Okay guys! So, this is going to be kind of the last chapter for a while. I have yet to advance in the writing of the Sports Festival Arc, and so I'll wait for a bit before posting another one.

In the meantime, though, I hope you'll like it.

Warning: Kira's temper, Kira's despair and Kira's mild insanity.

Enjoy!

Kira felt many, many things in the span of a few seconds.

First, shock. Disbelief. After all this time, could it truly be him?

Second was fear. That man killed mom and dad. He attacked Ren twice, and he's now after me.

Third came doubt. He must be lying, deceiving me somehow.

Fourth arrived confusion. What am I supposed to do? Fight? Run?

And fifth… came utter rage.

"Ki-Kicchan!"

She couldn't hear clearly, couldn't focus on anything other than the man standing a few meters before her. He was smiling at her, mocking her agony.

The flames burst, turning even hotter. They started swirling around her body as she shook violently, unable to control herself any longer.

For all these years…

The flames forced her friends to back away. They were growing too strong, the heat licking at their skin with greediness.

I've trained…

It was as if lava was flowing through her veins.

I've trained to become stronger… faster… I've trained to become better…

Her anger was consuming. She couldn't think straight as she took a step forward, then another.

So that… I could become a Hero…

After the fourth step, she started moving faster. Then, she started running, not really noticing her pace.

So that… I could find him…

"Kicchan!"

"Young Suttoki, stop!"

"Kira!"

So that… I could find him…

Tears were burning her eyes as she propelled herself at him, her fist encased in flames and ready to incinerate him.

So that I could find him…

And make him pay.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

"KIRA!"

Without a warning, darkness surrounded her. The sudden disappearance of her target made her stumble as her unbearable anger faltered. In a faint burst of lucidity, she suddenly realized how wrong everything suddenly was.

What am I thinking? What am I doing?

Her flames died down as pain overcame her body. She had stressed it beyond its limits twice in a row, after all. Gasping, she tried to back away, but was still trapped in darkness.

T-the warp gate! She realized, unable to see anything. I-I've got to get out!

But as quickly as it came, the darkness went away. Blinded by the sudden light, she could do nothing as Hagane appeared before her. Her eyes widened in terror as his hand fell on her shoulder, trapping it in a vive-like grip. He then started leaning closer until their foreheads almost touched.

"Wrong move, sweetheart." He grinned and, without further ceremonies, kneed her straight in the guts.

She bent over in pain, the air knocked out of her lungs. Coughing harshly as her knees gave in, she felt the familiar taste of blood filling her mouth. Chuckling, the masked man kneeled next to her, still holding her shoulder, even tighter than before.

"You really are hotheaded, aren't ya? I thought that after all those years of training your self-control, you'd last a little longer," he taunted.

"W-what… what have you done…" She coughed some more. "To my… my brother?"

"Oh? No worries, no worries! He's still alive," he assured. Kira truly hated how he talked about her brother's life like one would talk about the weather. "We do need him for a while longer. I gotta admit I haven't been all that gentle, though. He was fighting back so hard! Of course, that wasn't enough."

"Y-you bastard…"

He simply laughed at that, patting her head. The gesture was the same one Ren used to do when comforting her, and it made her sick to know he was using the same.

How long has he been watching us?

He then placed his hand over her heart. "Ooh, scared, aren't you? How fun."

She tried to get back to her feet, but he let her go and, without hesitation, he kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying farther away. She fell on the ground meters farther like a ragdoll, many of her ribs damaged by the blow.

"You've got no pity, Hagane," remarked hands-guy, scratching his neck.

"Not for that one, Shigaraki, not for that one," admitted the man. He then rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish gesture. "Still, though, I hadn't expected her to be in such a bad shape already. Didn't I tell you guys not to play too rough with her?"

"We had no idea she was the one you were talking about," simply replied Kurogiri, narrowing his eyes at the girl.

She was still on the ground, her friends rushing to her side. All Might wasn't moving from his position, watching them and ready to fight if they tried to make another move on the children.

"I guess I could have given you a description," Hagane sighed in resignation. "But anyhow, where's Nomu? All Might already beat him?"

"You knew this would happen?"

