Disclaimer: Nothing's changed.

Hey all, I'm back again. I'll keep it quick. Firstly, as usual, thank you all so much for your kind words, reviews, and just general support. I'm thinking about making a means to communicate with people more effectively, as well as offer updates for chapters and take requests for one-shots or something. Does anyone have any recommendations for a site or way to do that? Or is there no interest in it?

There's also a mention of mental retardation in this chapter, and please, for the love of everything, DO NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS! We diagnose this at my hospital from time to time, and this is one of the ICD-10 codes we need to use for diagnosis and past medical history, so please do not complain that it's "improper" or something. We're not going PC here guys.

Secondly, this chapter is going to focus on one character I think can push this story forward. So enjoy ... MR. AIZAWA!

I'm sorry it's a bit short!

Shota Aizawa was tired.

He'd had to wake up at an absurd time - noon - and deliver his students to the train station so they could begin the next part of their training. He'd had his doubts, honestly, and he debated pushing back the field training exercise at least a little longer, so that outlying circumstances would be sorted out, but ultimately, he knew real life waited for no one.

While there had been some... protests, the students accepted the decision after he'd sternly explained being a hero meant moving forward, even when you didn't think you could. Injuries... personal affairs... fatigue... death... all would play into the daily lives of a hero. If one couldn't cope with any of those factors, they weren't suited to save lives.

They weren't suited to be a hero.

Admittedly, he was worried for them, though. Certain students had displayed the ability to get work done, despite the hovering disaster that blanketed the class's mood, but others were having a more difficult time moving forward. Grades had seen a steady decline, though no one had outright fallen into failing territory.

However, in the end, putting those students in the field wasn't his decision. They needed this to grow.

Once he'd been sure they were all on their way to their respective destinations, he'd felt the sweet relief of peace wash over him, and the prospect of going back to sleep called out to him like a gentle whisper upon the breeze. Truly; he'd earned this nap.

Then, he was contacted by Recovery Girl, and his idea for a nap vanished like a ghost.

"I understand you're busy," Aizawa ignored the hint of doubt that crept into her voice. No matter what the old woman said, he was busy. "But I need you to come and see the boy. All Might..." She paused. She probably couldn't find the right way to say what was on her mind, he figured. "He's just not the right man for this. Right now."

Aizawa sighed. "And what makes you think I am?"

"I'm old. I know these things."

He just wanted to sleep... why was it that he was being denied this privilege?

"Please, Shota. He's... he's been aggressive and scared every time his sedation wears off. We can't keep pushing medicine into his body like this - sooner or later, he needs to be coherent." The plea in Recovery Girl's voice was unneeded, as Aizawa had already decided to come visit the boy before she'd even asked. However, hearing her say it, he realized the situation was much worse than it was expected to be.

"How aggressive has he been?"

"He's managed to force All Might to defend... twice." Not just once... Aizawa pondered. The boy had successfully forced the top hero to defend himself twice.

Knowing All Might, the large oaf was liable to be overly trusting toward the boy, but even so, he wasn't a masochist, and he didn't condone putting Recovery Girl at risk for his own feelings. If nothing else, All Might was almost superb at masking his feelings for the sake of a mission, if only displaying a jovial mood. To make matters more interesting, All Might was a combat specialist... he didn't fall for the same trick twice, and he had reflexes to boot. Midoriya was powerful... he made up one of the Big Three, as the class had dubbed it... but he shouldn't have the power to put the top hero on the defensive.

He had the strategy, the brain, the instinct and the adaptiveness to outdo most heroes even now... but the power and control of that power was what he lacked.

"Did he break his limbs doing so?" He had a tendency of doing it, so Aizawa wanted to check.

Recovery Girl sighed, though there was annoyance within. "You can't break what's already broken."

That answered that question.

"Alright; I'm on my way," Aizawa said before hanging up. Sleep would just have to wait.

Never once had Aizawa been one to feel prolonged fear. He, like everyone, was subject to bouts of fear, and living life as a hero, he knew it wouldn't suddenly stop. Still, he'd been praised as one of the most composed when it came to hero-training, and his graduation from U.A saw his highlighting feature as his stoic and calm nature, which was why he'd been sought out to become a teacher after he served as a pro hero for a short while.

So when he stood in front of the door that led to where Midoriya was now being kept, he felt his body almost... stiffen. His eyes, dry from his quirk, seemed to be just a little drier than normal, but he also felt the itching instinct to prepared to use his quirk. He could feel the choking tension in the air, thick and menacing.

He didn't bother knocking. Not just anyone knew about this room, and no one was going to accidentally wander in. If they did, they'd be in for a world of problems, with the most obvious being the whole trespassing issue at a school for law-abiding heroes.

His entrance caused Recovery Girl to turn to him with concealed surprise, but outward relief.

"Thank you for coming; he's begun showing signs of the medicine wearing off," Recovery Girl said. Aizawa raised an eyebrow.

