Hana coughed harshly, trying to expel the water from her lungs and throat, wincing as her sister slapped her on the back. A slip on the metal floor would have been fatal, especially with the sudden inhalation of water, but for once, she was glad that Junko had snuck into her lab before the water arrived. There was no telling what would have happened if she were truly alone when she lost her footing.

"You'll be fine, get it all out," Junko coaxed, holding Hana's hair back as her coughing fit petered out. The Chikamishi sisters were kneeling on top of Hana's workstation, numerous vials and research papers were scattered thoughtlessly after Junko had scrambled to pull her younger sister out of the freezing water. "I'll get us out of here, you focus on breathing."

"H-How?" Hana snapped. "We're s-sealed in by p-proper bulkh-heads, much stronger th-than your kn-ife can handle." Inwardly, she cursed her chattering teeth for sucking much of the heat from both herself and her words. Rather than voicing her frustration, she huddled closer to her sister, pressing her entire body against Junko in a hauntingly familiar, yet unfortunately fitting, way.

Junko's heart beat faster automatically, her body heating up little by little as her blood raced through her veins, a neat trick she had learned after a particularly cold winter. "I'll find a way, you know I always do. I'll get us out of this shit, Lily, I will keep my promise," she whispered into Hana's hair.

"You weren't even s-supposed to be here in the first p-place," Hana murmured, her voice and dismay clear as her own body warmed up from her sister's body heat.

"What, and miss out on you making breathable water? Damn, sis, I thought you knew me better than that!" Junko quipped, a fake smile no doubt cutting across her face.

Distantly, Hana knew that 'in the middle of a deadly incident' was not the appropriate time to lecture her sister on I-Island regulations, but clinging to normalcy was important for staying sane during crisis. She pushed away from Junko and leveled a glare at her. "One, it's not 'breathable water', and two, I keep telling you that you can't be here. You don't have the clearance or intelligence to work alongside me. You knew I needed to finish the project for Mr. Shield before I could even begin to work on anything for you, and even then I'd need to break at least a couple non-disclosure agreements to so much as hint at anything I was doing in terms you'll understand," Hana chided.

"Oh! Oof!" Junko clutched her chest dramatically, feigning immense pain. She spit a glob of blood off the side of the workstation and sharpened her smile further. "You wound me, sis. But hey, maybe I can help provide a new perspective on things. After all, it's not stupid if it works, yeah?" Junko punctuated her quip with barking laughter and Hana tried to keep the smile off her face in response. She didn't try very hard.

At least until Hana felt freezing cold water lick at her legs. Her throat seized up to strangle the startled yelp before it could escape, and the two sisters were reminded that they were still trapped in a dark lab with water rising at an alarming rate. "Junko?" Hana breathed out, her fear once more invading her voice.

" Shit, " Junko swore in English before slipping a small flashlight out of her sleeve. Hana blinked, staring at the small light as the object fell neatly into her hand, immediately recognizing it as the one that was supposed to be in the emergency supply drawer. Junko clicked it on as it settled into her palm in one smooth motion. She flicked the beam of light around the room, searching for any means of escape that both of them could use. An audible boom from the other side of the sealed doorway drew her attention towards it for a moment, but it was far too muffled by distance to be of any importance.

However, Hana wasn't bothering to search with her. Instead, her eyes were drawn to her sister's other hand, the one drifting upward to touch the large, jagged scar slashed across the left side of her neck. Junko had always said she was proud of the scar, proof that she was stronger than God had thought, but Hana didn't like dwelling on it. Flashes of old memories rose to the surface.

Hot blood gushing through her fingers, choked gurgles that should have been words.

'No one is coming.'

Her shirt is stained dark red.

'Don't take my sister, PLEASE!'

There was another thud from outside the room, this time much louder and immediately followed by a clang of steel on steel decking. Hana jumped at the noise, watching as Junko trained the flashlight on the bulkhead. The two sisters held their collective breath.

