Hello crazy, beautiful world! Good to hear from me right? Finally got all of that extra work finished and I'm here with the next update! And whats this? More than 600 more page views in two weeks?! You're all spoiling me!

In other news, I heard that My Hero Vigilantes is getting an anime as well! I haven't read the manga, but if it is as good as the main series, I'm going to be very excited! Also, who knows? (Steeples fingers together with a sly wink!) I might just have an idea or two for a side-story to AGC. We'll see...

Reviews:

Anonymous: Thanks, I'm glad the pacing is to your liking! As much as I want to get to the juicy parts, I don't want to rush this. I'm all for the journey as much as the destination and I'm good to see my efforts paying off!

Now lets cracking!

Borderlands is owned by Gearbox and 2KGames and My Hero Academia is owned by Kohei Horikoshi and Funimation. Please support the official release.

Please rate and review!

"This means someone is talking."

'This means someone is thinking to themselves.'

This means it's a flashback.

This means it's a sound effect!*

Angel in a Gilded Cage

Angel wasn't sure she had ever been so happy for so long. It was the third day of her time at Yūei and things just kept getting better and better. She reveled in the joy of making true friends the other day, ones who would stick with her despite her problems. It was like the friendships she read about in stories, the ones which seemed too amazing to be true. It made her feel like she was living a fairy tale!

Now, she had another achievement to cross off her list. Collecting a friend's phone number, or in this case, three! She never knew that digital conversations could be so thrilling! She had spent several hours last night messaging back and forth with her correspondences, anticipating each message with baited breath! Moxxi had to tell her to go to sleep, she kept herself up so late!

Now she was continuing where she left off, the low rumble of her caretaker's convertible vibrating the phone in her hands.

Uraraka: Hey! Good morning! How r u feeling, Midoriya-kun, Angel-chan?

Midoriya: Not as sore as before. I've got an appointment with Recovery Girl today so hopefully I'll be at one hundred percent.

Angel: A lot better than yesterday. Thanks again, all of you.

Uraraka: Np! Np at all!

Midoriya: That's good to hear Hodunk-san!

Iida: I am pleased to hear that you have recovered from yesterday's tribulations, both of you. I am willing to instruct you in various recovery exercises if you'd like Midoriya-kun? I have plenty of experience with repairing my body after an injury, trust me you need to do it right. There are-

Angel snorted as she kept scrolling down the long message in the chat room. Even in text form, Iida was meticulous.

"I swear you're glued to that thing."

Angel looked up from her phone to meet Moxxi's amused eye and shrugged. Maybe she was, but she was allowed to act her age once in a while right?

"What the heck..?" Moxxi gasped, making Angel put down her phone and glance around in confusion until she saw what was surprising her.

Congregated at the school gate was a mob of people! They carried an assortment of cameras, notepads and microphones, denoting them as members of the press! There must have been about twenty of them! They were moving as a pack, surrounding any approaching Yūei students!

"Reporters? Why are they here?" She asked as Moxxi began slowly approaching the sidewalk.

"If I had to guess they're trying to get the scoop on All-Might teaching at Yūei. I heard through the grapevine that they've been showing up ever since the info made the news." She answered as the convertible came to a stop. "We've avoided them so far by coming early, probably."

"Hey look!" A member of the pack pointed towards the obvious red sports car that had just pulled up! "Here's another one!" They declared and with a rumbling of stomping feet, the car was surrounded from the right side!

"Are you a student at Yūei?!"

"What is it like being taught by the number one hero?!"

"What is he like in the classroom?!" They started demanding answers, cameras flashing. Some reporters were even pressing against the windows, trying to peer through to catch a look at the occupants!

The proximity with so many strangers and their pushy, hungry energy started to topple Angel's composure, her heart beginning to send shaking tremors up her body! Thank goodness they had put the top up this morning!

"M-Moxxi?! I-I can't get out!" She cried! It was like a scene in a zombie film, for all she knew they were going to smash the windows and pull her out!

