"You have a visitor."

"...no."

"Um, it's important, miss."

"Go away..."

"Unknown, it's me."

A disheveled head groggily lifted itself from the ruffled pillow, glancing over toward the half-open door.

"Huh. Haven't seen you in a while, Eraser," she mused flatly as he stepped into the room, the door closing quietly behind him. She let her cheek hit the pillow again as she pulled the sheets up over her shoulder. "Leave. I have nothing to say to-"

"You're being released in two days."

She remained still, then her head snapped back to him in an instant, eyes sharp and calculating as she stared intently at him. She scanned his face for a trace of a smile, a mocking laugh, any sign of deception, but found only his usual stoic gaze.

"...really?" she whispered, eyes widening in disbelief.

Aizawa nodded, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall. "The Hero Commission made their decision last night. A public announcement is going out later today. Congratulations."

Unknown's gaze lowered as she blinked slowly, the news gradually registering in her mind. She remained still for a moment before moving to push herself up, slowly adjusting into a sitting position. "...why?"

"Well, I don't know the specifics, but the chief mentioned something about not wanting to deter others like you from coming forward in the future. I'm sure there's more to it, but either way, you won't be staying here much longer."

"...just like that? I'm just… free?"

"You're free."

Her hands rested gently on her knees as she stared at something unseen in the corner. Her heart raced, faster than it had in months, and she felt like it might burst from her chest.

The high, however, wouldn't last long.

"Where am I supposed to go?" she frowned softly.

She didn't have a home, she didn't have money, she didn't have a family- not that she knew of anyways- and they certainly wouldn't let her go back to the old house, if it was even still there.

Where did she have left to go?

"I've asked them to release you into my custody. It's already been approved."

Her eyes snapped up to him once again, almost more startled than the previous revelation. "What do you mean?"

"I have a few students who were very… adamant."

…

"Mr. Aizawa!"

"Mr. Aizawa, are you there?!"

"Please open the door!"

"Sir, it's important!"

Aizawa glanced back from his computer, frowning at the chorus of shouts clamoring outside his door. He looked down at the time, the corner of his screen reading nearly midnight. Reluctantly, he sighed as he rose from his chair and trudged over to the door.

"It's past curfew, what do you-"

"Sir! Is it true Unknown is being released?!" Uraraka shouted, hands waving rapidly in front of her, chest heaving and noticeably out of breath.

"What? How do you know-"

"She doesn't have anywhere to go, right? What if she could live here?!" Midoriya exclaimed, mirroring Uraraka's flailing.

"What are you-"

"I know it sounds strange, but it's a good idea! She doesn't have anywhere else to go, she already knows us so it'll be easier for her to adjust since she's been isolated for so long, and I know you're going to say it's not safe but we don't think she'll do anything! And even if she does, we can handle it anyway since we're all heroes!"

"And there's a bunch of empty rooms on the second floor and a bathroom and everything! And it'll be much better than sending her off somewhere she doesn't know since this way she'll be safe from people who might want to hurt her too and-!"

"Ok, stop," Aizawa interrupted, hands harshly grasping both of their heads. The two instantly quieted down, still panting a bit as they looked up at him hopefully. "I don't know how you heard about the release, but we can't just bring Unknown onto campus because you two think it's a good idea."

"Actually, it's not just us! We knew you would want to talk to the rest of the class, so we told everyone about the idea and got everyone to sign a-!"

"It's not just about the rest of the class," Aizawa sighed in exasperation, slapping his bandages around the boy's mouth. "This would be a school-wide matter; the principal would have to approve it, not me."

"We'll talk to him tomorrow! We'll go as a class!" Uraraka declared, determination gleaming in her eyes. "If we all go, I'm sure we'll be able to convince him!"

Aizawa sighed, rubbing his forehead, trying to get rid of the persistent ringing in his skull. "Fine, do what you want, but don't be disappointed when he rejects your idea."

…

"It's ok with me!"

Aizawa stared tiredly at the little white mouse sitting across the desk from him. He had to blink a few times before the words registered in his mind. "Are you serious?"

"Of course! It's a good idea. I was already thinking about setting something up to help her once she's released, but it seems your students got there first." Principal Nezu swiveled his chair slightly to reach into the top drawer of his desk. "I called the Chief earlier and he agreed as well; I'll be sending over the papers in a bit."

"This could seriously affect UA's reputation, Principal."