She sounded exhausted. It wasn't surprisingly, really. The elderly little nurse had a knack for remaining healthy, but when it came down to her patients, she was tenacious and didn't cut herself slack to rest or recover. As odd as it was, she was like any other hero: she worked until the job was done.

Though, in the end, it was just another problem Aizawa had to address.

"When did you last sleep?"

Recovery Girl grimaced, and just like that, Aizawa sighed, knowing he had his answer.

He wasn't particularly fond of taking care of Midoriya on his own, but only because he knew he might accidentally fall asleep. As attentive as he was and could be, it would be negligent to ignore his tendency toward dozing off during the day. He operated as a night-time hero for a specific reason.

Still, he needed to do his part, so he stuffed his hands in his pockets and sighed. "Go take a tap, get some food... do something that isn't this. I'll make sure he's fine."

Recovery Girl gave him a look and he could feel her mulling over the decision. Truly, that woman was as stubborn as they came.

"Chiyo. You need to rest. You're of no use to the boy if you can't think properly," Aizawa said sternly, the same voice he reserved for his particularly stubborn students. Knowing the elderly woman, she'd be rather annoyed he spoke to her like a child, but she'd appreciate it in the long run, all the same. "I can watch him for a few hours."

The elderly nurse sighed, her expression softening as she gazed at the sleeping boy, and her gaze carried Aizawa's over to Midoriya's resting body. He didn't look as bad he did when he'd first come in. His skin, previously cracked and broken with spider-web cracks running across its surface, was now almost back to its typical shade of white, only a few dark bruises remaining on the surface. His arms were now set back into their proper location, which was a stark contrast from the abnormal position they were in when he'd first arrived.

The only thing that hadn't changed was the look on his face, even when resting. While there were fleeting moments that he'd settled into a peaceful slumber, for the most part, he was plagued by internal issues that kept a tense, terrified look plastered on his young face. And there was nobody that could assist in that.

It seemed Chiyo knew when she was beaten. "Call me if you need me, I'll be in the lounge... resting."

Aizawa nodded wordlessly, and followed her with his eyes to be sure she left and didn't try to hover around. Once the door was closed, he exhaled, and slowly walked over to Midoriya's bedside, where he got a good look at his homeroom student.

"Sensei... I can still move!"

He hadn't forgotten the fiery determination in that single sentence; the same sentence that had won him over. In just one measly minute, the boy had gone from a worthless, lucky kid with no potential, to a budding hero with infinite potential. Though how much of that potential was limited by how well he could learn to grasp his power, as well as how well he could adapt in a fight.

The Sports Festival had been a showing of how far he'd come as a student, and while Aizawa wouldn't say it aloud without prompting, he was proud of Midoriya's efforts. Truthfully, of course, he was proud of everyone, though he also held regards that certain students could have performed better, whilst some surprised him and over-performed for what he'd expected. Someone like Ashido held potential, but she'd need to learn to fight more effectively with her acid - still, she'd impressed him with her natural skills and ability to adapt in other events, such as the chariot race and even the preliminary event. Others, such as Kaminari, did well, but Aizawa knew he could have done better had he used his powers in a better way.

Midoriya, though, impressed him the most.

Paired with his iron-like tenacity that put even TetsuTetsu to shame, he'd shown moments of restraint when attacked Todoroki directly; and that was a sure-sign that Midoriya was, in fact, learning to contain his monster (and dare he say... growing?) power. Breaking his limbs was still inevitable at that time, but his dedication toward swaying Todoroki, along with his own personal goals of winning, meshed together, and just like that, Midoriya had gone above and beyond what Aizawa believed he was initially capable of.

Truly, this kid had something special.

But he was still young... and naïve. Aizawa couldn't - wouldn't - let him go through his tenure at U.A. thinking that he could not only save everyone, but act childishly in the field, as well. He had the guts of a hero, the mind of a strategist, but he had the heart of someone who thought that bad guys were only bad exteriorly, and they wouldn't truly hurt someone. He had to become smarter in the field if he was going to truly flourish as a hero.

Still, that time would come.

From the corner of his eye, Aizawa saw Midoriya's form shift ever-so-slightly, and immediately, he prepared for the inevitably awakening. While he was no medical professional, he knew his way around some pain medications, and he could see where Recovery Girl left the needle with some kind of sedation medication. No doubt it was meant to be a push IV drug, judging by Midoriya's sodium bolus and present line.

But yet... Aizawa wasn't certain that was the best course of action. Sooner or later, Midoriya would be forced to come to consciousness and remain conscious, even if he was terrified. While Erasure had lost the time of which it could be used for, as well as suffering an extended "cool-down" period, it still remained a viable option in the event that Midoriya needed a few seconds to feel powerless.

There was no better time than the present, he supposed.

Midoriya's eyes shot open, wild and fearful, and he rocketed up out of his prone position like he was shot from a cannon. Aizawa immediately felt the pressure of Midoriya's quirk activating, the low hum of power that collected across his body, and with the blink of an eye, Aizawa felt his own quirk activate, and suddenly, the boy's wild expression seemed to tame itself.

