Heeelloo! It has been a month and thus another update is before yoooou! Haha, sorry for the slow down on updates folks BUT the slower pace has done me a lot of good, and was well timed tbh as I suddenly got a new job as well! SOOO unfortunately that does mean another month between updates this time round, I am hoping that will give me enough time to get used to my new schedule etc. etc. and then be back to the bi-weekly schedule for you guys. BUT we shall have to see. SO the next update for this will be... August 13th! But to make up for that longer wait again I have given a slightly longer chapter for you guys! I hope you enjoy ^-^ see you in a month!

WARNING: Manga details, potential spoilers, all mixed in with my non-cannon stuff, but there ARE legit cannon details filtering in from here on out, so YE BE WARNED.


I folded my arms and waited for them to get it out of their systems. Supposedly this band of fucknuggets had been super kind and supportive whilst I'd been in la la land, all not-knowing-who-I-was-and shit, but now? Now, they knew I was aware, and that my memory had come back, so now they were being prize dicks about my small situation. Not that I'm not sure I should have expected anything else.

Bakugo leaned forward. "So… You're aware you're a little shrimp, but it still hasn't turned back? At all?"

I gestured to myself. "Does it fucking look like it?"

"I dunno, you were always a small fry."

"Piss off, I was never this small!" I threw my arms up and flopped back on the sofa, feet barely reaching the edge of the seat. Kaminari and Kirishima alike pursed their lips against laughter. Sho frowned and stared at his hands in his lap, shoulders occasionally shifting with poorly suppressed laughter. I doubted he would let it escape in front of the others, they likely assumed he was really tense rather than barely holding back how hilarious he found it all. If he giggled out loud I'd punch him in the dick, or at least threaten it–assuming I could still reach.

Bakugo sighed. "Man, you gotta always get hit by the weird shit, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm just a greedy little goblin for it."

"Looks like it from here. Your power all messed up still?"

"Most of the control's come back actually, so don't assume you can mess with me for much longer." I stuck out my tongue as he smirked. "Recovery Girl is doing all kinds of tests on the blood samples she took, and Present Mic and my Dad are still questioning the damn thug… For now, it seems like we have to wait and see. Which means you lot need to quit being a bunch of assho–"

Kaminari and Kirishima lost it. Laughter bellowed out of them. Kaminari landed on his ass on the floor, clutching his stomach, and Kirishima was soon joining him, tears streaming down their faces. I pinched both of them with my power, ther cheeks now a little extra red.

"Ow!" Kaminari snorted, rubbing the spot.

Kirishima wiped his tears. "Sorry man, but… Damn you gotta stop talkin' like that when you look like this. It's just too damn weird! Hearin' that kinda stuff come out of a little kids mouth? It's too much!"

I rolled my eyes. But then the giggles brewed at the back of my throat, imagining Eri talking like that. Her cute little voice wrapped around those harsh words. It would be jarring. Hard to compute. No wonder they were collapsing like idiots. I snorted against my hand and shook my head. Dumbasses. They had me, and I couldn't deny it.

Bakugo lounged back on the sofa. "So I guess you're not comin' to Endeavour's agency?"

"Depends how long this takes. We're not meant to be going till the week after new year, and new year is still four days away."

Sho frowned. "But surely you'll need some time to recover from all this?"

I shrugged. "That's for Recovery Girl to determine. The toll on my body is for her to measure and track. I want to attend the work study, even if it's only in an observational capacity because my power's too fucked or my body too weary after changing back. But her and my Dad are figuring those things out. I have a solid ten to twelve days to figure this out, and to get back to normal… Hopefully it happens."

"And if it doesn't?" Sho looked concerned, likely worried I was planning on pushing myself too hard in order to get work done. But it wasn't like I could do much in this tiny form anyway. Dad could cancel my quirk, hold me at arms length and simply subdue me. My mental state had returned to normal, my power was almost there, but my physical strength was totally shot. My body was that of my eight year old self. Even some of the scars on my back were fresh, barely healed. Those memories had been the weirdest to revisit. I had never lost them, but I had at least shoved them to the back of my mind. To only occur in small flashes or echoes. Now? They were right there. So annoying. But at least there were a few new snippets of information as well.

Bakugo got up. "So in the morning, when we're all going to those supplementary classes… What? You gonna be skippin' along beside us or something?"

With my power. I sent him sprawling over the back of the sofa. "As if I've ever skipped, you damn yellow hedgehog. I'll be attending classes like normal, and just doing theory in place of physical training. Simple. Even you can grasp that."

He jumped up. "Hey! Shitty little brats gotta–"

"Who you callin' a shitty brat, you damn crotch goblin?" I jumped onto the seat and put my hands on my hips. "Ya think I'm gonna be any less capable of kicking your arse like this? Nah. Just gonna be all the more embarrassing for you when I do."

Once again, Kirishima and Kaminari lost their minds.

Sho looked to the side and closed his eyes, another small shudder occuring in his shoulders.

I should have destroyed them all.

Instead, I jumped from the sofa and made for the stairs. They tried and failed to call after me, all choking and giggling too much to form a sentence. Sho was the first to manage a coherent thought, stumbling after me and going up the stairs with me, though a lot slower than usual. I now had even tinier legs. God dammit.

He cleared his throat. "Sorry, it's hard to not find it a little funny, especially when you seem to be otherwise uninjured."

"You won't be for long if you keep it up." I stuck my tongue out and he snorted. I punched him in the leg. "So much for you being a supportive boyfriend, eh?"

He put a hand over his face. "You do realise how odd that sounds coming from an eight year olds mouth?"

"Ya creepy old man."

"Alex..." He hung his head.

