Oh. My. God.

It's been an eternity since I last updated this fic. A million apologies to you all *cries*
Life happens, and I had a small writer block (very small...).
But now it's back on track, and I've written way more than usual, so I hope you won't be mad ^^

Cheers!

CHAPTER 15 – Keep moving forward, even if it kills you in the end

"Bakugou did WHAT?"

Philae had never seen Ochako angry, and she realised why it was better that way. The brunette was ready to tear the wall open with her fists, her aura giving off a dangerous waft of murderous intents. The rest of class 1A had come back for the evening, after a normal day – or what could pass as normal for future heroes –. Ochako, Tsuyu, and Izuku had immediately tried to get news from Phi, as they knew she had to try and summon again. They were eager to learn how it had turned out, and congratulated her when they heard it had gone well.

At some point during the conversation, though, she had to explain why the blonde disaster named Bakugou Katsuki was looking much calmer, eyeing her still, but with an air of stubborn expectancy rather than downright hostility. He had even muttered a civil g'night before he strode back to his own business, which was alarming everyone. Zen-Bakugou was calling for apocalypse. His challenge had therefore been mentioned, and being the overreacting kind of girl Ochako was, her discontent showed immediately.

"How dare he!," she raged, the others slightly backing away from her. "he has the gall to threaten you, and then act as if it were the most normal thing to do? No sir! Absolutely not! Let me show him where respect lies!"

"Ochako, please," Phi pleaded, "I don't want any trouble. I'll train hard and fight him fairly, so that he leaves me in peace."

The gravity girl scoffed.

"And he'll likely harass you for a rematch, again and again, until he finally beats you and gloats. No, that's not right."

"The fact that he wants to fight her, or the harassing part, ribbit?"

"Both!" Ochako threw her fists in the air in exasperation. "That guy is an absolute a-"

"If he does harass me," Philae placated her, "I will ask Infuriae to defend my dignity. Don't worry, I've got this."

At least, I hope I do. Truth be told, she did not feel overly confident in her ability to beat the bombing prodigy. He was way better trained that she would ever be, and she doubted he would wait for ages.

Or, he would be sensible. Not.

She shook the self-depreciating thoughts away. If she was to become a hero, she had to overcome any kind of adversity. A fight against Bakugou could serve as good training for her. She had to consider that way, at least.

If only Ochako could calm down...

Iida chose this time to interrupt, his responsibility as the class rep demanding he said something to restore peace in the group.

"Philae is right, Uraraka. We mustn't solve this kind of problems ourselves. Besides, if anything fishy comes from Bakugou, I'll take responsibility in reminding him the rules. He's already crossed the line once with Midoriya, I'm sure he wouldn't like to ignite Aizawa-sensei's wrath a second time. It'd be his last."

His tirade calmed things down a bit with its rational thinking. He was right, Bakugou had bent the rules when he had challenged Izuku to an unauthorised fight, and he had been punished for that. He had to tread carefully now. Philae sent a grateful look Iida's way.

Ochako did not look fully convinced, though she visibly deflated.

"I suppose you're right," she finally sighed, "but!," she exclaimed, looking back at Philae. "If he ever tries anything and you need help, I'll be happy to kick his ass, the old fashioned way! I've had efficient training and he shouldn't underestimate me!"

"No need, though, ribbit," Tsuyu chimed in, "as Phi will be put under the tutelage of a pro hero fitted for training her and her Quirk, along with All Might. She'll be up to the challenge in no time, ribbit ribbit."

"Oh, that's right!," Ochako reverted back to her excited self, her anger temporarily forgotten. "You're going to be tutored by Ryuukyuu! She's wonderful, you'll progress in a flash!"

"And we'll be there to help, ribbit."

Glad for the change in the formerly electric atmosphere, Philae smiled.

"She's your tutor too, right?"

"Yes! She's the best you could hope for, I cannot wait to see you train with her! This will be epic!"

Her smile grew wider. She could not wait to go with her two female friends either.

"Number nine Dragoon Hero Ryuukyuu," commented Iida, readjusting his glasses on his nose like a schooled student, "certainly the best fitted choice for you to improve, Philae."

"I don't doubt that. I just hope she won't mind my, ah, inexperience."

The gravity girl shook her head vigorously.

"Nonsense! She wouldn't have accepted if she feared that."

This relieved her a little. She hated thinking she was a dead weight. She wanted to manage by herself quickly.

"I'm glad, then. She can turn into a dragon, right?"

"Yes. She'll be in a position to teach you how to control draconic abilities, which will give you a serious advantage on the field, ribbit."

"I'm sure she will turn you into a pro in a beat!," the gravity girl prompted. "You'll be fit for hero work in no time, and you'll give that jackass a lesson!"

"Don't talk about your comrade like that," Iida chastised half-heartedly, "though I agree it'd be nice to have you remind him he's not invincible."

