Debriefing mentally exhausted Uraraka, but she had nothing on Bakugou. Not only did dark shadows rest under his eyes, but he moved more sluggish than she'd ever seen. On top of dealing with hours-long questioning, constant stress, and sleep deprivation, Recovery Girl's healing quirk drained him of even more energy. After she healed his arm, he passed out for the rest of the night, but he didn't look rested one bit the next morning. When they were questioned about Todoroki and the fight, she took the lead once more while he was sat quietly beside her. He knew more about Deku's condition, but even then, his voice lacked its usual heat.

Uraraka laid a hand on his arm. "Maybe you should rest before we see him."

Bakugou rubbed his forehead with his now healed arm. "No, I'm fine. He's waited long enough."

Since being taken in, Todoroki had most likely been beaten down with accusations and questions one right after another. He needed someone on his side. His family was desperate to be there for him, but he couldn't stand to see them yet. She understood why, but it still made her heart ache. They were lucky he wanted to see them. She'd been afraid he might try to push them away - his guilt often turned into isolation as a form of self-inflicted punishment - but he reached out to them. Maybe they could help him uncover information the police and other heroes couldn't.

After the debriefing, Naomasa told them to wait outside so he could take them to where Todoroki was being held. Upon being discharged from the hospital, he was placed in an unknown facility for holding. It wasn't quite a prison, but he wasn't free either. He couldn't simply walk around like everyone else. Whenever Uraraka pictured him in a cramped room, shackled with quirk inhibitor braces, her heart sank into the pit of her stomach.

The heroes were doing the same thing as the villains.

Uraraka dug her nails into her palms. It wasn't fair. A cell was still a cell, no matter who was holding the keys.

When Naomasa finally stepped out of the room, he nodded and they followed him. No words needed to be said. They might not know where they were going, but they knew who they were going to. Nothing else mattered. She caught a glimpse of a few officers and heroes inside the room, peering at them with unreadable expressions, and turned away. Assholes. They didn't know anything. Who were they to judge Todoroki? The only time Bakugou snapped in there was when a hero questioned whether Todoroki had truly been manipulated.

"If you were half the hero he was, maybe you'd have a seat closer to the front, you half-baked piece of shit."

No one brought up the idea that Todoroki willingly killed Endeavor and destroyed his agency again. Exhausted as he looked, everyone seemed to know better than to push that line of thought further with him around.

Besides a few patched up wounds Recovery Girl deemed unnecessary to heal, Bakugou looked as good as new. It would've been impossible to realize his arm was broken the day before. He jammed his hands into his pockets as they walked out of the police station and silently slipped into the back of Naomasa's car without complaint. The urge to reach across the backseat and take Bakugou's hand burned in Uraraka, but she set it aside. Her need for physical comfort could wait. They had to focus on Todoroki.

The building they pulled behind was on the outskirts of the city, nondescript and easy to look over. It looked like an office at first glance, but when she examined it closer, she noticed the extra fortifications and security. Whoever ran this place wanted it to look boring and unimportant, but she had a feeling it was built and ran like a prison on the inside. Bakugou's jaw tightened as he looked it over, but he said nothing, most likely coming to the same conclusions as her.

People normally locked up here were dangerous villains who couldn't be placed in the general population of prison yet. She imagined villains were detained here during their trials. This was likely where villains like Shigaraki, Dabi, and the other League members had been held before being transferred to their maximum security prisons. Now it was Todoroki's place, stuck in the same room he had landed his brother after taking him down years ago. Dabi could've said something then, really dug a knife between his ribs, but he hadn't. The image of the way he'd pulled Todoroki away from their father's body flashed in her mind's eye.

No, this was much worse.

Naomasa led them inside. As Uraraka suspected, security was tight. They went through multiple security checks, confirming their identity and searched for any weapons. Bakugou snorted when he passed through the metal detector. As if he needed a weapon. He was one. Uraraka was less likely to be considered a threat, but she knew the strength of her quirk. She'd held up half a building on her own. She didn't require a gun to do damage. Still, they went through the routine without complaint and followed a guard to an interrogation room.

"This place is cheery," Bakugou muttered under his breath.

Uraraka didn't want to say it, but the hallway and rooms of the villain hideout had been warmer. Maybe it was a false warmth, but it was something. They'd tried to come up with the illusion of a safe place. She wasn't sure if it was for Deku or themselves. Villains were human too. They desired warmth, attention, comfort, safety. All of which Todoroki was being denied now. Not that he'd been treated any better before giving into the quirk - not like her - but he was with the enemy then. She wanted to believe he was safer and in better hands now that he was back on their side, but he was being treated so coldly.

The guard paused in front of a metal, gray door and turned to them. "Every visitation is recorded with both video and audio. You will be pulled out if anyone crosses a line. You are not to touch the prisoner-"

"Shouto," Uraraka cut in. The guard blinked, taken aback.

"He's a pro hero," Bakugou added sharply. "Show some fucking respect."

The guard opened his mouth to argue - Todoroki was a pro-hero who had murdered Endeavor and had caused the deaths of many others - but the glare in Uraraka's eyes told him to shut it. She heard the rules loud and clear, but to be honest, she didn't really care. The villains had warned her to keep her distance from Todoroki too, but they at least didn't force them apart when she ignored them. Her stomach turned at the almost positive comparison. Was this the world of heroes that Deku wanted to destroy?