"Duh. It's All Might. If you want to beat him, you'll have to upgrade Nomu beyond the 100%. Even weakened, he is still the Symbol of Peace."

...

Back to the students, they had finally reached the ginger. She was still lying on the ground, unable to move an inch.

"Kicchan!" Izuku kneeled next to her, worried.

He then realized she was crying. An hand covering her face and the other holding her injured ribs, she couldn't stop the tears from escaping.

"It's him, Izuku… it's him…" she kept on crying.

"We've got to get her out of here," frowned Todoroki, taking note of her physical and mental state. "She's in no state to fight."

"I doubt they'll let us go so easily," Kirishima replied, glancing warily at the three Villains who still hadn't moved. "That new guy's trouble, and he's obviously after Kira- shit!"

All around them were now starting to gather some of the Villains that had been defeated earlier, apparently ready for a rematch. Izuku kept close to his best friend while the other three boys formed a defensive circle.

"Damn it…" then muttered Kira, tears still flowing out. She hit her fist against the ground. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

She breathed in deeply, though it only brought more pain. Loosing control like she had just done had endangered everyone and put her in a more than precarious position. Her body was hurting like hell, that Hagane guy –the one she had been aiming for for the passed seven fucking years- was before her very eyes, and her friends were in danger because of her.

This is not a good day.

…

Ren is going to kill me if I don't make it back, though.

At the thought of her brother, she recalled Hagane's earlier words. He had attacked him again, apparently for information.

Now, she needed to know why he was coming after her.

"I-Izuku," she gasped, spitting out some blood. "H-help me up."

"W-what? No, you can't move! You're hurt, and-"

"If you don't, I'll do it myself," she threatened, serious.

He hesitated one last moment, before carefully sliding an arm in her back and helping her into a sitting position. She pushed down the pain, and forced herself back onto her feet. She lost her balance, but the green-haired boy easily steadied her. Nodding her thanks, she then reported her attention onto the black-haired man.

He was still smiling.

"Kira." She glanced at Izuku. It had been a while since she last heard him call her by her name. When he did, it always meant he was serious. "You can't fight him. I-I know that what is did is unforgivable and I know you're angry and in pain but right now, we have to work together to get out of this mess! Reinforcements will come soon, we just have to stall a little longer, and-"

"I know," she cut him off, lowering her head. "I know. But I… I still need to understand. I want answers, Izuku. I need to know. Plus… if we've got to stall, what better way then make them talk? All Villains like to rant, after all."

He stared at her for a moment, before nodding in acceptance. He knew how stubborn she could be, and how reckless she acted sometimes. However, he also knew that she knew better than to take on someone obviously stronger than her.

She had lost control the first time around, but it wouldn't happen again.

"HAGANE!"

He yell stopped everyone in tracks, and the man looked her way. He waved cheerfully.

"Already back on your feet, Kira-chan? You've got great stamina. You must really be in pain too, uh?"

"Stop acting like a fucking idiot and answer me this single question," she snapped, taking a step forward. She shook off Izuku's hold onto her shoulder, and straightened her back so that she could look at her parents' murderer in the eyes. "What do you want from me?"

He stared at her for a moment. Time seemed to stop as he actually considered her request, his face scarily blank all of sudden.

"I want… you, of course." And he was smiling again.

"… I swear to God, that sounded wrong," she deadpanned, not impressed. "A murderer and a pedophile? Just fucking great."

At that, one of his eyes twitched violently.

"Not like that! Gosh, kids these days…" he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest with mild annoyance. "I want you for your powers, of course. You're wasting so much potential with being a Hero… don't you have enough of always holding back? Of always controlling yourself for the sake of others? Don't you have enough of being scared of your powers? I can teach you so much, offer you so many opportunities! You wouldn't have to be afraid any longer, Kira, you wouldn't have to keep on running away any longer from who you truly are!"

"And who am I truly, Hagane?" she braced herself for the answer.

His smile only widened at that.

"A monster, of course."

Silence ensued.

Then, Kira started laughing.

"K-Kicchan?" blinked Izuku, startled.

"Carrot lost it," deadpanned Bakugo.

"O-oi, Red One, you okay?" wondered Kirishima, kind of scared.