"I think he's already learnt a few things when he got rejected at the provisional hero-licensing exam, ribbit," Tsuyu piped up pensively, before their class rep shushed her.

"Don't say that to him, or it'll call for another crisis. I don't want him to blow a fuse again."

"Serves him right!" Ochako puffed up her cheeks. "He always thinks he's the best, it does him some good to be put back in his place, once in a while."

"Guys," Philae placated them, "I don't about that, but if I at least learn the basics so as not to destroy the area every time I sneeze, then I'll be fine for a while."

Her friends gave her an incredulous look, before the brunette punched her playfully in the shoulder.

"Now don't you get cocky too!"

"But that's true!"

They teased her and the girls made further plans with her, now that they were going to the same agency together. Then, they made her promise to give them news of her progress, especially Izuku who was insatiable for knowledge and would indubitably ask. Philae felt warm and cosy, almost at home. She would have never thought she could find people that wonderful in this world, and if it reminded her of her best friend and family back in her real home and sent a slight twinge of sadness to her heart, she thought it best to ignore it for now.

"I'm Philae Crawford, but you can call me Phi. I'm very honoured to meet you, Ms Tatsuma."

Philae bowed as low as she could, given that the woman before her was a pro hero that had accepted to tutor her, an unknown girl without any field experience and close to no Quirk-training, on top of her undoubtedly heavy schedule. She had been escorted to an agency down town by Ochako and Tsuyu, who then left her to take care of their own business.

The two policemen that had followed her for a little while, had finally ended their escorting her. She would not need any more watching, as she was to be more frequently around pro heroes, and they had an emergency call more important than her anyway. Thank the gods for small miracles, even though she knew she was not exactly off the hook with inspector Naomasa. There would undoubtedly be another visit from him, if only to get news from his friend, and he would then check up on her too. But maybe she would get some freedom back from now on. It was tiresome to be constantly watched and followed, even if it was for her own good – as well as everyone's –.

Her elder prompted her to straighten up with a dismissive wave.

"Don't bother with so much deference. I'm not some kind of elderly woman with a thousand years weighing me down. And call me Ryuukyuu."

Philae nodded and obliged, observing her tutor quietly. The Dragoon Hero was a beautiful, curvy woman, and even though she was not very tall per se, her whole being screamed power. Her costume consisted of a traditional qipao with scaly motifs, a headdress with a scaly headband and a claw-like front, dragon wing ornaments behind her head, and spiked earrings. Her slit pupils and inhumanly pointy teeth reminded those of dragons. She imposed her presence in the room, and in front of her, Philae felt like a youngling presented to a queen.

She absently thought that Infuriae would have been pleased to see she would be taught by such a beauty, no doubt hoping she would turn his mistress into a fine lady like her. Maybe she would.

After a few seconds of mutual perusing, Ryuukyuun blinked and smiled tightly.

"I'm glad I've come to finally meet you. All Might believes you retain much potential, and as usual, he's not mistaken in his judgement."

Such praise made Philae blush. All Might had been talking about her to a pro?

Of course, silly, he wanted her to tutor you, so he had to come to it at some point, she chastised herself mentally. Focus!

The elder woman continued unaware.

"U.A. briefed me quickly about you situation, and I agree I'm in the best position to help you. You're aware our abilities are not to be played with, and I'll be damned if I ever let you roam free with so much power and so little experience. However, I need to know some specifics about your Quirk, if you can give them."

"Yes, Ms-Ryuukyuu."

The heroin nodded appreciatively. She produced a notepad and a pen, ready to write down notes, her face one of rapt attention. Philae did not know exactly what specifics were to be told, but she ventured a guess as to how her Quirk worked in terms of draconic abilities. Her tutor had to compare both Quirks, she believed.

"So. To begin with, I've never turned into a full-bodied dragon." A nod prompted her to go on. "Not that I cannot, I've just never tested so far into my Quirk, or felt the need to. Until now, I've only asked for small changes at a time, depending on the situation; scales, a tail, or claws, are the features I've already presented once. Needless to say my clothes didn't agree." She chuckled nervously, thinking back to the last fight at the café – she had to check if the owner was alright, next time she could get out –. "All in all, I've never trained my stamina or physical duress, as I've come to fear my abilities."

Ryuukyuu hummed.

"With perfectly understandable reasons. We're here to remedy that."

She had expected it, having heard from All Might that the poor girl had discovered a large part of her abilities in less than ideal circumstances, to say the least. But instead of turning into a blood-thirsty outcast, as she could have become, she wanted to be a hero, and the elder understood the sheer support her teacher showed all too well. Dragons were mythical beasts, that if guided right, could serve the greater good quite well. But if not, they could destroy more than a few lives. The consequences of Philae ever losing control, or worse, joining the League of Villains, could damn them all.