As we came to his floor we paused and I nudged his foot with mine. "Look, jokes aside, I know we do need to actually talk about that if this is going to be a longer term thing than expected. Hopefully I pop back to normal in a day or so, but if not…"

He nudged my foot back. "Yeah, we'll have to have a talk about it." He knelt and smiled. "But as you say, jokes aside, I am intending to be fully supportive. If it means that we have to have a harder conversation than expected, I'm not going to be angry or anything. This is something we'll tackle together, okay?"

"Of course." I grinned and then tugged on his hair before making my way up the stairs. "See you tomorrow, Mr Prince."

"See you tomorrow, Teeny."

"Oi!"

He winked and headed into his room.

I clambered up to Dad's apartment and headed inside, finding him marking essays on the sofa, glasses perched on the end of his nose and tea steaming on the table. The door closed, I kicked off my shoes and I scrambled onto the sofa next to him.

He lounged back, pushing his glasses into his hair. "All set for attending those extra classes tomorrow?"

"Mm. Though the guys are being predictably annoying."

"You rarely give them a chance to have the upper hand with you, let the idiots have their moment." He smirked and put his arm around me. "How about you and Todoroki?"

"It's… Well it's a bit weird, for sure. On one hand, obviously we're not being too close to one another because… weird. But at the same time, it's not like I want us to be immediately broken up either and… Yeah. It's a conversation to have when we know more about the long term effects of this quirk I guess."

Dad hummed. "No doubt, with your oddly good communication, you two will figure it out."

"Not going to start swinging the cattle prod?"

"No, Todoroki is likely one of the few that I wouldn't ever feel the need to do so. Beyond that, you can more than handle yourself." He kissed the top of my head.

I hadn't asked him outright, but I had the sneaking suspicion a part of Dad was enjoying this part of the quirk. Just a little. I was healthy, happy, and aware of myself and my surroundings. Gone was the scared little stray they had been left with when I was first shrunk, so now he could just enjoy me being small I guess. Cute. Damned word. But I could let him indulge himself a little. Big softy that he was.

He nudged my head with his. "How're you feeling?"

"Bloody exhausted, but I think that's due to these stupid stumps I have for legs right now."

"I'll let Recovery Girl know, she was most interested in energy levels. You may start feeling extra tired if the change back is looming, it's unclear. Just be careful, okay?"

"Mhm, I will. I'm reporting to her or texting you whenever something changes." I curled against him, the warmth very welcome.

"Is this a hint for you to be carried to bed, m'lady?"

"You're catching on." I yawned and hugged him tight. "Go on, you could do with an excuse to get away from the marking."

"Mm. Cheeky shit."

Regardless, he scooped me up and took me through to my room, tucked me in, kissed my head and closed the door. This whole thing was a massive pain in the ass, but I had to admit it did have its perks. I snuggled under the covers and felt myself falling asleep. What would tomorrow bring?


The classrooms looked weird. It's the same building, same layout, same everything, but from down there it was strange. So much bigger and… I struggled to pinpoint what else it was that unnerved me. But something did. Maybe it was an extra sense of being vulnerable. Dad had suggested I get back into regular trips to my counselor but right now I wanted to figure things out myself, rather than have my hand held. I couldn't always rely on having a counselor, so sometimes I had to wrangle my own thoughts. It took a couple tries but eventually Dad seemed convinced. I'm not masking or trying to be tough. I just genuinely want to try this bit on my own for a while. Even if it means I go running to the counselor later.

Theory classes were fine like this. My feet dangling from my chair was a little odd, but I was able to take notes, write essays and everything else in class perfectly fine. The annoying bit was when the others, those who had agreed to these voluntary extra classes before term properly restarted, headed to the gyms for physical training and I had to stay behind. Quirk training I could do, but some days it was literally their bodies they were training rather than quirks, and right now, we were being extra careful with my body. There was no real way to tell what kind of toll this quirk had taken on me, and how much it would take when things reversed. If. I had to keep 'if' in mind, or else it would just be harder to accept later. But I didn't want to think about that possibility too hard. It had a lot of ramifications within it. I'd only unpack that if necessary.

As the others went to change into gym gear, they waved, chatted and then closed the door behind them. All Might would be taking that class apparently, leaving me in the main classroom alone with Dad for an hour or so. I headed towards his desk and he pushed the chair out for me to clamber onto, curling in on myself and hugging my knees. I nodded when he gestured towards the kettle. He brought one in when this became our go-to habit, avoiding me extra time in the corridors. UA students were used to seeing 'different' things, but the news about my situation had spread quickly. And between me possibly having to kill every person using the word 'cute', which seemed to be about a third of the school population, and me being sick to death of the lingering stares, this seemed simplest. Plus, it let Dad carry on with his work without interruption. Unless he wanted interruption.

Usually, he did.

He set the water on to boil and lounged back in his chair, his elbow giving a dull crack when he stretched it and kneaded the muscles above and below. It would likely always be a problem, even if it was a lot less serious than it easily could have been. Would I have any lasting damage from this? The thug had refused to talk about his quirk and any research into others he had used it on was limited. Between folks simply not reporting it, and folks being a bit too dead to talk, it wasn't giving us much. However, the reason for the deaths was our biggest concern. It wasn't clear why this quirk would lead to so many deaths, unless it was literally just confused kids wandering into traffic. But it had us all on edge. Both Sho and Bakugo had been informed. Not the whole class, they had their own work to be focused on, but those two were my closest friends. I didn't want anyone else bothered with it. My body was healthy, my mind was stable, there was no reason to fear that kind of ending to this, so I saw no reason for anyone else to lose sleep.

A couple of nights I'd heard Dad lingering by my door, or he'd peek into my room before heading to his own bunk. Worried. Weary. Powerless. I knew he was feeling all of them, even if I found the latter foolish. But I also understood. If the shoe was on the other foot, I'd be losing my mind not knowing what was going on. Or how to help.

