\\\

The hero in front of her had his lips in a thin line. His red wings were folded and shrunk behind him. His tinted visors were tucked away along with his headphones.

"Sakura, stop." Hawks said to her, his voice void of any cheerfulness that she was used to. Her brows drew closer and her jaw clenched.

"No." She crossed her arms in front of her and stood in front of the hero. Her eyes mirrored his hard ones. The bite in her tone did not go amiss to the hero.

"It's for your good." Sakura didn't believe it one bit despite the faint hint of concern in his voice. Sakura almost gave out a snort. She doubted the hero's statement. She knew what was good for everyone- and having a person with an almost perfect future vision would do them good. It would do her good if she could help Mirai like how he helped her, even when the results weren't what she wanted.

Sakura stood unwavering in her spot. Hawks continued to block her path. Sakura eyed the shadows of the trees shown on their footing. The way the shadows stretched told her that light was almost out.

They both stood for a few minutes. Their eyes meet and talk with their stares. Hawks saw that she wouldn't budge and decided on an exchange. Hawks knew how she worked from him watching her before.

The shadows stretched.

"I can't help you." Hawks started. His eyes were blank and his face was set like a businessman's. "The most I can do is to bring you to them."

Sakura pondered on his words. She knew Hawks was ordered to do anything that involved her, heroes wouldn't bother to keep an eye on her if they weren't assigned to do so- she was sure of that. She was an unknown to them, well, unless they somehow found out something about her. She was pretty tightlipped about her origins.

The implications of what Hawks said to her made her think deeply of her next move. It could mean that the Commission was aiming to get something out of her- the way the heroes handled her. Their not-so-subtle questions on what else she could do and the like. They could use her to bait the villains from before if she thought hard enough about it. The villains had said that she was of use to them. The heroes must've thought to use her for that. Sakura's mind raced.

There was a lot to think about. She couldn't see all the angles from just her perspective. But she knew that the Commission would somehow use her to their advantage just based on how they were handling her. She almost have free reigns on what she could do and she was being provided for.

The shadows darkened.

Sakura thought about Mirai. The news had said they had multiple casualties from the raid. Some civilians that were not evacuated on time were some of them. She knew that any official that joined in on the raid could be some of them. She knows heroes weren't spared from that as they were in the frontlines- Mirai led the raid.

The shadows faded.

She had many options to go about this and she is sure about her choice of saving Mirai. She knew she had gotten attached to the small comfort the hero gave her and she didn't care. She chooses to save him like how the blonde- from her memory, would choose to save people.

The shadows blended.

She knew doing this would somehow bite her back in the ass.

"I'll owe you one after this then." Sakura agreed.

\\

Mirai only felt pain. The mattress under him didn't offer him any comfort. The beeping from the machines only annoyed him. He knew he was only living because of it and he wanted it to stop. He had seen his end it was a drastically different outcome from what he originally saw. It meant that the future could be changed. It meant that All Might's future could be changed.

He opened his eyes to see white sheets, white walls, and pale skin. His skin lacked its healthy sheen indicating his status. He knew it wouldn't be long. His mind trailed to Sakura- he associated her with pale colors.

It also meant that Sakura's future could be changed too.

He grimaced from the sharp sting of pain from his wound. The anesthetic administered by the staff did little. Light orbs danced in his vision. He inhaled sharply.

The door in the room was slid open. A shadow loomed over him. He sees his peers before him. He could see they were fine and it also meant that the child was also fine. He sighed in silent victory.

He knew he should say something but his mouth felt dry. The pain intensified, he could only hold on for so long. He decided to say what he wants to say now before running out of time to do so.

He sees his sidekicks, interns, and his former partner. His lips formed a slight smile.

Mirai placed his hand on his favored candidate. Mirio had tears running down his face. He felt his quirk counter restarting and ready for use.

Purple replaced gold and he sees Mirio's future. He focused on a happier future. He smiled at the future achievements of the boy in front of him.

He then felt his lungs tighten from the emotion and pain. His lungs slowed down after. He looked ahead of him. He sees a shadow of his former charge.

He wished for his happier visions to happen to them.

\\

Sakura lay on her bed in the dark. She was too late when she arrived at the office. She had heard the news from one of the phone calls confirming the passing of Mirai. She took note of how quickly the workers removed Mirai from the rosters. She was reminded of how an army works. She knew of it as she worked right under their leader, her master. She saw the similarities between the two and she also saw how different it was. In Konoha, that happened during wartime.

She didn't like the way how little the Commission cared for its heroes.

She walked out before even entering the office after hearing what had happened. Hawks didn't say a word about her backing out.

Hawks followed behind her as she walked back. Sakura was grateful for the silence they shared. It had given her more time to think.

She had a plan formulating in her head at that moment, but she felt like it could go wrong or it would be a catalyst of some kind. She now had an idea of the playing field before her. A world filled with heroes and villains- the good and the bad.

She recognized some of the main players of the game. She had her money on the group that the former pillar fought. Her chakra jumped under her skin at the reminder of the decimated battlefield. It brought back the memories of a war she fought and didn't know if they won. It made her itch.