It had come to her attention, that the police were very edgy around her new charge. All Might had not specified, but it was clear that they had to be extra careful so as to avoid a disaster. The girl was not listed as hazardous, but in fact, she was not listed anywhere. They only had her own accounts to work with, that even proved trustworthy to some extent by inspector Naomasa, did not suffice.

The Dragoon Hero could still see why the former Number One hero went to such lengths to give Philae a chance. Hero material of that moral fibre and constitution was worthy, and emotions aside, she almost see the girl thriving in her agency very soon. It was up to them to make that happen.

"Do you feel any pain, any discomfort, when you grow additional body parts or when your body morph? Is it a difficult process?," she asked.

"Not that I remember. In fact, the only drawbacks of my Quirk that I know of, except the obvious world-destructing-hazard part, are the fact that I tire very quickly, and I can easily be overwhelmed and dominated by my emotions. Anger and fear are the most dangerous ones, and dragons react minutely to them. I guess they would also take over if I were in very serious danger, like the first time with the Noumu."

Heliosade had only answered her call for help then, but the dragon king would have chosen to stay deaf and let Infuriae go in his place. Aside from the fact that he did what he wanted, there had been a certain violence in the way he had attacked the Noumu. Had Philae had more energy to spare, there would have been no atom of the villainous beast left, or even of the street for that matter.

"I see," Ryuukyuu's voice snapped her out of her memory. "Do you have any predispositions as regards draconic traits? Is your body naturally adapted for your Quirk? Has it been tested on that part?"

"I..."

There was a pause, long seconds of hesitation, during which flashes of other, more unpleasant memories came back to the surface.

There had been moments of pain. Sickening crunches and snaps and cries. Screams of agony, maybe hers, maybe others'. And harsh disappointment, with promises of other tortures from her persecutors.

There had been burns, heat so harsh her skin resisted until it could not anymore and melted. Blinding pain after an eternity of poking and probing along her inflamed limbs. Heat and hotter heat and scorchingly hotter heat and pain. Praises and coos from resented mouths, and the disgusting smell of charred flesh. Not often hers. Sometimes there was only copper-tasting blood left. And the praises. Those damn compliments. The unbearable visions of a future she had wanted no part in.

There had been nausea and acrid tastes in her mouth. Snakes hissing, coiling around her helpless form, and biting deep in her flesh. Huge, long and thin forms of nightmarish hairy beasts crawling up and down her skin, with tiny, piercing fangs and venom that could kill elephants, she heard. And always, always the same praises. The same voice. The same acidic eyes. Wunderbar, mein Schatz.

Philae forced down the bile that rose up her throat. It was the past. The past. There was no Doktor anymore. The doctors were meant to heal. To take care of you. To make you get better. She had seen proof of that when they took care of her not so long ago, when she had arrived. There was Recovery Girl, too, and she was nice. It was alright. They were alright.

Ryuukyuu rose a brow in questioning, feeling she had hit somewhere she should not have. Shit. Of course she should not have. Testing was not the way to put it. Not if half of what All Might had implied was true. Which had to be. The girl was as pale as a ghost, menacing to lose it any second.

"It's alright if you don't know," she tried to rectify, "I shouldn't have said it like that."

Philae seemed to take a hold of herself, which was relieving. The Dragoon Hero did not particularly feel like handling a blood-thirsty dragon in her agency just now.

"No, it's okay," the young woman put up a calm a brave front – I cannot disappoint All Might now, she resolved –, but her voice had a tremor in it. "I've... been tested somewhat, before I presented, and I remember I could resist high temperatures better than average humans, to some extent. I also remember poisons, some lethal to people other than me, but I never so much as felt dizzy. That's all. I don't have natural hardened skin or anything, and if I don't call forth scales or a dragon to defend me, well, I can get wounded like anyone else. Just... I've got some sort of resistance to specific things. So, yeah."

She fell silent after that, taking long, steadying breaths. It was alright. She was alright. And if she thought it in the voice of All Might, she could not be blamed, for it worked wonders. That low, rumbling voice was nothing like the Doktor's. It was lulling, soothing and very much right. She was going to be alright. He had said so.

He had given this opportunity to redeem herself. She would take it and never let it go.

The Dragoon Hero noted down her answer, leaving the girl calm herself down. It would be difficult, but hope was not lost. Young Crawford's internal battles were her own to win, but her power would need careful searching, testing and training, in an adequate environment, and that was something she could help with. After all, she was a human-dragon herself.

She could waste not time, though. Time to get to business.

"Right," she piped up somewhat cheerfully, "I have everything I need to work, and let me tell you it'll be no pleasure cruise. I'll leave your basic physical training to All Might, but I'll be here for your Quirk exploring and training, beginning now if you're ready. No time like the present."