"So what do you make of Deku?"

Dad's question landed at the same time as my freshly brewed tea. I stared at the cup and watched the steam rise, curling into the air like those black tendrils of energy had that day of training. It had been terrifying.

"I'm worried."

"How so?"

"He was just getting to grips with using his power without hurting himself, and now he's had this setback." I pursed my lips. "It's gonna be hitting him hard, even if he isn't showing it right now. He is an idiot who still hasn't figured out how to ask for help, and no you're not allowed to call me a hypocrite. I'm working on it."

Dad ruffled my hair. "I know you are, kid. I'm proud of the progress you've made in that area, really I am. And in all honesty… I agree. The biggest issue with Midoryia was always his tendency to feel blame. I won't pretend to know the source, I have a feeling you have more insight into his dynamic with Bakugo and All Might than I ever will but…"

I hugged my knees. "What is it?"

"I wondered if I might ask a favour?"

"Of course." I put my chin against my knee. "What can I do?"

"Let me know if there's anything I can actually do as his teacher?"

I blinked. Dad had a tendency to think poorly of himself, sure. To perhaps even doubt himself when it came to judgement calls and how to proceed with people on personal matters–his recent hiccups with both that area and me had done no good for those doubts. But hey, the guy was willing to learn. That was a good thing. But this felt different. This felt more deep-seated.

"Dad… You are helping him. Izuku can only trust himself to know how to train because of what you instilled in him."

Dad blows on his tea and sips. The words went in one ear and scrambled out the other.

I sat up on my knees and pulled my chair closer to him with my power. "Old man, do not make me lecture you."

"No need." He sighed. "I've been doing that enough myself."

"Yes, but you're shit at it."

He chuckled and sipped his tea again. "I appreciate the defensiveness kid, glad to know I have a tiny tiger in my corner, but the fact is I had no idea how to help Deku during that training session. He was panicked, in pain, and by the time I got over there it seemed more worthwhile to let it continue, because of what you, Ochako and Shinsou had already accomplished."

"Uhuh." I reached to flick him in the middle of his forehead. "And where the buggery do you think we learned about how to approach such a situation?"

He didn't answer because he didn't want to admit I was right.

I rolled my eyes and flicked again. "I am glad you're aware enough that you can question yourself a bit. A teacher that stops learning is a useless one, but don't go playing the violin so loudly you can't hear the other areas you're excelling in."

His tea landed back on the desk and he scooped me into his arms, holding me tight. "You're a right softy now, you know that?"

"Mm, only when people are being particularly pathetic." I hummed, holding him tight, noting a tingling in the base of my spine. I wriggled, but it remained there, fizzing for a few seconds before disappearing. Then reappearing for a few seconds, and vanishing again. "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Weird tingling."

He set me down on the chair carefully and took out his phone for notes. "Go ahead."

"Base of spine, right on my tailbone. It's like… pins and needles almost… Yeah, like when your leg comes back to life after you've been sitting on it too long. For… three or four seconds, then its stops for about that long and then repeats. Kinda like when I was in recovery f-from my uh, my back injury."

"And it just started?"

"Mhm… And it's… yeah it's stopped." I wriggled, leaned left and right, but nothing else happened. "Guess it's worth sending to her, in case."

"We're leaving nothing to chance." He nodded, typing a message and sending it. He then kissed my head and handed me my tea. "No pain though, right?"

"Nope, other than the one in my arse, but you can thank yourself for that."

"Cheeky shit."

"Monkey see, monkey do."


Later that day, I was sat on a window sill in class, waiting for Dad to finish off some paperwork with Mic in the teacher's lounge. The others had headed back to dorms, but I wanted to walk back with Dad for a change. Usually I went back on Sho's shoulders, or Minas, or even Shojis, but today I was in no rush. The school emptied and I thought back to that day I had been sitting in that same spot, right before Sho came to talk with me. Had that been when we really started to connect? I guessed so. A smile pulled onto my lips. It seemed like such a long time ago, when really it was barely even six months. Madness. What a mad time we lived in. So much had changed, not only in circumstance, but in people's characters. I swallowed hard. We wouldn't be the only ones learning. How much had Shigaraki changed since the USJ? Was he going to be stronger the next time I saw him? Fought him? Would I be able to take him down properly?

Before I could dig myself into a worry hole, or at least, too deeply, Izuku came back into the classroom. At first I assumed he was looking for my Dad, but then his eyes lit up when spotting me. I stayed put and he perched on the desk nearby, looking like he had something to say, but no idea how to say it. So, typical Izuku, really. He had been extra quiet since the training session had gone oddly, and everytime I saw him on his own I was sure he was muttering to himself, and scrawling in his notebooks. Thinking his way out of things was Izuku's go-to. But sometimes problems didn't have a clear cut path and we had to stumble first. And he hated stumbling–possibly more than I did.

"Everything all right, Izuku?"

He jolted, as if somehow surprised I was still in the room. "I uh… Well I wondered if I uh…" His blush spread to the tips of his ears.

"Go ahead." I smiled and he nodded, muttering to himself for a second before shaking his head and taking a deep breath.

"Kacchan mentioned something in our training session last night and I… Well, I wondered if I could ask you about it."

"Shoot."

"He said you were remembering a few more details about All for One?"

"Ah… Well, yeah kind of. It's more like I'm aware that he was there at the time I was with Shigaraki, which I hadn't been before."

The extent to which that white haired woman had messed with my life was becoming more and more damning. She had a lot to answer for. Or at least, to bloody explain. Izuku nodded along, wringing his hands together, clearly having more to ask about, or perhaps to ask for.

