The trio of heroes looked upon the strange sight before them in stunned silence, three pairs of eyes staring transfixed into a single set of red ones, none of them quite sure how to react to such an unexpected occurrence. Patrol for heroes, especially young ones like them, was merely to act as a face for the population, to let the people know everything was safe and that they were being protected. To actually run into something as strange as a distressed young girl, covered in bandages no less, was wholly unexpected by the young group of students.

"Oh, I'm sorry. That must've hurt." Izuku, ever the compassionate one, was the first to react, his need to help and save others coming to the forefront once again as he carefully approached the little girl, kneeling down to her level, his gloved hand outstretched to her in a silent bid to help her up. "Are you ok?"

Flinching away from the freckled boys offered hand, large red eyes staring fearfully at the strangely dressed teenagers standing before her as she shrunk into herself, her gaze flittering between them in a panic. The white-haired girl desperately wanted to keep running, to get as far away from them, from 'him', as possible.

They looked nice enough, normal even, despite their strange choice of attire, but she knew better. Knew how much pain can be brought upon her from another person's hands. How cruel and horrible people could be. There was only pain and fear to be found from another.

Trying to push herself up, palms placed shakily upon the hard ground beneath her, the little girl winced slightly, a small hiss seeping from between her teeth as her hands shot up to grip tightly onto her freshly bandaged wounds, a stinging pain running through both of them from the effort put onto them from her action.

Toga quirked her eyebrow curiously as she noticed the little girls' strange reactions, her golden gaze narrowing slightly as she honed in on the child's terrified face as Izuku nervously fretted about her bandaged arms, her crimson eyes staring wide-eyed and fearful at the young hero. Toga could tell right away that there was more going on with her than a couple of injuries on her arms, a small frown pulling at the corner of her mouth as the godlike girl noticed familiar signs in the girl's body language. The terrified look in her crimson gaze as she looked at Izuku's hand, her body almost instinctually pulling away from his gesture of kindness, desperately trying to keep herself safe even though the person before her was being nothing but sweet and helpful.

This girl was being abused and had been for a while.

Painful memories of her own upbringing, pictures of her mother and father standing over her, their faces filled with horror and disgust, began resurfacing in her mind as she looked upon the little, white-haired girl as Izuku tried to calm her down by giving her a kind smile, one that made Toga's heart melt, a small part of her jealous that it wasn't being directed at her. She wished someone had been that kind to her when she was her age, that someone would smile at her so sweetly, telling her everything was going to be ok. That she wasn't a monster.

But that's not the world she grew up in.

"There you are. You have to be more careful. You might cause problems for other people."

A soft, almost cold, voice called out from the shadows of the alley, sending a chill down the white-haired girl's spine as she suddenly jumped into Izuku's arms, her earlier fear of the boy completely forgotten as her tiny fists bunched tightly into his hero costume, clutching to the young hero with all her might. Izuku instinctively wrapped his arms around her small frame, holding her securely, but carefully, lifting his head in surprise as a tall, slender man walked out of the shadows and into the light.

"Right, Eri-chan?"

Izuku's emerald eyes grew wide as he looked into the man's cold gaze, no warmth or kindness at all to be found in their gold depths, most of his face obscured by a long, intricately designed, plague mask. His hands were covered with a pair of pure white gloves, the man wearing a large, green coat with purple fur around the collar, the rest of his outfit consisting of a simple pair of pants and a sharp dress shirt and tie.

In a world of strangely dressed heroes and villains, his outfit would never stand out. He was practically under-dressed compared to some of the more outlandish and big-name heroes. But the young students had seen this man before, Sir Nighteye having shown them a picture of this very same person, describing him as a fearful villain and the leader of a dangerous Yakuza group that was slowly growing in power. He was a man to be feared, one to stay far away from and to not engage with at any cost.

'Chisaki Kai. Overhaul. Leader of the Eight Precepts of Death.'

"I'm sorry about my daughter, hero." Raising his hands apologetically, his eyes remaining as cold and detached as before, Overhaul slowly approached the small group of heroes, his stride lazy and confident, safe in the knowledge nothing would happen to him. "She gets carried away and falls down quite often. She's quite the troublemaker."

It took all of Toga's willpower not to lash out at him right then and there, her body bristling with barely restrained anger at the emotionless look in his eyes as he stared at the little girl in Izuku's arms, Eri's whole body trembling at every word falling from the mans cruel, disgusting lips. On the outside, Toga kept up a cool, disinterested facade, her face settled on a look of extreme boredom, but inside she was fuming.

He was lying, everyone here could see that, but that wasn't what had the godlike girl so incensed, that made her blood boil with white-hot rage. It wasn't his manner of speaking, formal and condescending, nothing but deceit and lies spilling from between his lips. She hated his eyes, his dull, emotionless eyes, looking at them like they were nothing but vermin to be exterminated.

He hated heroes, that much was clear, but the godly blonde didn't care about that. Toga herself spent a time hating heroes herself, with their self-righteous act, telling everyone how to live, what it meant to be 'normal', reforming society to their personal ideal. One that left people like her hidden away, forced to blend in with the crowd, to be someone they were not so that they wouldn't end up behind bars or killed in the streets by some rookie hero with something to prove.

Only Izuku, sweet, caring, and accepting Izuku, could ever be named a true hero.

What the godlike schoolgirl hated was how he looked at Izuku and Eri, one of them to be removed and the other to be used, all because that was what he wanted. He wanted to snuff out Izuku, to remove him from this world, and wanted to continue torturing and abusing Eri for his own gain.

And she was not going to allow that.

