Zoran Dawn-Eclipse: Shit I need to stop giving out hints from now on. 0-0

Lots of angst in this. Enjoy~

Three boys stood at the casket holding their best friend. The dragons had come before the humans, hearing Ace's screams, and coming to help him. Once the huge one saw he was out of danger, he fled, much too big for the urban area. Nobody had died from the dragons. Nobody had died but Sabo and those in that one theater. That room had been a blood bath. Ace was the only one to see Sabo with his whole torso ripped apart. If he squinted his eyes, he could still see all the blood on his body, on his hands.

For the last week, Ace had been in limbo. No matter what anyone said, he didn't respond. He wasn't hurt, but he was broken. At least when Izuku and Marco weren't there. It was quiet between the three. The fourth piece had left, and now they were a broken set. The last Izuku and Marco had seen of Sabo was in the dark theater, stepping on their feet to use the bathroom.

The last time Ace had seen him was dead in his arms. He cried the whole service, unashamed of making noise. Nobody dared tell him to be quiet or leave. He was the most traumatized about it all. He'd been there. If only he'd told Sabo to run, not call the police, he could have gotten out of the building.

But Sabo died trying to be a hero. Trying to help Ace. For someone who had no desire to be a hero, there wasn't a single one of them more heroic than him. Marco hugged Ace the whole time. He didn't even face the casket, just hugging Ace, crying into his neck much more quietly than he was.

Izuku felt like an outsider, and didn't speak at the ceremony. Well, he didn't cry. Sure there were tears down his cheeks, but he wasn't in the shape Marco and Ace were. After everything was said, Ace hadn't been able to open his eyes to see the casket lowered into the ground. It was the worst day of Ace's life.

Sabo was gone, all alone in the afterlife. He'd hated being alone. It still felt fake in some sense, even as the gravity of the situation constantly tried to crush him, much more painful than his wings ever were.

After he was lowered, and the dirt covering it, Ace resisted the urge to dig him out with his claws and save him. How could they let him be all alone in there? Forever alone. Ace was crying so hard he'd lost some of the very little amount of food he'd eaten. The sobs were too violent and he'd gagged.

It was a mess, he was a mess. Marco continued to hug him and rub his friend's back. He already lost one of his best friends, he didn't want to lose another one. Ace sat on the ground long after the funeral was over until he finally cried himself to sleep. Izuku picked him up, being strong enough to do so with Hawks' regimen.

He carried his strong big brother to the car while Marco went to his. "T-Take care of each other, okay?! Stay alive, okay?!" Marco called. Izuku cried and nodded, promising they'd be okay. Then they drove home. The three of them canceled their last week of school, and did all the final testing online. The school was more than understanding about it.

When they got home, Ace vowed to himself to never let anyone else get hurt because of him again. And he vowed to someday write a novel, the one Sabo wanted to write, even if it was a no good piece of crap script. He didn't know how to do story telling. But he'd do it regardless.

-x-

"Ace, you're not a curse," Izuku said, sitting on the other side of the bedroom door. Ace was in his room and Izuku was outside of it. Ace had had a nightmare, and refused to leave the room and curse them. He hadn't slept in three days and was not talking sense. They were thinking about taking him to the hospital.

"Come out, please," Inko said kindly. "Please."

"No," Ace said firmly through the wall. "Go away, I want to be alone."

"No, you don't, you hate being alone," Izuku said. Ace didn't reply, and then the door was opened, Izuku had a stapler, and he broke the door handle with it. "We won't lose you, too, Ace!" he said angrily, tearfully. Ace flinched, and hunched his shoulders. "Are you going to leave me brotherless, and Marco all alone?!"

"Izuku, stop it!" Inko shouted angrily. But his brother continued.

"Sabo thought you were amazing enough to have as a main character in his book! Do you think he'd want his precious main character hating himself and holing up all alone? What kind of book would that be? What kind of story would it be? Would Sabo write an angsty drama, or something wholesome and kind? The second option, and he would never have his character like this! He wants Ace to be Ace!"

Ace broke into sobs again, and Inko thought it was at Izuku's harsh words, but then Ace cried out that he was sorry. "It was and never will be your fault. You tried leading the monsters away, and Sabo tried to save you. It was his decision. He made it, and he is the only one responsible for that choice."

The roles were completely opposite right now. Izuku was the firm, demanding and no-nonsense sibling right now. Ace was the lonely and broken and scared one. "Be the Ace he wanted to make everyone else happy getting to know. And you know what? Make your life story better than any story Sabo would have ever made."