I nudged him. "If there's something I can help with Izuku, you know you can ask, right?"

"Of course!" He jolted and then fidgetted a bit. "I just wasn't sure how overwhelming the memories might be or… or something like that. You're going through enough after all, and I don't want to add to it or anything, but I uh, what I mean is–"

"Is there something specific you're wondering about?"

He sighed and brought out one of his many notepads. This one had nothing on the front, just a red dot in the corner. Presumably he didn't want everyone knowing what it was for at a glance. Izuku being withheld was nothing new, but an active secret was worrying. At least, one beyond his power One for All, I mean.

He flipped it open. "I'm just wondering if there's any hope of finding out more info on what All for One, or even Shigaraki, actually intend long term. Is my power a part of that? Can I avoid playing into their hands? That k-kinda stuff." He blushed. "If it sounds silly, I'm sorry I just–"

"Not silly, at all. Sounds like you want to be prepared." I smiled and nodded to the book. "You're a strategist Izuku, it's to be expected you want to jump on this opportunity for information."

"B-But I don't want you to feel used or anything!"

I rolled my eyes. "As if. I can have a look back, see what I can try and dig up, okay?"

"S-Sure, that would be… That would b-be amazing, Alex. Thank you."

"Least I can do." I winked, got up and tried to think…

My head ached as I reached into the past, but for now I ignored that small pinch between my eyes. It was worth trying. It might well help us avoid another Kamino incident, or something far worse.

Something began to form.

A small room. But it wasn't the one where I slept on that rusted bed frame. No, this room was a little larger, a little brighter. It had a red carpet, with a green lampshade swinging above. Light danced as the shade gently swayed and the rumbling voice of All for One began to become crystal clear in my ears…

"All right, we shall begin the test. I do not believe this will be the approach to use, but it is worthwhile at least experimenting with it. After all, that's why you're here, isn't it Alex?"

I didn't answer. He didn't need me to. I was his little lab rat and I had no say otherwise.

He tutted. "The silent treatment? Still? I did apologise for losing my temper with you yesterday, and I am sure Shigaraki is also sorry for that new mark on your lower back. He just gets carried away sometimes. A spirited young boy."

A psychotic shithead, you mean. Again, I stayed quiet.

All for One sighed. "Very well, be a stubborn little fool if you wish. Now then… How to test this new quirk out. Mm. Ah yes, I know."

As usual, my heart raced and my palms sweated. Whatever was coming, was not going to be good and I had no way of escaping it. Damn it. Damn him–

"Scratch at your arm. Keep doing it, do not stop."

And I did. I had to do it, Master had said so. On and on. My nails raked along my arm, and it felt so good to obey, to draw back layers of skin, and soon enough the lines had started to turn pink. I looked towards Master. Was this good enough? Had I done it enough? When would I stop? Then again, why would I stop, he said not to. My nails hit blood, and I smiled, deeper and deeper I would dig until he was happy. As long as he was happy.

"All right, now pick up that knife and slash a line from your wrist to your elbow."

H-Huh? I reached. But that would really hurt. Panic set in. The pain from the scratches made itself known. Ow. Damn it, ow. Why had I done that? The weird old guy had told me to, sure. But when the hell had that mattered before?

"Alex?" He pressed, stepping towards me, eyes unpleased.

My hand trembled mid-air, partially reaching for the knife. No. If I did that I'd die. I'd bleed to death, right? I didn't want that, not like this, it meant they won. No. Don't pick it up. Stop it! I whimpered, grabbing my arm with my other hand, trying to pull it back.

He leaned closer, glaring. "Pick up the knife and slash your arm."

"N-No… I w-won't…"

"Stop trying to deny this. You need to pick up the–"

"Fuck… Fuck you…" I gritted my teeth, tears pouring down my face as my head brimmed with pain.

He sighed and smacked me across the face with the back of his hand. "Cease this childish display. Sit still, be calm."

I slumped to the floor, body immediately calmed by allowing the order to take hold. But I had to be careful. He might try again. I focused on my breathing. Just don't make him too angry, right? That was what Shigaraki always said. As much of a cruel shithead Shigaraki was, he knew how much worse All for One could be.

"This is useless." The old shit muttered to someone I couldn't see, hidden in shadow. "If a mere toddler can deny the compulsion then what good would it be against the power of One for All? Even if that stupid woman has it. No, this won't do. Regardless, I do not wish to control One for All, I wish to possess it for myself. Leave us."

"Yes, sir." The other person left, a door snapping shut behind them.

Then the old guy turned to me. "Now then, I won't be allowing that foul language to go unpunished young lady. You have a purpose to fulfill here, but I will not endure such brattish rebellion from the likes of you."

Pain. It was everywhere. I clasped my throat, my stomach, my head, screaming at him to stop, begging him. Whether full words were escaping or not I couldn't be sure, but it had to stop. Please someone make it stop! My body filled with fire. Ice. Sharp needles and slashing knives. Make it stop!

He grinned. "I shall have to have that delightful woman come back in and scrub this from your memory, can't have you being bothersome later on, can we?"

And the pain doubled.

I jolted and nearly fell off the chair I was sitting on. Wait, when I had been on a chair? I gulped at the air and looked ahead, seeing Izuku as he helped me stay upright. His big green eyes were wide and shining with panicked tears. Had I been yelling? My throat wasn't sore.

"What…" I mumbled. "Shit, what happened?"

"You went rigid and started hyperventilating, then you kept scratching at your arm. I got a book in between your nails and your skin though." He swallowed and put the book aside, only a few pink marks running along my arm. It could have been a lot worse.

"Did I say anything?"