"I swear," Junko growled, "if the water fucked up a blast door, I'm gonna—"

A heavy, slow pounding on the door cut Junko's threat off, and Hana's heart leapt. It wasn't just the water that caused the ruckus, it was a person! Someone actually came for them!

As Hana scrambled towards the edge of her workstation, which was now entirely underwater, Junko slapped her hand on her sister's chest. "Stay put, water's still cold as hell," she commanded.

"But what if—!" Hana started to argue, but Junko ignored her entirely. She planted her feet on the very edge of the table and leapt across the water to land in front of the bulkhead.

"HEY!" she shouted, banging on the door twice with the butt of the flashlight, "We're trapped in here, can you hear me?!" She stopped and listened for a second before two more hits sounded out from the other side, these two much louder as an obvious response. Junko looked over her shoulder at her sister and lit her face up with the flashlight to show off an exaggerated smug smirk. "There, I found help. Told you I'd get us out of here."

Hana huffed a quiet laugh, carefully ignoring the freezing water soaking through her work boots. "You are impossible."

After a couple of seconds of silence, anxiety and doubts began to fill Hana's head. Without a means to check what was happening on the other side of the door, she couldn't be certain whether the knocking response meant 'We are here' or 'we'll be right back.' But then the door began groaning slightly, making both sisters look over to it. There was a warm red spot slowly growing in the top left corner of the door, spreading out and glowing brighter as it heated up. Hana jumped as a sudden burst of sparks and a loud jet-like flame burst through the metal and slowly made its way around the door.

Junko's sharp whistle brought Hana back into her head, pulling her attention away from the progress of the cutting their saviors were doing and towards her older sister's extended hand. It was time to leave. Without a word, Hana took Junko's hand and slipped into the ice cold water, Hana clinging to Junko for warmth and balance.

As the sisters stopped in front of the bulkhead, Hana noted that the water closest to the door wasn't as cold as the water by her workstation, an observation made easy to see as the water boiled near the cutting point. At least they wouldn't freeze waiting for their exit to be finished. "Come on, jackass, I got shit to do," Junko muttered impatiently as her eyes tracked the sparks flying from the steel door. Hana didn't have it in her to scold her sister yet.

The moment the bright flame finished its circuit around the door, the water filling Hana's lab followed the loose section of steel into the hallway and drained through the widening hole. Instead of collapsing onto the steel floor, however, the freshly-cut section was held in place by two unnaturally large hands. Hana's eyes widened as whoever the hands belonged to set the section down just beside the doorway.

She locked eyes with Izuku Midoriya, his obviously practiced smile radiating confidence and assurance. "Midoriya," she whispered breathlessly. "You came for us?"

"Chikamishi!" Izuku exclaimed, his smile sliding ever so slightly, his eyes immediately filling with concern. "Oh, uh…" he stammered, throwing a glance to his left for a split second. His smile came back in full-force in an instant, however, a fraction more genuine than Hana expected. "I was in the area, thought I should help out. Let's get moving, though. The water isn't stopping," he finished, reaching out with his oversized hand.

When the man offered his hand to Hana the first time, at the airport, she hesitated. Men his size were usually incredibly strong, even without a contact-based quirk, and any number of horrible things could happen even in a crowd.

Izuku, however, was no man. He was a hero.

Hana didn't even bother to stifle her gracious smile as she grasped her hero's hand to step outside of her lab. "Thank you. Thank you so much," she murmured.

"My pleasure," Izuku remarked, watching her as she stepped out beside him. He turned back to the room and held out his hand to the other person in the room, halting as he looked at her, his smile freezing in place to keep it from visually falling.

Everyone reacted the same when they noticed her sister's scar, heroes especially. The pity, the horror, the curiosity, all shoved deep under a layer of respect for an obviously personal injury. They didn't usually react with a moment of anxiety and, dare Hana think, doubt. So when such emotions flashed through Izuku's emerald eyes, she couldn't help but turn around to follow his gaze.

