2018 is the year of updates for me! I know; it's shocking. If you want something really shocking, try this: typically, I write the chapter, review the chapter, then submit it. I never have extra chapters written, because I'm swamped by school, work and hockey. But! I actually have been writing extras, and now, I have the next TWO chapters of United We Stand, Divided We Fall, as well as the next one chapter(s) for Lifetime of Apologies, this, and Attraction of Small Things, so I guess you guys don't need to worry about me going AWOL for several months.

That being said, there's only a few chapters remaining of this story. It's hard to believe, since we haven't made much ground, but believably, we're almost there. This wasn't meant to be long, anyways, I think it was really just a project I wanted to write to see how to gauge other characters and how much I liked writing them. Surprisingly, I've found I really enjoy some rather obscure characters, so this is good!

Find me on Tumblr if you want to chat (Scandinavian_Sensation) or want updates on my progress for chapters. Once I get a few followers, I'll probably start dropping updates and stuff, along with previews for future works, and chapter previews. And, y'know, it's free, so that's cool.

Anyways; here's Iida's chapter, please enjoy! (I'm so sorry with how I ended this chapter :( )

One week.

A total of one week had passed since Midoriya's seizure, and while the teachers tried to keep a lid on the information, somehow or another, the information passed through Class 1-A like the flu, and before even a day had passed, everyone knew.

Iida wasn't surprised - as much as he would have liked the information to stay privy to those that needed to know (which, would include Midoriya's mother, and any concerning medical official), he knew that his classmates were tenacious. In Iida's opinion, it was that same tenacity that made them such capable students and bright prospective heroes - with the exception of Mineta's perverse tenacity when it came to more unholy acts.

This was one of those few times that he wished that desire would quell, just long enough for that information to be revealed in a prepared, and appropriate setting. Inko Midoriya deserved the knowledge first. Iida would be shameful to admit that he, too, was part of the group that was clamoring for an update on the green-haired boy's progress, so he knew he had very little room to talk.

Aizawa had made it perfectly clear that he had no intention of divulging into gossip, and insisted if anyone wanted to know more about Midoriya's progress, they'd need to shed the childish act and confront Inko personally for a status-update. Which, nobody had the gall to do.

And now, Iida was left trudging through the school grounds, trying aimlessly to clear his head as he embarked toward the lockers, hoping maybe, in another month, he wouldn't have to deal with his brother's retirement and his best friend's injuries. It was all too much - when he'd been accepted at U.A., he hadn't thought any of this possible. He was atop of the world with joy. Now...

Now he was barely treading the rising waters.

A rough shoulder interrupted his thoughts, and as he staggered slightly, he used his index finger to press his glasses back to his face, before issuing his standard apology. "My apologies; I was wrapped up in tho-"

"Can it, Four-Eyes."

Bakugou.

Iida exhaled through his nose, his gaze turning stern. "Come now, that hardly seems like the appropriate response to an apology."

The troubled student paused in his step, but didn't turn around. With his backpack casually slung over one shoulder, his sagging pants, and his careless, arrogant attitude, it was no surprise that he didn't care for well-meant apologies. The amount of actual interaction the duo had shared were... beyond limited, at best. The only times Iida actually spoke to Bakugou were typically riddled with scoldings for the blonde boy's disrespectful actions.

"I didn't fucking ask for one, did I?" Bakugou snarled in response.

"I didn't realize you were inclined to ask for them, nowadays."

"Yeah, well, I don't fucking want it." With that, Bakugou roughly readjusted his backpack, and continued walking. Iida sighed; he must be worried, he reasoned. Even if he doesn't like Midoriya... or that he appears not to, a small part of him must still be worried.

"He'll be okay."

Bakugou froze again, but this time, he shifted his head just enough so that he could make eye-contact. The dark red orbs that belonged solely to Katsuki Bakugou glared directly into Iida's, but the tall boy refused to be swayed by the anger that swirled within his classmate's eye. He hadn't said it to be rude - he was simply comforting someone who appeared to need it.

"What'd you say?" He asked simply. His voice was low, as if... daring.

Iida didn't pay any mind. "I said, he'll be okay."

"Why the fuck would I care if that fuckin' nerd isn't okay?"

The sun was beginning to descend in the sky, and for a second, the golden-orange glow cast a ray onto the explosion-user's face, and Iida thought he could see the barest hint of a tear formed in Bakugou's eyes. But when he blinked, the sign was gone, and he was left staring into unreadable red eyes.

"Are you saying you aren't his friend?"