"We know the drill," Bakugou ground out. "Now open the damn door and let us in."

Despite the suspicion in his eyes, the guard unlocked the door and pushed it open to reveal a drab, gray, concrete room. Naomasa stepped aside to let them enter, choosing to remain outside. He didn't want his presence to affect anything. Uraraka was grateful. She wanted it to be just them, even if she knew their meeting would be recorded. It didn't take away how much she wanted to see him.

It also didn't take away how much it hurt.

As soon as Uraraka's eyes landed on Todoroki, her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. Compared to how he looked held captive with the villains, he looked fresh, his hair washed and his face clean. Despite the dull look in his eyes, he appeared more rested. Maybe he wasn't sleeping well because of the guilty thoughts racing through his mind, but he wasn't being mentally tortured once a day anymore. At least not from someone on the outside. She was positive he was torturing himself enough. He was no longer in his trashed hero costume or cloaked in Dabi's jacket, but the prison clothes made tears prick her eyes.

Even worse were the quirk inhibitor braces on his wrists and the chain that shackled him to the table, leaving him unable to stand. Anger rose violently in Uraraka, and her hands clenched into fists at her side as she struggled not to lash out. When Todoroki lifted his eyes to meet hers, the air was stolen from her lungs. She'd never seen him look so broken in her life, not even after Deku's funeral. Everything hurt. A scream built up inside of her, barely kept down. She couldn't stand to see him like this.

Her eyes locked onto his, Uraraka took one step forward and then another, but before she knew it, she was rushing toward him, crying out, "Shouto!"

The guard lurched forward to stop her. "Uravity-"

It took everything in Uraraka's power to stop the guard with only a four-finger smack. She could've easily snatched away his gravity and sent him floating to the ceiling where he couldn't hold her back. "I know the rules," she said, glaring at him. He chewed on the inside of his cheek as he considered the words she hadn't said aloud.

I don't care.

He had warned them that they would be removed if they didn't follow the rules, but damn them anyway. If they were desperate enough to allow her and Bakugou to see Todoroki when he was on lockdown, they could afford to bend a few more rules. She refused to treat him like a prisoner, even if that was what he was. Disgust and rage boiled inside of her, making her stomach turn and her heart race. Blood thumped in her eyes as she stared the guard down until finally, he stepped back.

"I don't mind the rules," Todoroki said, not having moved in his seat.

"I do." Uraraka closed the distance between them and threw her arms around his neck. With him chained to the table, it was an awkward hug since he couldn't return it, but she let out a relieved sigh when he leaned into her. She was so scared he would push her away, but no, he needed this. Besides the authorities and guards, he had probably been alone, just like he was for the two weeks before. Instead of undergoing Kyōmu's quirk, he was being subjected to multiple rounds of questions by different people.

It wasn't much different in the end, was it?

Uraraka pulled back and bent down to tug on the chains. "I want these off."

"That's against regulation," the guard said. After being disobeyed once, he would likely put his foot down.

"It's okay, Ochako," Todoroki insisted quietly.

"No, it's not." Uraraka tightened her grip on the chain and stood up straight. "He's not an animal. He doesn't need to be chained to a table while we talk with him. It's not right."

The guard's jaw twitched. "It's for safety-"

"He's wearing quirk inhibitor braces, for fuck's sake," Bakugou snapped. He stepped inside, brushing past the guard brusquely. "If he can take us down, get past Naomasa, and escape here, then he deserves it." When he and Todoroki connected eyes, the latter straightened in his seat, a harder look coming over his face. It wasn't anger or disdain, not like he'd shown during the fight, but it was hard for her to read. "Give me the key and I'll do it if you're scared to get close. If he tries anything stupid, I'll take him out myself, but I doubt we will. He's not on the villain's side anymore."

"How can you be so sure?" Todoroki asked evenly.

Bakugou snorted. "Don't be so dramatic, Icy Hot." He held out a hand to the guard and tossed him a dull glare over his shoulder. "Keys, now."

"Go ahead," Naomasa told the guard. "The room is under close supervision."

Being chained down wouldn't have made Uraraka feel cooperative. She was certain Todoroki hadn't held anything back while being questioned, but a person's state of being could affect their mind. Once Bakugou snatched the keys from the guard, Uraraka stepped back so Bakugou could stand in her place.

However, when Bakugou grabbed the lock of the chain, Todoroki hesitated. "Wait." Panic flared across his face briefly before he shoved it back down. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I...I think I'm fine. The braces are a large enough hindrance, but what if I slip back? What if-?"

"You've gotta trust us." Bakugou stared him in the eyes, a stony expression on his face. "Also, are you really suggesting you could take me out in a no-quirk fight? That's stupid and insulting." He softened imperceptibly, the heat leaving his eyes, but it was enough for only Todoroki and Uraraka to notice. "Sounds like you to me."

Without waiting for any further disagreements, Bakugou undid the chain. It slid from his wrists and landed on the metal table with a loud clang. As soon as he was freed from it, Todoroki sucked in a gasp of air and leaned back in his seat, something he hadn't been able to do before. They had him on such a short leash. It was no wonder he felt like he couldn't breathe. Bakugou tossed the keys back to the guard and nodded at Naomasa. The two men left the room, silence falling over them as the door clicked shut.

Todoroki still couldn't do much with his wrists bound together, but he set his hands in his lap, stretching out his arms. "You came."

