AN: Flashyyyyyy - Thanks!

Amit Barabi - All Might's basic idea is terrible, but he's working on limited information and wants to do right by both of the kids.

As he sat in the backseat looking out the window, Izuku saw clouds filling the sky.

Of course, Izuku thought glumly, that today of all days, it would storm.

He was currently sitting in silence as they were driving to the school where Himiko attacked her classmate, hoping to gather information before they began their search. In the front passenger seat was Nemuri Kayama, and in the driver's seat was Sekijiro Kan.

At first, Izuku and Ochako were hesitant about letting Nezu inform the rest of the teaching staff about their situation, but eventually, they relented. Nezu would explain to the teachers that they are time travelers, but he would explain it as a quirk-related accident. That way, the details about One For All were left out of the explanation, and the only teachers who knew the whole story were Aizawa and Kayama.

Instinctively, Izuku looked down at his phone, only to see no messages. Ochako was refusing to respond to the texts that he sent earlier, and his friends from Montross were off celebrating the end of the school year, leaving Izuku alone with his thoughts.

Looking out the window, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Having second thoughts about this?" Kayama spoke up, interrupting his thoughts.

Izuku jumped, before looking at Kayama in embarrassment. He could see a smile playing on her lips, apparently satisfied that she had caught him off-guard. Izuku also couldn't help but notice Kan's eyes looking at him curiously in the rear-view mirror.

"W-what do you mean?"

"I've seen that look before, on plenty of people. It's uncertainty. If you want to be a hero, that's not a good trait to have."

Izuku couldn't help but look at his phone again. After a few moments of awkward silence, Izuku finally asked the question that had been bothering him.

"Do you ever want to do the right thing, but for the wrong reasons?"

"Oh?" Kan was intrigued. "What is this about?"

"I want to protect someone," Izuku admitted.

He saw a knowing smile play across Kayama's lips. "I think I know where this is going. This is about Uraraka, isn't it?"

Izuku looked up, guilt flashing across his face. "Y-yeah."

"Is that why you joined us?" Kayama decided to take mercy on him and get right to the point.

"Yes," Izuku admitted. "I want to make sure we catch Toga."

Kan sighed, and began talking. "Kid, wanting to protect someone is admirable, but you need to remember, our job is dangerous. At the end of the day, how do you think people are going to feel if they see you hurt because of them - or worse?"

He didn't know why, but the first thing that came to mind was Izuku's fight with Katsuki after their provisional license exam. Where Katsuki finally admitted to All Might about how guilty he felt - that he felt like he was personally responsible for All Might losing his quirk.

Or the survivor's guilt that Ochako has been wrestling with, and slowly coming to terms with.

He thought about the pain he felt when he saw that Uravity was caught by Shigaraki's decay wave.

A knot began forming in his stomach as he thought about Ochako, knowing that she felt a similar pain when she saw Analyst in that stairwell.

"You're right," Izuku admitted.

"Kid, if you're not sure about this, you can always stay in the car and let us do our job." Kan offered helpfully.

Izuku looked at his right hand. It's been almost six months, but he still remembers the constant pain that he used to carry. His mangled hand and scars were a constant reminder of the lengths he was willing to go for other people. But staring at his perfectly healthy hand, he was reminded that this was a genuine second chance.

Was he going to throw it away so carelessly?

Making a decision, he closed his hand into a fist.

I'm going to stop Toga, and I'm going to come back to Ochako.

Izuku offered the two heroes a reassuring smile. "No, I'm going to see this through. I volunteered. But I want to do it for the right reasons."

In the front seat, Kayama turned her head away from Izuku to hide the smile on her face. She had seen his file and knew about his therapy. It sounds like it may finally be working.

While Kayama and Kan were talking to the police about Himiko, Izuku sat in the car, trying to avoid drawing any attention to himself. Instead, he busied himself by looking at the initial news about the attack. Unfortunately, most of the articles were vague, not using the names of either student and only a few generic shots of the school building.

Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long before the teachers returned to the car.

"Our little girl may have gotten lucky," Kayama announced, once they were both seated. "Since she didn't use her quirk, she hasn't been classified as a villain. The police are currently treating this as a normal case of assault."

Izuku perked up. "What's that mean?"

"Well, for starters, that means we're the only heroes looking for her," Kan explained.

Izuku quickly connected the dots, realizing that this was why she evaded capture for almost eighteen months. Thanks to her quirk, she was able to easily disappear, evading the police until she found a new place to stay or their attention was elsewhere. Then she was able to repeat the process.

"So, what is the plan?" Kan asked out loud.

Kayama looked back to Izuku.

"She usually stuck to crowded areas, blending in while trying to find people who were alone, or occasionally a pair of people. Always high-schoolers. We should head into town."

Kayama turned to Kan with a satisfied look on her face. "You heard him, let's go to the shopping district."

Kan nodded and began driving. While he felt uneasy bringing a fourteen-year-old boy along with them, Nezu had assured him that before the incident that brought him back, he was a hero student at UA, with a provisional license as well. If that was true, then he at least was mentally capable, even if his body was that of a middle-schooler.

As they were driving, Izuku eventually remembered something and spoke up.

"I know Kan's blood cages will be great to hold her, but were you planning on using your quirk against her Kayama?"

Kayama looked at him in surprise. "I was only going to use my quirk as a last resort. Since it is more effective against men, I don't want to risk knocking the two of you out before she would be affected."

"That's not quite how your quirk works, is it?" Izuku asked. "Isn't your quirk more effective against someone attracted to women?"

"How did you-" Midnight started before she caught herself and smiled. "Of course, you would figure that little detail out."

"In that case, it'll work against her."

Midnight smiled as she looked at Izuku, before nodding in understanding.

No wonder he had impressed All Might. He has quite the head on his shoulders. She was pretty confident that he was compensating for his lack of quirk, but if he had a quirk, he would be unstoppable.

Himiko felt better than she had in a long time. Saito's blood was so delicious, and her quirk felt so warm, like a comfortable blanket wrapped around her, letting her feel free for the first time she can remember. Her headache also felt better, just like it did whenever she was able to catch a bird.

Being Saito was everything she had hoped it would be. Sure, the teachers may have caught her and chased her out of the school, but it was worth it.

She was so happy, she could pretend her parents wouldn't even lock her up when they found out she drank blood again.

The thought made Himiko stop in her tracks. Putting a finger to her lips, she thought about it. She knew she wasn't going to like what would happen when she went home.

So why go home? She could just keep running, and not look back. She had some money and was really good at acting, surely she could figure something out.

Smiling, she nodded to herself.

That's it! Today was the first day of her new life, free from her parents.

With a grin splitting her face, she began skipping down the street.

The car pulled into the shopping district, and they parked. The three got out and began looking around.

"It looks like everyone's trying to get home before the storms." Kan pointed out.

"Hmph. I don't blame them. I wouldn't want to be out in this weather either."

"Maybe this works to our advantage. Fewer people means fewer targets for her."

"And one very tempting green-haired target. You'd better stick close to me, Midoriya." Kayama ordered.

Izuku felt himself blushing. Of course, she wouldn't let him use himself as bait, even though he had already been reconsidering that option.

Time for plan B then.

"Kan, can you create a roughly human-sized golem out of your blood?"

Kan looked at Izuku and nodded. "You want to draw her out with my constructs?"

"Exactly! Since she's likely suffering from a lack of blood, a large source of it, and the wind, should bring her right to us!"

Kan smiled and looked at Kayama, before raising his glove and creating a small statue, the size of a child, out of his blood.

As Himiko was walking, suddenly she caught a new scent in the air.

Blood, lots of blood.

Feeling herself salivating, Himiko began following the scent.