He swallowed. "No. N-Nothing. You were totally silent, just breathing erratically. Alex, I'm so sorry, I didn't think it would be so–"

"It's fine, Izuku, really." I accepted the water he was holding out and tried to think. "I… I dunno what happened, but I got a little information. Whether it was the only time o-or not, I dunno, but I know All for One talked about One for All in front of me at least once. He was t-trying to test a mind control quirk or something, that was what he made me do…" I ran a finger along the pink welt on my arm. "But he got annoyed and cast the idea aside. He didn't want to just c-control One for All, he wanted to… To possess it."

Izuku sat back, looking pale. "So… So he's been trying to devise a way to steal it? Not just destroy it?"

My mouth opened and closed, then repeated that a few times.

He sighed and hung his head. "I guess we sort of already knew that. I'm so sorry I put you through that for such an obvious–"

"I said yes, it's on me." I patted his shoulder.

"What's on you?" Dad asked from the doorway as he came in, looking up from his paperwork and realising I wasn't alone. He took off his glasses. "Midoryia? You two all right?"

"Y-Yes, sir!" He chirped, standing upright and giving a little bow. "Sorry, I was just… We were.. I uh…"

"Izuku asked me to look into something, and it turns out I really shouldn't be trying to reach into the past right now. Something to wait for me having recovered fully, maybe."

Dad nodded slowly and then tilted his head. "And what was it you were looking back for?"

Shit. We couldn't go into specifics.

I attempted a cover-up. "Just some information on Shigaraki, anything that might help us with his next move."

"Uhuh… Fine, don't tell me." Dad rolled his eyes but came over to kneel in front of me, Izuku having stepped away, cheeks bright red at being caught out like that. Dad peered and put his hand to my head. "You don't seem feverish or anything. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I just got totally overwhelmed by the memory. Went all rigid apparently and was kind of acting out what was happening."

Dad made a note on his phone. "All right, if that's all then we'll leave it there."

"It's really nothing to worry about Da–"

"Please don't ask Alex to try things like that without me or Recovery Girl present, Midoryia, we have no idea how it could affect her return to normal."

As soon as Izuku flinched and shrunk into himself, I saw the regret strike Dad. The last thing he wanted to be doing was making Izuku feel like he couldn't come to his teacher for help, and scolding him might hinder that. I doubted it, Izuku was bad at asking anyone for help, had they scolded him or not. But Dad would worry. I was beginning to realise he could worry about anything.

At least we didn't need to worry about Shinsou being a target of All for One if mind control had been knocked off the potential list of ways to get at the power. However, we definitely needed to worry about All for One trying to steal One for All.

But like Izuku said, we already knew that. I guess I just hadn't wanted to consciously think about it.


I laughed and broke into a run. Kirishima was close behind, Iida yelled from further down the stairs, scolding us for our running. But screw it, I was going to show Kirishima how a street kid ran. It was first thing the next day, and I scampered higher and higher, using the bannister to launch myself round the corners, up and up. He cursed under his breath and I laughed. Before I stumbled. Shit. A sharp pain ran along my leg before it made contact with the stairs, the pain having nothing to do with the tumble. Then came another. It shot along my calf, gripping like a vice. Squeeze. Squeeze. I braced against the steps, panting, waiting for it to pass. But then it got worse, appearing in my other leg. Like really bad shin splints or… or growing pains.

"Oh shit!" I crumpled, voice choking as the pain flared and spread to my thighs. "Son-of-a-bitch!"

"Hey ya givin' up Alex or… Hey, you okay?" Kirishima caught up and helped me turn over, sitting me up properly on the steps. "You take a fall or what?" His eyes popped wide as he looked at my legs.

I peeked and winced at the extensive bruising blossoming all over them. It looked like I had gone three rounds with a damn Nomu.

Kirishima bit his lip. "Crap you must've really decked it. I better get ya to the nurse."

"C-Call my Dad…" I gasped, gritting my teeth and kicking off my shoes as my feet began to ache. "Can you carry me?"

"Of course."

"Thanks. H-Hurry." I curled against Kirishima as he picked me up, running full pelt back down the stairs towards Recovery Girl's room.

As we passed a confused Iida, Kirishima yelled. "Call for Mr Aizawa to get to Recovery Girl's office, somethin's going on with Alex!"

"I told you not to run!" Iida tutted, but I still saw him taking out his phone.

"Hold on, Alex." Kirishima ran faster. "Is the pain anywhere else?"

"Just got to my back." I clutched at his shirt, whimpering in place of screaming as my bones felt like they'd been set ablaze. There hadn't been anything before this. No tingles. No numbness. Nothing at all.

When first looking into that thug's quirk, the fatality rates hadn't made a lot of sense. But this made it click. My body was returning to its proper age, but very fucking quickly. My skin was red hot and my eyes bleared, head fit to burst. My stomach churned and I struggled to take a proper breath. My chest ached like someone had crushed my ribs, or perhaps more accurately, someone was trying to make them wider all of sudden, cracking them open.

We reached Recovery Girl.

The student inside was ushered out in a hurry. I tried to apologise but it came out in a garbled wail. The bed was hard, but at least it was slightly cold. Kirishima explained as quickly as he could and stepped back when Recovery Girl pulled the curtain around the bed, helping me out of my uniform and into a loose medical gown. No point in me hulking out of my clothes. I laid there, shivering and gripping the sheets, doing my best to not make a sound. Yelling didn't help. It only hurt those around me. An oxygen mask was loosely pressed to my lips, the elastic barely holding it there, but also not straining if there was sudden growth in my skull.

I breathed easier.

"I'm going to try and apply some pain killers Alex, just stay still for m–"

"Fuck!" I shrieked, clutching my side, feeling a sharp but deep pain and then warmth. I raised my hand to find it covered in blood. What the hell?