"Of course we did," Uraraka jumped to say. She grabbed a chair and pulled it around to sit next to him.

Bakugou folded his arms across his chest. "Why wouldn't we?"

"I thought…" Todoroki dropped his gaze to his lap. "I remember what you said after… But it could've been from the heat of battle, the rush of adrenaline, all the crazy emotions. I thought you might hate me. I wouldn't have blamed you if you did. I failed in the worst way possible. I fell into their grasp and all the tricks."

Uraraka squeezed his shoulder. "It wasn't you."

"It was," Todoroki said flatly. "I killed those people. Even if I was manipulated into doing it, I still did it." He blinked slowly. "I still killed my father."

Bakugou's jaw twitched. "Yeah, you did. Now it's time to do something about it - get back at the bastard that fucked with your head." He pointed a finger at Todoroki, who lifted his head just enough to peer at him through the hair that had fallen in his face. "That bastard used you. It's time we fuck him up for all the shit he's caused. Just because he's convinced other people to do his dirty work doesn't mean his hands are clean. He needs to pay."

"Careful, Bakugou," Todoroki warned. "Revenge doesn't taste nearly as sweet as you'd think."

No, it certainly did not. His confused, pained screams as Endeavor died echoed in her mind. Todoroki hadn't felt the relief or happiness that Kyōmu promised him should he kill his father. He thought he would be free once he finally rid of the world of a man who had tormented him for years, only to be chained down even further. He probably couldn't even see out of the black hole he felt like he'd fallen into.

"Don't think of it as revenge then," Uraraka told him. "We still need to save Deku." She chewed on her bottom lip in hesitation before softly adding, "And your brother."

Todoroki stiffened. "I don't know if he wants to be saved."

"I spoke with your family," Uraraka said. He glanced at her briefly before looking away again, as if unable to look her in the eyes at the mention of his family. "I can't begin to understand what you're feeling, but you should know they still love you. They want to see you, your mother especially."

"I can't," Todoroki croaked weakly.

"I know, I know. It's okay. You need time." Placating could only do so much, but Uraraka wasn't sure what to say but the truth. "She wants you to know they haven't abandoned you. It's...complicated." He snorted derisively. "It's seriously messed up. And maybe he doesn't want to be saved. But isn't that how you feel now? Like you don't deserve to see your family again? Like you betrayed them and us beyond repair?"

Todoroki dug his nails into his thighs. "That's what I did. I was worse than most villains. I killed those people and I felt absolutely nothing. Nothing , Ochako. I didn't even think about them after I took out the agency."

Bakugou slapped a hand on the table, startling both Todoroki and Uraraka. "Snap out of it, Todoroki. Save the angst for later. You can cry about how you were a villain or you can step back into your role as a hero and do something about it. Wallowing in guilt isn't going to do shit for the people you hurt and it's not going to help Deku."

Lifting his cuffed hands to rub his face, Todoroki sighed, "You're right. It's just…" He paused, keeping his hands over his face. "It's hard - to put it aside, I mean. Every time I close my eyes, I see my father bleeding out, the agency skewered, bodies in the street, Deku… I see Deku. He was so upset with me. I don't know why that betrayal hurts so much when I know it was the right thing to do but it does."

"He's alone." Uraraka gently swiped the hair out of Todoroki's face so she could see his eyes. "But you're not. We're right here with you every step of the way."

"Thank you." A troubled look swept over Todoroki. "Have you heard news about Iida? I asked, but I'm under a limited exposure to what's happening outside of here."

After Uraraka and Bakugou glanced at each other, Bakugou shook his head. "No one's told us anything. They keep hounding us for answers but don't tell us shit. Last I heard he was in surgery, but that was when we first arrived at the hospital."

Uraraka fiddled with her hands. "Maybe no news is good news. If something happened to him, they would've told us, right?"

Bakugou didn't say anything. Neither did Todoroki. He knew less than they did about what happened out there. Naomasa would've told them, wouldn't he? Unless they were concerned it would be a distraction. Iida had been so still after taking that hit from Deku in order to save Bakugou. She struggled to remember the details, but she couldn't be sure if he was breathing when she took off his mask. He hadn't responded to her cries or holding him. He hadn't moved. His chest wasn't moving. He wasn't-

A hand on her shoulder stilled her. She glanced back at Bakugou and nodded her head, reassuring him she was fine. She was okay. The idea of pushing Iida to the back of her mind felt like a slap in his face, but she knew it had to be done. Todoroki had asked to see them. Maybe he hoped talking with them, her especially, might jog his memory and help him piece more details together. Kyōmu's quirk had made a mess of his mind, but he was trying to sort through the fiction to find the truth.

"I need your help," Todoroki said, bringing them back to the point. "It's...strange thinking about what it was like when I was being held captive. I guess since I'm no longer going under his quirk repeatedly, my actual memories are coming back, but it's hard to figure out which one is the truth. Some of them feel off, like they're not quite right, but they're also so real. I keep worrying that the ones that feel off are the truth and he made it like that so I'd question myself."

Repeated conditioning must have been what strengthened the quirk. Deku had gone under it a lot more times than Todoroki had, which meant he could go longer periods without needing it. Hadn't Kyōmu said eventually he wouldn't need the quirk used on him at all? The conditioning would be final, his altered memories set in stone. Would they even be able to bring him back after that point or would his true memories be gone?