Peeking over the green-haired hero's shoulder, semi-aware of the two boys talking to Overhaul, the white-haired girl felt a weird, cold sensation running through her body, when mere moments ago all she felt was warmth and kindness in this boy's arms. Lifting her crimson gaze upward, Eri felt a shiver run down her spine as she looked up at the girl with the terrifying costume's face, her heart beating rapidly in her chest in terror at the fearsome glint behind her bored expression. Golden eyes, so terrifyingly similar to Overhauls, were glaring angrily in her direction, radiating with so much hate and anger that she had never seen before. Not even from Overhaul.

Pressing her face into the boy's shoulder, his arms tightening protectively around her, Eri desperately tried to will those terrifying eyes out of her mind, her fear of the world growing as she thought that even heroes, the ones meant to keep everyone safe, could have such hateful stares. Small trembles shook her body as the blonde girl's aura continued to bear down on her like an oppressive force, painfully reminding Eri of her time down in the lab, the doctor, scalpel in hand, tearing into her skin over and over, all while Overhaul watched her suffering with cold indifference in his golden eyes.

Always staring.

But, something was different here. Eri didn't feel that familiar feeling of unease, that gnawing in your chest that made you look fearfully over your shoulder like you were being watched non-stop. The feeling of dread and fear was still there, hanging over the group ominously, but it was not centered on her.

Hesitantly opening one of her eyes, the white-haired girl nervously looked at the scary blonde, her crimson eyes widening slightly when she noticed her gaze, still as fearsome as before, was not directed at her, but instead at the person standing behind her. Slowly turning her head, her cheek brushing across the strange material of the boy's costume, Eri followed the blondes line of sight, her eyes widening in surprise when she found it wasn't her that the hateful gaze was directed toward, but at someone else entirely.

She was glaring at Overhaul.

'B-but why?' Turning her head back around, Eri stared questioningly at the older girl, her mind awash with confusion. Why was she mad at Overhaul? Why wasn't she mad at her? Everyone always was mad at her. Hurting her, yelling at her, tearing her open. Then why….why was he so nice to her, holding her so carefully but safely? Why was she glaring at him with hateful eyes usually only reserved for her?

Noticing the little girls stare, her crimson eyes so full of confusion and doubt, Toga blinked owlishly a couple times at her, the two of them having a momentary staring contest, before breaking out into an immense grin causing Eri to open her mouth in shock. Giggling at the little girl's surprised face, Toga gave her a small wave, a bright smile still pulling at the corner of her lips as Eri pulled herself closer into Izuku's arms, only the top of her head peeking out over his shoulder.

'So cute. Wish I could do that.' Toga thought wistfully as she gave Eri another quick smile, trying to not let her jealously of the little girl show, wishing she could be so small and comfortable in Izuku's arms. 'Wait…I can!'

"Well, we've got until noon to finish patrolling this block," Mirio's exuberant exclamation pulled the two girls out of their own little world, the godlike girl turning to look at the blonde upperclassman, Toga absently noticing her Izu-kun's shocked gasp next to her, "so let's get going!"

"O-okay." Stuttering out a quick reply, Izuku lowered his haze to the girl clinging to his chest, a look of worry and sadness crossing his features as he slowly removed his arms from around Eri, every sense in his body telling him not to do this, that he has to hold onto her until she was safe. But, they couldn't let Overhaul become suspicious of them or else Sir Nighteye's whole operation might be in jeopardy.

"Please…don't go…" Izuku's whole body froze, his arms hovering in mid-air, at Eri's small, fearful voice, the white-haired girl clutching tightly to the front of his costume, tears pooling at the corner of her eyes as she desperately begged for him to stay. Gritting his teeth, the green-haired boy chastised himself for even thinking of letting her go with Overhaul, for almost placing her back in the hands of her abuser.

"Umm…." Four sets of eyes, all with varying types of emotions shining in their depths, turned to stare at the green-haired boy, Izuku nervously staring at the red-haired man standing before him, a shaky smile curling on his lips. "Your daughter seems to be frightened of something."

Mirio's eyes widened slightly, their inky blackness staring with mild fear at his kouhai, the Permeation hero leaning over the kneeling boy, trying to instill in him the seriousness of the situation they found themselves in. They couldn't let Chisaki get suspicious of them or else it could ruin Sir Nighteye's entire plan and possibly even put them in the villain's crossfire. They had to let Eri leave with him, no matter how painful it was.

Toga could only watch the proceeding events with a distant stare, her golden eyes locked in a hard glare, keeping it fixed on the mask-wearing Yakuza leader as he argued with Izuku, Mirio desperately trying to keep the situation from escalating as the godlike girl tried hard not to let emotions get the best of her.

If she let them slip, if she did what she was feeling like doing to the red-headed man, Izuku would surely look at her with disappointed and fearful eyes, nevermind putting Eri through even more trauma than she needed to deal with in her young life. Toga would not let either of these things come to pass.

"What are you doing to this girl?" A tense silence fell over the group at Izuku's question, his voice firm and strong, accusation clear in his emerald eyes as he got back to his feet, Eri cradled safely in his arms, his hand placed gently onto the back of her head. Izuku glared darkly at Overhaul, the man in the purple coat returning it with an icy one of his own.

'Oh, Izu-kun, no.' The godlike girl felt her heart clench in sorrow as she looked at the green-haired boy with a pained gaze, understanding his want, need, to protect Eri at all cost, to keep her out of this asshole's hands. But, Toga knew Overhaul would not give her up willingly, the white-haired girl much too important for him to give her up without a fight. As much as she hated it, they would have to play this quietly and cautiously.