"Hmpf!" Moxxi snorted irritably. "Normally I enjoy the attention, but God, have some class people! You're smudging up my windows!" She spat, before giving Angel a reassuring smile. "Don't worry Sugar, I've got this!"

Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a compact mirror. "This calls for the big guns." She said, flipping open the mirror and began to apply some makeup to her face. "A little bit here…" She muttered, dabbing at her cheeks with a pad of blush, making them extra rosy. "Last but not least..!" She retrieved a tube of red lipstick from her bag and applied it to her mouth. Studying herself in the mirror she puckered up and popped her lips.

"Alright! Now get ready to run and don't look back!" She said, getting a nervous nod from Angel.

Opening the door, the woman stepped out onto the side of the street. "Yoohoo~!" She called out, removing her glasses just in time for the reporters to shift their attention to the new arrival. The moment their eyes met the glittering green of her own, the world slowed down. All other stimuli faded, the feeling of the wind on their skin, the sound of cars on the road and everything else in their vision. Man or woman, it mattered not for all they could see was the vision of feminine beauty before them!

"Holy shit it's Mad Moxxi!"

"I love you Moxxi!"

"Can you spare some time for an exclusive interview?! Maybe dinner?! A movie?!"

"Moxxi! Moxxi! Moxxi!" They all started chanting, cheeks red and beating hearts in their eyes as they swarmed the gorgeous woman, cameras flashing from every conceivable angle!

"Everyone wait their turn! There's enough of little ol'me to go around!" The idolized woman sang, giving the crowd a fluttery wink, causing some of the weaker willed members to sigh and faint from happiness! So wrapped up in their acts of worship, the reporters completely ignored the teenage girl slipping out of the other side of the car and sprint for the school gate!

Angel's shoes clopped against the pavement as she ran from the sidewalk, heeding her guardian's instructions and never looking back. She wasn't going to waste the opportunity that she had given her by falling into the same trap as the reporters. Moxxi had explained to her the specifics of her quirk months ago, but to see it's effectiveness in practice was another thing altogether.

Her power; Hypnotic Attraction. Any person that initiates direct eye contact with Moxxi while it is active is eased into an enamoured, suggestive state. They become relaxed and completely vulnerable to the woman who they worship like a goddess until she breaks the spell or they are shaken out of it. The more one finds her attractive, even in a non-sexual manner, the longer the duration.

A fearsome and very useful quirk for someone in Moxxi's profession and very fitting for her personality. She had never used it on Angel, but from the way she described it and seeing it in action she didn't ever want to experience it. The idea of someone forcing you to love them, to adore them regardless of how you think of them, was terrifying.

Thankfully Moxxi would never use it to take advantage of others. By her own admission, she never used it even when pursuing someone with a romantic interest, claiming that she enjoyed the "chase" and that it wasn't the real deal. Nothing Angel understood due to a lack of experience, but comforting nonetheless. For now, she was thankful that it had allowed her to escape the reporter's notice, she did not want to know what would happen if they made a story out of her freaking out in public.

Apparently she wasn't the only one accosted by journalists. The pack of reporters was the only thing any of her classmates were talking about when she arrived.

"Those reporters were pretty intense right?"

"Yeah kero. They just didn't take no for an answer."

"Well I for one adore the attention! Hopefully they got my good sides, that is to say, all my sides!"

Most of the class felt indifferent or annoyed by their intrusive behaviour, with a notable exception of Aoyama which didn't surprise Angel in the slightest with how flamboyant he was.

"Hey Angel-chan!" Uraraka waved her over from where she and Iida were standing next to Midoriya at his desk. The use of Angel's first name filled her with joy!

"Hey guys!" She smiled as she approached, truly feeling comfortable with her friends at the moment.

"Good to see you are well Hodunk-san." Iida stated. "I was a little surprised to see you weren't here earlier like usual."

"Yeah, traffic was held up a bit thanks to a villain incident. A bit daring to pull something so close to Yūei right?"

"No kidding!" Midoriya laughed, whom Angel noticed was free of his sling and was looking good as new.