Recovery Girl raised my gown, her lips pursing into a thin line. "Is that the side your old bullet wound was on? Where the scar used to be?"

I nodded shakily, focusing on trying to steady my breathing in the mask as pain throbbed across my whole body. "This must be why… Th-That guys quirk is so… Deadly." I coughed and rolled, spitting the blood into the basin she held up. "Can't you… Can't you heal it?"

"I need to check something first, girl." Recovery Girl sighed.

More blood flowed from my mouth for thirsty seconds before the skin stitched back together. I laid back, sweating but breathing a lot easier. The pain was ebbing a little, beyond the general ache in my entire body, nothing sharp had happened again yet. One thing at a time.

Kirishima's silhouette approached the curtain. "Alex, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have–"

"It's not you." I swallowed hard. "This has got nothing to do with you or our race, seriously. If I wasn't up to it, I'd have said so. Promise."

"Can I do anything?"

"Yeah, gimme a rematch." I laughed thinly and he did as well.

"As soon as you're well, sure thing. Reckon you cheated anyway, huh?"

"Pah. S-Sore loser."

Recovery Girl returned from her desk as the door was flung open, and I quickly surmised it was Dad, his shape lingering beside Kirishima's outside the curtain.

"You can come in, Dad." I wheezed, lying very still and letting the blood bag replace a little of what I lost. I gave a small wave and his eyes raked over my bruised legs, the blood-stained medical gown and finally my bloodied lips. Then his eyes returned to the gown, narrowing as he recognised the point of impact.

He turned to Recovery Girl. "So you were right?"

She sighed. "I'm afraid so. The fatalities came from this sudden return to proper age. Between the rushed growing pains, and confusions, it's no wonder many of the victims simply gave into it. Without her extra endurance thanks to her biological Father and likely the increase in that quirk's efficiency due to her time with the Yakuza, I'm sure her bones could have ripped through her skin."

We all flinched.

She continued. "But with Alex, there's also the issue of past injuries, like I theorised. And now… We've seen her quickly reach the point where she was shot. Am I right in thinking we have a while before the next?"

Dad nodded, coming over to push my hair back from my sweat covered forehead. "I think the next time she had a real injury was that training accident… when she was… maybe thirteen?"

Fuck. When I tried to lift all those weights. I swallowed hard and tried to brace myself. The growth was continuing, making me jolt and whimper. Thankfully I was a short-arse so the leg pains would stop fairly soon. But the injuries... They were all going to come back. Dammit.

Recovery Girl took my hand. "I will have to hold off with my quirk until the ones you really need me to tackle come into play, all right? With me right here, we should be fine without surgery, and your body remembered how the bullet wound was healed. It stitched itself up. So we should be able to stay here. But…" She paused and sighed. "But I can only–"

"Save it." I nodded "For the th-throat injury, my back and… m-my…pelv–'' I winced, headache forming. The brain bleeds weren't great, but if my body was recalling how I healed they would resolve easier, and I wasn't going to bleed out from them or choke. But the back injury was something else entirely.

"I'll likely have to let the brain bleeds run their course dear. Your body is already going to be spent from this trauma. I have to be careful. Once it's passed, I'll sedate you if you're lucid. All right? But I need to check how you are after this one."

"Whatever you say. Sh-Shit, here it comes…" I gritted my teeth, Dad taking my hand before my back arched and the world fell away to noise. When people say 'my life flashed before my eyes' I never thought it would be so immersive.


SHOUTA POV

Eventually she just lay there mumbling, eyes moving under her lids, dragged into unconsciousness by the revisited training injury. The way her small body jolted against the bed, voice choked, eyes white as they rolled back. It was exactly the same as when he found her on the carpet, weights scattered around, hands clasping at the carpet fibres desperately. As she stilled into an almost peaceful sleep, he took a second to step beyond the curtain and drink some water. He had to keep his nerve. Kirishima had not left yet out of fear. The boy must have thought he had something to do with this, that their games somehow triggered the quirk to reverse.

The other students needed to know, or else they would all arrive asking questions. Shouta went to his student and put his hands on the boy's shivering shoulders. "Kirishima, this isn't your doing. This is her body finally coming out of the age-reverse quirk, all right? Bad timing."

The boy's eyes didn't leave the curtain, splattered in blood from one of her coughing fits. "Sir, I… She just slammed onto the stairs… I couldn't… I didn't…"

"Listen." Shouta gripped tight and waited till those eyes finally met his. "This is not on you. This is that quirk finally letting her go. By the end of this we should have Alex back to normal, all right?"

Kirishima nodded. "S-Sir."

"Can you go explain this to your classmates? She might not be in the dorms tonight, depending on how long this takes or how it develops."

Again, a nod. "Of course Mr Aizawa I… should I tell Todoroki to come here–?"

"Tell him to stay away." Shouta released the boy's shoulders and glanced at the curtain. "As much as I'm sure he'll want to help, she wouldn't want him to see this."

Alex's quickened breathing calmed and evened out, no longer hitching on chokes. Shouta sent Kirishima away and stepped back through the curtain. The bruising along Alex's skin was purple and black, the blood spread over the sheet of the bed and her hair was matted into place where the blood had escaped her nose and ears.

Recovery Girl came over with a bowl of soaped water. "Help me clean her up, we should have some time before the USJ injuries take hold. If she's lucid after this one I want to sedate her, avoid her having to suffer through the rest. I am hoping I can abate the throat issue before the brain bleed hits. The slower nature should allow some time. But you'll need to be ready with the adrenaline."

Shouta eyed the large needle she placed on the counter. "You think her heart is going to sto–"

"I'm ruling nothing out."