Overhaul would not be a problem to deal with, his quirk completely useless against her, but Toga knew Izuku would want this dealt with peacefully and without any harm coming to Eri. The godlike girl also had an inkling that Izuku needed to do things on his own, that he couldn't keep relying on her even though she would gladly give him the world and anything else his little heart could desire if he just asked.

But he never did, soldiering on on his own, determined to prove himself to anyone and everyone, to show the world that he was worthy of the burden and faith placed upon him by All Might. A true hero. It was what Toga admired so greatly about him and it only made her love him more and more each day.

Maybe someday, when his work was done, when his task as number 1 hero and new symbol of peace was at an end. Maybe then he would let her treat him as the amazing person he was. Until then, she would be by his side, helping him when he needed her, protecting him with everything she has. Not only his body, but also his precious, beautiful soul.

The tension permeating between the heroes and villain, crackling dangerously beneath the surface, was suddenly dispelled by a heavy sigh from the red-haired Yakuza leader, his arms spread out in an exasperated shrug.

"All of you heroes are so perceptive." Chisaki spoke with a fake, resigned tone as he slowly turned toward the alleyway, subtly gesturing for them to follow after him. "All right. It's an embarrassing topic to talk about out in the open. Could you follow me this way?"

The trio of heroes hesitated slightly, clearly aware that this was a trap, the two boys gave each other quick nods, silently vowing to each other to keep Eri safe and away from Chisaki. Toga, meanwhile, simply remained quiet, dutifully following along as they headed into the darkened alleyway.

As they quietly followed after the retreating Yakuza leader, the shadows of the alley slowly falling over them, Toga stared at the child in the wielder of One For All's arms, the girl fearfully looking at the older girl over his shoulder, her crimson eyes silently calling out to her for help. The godlike girl kept her face as passive as possible, Toga secretly tapping into the time stream, searching for a specific moment in the hopefully not too distant future. One where Eri was safe and free from Chisaki's grasp.

Pushing past the veil of moments yet to come, casting aside any worthless lives she held no interest in as she began untangling the web of interconnected alternate timelines, the godly schoolgirl found what she was looking for, a joyous smile spreading across her face as she looked upon the bright and beautiful scene before her.

Eri, happy and free, playing together with her and Izuku in a quiet, little playground.

"Don't worry, cutie~" Leaning close to the girl's ear, whispering quietly to keep everyone else from listening in, Toga did her best to try and comfort the terrified girl. To give her an inkling of hope to cling to. "Just give us a little time and everything will be alright. Kay?"

Wide-eyed, Eri could merely nod in agreement, a couple of stray tears falling from the corner of her eyes as she looked into the grinning face of the older girl. Her golden eyes, once so terrifying to her, were now filled with gentle care and affection, a beaming smile pulling on the blonde's lips as her hand softly pet the top of her head. Something about this girl, the way she spoke, words full of conviction and confidence, how carefully and lovingly her fingers ran across her hair, a constant warm smile on her face. It felt like she knew that everything would be ok or that she'll make it so.

It made Eri believe that every word she was saying was true.

"You see," Chisaki's chilling voice broke the tense silence hovering over the group, Toga giving Eri a quick wink before taking a couple of steps back, letting Izuku and Mirio handle the rest from here, "I've been quite worried about Eri recently. No matter what I say to her, all she does is defy me."

'Bullshit.' Toga thought angrily, her golden eyes narrowing as she glared at the back of the red-haired man's head, aware that every word coming from his mouth was a blatant lie. Simple admonishments would not lead to the reactions she's seen from Eri. This had been going on for a long time and was more severe than a father that was upset with his daughter.

"Raising a child can be quite difficult, huh?" Mirio played along perfectly, his voice light and breezy, not giving away a single hint of his distrust toward the Yakuza leader.

"Indeed." Chisaki readily agreed with Mirio's words, his back still facing the trio of heroes, the red-haired villain never turning to face them, his voice laced with thinly veiled threats as his fingers dug into the edge of his white glove and slowly began slipping it off. "They're hard to understand. Especially when they need to be seriously thinking about what kind of person they'll become. What kind of person they can become."

A deep chill ran down the heroes spines at the dark killing intent radiating off of Overhaul, Toga quickly rushing to Izuku's side, fully prepared to protect him and Eri at all cost, but that decision would be taken from her as the little white-haired girl decided to do what she must to protect these wonderful people.

"Huh..?" Feeling the weight in his arms shift, Izuku watched in stunned surprise as Eri pushed herself out of the young heroes arms, her feet pattering loudly within the darkened alley as she ran to Chisaki's side, quietly grabbing ahold of his gloved hand, her head lowered as she kept her back turned toward the young heroes. Eri did not want to see the betrayed look in the sweet boy's eyes, afraid she'd lose her resolve and run back to them, putting them all in danger.

It was better this way.

"Oh, are you done with your tantrum now?" Silently nodding to his question, her eyes wide and emotionless, Eri stared ahead with a blank expression on her face as Chisaki turned to address the group of heroes. "She's always like this. I'm sorry. Thank you for listening to my worries."

Izuku feebly called out to the white-haired girl, his face contorted into a look of sorrow and confusion, his words sadly falling on deaf ears as she refused to turn around, her tiny footsteps ringing painfully in his ears as she followed Chisaki into the darkness.

"Well then, good luck with your work." Bowing slightly to the group, his voice thick with insincere gratitude, the Yakuza leader increased his grip on Eri's hand as he gradually led the white-haired girl toward the other end of the alley. Away from safety. Away from them.

Izuku wanted to run after them, to pull Eri back into his arms and hold her tight, keeping her safe from harm, away from the Overhauls abuse. This wasn't right. She shouldn't be going with him, she shouldn't have to be scared and frightened. She could be happy and safe from harm. He could save her. He had to save her!