"I know, but UA is already too involved in the Sacrosanct case to slip by, and it wouldn't be right to leave Unknown to fend for herself after all this. I heard they planned to place her into the foster system, but children her age almost never find a home that way, you know. Besides, the backlash isn't as bad as it seems. It's nothing we haven't dealt with before!"

Aizawa leaned back in his chair, absentmindedly scratching the back of his neck as he breathed another sigh. "In that case, I can keep an eye on her. I'll make sure nothing happens while she's here, though it might be a little difficult with Eri..."

The principal smiled cheerfully at him, smoothing over the papers in his paw. "You have a soft spot for Unknown, just like you do for Eri."

Aizawa stood from his seat, hunched slightly as he slid his hands into his pockets. He bowed politely before turning to amble towards the door.

"With all due respect, they're not nearly the same."

Nezu smiled faintly as he glanced out the expansive window behind him. It was an almost-panoramic view of the school grounds: clusters of buildings and training areas, students chatting happily as they made their way to class, a bit of the city visible on the far end if you looked hard enough. The bare trees stood tall as they always had, their branches swaying gently in the chilling wind. The winter was not over yet- far from it- but the coldest days were likely behind them. They had to be patient, for spring would come soon. It always did.

"People are only as good as the world allows them to be, and the world has not allowed her much. We'll take care of her as best we can. She's only a child after all."

…

Unknown stared idly down at her hands, absentmindedly rubbing a thumb across her palm.

"All of them?" she muttered.

Aizawa raised an eyebrow, glancing down at her questioningly.

"...all of them were ok with it?"

He blinked, tilting his head upwards as he tried to recall. "Maybe not Bakugo. I can't quite remember, but I wouldn't be surprised."

"...Todoroki?"

"Todoroki? I assume so. I thought he visited just yesterday; did something happen?"

"...nevermind."

Aizawa watched, puzzled, as she shifted uncomfortably, almost like a child caught in some guilty act. "…anyway, you'll be released in two days. If I'm not available, I'll have another staff member bring you back to the school. We'll discuss the details once you're there."

"Ok," Unknown agreed quickly, nodding a bit more eagerly than she meant to.

How long had it been? Three months?

Three months in this terrible, empty, tiny little place…

...so why did she feel nervous about leaving?

Two more days.

Two more days and she would be free.

Unknown often caught herself wringing her hands as the days crawled by. She sat under the blinking camera, back pressed against the corner, legs drawn to her chest. She breathed a shallow sigh, moving to wrap her arms around her knees.

Mere hours had never felt this long.

The lights would be turning off soon, she was sure, and half of her wished it would be over and done with. She wanted to get out, to forget she was ever here at all, but another part of her was deathly afraid. This hospital room was drab, lonely, absolutely and utterly boring, but it was safe. Nothing could reach her here, neither good nor bad. How would she fare in the outside world after so long? Could she face the real consequences of what she had done?

But that was the thing about solitude, she supposed: it was so very addictive.

She sighed, head tilting back slowly to rest against the wall. Whether she was prepared or not, she would be leaving this place soon.

Soon...

Something disturbed Unknown as she stirred from her sleep.

She pried her heavy eyes open, the room fading slowly into view as indistinct blobs of black and gray. She lifted a heavy hand to stifle the yawn that escaped her lips. Languidly blinking the sleep from her eyes, she gazed idly at the ceiling, as little by little, her thoughts returned to her.

She glanced down at the figure sitting at the edge of her bed.

"I guess it doesn't go away so easily, huh?" she muttered, rubbing her forehead with an exasperated sigh.

"That almost sounds like you're not happy to see me, princess. I have to say, I'm hurt."

She sighed again, rolling onto her stomach and burying her face in her pillow. "...why's it have to be you, anyway?" she mumbled, closing her eyes once again.

"Aw, I missed you too."

"You're as awful as ever, Dabi."

"And you look a little worse for wear. Is the hero's life not treating you well?"

"Hero?" she scoffed, "I think you need to get your eyes checked, maybe your brain too."

"I don't know, seems to me like you've captured hearts all over the world with your little stunt. News of your release is throwing the adoring masses into turmoil, you know."

"Seems to me like you've gone even crazier than I have."

"You always were such a pain, you know. Pity you won't be coming back. Those two idiots won't stop babbling about you."

"Mm, is that so...?" she hummed, a vague smile appearing on her lips as foggy memories of her time with Toga and Twice resurfaced in flashes. "Say hi to them for me."

"I'm not your messenger, kid. Tell them yourself."