Junko had very pointedly ignored Izuku's hand as she stepped into the hallway after her younger sister, distrust obvious in her entire expression as she leveled the significantly taller man with a defiant glare Hana had seen too many times.

Before the tension between her hero and her sister grew too large, Hana decided to step in. With a swift jab, she drove her elbow into Junko's ribs hard. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Junko yelped and threw a stormy glare at her sister, who returned the glare full force. As much as Hana loved her sister, both of them knew when she was being a dick.

Junko looked away first with a tch . "Thanks," she spat out sarcastically.

With a frustrated sigh, Hana resolved to talk to her sister about Izuku later. For now, all of them needed to leave before the water caught up to them all.

"Alright folks, no time to dawdle. Young Midoriya, another door to cut open here!" All Might's voice boomed out from behind Izuku, making Hana jump. She leaned over to see the hulking hero helping several other researchers through the hole in the hallway blast door.

Hana watched as Izuku gave her another look, one that whispered of relief and reassurance, smiled and nodded, before turning around to the other side of the hallway. She wasted no time hurrying towards the crowd of her coworkers, her sister's deceptively quiet footsteps following closely.

A thought struck Hana as she reached the crowd of scientists. Izuku didn't have any equipment on him, yet he was alone when he rescued Hana and her sister, and All Might himself was specifically asking him for assistance. Curiosity won out, and she looked over her shoulder, watching Izuku walk away with a purpose.

Izuku reached up with two fingers outstretched, and a second later, a searing bright green light burst from his fingers, which he placed against the metal door, moving it slowly and deliberately around the frame, cutting a deep furrow through the steel blast door.

All at once, a childish glee filled Hana as she watched Izuku cut through the thick bulkhead easily and she regretted not asking about his quirk earlier. Such immense heat at the tips of his fingers, and without any lasting damage, if his undamaged hands were anything to go by! It had been months since Hana had the chance to pick apart a quirk for fun with her sister, a past time she recalled fondly very often.

Before Hana could release any of her bubbling fascination, she noticed Junko's hand had drifted up to her scar again, her sister's eyes vacant and filled with an old hatred for something no one can see. A familiar pain curled around Hana's heart and crushed her excitement, as it did every time her sister was thrust into her memories. As usual, she reached over and pulled her sister's hand away from her scar.

Junko violently ripped her hand out of Hana's grasp instinctively, her hollow eyes locking onto Hana's own as a snarl quickly formed on her face. It all fell apart when life and recognition returned to Junko's eyes, and with it came the same usual guilt she always felt when Hana pulled her out of her head.

Silently, Junko offered her hand to her younger sister and Hana interlaced her own fingers with her sister's without a second thought. It wasn't clear whether the gesture was an apology or to comfort either Chikamishi sister, but neither cared about the why at the time. They were safe and together. That was enough.

"And that," Izuku groaned as he set aside another chunk of steel door, "should be the last of them." He panted slightly, not from the exertion, but from the concentration. Keeping his body temp up to try to warm up the water, focusing on his plasma cutter, and continuously reaching out with his power sense to search for others in need of rescue was taxing his mental faculties.

He leaned over and helped the last three researchers out of their lab, pulling them through the water, before standing up and looking back, doing a quick head count. Twenty-five researchers and one civilian, safe and accounted for. He was soon joined by All Might who had been making sure that everyone was out of the rooms and ready to move. A quick glance from his father told him that they were ready, despite the water being up to the middle of their chests. Almost all of the others were either treading water, or clinging to the wall fixtures to stay afloat.

"Listen up, everyone," All Might called out over their heads, getting everyone's attention, his signature smile in place, beaming to everyone. "I know you all are tired, soaked to the bone, and colder than an Alaskan winter, but we have only a couple more walls to break down. Everyone stay alert and be ready!"

