror on the wall. The door was knocked on and it was Zoro. He opened it and let him in. Sanji and Midoriya weren't there. Zoro sat on the bed, and said nothing of the covered mirror.
"Luffy, will you tell me what happened there? Sanji said he wasn't going to ask, but you're all alone but for Law and two others. And nobody knows what happened to Hagakure and Ashido. Tokoyami and Shoji have been silent and not showing much emotion on it. Please, tell me so I can help," he asked, voice sounding almost desperate.
Luffy frowned, but then sat down on the bean bag chair and explained what had happened to all of them in that hell. Zoro had the grace to look horrified and shocked. Luffy wiped his eyes with his wrist. He told him about what the bad guy had said about them all being products of drugs. He hadn't told Makino yet. Probably wasn't going to tell her. When he'd given her the jist over the phone, he had left that part out.
"She was turned into a mushroom?" he asked afterwards. Luffy nodded. They had to perform surgeries on her to fix her up. Ashido had been attacked by the water monster that had killed one student. But there was a big chunk that took a year off to heal mentally and emotionally. "I'm so sorry, Luffy. I wish I'd been there for you…" he said, sounding ashamed.
Luffy said he was glad they weren't there. Less people to worry about, to leave behind. "I hear them screaming in my head sometimes. I'll be thinking of something, usually something sad, and I'll just hear the screaming that was cut off as I left them behind, trying to get out. Once the doors closed, their screaming stopped.
"I don't know what kind of quirks were used, or where that pit had been. But it was real." The students weren't recovered from the pit but from where they were collected somewhere else. Not in the hospital lab, but they were found quickly after the ten remaining test subjects were found underneath the major hospital.
Zoro hugged him, and Luffy didn't move before he started to cry. It felt nice, to tell somebody who wasn't already there. Somebody to talk to about it without them having gone through the same thing. It was very different than talking to Law. It made him feel better, and he was glad Zoro had come to him and that he'd answered his question. What happened?
The question everyone had.