"So what do you think about all of those reporters huh?" Uraraka asked. "I couldn't really give a smart answer to their questions."

Midoriya turned a bit sheepish. "Me either. I kinda brushed them off because I had to see Recovery Girl."

Iida nodded. "I had a similar problem. I was only a quarter through my answer before they ran off for some reason. Probably remembered something important." He huffed, making Angel laugh quietly. Remembering how thorough Iida tended to be, she wouldn't be surprised if the reporters got turned off by how lengthy his answer must have been.

"That does raise a question though." Iida turned to her. "Hodunk-san, those reporters didn't bother you did they? I'd imagine you wouldn't be comfortable being confronted by so many people at once."

His question made all three of her friends look at her in concern, to which she waved them off.

"Don't worry." She reassured them. "They got, uh, distracted and I managed to slip by."

"That's a relief." Uraraka sighed. "Hopefully they'll be gone after school."

"Well if they aren't we will at least be in a group. That way we can divert their attention off you Hodunk-san. We can also message each other every morning to signal if the coast is clear. Do you think that will work?" Midoriya proposed.

"Sounds like a good tactic to me. What do you think Hodunk-san?" Iida asked.

"I-I'm not sure." Angel muttered, imagining her friends escorting her through the crowd of reporters like bodyguards around a celebrity or foreign diplomat. "I'd be willing to try though."

The door pushed open and Aizawa entered, tired as usual. "Good morning." He greeted in his usual sour tone. "Everyone to your seats, don't waste any time." He ordered, sending the entire class to their desks.

"Hope you all slept well after yesterday's combat test. I looked over the results." He said, dropping a stack of papers on the podium.

"Bakugo," He called out the blonde in the front row. "You're wasting your time and potential with your childish behaviour. Start acting your age."

"Got it." He answered bitterly, sounding just as angry at himself as yesterday.

"Midoriya," Aizawa continued, making the greenette jump. "You hurt yourself by overdoing it with your quirk again. If you don't get a handle on your power you're not going to last very long. Put more effort in gaining control, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Sensei!" The boy answered earnestly. Angel wished him the best of luck, she didn't want to keep seeing him hurt himself over and over.

"Alright." Aizawa turned back to the class. "I don't have anything in particular to say about anyone else, so we can move on. We've got some important business to take care of today." He declared.

'Uh oh!' She held her breath along with the rest of the class. 'Important business?! Don't tell me he's gonna spring another test on us!'

"We need to assign your class representatives."

"FINALLY SOMETHING NORMAL!"

She immediately deflated in relief as the rest of the class seemed to yell out at the same time somehow!

Class representatives; she didn't know what those were, but it sounded like something that was common in normal schools, or at least normal Japanese schools. All she knew was that practically everyone wanted to do it, most of her classmates were raising their arms, volunteering and giving reasons that they should have the position!

"I wanna do it! Pick me Sensei!"

"No, me!"

"Surely someone as beautiful as me is meant for this."

'What is this about?' Angel wondered. 'I don't know if I should be lifting my hand or not.'

She decided to get answers. Leaning forward in her seat, she lightly tapped on Yaoyorozu's shoulder, making her glance back past her raised arm.

"Hm? What is it?"

"Um… w-whats a class representative?" Angel whispered awkwardly.

Her deskmate blinked. "Do you not have those where you're from?"

"N-Not in America, no." She clarified.

"I see. I guess you can say that a class rep is responsible for assisting the teacher with various duties as well as caring for the wellbeing of their classmates. Makes sense?"

Angel nodded. "T-Thank you." She said and sat back in her seat. Now that she knew what being a class rep entails, she could confidently say that the job wasn't for her. She didn't think she would do a good job for something like that.

"Enough!" Iida's loud voice made her jump in her seat as the class went quiet and turned to face him.

"This is a tremendous responsibility that can't be assigned so frivolously! Those chosen will be the face of this class at Yūei to the world! Therefore the best candidates should be chosen to reflect the faith placed in them by the people who put them there! That's why-!" Light flashed off his glasses! "-we should put it to a vote!"