Izuku watched as everyone listened to the world's greatest hero talk, almost enraptured, smiles on almost every face, like they knew without a doubt that they were going to be okay. After All Might finished talking, there were shouts of joy and confidence. A feeling of longing settled in as Izuku wished he could garner that kind of respect and admiration. The feeling was washed away quickly though, the chill from the water reminding him of their situation.

He turned sluggishly in the water to look at the door behind him, noting that there was no way he and All Might would be able to knock this down with the amount of water around them. Apparently his father had the same idea.

"Young Midoriya, time to start cutting again, I think," All Might said, placing a hand on Izuku's shoulder.

He blinked and looked over at his father, nodding, a frown on his face. "Gonna have to cut fast this time though. No time for accuracy." Izuku pushed his way through the water to center himself on the door, reaching out to the side with both hands as far as he could reach. Satisfied with the size of the hole he had to cut, he glanced back.

"This is gonna get real hot, so stay back!" Izuku called out, waiting for everyone to get clear. He got a couple of nods, prompting him to focus deep and push power into his hands, tight rings on bright green light bursting into existence around his opened palms, the eerie glow casting odd shadows in the water. The rings spun around his hands faster and faster, elongating into a pulsing weave, flashing across his forearms angrily, desperate for release.

Izuku grunted as he slammed his opened palms into the metal door, pushing heat into the door as fast as he could. The metal under his hands immediately flashed redhot, transitioning to orange, then yellow, then searing bright white, the glow spreading steadily through the metal. Steam began forming around the metal that was submerged, the water sucking away the heat and boiling. He pushed harder, spreading the heat through the internal crystalline structure until he felt it shift. He released the heat and leaned back slightly before pulling his right arm back and punching hard, sending the molten steel flying into the next room, the water immediately flowing into the empty corridor, taking everyone with it, despite All Might grabbing onto as many of the researchers as he could reach.

Izuku watched in surprise as the water crashed into the next section but was immediately sucked away into the side drains, the pipes gurgling as the water flowed freely. Several of the researchers, including Hana and Junko, had washed onto the floor, sputtering from the sudden dunk, but were otherwise okay. But more pressing matters were at stake. This room was empty before he let the water in. Would the next one be too? Izuku needed to know so they could make their next move. He took off, sprinting down the hall to the next door, and immediately getting to work cutting a small hole into the metal. He pulled the plug out and waited. When no water came through, Izuku had his answer.

He glanced back as a couple of shouts echoed towards him. The water was rapidly winning against the functional pumps in the subfloor, and even with everyone moving quickly out of the way, they had little time. He turned and got to work cutting a hole big enough for them to get through. In record time, he had the hole cut, and was helping people through, one at a time, smiling at Hana as she and Junko slipped through together.

All Might brought up the rear, and just in time, too. The water was starting to lick at the bottom of the hole he had cut. Once everyone was in, Izuku hefted the metal plate back in place, and got to work undoing his precision cuts with a high temp weld, sealing the group into the dry section of the corridor. Once he made sure the seal was water-tight and cooled, he flipped over and sat down, leaning his head against the cool bulkhead, resting from all of the exertion the day had taken.

He watched as the others took care of each other, gathering to attempt to dry themselves off as best as they could or huddle for warmth. All Might was talking to Melissa, Hana sitting back to back with her sister, her eyes lighting up slightly as they made eye-contact. They held their gaze for a minute before Junko spoke up and drew Hana's attention. He did one more look around the room, before resolving himself to finish the job at hand.

Izuku sighed and pushed himself up from the floor, shaking hands with a couple of the researchers as they thanked him as he walked to the opposite blast door, giving it a feel for any sign of water on the other side. He was relieved to feel that the steel wasn't ice cold like the previous doors had been, a good indication that the next room was empty. He didn't want to chance anything, however, and got to work cutting a small hole near the top of the door. When no water came out, he sighed in relief, nodding to All Might and the others, before cutting another passageway into the next room.