"I know other memories were messed with as well," Todoroki continued. "He wanted to make sure I was on Izuku's side about Bakugou." He shook his head, as if trying to rid himself of them. "You were fucking awful."

"I'd really like to know how I made this asshole's shit list," Bakugou grumbled.

Todoroki shrugged. "I don't think he really cares about you, to be honest. You were a means to an end. It didn't help that you played right into his hand by becoming closer with Ochako."

Bakugou grunted irritably. "I didn't do it to piss off you or Deku."

"I know, but Kyōmu made it seem like…" Todoroki leaned back in the chair, tilting his head back to look at the ceiling as he struggled to latch onto a fake memory. It must have been so weird - sorting through real and false memories, trying to pick the right ones. "Like you'd been after her for a while." An indignant, choking sound slipped from Bakugou. "The night Izuku died - or didn't die. On the cliff - you hesitated. I...know why, but Kyōmu did something, I think, that made it look like you hesitated on purpose - like you wanted him to die."

" What ?" Bakugou barked. "And you believed that?"

"It wasn't hard, considering all the times you threatened to kill him and your heated rivalry," Todoroki responded, absolutely brutal in his honesty. It even made Bakugou clamp his mouth shut. "You don't understand the quirk. He can alter memories in massive ways, but that takes time and repeated visits. His true strength lies in tweaking little things here and there and talking through them after. You come up with your own conclusions, your own ideas about how you feel about it. Everything you think or do, it's his doing, but it really is you too."

Pissed as he was, Bakugou didn't argue with the explanation. Instead, he stepped around the table and dropped into the seat across from Todoroki. "So he made me look like a jealous asshole who wanted Deku out of the way. That explains your comment about me sniffing around Uraraka like I was a dog."

Todoroki tilted his head. "You aren't?"

"Shut up." Bakugou rubbed his temple. "So I was just a target for you and Deku?"

"Well, we needed something for us to lock on - to focus on - in order for us to turn against our ideals." Shouto shifted in his seat. "You and Izuku have a complicated history, so Kyōmu used that against him. After he twisted Midoriya's memories of you, he probably made it seem like you had to be taken out in order to cleanse society and also protect Ochako. That's how I felt."

"He made you think I was like Endeavor."

"It wasn't difficult," Todoroki admitted.

Bakugou stiffened, clenching his jaw, but he didn't argue. It must have stung to hear something like that, even if they knew it wasn't true. Temperamental as he might be, Uraraka knew he wasn't like Endeavor. He wanted to make it to the top, but he would only use his own power to make it there instead of forcing his will onto others. His ambition had been the same as Endeavor's back in the day - become the Number One Hero - and maybe he would step on people in the process, but he wouldn't use others to get there. He was better than that, no matter what others and Deku thought of him now.

"Your obsession to become number one, your rivalry and jealousy of Izuku growing up, your fire-related quirk, your temper and aggressive behavior, your tendency to take over and ignore everyone else." The more Todoroki listed things off, the tenser Bakugou became, but still, he said nothing in his defense. Uraraka hated it, but she could see how Kyōmu had manipulated Todoroki's view of him. "I know it's not anywhere near the same, but he got it in my head that you were going to use Ochako like my dad did my mom. You didn't want her for her; you wanted her because of what she stood for, so you could take her away from Izuku and beat him."

None of them said a word as Todoroki's explanation sank in. As much as Uraraka knew it wasn't true, his words did make a compelling argument. If Kyōmu's quirk worked the best on tweaking small details, it really would have been easy to make Todoroki believe Bakugou was as much of a monster as his father had been. Even worse, he had taken away the memories of his father and Bakugou working to be better people.

Uraraka slowly pulled back. "That's absurd."

"I really did play right into his hands," Bakugou muttered. "And I kept doing it."

"What do you mean?" Uraraka asked.

"Fighting Deku head-on, acting all pissed off and aggressive, trying to keep you away from him." Bakugou propped an elbow on the table and put his forehead in his hand, shielding his eyes. "I've been acting the part Kyōmu put in Deku's head this whole time. The harder I fought, the angrier I became over this shit, the more determined I became to defeat him, I confirmed what Deku thought about me." His lips twisted into a grimace. "I probably reinforced the fucking quirk."

"Just like my presence did. Kyōmu even brought that up." Uraraka's shoulders slumped, her gazing dropping to the floor. "I thought I could help snap him out of it if I was there, but instead it played into his fantasy and dream about us being together again. This was just something we had to work through like a normal couple. Eventually I'd agree with him and we'd be happy - and because I was nervous about upsetting him, I tried to placate him more often than not and ended up acting like he hoped half the time."

Todoroki lifted his hands to rest them on the table and leaned forward. "I can't really explain how I snapped out of the quirk's hold, considering I can still feel the effects. It's like I've got two paths. I could slip back into the altered memories and accept them as reality. It's tempting. It really is, especially because rejecting them means accepting my guilt and that I was wrong. As painful as they were, they were also easier to accept. It's so easy to believe that people don't change."

Was it truly easier to believe that people were bad? Uraraka had lived her entire life seeing the good in people. So had Deku, but even she could be petty. It was so unlike him to hate Bakugou and want to kill him out of revenge or jealousy when he had been filled with such respect and determination. Even when he flinched away from Bakugou during their first year, he never begrudged him for his behavior. Deku forgave him - accepted him - as his faults came. It couldn't have been easy. Kindness was a strength not everyone had.