Ace nodded, and wiped his eyes, his brother hugging him tightly. Neither were loud, and Izuku was rubbing his brother's back soothingly. It was good that the pain hadn't resurfaced with all of the stress and pain of the last few weeks. Ace had enough pain, he didn't need more. Though he'd rather have that physical pain the rest of his life if Sabo could have lived.

It was not a good comparison, but he felt that way regardless. "Izuku… is it all really real? Am I awake?"

"Yes. Now go to sleep. Dream of good things, okay?" Izuku asked. Ace fell asleep on the spot. He woke up a day later, having to use the bathroom. He opened his eyes to see his best friend and brother playing a silent card game. They were extremely quiet. There was a box of strawberries.

He sat up, and felt like shit. "Hey, you're awake. Go back to sleep," Marco said.

"It… it wasn't one, right. It wasn't a dream."

"It wasn't. We all have to live in the present real world. We have to shake off the nightmare still clinging to us. Live our lives to the fullest, because we deserve that, and Sabo would have wanted that," Marco replied. "You deserve it just like we did. Besides… if it hadn't been my birthday, we wouldn't have gone to the movies. I should have chosen an amusement park or something."

"Sabo suggested the movie," Izuku said. "There's no point in blaming yourselves. Blaming ourselves. There's nothing we can do to bring him back."

"Why are you being so tactless?" Ace muttered.

"Because I don't want to lose two of the now three people in my life who love me and I love back. I'm selfish, I don't want to lose anyone else. I should want you guys to be happy, but all I feel is fear that I'll be all alone. It's - it's overwhelming, I can't think of anything else. I'm so scared. I'm so scared that- that you'll get hurt, and I can't do anything to help."

"We were all powerless at the theaters. We didn't save Sabo, and the heroes didn't get there fast enough," Ace said. He looked at his phone, and saw a red light was on. He took it and unlocked the screen to find Hawks had messaged. Ace closed it, and returned to his two just-as-hurting family.

Sabo was gone, but they were still here. He would do anything to protect them, but wasn't selfless enough to just remove himself from their lives. He was selfish, and wanted everyone to be happy. He wiped his face, and asked if they wanted to go on a walk. But both of them shot that down, and reminded Ace that he slept a few hours after over 36 being awake. "But-"

"How about this?" Marco asked, and both he and Izuku got on Ace's bed on either side. "Here, we're all here. We'll be safe here with you. Don't worry, just rest. We'll stay here."

"I'll always be here," Izuku said, brushing the hair out of Ace's face. He nodded, and closed his eyes, falling to sleep, safe and sound. If he had a nightmare, it was nothing bad compared to what really happened. But he did his best to imagine Sabo's smiling face, not what he'd seen the last time.

Maybe it was a mistake not looking in the casket. Maybe he could have the last image of him being relaxed and at peace. He just had to remember that Sabo felt no pain. He was gone instantly. And that was a true mercy for Ace. Sabo didn't slowly die in his arms. He was gone already. But Ace would keep his brother close, and his best friend right next to them both.

Family was forever.

-x-

"Izuku, I gotta talk to you," Ace said, the fourteen year old said. His brother and he went into his room. They both sat on the bed, and the younger brother absently screwed the lid of Ace's antidepressants on. He just smiled at his brother, and Ace knew he knew. It wasn't like he'd been hiding it the past year or so.

"Promise you won't get mad or anything?"

"I'm not mad if you want to be a hero. Besides, it's not like I'm giving up. I'll apply to UA, and if I don't make it in, then I have Marco, right?" Ace frowned, and honestly said Marco wanted to apply there, too. "Oh, okay. Well, maybe I can make friends on my own, now?" It was true, since UA was now a boarding school, he wouldn't see them. "Besides, since I'm unlikely to get into the hero course, why wouldn't I be able to apply for the general studies?" he added.

"Oh yeah! Then we could still be at the same school, even if we're in different courses! And I'll teach you everything I learn. If I even make it in. I don't wanna leave you, but I've been thinking about it for a long time. Since… you know. It's kind of my inspiration. To protect those I love, and I don't want other people to go through that."

Izuku smiled. "I support you no matter what you choose to do. But… I do wonder how you'd handle the messy side." Ace looked down and nodded. It was a possible problem. Ace had an anxiety attack when blood got on him, even if it was his own. It was the one strongly lingering trauma since Sabo's murder.