"Ah, and I almost forgot how much I want to kick your ass."

"You couldn't kick a fly's ass with those cuffs on."

"Go away already... I'm trying to sleep here."

"And after I came all this way? That's a bit rude, don't you think?"

Unknown groaned as she rolled onto her back once more. Half-lidded eyes cast downwards towards the silhouette seated next to her, his features only faintly visible in the scarce lighting. The familiar spikes of black hair appeared even darker than she remembered, the faint glint of the staples lining his face making him quite easily noticeable, and the bright teal of his eyes staring back at her almost seemed to glow in the dark. She could feel the dip in the mattresses next to where he sat. Her gaze slowly drifted away from his shadowy form, returning to rest unfocused on the darkness in front of her. In the upper corner of the room, she noticed the ever-blinking red light was nowhere to be seen.

She sighed, eyes slipping closed once more.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing at all. Just came to see how my old friend was doing."

"God, that's the worst lie I've ever heard. And why do you smell like that? Did you just crawl out of a forest fire or something?" she wrinkled her nose at the scent of pine and smoke: a faint, earthy-sweet smell.

"It's nice to know you're worried about me, princess."

"Are you just pretending to be delusional or have you actually lost it?"

"I'm not the one stuck in a mental hospital, am I?"

"You're just looking for a fight, huh?"

"Tough words for a quirkless kid."

"I'd beat you with or without my quirk, stitches."

"You do realize I could burn you to a crisp right now, don't you?"

She scoffed amusedly, "Oh Dabi, we both know you like me too much for that."

"This place has knocked a few screws loose, I see."

"So are you planning on bothering me all night or...?"

"You're being released tomorrow; this is my last chance to bother you."

"As if, you creep."

"You're nothing but sunshine today, huh?"

"Obviously, it's what I do best. Anyway, can you leave?"

"Kicking me out so soon?"

"Not soon enough."

"Well, I suppose tomorrow is a big day for you," he mused in mock consideration. She felt the bed shift as he stood up, soft footsteps echoing as his silhouette retreated leisurely across the room.

"Since when did you become so cooperative?"

"You think so little of me. How terrible." A soft column of light spilled into the room as the door opened, fully illuminating the figure standing in front of it. Dabi glanced back at her, the same amused, derogatory smile she remembered gracing his expression. "Take care of yourself now, princess."

And with that, he was gone, and the room was dark once more.

The next morning, a nurse knocked on the door, announcing her presence before stepping inside with a large plastic bag in her hands. She found Unknown was, unusually, already awake, glancing up from her place at the edge of the bed as she entered the room. The plastic bag held the few personal items Unknown had with her when she first arrived, namely, the clothes she had been wearing, save for the items that had been burned, and her cell phone. The nurse explained that a staff member from UA had just arrived and was currently waiting for her, instructing her to change as she briefly stepped out of the room.

Unknown remained still for a moment, staring down at the items in her hand, an unreadable expression in her gaze. Shaking away her thoughts, she quickly stood up, padding over to the desk and opening the plastic bag to slide its contents out.

She picked up her phone first, pressing the power button only to find it had run out of battery; perhaps that wasn't particularly surprising. She turned it over in her hand, and with a quick swipe, the case's built-in compartment popped open. A portion of a familiar photo greeted her. Sliding the compartment back into place, she turned her attention to the small stack of clothes. She ran her fingertips across the neatly folded surface a few times, the texture of the fabrics staunchly different from that of the plain cotton clothing she had grown used to.

It was strange to wear her old clothes again.

Soon, the nurse reopened the door, motioning for her to follow.

The halls were unfamiliar as Unknown trailed after the older woman, threading sterile walkways, turning corners, passing by rows of doors and intersecting halls. She was a bit surprised when she noticed what seemed to be a family sitting in a nearby waiting room, almost as if she had forgotten there were other people here at all. Her eyes were uncharacteristically restless as she took in her surroundings, glancing through doorways, tracing the details on the walls, staring at passersby a bit longer than necessary.

She didn't know how long they continued to walk, but eventually, they stepped through a large set of double doors and into a rather noisy area. Unknown nearly recoiled at the volume. Before she could process the suddenly overwhelming bustle, however, her eyes landed on a familiar face.

"Naoko! There you are!" Present Mic greeted loudly, waving an enthusiastic hand from where he stood by the reception desk, "Oh, sorry! I still remember you by your old name! Nice to see you again, Unknown!"

"...thank you."