While she knew the compassion that laid in his heart, kindness didn't come naturally to Todoroki. He had been dealt more than a raw hand. The idea that kindness was a weakness had been burned into his heart at a young age. It took him time to figure it out again and even then he held grudges and could be passive aggressive with his cold nature as he was aggressive with his hothead. Kyōmu had needed the extra time to nurture the dormant fear, anger, pain, and insecurities that rested in the back of Deku's mind.

He had not with Todoroki. It had taken him a while to believe his father was truly trying to change his ways and even longer to accept it. He hadn't wanted to believe it, if only because it made his already complicated feelings towards his father even more complex. People would always prefer a simple explanation over a difficult one.

"Uraraka didn't go along with it," Todoroki continued. "She directly contradicted the memories Kyōmu altered. Who should I believe more: my memories or the hero right in front of me? It didn't make sense. I thought-" He swallowed and took a few shallow breaths. "I genuinely thought she told me it was okay to give in - that it would help me be free of all the suffering I felt. And I was - or at least I thought I was. For years, I'd been stuck under the expectations of so many people, but I was relieved. When she shattered that illusion, I realized I didn't feel relief; I felt nothing. I was hollow. It wasn't real."

Bakugou pulled his hand away from his face. "We've told Deku that he's being lied to and manipulated. It didn't work."

"Yeah, but it made him hesitate," Uraraka said. "It confused him. The same thing happened when I helped Shouto snap out of the quirk. It was like breaking through a wall."

Tapping his finger on the table, Bakugou begrudgingly said, "When Deku pinned me down, I didn't know what to do and I couldn't fight back, so I just started trying to reason with him. It took him off guard. He didn't expect me to actually open up and be honest about how I felt."

"Right, because that's not something the Kacchan he knows would do," Uraraka pointed out.

"I know it sounds simple, just breaking an illusion, like Utsushimi's quirk," Todoroki said, "but it's more than that. It's like there are roots dug deep in my head and either they die, get cut off, or need to be dug up. The real memories are becoming stronger, the fake ones or altered details fading, but they're still there. You have to really do something that contradicts the quirk memories."

Leaning back, Bakugou scoffed. "So even if we do manage to snap Deku out of the hold, he could fall right back into it without that bastard even around?"

"His old on Izuku is a lot stronger than with me," Todoroki said. "He genuinely trusts and believes him. It's...like he has somehow replaced All Might in his eyes. Not entirely, but something along those lines. He craves a person like that in his life."

Both Uraraka and Bakugou looked away. Deku's father hadn't been around. Uraraka had only met the man once at Deku's funeral, but even then he hadn't stayed for long. Deku loved his mother more than anything - the fact that he was such a mama's boy was so endearing to her - but he almost never talked about his father. He had barely known the man. It made sense he would want a father figure in his life, even as an adult, someone who had his back, could guide him, protect him, love him. Even before All Might became his mentor, that was what Deku wanted.

Todoroki shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "He...kind of did that with me."

"Did what?" Uraraka asked.

"He, ah…" Todoroki rolled his shoulders and didn't look at either one of them, as if ashamed to look them in the eyes. "He acted like a father."

Bakugou made a disgruntled face. "That's fucked up. He was torturing you."

Todoroki's voice was devoid of emotion as he continued. "At the end, it didn't feel like. Even if it hurt, afterward, he was reassuring and supportive. He made it seem like what he was doing was helping me. Izuku said I would feel better once old, repressed memories came to light and I could move on. Ochako wanted him to help me, ease my pain and anguish. When I stopped fighting, he congratulated me. He told me he was proud of how far I'd come."

All Uraraka could do was listen in horror. She had seen that sort of behavior from Kyōmu firsthand when he'd pat Todoroki's head and assured him that he was safe and Endeavor couldn't hurt him anymore. It hurt to remember such things, but it was for the best. Burying such dark secrets would only make the pain fester until it ate him alive from the inside out. He needed to confront his past. He needed to confront his father. Despite the painful mental torture, Kyōmu was capable of such a gentle touch afterward.

A vague idea popped into Uraraka's mind. "It kind of sounds like what a therapist would say, doesn't it?"

Sneering in disgust, Bakugou grumbled, "Who would want to go to a therapist that messes with your head?"

"Many quirks can harm just as much as they can help," Todoroki said thoughtfully.

Bakugou folded his arms across his chest, hiding his hands. It wasn't an exact dig at him, but she could tell by the way he worked his jaw that he took it as such, considering the situation. He used his quirk to save people now, but when he was young and stupid, he'd used it to bully and demean people he considered beneath him, especially Deku because of his quirkless status. Endeavor had become the Number One Hero with the power and versatility of his quirk and also terrorized his family to the point where Todoroki refused to use the fire half of his for ten years and his oldest son became a villain.

"It would be a really helpful quirk in therapy," Uraraka agreed. "Hypnosis isn't a faulty way of retrieving repressed memories. They're not always true since the person is in a suggestive state." Not even a hypnosis quirk could recall perfect memories. Deku had watched a series of documentaries on it. She remembered finding him passed out on the couch with his face pressed against a notebook while it replayed on the television. "You said Kyōmu brought a few memories you'd blocked out to the surface, right?"