When he saw blood on any part of his clothes or body, it wasn't quite a flashback like PTSD, but the memory came into his mind, and suddenly everything would get so much louder, and he'd lose track of what was around him. It was scary when it happened. He felt so vulnerable. And then the dragons came to see if he was okay.

Ace had to work to not cry outside of his home or inside somewhere enclosed, or any nearby dragon would worry and come to check on him. Though they got the jist when it became clear the biggest of them could not just come visit him without damaging property somehow. So it was little and medium sized ones.

It was as if he had two families. And he wanted to protect both, just as they all returned the feeling. Marco was counted as family, of course. Ace actually would want to live at the same place as him again. Somebody had to go with him or he wouldn't go himself, not being all alone. Never. He couldn't handle loneliness. It was suffocating.

After two years of frequent exchanges between Hawks and Ace, he became fond of the guy, even if he could be annoying. The thing he liked most about Hawks was both their common lives and also how different they were. He didn't go through what Ace did, but he did have his own troubles. He would never go into detail, and Ace wasn't nosy.

But it was made clear that a part of Hawks despised himself for hiding it all. As if he was ashamed of it when he wasn't. He told Ace that he felt like he was missing half of himself by hiding the non-human part. The boy, now teen, liked how honest and upfront he was with him. After Sabo's death, he trained Ace harder, as he was asked.

By now, all three boys were pretty strong and athletic. "I'm glad you're not upset," Ace said in relief.

"I'm not. Besides, it would be cool to have a pro-hero brother! Then I'd never worry about being with you." Ace laughed and pointed out that the dragons could probably protect him from anything without him even trying. "They sure are attached."

Ace sighed and laid on his back, the wing stubs spread out to the side. He could move them around with simple jerking movements, but of course couldn't fly as they still weren't fully formed. "Well, I don't like that they're so worried about me. But I'm also touched in a way." Izuku pointed out that they saw Ace as one of their own. Even in human form. "Yeah. It's great, I have this other big family," he said with a fond smile.

His brother nodded, and they called Marco to give the news. He was happy Izuku wasn't upset, and promised to always keep in touch if the two were separated from him. UA would keep them there but for the weekends in the beginning of the year and the end, but the middle was only on campus.

Mostly because it was dangerous to go down the mountain in winter too often. Weekly escapades down the mountain would be a hassle and safety concern. UA had not always been a boarding school. It used to be in the middle of a city, until a little over twelve years ago, a massive sinkhole had formed under the campus and decimated the entire place, irreparably.

So they chose a new location and form of schooling, to really get them used to hero life. The campus had been built after a whole part of the mountain had been leveled to make room for the entire replica of the original campus..

Ace thought living in the cold would be fun, and his feathers could make him warmer. Covering all of the back of his arms and calves, along with all along his wing stubs. No more had grown in his hair. So he wasn't covered in feathers, and didn't want to be. But there was zero way to not be noticed, and so he relaxed his tail nowadays at school.

He was used to the "attempted" bullying. It didn't bother him anymore. His friends and family liked him the way he was. And his story wasn't going to be one where he allowed others to walk all over him. He wasn't in the same class as his brother this year, and heard about Bakugo bullying him.

But for some reason, whenever Ace stepped in, the guy backed off, only to resume his bullying after Ace was gone. Nobody knew why Ace was exempt from his rage, but Ace hypothesized that it was something about Sabo. Marco had said that Sabo and Bakugo had gotten along in second grade until Sabo decided Bakugo was too violent for his taste. But he stayed on sort-of friendly terms with him while at Moby.

Though it was clear that his anger hadn't been completely fixed in the time he was at Moby. It made Ace wonder what the rest of those students were like now. If they were any better on their own. He hoped so.

The next day, Ace went to the bookstore again on his own, wanting to find good books about writing. He still wanted to honor Sabo's dream, and wanted all the help he could get; school didn't exactly teach you how to write stories. At least, not yet. So he relied on online classes and videos to try and give him the ability to string words together to make a plot.

Izuku walked home from school on his own. When Ace got the book, an actual one that looked like it could be helpful, he headed back home, an expert at not getting angry at people for staring at him anymore. After all, he had his jacket off, and was in his short sleeved uniform shirt, so everything was showing. He didn't care, there was no avoiding it, so why made himself hot under the clothes and the thick feathers?

When he got back, he put the book away in his room on his desk. He knocked on Izuku's door, his room strangely silent. The door opened, and he looked like he had circles under his eyes when he didn't have them when they went to school that morning. "Is… everything okay?"