Bakugou snarled. "I'm saying, mind your own fucking business, Four-Eyes! And quit fuckin' moping around!"

Iida was taken aback. "Are you saying I'm not allowed to feel sorrow for my injured classmate?"

"Pity ain't the fuckin' same as sorrow." Iida's eyes widened. Was he pitying his friend? He hadn't been aware of much of a difference - and since he hadn't seen Midoriya yet, it didn't seem like he was really pitying the poor boy. "Deku might be a weak fuck, but he ain't worth pitying over. All of you are fucking dragging along, crying your fucking eyes out... it's pathetic." He clenched his fists. "How can anyone wanna be a fucking hero, if you can't get over one person?"

As nasty as it was, Bakugou had a point. From the day his brother had been injured - and leading up to today - Iida had been so focused on trying to reverse the effects of everything, he had barely bothered trying to keep ahead of his own life. It wasn't a rude gesture to put someone's life in front of his, but to keep it there... was beginning to impact his life in a negative way.

Midoriya, undoubtedly, would be worried for him if their roles were switched. But, Bakugou's coarse words made him wonder... would Midoriya fail to keep advancing in the meantime? He'd be sad, that was only natural. He'd be the first to try and help. He'd be the first to visit. But he'd do everything in a way that kept him from falling behind.

That was their difference.

Sensing that his point was adequately accepted, Bakugou snorted and turned back toward the path he'd initially been walking. He didn't say anything else - and frankly, Iida didn't mind. He just let the blonde-haired teen walk away.

Had he really been pitying him all this time?

Iida thought the world of his green-haired friend. The diminutive boy wasn't anything special at a glance; he wasn't excessively tall, nor did his body suggest that he held immense strength as he'd display so many times. His personality was (unfortunately) forgettable, and he seemed to... blend in with the background like it was second-nature. Really, he did everything he could to blend in, instead of stand out.

Yet, he was the first one to notice the discord between Todoroki and Endeavor. And when it came to the combat round of the Sports Festival, he'd stood out (in Iida's opinion) the most of anyone. His loss was the only loss that screamed, 'I won by my own standards.' His lack of swagger, pride, or even barest confidence was hardly a deterrent, and Iida respected it so much that he'd purposely positioned himself to face-off against his close friend.

When it came down to it... he'd been so afraid of standing in Midoriya's shadow, and at the end of the day, he was still submerged in it, because he didn't have what it took to emerge on his own accord. Midoriya was a natural hero, whether he tried or not.

He didn't deserve pity. He wouldn't want pity.

"I-Iida?" A timid voice asked from behind the engine-quirked boy. He turned, surprised, and saw the chestnut-brown hair of his closest female friend, her hands gently clasped around the hem of her skirt, and her expression forlorn. 'Uraraka...' He thought, seeing the conflicted expression on her face. "He's not..."

She trailed off, unable to complete her sentence as tears began slipping through the cracks of her defenses, her expression turned more pained as her grip tightened. Her eyes went down, unable to hold the gaze they'd locked in, and she bit back something akin to a whimper. "He's not right!"

Iida blinked. "U-Uraraka..."

"J-just because we feel sad... it doesn't mean we're pitying Deku! He's... a great friend, a-and because of that, it's natural to feel sad!"

It would come to this. A clash of ideals. On one hand, Bakugou's crass nature and volatile words were expected, but despite his arrogance and blindness toward Midoriya's actual friendship toward him, he was a teenager who was not blinded by much. He saw through ruses and his venomous words were meant to be truthful, if not eye-opening. Uraraka, on the other hand, was kind, and sweet. She had fire within, but she let her heart speak first, and because of that, she denied certain things that might wind up hurting her or someone else... but it was clear that she believed in what she felt, right now.

And for the sake of discovery... Iida couldn't figure out who was right.

"Terrible things... happened to him," Uraraka continued, her voice soft, the barest hints of a tremor slipped through her words. "I-I can't... imagine... what they did. We're not pitying him. H-he deserves to know that... we care!"

He did care. She cared. Everyone cared - even Bakugou, in his own temperamental way. It was because of that care that the blonde-haired teenager had stopped in to momentarily see Midoriya, even if he'd been asleep when the visit took place. It was a simple check - are you alive? The answer was yes; so, in Bakugou's mind, all was normal. Everything was as it should be, even if Midoriya wasn't running around.