Stepping forward, his teeth gritting tightly in anger, Izuku came to stop when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, the green-haired boy whipping around in shock to stare into the sorrowful golden eyes of the godlike schoolgirl. Izuku wanted to yell at her, to ask her what the hell she was thinking, that if they weren't fast enough he would get away and Eri would be at his mercy once more. But, looking into her eyes, so soft and caring, Izuku felt the fight in him slowly disappear.

Gently shaking her head no, her grip on the boy's shoulder loosening, Toga gave him an apologetic smile, the pair turning to watch Eri slowly walk away, hand in hand with her abuser. The sight made both of their stomachs churn, even with the knowledge Toga had, it sickened her to see a child, a sweet, adorable child, be forced to return to a life of pain and torture, when happiness and safety were literally within arms reach.

Eri had practically tasted it, was wrapped within the strongest, most secure arms anyone could wish for, and it had been ripped away from her, with only a stranger's word that everything would be ok. Words didn't mean much, Toga had heard many sweet platitudes over the years to know that to be a fact. But hers were true, as true as her love for the mop-headed boy by her side. She hoped they would shield her from the pain, from the loneliness and fear of the horrible world she was returning to.

Because Toga was coming to tear it down.

Toga may have grown up in such a cruel world, one that left her alone and fearful of herself, of what she was. No one there to save her, to let her know it would be ok. But, this was HER world now. And she was not going to let this girl suffer the same fate as she had. Toga would tear the universe apart before she let that happen.

"You better take good care of her," Toga called out to the retreating villain, his head perking up at the thinly veiled threat in her words, "or else she might end up with someone else."

"Ah…Toga…" Mirio whispered worriedly as Overhaul glared menacingly at the annoying blonde, his hand twitching slightly as he considered pulling his glove off and dealing with her right here and now. Locking eyes with the mouthy blonde, Chisaki felt a primal fear grip his heart as he stared into her golden depths, a threatening aura surrounding her small frame, casting a dark shadow over the alley.

Swallowing roughly, his throat feeling strangely dry and scratchy, Overhaul quietly turned around, his grip on Eri's hand loosening slightly before dragging her further into the darkness, wanting to get as far away from the terrifying girl as quickly as possible.

As Izuku watched Eri leave with Overhaul, her white hair slowly fading into the blackness of the surrounding shadows, her head never once turning to look back, not uttering a single word for help, the wielder of One For All felt like he failed her. Failed to save her.


"You ran into Chisaki?"

As soon as the trio had managed to get to a safe distance, when they knew neither Overhaul nor any of his henchmen had followed them, Mirio had quickly contacted his mentor, explaining to Bubble Girl what had just transpired. They were instructed to immediately meet up with them at a nearby location, the young students standing before the elder heroes, somber expressions on everyone's, except for Toga's, faces, the godlike girl already safe with the knowledge that Eri was going to be ok. The blonde-haired girl simply spent the time complaining to her green-haired love about a raindrop that had just unceremoniously landed in her open eye.

"I'm sorry, Sir. We screwed up." Mirio apologized immediately, the upperclassman clearly frazzled by the encounter and his mentors intense stare, his usually bright and cheerful voice slightly strained and nervous. "I didn't expect one of those fateful encounter moments."

"No, no, it's not your fault. If I had checked your futures ahead of time this could have been prevented." Sir Nighteye quickly dismissed his protege's apology, his usually stoic and hardened features pulled into a visage of tense worry, his yellow eyes hidden behind the veil of raindrops pooling on his glasses. "For now, I'm glad you are safe. If he had gotten suspicious of you, it could have become dangerous."

As Sir Nighteye turned to leave, Bubble Girl quickly following after her boss, Izuku remained unnaturally quiet throughout the whole exchange, his gaze focused intently on the rain-slicked ground beneath his feet, his face pulled into a look of sadness and frustration.

"What's wrong, Midoriya?" Pulled out of his daydream, his head whipping up to face the concerned faces of his school mates and Bubble Girl, as well as the intense stare of Sir Nighteye, the Pro Hero practically glaring at him over his shoulder, Izuku slowly lowered his gaze back down to his hands. He could practically still feel the weight of Eri's shivering body in his arms, the slight tug on his shirt as her bandaged arms clutched tightly to his chest, the dampness of tears as she pressed her face into his shoulder.

How horribly terrified she was.

"I just…I wish I could have done more." Clenching his fists tightly, frustration and sadness evident in his voice, Izuku pictured the little girl, her white hair slowly fading into the darkness. "I could have saved her."

"Such naive and arrogant thoughts are something we don't need!" Whirling around angrily, his finger pointing threateningly into the young hero's face, Sir Nighteye glared sharply at Izuku, the green-haired boy jumping in fright at his mentor's sudden outburst.

"Wh-what?"

"If you plan to be reckless like that you will surely fail. Trying to chase after them so soon means they would only further escape your grasp. You aren't so special that you can save everyone who wants to be saved right then and there. You need to plan, to analyze every move your opponent will make and execute a flawless strategy. There will be moments where you will have to bide your time. Saving one person is not enough when possibly hundreds are at stake. One life is never more important than the collective."

A tense silence fell upon the group after Sir Nighteye's speech, the young heroes falling silent as Mirio and Izuku lowered their heads sadly to the ground, the splattering of rain on their shoulders feeling heavier than usual. Sir Nighteye was right. No matter how much they might feel differently, wanted things to be different, saving Eri right then would have jeopardized the months of planning and research the Foresight hero had made to stop Overhaul and his men for good.

But, then why did it feel so wrong.