"Ah, yeah. It's nothing… no, I have to talk to you about something," he said firmly, seeming to change his mind in the middle of a sentence. He had thought about lying, or keeping a secret? That was unusual. They usually were very honest with each other, talking about everything really. Best friend brothers.

Ace walked in, and the door wasn't shut because Inko was at work. The door had only been shut to keep Ace out. Weird. He sat at Izuku's beanbag chair, sinking into the nice quality beans. He was patient with his brother, who looked conflicted. He never rushed when Ace had something he needed to get off his chest, so he did the same for him.

He finally spoke, clenching his shorts beneath him, as he'd already changed out of his school uniform. "I met with All Might today. He's still skinny, cause he's sick. That's why he's like that. And he explained about his quirk today." Ace raised his brows, as All Might had never actually revealed what it was. "It's called 'One For All'. A quirk that is passed down from person to person."

"Whoa."

"Yeah. He offered it to me. To give me his quirk. I said yes." Ace's jaw dropped in shock.

"But… why?" Ace asked, still in shock and confusion. What made him decide now to do it? Hadn't they already met twice before? Why now? Was Izuku just too young the last time? So his brother explained his attempted rescue of Bakugo from a sludge villain. Ace couldn't reprimand him, because he once jumped onto train tracks when it was just around the corner.

He finally asked what the catch was. "We all signed up for UA. Me too. He will give me the quirk before the entrance exam begins. Until then, I have to train my body to be able to handle it or it would hurt me real bad." Ace looked panicked at hearing his brother possibly had a Rogue Quirk, as the three called quirks that harmed their users. "I'll be careful! Promise. But I have to get stronger and even more in shape now."

Ace took a deep breath, and told him, "Do you want my help? My company?"

The green haired teen said, "Actually, I want to do this on my own. I want to be able to accomplish something big by myself." Ace wasn't offended, and understood why. They did a lot of things together, so why wouldn't he want some independence on something like this? Ace knew what it felt like to shoulder something alone. Only he had forced himself, really. Hadn't made a rational choice.

Periodic shots kept his pain at bay for the last nearly three years. "If you need help, just ask me."

"All Might told me not to tell anyone else, but I had to tell you. Even mom can't know. Just between us. To everyone else, I'll say it's a fluke, a really late development, maybe." Ace beamed. Izuku had a real chance at his dream career. And he was happy he was included.

He laughed and said, "Now we both have a pro-hero interested in us! Though yours is a lot more mature. I should tell Hawks our decisions. I'm sure he'll be happy, and take some credit when it all really came from Sabo and some accidents. They were - are - my inspirations. Marco is the same. He really wants to be able to heal others. Hopefully he'll learn at a hero school. We had to choose three, so I chose the other two. Marco, too."

"I did, too! We're all on the same page, then!" Ace nodded, and said they all had very different abilities. But now Ace was the only one without a quirk. "You have more stuff than anyone with a single quirk, though. You're super cool, even not being fully human. You're more cool by being what you are."

"Heh, thanks. I hope that's true."

"It is."

Ace was very happy for his brother, but hoped he would be careful and smart with a quirk he had no control of or experience. Hopefully the training would be enough for him to safely use it. He had to be worried a bit too, after knowing and witnessing Marco's and Sabo's troubles. But Ace had hope in all three of them staying together to the end of school.

Well, hoping Marco stayed with them. Izuku was Ace's brother, so it was obvious they'd still be in touch with one another.

-x-

Bakugo was weirdly not bullying Izuku anymore. His brother thought it was because he'd worked to save him from the sludge villain when Ace wasn't there. But it was nice there was no bullying in their last year. There had been bullying, sure, but the three (Ace and Izuku more than Marco) had acted like it didn't bother them, and it worked for the most part. But they could still hear whispers and all. Especially Ace.

But he didn't let it make him angry. When he was, it was good to focus all his attention onto his pain free back. Because that always made him happy, no matter the situation.

They all sat at lunch one day, the three milling around with their food. They had months until the entrance exam, so Izuku had plenty of time to work with All Might. He came home exhausted every day, and Ace would put the numbing cream on the spaces of his body he couldn't reach. So he was taking care of his brother in the way he could.

Ace was given All Might's cell phone in case of an emergency of some sort. He had it under "AM" just to be safe. Though he had Hawks' personal number. The guy was so happy when Ace finally said he'd applied for the hero schools. After four years, Ace had made the decision the way the man wanted.