The room was silent for a whole second.

"Um… Iida-san… isn't your arm the highest?"

It really was. His whole body was shaking, he was raising it so high!

"My point still stands!"

"But we don't know each other that well." Tsuyu commented.

"Yeah and everyone's just going to vote for themselves!" The red haired boy added.

"Even more reason to have a vote! The person with multiple votes will be the most worthy according to the class, no? Isn't that right Sensei?!" Iida turned to the teacher who was in the process of climbing into his sleeping bag.

"Whatever you all agree on, as long as the decision is made." He sighed and fell asleep.

Within a minute, the election was underway! Iida took the liberty of handing the class slips of paper to write their ballots anonymously.

Holding her ballot in one hand, Angel absently tapped her desk with her pencil. She didn't want to be class rep, so she wasn't going to vote for herself, so who should she choose? She thought long and hard. Out of all of the people in her class, who did she think would make a good choice?

'I think I'll go with… them.'

A few minutes later, Yaoyorozu volunteered to display the results on the board.

It seemed like almost everyone had voted for themselves, the people who didn't were not even on the board. She didn't feel disappointed when she didn't see her name, she just accepted that people probably didn't know her well enough to make a commitment on her. Besides the single point tallies, only two names had more than one vote.

Midoriya Izuku: 3.

Yaoyorozu Momo: 2.

"What in the actual fuck?! Who the hell voted for Deku?!" Bakugo roared!

'Like anyone's going to vote for someone with such a "charming" personality." Angel smirked.

"Someone voted for me…" Iida muttered as he trembled on his desk. "...yet I didn't win! I've let my sole supporter down!"

"Did you not vote for yourself? After all that?" Yaoyorozu asked in disbelief as she stepped to the front of the class, soon joined by Midoriya, who seemed to be completely shocked that he had won.

'He probably voted for himself, not really thinking anyone would go for him.' Angel thought, an amused smile on her face.

"Finally got that out of the way." Aizawa grunted as he wrested himself from his nap. "Please welcome your class representative Midoriya and vice representative Yaoyorozu. Now we can finally get to today's class…"

The first half of the day went by like a flash. Morning classes were uneventful(not counting the teacher's eccentric personalities), soon enough the bell rang and it was the moment that she was dreading the most, lunch.

'It'll be different this time!' She promised herself as they moved closer and closer as a group towards the clamour of the cafeteria! 'I have help!'

They stopped right outside the bustling crowds. Midoriya's plan was to slowly expose Angel to crowds, getting used to the environment and atmosphere little by little from a safe distance.

"Are you feeling okay Hodunk-san?" Midoriya asked.

Her mind began to automatically count heads in the area, her nerves growing more and more shaky as the number grew. It was around the twenty mark that she started to feel sick and she swallowed dryly.

'N-No… I-I can't do this." She regretfully admitted. "Not yet. I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Uraraka placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "This is the first day, you'll get there. We'll just eat in the hall."

It was decided. Angel and Uraraka waited in the hallway, sitting against the railing in front of the windows while the boys retrieved their food.

"Thank you Iida-kun." Angel said as she handed him the money for her stir-fry.

"It was no issue." He said, sitting down with Midoriya.

The tray laid on her legs, Angel maneuvered some noodles into her mouth with minimal issue. She was mostly used to chopsticks by now.

"Mmm~." She hummed happily. "This is so good! Vending machine sandwiches don't compare!"

"Is that what you had yesterday?" Uraraka asked through a mouthful of rice.

"Yeah…" Angel swallowed, feeling guilty again as she picked at her food. "I'm sorry again that I'm forcing you guys to sit out here on the floor."

"You really need to take it easy on yourself Angel-chan!" The girl next to her laughed. "We don't blame you for anything, this was all our choice to help you! If my legs get cold on the floor, so what?!" She said, the boys nodding in agreement.

The kind words confirming the support her friends were giving her filled Angel with joy, sweeter than honey.