"Is that what heroes do?" A soft growl rumbled over the group as thunder crashed loudly overhead, causing everyone to turn toward the previously silent blonde schoolgirl, Izuku shocked to find her glaring intensely at the Foresight hero, her fangs bared in a nasty snarl.

"Do heroes just let young girls suffer at the hands of another?! Stand idly by as she trembles in fear every waking minute of her life?! Is catching some fucking piece of garbage Yakuza more important than saving a life!? That this assignment is more important than a little girl's happiness! I thought heroes were supposed to save people not abandon them!"

No one spoke after the incensed blonde's angry outburst, her hands clenched in fists of rage as she glared into Sir Nighteye's uncaring yellow eyes, the Pro Hero completely unphased by Toga's impassioned words. The Foresight hero simply turned his back on the enraged god, unaware just how dangerous such an action can be, and started heading down the road without a single response to the schoolgirl's questions.

"You fuckin-!" Lurching forward, her whole mind buzzing with nothing but anger and hatred for this arrogant, self-centered man, Toga was prepared to chew him out, figuratively and quite possibly literally, but a firm, yet gentle, hand on her shoulder made her stop. Whirling around, golden eyes blazing with rage, the godlike girl felt her anger completely wash away as she stared into the somber glow in Izuku's emerald eyes.

"You three, return to the office. You're done for the day."


Several hours had passed since their run-in with Eri and Sir Nighteye's brutal lecture, the pair from Class 1-A returning to the dorms after an uncomfortably silent trip back, the mop-headed boy having not spoken a single word after being told off so harshly by the Pro Hero.

Toga had made several attempts to get the boy to cheer up, to have him open up to her about what was going on in his head. The godlike girl wanted nothing more than to ease his guilty conscience, to hug and coddle him and tell him everything was going to be alright.

But Izuku remained distant, the boy mumbling a quick apology to the concerned blonde before breaking off and heading toward the main office of U.A., leaving Toga to head back to the dorms alone, which she did very reluctantly. She knew she could easily just make him come with her, by physically picking him up or teleporting him there, but she knew he needed his space, as painful as it was for her to acknowledge that she wasn't enough to help him.

Izuku quietly returned to the dorms several hours later, his eyes downcast and distant as he made his way up the stairs and into his room, completely oblivious to the fact that Toga had not been there to greet him or ran over to see him as soon as he got back, the godlike girl remaining completely absent.

The wielder of One For All simply trudged up to his room in silence, opening his door, the barest hint of a squeak coming from the hinges signaling his return. Stepping into the darkened room, his fingers momentarily fumbling with the light switch, Izuku dropped his bag haphazardly onto the ground before plopping unceremoniously onto his bed. Heaving a deep sigh, Izuku slowly rolled over onto his back, his emerald eyes staring listlessly at the boring ceiling above, his arm resting lightly on his forehead.

His mind was a frazzled mess, questions running nonstop through his brain, leaving the young hero unable to get a grasp of the tumultuous emotions raging within him. The green-haired boy just couldn't get Eri's face out his head. It was the first time he had ever felt so helpless, so useless. Even when Katsuki was kidnapped by the League of Villains, if that even still happened, Izuku had at least tried, even if it did end up in failure.

But, to leave someone who was so obviously in distress, who needed him, all alone, it made his heart ache painfully in his chest. Sir Nighteye's words, as true and comforting they might have seemed at first, knowing there was a greater whole to look at and consider, only served to hurt and confuse him more. Izuku was ready to agree, prepared to accept the fact that sacrificing Eri, as painful and sad that it was to admit, was the best option going forward.

Of all people, it was Toga that had been the one to challenge the Pro Hero, to remind Izuku that a hero was more than just someone who saves a lot of people. A hero was someone who helped anyone that needed it, who would do anything to save the person in front of them and then everyone else. Never leaving someone in pain alone.

Toga was completely right, and it filled Izuku with an immense amount of shame that he was so willing to give up on his own belief due to some stern words from someone else. It shook the young hero to the very core, making him question just what kind of hero he could possibly be. Which left him in the state he was now.

As his mind drifted back to the godly schoolgirl, her impassioned words as she yelled at Sir Nighteye and the sorrowful look in her eyes when they had to let Eri go, it made Izuku feel a pang of guilt in his chest as he remembered how he had left without an explanation back at the school. But there had been something he needed to do, needed to know, and he had to do it alone.

He had gone to see All Might.

The inheritor of One For All needed to know the truth, the whole truth, from his mentor, his idol, about why he decided to start teaching at U.A. If One For All was truly meant for another. As much as it may have hurt to hear, to know the full history between Sir Nighteye and All Might, about the former number 1 hero's possible future demise, and that One For All was originally planned to be given to Mirio, Izuku had still proudly proclaimed that he would be a hero, that he would be worthy of One For All.

But, in truth, Izuku didn't think he was worthy at all.

The green-haired boy would always freely admit that he had a severe lack of self-esteem, anyone around him able to attest to that. But, in recent times, Izuku found himself feeling less sure of his dream and status as a hero. He still wanted to be the best hero the world had ever seen, to save everyone in need, to make the world a better place for everyone.

And, most recently, he wanted to make Toga proud. To show her that her belief in him, the unending devotion and heaps of praise she lavished upon him, were justified. That he was even half as good as she believed him to be.

And yet, everything that had happened, from his license exam to the mentorship, even being saved from Katsuki, was due to Toga's help. He was grateful to her, he truly was, but it had left him wondering just what he had accomplished himself, that was wholly his own.

That would make him see himself as big of a hero as Toga did.

"Izu-kun?"