"Oh my God… have you any idea how cliché you just sounded?" cackled the teen, wiping away what was left of the blood and tears on her face. "Damn, I wasn't expecting something like that. It's such an… underwhelming, answer. Don't you think? I've passed the last fricking seven years preparing myself for this encounter… and you tell me you want me for my power? That you want me to become a Villain, like you? Seriously, I'm half-expecting you to go 'join the Dark side of the Force' or something like that."

She finally managed to calm down, and leaned back a little. Her anger had vanished, leaving only exhaustion and overwhelming calmness.

"I am serious, Kira-chan," then replied Hagane, apparently as amused as her. "Do you not believe I have a point, though? Your Quirk is one made for destruction. As soon as your precious little friends realize it, they'll turn their back on you, and then what? You'll be all a~lone. And that is, if they don't try to kill you first."

"As if they'd ever do something like that," she rolled her eyes. She wondered internally if her sudden relaxed state was due to the adrenaline drugging her whole body or just because she received a blow to the head. "If there's one person ready to stab people in the back so easily, it's probably you."

"You'll end up hurting someone. An innocent. A friend. Your brother. You'll end up killing someone. A Villain. Someone you don't know. Someone you do know. And then what? You think everyone will consider you a Hero again? Stop being so damn naïve!" snapped Hagane, growing annoyed again.

But Kira simply laughed again, though this time it was shorter and much sharper.

"I believe you're the naïve one here, Hagane," she replied. "Because while you may be right on certain points, you're wrong on the most important."

"And that would be?" his tone turned colder.

At that, she snapped her fingers, and a ball of fire grew above her palm. Nothing big, seeing as it would only worsen her state, but enough to prove her point.

"I'm not scared of my powers," she then assured proudly. "Never have been, and never will be. I believe in myself, and I believe in my friends too. Nothing you say will ever change that, got it?"

"… tche. I've come too late, then," he grunted, taking a step back. His smile had been replaced by a scowl. "Should have come earlier, but this goddamn interfering fool kept getting in my way… Oh, well. Crying over spilled milk won't help-"

'BANG!'

The gunshot echoed loudly in the whole arena. Startled, all eyes snapped to the source: the Pro Hero, Snipe.

Shigaraki grunted in pain as the bullet hit his arm.

"The teachers… they're here!" gaped Kirishima.

"Tche, just when we were about to fight," huffed Bakugo.

"Sorry, everyone! Sorry we're late!"

The Headmaster appeared, the rest of the teachers behind him. All of U.A.'s Pro Heroes were now gathered at the entrance.

It's over, Kira sighed in relief. She then shot a victorious glance Hagane's way, who was still looking at her. We win.

"Aw, man," grunted Shigaraki, backing away with blood flowing down his arm. "They're here. Hagane, you talked for too long… but no matter. It's game over now. Shall we go home and try again later, Kurogiri- urgh!"

He was shot a few times more by Snipe, but Kurogiri quickly interposed himself between the two using his warped gate.

Hagane sighed, before heading for the gate himself, ready to leave.

"Just you wait, Suttoki Kira!" he then exclaimed, not stopping once to look back at her. "When the day comes when this trust of yours falter… I'll be the one picking up the broken pieces."

With that, he disappeared into the gate. Halfway through, though, they started being absorbed by Thirteen's Quirk. They however managed to escape. After a few moments of stillness, the Heroes started to move around and go to the aid of the rest of the students, many of which were still scattered all around USJ.

He… he's gone.

Unable to stand any longer, Kira collapsed to her knees.

"Kira!" exclaimed Kirishima, worried.

He's gone… it's over…

"Kicchan, are you alright? Don't worry, you'll be fine!"

So why…

Why… do I feel like it only just begun?

"Izuku…" she hid her face behind her hands, breathing deeply. It hurt a lot, and she coughed some more blood out. "It's him… he's back…"

He grabbed her in his arms, holding her a tightly as he could.

"I know, Kicchan," he started rubbing circles in her back. "I know."

"Kira, that guy…" Kirishima frowned, unsure it was a good idea to ask. "Who was he?"