"The room after this section is the atrium," Melissa stated, looking thoughtful, "if I'm remembering the layout correctly." She glanced up at All Might as Izuku cut, shielding her eyes from the intense light of Izuku's torch.

"Elevators are across the way," Hana interjected, moving forward with Junko behind her, "Though I doubt they're active." She glanced between Melissa, All Might, and Izuku.

"Any ideas on how we get out?" she asked. All Might opened his mouth to respond, but Izuku was faster.

"We open the elevator shafts, and I'll get everyone up. It's just a matter of where the elevator cars are at," he said matter-of-factly, grunting as he hauled the thick metal plate to the side, before sticking his head through the hole.

"All clear!" he called out, standing up and moving through to the next section of the corridor, ducking through the hole.

"Oh, sure, NOW we get the rooms without water," Junko grumbled almost childishly. "Right at the damn end, of course. Why not."

Everyone started filtering in through the hole as Izuku walked up the last blast door, his hand outstretched. But he didn't even need to touch it to feel the cold sucking away the heat from his hand.

"Were it so easy," Izuku grumbled, studying the door for leaks or deformities. "The atrium is flooded, judging by how cold this door is."

"Wait, seriously?!" one of the researchers called out, his voice echoing in the tight space, "We are so close! Why'd you have to go and jinx us?!" He shouted, turning on Junko.

Junko wasted no time flipping up her middle finger at the researcher. "Bite me, ya two-bit pharmacist! You think I want to be trapped in here with you egotists?!"

Hana sighed, "Sister, behave."

"Easy, everyone," All Might advised, holding his hands up in a calming manner. "We aren't out of here yet. Keeping calm means we get out of here safely." He glanced around the room, staring at the researcher who had spoken. The much smaller man looked down, and muttered an apology. "I know you are scared. But don't worry. Young Midoriya won't let us down."

Izuku looked over his shoulder at All Might's mention of him, staring at his father as he winked back at him. Izuku smirked as All Might's presence helped to dismiss the other's fear. 'Still,' he thought, 'the only way out is through.'

"Well," he said after a minute of deep thought, turning back to the crowd, "I have an idea, but you might not like it." He looked at his father, whose eyes squinted just a bit, the experienced pro trying to think of what his son could be planning.

"Care to share with the rest of the class, Midoriya?" Hana piped up, staring at him intently. He caught the brief flash of fear and anxiety in her eyes, a look far too at-home for Izuku's comfort.

"I'm assuming that the atrium is totally flooded, and that the elevators have pressure locked doors," Izuku explained, glancing at Melissa and the other researchers for confirmation, "Which means the water has to get out somehow. I think I can boil off the water, letting the ventilation system handle the steam, and then we can deal with the doors."

A look of recognition from Melissa made him nod. "I'm gonna have to go into the water and heat it up myself," he explained, glancing between his father, Melissa, and Hana. "Which means sealing everyone else back in the other room." Hana opened her mouth to argue, but Izuku shook his head, pointing to his Interface, "I'm the only one that can breathe underwater here. It has to be me."

Hana shut her mouth sharply, her eyes widening slightly. "Shield was able to finish it?" she asked in a hushed whisper, her eyes flicking to his Interface for a moment.

Melissa huffed, giving the green haired researcher a look of mock anguish, "For the last time, Hana, call me Melissa!" Izuku gave her a curious glance, which Melissa waved off. "I'll explain later," she responded quickly.

Izuku nodded and turned to look at his father who had been quiet during the exchange, giving him a questioning look. All Might looked up from his thoughts, his signature smile on his face. "I know you can do it, Young Midoriya. Just take care," he reassured. Izuku nodded, reading between the lines of his father's words carefully.

'Just take care.'

More like, 'Don't die or else your mother will kill me.'