A light rapping at his door pulled the young hero out of his dismal mental spiral, the familiar voice of his godlike admirer drifting in from behind the closed door, a hint of hesitation and worry evident in her words. Sitting up slowly, Izuku stared at the wooden veneer of his room door in confusion for several seconds, a slight bit of worry creeping into his chest.

Toga never knocked. The godlike girl came and went from his room with nary a second thought for his privacy or decency, phasing through the walls and even just popping into existence before him without prior warning, a bright grin always plastered on her face. Something was clearly wrong if she decided to knock.

"Come in, Toga-chan." Hearing the soft click of the door handle turning, Izuku watched as Toga slowly entered his room, a look of great worry and concern etched on her usually cheerful face, her lips down-turned in a sorrowful frown. Stepping up to his bed, the young hero standing up to meet her, the godlike girl kept her gaze locked on the floor, Izuku looking at her in bewildered confusion, not sure if he's ever seen Toga so quiet before.

"I will get her."

"Huh?" Letting out a confused noise, Izuku tilted his head slightly at the blonde schoolgirl, not quite understanding what she was trying to say. Her whole body was rigid and tense, her hands clenched tightly at her side, the usual cheeriness in her voice completely absent.

"If they don't decide to save Eri, then I will." Lifting her head, Izuku felt a small jolt run down his spine as he looked into Toga's eyes, the molten pools of gold shining with resolute determination that took the green-haired boy's breath away. "I will go and get her myself."

Silence stretched out before them as Izuku stared at the godlike girl in mute shock, his mouth hanging open as he gaped at her slack-jawed, a small flutter emanating from deep within his chest at the girl's words, so full of conviction and care. Closing his eyes, with the sting of unshed tears in the corners, Izuku gave her a brilliant smile.

"Thank you, Toga-chan."


Quiet sobs echoed through a vast, darkened room, barely muffled by the owner's pillow, a small body lay crying upon a bed much too big for her tiny frame. Gripping her pillow tight, tears splashing unendingly upon its surface, Eri felt her heart ache painfully in her chest, the fresh wounds on her arms stinging as she clutched tighter to her sheets, her mind constantly flashing back to that moment.

The moment where she had been in his arms.

The white-haired girl had never felt such kind and caring arms in her life. She had never felt so safe as when she was being held by that boy. Eri had never trusted someone as much as when the blonde girl was petting her head so gently, so sweetly, a bright smile on her pretty face as she quietly whispered those comforting words into her ear.

Burying her face back into her pillow, their faces flashing in her mind's eye, Eri held on to that memory and took the blonde girl's words and let them wrap her in a cocoon of safety. For the first time, Eri had hope.

'I want to be in those arms again. I want to see her smile again.'


Izuku squirmed nervously in his seat as more and more Pro Heroes made their way into the vast conference hall, his eyes momentarily flittering across the room to his classmates, Ochaco, Tsuyu, and Kirishima sharing the green-haired boy's obvious discomfort of being a part of such a big meeting. A noisy creak to his left made the boy flinch slightly before he turned to see Toga staring lazily at the ceiling, balancing precariously on the back legs of her chair, her feet resting comfortably on the table in front of her, a look of extreme boredom etched on her face.

Several days had passed since their fateful run-in with Eri and Overhaul, the hole in Izuku's stomach growing with every day spent without any news on what was going to happen with the white-haired girl, despite Toga's assurance that she was safe. It came as a surprise then when the call arrived, informing Izuku and Toga, as well as Mirio, about an upcoming strategy meeting to be held about the upcoming plans for dealing with Overhaul and his Eight Precepts of Death, and that they would be a part of it.

As the trio entered the large waiting room, Pro Heroes and sidekicks of various agencies filling it practically to the brim, the mop-headed boy was surprised, just like they were, to find several of his classmates there as well as their homeroom teacher. This only made the worry in Izuku's stomach grow more, his mind unwillingly considering the grave circumstances that must have occurred for such a big group, as well as a bunch of students, to be gathered in secret in this one spot.

"Ahhhh…." Stretching her arms high into the air in a big stretch, Toga smacked her dry lips a couple of times as she lazily scratched the top of her head, her golden eyes staring blearily into nothing, the godlike girl leaning heavily into the green-haired boy's side as she tried to rid herself of the last remnants of sleep still clouding her mind. "So sleepy."

"Whose idea was it to bring kids to such a meeting?" A loud voice pulled the attention of several heroes toward himself, a tall, dark-skinned man in a green suit walking over to stand menacingly over the tired god, his arms crossed angrily in front of his chest. "Especially whiny ones like her."

"Hmm…" Looking up at the towering hero, her golden eyes looking over the man in a lazy scan, a look of deep concentration on her face, Toga tried to wrack her brain from where she could have possibly seen this annoying man before. "Haven't I stabbed you before?"

"What the hell are you-GRAAAAAH!" A sharp, burning pain appeared suddenly at Lock Rock's side, his hand clamping down tightly at the point of origin, his face contorted in a look of pure agony as he let out a startled cry, pulling the attention of several heroes to the Lock heroes strange outburst. Lifting his shirt slightly, Lock Rock carefully prodded at his side, trying to find the source of the sudden pain, the dark-skinned hero shocked to find no trace of any kind of wound or abnormality.

"Hee, nope~" A devilish grin spread on Toga's lips, her fangs peeking out playfully from the corner of her mouth, her arms crossed innocently behind her back as she snickered at the furious expression on the Pro Heroes face when he turned to glare at the strange schoolgirl. "I must have been thinking of somebody else."

"Thank you all for coming." Izuku was roughly pulled out of his daydream by the sudden appearance of Sir Nighteye, the tall, lanky man slowly sauntering into the room, his face and body language not revealing any of the thoughts running through his mind as he took a seat at the table at the front of the room.