"Shit…"

"At the time, in the USJ, her own adrenaline is likely how she kept going. Right now, whilst afraid, she won't have the same kind of chemical frenzy happening." Recovery girl wiped Alex's hair and Shota moved her onto the fresh sheets.

In the calm, Alex began to come round, blinking slowly and looking up at Shouta. She smiled and reached for him, his hand immediately taking hers, noting how warm her skin felt. A fever would be setting in. Perhaps having Todoroki nearby would be a good idea after all? No, her body would go through the motions.

"She…" Alex swallowed hard. "She was there…"

Shouta leaned closer. "What? Who, Alex?"

"The… The white-haired lady." She frowned. "So much yelling. She hated me. Blamed m-me."

A cold sensation sunk into his bones. "For what?"

"K-Killing them, I think." She frowned, tears brewing, running down her face, at only thirteen, she still seemed so small. So fragile. "For everything…"

Shouta stroked Alex's damp hair back and kissed her forehead. "We'll look into it, all right? Well done for telling me."

She nodded and curled closer to him. He pulled up a seat and ran his hand up and down her back, like he always did when she was feeling ill. It seemed to help, seemed to calm her. Another twenty minutes passed by. Some blood was replaced, and some fluids had been given. They made the most of every moment they could.

"Won't be long, will it?" Alex sniffed, looking a lot closer in age to when she had joined UA. It seemed so long ago, and yet it was perhaps half a year if that. His daughter had grown so much in such a short amount of time. As much fear as he was feeling, Shouta also felt an incredible swell of pride.

He nodded. "Any minute. But you'll pull through. You did it in real time, let alone when it's this sped up and we have medical stuff to hand. You'll beat this, Alex."

She smiled and squeezed his hand. "Love you, Dad."

"Love you too, Alex. Just keep breathing, okay? Deep breaths."

Recovery Girl injected the sedative, and pain killers, and Alex sunk deeper. She sighed into slumber as a red path in the shape of a hand began to appear on her neck, whilst other scrapes and bruises made themselves known as well. She whimpered, before going quiet, eyes still and dormant.

An idea occurred to him. He sat at the head of the bed, stroking her hair, speaking gently. "Remember that time you had to let me in from the balcony back at our old place, when I forgot my keys?"

She was still, but he felt the soft pressure against his hand.

He swallowed hard. "You teased me for three whole minutes whilst I stood in the rain. It was chucking it down, and thunder was getting closer, and I think it was even hail-storming. I love that memory, Alex. You know why? Because then I knew you felt safe. You felt secure. You were willing to tease me, to test those boundaries. It was the first time I knew I hadn't fucked it all up, and I was real glad, kid. Real glad. I… I promise you'll feel that again, if it's the last thing I do, you'll feel that safe and secure again."

She breathed raggedly as her throat was torn.

He kept going. "Do you remember how I chased you round the living room once I got inside? I was soaking, and your dressing gown got drenched when I grabbed you and tickled you. You said I smelled like a wet dog, so I started barking. We had hot chocolate and laughed."

The wound slowly healed, but the blood continued to pool against the sheets.

He focused on his words. "I'd had such a shit patrol that night, so many thugs and assholes in my way, so much stupid paperwork. But I got to come home to you, to your cheeky smile and sass. It made everything better. You make everything better, Alex. Absolutely everything."

Her grip started to fail. Her eyes writhed behind her eyelids and red ran along her upper lip and from her ears, but far more than the previous one. The USJ brain bleed. At the time he had been out of it himself, too injured to know much beyond her being 'hurt'. Now, he couldn't look away. Her skin grew cold. Her breathing became erratic. Jolts ran along her limbs, like someone was randomly pulling on her nerves like puppet strings. He held his breath, eying the adrenaline needle.

Recovery Girl applied another careful dose of healing. The struggling calmed. The eye movements slowed. Once again they cleaned her up a bit, but didn't move her to fresh sheets, they weren't certain the danger had passed. The minutes ticked by.

"Please… Please…" He muttered against her hair. What was he even pleading for? Her recovery, sure. Her future, absolutely. And himself. She made everything better, like he said, and as much as he had floundered to begin with, he couldn't imagine his life without her.

Five long, arduous, silent minutes before Alex took a proper, uninterrupted breath. They were past the worst of it. She had made it through. They moved her to fresh sheets, and she shifted in her sleep, holding his hand tightly again.

Another three minutes after that, she began to come round, body burning through the sedative as Recovery girl had expected. Blearily, Alex smiled at him and he returned it, relief smothering him as he laughed breathlessly.

She reached and wiped his eyes. "You're getting sappy... old man."

"You're wearing me down, kid."

"Not my intention." She winced and sat up. They had some time before the next injury. "Can I have some water?"

He passed her a cup. The healing allowed the scarring to be slightly less prominent against her throat, shoulder and neck, her skin looked a little less like a quilt. It didn't bother him much, bur he knew she disliked the past having such a prominent mark on her present.

She handed back the cup. "Thanks."

"Did uh… Did me talking help at all? I'm not sure why I did it… just seemed like a good idea."

She nodded, eyes looking tired. "Yeah, it really did. Gave me something to aim for, to keep listening. I'd almost forgotten that time with the balcony… You looked like a soaked stray." She laughed and he pulled her into a tight hug. "That woman… The one with the white hair. I saw something about her… But I can't… I can't remember what..."

"You mentioned–"

Recovery Girl cleared her throat. "I think it's best if Alex's mind is given the time to recall these things naturally. They may come and go, but clearly they can be retrieved."

Shouta nodded and smiled at Alex's confusion. "It's all right kid, don't force it."

Alex nodded, biting her lip. "Sure… I guess all I really remember right now is that she hates me."