But for everyone else, it wasn't as simple as that. They weren't sure if Midoriya would be running around again. They weren't sure if their starry-eyed classmate would be back in his chair, absent-mindedly doodling notes in one of his seemingly-infinite notebooks, turning red as someone called him out in jest at his obsessive tendencies. Because for everyone else...

They didn't know him.

And that was the difference.

"Uraraka... you are right." The girl sniffed, and gently shifted her gaze up, remnants of tears still glistening in her eyes. He had no doubt; she was right about what she felt and said. But... "But, so is he."

"W-what...?"

All this time, Bakugou hadn't been saying that their sorrow was pitiful - he'd been insulting their lack of faith. He'd called attention to their lack of belief that Midoriya was strong. As asinine and cruel as he could be toward their bushy-haired classmate... he, Bakugou, was the only one who actually believed that Midoriya would be in class again, learning to be a hero alongside all of them.

"We, as Midoriya's friends, are lacking faith in his ability to come back from this. We're treating him like he's already dismissed from heroics... and that's not the case. He's strong - he'll be back." Iida took a step forward and, despite hesitation, placed a hand on Uraraka's shoulder, which brought the girl's gaze up to his eyes once more. "And we need to be strong for him. But also, believe in his strength."

"I-I believe in Deku!" Uraraka responded firmly. "I... always have..."

"I, too, believe in him..." He then gazed toward the U.A. building, and sighed. "But, we have not shown that belief. If I recall correctly... you and I are the only ones who had not yet seen him."

Uraraka winced, but remained silent.

The duo had spoken of it - multiple times, actually. They'd been sent to see him by Aizawa, but Recovery Girl hadn't allowed them entrance into his room at the time. It had obviously pained her to stop them, but she said that it wasn't the time for them to see him - yet. Internally, Iida had been relieved. He wasn't sure he could stand to see another person so close to him in such a damaged state.

His brother had been enough.

It might have been cowardice speaking, but at the same time, he knew he wasn't ready, and he had a suspicion that Recovery Girl knew, too.

"I'm... s-scared..." Uraraka whispered.

Iida's expression softened. Who wouldn't be scared?

He knew how much she looked up to their friend. Honestly, she was probably the only person that looked up to Midoriya more than he did - and that was saying something. He was somehow able to inspire their best in just his actions, drawing out the potential that they didn't even know they had. When things were heavy, it was his energy and determination that drew out that fire. The Sports Festival had shown his undying drive toward being a hero.

The number one hero... All Might...

The way Midoriya looked up to him was comical, in a way, but the more Iida paid attention, and hung out with Midoriya, the more he could see the similarities between the two, picked up by what was probably years of watching the greatest hero alive. It was no exaggeration when Iida admitted: Midoriya emitted the vibe of someone who, someday, could possibly be the top hero.

"I am, too," Iida said, just as quietly. "But we owe him this. He would be there for us."

There was no doubt about that. He would be.

"O-oka-"

An explosion, not like Bakugou's, ripped through the air, sending waves of debris and billowing smoke from an isolated section of U.A's main building. Iida and Uraraka both turned toward the source, and their instincts kicked in first, driving the duo to begin rushing toward the source, despite the heaviness of their previous conversation.

"W-what was that?!" Uraraka asked frantically as they weaved through a few startled students that had been lounging around the campus grounds. "You don't think...!"

Was it Midoriya? It was unlikely... but... the explosion had taken place around the same area as where he was being held.

"I don't know..." Iida said grimly. "But we must hurry!"

"And honestly, what in the right mind drove you to test something so dangerous without supervision!"

"Aw, this is nothing! I test way more dangerous stuff than this thing all the time!"

"All the time?! Why I-"

Upon Iida and Uraraka's arrival to the scene, they'd expected a bit more... chaos.

There was smoke that hung loosely in the air, forcing Iida to cough a few times to clear his lungs from any of the ashen fumes, but aside from the scattered debris on the floor, there was relatively minimal supervising attention from the teachers. The strict, presidential part of Iida was screaming at him to remain on-guard and escort any students away that might wander to the area... but his concern for his friend outweighed this desires, and he found himself wading through the bits and pieces of concrete, plaster and glass to find a diminutive woman scolding a pink-haired girl.

Recovery Girl stopped mid-scold and turned to the two new students with anger clearly on her face. "And you two! What are you doing here - don't you know better than to investigate a blast area?!"

"W-we thought it was close to Midoriya's room, and needed to be sure everyone was alright!" Iida responded in haste. The elderly woman sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering something about 'heroes...' before giving a glare toward the sheepish looking girl she'd been scolding before.