"I love you guys!" She squeaked, wiping at her eyes as she tried not to cry again and cleared her throat.

"So Midoriya-kun," She said in an effort to change the subject to something normal. "...how does it feel to be class rep?"

"Aw man," He chuckled nervously. "I don't know what to think! I just voted for myself because I didn't know who to vote for, I didn't think I'd win! I really don't know if I'll do a good job!"

"You'll do fine! I wouldn't vote for you if I didn't think you could handle it!" Uraraka replied.

"That goes for me too." Iida added. "You've demonstrated that you have good judgement and fortitude under pressure. That's why you have my vote."

"So it's true you didn't vote for yourself? I was certain you would, you seemed the most passionate about the role." Uraraka pointed out.

"Yeah, I think I've seen satellites lower than your arm there." Angel agreed.

"My personal desire for the position wasn't relevant. Although I'm disappointed, it's much more important that it was given to someone the most qualified for the job and if the class believes that to not be me, then so be it." He answered.

"That's very mature of you Iida-kun." Angel praised, impressed by his integrity. That he would willingly give up the job he wanted so much because he thought someone was better suited for it was admirable.

"Yeah, hey, that's got me thinking!" Uraraka jumped in. "You're always acting so proper and honorable and whatever! Are you from some kind of important family or something?"

"I wouldn't exactly describe it like that…" Iida coughed a little at the girl's blunt question. "But yes, the Iida family line has been renowned heroes for generations. Have you three ever heard of the hero Ingenium?"

"You mean Turbo Hero Ingenium?!" Midoriya leaned forward as his fanboy instincts kicked in!

"He was ranked number nineteen last time I checked." Angel added.

"Number eighteen right now actually! His Tokyo agency branch has more than fifty sidekicks! Does that mean..?!" He pointed at Iida who sat up straight with pride and grew a broad smile!

"Yes! Ingenium is Tensei, my older brother! He is the model hero, abiding by the rules and cares for everyone around him!" He declared, his face filling with fondness. "I guess you can say that while most people idolize All-Might-sensei, Tensei is the hero I want to be! I am not even half the leader that he is, so that's why I chose you Midoriya-kun, you're better suited than me at the moment."

Uraraka, Midoriya and marvelled at the sheer reverence that their friend had for his elder sibling.

"Wow, you suddenly make a lot more sense Iida-kun!" Uraraka said.

"What is that supposed to mean?!" The tall boy sputtered while Midoriya laughed.

At the same time, Angel pondered on what Iida had said about his family. Whose occupation was passed down from parents to their children over and over again, known for their legacy, one of peace and heroism. She couldn't help but compare herself, only coming up short. Her father never spoke of his parents or grandparents and she didn't know anything about her mother's side ever since she was gone. The idea of being a reflection of what preceded her and what she would leave behind was gripping.

'A family legacy. I wonder what mine will be… in the end.'

"I am curious however, "Iida coughed, bringing her back to reality. "Of the identity of my sole supporter in the election."

"Yeah, I wonder who did it?" Uraraka tapped her chin.

Angel smiled a bit mischievously as she raised her hand, making her friends look at her in surprise.

"Guilty." She snorted at their reaction.

"Hodunk-san, you voted for me?!" Iida gasped, waving his arms in a questioning manner.

"Mmhmm." She nodded, chewing a sweet pepper.

"If I may ask… what compelled you to do so?"

"Hmm…" She hummed, putting down her chopsticks. "I guess it's because you remind me of a friend of mine."

"A… friend?"

"N-No offence Hodunk-san…" Midoriya spoke up. "But I thought we were your first friends."

"W-Well I mean, you are? L-Like proper friends, people my age." She fumbled a little, trying to explain it. "He was one of the first people I interacted with in a long while, he and his teammates. They… worked for my father."

'From a certain point of view...'

She became warm from nostalgia and attachment as she thought back on them, drifting off to another world as she smiled.