When Todoroki nodded, Bakugou countered, "How do you know they're true? You said it yourself: it's hard to distinguish them or key differences."

"I also said the differences start to fade or, if the memory was altered more or somehow removed, I remember both." Todoroki peered sideways at him. "After the Kamino Incident, did you attack Izuku in front of all of us and call him a pathetic loser?"

"No," Bakugou bit back. At least not in front of them.

They knew about the fight he and Deku had gotten into on campus shortly after they moved in. Deku told her some about what had happened after he divulged the truth about his quirk, but it was still a memory meant mostly for them. It was also one Uraraka had no doubt Kyōmu had tampered with, as if it was a pivotal moment in their relationship. For some reason, that hurt too. She could still picture the small smile on Deku's face when he talked about that night, even though it wasn't exactly a happy memory. It was important though, one that he cherished.

And Kyōmu had taken that away from him.

"Mm, I have a feeling he altered some of the same memories in my head as he did Deku's to fit the narrative," Todoroki murmured. "He's very consistent if nothing else. Meticulous."

"You make it sound like he's some plotting evil genius," Bakugou said.

"No, he's just...smart. Careful. I don't know how to explain it." Todoroki's brow furrowed slightly. "He's a bit like Izuku, you know. He's always got a plan and he's very aware of people - their strengths and weaknesses. He knew that Dabi needed conditioning too. He made sure our memories lined up."

"What do you mean?" Uraraka asked him.

Todoroki shrugged in a way that said he wasn't sure. "The more I think about it, the more I'm certain he either planted memories or made it appear like Touya and I were closer. I don't...remember being close to him. I don't remember him much at all. Before my quirk manifested, Dad was training him, which meant he was separated from us. His quirk was stronger, but also weaker than mine since he lacks fire resistance."

Oh. Uraraka did not like that implication. "The burns…"

"Touya was...twelve or thirteen when my quirk manifested? He was dropped after that, but before that our father didn't lighten his training despite his incompatible quirk." Todoroki grimaced. "I remember him being injured a lot. He was smaller too, so people always mistook him for being younger, and spent time in the hospital. I remember him and my dad getting into fights, him trying to shield Mom from getting hit or me from being trained. It never worked out well. He tried to be a big brother in the end, but I think he was just done by then and Dad especially didn't like him around me since he was considered a failure."

Bakugou threw out his hands. "Fucking hell. You didn't stand a chance with memories like that."

"No, I didn't. I was an easy target." Todoroki took a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing. It was so hard not to be angry at a man who had just died, but it didn't feel right. God only knew how Todoroki felt. "I also think Touya - Dabi, whatever you want to call him - might have broken out of the quirk too. He went ballistic after our father was shot and then just shut down when he died. Maybe he didn't have to go through as much conditioning as much, but I think something went wrong with him too."

Be careful what you wish for, as the saying went. Both Todoroki and Dabi had truly believed they wanted their father dead, but now that he was, they were both paying the price. She thought of Dabi's cavalier attitude while she'd been with the villains compared to how he'd reacted after Endeavor died. She pictured him smirking, laughing, gloating, or simply just walking away, washing his hands of the whole thing, not the silence and shock or the way he'd tried to drag Todoroki away.

"I'm not fucking saving him too," Bakugou snapped.

Todoroki sighed. "It might not matter."

A knock on the door interrupted them. Uraraka grabbed Todoroki's arm, prepared to tell the guard they weren't ready to leave, when Naomasa walked into the room. She didn't loosen her grip.

"You're okay," Naomasa reassured them. "Something you said caught my interest." He set a tablet down on the table in between them. "We don't have a line on Kyōmu's identity, but we're positive it's an alias. The other villain Uraraka captured, Ikeda, was going under one as well. She didn't have much to say on him either, claiming she was recruited by someone else and didn't know him."

"Why was she following them?" Bakugou questioned.

"She said she was bored," Naomasa replied dryly.

Bakugou gaped. "Are you fucking…?" He shook his head. "Whatever."

Uraraka honestly didn't know whether to believe that or not. Ikeda had often worn a face that suggested she was ready to sleep the day away, but not in the same exhausted way as Aizawa had looked. It was like she needed something of interest to keep her awake. Maybe it had something to do with her sleep and dream-related quirk.

"From the way you've described it, I think his quirk would be suited for therapy of some kind," Naomasa said as he pulled up a file on the tablet. "It's possible he was in that line of work before he became a villain. The...sessions with his quirk that you went under do sound similar to something done in therapy."

"Who the hell would want someone who can poke around in their head?"

It might've been beyond Bakugou, but for Uraraka, she could kind of understand the appeal. She'd gone to a few therapy sessions while attending UA to deal with some of the more traumatic events, but her boss had practically ordered her to attend them after Deku's passing. It was a condition for her to return to work so soon. She had been concerned that Uraraka wasn't allowing herself to grieve for her loss. There were days when she might have welcomed the idea that someone could pluck memories out of her mind so she wouldn't be in so much pain and others when she would've cried happily to have good ones brought back to the surface so she could be at peace.

"If he was a therapist or psychiatrist of some kind," Naomasa explained, "it's more than likely he didn't use his quirk the way he does now." He inclined his head at Todoroki. "You're right: some quirks can both help and hurt, depending on how you use them. I doubt most people would've thought a quirk like that was suitable for villainy or anything beyond his job, especially if he didn't divulge how much he could do with it. Do you tell everyone the exact details of your quirk?"