His fear, though, grew.

"W-w-what... did you...?"

Memory loss. That's right.

"I erased your quirk. I'm here to help you." Aizawa generally didn't deal with children hostages, nor did he associated himself with terrified children much, but the truth was that he couldn't work at a high school without having some interactive experience with kids.

Apparently, Midoriya was conflicted by that statement, and he bit his lip roughly, drawing speckles of ruby blood that dripped down his chin and fell harmlessly onto the previously white bed-sheet. "E-e-e..."

"Erased," Aizawa assisted.

While there had been no evidence of permanent brain trauma, there was concern for developmental delays that could result from the concussion that Midoriya came in with. There was no telling how much concussions he'd suffered in his time away, and if they'd even been addressed. The stuttering was usual for the boy, and it could potentially be chalked up to fear, but there was nothing that could be completely ruled out - yet.

There were only a few seconds left before he needed to blink, and Aizawa knew it was important to bluff his way through this. If he could convince Midoriya that his power was gone, then perhaps he could take away the edge of pain and prevent him from instinctively building up all the power he could, only to accidentally hurt himself further, as he'd already done.

"W... w-will it... back?" Midoriya stammered. It wasn't mental retardation as the fears had initially been. Midoriya could think of the words, and he was actively listening, thinking and interacting... he was just overcome by fear, and there were likely lapses in his brain where the concussion caused a haze to fall over his words before he spoke.

"Eventually," Aizawa said evenly. "But you need to promise you won't use it."

Midoriya's eyes narrowed, the burning fear still present. "W-why?"

"You shouldn't hurt the elderly."

He froze, and perfectly in time, as Aizawa's quirk finally reached its limit and he blinked, releasing the hold over Midoriya's quirk. However, whether it was nerves or something else, the boy once again began to fizzle with power, and tears pooled at the corner of his eyes as the pressure reappeared. Aizawa grimaced.

He needed at least 15 seconds before he could activate his quirk again.

"Hey now, didn't I just say not to do that?" Aizawa asked sternly.

Midoriya blinked, snapping himself from his thoughts, and began to panic. "I-I-I-I... n-no!"

"Calm down, you're only getting yourself worked up and using that power as a fallback."

"N-NO!"

7 seconds still.

"Breathe!"

"NO!"

3 seconds.

"Midoriya!"

Time froze and the pressure, while still present, halted in growth. Midoriya's eyes were wide, but empty, as if he were lost in thought.

Time's up.

With another blink, Aizawa let his quirk wash over Midoriya's stunned body, and removed his quirk from him once again, causing the pressure to subside. But Midoriya hardly reacted.

"Y-yoooou... know me?" Midoriya whispered.

Aizawa kept his eyes locked with the timid boy's. "Yes. And you know me."

"I... I-I..." Midoriya clenched his eyes shut as a look of pain crossed his face. Aizawa didn't react. The pain wasn't a result from breaking a bone, or straining a muscle... the young teen was trying to unlock a part of his brain he didn't have access to. He needed to do this. "Can't... remember..."

While unfortunately, Aizawa had admittedly figured as much. It would have been astounding to see Midoriya's memory return, but it was impractical to assume it was something that would suddenly develop. More than that, it seemed as if there were other issues to address, aside from just his lack of a memory. His timid nature around people had become even worse, to the point of instinctive self-defense measures.

He needed help.

"I see." Midoriya's gaze, frightened and foreign, gently rose from staring down at his lap, to look Aizawa in his face. The pro-hero could see every ounce of terror that was running rampant within the boy's eyes... and he felt his heart tighten as he thought about the horrors that the teen in front of him was forced to endure. He didn't know the specifics - no one did - but he knew Trigger was involved, and judging by Midoriya's behavior... it hadn't been gentle.

"P-ple-ase." Aizawa's breath hitched in his throat. Large tears began streaking from the jade eyes of the wounded teenager, cascading down his face and splashing harmlessly on his clenched fists. "D-d-don't... hurt me."

Begging.

The boy was begging.

Aizawa felt his rage begin to bubble within as the implications settled down of what, exactly, was occurring in front of him.

Part of him wanted to reach out and touch the child - to reassure him that he was't alone. Just a gentle little pat on the shoulder, or even a hand on his head, to tell him that there was nothing to be afraid of. But that rational part, that part that guided him through fights and life itself, it won out, and he kept his hand firmly at his side. The boy was scared of people. Touching him was not going to help him understand there was nothing to be afraid of.

"Don't worry, kid." All he could do was speak the truth, and hope at some point, it settled in. "I won't."

If nothing else, it seemed Midoriya was complacent huddling in the corner of his bed, the only thing keeping him from fleeing being the IV attached to his arm. The only progress that made itself known was the lack of Midoriya's quirk threatening to decimate his body.

It was a good thing he'd brought his sleeping bag, because it sounded like he'd be here awhile.

And when his class returned from their internships, they'd have a new class project. Someone needed to fix Midoriya, and who better than the ones he'd come to recognize as his friends?