"After a while, they had been around so much they started treating me like one of their own, like I belonged. I began to look forward to our talks as time went on and I'd like to think it was mutual. They were all so different from each other, they yelled and swore a lot… but they were like a family. I guess after my mom was gone, I wanted to be a part of something like that again."

Her friends didn't say a word, seemingly stunned by her moving story.

"So…" Iida finally started talking, making Angel look at him. "You say I remind you of one of them?"

"Yeah. He was the leader of the group. He was always so serious and to the point, just like you." She giggled. "But he was always like that because he was always looking out for his friends and other people, the kind of man who could always come up with a plan when things get dicey, someone you can depend on. That's why I voted for you Iida-kun, I get that same feeling from you."

"I… I'm not worthy of such praise." He said, obviously taken back by the faith that she had in him. "Everyone else didn't think I was right for the job."

She shrugged. "It's alright. I stand by my decision. Not to discredit you Midoriya." She apologized to the greenette. "I'm sure you'll do a good job too!"

"Ah, thanks." He didn't seem insulted, instead becoming curious. "Your friends, were they heroes?!"

His question threw her off guard for a second. "Oh, um, yes." She swallowed the lie down along with her guilt. "T-They're kinda like Aizawa-sensei, underground heroes and all. You wouldn't have heard of them."

"Oh, darn." He muttered disappointingly, making her laugh again as her mind looked back at the people in question.

'Roland… Lilith… Brick… Mordecai...I wonder where they are now?'

*WHEEEEEEEENG!*

Everyone jumped and almost choked on their food when a klaxon started blaring through the air! Angel covered her ears as her friends and everyone in the hall looked about in confusion!

"A siren?! What's going on?!" Midoriya exclaimed.

"ALERT! LEVEL THREE SECURITY BREACH! ALL STUDENTS PLEASE EVACUATE!" A recorded voice requested!

"An evacuation?! What for?!" Iida stood up and asked an older student running past!

"Level three means an intruder alert! This hasn't happened in years!" The student yelled as he sprinted away!

"We should get going!" Midoriya said as the rest of the group stood up and-

"Uhhh, guys?!" Uraraka pointed down the hall as a rumbling grew, all of them turning in dread and widening their eyes!

Coming from the cafeteria was stampede of students! Clamoring over each other frantically to escape, they surged toward Angel and her friends like a tidal wave!

"Everyone! Stick together!" Iida yelled as he grabbed onto Midoriya's arm who held onto Uraraka who in turn held onto Angel just as the mob washed over them!

"Hey stop pushing!"

"Watch the face or I'll break yours!"

"Stop stepping on my feet!"

The multitudes of teenagers yelled and screamed as they pushed past the group, who struggled to stay together!

'This is… too much!' Angel gasped, starting to hyperventilate as the moving bodies pressed and shoved against her! Her heart was pounding like a drum played by a manic musician, beads of sweat running down her aching head!

"This is crazy! Someone's going to get hurt!" Uraraka grunted amidst the chaos!

"Move!" Someone yelled and collided with the joined hands between her and Uraraka, her sweating grip breaking her lifeline!

"Angel-chan!" Her friend cried out!

"H-Help meeeee!" Angel screamed in terror as she was carried away from her friends! Up and down, back and forth, elbows, hands and knees jabbing at her in all directions she bobbed around in the ocean of bodies! An appropriate metaphor, she felt like she was drowning!

"Pl-lease! S-Stop! I-I-I can't-!" She pleaded, her desperate cries smothered by the pandemonium!

Her throat tightened, her airways closing up like a ring was squeezing it harder and harder! She clutched at it, but to no avail, her body's instinctual fear prevented her from breathing steadily enough to function normally!

"Can't..!" Her voice came out as a croak! "Can't… br...br..!"

Her feet stumbled and she felt someone bodycheck her from the back! She gagged from the impact of her body hitting the floor, feeling people's legs brush and kick her sides!

Her lungs burned from the lack of air and she spasmed on the ground uncontrollably!

Her vision began to slow and fade, the world around her becoming a blur!