Izuku chuckled and nodded. They shared another unspoken word before All Might turned and started to gather everyone up, corralling the researchers through the passageway. Hana leaned in and gave Izuku a tight hug before turning away, pulling her sister back with her. Izuku smiled as Melissa gave him a hug as well, pressing her face into his chest, and squeezing tightly.

"Just be sure to be safe. If it doesn't work, come back immediately. We'll think of another way," she whispered.

"Don't worry, Mel. What better way for a field test?" he asked, teasing her a bit. She grinned into his warm and wet shirt before pulling back and giving him one last look, turning to leave the room with the others.

And then it was just All Might and him in the corridor, the two men looking at each other, one with fear and pride, the other with resolve and confidence.

"Be safe, Izuku," All Might murmured, staring at his son, wishing that he could take his place.

"I got this," Izuku said resolutely, pulling the steel plate away from the door with his telekinesis, holding it tightly in his large hands.

All Might nodded, and with one final look, ducked into the other room. Izuku sighed, smiling to himself. His father was worried for him, but if he was honest with himself, Izuku was more worried about his father. They had been going for a couple of hours and he knew that time was running short. Now that he was alone, Izuku got to work, using all of his abilities to their potential. The plate was made weightless, forced into place by telekinesis, and he began welding with a focused beam of energy from his own power stores.

After a couple of minutes, the door was sealed. Now, Izuku could begin the really hard work. He turned to face the sealed door between him and the atrium.

"Here goes nothing, Mel," he said to himself, thinking the command for the rebreather to the Interface. The device split open, extending the mask in smooth panels across his face, sealing his mouth and nose with a water-tight seal. He took a couple of experimental breaths, pure oxygen flooding into his lungs as he inhaled deeply. He smiled to himself at the successful test.

Now that oxygen was no longer a concern, he had to deal with the water problem. He studied the door for a couple of seconds, before he decided to just throw caution to the wind. Pulling on his power, he dumped two huge chunks into his arms and focused the rings of energy into tight coils. This cut didn't need to be precise, it just needed to be fast, so Izuku slammed the power into his palms and unleashed two large beams of bright green energy, coiling them around the door, immediately cutting through the heavy steel like it was paper.

As soon as the beams had started cutting, the water rushed in through the holes, gushing into the air pocket of the room. But once the wall had been fully cut open, the metal gave way, pushing the entire door into the room, a wall of water behind it. Izuku watched and braced, letting the metal slam into his outstretched palms as the room flooded. Within seconds, he was submerged.

Izuku blinked through the seawater, letting his eyes adjust to the burn of the salt, getting his bearings. He made a mental note to have Melissa and Mei find a way to make the visor solid or at least cover his eyes. After he was finally able to see, he laid the remains of the steel door on the floor, his motions slowed and exaggerated by the viscosity of the water. Once the door was down, he pushed off from the floor and swam out into the center of the atrium, taking stock of the situation.

The room was completely flooded, and it didn't take Izuku long to figure out why. One of the blast doors to other hallways was only partially closed. He cursed under his breath and kicked off to the lower door. As he got closer, he saw exactly why the door had jammed: the coffee stand that had been there earlier in the day was lodged in place, crushed by the closing door. Pushing on the cart was futile, as was pulling on it, the metal cart wedged in tight against the hydraulically driven door. He frowned to himself, and decided that cutting was the only option. He got to work, making quick work of the thin steel metal of the cart, slicing it in half, until the two pieces finally dislodged and fell to the floor slowly. He waited a second, before giving the door a hard punch in frustration. That seemed to do the trick, as a second later, the door smoothly closed tight.

Izuku shook his head before moving around to check the rest of the doors. Once he verified all of the doors were sealed, he took a look around before deciding on checking on how high the water level was. He powered up through the water until he finally reached the water line, a good 20 feet above the floor. He didn't even need to breach the surface of the water to see that the atrium wasn't completely full, much to his delight. If he had to guess, there was about ten more feet of space above the water to the ceiling. Feeling much better about the situation, he dove back down and planted himself on the floor of the atrium, suddenly grateful for his increased muscular density.