She could feel the wind picking up, and saw the clouds forming overhead. It was going to storm soon, and she probably should find a place to stay. But the prospect of so much blood - she was filled with an overwhelming desire to find its source. If there was as much as she was imagining, maybe she could even take a little bit for herself, and nobody would notice.

She followed the scent down several streets, growing more frustrated as she couldn't find the source. The scent had grown so strong, that her quirk was overriding her emotions, and she wasn't thinking straight. It was getting darker and a distant rumbling heralded the oncoming storm. But none of that mattered - all she could think about was finding the source of the precious liquid.

Turning a corner, she stopped in surprise when she saw Saito standing there, talking to two heroes. She didn't know why he was in the wrong uniform though.

She felt a smile split her face when she saw him. He was ok after all! Part of her was worried when he passed out back at school, but she didn't have the time to check on him back then.

Himiko couldn't see the source of the blood, but its scent was so strong it was making her desperate. As she looked at Saito, she decided that more of his blood wouldn't hurt. She'd have to be quick - there were heroes here after all, but if he's doing fine after all of the blood she took earlier, then surely he'd still be fine if she took a little bit more.

Pulling out the boxcutter, she hid it behind her back. With a smile on her face, she began walking toward him.

"Saito-kun~!"

Izuku turned around and saw a teenage boy walking toward them.

"Y-you must be mistaken, I'm Izuku Midoriya, not Saito," Izuku told the boy.

The boy giggled, his left hand covering his mouth while his right remained hidden from view.

"You can't lie to me, Saito! I know it's you."

Izuku felt the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. There was something eerily familiar about this, even if he's never seen this boy in his life.

"Something's not right." He heard Kayama from behind him. "Midoriya, get back."

Izuku turned his head to respond to the teacher. "R-right!"

Taking his eyes off the boy, even for a moment, proved to be a mistake. He realized it when pain tore through his arm before a hand shoved him to the ground.

Izuku felt the wind getting knocked out of him. It only took him a second to recover, but by then the other boy was kneeling on top of him, using his weight to pin him to the ground.

"Oh, Saito-kun! It feels so wonderful being you!"

The transformation began melting away, and he saw the grinning face of Himiko Toga staring down at him, a box cutter in her hand.

"I just need a little more of your blood! Those mean teachers interrupted us this afternoon!"

Letting his training take over, Izuku managed to knock Himiko off balance, freeing himself enough so that he could reverse their positions. His arm was burning from the cut, and he felt blood oozing out, but he was used to much worse pain.

"Himiko! Please, stop!"

Himiko's face morphed from a grin to a scowl. "Why should I?"

Pulling her arm free, she tried to slash at him again, and Izuku was forced to jump away from her to avoid the attack.

"You're just like them! Nobody cares about me!"

Himiko stood up and charged with the box cutter, but she ran face-first into a wall of blood as Kan used his quirk.

"Please, little Toga, listen to us!"

"Just so you can send me back to my parents? Just so they can lock me up again?"

Himiko felt tears building in her eyes. "Today is the first time I made a choice for myself, and all you want to do is take it away from me!"

She tried to run but found herself tackled by Izuku.

Himiko slashed wildly and heard Izuku's cry of pain as she felt the box cutter hit flesh. His grip was loosened enough that she was able to wiggle herself out from under him, before pushing herself up.

I'm not going back!

"Please, Toga." Izuku pleaded with her. "We want to help you!"

"Nobody wants to help me!" Toga spits out. "Everyone claims they want to, but then my parents just pay them off, or they make excuses, or they make me make excuses. I'm done!"

Himiko saw the wave of blood coming in and barely managed to get out of the way. She threw the box cutter at Kan, forcing him to dodge and breaking his control long enough for her to start moving again.

Only to run right into Kayama.

"Oh my, so direct for a little girl!"

"No! Stay back! Why won't you just leave me alone!"

Himiko backed up, trying to find room to escape, before Izuku grabbed her arms, pinning them behind her.

"I don't know how your parents hurt you, but we want to help! These two - they're heroes! It's their job to help people!"