"Come on- we're all cleared to go," he grinned, clapping a hand over her shoulder encouragingly as he motioned towards the large exit just across the room.

"Hold on, one more thing," the nurse called.

Unknown glanced back just as she fished something shiny out of her pocket. She took Unknown's left hand and inserted the small key into the quirk-suppressing handcuffs latched around her wrist. With a soft click, they unlocked and fell away.

Slowly, Unknown followed Present Mic through the hospital doors, the sudden cold instantly enveloping her. She shivered, unconsciously coiling her arms around herself.

'It's still winter…'

The shine of the midday sun did little to ease the seeping chill as they drove away from the hospital. Present Mic must have been saying something, but she couldn't hear it as her eyes roamed the cityscape just outside the window. The lanes of cars, the busy sidewalks, the bustle of people chattering and going about their lives like it was any other day; none of it seemed real. Had the sky always been so blue? Had those cars always moved so fast? Had the winter air always burned her lungs so pleasantly?

She couldn't quite remember.

"There it is!"

Unknown turned, blinking as UA's main building came into view. The sun shone brilliantly off the tinted glass walls, gleaming with the same pristine, untouched beauty it always had. As they drove towards the front gate, she watched as the once-green trees on either side of them swayed gently with the soft wind, their bare branches reaching high above her head. They darted past them quickly at first, gradually slowing as the car rolled to a stop just outside the gate.

Unknown stepped out of the car, closing the door softly behind her. The lengthy path beneath her feet stretched far and wide, leading directly to the entrance of the school at the other end. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she was greeted by Present Mic, grinning encouragingly as he held something out to her. She looked down to find it was her old student ID.

"Use this one for now," he smiled as she took the small card from him, uttering a faint "thank you."

Unknown followed closely as he stepped through the school gates, eyes restlessly glancing all around, almost as if she expected someone to jump out at her.

It was quiet.

She didn't see anyone else as she surveyed the area, having fully expected to step into a flood of people the moment she arrived. It soon dawned on her why they found themselves alone: it was midday, and everyone must be in class. She had almost forgotten what a regular student schedule was like; it was a world away from what she had become used to lately. It was fortunate they had arrived when they did, as it meant no one would be around while she moved in, though there wasn't much of that to be done regardless.

"Here we are! This is the 1-A Heights Alliance," Present Mic pointed to the large brick building in front of them.

Last she saw this place, she recalled, it was the night of the break-in. It looked different in the daytime.

Motioning for her to follow, Present Mic quickly made his way up the shallow steps, pushing open the front door.

Unknown scanned over the interior as she followed behind him, noticing it was rather clean and well-kept. Passing by a common room and a kitchen area, she quietly surveyed the building, eyes shifting here and there as they made their way towards an elevator further back.

"You'll be on the second floor, left side. There isn't anyone else in that hall, but there are some students on the other side," he explained as he called the elevator, receiving an immediate chime as the doors slid open. They stepped inside and he pressed the button for the second floor, the elevator jolting softly as they began to rise. "Your room will be at the far end, there's a bathroom right next to you, and you're free to use anything you like in the kitchen or lounges downstairs. Try to stay on the first and second floors if you can, make sure to have your lights out by curfew, and make sure to be mindful of your neighbors, of course."

As the elevator doors reopened, the pair stepped out onto the second floor and veered left, following the hall until they reached the last door.

"One more thing- it might be best to avoid going outside as much as you can for the first few days. There's quite a bit of racket around everything at the moment, and although we've managed to keep your new location out of the press so far, the school will be announcing it to the students soon, if they haven't already. It probably won't take long before word gets out to the media, so we expect reporters and journalists will be crowding outside the school gates soon enough. Don't worry, they won't be getting anywhere near you, but still, try to stay inside until all this blows over. My class will be starting in just a few minutes, so I should be getting back to my office now. Here's your room key!"

Unknown nodded, uttering another "thank you" as Present Mic dropped a small silver key into her palm.

"Just let Eraserhead know if you need anything, alright? In the meantime, feel free to explore! I'll see you around!" he grinned, waving as he turned on his heel and started back towards the elevator. Unknown watched as Present Mic reached the far end of the hall and pressed the down button, a soft chime ringing out. He swiftly stepped inside, offering her one last encouraging thumbs-up as the metal doors slid closed behind him.

She turned to the door next to her, sliding the key into the lock and turning it with a faint click. With a twist of the handle, she pushed it open and stepped inside.

