Izuku woke up all at once, sitting up suddenly with a gasp. The teen looked around sluggishly. He was still in the USJ. Shouto was staring down at him worriedly. Izuku quickly concluded that he had only passed out for a few seconds.

"Are you alright? Can you stand?" Shouto asked from above.

"Yeah, I'm fine," The teen replied. Because it was true. While Izuku may have exhausted himself with his quirk, the boy was used to brushing it off and continuing on. Izuku would never be grateful for Endeavor's training, but just this once he was thankful that his body was able to reboot so fast.

Izuku got fully to his feet and Shouto wrapped a comforting arm around him to help steady his feet. Izuku shot a grateful look towards his friend. Now that the teen was upright, he could see all the activity around him.

Teachers, who were all in hero mode, and police officers alike were swarming left and right, helping students, taking the lesser villains into custody, and blocking off areas. There was also a thick veil of smoke in the center of the building, but Izuku didn't have time to linger on it as Shouto began dragging him towards the tell-tale noise of sirens outside.

Outside was a mess. After both teens had been briefly checked over for injuries, in which both had very few, they were told to wait near a tree that multiple other teens were sitting near. Izuku assumed, based on the police running around, that they were all waiting to be interviewed or for a parent to pick them up. The teens were in groups talking in hushed and tense voices to each other. Izuku noticed one boy with blonde hair that looked like it had exploded on his head staring at him with confusion and a little bit of something else in his eyes. Izuku couldn't place it, but for some reason the boy looked dreadfully familiar. Izuku shook his head to rid it of those thoughts. He was too tired for them.

The two approached the cluster of people cautiously, and made their way towards the edge of the group where a small circle of three were sitting. Shouto set Izuku down on the curb gently, then sat down himself. Izuku leaned into Shouto, resting his head on the dual haired boy's shoulder.

Before either of them could settle very far into the comfort of the other, a soft voice rang out.

"Um… excuse me…?" A brown haired girl with pink cheeks was looking at them from where she sat in the group of three the two boys had passed moments ago. Izuku lifted his head and tilted it in question, Shouto shooting an icy glare towards her. The girl shrank in on herself when she noticed the glare, but Izuku watched her steel her nerves before asking: "You were the boy with the villains… um… are you alright?"

Izuku was confused. Why did this girl care? What did she have to gain from the knowledge of his answer? A heavy silence filled the space when Izuku said nothing. "I'm sorry! Oh gosh, you probably don't want to talk about it, and you barely even know me, and I'm so sorry, I just wanted to help, and now-" The girl was cut off when Izuku let out a surprisingly strong laugh. How could he not? The girl reminded Izuku so much of himself when he was nervous. She clearly meant no harm and had only been asking out of kindness (which was very new to the boy).

Shouto, who had not let up his glare, turned towards Izuku in surprise. The ice and fire user's eyes melted at the sight of his friend laughing.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean t-to laugh," Izuku said quietly, "Yea I was… with the villains, but I'm fine. I managed to get away in the end," he finished with a watery smile.

"Oh," The girl gasped, sending him a small smile in return, "Well I'm glad." She then brightened up, and bounced over to Izuku, and held out her hand. "I'm Ochacko Uraraka! I should probably have introduced myself right at the start instead of asking you that invasive question! I'm so sorry!"

Izuku smiled, a genuine smile, as he felt warmth bloom in his chest. "It's' o-okay. I'm Izuku mi- ah- Todoroki," He replied, taking her hand and shaking it lightly.

The two were distracted from their introduction by a police officer tapping Shouto on the shoulder. "Excuse me, are you Shouto Todoroki?" The officer questioned. His friend nodded. "Please come this way for questioning. Shouto nodded again and stood up to follow the man, but not before squeezing Izuku's hand tightly, and placing a gentle kiss on the boy's forehead.

Shouto walked out of sight and Izuku froze. What had just happened? Izuku wasn't entirely sure, but he liked it. A burning hot feeling was growing in his chest and cheeks, and he was pretty sure his mouth was hanging open.

"I've never seen Todoroki so calm, Kero. You must be very important to him," A new voice said. It was a girl who was standing next to Uraraka whose eyes were blown wide, similar to his own. She seemed to have a frog mutation quirk. Her hair was green, her tongue stuck out, and her eyes were large. Her voice was steady, and Izuku could tell that she was a very grounded person.

"Yes. It is quite nice to know that Todoroki has someone he is comfortable with. I was worried when he never talked to anyone in class except out of necessity," A third voice stated. It was a boy with blue hair and glasses who stood stiffly like a robot. Izuku could see the engines coming from his legs, and deduced that he must have been an Iida from the line of Engenium heroes.

"Uh, um yea, we're uh- c-cousins," Izuku managed to stutter out, still stunned by Shouto's display.

"Ah, that makes sense," The green haired girl nodded, "I'm Tsuyu Asui, I'm glad you're alright Todoroki."

"Thanks Asui, but please call me Izuku."

"Only if you call me Tsu."

"I'm Tenya Iida. It is a pleasure to meet you Izuku. I too am grateful that you were not hurt today." Izuku nodded and smiled up at the three teens, and gestured for them to sit down.

The next hour was spent with the group chatting and trying to get their minds off the attack. They talked about their classes and teachers, why the three in the hero course wanted to be heroes, and any and everything in between. When the topic of quirks came up, Izuku guessed correctly all three of their quirks using his analysis. When their surprise turned to curiosity and praise instead of disgust and fear, Izuku decided he liked all three of them. When they asked him his quirk, Izuku declared rather fiercely that he was quirkless, and the three others blinked, and moved on. Izuku could have cried right there for the acceptance. It was safe to say Izuku had just made three new friends. Izuku shyly invited them to sit at lunch with him next time. They all agreed enthusiastically.

At some point Shouto came back from the Interview and integrated into the conversation quite well, if not with a little hesitation. But, soon all five of them were chatting, and Shouto had even laughed once or twice at a few of the other's antics.

One by one their three new friends were taken for interviews. When Izuku's turn finally came he was hesitant to leave, but he followed willingly enough.

The interview went by in a blur. At first Izuku had worried that someone had seen him use his quirk despite there being no one around, and Shouto assuring him of that fact. He was quickly calmed when the detective launched right into a speech about how everyone was a victim and… Izuku had stopped paying attention.

Izuku told the Detective, whose name he learned was Nomasa Tsukauchi and had a really cool lie detecting quirk Izuku wanted to know all about, about his experience leading up to and during his kidnapping leaving nothing out. Except of course his use of his quirk. That part he glossed over. Before long he was back outside and talking tiredly with his new friends.

Eventually, each of their guardians came to pick them up until only Shouto, Izuku, and Uraraka remained. Uraraka mentioned that she would have to wait awhile because her parents lived so far away.

Just as Izuku was starting to question whether their driver would show up at all, the air turned hot and Izuku's stomach dropped, he hadn't thought that man would show up in person. Izuku paused mid sentence, and wiped his face of any emotion, and stared intensely at his feet. The teen knew that to his right, Shouto was doing the exact same.

The next words that were spoken had Izuku's hands shaking and his heart trying to beat out of his chest. "Boys," Endeavor growled out dangerously low, "It's time to go home." The teens both nodded stiffly and followed the number one hero to the car. Izuku could feel the stares as they walked through the remaining few teens and emergency responders. As soon as they got in the car Endeavor turned to face them.

"I have been told what happened, but I want to know the exact details from you. If you leave anything out, you will not like what happens next." Izuku doubted he would like what was to happen either way.