"What's this about Nighteye?" A local hero was the first to break the silence, the man staring quizzically at his fellow Pro Hero. "Why the sudden meeting?"

"As you well know, we've been tracking the comings and goings of one Chisaki Kai, also known as Overhaul, and his Eight Precepts of Death for several weeks now, believing he was secretly consolidating power within the shadows and building a plan, one that might possibly have major ramifications for the population and the hero society at large."

Opening a large projector behind him, a large graph, featuring pictures of various shady looking men and women appeared on the screen, long interconnecting lines flowing down from person to person, showing the various interconnections of the criminal world to the Eight Precepts of Death. Factions from across Japan, players both big and small, some completely unknown, spread out before them like a deadly web of villainy.

The explanation continued on, the gnawing feeling in Izuku's stomach growing as more and more information was brought to light, the revelation of the existence of a Quirk destroying bullet, one that had almost hit his very own classmate were it not for his Hardening Quirk, sending a terrified shiver down his own. It was due to Kirishima's bold recklessness and heroism, that a single bullet had been successfully recovered, Fat Gum heaping much praise upon the red-headed boy before explaining their findings in a grave tone.

"After examining its contents, we made a horrifying discovery." Fat Gum's face, once happy and upbeat, twisted into a fearsome scowl, his round cheerful face surrounded by heavy shadows as he recalled the horrible news they had uncovered.

"Inside was human blood and cells."

Unfathomable dread ran through Izuku and Mirio's body at this revelation, the rest of the conversation fading to the background as the two sat frozen in wide-eyed shock, their minds flashing back to the bandages on Eri's arms. The implication of said bandages, as well as the knowledge they had just obtained, made it abundantly clear whose blood it was.

Turning to face the girl by his side, his whole body shaking, Izuku pleadingly looked toward Toga, hoping beyond hope that it wasn't true, that what he was thinking had to be wrong. The godlike girl simply kept her gaze fixed forward, an unnaturally serious look on her face, her teeth bared with obvious contempt and anger.

"Chisaki is using the girl's body and blood to make the bullets."

Izuku felt the air shoot out of his lungs at Gran Torino's words, his hands involuntarily gripping his knees harder as pictures of Eri, cut open and bleeding, ran through his head. The young hero felt like he wanted to vomit, the guilt pressing onto his shoulders only increasing as he thought of that sweet girl, crying, begging for help, being used by this horrendous man for such a despicable creation.

He could have ended it. Could have saved her from this suffering. If only he had saved her. If he hadn't let her go. How could he call himself a true hero, how could he believe Toga's words, when he couldn't even save her?!

Shooting out of their seats, the chairs clattering loudly as they fell haphazardly to the floor, Izuku and Mirio stared fiercely at their mentor, their bodies standing strong and determined.

"This time! We'll definitely-"

"Save Her!" The two boys declared loudly, both of their voices full of conviction, pure determination shining in their eyes. Toga simply smiled at Izuku, the rest of the meeting passing by in a blur as she continued to lovingly stare at her beloved, her heart swelling with pride and love for the mop-headed boy, the godlike girl 100% certain that the wielder of One For All will keep his promise.

He was the greatest hero after all.


Izuku leaned heavily against the plain white wall of the hallway, the green-haired boy resting his head wearily against its rough surface as he let out a heavy sigh, his whole body feeling drained from the horrible revelations he had just learned about. Opening his emerald eyes, the young hero stared blankly at the ceiling tiles above, the florescent lights buzzing incessantly in his ear, trying to pierce through the thick fog blanketing his mind.

"Eri…"

Why did the world have to be so cruel, especially to someone as young as her? It made the future number 1 hero sick to think about it, to know this whole time, she had been used in such a horrific manner. Everything made sense to him now. The way she pulled away from him, how fearfully she looked at his hands, why she clung to him so desperately when Overhaul arrived. It wasn't simply abuse.

It was torture.

"Izu-kun." Blinking rapidly, Izuku turned his head to stare into the concerned cat-like eyes of the godly schoolgirl, the mop-headed boy wondering how long she had been there. Did she teleport there or was he simply that out of it?

"Oh, Izu-kun." Stepping forward, Toga softly wrapped her arms around the distressed boy's midsection, her grip much gentler than her usual hugs, her head resting lightly against his chest. Izuku simply looked at the top of the girl's head in confusion, the dread that was coiling in his stomach slowly unraveling, replaced with the gentle warmth of the godlike girl's touch.

Toga knew the green-haired boy was probably blaming himself for what was happening, that it was his fault that Eri was suffering. It wasn't his fault. Izuku was the sweetest, kindest, purest soul she had ever seen. The only thing he was capable of was making someone's life better, brighter. Eri's pain was not his fault.

It was Overhauls.

"I hate him." Toga's seething words slipped past her teeth in an angry hiss, her grip on the green-haired boy tightening momentarily as she thought about the horrible things that had happened to Eri. That her parents had done to her. "I hate what he has done to her. No one should be used like that. Not to one so young. So cute and innocent. I want to make him bleed so badly."

A twinge of worry shot through Izuku at the godlike girl's words, gulping slightly at the morbid end to her sentence, the young hero wondering if there was a personal connection Toga had to what was happening to Eri.

'Was Toga abused too?'

"I can bring her here." Blinking in confusion, Izuku looked down at the blonde schoolgirl wrapped around his front, Toga pulling back slightly to look him in the eyes, her golden orbs shining with determination. "I can teleport her here or go get her myself. I can take her from him."