Before she could answer, though, a Hero arrived next to them. An earth wall suddenly rose between the students and All Might, thanks to Cementoss farther away.

"Is everyone alright?" inquired Midnight.

Had it been any other time, Izuku would have had a fanboy fit. However, with his best friend hurting in his arms in that very moment, he couldn't find it in him.

"Kira-san is injured," then informed Todoroki. "And I believe she overexerted herself using her Quirk."

Midnight nodded, kneeling next to the teen and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Can you stand?"

"O-of course I can," she retorted. However, she had barely rose from the ground when her knees buckled under her weight once again. "… or maybe –cough, cough- maybe not."

She placed an hand over her mouth to stifle her coughing fit but, when she pulled it away, it was covered in red. Frowning, Midnight gestured for Blood King to come over. He appeared in a flash.

"Can you take her outside? She needs immediate medical attention."

"Of course." He bent over and, without an ounce of effort, picked the teen from the ground. "Up you go, girlie."

"D-don't call me that…" she mumbled.

He simply laughed.

As they headed away, Izuku suddenly remembered why exactly was in such a state in the first place.

"M-Midnight-sensei!" The woman raised an eyebrow at him. "Ki-Kira was specifically targeted by one of the Villains. He seems… he seemed to be pretty determined to have her join him… or something like that..."

The woman frowned one again. "Understood. Thank you for telling us, we will take the necessary precautions. Now, the four of you join the rest of your classmates, and wait for further instructions, alright? If you're hurt, Recovery Girl will be here in a few minutes."

"Hai!"

.

.

Kurogiri appeared in their hideout, and Shigaraki stumbled out of the warped gate, collapsing to the floor. Hagane followed suit, instantly heading for the bar. He seriously needed a drink.

"I was shot in both arms and both legs… We lost completely. Even Nomu was defeated! All the underlings were defeated in an instant! Those kids were strong…" cursed the hands-guy a his blood tainted the floor. "The Symbol of Peace was healthy… you were wrong, Master!"

"No, I wasn't." The voice came from the computer in the corner. "We were just not prepared enough. Yes, we underestimated them. It's good that we did it under that cheap 'League of Villains' name."

"By the way… what about Master and my joint creation, Nomu? He was not retrieved?"

"He was blown away," answered Kurogiri, now wearing a bartender uniform.

"What!?"

"More precisely, without coordinates to his precise location, I could not find him, even with my warp. I did not have time for that."

"After all we did to make him as powerful as All Might!"

"Well, it cannot be helped. That's unfortunate."

"Power…? That's right… there was one child who was as fast as All Might."

"Oh?"

"I he hadn't gotten in the way… we might have been able to kill All Might. That brat…! Brat!"

Shigaraki screamed his sudden rage.

"Of course you have regrets. But this was not a futile exercise. Gather the elite. Take all the time you need. We cannot move freely, which is why we need a symbol, like you. Shigaraki Tomura! Next time, show the world that you are to be feared!"

"That's all nice and good," then interrupted Hagane, slamming an empty cup of sake on the counter. "But don't forget my pay. I ain't doing this for free, ya know?"

"… Seishin no Hagane. Your mission was successful, we presume?"

"Of course it was," scoffed the man. "Way too easy. I've gotten some more files, the ones you were looking for. Recruiting the 'elite' as you put will take some time, but we're already a few steps ahead of those damn Heroes, so there's that. And also…"

He pulled out a paper from his pocket, and placed it next to his empty cup. On the top left was the picture of a familiar ginger teen.

"Suttoki Kira?" read Kurogiri, narrowing his eyes. "The one you've been watching for the passed few years?"

"She's fallen head over heels for the idealism of being a Hero," the purple-eyed man shook his head with a sigh. "It's my fault for not getting to her her earlier. However, she has also grown much stronger than I first anticipated. And her being in the camp of the 'good guys' will also work in our favor."

"How so?"

"Because when she finally joins us, who do you think will have the harder time stopping her once she starts working for our little group? Us… or her friends?"

"… that is a dangerous gamble. What makes you so sure she'll join us?"