"Everything is fine. This headcase accidentally detonated one of her toys, and it self off a chain reaction. Really, she shouldn't be doing anything without Power Loader's supervision, but apparently, she had approval from him to perform some minor tests." She growled. "I don't know what was minor about this, but I'll be having a word with him about his negligence!"

The girl - whom Iida recognized as Mei Hatsume from the Support Course - didn't seem too bothered by the remarks, opting to pick up a piece of metal that had presumably gone flying from the explosion, and studied it while blinking her eyes rapidly. "Hmm... maybe that alloy wasn't suited to handle the heat dispersion, and that's why everything went boom!"

Before Recovery Girl could go on another tangent - and judging by the look on her face, she was about to - Iida quickly intervened, hoping to make sure the primary reason they'd arrived wasn't what they thought. "So... Midoriya is..."

"Yes, yes," Recovery Girl sighed with a wave of her hand. "He's fine. Startled, no doubt, and probably terrified, but he's okay."

"Thank goodness..." Uraraka sighed from behind Iida. He, too, was relieved. "We thought someone might have broken in..."

The elderly nurse shook her head. "Nobody is dumb enough to try and break through our defenses. After the League of Villains, we've stepped up security. No second-class villain will be getting through anytime soon." Despite the frustration she was feeling, a faint smile broke onto her face as she studied the two students in front of her. "You two care a lot, don't you?"

"O-of course! Midoriya is a valued member of our class!" She raised an eyebrow at Iida's words. "And... he is... a very good friend."

"The two of you are, too," she said softly. She sighed, releasing the anger she'd held up until this point, and began hobbling back toward her office. "Come; I think it's right for you two to see that he's okay."

"W-what about the wall...?" Uraraka asked.

"Oh; this sort of thing happens all the time. Really now, Ms. Hatsume is hardly the first demolition expert we've had walk our halls. By tomorrow, no one will even know this happened. Our tech robots really do work wonders. How else could we keep the maintenance up on all those testing grounds?"

Despite their uncertainty - paired with slight hesitation, thanks to the whole explosion ordeal - Uraraka and Iida tentatively followed the elderly nurse through the hallway, ignoring the frightened looks a few of the students had as they glanced down the hallway the trio had just come from. A few teachers had lazily emerged from the lounge to play crowd control, it seemed, and Iida felt a relief swoop down upon his instincts.

Nobody would be wandering where they weren't meant to, it seemed.

As they walked, Iida spared a passing glance at his female friend, trying to get a rough gauge on her feelings. She was biting her bottom lip and nervously switching between fidgeting with the hem of her skirt again, and clutching her backpack's straps like she was about to get sent blasting off into orbit by her quirk. Her eyes were everywhere except on the path in front of them, and for a second, Iida wondered if she was ready.

He banished those thoughts as fast as they came. Of course she was ready, he reasoned. They were in the top school for heroes; if she wasn't ready, she would have never made it through the entrance exam. She knew exactly what she'd been getting into from day one - at least, he hoped she did.

Just as he'd been doubting Midoriya's strength, he found himself doubting hers. He cursed silently. No more would he doubt anyone's strength. Everyone had a right to be in these halls - even Mineta.

Being nervous was natural, though. He, too, was beyond nervous. He didn't exactly know what awaited them at the end of the trek. Would Midoriya be a shell of his former self? Or would he recognize them immediately, a wide smile plastered on his face and relief washing through his eyes? Maybe it would be in the middle; vague recognition, but a general lack of cognition that prevented him from drawing the lines between the two.

Would he attack them? Would he fear them? Which was worse?

"Come, come, in here." In front of them was a small hallway with four doors, each one presumably leading to a different 'bedroom'. At the end of the hallway was the actual nursing station where Recovery Girl worked from, along with a few additional beds, for short term keeping. The amount of times Iida personally had been here was countable on a single hand, though he knew that the situation was slightly different for someone like Midoriya.

And, as much as he didn't like it, he knew training would eventually push him into Recovery Girl's room once or twice as he got older.

"He's room one. Just knock before entering." That was it? Just... knock?

Iida turned toward the small woman, and bowed. "Thank you. But... is there nothing else we need to know?"

"He won't bite - I know that much. He's doing rather well... you'll see." It was barely anything to go from, but judging by the smile on Recovery Girl's face, it was clear that there wasn't anything dangerous or disturbing awaiting them.

Iida took a breath in. He turned to his friend, who - despite her fear - nodded once with force, and they knocked twice, before slowly cracking the door open.

"Midoriya?"