As she lay there, flipping over and floundering on her back like a beached fish, she pleaded noiselessly!

'S-Somebody! Anybody! Please! Help..! Me..!'

Then..!

"Hey. Are you alright?" A voice echoed through Angel's ears.

Her eyes cracked open to see someone looking over her, their identity a fuzzy blob. Their form seemed to be positioned to shield her from getting stepped on. The only thing she could study with some clarity were two purple eyes.

'Who..? Are… you?' She wondered feverishly.

"Can you say something?"

Opening her mouth, her chest heaved as she tried to speak.

"I..! I..! Can't!" She labored to tell them what was wrong, to tell him to get her out, to get her to a nurse!

Then she stopped. Everything stopped. Her shaking. Her rapid breathing. Her mouth. It felt like her entire body was disconnected from her mind, like she had been driving an out of control car, but now she had been pushed into the backseat. All she could do was stare directly into those purple orbs.

"Relax. Focus on me." They ordered.

Immediately, her body's tense nerves and muscles slackened, her form almost melting into the floor she felt so loose.

"Breath in deeply."

Inexplicably, her body obeyed, her mouth opening wide and sucked in sweet air, oxygen flooding her lungs.

"Now breathe out."

Her diaphragm relaxed, pushing the air back out.

"Breath in."

She breathed in.

"Breath out."

She breathed out.

"Breath in."

She breathed in.

"Breath out."

She breathed out.

The process repeated, over and over. With each cycle, the pain in her chest ebbed. Her pulse slowed down until she couldn't hear her blood coursing through her ears.

She should feel terrified that someone was controlling her body, but the look coming from those amethyst eyes was something she had seen before. They reminded her of Midoriya's the first time they met, in a situation not so different from this. Despite the lack of control over her own body, she couldn't help but feel safe.

Before she knew it, her heart was steady and her throat was relaxed. The blurriness receded and she could finally scrutinize her saviour.

Kneeling over her was a male student, his hair a untamed bush of purple locks like Midoriya, minus the curls. He looked very tired, dark rings circling his eyes, combined with the stoic, nonchalant expression on his face, he looked like the second coming of Aizawa.

"Hey." He grunted.

'He even sounds like Sensei.'

"You calmed down yet? Don't have any problems breathing anymore?"

At his words, whatever power holding her captive dispersed and she felt normal again, letting her blink and stammer with how disoriented she was.

"I-I… y-yes. I'm feeling much better."

He hummed as he straightened up and held out his hand.

It took her a moment to realize that he was offering her a hand up.

"O-Oh! Thank you!" She stuttered as she met his grip.

As he was pulling her to her feet, she just noticed how the crowd had calmed down for some reason, everyone moving by cordially in a peaceful manner.

'When had that happened?'

"Are you going to be okay now?" The boy asked as he released her hand.

Taking a shaky breath, Angel nodded. "I... s-should be. I just need to get out of this crowd."

He nodded and grunted. "See you then." He moved to separate himself from her.

Only to be stopped by the sudden grip on the end of his sleeve. Angel hadn't meant to grab onto him and blushed out of shame from her fear. Even though the situation had been resolved, she was afraid of letting her panic get the best of her again.

"Can… I walk with you until we are out… in case I-I… need help again?"

He looked at her, his expression remaining as passive as before, with the possible exception of a glimmer of annoyance in his eyes. He rolled them and groaned.

"Fine." He muttered and began to lead her along the crowd towards the exit.

Minutes passed by without incident and the two of them were in the campus foyer, the traffic dispersing towards their classrooms to attend the emergency roll call. The boy pulled Angel to the side of the hallway.

"You think you'll be good to get to your class on your own?"

Finally releasing his jacket she nodded.

"Good luck then." He sighed and started walking away. Really? He was just going to leave, just like that? He saved her, she couldn't let her thanks go unheard and she needed to know the identity of her rescuer!

"Wait!" She called out, making him stop and glance back tiredly.

"M-My name is Hodunk Angel!" She gestured to herself. "May I… know your name?"