"She's not scared of her Quirk as firstly assumed, but that's only a detail. Sooner or later, she'll end up loosing control again and hurt someone she loves, if not worst. It's the fate of all of those who possess a Quirk of the same type. When that happens, she'll be on the edge."

A grin then stretched his lips as he looked back at the picture of the smiling girl.

"That's when I use my trump card to push her over. Once she's fallen, there'll be no going back up. And that's when we will welcome her amongst our ranks. From now on, it is merely a question of time."

His purple eyes glinted dangerously. Next to him, the metallic cup suddenly tore itself in half.

"I can assure you."

.

.

The police had arrived. Taking into custody all of the Villains, they also had medics check over the students. A few were still under shock, but nothing they wouldn't recover from. Izuku did injure himself when trying to use One For All but, other than that, only Kira truly was in a bad shape.

Sitting on a bench, a blanket around her shoulders, the teen had simply stopped reacting after Blood King left her to the hands of the medics on place. They were waiting for an ambulance to arrive so that they could treat her ribs, seeing as Recovery Girl could do nothing for her.

After all, her Quirk required the patient's energy and, right now, Kira didn't have any to spare.

The ginger was staring into nothingness with half-lidded eyes. She couldn't allow herself to fall asleep, or there was a risk that she'd fall comatose. However, the exhaustion had made her muscles freeze in place. She wouldn't have been able to move even if she had wanted to.

"You think she'll be okay? She didn't react at all when we greeted her," Yaoyorozu bit her lower lip, glancing at the catatonic ginger.

"What happened, Kirishima-kun?" wondered Tsuyu. "You were there with her, Todoroki-kun, Midoriya-kun and Bakugo-kun, right?"

The redhead let his eyes linger on the girl, before sighing.

"I'm not really sure, to be honest," he admitted, down casting his eyes. "Another Villain appeared when she was about to give them a serious beating, and… she said…"

"… what did she say, Eijiro?" Kaminari frowned.

"She said he was the one who killed her parents," then informed Todoroki, crossing his arms over his chest in resignation. "Which he confirmed."

"No!" Ashido slapped her hands over her mouth, horrified.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Bakugo," then called Mineta, turning to the bomber. "Do you know what exactly happened to her parents?"

"Why would I, squirt?" snapped the blond.

"Well, you have known each other since your childhood days, haven't you?"

Katsuki was tempted to just blow the dwarf away and be done with it. Really, he was! And he would have normally done so. However, while he would never admit it out loud, he was still shaken by their sudden encounter with the real world of Heroes and Villains, and also… by what he had witnessed.

She never cried before, he clenched his fists. No matter what happened, she would always be wearing that stupid smile of hers. Even when she was sad, she'd smile

But just then… she was crying.

It had startled him much more than he cared to admit.

"… they died in a fire," he finally gave in with a gruff. His classmates gaped at his sudden cooperativeness, but he didn't let them make any comment on it. "When she was four or something like that. Her brother and her were the only survivors, though her brother lost an eye in the process. It was later on declared as a criminal fire, though they never managed to find the one who did it…"

"Until today," concluded somberly Ojiro.

"Until today," confirmed Bakugo.

An heavy silence befell the group as the information slowly sunk in. For the few days they had known her, Kira had been a cheerful and energetic girl who would always put up a fight and stand up for whatever she believed in. She was stubborn, loyal, happy.

In the light of those new discoveries, her classmates started to wonder just how much of that personality was actually faked.

"Hey, look! That's the police officer from earlier," then remarked Sero.

They turned to look where he was pointing at, and realized that the police officer who had earlier talked to them was now kneeling in front of Kira. In the distance, the loud screeching of an incoming ambulance could now be heard.

Kira blinked slowly, pulled out of her thoughts by a familiar figure. At the sight of the man she considered as a second father –or third, if she counted Ren-, she wanted to smile in relief. However, she didn't find the strength to do so.

"… he was here," she finally croaked out as he kneeled next to her. "It's him, Neo-san. And I could do nothing against him. I was so fucking weak…"

"Kira, you've just been through a lot," he placed a comforting hand on her head, but she flinched at the touch. He instantly pulled away. "Sorry."

"Not your fault," she mumbled, lowering her head again. "… where's Ren? That man… Hagane… he said he attacked him again. Is he okay?"