Philae finished gathering herself back and nodded. She was, now.

"Yes, Ryuukyuu."

"Awesome." The elder hero stood up and stretched. "Now that's settled, follow me. I've heard about your stunt with the villains, and I want to see the tail that flattened evil like a pancake. All Might refused to tell me the details."

A playful glint flashed in her eyes, and Philae could not help the blush that crept up her neck. Of course he would not tell all the details, and both of them knew why. Could people not leave it alone?

Ryuukyuu sobered quickly and added, "Seriously though, it could be a useful primary weapon to begin with, both to attack and defend, and more practical than a dragon roaming free in our streets. I've guessed it will also be less tiring, and you'll need time to balance it out. I don't want you tripping because you cannot walk with a tail the size of your whole body, much less whipping innocents around you. This way."

Philae scrambled to her feet and followed her tutor out of the room. On their way, a thought hit her.

"Ryuukyuu?"

"Yes?"

The two of them entered a large room that appeared to be a gym, the gear moved out of the way to the farthest walls to have a big empty space in the centre. The Dragoon Hero turned to look at Philae, waiting for her to ask what nagged at her mind.

"I-I forgot to take spare trousers with me," she confessed sheepishly, burning with embarrassment.

Ryuukyuu chuckled at that.

"Don't worry about that. We're among girls, no All Might to peek."

The girl let out a squeak of dismay, making her tutor laugh.

"Oh, don't worry about him, I'm positive he can survive a nice sight once in a while among his duties. You've got nothing shameful here." He laughed before her new protegee's beetroot face, then switched back to her serious tone. "But really, you have other things to worry about. Training you, for example. Now let's go, I don't have all day."

Her sudden change of tone sobered Philae and made her forget all about embarrassment. She was right. Serious business was to begin.

Some days later

"Focus. Don't whip it around like some loose lasso. Never forget it's a part of yourself."

Ryuukyuu repeated those often, though Philae had a hard time controlling her tail. She was just only beginning to get it to move more instinctively, her brain finally catching up with the fact it had to pilot it like any other limb, only that this one was gigantic and much stronger than both her arms and legs put together.

She felt very much conscious of it. Until now she had only used it for a few minutes. Here, she had to maintain it for more than that, all the while walking up and down the corridors and going across other people without swatting or breaking anything. The last secretary she had met had only had a handful of milliseconds to duck, bless her quick reflexes.

She thought she made some progress, though. It was mostly a question of getting used to her tail's presence. She realised it offered her strong support, working a little like a third leg, or some sort of leverage to lift heavy objects or bodies like a super strong arm. She had learnt to coil it around stuff to carry them or throw them down, in a more controlled and somewhat graceful way than the time when she had just swept the villain into the wall. The results were encouraging.

She was presently trying to use it as a shield against various objects hurled at her face, with little success so far. She still had difficulties to coordinate her movements, and if her arm effectively sprang up to cover her face, her tail often whipped up and hit the roof, fortunately with little damage on both the building and herself. She was only hit with soft balls.

Her tutor did not look like she would get impatient anytime soon, however. Ryuukyuu simply told her what she had done wrong and ordered her to try again, and again, and again. Maybe she had taken as much time when she had trained her own draconic form to combat, or maybe she was merciful. In any case, Philae felt like she should do even better, try even harder. And she did.

"This is a part of yourself, don't let yourself do such dumb moves!," her elder distantly repeated.

She had only seen All Might for their morning jogs and stretching exercises, the retired hero looking slightly distant. He had said he would need time to digest her story, and Philae forced herself not to hurt too much and accept it. It was only logical and right. He was still his amiable, supportive self, even though he acted more professional than anything at the moment. He needed time. She would wait, period...

Ochako and Tsuyu accompanied her in the mornings, and she waited for them to go back together in the evenings. Her classmates felt tense, and she knew something was up, but they would not say a thing and she did not push the issue. It was not her business and she would have to get her provisional license to move further in this field. So she concentrated on getting better and give herself the means to pass the licensing exam next time it would come up.

She was finishing her fifth day of training, and she already felt a little more skilled. Her intense exercising at the agency's gym left her legs less sore every passing day. She felt more agile, and she could move around more easily with her tail, without dragging it like a dead weight. She could sustain it for about thirty minutes without tiring, and even better, she had her costume now, so she did not ruin her trousers anymore.

The thin, stretchy fabric felt wonderful on her skin. She could move freely in it, assured that it would not tear, and after a few awkward hours feeling almost naked because it was so damn light, she could not live without it. The compliments she had received when she had tried the whole gear on in front of her friends had made her heart flutter with pride and renewed motivation.

She had decided she would only wear the trousers for now, keeping the rest for the day when she would truly deserve it. The costume held a persona she could not wear yet. Moreover, she had not shown it to All Might, and she absolutely wanted to show him when she could feel like she was the hero he saw in her, not before. He was not aware that she had it in her hands, and she had made sure her classmates kept their mouths shut about it. It would be a surprise. She wanted to impress him.