He planned on training Ace with some activities done at UA, if he made in. But if he didn't, and instead went to another hero school, Hawks told him it was no big deal. Even though Ace had liked being in a boarding school with his friends, it would be even better with his brother there. Now they only had one best friend. Even a couple years later, nobody filled Sabo's spot, and they hadn't tried.

"So, what do you think we should do?"

"About what?"

"I don't know," Marco said.

"Bad day?" Ace asked sympathetically. His friend nodded. He said he was thinking about how they should have taken more photos of the four of them. Ace knew Sabo's death affected Marco the hardest in another way. They were best friends for years before Ace came, and once the two brothers were both in the friend group, Sabo and Marco were their own unit.

"We have photos," Izuku said. Then he amended that it would have been nice to get more. "Maybe Sabo's mom would give us photos?"

Ace scoffed. "She blames us for it. Why would she ever speak to us again?" he asked bitterly. She'd cut off all contact after Sabo died, and wouldn't even give them a single keepsafe from him. It hurt and was annoying, because it had made everything worse for the three of them. Being openly blamed for Sabo's death.

Inko and Marco's parents immediately cut off all communication with her, all attempts, so she wouldn't hurt the grieving boys more. "Sometimes, I just want to fully move on. Not forget, I just don't want it hanging over me," Ace said.

"I know. We know. But if we do become heroes, hopefully we can help people not go through that. We never found out what the monsters were, but if there's more, I want to kill them. But my quirk isn't used to kill, so I'll leave that up to you, Ace."

"How could I kill when any blood on me resorts in some anxiety attack or something?" Izuku said UA would maybe help him out with that. Moby had counseling, maybe UA had the same! That would actually be nice. Marco snickered, and said Bakugo needed it again. Ace nodded sagely.

Izuku said, "I can't imagine a Bakugo that isn't mean anymore. How he behaved at a school and wasn't bullying anyone." His voice was in awe, really unable to picture him in that way, as he had been the entire time at school so far.

Marco replied, "Maybe he felt there was no point in bullying kids who were already suffering. Or the anger management and quirk counseling really helped, but clearly didn't stick." The other two nodded in agreement. He was as explosive as he had been long ago. No pun intended.

-x-

Ace got the bath running for his tired brother, dead on his feet, and poured some epsom salt into the water. "There, stay in there awhile," Ace said nicely, knowing what it was like to be in pain and tired from it. "I'll be back, just relax."

"...Thanks," the green haired brother said in a tired voice. Ace left with him in the tub, and got some chocolate milk with powdered orange flavor in, using the straw. He knocked and then entered the bathroom. The curtain was closed, so Ace handed him the glass of milk.

"You deserve a small cheat. All Might is working you too hard. You were already fit, so why are you dying now?" Ace asked in worry, sitting on the toilet lid. Izuku said he wanted to be strong enough. He had to be stronger. "But you're hurting yourself," Ace argued.

"Yeah… All Might got mad at me for it, too. There's only a couple more months, I have to cram or I won't make it!" he lamented. "What if I fail? I'll be a disappointment. He chose me, I would die if I failed him."

"Hmm, I don't think he'd see you that way at all. Missing a year of hero courses doesn't mean you'll not ever learn that information again, you know? There's always hero college courses, right?"

"Ace, I don't want to be alone again. I'm pushing myself so we can all stay together again. I'll never see you if you go to UA, and I don't," his brother said, sounding teary. "I love you and Marco, you're my best friends. If we don't go to school together, then I'll never see you guys all winter."

"We already told you we wouldn't leave one of us alone. I don't think we're physically able to leave one of us all alone. Meaning the three of us will be together. Don't worry so much. Going to a big name school isn't worth being miserable and lonely, right?"

"Y-Yeah." Ace smiled, and left the room for Izuku to enjoy the relaxing bath and good drink.

-x-

"Go!" Hawks shrouded, and Ace ran to the left, the feathers all targeting him. He had a blindfold on, and his task was to evade the feathers. There were not many, and all were thick and the ones that could actually injure somebody. Ace rolled and jumped, using his sense of smell and sound to find them.

He breathed out, and grunted until he felt the vibrations of what was around him, and dipped below, running at Hawks suddenly, and letting out a blast breath that he barely dodged. The feathers returned to him, and Ace took the blindfold off.

"Too aggressive, again," Hawks said, gesturing to the ruined tree behind him. It was barely standing as the middle was decimated. "But great job evading the feathers. That was impressive."

They were in the private training grounds for pro-heroes, so nobody was bugging them and they could train freely. Izuku was still building his strength to accept One For All. Marco was training his body, too, but working with various weapons. But he trained alone. All three of them did, really. A change from the last couple of years. It was more fun to train together, but they all noticed they were progressing faster alone.