Now there was nothing holding him back, so he reached deep inside of his pool of energy, pulled out as much as he dared, and spread it out evenly across his body. Immediately, he felt his skin get hot in the water, a slight shimmer as it began heating up rapidly. He closed his eyes to concentrate, focusing on taking his body temp to new all time highs.

Hana shivered as she pressed herself against her sister, the long morning stuck in freezing, wet clothes finally getting the better of her. Not for the first time, she wished she had fought a little harder to keep Izuku from leaving all of them. Hana was surprised at just how warm the young man was, as though he held an entire sun within his heart, yet his touch did not burn her. It was warmth unlike anything her sister could generate, and it even lit up every room he entered. She wished she had met him years ago, when Junko and herself really needed someone she could trust to fight the bitter cold. He had a job to do, however, and Hana knew none of them were getting out of this crisis if he didn't finish… whatever his plan was.

Idly, Hana allowed her eyes to wander the room she found herself trapped in. Most of her coworkers huddled together to preserve what warmth they could, despite their sopping wet work clothes. Interestingly enough, Melissa was leaning against All Might's right side, the much larger hero holding the genius American close to warm her up.

A thought occurred to Hana, one that Junko would curse at her for. It was remarkably easy to make connections between All Might and Izuku, even at a glance. The two heroes were similar in height and build as well as raw strength. Both wore their smiles as masks, empty reassurances of invincibility to keep civilians calm, although Hana had noticed that All Might's was so ancient and practiced, she wondered if he remembered why he smiled in the first place. If Izuku was so warm…

Without a word, Hana gripped her sister's hand and approached the number one hero. Junko made the mistake of following along with her sister's wishes without protest, even as All Might turned his attention towards the two of them. "All Might, sir?"

All Might's smile widened ever so slightly, his own version of adjusting his mask so it fit properly, and spoke in his usual bold, if gentle, way, "Young Chikamishi. Was there something you two needed?"

Remember what your sister taught you about getting what you want, Hana reassured herself, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. "F-Forgive me for this selfish request, but I was… wondering if I could also get a hug? Like Melissa?" Hana murmured, her voice petering out at the end.

Before All Might could respond to her silly, stupid request, Junko yanked on her sister's arm. "Really, Hana? You don't just ask All Might for a damn hug!" she admonished.

It was always easier firing back at her sister than it was speaking to much stronger people, so Hana hissed, "I'm very cold and All Might looks very warm, unlike you, sister. You were in the water longer than I was, need I remind you?"

All Might released a deep bodied chuckle at the sisters' back and forth, one that again reminded Hana of Izuku. "Oh, it's not a problem!" he remarked, opening his other arm to the women. "By all means, there is plenty of room to share."

Hana couldn't help but smile softly. Well worn mask or not, All Might was truly genuine when he offered comfort. "Thank you, sir," she hummed before turning to Junko. "You heard the hero. More than enough room for your frosted heart."

It was easy ignoring Melissa's stifled laughter when Junko's eyes widened comically. "Oh hell to the fuck no," Junko swore. She was unable to form any further protests before Hana yanked on her sister's hand hard , pulling her belligerent sister directly into the number one hero's left side. To prevent her escape, Hana stepped into the hug and pressed herself against Junko's back. Serves her right for being a bitch to Izuku and her friends.

"Oi!" Junko barked, squirming and pushing against All Might in a fruitless attempt to escape from the hug she was forced into. Hana pressed into her sister more firmly, and Junko stilled, her whole upper body almost flush with All Might's torso. "...fine, you get one minute, All Might. But not a second more."

"Fifty-Eight," All Might stated, a playful twinkle in his eye as he glanced down at the Chikamishi sisters.

"Fifty-seven," Melissa continued, her voice bouncing with mirth.

"Fifty-six," Hana purred quietly, borrowing a vicious smile her sister used all too often.