"Focus!," Ryuukyuu snapped loudly, catching her attention back to the present.

Just in time. A heavier object zoomed towards her at full speed, and she could almost feel it cut through the air. Her arms sprang up automatically, but this time, her tail followed, still a little sloppily, but there at the right time and place, effectively blocking the attack. Or maybe it was better to say it had been reflected with a return to sender. The ball was hit back by the scaly limb with a thud, indicating its weight was far greater than the other projectiles, and flew away into the farthest wall, where Ryuukyuu had stood a few milliseconds ago. The Dragoon Hero had dodged last minute, and in her place there was a large hole.

Philae hunched back slightly at the sight, ashamed of what had just happened.

You could have harmed your tutor, stupid!

She expected her elder to reprimand her harshly, but instead, she was met with a large smile.

"Congrats, Phi! You're getting the hang of it!"

She stared at her with wide eyes.

"I am? But I've just..."

"Acted on impulse, yes! It means you're taking your tail as your own limb, and your brain is used to it. It'll only be a matter of time now until it moves freely just like you want it to, trust me!"

The praise sounded genuine and for once, Philae welcomed it gratefully. She had heard so many hypocritical compliments, so many kind words laced with demands and ambitions, that the words went through her with a refreshing, warm feeling. It felt nice.

She grinned hopefully.

"I just have to continue training harder, then."

Her tutor acquiesced.

"Yes. I'm positive you'll be able to do more technical moves soon. If you go on like this, you may even begin training another part, like say, wings?"

Wings? Like, to fly? Now that would be awesome! What it would be like? How freeing could it feel? Philae's excitement reinforced her will and steeled it. She could fly! Not many of her hero classmates would be able to do that. Izuku would love to hear that.

Her mirth satisfied Ryuukyuu, who waved at her.

"Knew you'd be excited. Let's do a couple more like that, and we'll call it a day. Take some time to get fresh air, I'm sure you need it."

She did. It had been so long since she had been able to walk around on herself! She loved her female friends, and she had accepted the police safety measures, but a girl needed her alone time outside once in a while. Maybe she would get a melon pan and sit in the park? Next time she knew she would have free time, she would ask if she could bring Anubis along, he would love a little stroll!

But back to the task at hand. She nodded energetically and focused for all the remaining training time they had, ready to face another lead ball. Make this once time a repeat.

Half an hour later

How great it felt to be finally off alone!

Philae had strolled to the nearest park after a quick trip to the nearest conbini, her favourite treat already halfway eaten, in search for a nice bench in the sun. No shadowing policemen. No worried heroes. No tension. No nothing. Just her and her melon, in harmony with the world and people around her. A well deserved respite.

She still had her tracker and emergency call button not too far from her reach, just in case – and because she would get her head rolling if she did not –, but otherwise, she could enjoy her freedom a little while before it was time to go back to the dorms. Ochako and Tsuyu would not be out before a couple of hours at best.

She finished her sweet snack and leaned back against the bench, looking up to the sky above her. It was a fairly warm, delightful afternoon. Thin clouds surfed quietly across the azure celestial sea. Children were laughing in the distance, somewhere on her right. The wind caressed her skin and made the trees murmur to one another. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander.

How long had it been since her arrival? A month? A little less, maybe. Or perhaps a little more. Time was flying by out of her control, much like the turning of her wheel of fate. Who could have predicted she would decide to try using her magic to become a hero? Who could have foreseen she would find new friends and meet people understanding her struggles and past? Human life was full of surprises.

Philae tried not to think too hard about Kai. She knew her wish was a selfish one. Becoming a hero meant she would not search for a cure as actively as she should. A pang of guilt made her swallow thickly thinking about it. Her brother needed her. She had travelled through two worlds so far, excluding this one, to no avail. She had asked every soul about a miracle, a healing power, a god even, but no one had been up to the task yet. If inspector Naomasa stayed true to his promise, she might have a chance to finally find what she was originally looking for, but what about her other wish, the one she had not accounted for? Could she stay here, with class 1A? Could she make Ryuukyuu and All Might proud? Meet their expectations?

It was a lot to consider. For the first time, Philae found herself torn about what she should do. Saving Kai was top priority, and she could train all she liked in the meantime, as she could not roam free until she was clear with the police and Naomasa, but then? Would she use the device to go back home and never return? She did not want to, and yet she needed Kai's advice. Would he agree, though? He was so distrustful that All Might's and everyone's kindness would pass as a pretence for deeper schemes to him. It was understandable, but annoying sometimes. She could imagine him gauge her teacher up and down, look down on him and question him the way the police had with her. It was overbearing brotherly protection, but she could not help scoffing at the mental image. She was a big girl, now. She would have to manage on herself eventually.