The offer was tempting, as many gifts from God are, but Izuku simply shook his head no, a grim resignation marring his features as his heart beat painfully in his chest.

"I want you to, I really do. But, I don't want Overhaul to get away or possibly harm someone to get her back. He needs to be brought to justice, so that no one else can be hurt ever again. He needs to pay for what he did and destroying everything he built is the best way to do that, as painful as leaving Eri is."

Toga decided to keep quiet, to refrain from telling him that she could just stop everything right away. That she could bring Overhaul and his little Yakuza play pals down in an instant, but she knew Izuku needed this. He needed his independence, to live his life freely and of his own choosing. Placing her head back on his chest, a small smile curling on her lips as he instinctively wrapped his arms around her, her cheeks dusting a light pink as she thought about how Izuku needed to be true to who he was.

He needed to be a hero.

"I will make sure she is found as quickly as possible then." Grinning brightly, Toga skipped out of his arms, both of them instantly missing the warmth of each other's touch, the godlike girl bouncing in excitement in front of him. "I'll shift events around so they can figure out her location quicker. I'll also make sure she stays safe. Nothing will harm her, not while I'm still around. And I'm not going anywhere! Ever!"

"Thank you, Toga-chan. For everything." Smiling warmly at the green-haired boy, Izuku returning it with a thankful one of his own, the two of them stared joyfully into each other's eyes, the dread and despair that had hovered over them for the last several days lightening slightly after their talk.

"Midoriya. Toga." Their brief moment however was shattered as a gruff voice called out to them from down the hall, the two students turning to see their homeroom teacher lethargically shuffle over to them, his patented bored stare etched firmly on his face.

"Ah, Aizawa-sensei. What is it?" Looking up at his teacher, Toga grumbling about the shaggy-looking man's interruption of her moment with Izuku, the green-haired boy gave the Eraser hero a quizzical look.

"I'm here to inform you that for this mission, I will be watching over the two of you. I know I won't be able to stop you, either of you, from wanting to go, so I'm going to be there to make sure nothing happens to you. If I see the slightest hint of either of you going overboard or putting yourselves into danger, I'm pulling you out. Understand?"

Agreeing immediately with a thankful grin, Toga responding much less enthusiastically, Aizawa couldn't help the small smile from curling onto his lips from the look in his student's eyes. Midoriya had grown a lot since the beginning of the school year, the reckless boy with a penchant for getting into trouble was still there, but he had matured and was looking more and more like a hero every day.

But, that was not the main reason why Aizawa decided to watch over the two of them, his eyes briefly flickering over to the blonde girl, Toga currently placing her palms on Izuku's cheeks, forcing the boy to look at her, wanting all of his attention for herself. The boy nervously stuttered out an apology that made the bun-haired girl giggle merrily before placing a quick peck on his nose, causing the mop-headed boy's cheeks to flare up in a massive blush.

His true plan was to monitor Toga.


"What the hell is it this time!?"

Overhaul hollered, the usually calm and collected man fuming angrily as he burst loudly into the medical room, his henchmen cowering in fear as he stalked up to them, his golden eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

"It's the machine, sir. It's stopped functioning again."

"Again?!" Whirling around at the lowly man, his fingers playing with the edge of his glove, Chisaki was half tempted to rip them off and destroy this man, but he didn't want to deal with the mess and possible damage done to any of the important instruments in the room. "How many times has this happened?! Just fix it and get it right this time! And someone bring Eri back to her room."

Storming out of the room, his fingers roughly running through his short, red hair, Overhaul angrily fiddled with his mask, his frustration having reached a boiling point over the last couple of days. He had been unable to synthesize anymore Quirk destroying bullets because things just kept going wrong.

The machine had broken down several times, something different malfunctioning on it every time, no defects being found until after Eri was brought in for the tests. Some days, his henchmen would be unable to locate Eri's room, seemingly wandering down the halls for ages, never once finding the right door, always finding themselves back where they started when it seemed like they were getting close.

None of it made sense! These events defied logic and explanation! It was like he was cursed.

As Eri hopped out of the horrible chair, one of the henchmen carefully grabbing ahold of her hand, the white-haired girl looked over her shoulder at the terrible contraption as they walked out of the room. Several of the henchmen crowded around it, trying to figure out what was wrong with it, her vision suddenly getting obscured by the door sliding closed, leaving them to walk down the long empty hallway back to her room in silence, another day passing without her having to undergo their tests, of feeling the pain of being cut open over and over again. Of being destroyed and reformed by Chisaki when her body inevitably failed.

It felt like Eri had her own guardian angel looking out for her.


Two days later, the call arrived.

A/N: Hold on Eri, they're coming.

Woo, longest chapter yet! There was no real part where I could feasibly cut it off without making another chapter shorter, so here we are with an extra-long chapter.

Sorry for being gone for a bit. Was feeling a tiny bit burnt(not enough to quit, don't worry), so I decided to give myself the rest of August to relax and recharge. But I'm back and we are ready to go save Eri!

This chapter was on the heavier side than most, the consequences of that single moment with Eri affecting not only Izuku and Mirio, but Toga as well. We get a tiny glimpse into her past and how what is happening to Eri affects her personally, bringing her own motivation into this and not only doing this for Izuku's sake. Plus, she really likes Eri.

Izuku has it the hardest this chapter, all the self-doubt and questioning of his own heroism coming to the forefront. How this will affect his relationship with Toga and sense of his own self-worth in the future, we will just have to wait and see!

Next chapter: Rescue Mission.

Thank you all for your support and kind words! I enjoy hearing from each and every one of you and appreciate every single person that has given my story a shot! I will continue on as I always have and I hope you all look forward to the next chapter! Have a wonderful day and I love you!