No, she did not. For Bakugou and Todoroki, their quirks were more straightforward. Bakugou could create explosions with his palms and Todoroki could create ice and fire. Of course, there were more details to them than that, but as Naomasa said, they tried not to tell people the exact nature of their quirk. Deku certainly hadn't told people the reality of his quirk.

The thought made her both wonder and very wary. Kyōmu had to know unless Deku had been able to keep that secret locked away. Shinsou said he was the only person to break free of his brainwashing quirk completely on his own. He was strong enough. Still, she knew that All Might was especially concerned, to the point where he had told the people running point on this about his former quirk. One for All could not be forcibly taken, but if Kyōmu could somehow convince Deku to pass it on to someone more pliable…

Uraraka took the tablet, sliding it closer to her. "So you compiled a list of men in that field of work?"

"It's still a lot, but we narrowed it down to those whose licenses have either expired or they're no longer working as one, on top of anyone over thirty," Naomasa explained. "We figured it was safe to assume he's no longer working in the civilian capacity."

"A psychiatrist by day, a villain by night," Bakugou said. "That would be one hell of a secret identity."

"I also thought it might be worth a shot to narrow it down to those who have kids."

Uraraka glanced up at him. "You really think…?"

Naomasa sighed. "The list was massive as it is. We had to do something. Todoroki said he acted as a parental figure for both him and Midoriya. If he's not in the list, we can take that filter out and broaden the search." He had a point. Todoroki stayed silent and looked down. She thought he might be somewhat humiliated, but decided against bringing it up. If that was the case, it made matters even more complicated for him. Abused by his hero father, tortured by a villain who came off as more kind and sympathetic. It didn't paint a pretty picture. "He may have changed his appearance so we didn't narrow it down by hair or eye color, but if anyone stands out…"

"Of course," Uraraka said for them. Todoroki had already zoned in on the tablet, leaning closer to her in order to get a better look as she flicked through the files. It went without saying. She heard Naomasa walk away and then the door open and shut. Since Bakugou didn't know what Kyōmu looked like, he hung back, arms folded across his chest and legs spread out under the table. Even after narrowing it down, there were still a lot of files to sort through.

Bakugou tipped his head back. "This is going to take a while."

"Unless we get lucky," Uraraka said.

"How many times have we gotten lucky since this shit started?"

It was hard to say. At first glance, not very many, but more villains had died and been captured than heroes killed or hurt. Uraraka had been kidnapped and then let go. Todoroki had been saved if she didn't count the fact that he was locked up. Bakugou was still alive. She had to take the small victories where she could, if only so she didn't drown under the weight of everything else. Endeavor dead. Shinsou in critical condition. Iida…

Uraraka blinked back the tears, willing them away so they didn't splash on the tablet.

After thirty minutes of going through the files as fast as they could, Bakugou went to get a drink. When he returned, he slid two styrofoam cups of lukewarm tea in their direction. Uraraka thanked him quietly while Todoroki blinked in confusion like he hadn't even realized Bakugou left the room. He stared at the cup, unsure of what to make of it, before he slowly took it and stared into the liquid.

"It's a cup of tea," Bakugou snapped. "No need to be weird about it."

"No, it's just…" A strange look crossed over Todoroki's face. "I used to have a cup of tea every time I got up like clockwork, no matter the time, no matter what happened, just to clear my head." He held the small cup awkwardly in his hands because of the handcuffs. "I haven't had one since before I was taken. I didn't think of it now, but I guess I missed it."

It was the little things that made up a person. Uraraka doubted Bakugou knew how Todoroki liked his tea or what his flavor was. Even if he did, he most likely didn't have the ability to make it perfect. She knew he preferred to make his tea in a machine whereas most people used a kettle - that he drank tea in the morning but also when he worked late at night on cases or paperwork - that he could drink it hot or cold like the temperature didn't matter to him - that his mother hadn't drunk a cup of tea in nearly twenty years.

Something so insignificant to someone could mean something completely different to someone else. To Bakugou, it was just a cup of tea, but to Todoroki, it had such complicated connotations. Life before it went to hell with Deku and life after it went to hell with his mother. It was nothing and something all at once.

Bakugou harrumphed and sat back down. "I'm surprised Kyōmu didn't offer you one."

"It would've been a good way in," Todoroki mused. "We talked some after sessions, but not a lot. There wasn't a lot of time and he was often exhausted after using his quirk since he had to do it more often."

"Wasn't like his usual therapy sessions, I guess," Bakugou said.

"No, these were a little more advanced." Todoroki gripped the cup tighter before lifting it to his lips to sip on. He didn't make a face or spit it out, but it was still hard to tell whether he liked it or not. She kind of thought it tasted more like water, but he didn't complain as he set the cup down on the table. Either out of politeness or he simply didn't care, she wasn't sure. She'd have to find a way to get him the tea he liked. Surely they could allow that.

A five-minute break to rest their eyes and another twenty or so minutes of looking at pictures, Todoroki grabbed her hand before she could automatically swipe to the left. His grip tightened as he stared at the photo, his body trembling just a hair.

Even though he wasn't looking in their direction, Bakugou must've caught his sudden reaction in the reflection of the two-way mirror since he sat upright and turned to them. "Is it-?"