She could not disappoint all hopes placed on her. She wanted to stay here, but her home was there, was it not. What would her friends there say? What would Orion think? It would be ungrateful to throw her stepfather's generosity away, was it not...?

Too many questions made her head spin, and Philae groaned in aggravation. What a mess she had let herself get into.

She opened her eyes again and stared at the sky thoughtfully.

I cannot go back now. A heroic career is the best I can hope for with that power of mine. I'd be integrated. Accepted. Useful. Orion and Kai would be proud of me, much like Ryuukyuu and All Might. And in the meantime, I can find the cure. I'll just need to stay level-headed and focused. I can do it. I can.

She repeated this a few more times to convince herself fully. She could do it. She could.

"Look at you. Weak and vulnerable in plain sight. So boring."

She jumped and her head snapped to her left. She had not sensed someone sitting next to her. She chastised herself for her carelessness. Being too deep in thought was stupid of her, now that she was alone and still inexperienced in combat. When she caught the gaze of her surprise bench companion, something unpleasant crept up her spine, like a foreboding sense of danger.

The newcomer had a sickly-looking, gaunt face, with heavy bags under their eyes, cracked lips, and a ghostly pale complexion. The light blue bangs that framed it from under a dark hood reinforced their drawn features. They looked like they had not slept in months and were going to topple over any moment. But those eyes... Crimson pupils stared at her, shining dimly with chaotic, dark intents, and a tinge of dull interest.

Philae refused to give off any feeling of anxiety under that dissecting, piercing gaze. She shut off the alarms that screamed at her to run, and blinked purposefully.

"Excuse me?," she mustered as politely and calmly as possible.

Inconspicuously, she reached for her emergency call button, safely tucked in one of her jeans' pockets. If she could buy time, then...

"Psh. No need to call for your dumb hero friends, I'll be gone before they reach us."

She froze at those words. If she had doubted it before, she now was sure of it. This was a villain, probably one of those that had sent the Noumu she had encountered. This man – for tha voice was clearly male – would have never come to her randomly and say that if not.

Why did he not attack her, though?

Unconsciously, Philae reached for her link and tried to maintain a sort of connection. A low growl resonated along it, vibrations spreading from her belly to her toes and chest in reassuring waves.

It was alright. She could defend herself.

Could she defend everyone around them, however?

The villain must have got fed up with familiarities, for he grunted in annoyance.

"And there I thought you would be more than a mere rookie. So fucking unimpressive. I'm surrounded by incompetents."

He began scratching at his neck, the skin turning an angry red under the harsh ministration of his damaged nails. Philae could only stare, waiting to know what he expected to achieve.

"Why did those morons have you followed? Tch. It's their style to be after some weakling. Not worth my time..."

After a moment of silence she discreetly pressed the button, just in case. She did not feel confident enough to protect all the civilians around, should that villain possess a wide-range Quirk. Better call for help unnecessarily, than risking a disaster.

That done, she might ask the one-billion-dollar question.

"Sorry but, what do you want?"

The words floated between them for a while. It was almost as if they had not reached the other. He kept muttering strings of nonsensical words, ignoring her completely, and her anxiety began to increase. This person was hazardously mad.

He suddenly stopped everything to rivet his gaze back into hers, a snarl deforming his already distorted traits.

"All Might got interested in you, though, like he did with that stupid Midoriya."

She must have appeared confused for a second, for he scowled.

"I don't understand. Really, I don't. Dragon Lady... Heh, my ass. You're nothing special. You're nothing but a weak lizard. Dabi and Toga are fucking incapable of doing the simplest job."

He turned away a fraction, again lost in his own fantasies.

"Morons... Stupid... What with her...?"

Again to her. Or maybe not.

"You're not the final boss, but maybe you guard a secret dungeon or something," he speculated. "Some sort of extra achievement. What would you be there for, if not for this."

Video games references? Philae repressed the urge to raise a brow. This guy really was mad. And childish.

From what she could grasp, however, he was smart enough to have known about her last interactions with All Might and the police. He was probably an enemy of the retired hero, looking for a means to strike through her. Definitely the boss of the two villains she had fought at the café. But why did his League want to harm/kidnap/test her – whatever their intentions were –? Her crossing paths with the Noumu had been a matter of tough luck, but then? Why attack both her and All Might?

Her brain met several conclusions at once: one, he thought her important to All Might, and/or Izuku; two, regardless if she really was important to the former hero, the villain believed he could strike him through her, and she could not strike back without taking the risk to make collateral damage; and three, the fact that she was alone with him, without anyone to witness the exchange, would make things even harder for her as regards Naomasa's doubts if she messed up – which did not matter right now, but it was painfully well recapitulated –. Those realisations sent shivers down her spine. She was in a pinch she had let herself fall in like a dumb airhead.