The first thing she noticed was a large cloth bag and a familiar suitcase standing at the foot of the bed. Closing the door behind her, she slowly crossed the room, eyes attentively scanning the interior.

On the left was a small wooden desk and a rolling chair, next to which stood a matching dresser. A bed lay against the opposite wall, a large blanket folded neatly atop the mattress and a single pillow resting at the base of the headboard. What caught her attention the most, however, was the large window in front of her, spanning half the wall, reaching from floor to ceiling, and looking out onto an open field just outside the building.

She pressed a hand against the glass, finding it cold.

Turning around, she moved towards the foot of the bed, shifting to sit on the wooden floorboards as she lay the suitcase on its back, slowly unzipping it. Flipping open the top, she was greeted by her old clothing, the ones she had left back at the Bakugos' house prior to her first supposed defection. Slowly glancing through the folded garments, she noted everything was accounted for. Next, she turned to the large cloth bag sitting across from her. Skimming through its contents, she found the remainder of the belongings she had left behind: her old backpack, a pair of spare shoes, some gifts she had received back then; it was all here, everything she once owned. It was strange to think her entire life could fit inside just a bag and a suitcase, so neatly compiled. As she sifted through the contents of the cloth bag, lifting one of her old class notebooks, she paused.

Laying underneath were two picture frames, the sight of which brought an uncomfortable feeling to her stomach.

She lifted the first one: it was a heavy silver frame, and behind the glass stood herself and Todoroki along with a cute bear mascot. It was the one she had asked to take so long ago, though she couldn't remember where: the one he had given her for Naoko's birthday.

The next one was a smaller frame, holding a picture of herself, Uraraka, Midoriya, Iida, and Asui when they visited that aquarium. They were all grinning widely, brighter than anything, not a care in the world. Uraraka had given them each a copy of the photo, she recalled, in what she must have thought to be a kind, sentimental act.

Unknown always knew she shouldn't have gotten so close to those people. From the very beginning, she had only a single goal: destroy Sacrosanct. She knew perfectly well how she would have to betray the heroes one day in order to retain the Manager's trust, hanging on just long enough for everything to fall into place; she knew her betrayal would only be a facade, but that didn't change the impact of it. In fact, she had to make sure it was good enough, convincing enough to make the world truly believe she was a villain. Knowing all this, she had decided at the very beginning not to become too friendly with anyone: it was pointless in the end regardless, so she would keep her distance and quietly play her role. She didn't need to pretend to make friends, she didn't need people to like her as anything more than a familiar face, but she did it anyway.

Why?

She knew that too. It was because she had been too convincing. She had immersed herself too far into the character of a regular, average, friendly nobody that she herself had started believing it somewhere along the line. She let herself enjoy the false freedom too greatly, and her pretending eventually stopped being just pretend. It came too naturally, after a while, and even at the time, she knew it would come back to haunt her in the long run. Yet she kept going. She kept going because Ito Naoko loved her friends dearly, and Unknown could do nothing to stop it.

Staring at the pictures for a moment longer, Unknown placed both frames back into the cloth bag, face down. She shuffled to her feet and turned towards her suitcase again, taking a stack of clothing to relocate to the dresser. She moved languidly, certainly in no hurry, as she sorted the items, laying them out and placing each into an assigned section. It didn't take long for her to empty the suitcase, leaving her dresser with the top two drawers mostly filled. Moving on to the other bag, she took out a few items she thought would be appropriate, including her shoes and her phone charger, opting to leave everything else as they were. She plugged her phone into the outlet by the desk, the LED blinking to life as it began charging. She crossed the room once more and carefully lifted the bag, shifting it over before sliding it underneath the foot of the bed. She moved to crouch by the suitcase, zipped it closed, and pushed it underneath as well.

Turning her attention a bit higher, she leaned over to unfold the thick blanket. It was soft to the touch and seemed quite warm as well, entirely different from the one she had grown used to at the hospital. Spreading it out and draping it across the bed, she absentmindedly smoothed over the surface, the pleasant material rippling gently beneath her palms. She sat down at the edge of the soft mattress, her gaze unfocused for a moment before it slowly, unconsciously drifted towards the window.

The field outside was not green: it was a pallid yellow-brown color. The grass was thin, unsightly patches of dry dirt peeking out from underneath in places. It was stiff in the winter chill, shriveled and trampled into disfigurement, and certainly nothing that would catch anyone's eye. But it wasn't dead. It was only dormant, its vibrance receded until a time it could thrive once more. Come spring, perhaps its color might return.