"Yes," Todoroki cut in.

"Are you positive?" Bakugou demanded.

Uraraka pressed on the photo to enlarge it on the screen. The man's hair was the same color but shorter, cut in a more professional style, and he looked some odd years younger. He wore a faint but warm smile on his face, one that hinted at the kindness in his blue eyes. His clothes were more casual than the outfits she'd seen Kyōmu wear, more inviting and open. He looked like the kind of man you could trust with your insecurities, exuding positive energy even in the photo, but most importantly, so average she'd never flipped right past him. In a world with heteronormative quirks, someone bland like him - like Deku back when they were kids - could hide in a crowd and never be noticed.

"It's him," Uraraka confirmed. Hatred rolled in her stomach uncomfortably. She set the tablet on the table, not trusting herself to hold it without throwing it across the room in disgust. Bakugou took it as Todoroki sank in his seat, visibly closing in on himself. No, no, she couldn't let that happen. She grabbed his hands. "Naomasa?"

Not even a second later, the detective was striding into the room, already on his way. Bakugou seemed reluctant to give the tablet up, but he passed it to Naomasa, who briefly read through the information.

"Takumi Yoshida," Naomasa read. "According to this information, he's not been in practice for four years. He had his own, but it looks like he closed it." He searched the file more. "No, wait, it's been marked as collateral damage. Businesses have to report any damage caused by villain attacks or during a confrontation with a hero for insurance purposes. We'll need to call them for more information, but that's what it looks like here."

"Anything actually useful?" Bakugou asked.

"His last known address, phone number, and a few other things," Naomasa said, "but I doubt they're current. I'll call it in to get a more detailed report." He clicked off the tablet. "Depending on if he's completely off the grid these days, we might be able to get a clue to his whereabouts. He doesn't look like the type who could survive like most back alley criminals."

"You think he looks like the type who could manipulate two top pro heroes into murdering people?"

Naomasa inclined his head in concession. "That's true. He honestly doesn't."

"He didn't look like that when I met him," Uraraka admitted. "At least not at first. He seemed so...normal."

Then again, not all villains looked like villains. According to Deku, before his first fight with All Might, All for One had looked very much like a normal person too. Besides a few, most of the villains Uraraka had seen with this new League could pass in a crowd as well. People got it in their heads that villains had to look evil, but that wasn't the case. Sure, the evil, scary ones stood out more, but like it or not, villains and criminals lived their daily lives too alongside civilians, police, and heroes. They didn't all hide in the shadows and creep around.

"Any information goes a long way," Naomasa said. "Thank you."

Todoroki bowed his head. "I'm sorry it took so long. I wish I could be more helpful."

"You're doing everything you can," Naomasa reassured him. Uraraka squeezed his hands. "I know this is hard. To be honest, I don't like seeing you here. I'm concerned it's hindering you, but-"

"No, it's the right call," Todoroki interrupted.

"You don't belong here," Uraraka insisted.

Todoroki sighed. "I'd rather not argue about that right now."

Uraraka fought the urge to chew on her lip. It would bleed if she kept it up. "Okay." When she squeezed his hands again, he squeezed back. She smiled at him before turning back to Naomasa. "Can we stay a little longer?"

"Of course," Naomasa said. "I'll call this in. When I'm done, I'll come back to collect you. They're fairly strict on visiting hours."

When Naomasa turned to leave, Bakugou mockingly mouthed the words "visiting hours" and let out a trademark "Tch." He glared at the door when it closed before sweeping his attention to the mirror where the guard and who knew else was watching them. He was uncomfortable. They had all been in a room like this before for their jobs as heroes, but never quite like this. Instead of a criminal or villain in cuffs, it was one of their own. Even though they were on the side of the heroes, even Uraraka couldn't help but feel like they were against her or she was against them, like they were fighting this war on their own.

"Can you…?" Todoroki closed his eyes. "Can you talk me through some things? Remind me of them? I remember a few things that I think aren't right, but I don't know."

"More memories of me being a horrible monster?" Bakugou drawled.

Todoroki opened his eyes to stare blankly at him. "A few."

"Sounds like a blast." Bakugou leaned a forearm against the table and waved a hand. "Let's hear 'em."

Even if he might've sounded pissed off, his suddenly at ease posture gave him away. Uncomfortable as he might've been being watched, Bakugou had shoved all of that aside for Todoroki. He was struggling, drowning, and if acting like this was nothing would help him, Bakugou would do that. He'd be gruff and blunt, like he was normally, but he wouldn't be dismissive. It was exactly what Todoroki needed right now.

Pulling her warm gaze away from Bakugou, Uraraka relaxed her shoulders and told Todoroki, "Start wherever you want. We'll tell you if something doesn't line up."

"I think...our first Sports Festival is a good place to begin," Todoroki replied hesitantly.

"Kyōmu was tampering with that when I was there."

"Yes, he was. I remember that. You're right."

Todoroki took a deep breath and paused to gather his thoughts as best as he could. Despite Bakugou normally being impatient, he waited without saying a word or moving. People always thought he was rash and loud, but she knew he could be calculating too, if not quiet. This was one of those times, but she found it rather comforting too. In a strange way, Todoroki must have as well because as he began to talk, he started to relax. Uraraka didn't know what they could do for him right now except listen and so that was what they did. For so long, he was used to no one listening to him or his cries for help, but they were here for him now.