Her internal debates did not concern the madman, who continued his ranting like she was not even here.

"I don't know why I bother... Sensei, though... Psh, so fucking boring..."

How did a nutcase such as he become a big hat in that shady League of his? Was he even a leader? He sounded like a retarded teenager, although she could see the slyness and high intelligence he harboured under this false pretence of childishness.

She had to buy some more time. She could do this, at least. With help, she could limit damage on everything.

"Um, I dunno about your RPG fantasies," she forced herself to declare boldly, interrupting the other mid-sentence, "but if you expect the villains to loot the place, might as well not go without at least a backup. As far as I know, your high lord got defeated. Don't try and pass a level you're clearly unprepared for."

Smart move, considering you're alone, twat.

It was a weak retort, unthreatening at best, but urgency clearly did not inspire geniuses. She hoped it would at least disconcert the man long enough for the heroes to come here in time.

She mentally touched the link for reassurance, and warm waves of fierce resolution flooded her. If the civilians were safe, then it was all good. She would succeed.

The villain snorted in disdain.

"Pft, at least you can talk back." Then, after a pause, his face split in a mockery of a smile. "You're one to open your big mouth, but you're clearly out of it. Do you even know who you're talking to?"

He tilted his head, feigning innocent interest, and she almost flinched at the murderous aura. Almost.

Philae refused to let herself get intimidated. On autopilot, her brain gave her a reply fitted for a bully in mid-school.

"I don't know, best answer would be 'a massive douchebag with a head full of cats'."

Keep distracting him off the fact he's being surrounded soon. Get out of this pinch. You can do this. She kept repeating it in her head, to steel herself.

The villain's jaw clenched one, two times, then he released an unamused snort.

"So much noise from a lizard. Trying to make yourself more threatening than you are, when all you do is whining for momma dragon."

She shuddered. He knew. Of course he did. Why did he stay, then?

Children squealed in delight in the distance, probably because they were having tons of fun on the nearby swings. People were passing by peacefully, unaware of the danger that loomed a few feet from them. The villain did not spare a single glance in their direction, but Philae could not help noticing every single innocent person in the corners of her vision, and she knew he knew that she did.

Please, let the heroes come soon.

She had to act bold and confident in the meantime.

The man studied her face, searching for hints of fear, trying to pick her apart with the intensity of his bloody gaze. She did not give him any satisfaction. If he could wear a mask to deceive people, then so could she.

A little longer to go, then they would come, she knew it.

"Stupidly defiant and fierce, for someone that weak. Those heroes really are doing their grand number on you..." The grin came back, more aggressive. "Hidden dungeon, heh? Is it a treasure you're protecting? A heart? A soul? A dark secret?"

What was he getting at?

"You're not worth a bag of peanuts, but maybe..."

She could do this.

"Look," she tried, "I don't understand what you're talking about, but-"

Before she could finish, one of his hands flashed in her peripheral vision, the movement so quick after so much immobility that she barely registered it, and only thanks to her instincts did she intercept it. Long, slender fingers closed up around her hand, and pain flared where they touched her skin.

Startled, she tried to tear her hand off his grip, but she got distracted enough for him to hit her in the side with a syringe.

Heat and pain exploded in her body. Her link quivered violently, and she saw red. A roar made her whole body tremble with its intensity. Even with the little training she had had, she could feel her magic brew and boil as if wanting to burst out of her body and blow up the area.

No.

No one paid attention to her grimace of horror, as she felt her power swell and get out of control. Her skin smelt like rotten flesh.

Her thoughts escaped her, and uncontrollable memories clouded her sense of reason with terror.

A needle jabbed in her side, infusing sedatives in her veins. Mad eyes stared at her as she lost consciousness, the brief pain in her body fading away.

Her skin melted and smelt terrible. Her body wrung in agony as she cried and cried.

Whips cracked and blood oozed despite her pleas.

And there were snaps and smashes and bites and praises and cries and screams and yells andstopmakeitstopmakeitstopMAKEITSTOP.

No one came to her rescue.

Shigaraki watched her as her eyes clouded and slitted and a low, suffering growl came up her throat. His grin threatened to split his face in half, and he chuckled.

Philae could not see him properly anymore. He was a blur. She felt dizzy, her head swimming in disbelief and numbness. Where was she? Was it her flesh that got disintegrated? The pain was the only thing that still grounded her into her body, but she felt both here and there, trapped in-between worlds. Trapped in her own body. Unable to stop chaos from happening.

Voices shouted in the distance, and sirens howled, and screams exploded everywhere, but they were so far, so unreal. She was alone. No one would dare approach.

The dragons roared. She was threatened. They wanted out. She could not let them out. She could not. There were too many people. Innocents. She could not.