"Your brother's fine. He was… his arm was broken when we found him but, other than that, he's okay. More than you are, that's for sure."

"What happened?"

"We got separated. Some sort of wall of iron or something… anyway, by the time I managed to find a way out, Ren had disappeared. Just when we found him, we received the call informing us of the incident."

"I see." Genuine relief then settled onto her traits as she finally relaxed somewhat. "I'm glad… Is everyone else alright?"

"You ought to worry about yourself a little more, kid," he sighed, running an hand through his hair. "They only got scratches and such. The worst off after you is Izuku-kun, though it's only his finger. He's okay. You, on the other hand…"

He poked her stomach. She instantly flinched, hissing in pain.

"Are not," he concluded.

"You're an ass, Nao-san," she grunted through her teeth.

"And you're one stubborn girl, Kira-chan," he retorted, smiling a little. Despite the situation, she seemed to be slowly going back to normal. "Ren is going to have your head when he hears about you going passed your limits again."

"… save me?"

"Well, you just called me an ass, of all things," he huffed. "Rude brat. Plus, I believe a lecture would be a good punishment. You acted recklessly, so face the consequences."

"Do you want me to die?" she then whined. Before he could answer, though, a violent coughing fit took over. He cringed at the sight of the few drops of blood now covering her palm, and she rolled her eyes a little. "Oh, shush, I'll live, give me a break."

He sighed, knowing he wouldn't win this one, and simply glad she was now well enough to make jokes. When he first saw her, aside from the rest of the students and non-responding to the world, he had feared the worst. He could easily guess that… that man had confronted her, and he was seriously worried about her mental state.

He should have known better, though. He knew first-hand that Kira wasn't one easily shaken and, even though she had lost herself for a moment, she was now finding her way back. It would take some time to readjust, but she'd be fine. She'd pull through, like before. She was strong, after all.

"Suttoki-san, the ambulance is here," then informed one of the police officers, joining them. "They will come fetch you soon, and they ask that you do no try moving by yourself, or leave the vicinity."

"I can't even scratch my butt, where the hell do they want me to go?" she muttered under her breath.

Naomasa stifled a laugh at that.

Yeah, she'd pull trough well enough.

Kira slept for three days and four nights. Was it because of the exhaustion or the drug they kept pumping into her veins to help with the pain, no one would truly be able to tell. However, when she finally woke up, she felt as if there was a volcano of bubbling energy about to erupt inside of her.

She needed to move.

"What? What do you mean, I can't get out!?"

They wouldn't let her, though.

"Now that you are awake, we will ask for Recovery Girl to heal to rest of your injuries. However, until herself says that you are allowed to get out, you are to stay in your bed-"

"Bullshit! I'm perfectly fine!" Said the girl while spitting blood on the poor nurse.

All in all, the following day was true hell, both for Kira and the medical staff.

Recovery Girl came by and healed what was left of her injuries. Her ribs were healed, though she'd have to be careful not to strain herself for another week or so, and she hadn't coughed out blood for a while now, which was a plus.

Kira had been surprised at first. Why would the Hero bother coming to the hospital to heal her? It was then revealed that all students from U.A. High were insured by the school and thus had access to the services of the Healing Hero if they ever were injured during classes or on school grounds.

Anyhow, she was now waiting outside for her brother and Nao-san to come get her. Now that Hagane had truly shown himself, and that his goals towards the ginger had been revealed somewhat, she was in more danger than ever. She knew that being escorted would get annoying very quickly, but decided to play along for the time being, more for her brother's sake than her own, really.

Ren didn't need more stress right now.

"Suttoki-san?" A doctor then stepped out. She raised an eyebrow at the man, who extended a phone to her. "Naomasa Tsukauchi-san wishes to speak with you."

"Oh, thank you."

Right, forgot they took away my phone before I got here. Wonder where's my costume too, now that I think about it.

"Nao-san?"

"Kira-chan, I'm glad to hear that you're finally out of the hospital. However, something came up. We… well, you won't be coming home right now. Nor… for a little while."

"What? No way! I can't stay in that place any longer!" she protested.

