It sometimes felt like I was stuck alone in the damn dorm with IcyHot. Different huge groups would go away to their work studies on the weekends and we'd be stuck with only a few others, and they were usually heading into the small nearby town with a teacher escort for some stupid, mindless fun. IcyHot and me would poke around the place in our spare time, or work al the time on tireless remedial course training.

Deku's group annoyingly seemed to be doing the best of everyone. Ears commented one day during training that "The work study group is moving really well," meaning the Deku, Kirishima, Uraraka and Frog Face group, who were getting ahead of everyone. I yelled at Kirishima "You're hiding some secret you learned out there! Better spill the beans!"

"Sorry, no can do," he replied.

They were all irritatingly silent about the whole thing - not a word from Deku or the two girls either, like they were sworn to secrecy or didn't trust me or some shit like that. It was infuriating.

Kirishima would barely look me in the face anymore. Uraraka had never talked much to me, but now she never even paid me any attention. And Deku didn't seem to be talking to anyone, even IcyHot. Given what he'd asked me, it was clear he'd noticed what I had: That something really, really heavy was bothering Deku lately, something bigger than All Might even. Whatever the hell it was...

I did ask him, eventually, way later, when it was all over, and he did tell me what was bothering him.

All Might had been planning to give One for All to someone else, a member of the UA Big 3 named Mirio Togata. Apparently he was the top ranked student at the school at the time. That was the plan.

"But then he ran into me, back on that day when...you know. When we met him. And decided to give it to me instead."

First there was that twinge of old jealousy - if Deku showed himself worthy of One For All, I could have too, why did I fail? - followed by that slight bit of weird pride in Deku. Hell yeah he proved himself cooler than whoever the other guy was. Then the sympathy for Deku finding out someone else - yet another person - was apparently better than him.

"And Nighteye preferred him?"

"Yeah. He wanted me to give my quirk to Lemillion, that's why he took me on. That's the only reason, really. He wanted to shame me into giving it up, since One For All can only be passed on by the will of its owner."

"So that's what was bothering you back then."

"It wasn't the only thing. On our first patrol, Lemillion and I ran into Eri. She was trying to get away from Overhaul - Chisaki, however he's called. We were supposed to not know who he was and just be investigating him, but it was pretty clear from the look on my face that we knew - I messed up - adn Togata had to cover for me. But it was also really clear that Eri was in trouble. I wanted to save her right then, but Togata felt we needed to bluff Chisaki out a while longer. And he led us into an alleyway - and he would've killed us if Eri hadn't gone back with him."

"Bet you two coulda taken him."

"We couldn't have. Not from what I saw. Not done it unprepared and lived, alone, or gotten Eri away uninjured."

"Still, if you'd just grabbed her and ran..."

"Yeah. That was weighing on me too. For a long time. When we found out what Chisaki was doing to her...what we could have spared her..."

"Sick bastard, from the sounds of it."

"Yeah. Taking your own ward's body apart - an eight year old child - to make bullets that destroy quirks - there are plenty of villains out there that have some reason for what they do, something tragic, but Chisaki...villains like him are really just - monsters."

"You kicked his ass pretty good in the end, though."

"It cost us so much just to save one person. More than when we - "

He stopped.

"Saved me. Go ahead and say it."

"Well, in Kamino, obviously - we lost - a lot. But nobody died."

"Or whatever happened to Togata."

"He lost his quirk. We made it into Chisaki's stronghold - it was difficult, but we got in there and took him on, all of us, during the raid. Everyone else was busy with his thugs, so it was me, Nighteye and Mirio mianly. Fighting to save Eri. Me and Nighteye found Togata. He'd fought Overhaul for five minutes without a quirk - that's more than I could ever have done - to protect Eri. And I was supposed to hold Chisaki off, but it wasn't enough. And he stabbed Nighteye with that debris...he manipulated eri, claiming he'd save everyone if she just came back. I told him Iwould never let that happen. As long as she was crying, I would still save her."

I stared at him when he said that. Yeah. That's just what you will do. For anyone, no matter how much trouble it gives you. Or how badly you get hurt in the process.

"Uraraka nad Asui made a distraction for a little while, and the place was falling apart while Chisaki was escaping with Eri. I jumped up through the debris to reach her, and though I didn't mean to, I used One for All at 100% after I'd grabbed her to get awy from him. And Eri's rewind quirk rewound the damage before I could even feel it. It would have rewound me into nothing...Chisaki ahd combined himself with a villain with a gigantification quirk, and was ready to destroy us. But I wouuldn't - I couldn't let that happen. I tied her to my back and broke my body with One For All at 100% again and again while she rewound me - keeping up with the rewind - to beat chisaki down."

My jaw actually dropped. Damn. "You self-destructive moron."

"It was the only way."

"You weren't supposed to do that anymore, with your arms being the way they are. You were supposed to be careful. And what if she'd gone too far and rewound you to nothing? Do you even think?"

"It was the only way. What else should I have done?"

I didn't have an answer, but I felt my point was good too. No way to argue now. "So you beat him?"

"Almost. Uraraka had to finish him off. And Eri would have rewound me to nothing if Mr. Aizawa hadn't gotten there in time."

"You're so damn reckless."

"We saved Eri, in the end. But not..."

He stopped. Right. Nighteye.

"Sorry about that."

"It was so painful. The first time I've ever...lost someone. And he told Lemillion - he looked into his future and told him he'd become the greatest hero in the world. I don't know if it was a kind lie or the truth - I felt so wrong and seeing Lemillion struggling so much, even though he kept on smiling...I offered him my quirk but he refused -"

"YOU WHAT?!"

"I - urh - "

"YOU OFFERED HIM YOUR - " I stopped and lowered my voice to an angry hiss. "You offfered him One for All?! Are you nuts?"

"He'd lost his quirk..."

"And you'd have been quirkless too! What the hell, Deku?! What the actual hell!?"

"It's my quirk. Can't I decide -"

"And All Might gave it to you! He trusted you with it! He wanted you to have it - you and no one else. What, do you think All Might was wrong?!"

He looked sheppish. "No..."

"Good. Cause he wasn't. Don't you go letting that shit happen again."

"I will have to, eventually," he said quietly. I said nothing. Awful images flashed through my mind. All Might, withered and tired out and struggling not to die. Deku with every single limb broken and busted. I was silent.

"If I ever end up having to give it to someone - to make sure it goes on and pass it to someone new, as All Might gave it to me..."

"Don't start thinking like that."

"If that does happen...I think I know who I'd like to give it to."

I looked away, really annoyed now. Why are you still talking about this?!

"If it happens - there's only one person I'd trust with One For All. And that's you, Kacchan."

I felt like I'd been hit by a truck when he said that. Goddammit, Deku.

"NO."

"What?"

"I refuse. I'm not giving you that out, Deku. You get to thinking you can just crap out and toss One For All Onto me in some big damn act of self-sacrifice any time you want, you'll let that happen, cause you'll fucking do it. So I'm not taking it. Got that?!" I glared at him. "GOT IT?!"

He smiled at me, this really warm and sweet smile that always caught me off guard. "Got it."