Shouta cupped her face. "Then she can go f–"

"I know." Alex laughed, and at that moment it was the most beautiful sound in the world. "She's a crazy bitch. Like I said during my physio, it doesn't really matter what her biological connection is to me or not. Y-You're my Dad. You're my family."

He kissed her forehead. "We'll find her and get more answers. Do you think you could sketch her?"

"Probably. But Dad… The… The Yakuza lab memories feel close." She winced and clung to his wrists. "I think by the time this is done with… at some point soon, I'll remember it all. You might need to use your quirk."

"What do you mean?"

"I just... I dunno if I can stop myself from losing it."

"You can." He said, not breaking eye contact. "You can and you will. I know it. You're amazing Alex, don't doubt that, I know I don't."

She smiled and then shivered, her forearm going pink from a burn. "It's nearly time…"

Soon the Kamino injuries would recur.

Shouta laid her down and took his place at her head again. "I've got you, Alex. I'm here. I wasn't before, but I'm here now."

She grasped his hand as she was once again sedated. "Dad…"

"Yeah?"

"I do feel safe. You always make me feel… s-safe..."


DABI POV

"The fuck do you mean Chicken Wing?" Dabi glared at the Number Two hero and kept his flames close to hand, simmering beneath the surface.

The damn hero was worming his way into the League, into all their newfound allies pockets, but Dabi was having none of it. Sure, the hero might turn out to be useful, heck he might even turn out to be genuinely a traitor to the Heros. But until that had been proven without a doubt, Dabi remained decidedly unsure.

He bared his teeth at the Hero. "I thought you said you were gonna have her at your damned agency for their next lot of work study crap? That was gonna be key to–"

"I reached out. I even sent an official request, but it was pushed down in favour of her going to Endeavour. I told you that earlier man, you can't just–"

"So you're just rollin' over? Not even gonna try?"

Hawks stepped forward sharply, not even glancing at the tiny flare of blue flames in Dabi's hand. The man who moved too fast for his own good. Dabi wasn't sure of his character yet, in the end it didn't really matter for what Dabi had planned, but he could at least admit to being a little impressed. It annoyed Shigaraki when Heroes lived up to their reputations, but Dabi enjoyed it. Those ones were the hardest to break, and that was the point, they all did eventually. No matter how righteous to begin with, they all had that breaking point. And then out came their true characters. Tamaki, as much as Hawks had likely tried to forget that as his real name, had come a long way. But he was still just a kid, trying to outrun the past. Pathetic. Use the past, make it your bitch and bend it to your will. It never faded, it never died, so why not make it fuel for the fire?

The pro Hero snarled. "It would be stupid to make a spectacle of myself. Especially after your crap with Endeavour earlier, our plans were–"

"Plans change, we've covered that. I'm just a little disappointed in you being so easily put off a chase like that."

Hawks rolled his eyes. "The heck do you need her for anyway? She's one kid."

"I don't tend to ask too many questions. Boss boy says he needs her for something, I nod along. Keeps him off my back, plus I got my own business with her, which is about as relevant to you as what I'm gonna have for my dinner. So you keep to your orders, got it, Pro?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't go riding my back because your own little twisted games got delayed." Hawks waved a hand and moved away, pausing to look back over his shoulder. "Might interest you though, she wouldn't have been much use lately anyway."

"Whaddya mean?"

"Not since Christmas Day at least."

The blue flames dimmed. "Why's that?"

"She got hit with some quirk on patrol with Eraser, some kinda reverting quirk. Rumour is she's under extra protection right now."

Dabi growled. "So she might not even be going on a damn Work Study? Not even with that shithead Endeavour?"

"Dunno. Time will tell. I'm just the messenger." Hawks gave a wave. "See ya soon, Dabi."

"Buried the lead a bit there, didn't you?" He scoffed as the Hero disappeared into the night, leaving Dabi alone in the warehouse and shadows.

He lit a cigarette and got comfy on top of some crates. Back in the old days, a place like that would have been perfect for him and Alex; decent roof, plenty of space for hiding, wood surfaces off the floor. Would have suited them for a few nights, and by then they'd have likely figured out how often it was used.

Dabi smirked and took a long draw on his cigarette. "Stain mighta started this shit, Alex. But we'll finish it. You'll see. Heh… They'll all see."

It had been a long time since they had to figure those things out together, but he knew she would see his way with things. Once those damned Heroes were shown for who they really were, she'd realise who it was she could rely on. Who it was that could really keep her safe.


Aaaand there we have it! How's alex gonna be on the other side? Is she gonna make it? All very dramatic I know haha, but anyway, see you guys August 13th! Have a great month!

Thanks to everyone reading, faving, following, and reviewing! I love being able to chat with you guys! And I also have a kofi now! Same name and pic as on here, so if you feel like showing some extra lurve, awesome! If you can't etc. all good, updates shall happen regardless ^-^

SHOUTOUTS:

Zikashigaku: Haha I loved writing sassy little Alex but I didn't want her to outstay her welcome, so I figured it was decent timing to have her present self come back into the body mind wise at least! Yeah I have found this season a little slow? I think just because it's mainly the training thing and it was quite play by play, and felt a little like padding? Buuuut I am reading the manga so I KNOW it gets good again haha. They just want to do a breather, which I fully appreciate. I just think it could be done better. Looking forward to the movie as well! Looks like great fun!

Haha Dadzawa is in seventh heaven tbh, he can't admit it tooooo much to himself, but he is kind of loving having his little girl back. Haha I hope you enjoyed the little scenes sprinkled around, I had fun playing with this chapter tbh! Thanks once again for chiming in, you're always such a star for doing so ^-^ see you in a month!

Leafnova: Hey! Thanks so much for chiming in, and super glad you enjoyed the last chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it haha, and this one too tbh! Hope you're still enjoying ^-^ thanks again!