"Try again. But not too loud or some dragons will come and interrupt." Ace nodded, and blindfolded himself again, tying it tight behind his head. Hawks took his headset off and put it on Ace's head, turning a button to silence everything else. They went at it again, and Ace fumbled. "Hero school should be fun for you three. Since you're not in constant pain anymore, you seem to be doing well with your reality."

"Oh, the bullying is still there. The nasty looks are still all around me. I know many people hate me because of my appearance and assumptions. But I won't let them ruin anything. If I could get through that pain, what is so bad about not everyone liking me? Besides, with my wings not being infected, pussy and swollen, I don't think I'm disgusting anymore."

"Yikes. I never went through that, thankfully." Ace glared, wishing he hadn't either. "But you're stronger from it."

Ace shook his head slowly. "I've gotten weaker." Hawks looked confused before Ace truthfully added, "Mentally. I have to take medications for it, and then I have a fuckin' freak out everytime blood gets on me. I slapped a mosquito on my arm a couple days ago, and the small smidge of blood freaked me out. How am I supposed to be a hero when I can't handle blood?" Ace asked sourly, bitterly.

The hero didn't respond for a moment, thinking of what to say to all of that. Ace wished he hadn't mentioned it. "I mean, that's how trauma works, right? It only happened two years ago, and you were twelve years old. Maybe having a more mature personality, but you were a kid and your best friend was murdered in front of you. I would be concerned if there was no lingering trauma. But, that's why practice is good, right? You'll be going to a hero highschool, you're not on the job right away," he said, his voice softer and kinder than Ace had ever heard it before.

"Still. I wish I was normal. How I was after the pain went away and I had all my friends. That was the best time in my life, and it felt so short," he said quietly.

"You have a lot of your life ahead of you. That won't be the best part, I promise." Ace hoped so. A dragon the size of a horse dropped down next to him. Both of them easily heard him before he landed. Ace rubbed his snout, unafraid of any and every dragon. He was glad he wasn't aggressive like feathered dragons were said to be.

Disliked was better than fearful of. He knew that for a fact. The dragon chuffed at Hawks. "Don't worry, he didn't make me sad. I just miss my friend," Ace assured him. He sat down and bowed his head in apology. Hawks seemed easy going, but was also slightly nervous. He said it was no big deal.

"Well, I think training is over for today."

"Probably." Sometimes the dragons interrupted training and wanted Ace's attention away from Hawks. It was kind of annoying but also sweet. Hawks left and Ace turned into his dragon form and started lightly wrestling with the dragon. He always lost, being smaller, still the size of a small young one despite being a teen, but it was fun in a special way.

And it cheered him up greatly. "Thank you. You are all such a help to me. When I need it. And you saved me from the monsters. I wish I could have kept Sabo alive a few minutes longer." He pressed his forehead to the dragon's, and a tear fell on him before he wiped it away. "Sorry for getting all emotional," he said in embarrassment. "I guess it's just been a bad day. I should go home now."

The dragon walked him to the edge of the park where humans hung out, and Ace left, feeling better. For Sabo's book, Ace would make his character be friends with dragons. Sabo always thought it was amazing. He slapped his cheeks, telling himself to not think about it, get over it.

He left, walking to the parking lot where he called Inko to pick him up. He found she was already there, knitting. She hadn't left. He knocked on the car window, and got in once she unlocked it. "You waited?" Ace asked when she put her yarn and needles into the knapsack.

"You are in a slump today. I wanted to pick you up quickly if you wanted to go home," she said lightly. Ace smiled, and said he was okay. He didn't tell her what he'd told Hawks. She would be worried over him attempting to be a hero and then falling apart and having something bad happen.

"I'm okay, now. Don't worry. I'll get over it eventually, then you won't have to worry - nobody will."

"Honey, do you honestly think Izuku and Marco are 'over it'? I'm sure they are broken when they're alone. They aren't emotionless, and it happened to you, too. But I think going to a hero school with your friends would give you a lot more to focus on instead of Sabo."

"Yeah. As long as I don't go alone. But, won't you be sad if both of us are away?"

"We can video chat every night," she said brightly. "I'd never want to dampen your dream, even if I'd be happy with you being any other profession, as long as you were happy." Ace nodded, and looked down at his exposed arms, running his fingers along the streak of feathers. He didn't even know if UA accepted his kind. They were rare, so Ace wouldn't be surprised if he would be the first there.