The pain was unbearable.

Please make it stop!

She faintly noticed the villain's eyes had glinted with something like satisfaction, but she was not sure. Was he here anymore? Or there? The words he pronounced eventually reached her, out of sync with his moving lips. Maybe it was another memory, lapsed by her current confusion. Maybe she invented it altogether.

"So, Lady Dragon, what treasure do you guard in your dungeon? If I damage you, will the king out and come to your rescue? If I slay you, will he seek revenge?"

Silence. Then, "Or perhaps you'll be the one destroying him."

She clung to the little control she had left on her powers, and held them down.

Please make it stop.

Meanwhile, at UA

Toshinori sighed. Grading copies was hellish, and certainly not the part of his job he liked best. He wished he could only grade practical courses, it would have been way easier on him. At least his mind could wander while he robotically read the assignments and note the mistakes.

Midoriya progressed nicely. In fact, all of 1A did, which was wonderful. Those students were on the right track, and Kami knew they needed to be prepared as soon as possible for the hardships and challenges to come.

It was good, for the information they got lately were worrying.

At first, there had been those two villains. Philae had sent them to hospital, but they had been recently reported missing from their room, despite the police force watching them. No doubt a move from the portal-Quirk user of the League.

Then, there had been the Precepts...

It seemed that All Might's retirement had been all what the villains needed to gain in strength and influence and make their first bold moves against heroes. It was highly troublesome, all the more because All for One was in prison, now, and that had not deterred them in the least, quite the contrary.

Those announced dark times indeed. And he could do nothing to prevent it, which infuriated him further.

He stopped mulling over these unpleasant thoughts when his phone rang. Digging it up from a stack of papers, he blanched when the number of Tsukauchi appeared.

His friend never called him during the day, unless it was an emergency.

He tapped the answering button.

"Yes?"

"Toshi." Tsukauchi's voice sounded strained. How long had he not been sleeping? "Shigaraki has made a move on Philae. She's being collected by two of your students as I'm speaking. She's been injected with Trigger."

Trigger. The Quirk enhancing drug. Dread weighed like lead in his stomach.

"How...?"

"He approached her unaware. As she's not been in contact with the League other than the Noumu, I guess she didn't recognise him. We've been alerted because she pressed her emergency button, however, so she at least knew he was dangerous."

Why did he go to her? Had he discovered anything as regards her? Toshinori's brain started to rewind everything that had happened since she arrived, notice anything the League could have seen, think about what could have crossed Shigaraki's mind.

Somehow, the retired hero knew it was his fault.

"Is she alright? Has anything happened?"

Silence. He was about to repeat, when Tsukauchi replied.

"More or less. Apparently she's been saved by the fact her Quirk isn't exactly a Quirk as we conceive them, so she's been able to prevent it from going amok, and no one has been injured. She, on the other hand..."

Again. Another injury. Were all the students close to him meant to get hurt on a regular basis?

His mouth felt dry and his throat constricted.

"She what?," he pressed on.

"She's undergone some internal damage, as well as a medium-sized wound caused by Shigaraki's Disintegration on her left side, and a minor injury on her hand." Tsukauchi had taken his professional tone. It faltered a fraction when he said next, "I'm worried about her mental state, though."

Toshinori found himself striding along the corridor to get out of the school. He could not stay there a minute longer.

"What do you mean? Where are you?"

His friend gave him indications as to where they were, and he bolted straight to them, ignoring the strain in his legs and chest.

Villains were indeed bolder and more threatening, and he could do nothing. Why was he not able to protect them all anymore?

Tsukauchi continued in the other end, "I think she's experiencing a dissociating phase. She's unresponsive, watching the paramedics handling her with a distant gaze, as if she weren't there at all. Her side must hurt like hell, but she's not complaining. Acting like she doesn't feel anything. Keeps saying it's nothing."

Those were the signs of dissociation. They all knew it could happen at some point, given the young woman's baggage, though it did not mean it was enjoyable. Especially now.

"I don't know what triggered it," the detective continued. "Maybe the needle we have found nearby, or the way her wounds have been caused, or anything else. I have no fucking clue, and she isn't helping. She hasn't explained much, apart from her describing Shigaraki and how he knew about her weakness and thinking she is involved deeper than she actually is. It makes close to no sense."

On the contrary, it did for Toshinori, and he knew it would soon do to Tsukauchi too.

His friend let out a groan.

"I'm at a loss, here. I'm too fucking tired for this shit. She's won't respond and I doubt the paramedics will get any positive answer anytime soon. Her classmates are getting anxious. You're possibly the most knowledgeable..."

"I'm on my way."

Toshinori cut off the conversation and hung up. He was running, now.

He pushed the guilt down as far as he could. He had become useless for many, but now, right this instant, he was needed.

He would die before he ever abandoned someone in need of his help.