He stared at her for a moment, as if debating with himself whether to answer or not.

"Shinso." He finally said. "Shinso Hitoshi."

She then took a page from Iida's book and bent forward, bowing at the waist.

"Thank you for helping me! If it weren't for you… I don't know what would have become of me." She stated. "Thank you for using your quirk to help me! I hope to see you again!"

Shinso didn't answer immediately, remaining silent, making Angel wonder if she did something wrong. She glanced up in time to see his expression lighten up a bit, his eyes widening and his lips part out of disbelief. Had she said something shocking?

Then a ghost of a smile spread across his face.

"A first for everything I guess." He muttered under his breath. "No problem and… likewise. See you." He gave a small wave and walked off.

Angel watched him leave, finding herself puzzled by his reaction. It was like he didn't expect any thanks for his actions, he didn't even seem to expect it.

'That's so… selfless!' She thought. He had gone out of his way to protect her from the stampeding students with his body and used his quirk quickly and efficiently to save her from her own panic. Speaking of, what was his quirk? Some kind of hypnosis like Moxxi? But he had been able to command her with ease, so possibly even greater than her caretaker! Such a powerful ability, to control anyone, yet he used it only to help her. Surely he was in the hero course too!

'Shinso-san. You're going to be a great hero.' She thought as she made her way back to her classroom.

When her worried friends found her sitting at her desk, they were dumbfounded by the peaceful look on her face. In the end, they were just glad that she was safe.

Angel stood alone in the afternoon breeze, enjoying the sensation of the cool air blowing through her hair.

The day had been uneventful after the absurdity that was the security breach. Apparently the reporters from this morning had invaded the campus grounds, demanding interviews from All-Might. Needless to say, Angel was a little perturbed to find out that she had almost needed to go to the hospital thanks to some nosy journalists trying to get soundbites.

Grievances aside, she had learned from her classmates that Iida had been the one to pacify the stampede, using Uraraka's quirk to get himself to a position where everyone could see him and inform everyone of the true nature of the breach.

The class after, Midoriya declared that he wanted Iida to take his place for his quick thinking and drive of the role. This time, the class voted for the motion enthusiastically!

Except Bakugo, but hey, you can't satisfy everyone.

At the end of the day, Angel told her friends to meet her at the gate and left early. After the earlier incident, she really needed some air and space.

It was way quieter now, as the police had peacefully removed the reporters from the premises.

'Hopefully they've learned their lesson.' Angel thought somewhat bitterly. 'But… how did they get in?' She wondered as she strode over to the gate to where the Yūei barrier, the automatic security system barring entry to anyone without a student id or guest pass once stood. Stepping closer to the archway where the armoured door would close, she frowned.

The several inch thick panels were rusted and calcified along the edges. It looked as if a large portion of the barrier had aged centuries and disintegrated, the pavement was discoloured from the residue that had been swept up she theorized.

Running her hand along the corroded edge carefully as to not need a tetanus shot, she came to a worrying conclusion.

'Someone broke down the barrier with their quirk. But… why?'

Someone with a grudge against Yūei perhaps? Against All-Might?

Was it… him?

'No!' She denied, swallowing. 'He doesn't know where you are!' She told herself, taking a shaky breath to calm herself down. 'No. It's not him. This is too random and what would he gain from breaking a door? It'd draw too much attention.' She rationalized.

He was determined. But he was also very cautious. This incident would draw too much attention and that was the last thing he wanted.

This felt like a message.

"Angel-chan!" She jumped at the mention of her name, glancing back to see Uraraka and the boys waving as they came to join her.

"You ready to go?" The brunette asked.

"Yeah…" Angel muttered, taking one last look at the door. "Let's go."

As the group of teens started their journey to the train station, Angel pushed her concerns into the back of her head. If it didn't have to do with him, then it was probably nothing to worry about.

'It's probably nothing.' She repeated in an attempt to convince herself, but she couldn't quite shake off the feeling of foreboding deep down.