Himiko managed to pull one of her hands-free from his grip and twist around, facing Izuku again before he was able to grab her arm again.

Seeing him like this - with one of his arms slashed open, face dirty, but still filled with determination. It made her heart race. He was strong too, and she wanted to be like him.

Without thinking about what she was doing, Himiko dove toward the wound on his arm and bit into it, letting her fangs sink in as he cried out in pain.

"Midnight, do it!"

Himiko didn't even notice the sweet aroma until she was breathing it in, passing out.

Ochako heard her phone ring and made a dash to grab it, surprising her parents. When she saw the number she felt her blood run cold.

Running to her room, she slammed the door shut and picked up.

"What happened?" Ochako asked.

"We caught Toga." Midnight said.

"What happened to Izuku?"

"He was hurt, but he'll be fine."

"How badly?"

"He has a couple of cuts and will probably have some bruises. She also bit him. We were able to patch up the worst of it, but we are taking him to the hospital now." Midnight sounded like she was trying to ease her fears.

"Why did you let her attack him?" Ochako asked incredulously.

She heard a sigh on the other line. "She was transformed, so we didn't know it was her until after she attacked."

Ochako felt herself shaking. They had Toga! And Izuku was alive! Even if he was hurt. The knot that had been filling her chest all evening finally began easing.

"Can I talk to him?"

"Sadly, no. When Toga was biting him, he had me use my quirk on both of them. Somehow he knew that it would work on her."

Ochako sighed in frustration. That sounds like just the suicidal plan she was expecting from him.

"Of course he did! She was attracted to me just as much as she was attracted to him!"

She heard a pause on the other line as if Kayama was debating what to say next before she continued. "Just so you know, Midoriya was being a good little boy and following our instructions until the attack. If Toga wasn't transformed, he would probably be unharmed."

That did make Ochako feel a little bit better. He was still going to get it tomorrow though.

"So what's going to happen now?"

"We are taking them both to Mustafu General Hospital. Once your boy gets patched up properly he should be released in a couple of hours. That is, assuming you or his mother don't send him right back in there."

Ochako could hear the teasing tone in Kayama's voice and found herself grateful that the hero was trying to help calm her down.

"Toga, however, is a more complicated situation."

"She needs to be locked up," Ochako said reflexively.

"Oh, so you two can disagree."

"What?"

"Izuku wants to try rehabilitating her. And unfortunately for you, Nezu and Kan both agree with him."

Of course, Izuku hasn't told her that part.

"But she's dangerous!"

"She could be dangerous. Right now though? She's desperate."

Ochako couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Don't tell me you agree with them!"

Ochako could hear Kayama sighing on the other end of the line. "Even if I did agree with you, right now she isn't a villain. She would be held as a minor guilty of assault. She would spend a year or two in jail, at most. And then she would be free, again, without any of the help she needs. You would just be dealing with your little serial killer in a few years instead of right now."

Ochako groaned in frustration. "So what, we just pretend that everything is ok?"

"I didn't say that. Kan feels sympathy for her. He wants to get her help." Kayama paused for a long moment. "And after what I heard, I'm inclined to agree with him."

"So what, are we just going to ignore what she did to me?"

"Are you really going to blame her for the actions of someone who is essentially a completely different person? That doesn't sound particularly heroic of you."

Ochako tried to offer up a retort, but the words died in her throat.

"I see." Kayama finally continued. "You should think about that, then. I'll let Midoriya know that I called you when he wakes up."

Hearing the phone disconnect, Ochako set it down. Wiping her face off, she returned to the living room where her parents were sitting.

"Is everything ok honey?"

Ochako forced a smile to her face and nodded. "Y-yeah! Izuku just got hurt while he was out, is all!"

"Oh no! Is he gonna be ok?"

Ochako nodded vigorously. "Yep, everything's going to be just fine!"

AN: Izuku: "I"m going to do better this time and not get injured"
Also Izuku: Still manages to get hurt despite Toga being at her weakest and 2 heroes on scene.