Junko groaned loudly, drawing proper laughter from the three surrounding her.

Izuku felt the mask slid off of his face, and he greedily took several lungfuls of air, panting from the exertion of controlling his power output for the last half hour while he boiled off the water. He looked around the thoroughly soaked room, smiling proudly as he watched the last bits of steam and water vapor get sucked up by the automatic ventilation system. The entire room looked like it had been put through a car wash, but at least the swimming pool of water was now gone.

His gaze fell on the elevator doors in front of him, and his mental checklist reminded him of what needed to be done next: check the cars' location. He pushed himself up and trudged over to the left elevator door, the one that he, Toshinori, and Melissa had exited earlier that morning. The lights weren't active on any of the buttons, nor was the display over the door working. He sighed in slight disappointment, knowing that it would have been too easy. He squared his shoulders and lunged forward, forcing his fingers into the gap between the doors of the elevator and began prying it open, when he felt an odd pulse behind the door.

He stopped and stared at the door, stepping back as the door suddenly opened, slowly cranking open. A series of flashlights fell on his face, and he smiled brighter than he had in days.

"How much longer do you think it'll be, Uncle?" Melissa asked, shivering into his side, rubbing her hands together to try to generate some heat.

All Might didn't have an answer. It had been over thirty minutes now, and while he knew Izuku had more than enough oxygen, they certainly didn't. Twenty seven people crammed into a tiny section of corridor meant air was going to be limited. Using a breathing and relaxation technique that Torino had taught him, he had limited his own oxygen usage, but even he could feel the quality of air starting to fall.

A sudden bang on the wall behind him jolted him from his thoughts, and he released the two women he had been holding, standing up quickly and gesturing everyone to stand back. There were two more quick bangs on the metal, and then low vibration. After a couple of seconds, sparks flew out from the top of the wall, large red heat spots appearing as the wall was cut. A minute later, and the wall was free.

All Might was overjoyed to see Izuku smiling as he pulled the entirety of the wall free and let it fall to the ground with a loud crash. But he was very surprised to see several rescue workers behind him, their helmet lights scanning over the crowd of people.

"It's okay, everyone!" Izuku called, "Help is here!"

There was a pause before Melissa and Hana let out snorts of laughter, leading to All Might laughing heartily.

"What?" Izuku asked, perplexed.

"Well done, broccoli boy," Hana jeered, walking up to him and tousling his steamed puffed up hair.

He reached up and felt his new hairdo, chuckling as everyone started to walk out, laughing with him. All Might was the last to leave, stopping by Izuku, placing his hand on his son's shoulder and leaning down.

"Well done, my boy. I'm so proud of you," All Might whispered, smiling brightly as Izuku beamed.

The trip to the surface was relatively short, compared to their ordeal in the lower floors. Up the shaft with the rescue workers in groups of five or six, helped to waiting ambulances and medical staff in the parking lot outside, and then interviewed by I-Island security for details.

All Might and Izuku got the worst of it, by far, when Inko and Ochako made their appearance, the men getting an earful from their respective mates. But seeing Hana and Junko off, wrapped up in blankets, made everything okay for Izuku. Security told him that nearly everyone called him a hero and that without him, they wouldn't have made it. Izuku tried to downplay it, of course, but even All Might wasn't letting him get away without most of the credit. But he didn't have any answers for why it happened in the first place. No one did.

Across the road from the parking lot, a woman with white hair and wearing a dress of pure twilight black reached into her matching purse and pulled out a phone, pressed a number and held it to her ear.

"Retrieval unsuccessful," she murmured into the device, "but tell him that I think I found his latchkey."

She hung up without further preamble, staring at the two large men talking to a group of others. One, All Might, the greatest hero in the world, and the other, who could have been All Might's son, just based on his age and build. That thought made her eyebrow quirk up. She watched from a couple more seconds, before turning and vanishing into the black of the alleyway behind her.