"You're not," he however assured. "It's just… It was decided that Ren would stay at the office for the next few days so that we can up the security system while assuring his complete protection. However, seeing as Hagane is specifically targeting you, we're worried that just the police forces won't be enough to hold him back if he ever tries to get to you again."

"He attacked Ren twice!"

"Which is why he won't attack him again, not with all the security. If you're here too, though, it might actually push him to the act."

She kept silent for a moment, before sighing. "So… what now?"

"You'll be staying at the student dorms at U.A. for the time being. Everything is already settled with Headmaster Nezu, and one of the teachers should be here soon to pick you up."

"… alright. Alright, I'll go for now. But I need to speak with Ren, okay? I want to see him as soon as feasible."

"Of course. Your things should already be at the dorms, and you'll be restarting classes tomorrow. Feeling up for it?"

"As long as I get out of here. Now, who exactly is supposed to come pick me up-"

"I AM HERE!"

"Shit!"

She nearly dropped the phone as All Might suddenly appeared before her. He was in his Hero form, but she could tell he was already having a hard time keeping it up.

"All Might's here, then. Don't worry, Kira-chan, you're in good hands. We'll see you soon, okay?"

"Y-yeah. Keep safe, all of you."

"You too."

With that, he hung up. Biting her lower lip, she then turned to All Might, who was now starting to attract attention. Shaking her head, she quickly handed back the phone to the doctor from earlier, who was frozen in spot due to the appearance of the Symbol of Peace, and then grabbed the Hero's arm.

"Let's go. Where's the car?"

Next thing she knew, she was in his arms, and they were soaring above the city. She gasped at the sudden took-off, before glaring up at All Might, who was obviously laughing at her.

"Not funny!" she yelled over the wind.

"I beg to differ, young Suttoki!"

A few seconds later, they landed on U.A.'s roof. She took a moment to calm down her racing heart, before straightening and taking a look around. Now that she was back in a familiar environment, she allowed herself to relax a little.

Behind her, All Might suddenly popped back into his normal form.

"You've shortened your time limit during the fight, haven't you?"

"Those things happen," he simply shrugged. "How are you feeling?"

"Just peachy," she replied flatly. "The man who murdered my parents is back and on the loose, targeting my brother because of his job and myself because of some- some folie of grandeur, I've also been comatose for days, and I missed all my classes in the meantime. But hey, other than that, I'm feeling great!"

All Might sweatdropped at the heavy sarcasm, and she sighed.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped like that. It's just… a lot to take in."

They kept silent for a moment, watching as the sun started going down.

"… he'll come back," he finally said.

"I know."

"What will you do then?"

She didn't answer for a while, looking down at her hand.

"… right now, I'm not strong enough," she admitted, though it left a bitter taste in her mouth. "I was a fool. All those years of training taught me nothing. Not physically, of course, but mentally. He beat me so easily because I lost control like a goddamn amateur back there. It was pathetic, really." She let out a sharp laugh, before sobering up. "But still… when the time comes and we meet again, then I'll fight. I won't let him get the advantage as easily. In the meantime, I'll train even harder and become even stronger. I can't allow him to hurt my family or my friends again, I won't allow it. And when… when we finally face each other again… when that happens… then, I'll be ready. I swear I will."

Her voice held no doubts, no hesitation.

Hagane would come to regret his decisions, All Might couldn't help but think as he watched the determination settling into the girl's features. Suttoki Kira wouldn't break as easily as he believed. Right here and there, the Villain had given the teen all the incentive she needed to pursue her goal.

What an idiot, All Might simply shook his head with a small smile.

Because while that monster tried to beat her down, he only gave her another reason to fight. While trying to extinguish her spark, he instead ignited a fire. And, as everyone knew too well: try to play with fire, and you'll end up burnt.

Whew, I got to admit, I'm kind of worried about how you guys will receive this chapter. Good? Bad? For those who surely believe or are thinking 'what the fuck why would he want her? It's so cliché' well... Fair warning, but surprises aren't over. They share a past, after all, not one simply tainted in blood. Plus, the guy's kind of crazy too, so there's that.

Anyhow, I hope you liked it nowadays, and I'll see you when I'll see you!

Plus Ultra!