She called forth her chakra to her fingertips, painting it faint blue. She remembered the energy that radiated off of the two players she knows. The pillar and the figure and the energy were flickering.

Her chakra turned into healing chakra. The soft green on her tips glowed in the dark room. It created shadows below.

She winced at the missed chance to save Mirai. She rather liked the hero, her friend. He could still be alive if it weren't for the circumstance- circumstance that the Commission made.

She frowned at the thought of Mirko and Hawks, wasting time that could be used to save Mirai. She didn't like the Commission then, she certainly doesn't like the Commission now.

Sakura's brows furrowed. She wouldn't be able to get to anywhere with the Commission watching her. She needed solutions to her problems which she knows that the Commission won't provide for her.

The light flickered before dying out and the shadows swallowed the entire room.

\\

Sakura sees the child again. Sacchan sat down beside her bedridden brother. His dull green eyes and his sickly color didn't paint a pretty picture. The child had a bowl of soup with her- chicken, she guessed from the smell. The liquid inside the bowl moved with each motion the child did.

"Yoichi-nii!" Sacchan whisper yelled. She held out the bowl like an offering. "It's to make you better." She later added.

She examined the brother on the bed. His veins were visible from his almost transparent skin. His bony structure indicated a lack of nourishment. His visible bags under his eyes were signaling a lack of sleep. Chicken soup and bedrest aren't gonna help Yoichi anytime soon.

The faint sound of footsteps outside the room made the trio look at the doorway. The newcomer had the same pale hair like the others. It was the other brother.

His lips weren't visible along with his nose but he had eyes. Sakura saw that they were red. In the dim light, it matched the lifeblood that Sakura helped to keep inside her patients. The man shifted his footing.

This time, his eyes were bright red. It resembled embers of dying light.

"Nii-sama!"

\\

Izuku sees shadows in his sleep. Long and dark shadows in the shape of hands. Hands that reach for him and smother him.

He struggled to escape its grasp. He clawed at the shadows but he didn't have hands. He screamed at the shadows but he didn't have a voice. He didn't have a body in his dream. Just a pair of eyes.

He felt like drowning as he was dragged deeper into the abyss. The shadows danced over him. He sees a flicker of light through the shadows and he cries.

He reached out towards that light and sees he had his hands. He yelled and finds out he has his voice. He cried and cried until he felt his tear ducts dry up.

He felt his lungs breathe a little easier. He dry heaved the previous sensation. It wasn't something he'd like to experience anytime soon. He looked ahead and sees a pair of green eyes staring at him.

\\

Sakura eyed her current watcher standing by the doorframe. He had his visor off and his wings tucked. Her jaw hardened as she ground her molars together.

Hawks had the face of indifference as he waited for her to calm down. He knows enough that Sakura is the type to not let others get involved. In this case, let her anger be unleashed, and that others might have to pry her off of him. Despite the walls in the quarters being thick enough for protection and noise, they would somehow find out what would happen here.

Hawks hesitated for a moment, his values faltering. It was the first time he doubted his choice to follow the Commission. They had given him the means to become a hero in exchange for him to provide his services whenever they require him to do so. To choose between the Commission and her.

It rubbed him wrong to use a civilian as bait, even when they all thought that she was otherwise.

His lone red feather appeared in his peripherals. He thought for a moment after he got some information through the vibrations collected. His feather nestled with the others. He knows what to choose.

\\

Sakura sees a being in black and white- split down the middle, yellow eyes that glowed in the dark, and sharp teeth that could rip flesh. Her hand twitched.

She sees an imposing being that promises eternal happiness. Her heart longed.

The light and shadow loomed.

\\

"Do you have her location?" A rough voice asked. Pale hair obscured part of his vision. He exhaled in mild impatience, the dry hair swayed.

He scratched at his neck. Red lines formed under his dirtied nail edge, hyponychium bloody and filled with skin matter. Silence met his ears. He scratched his neck again.

"Kurogiri?"

Wisps of purple and black danced in his view along with a suit and tie ensemble. It moved as if the one wearing it was an actual body.

"Are you sure about this information?" A raspy voice asked. Pale hair covered parts of his face as he slightly looked down to read the paper in his hand— the small finger not touching the sheet.

"Yes," Kurogiri said without hesitation.

A pair of red eyes gleamed. He hummed while his other hand scratched an itch. His teacher's words were hard to deny, the data in his hands even more so.

"Leave." The subordinate left as the other stood, still staring at the paper. He then held it with all his fingers and the sheet crumbled away.

"A weapon, huh? Sensei failed to tell us what it could do but no matter. We'll get our hands on the weapon."

His red eyes gleamed at the thought of finding out what the weapon could do.

\\\

So this was actually finished way before and I forgot to post this. Bro, like my forgetful ass...

Anyways, I'm posting this and I'm working on the next one...

I may or may not post another chapter on my birthday.

I will make the next chapter longer to compensate for this short uneventful one.

Also, I rewatched Kuroko no Basuke. I still love it and I got a shit ton of plot bunnies from it.

It's also almost Christmas and 2022 is almost here. Frickity frick frack.