Nejire Hado was fuming.
She'd been on the fence about Gang Orca for a while: whether he was just a super abrasive guy that was ultimately worth listening to, and she just needed to suck it up, or she was actually being treated horribly and unfairly.
And now she'd decided on the second thing.
She couldn't stop staring at him as the heroes traveled through the streets, heading back out to their patrol area from UA. Staring at his big hulking back. Stupid. Disrespectful. The worst.
Keeping me from seeing an important witness who personally asked for me, what the hell? Just because she was too thorough with her questioning? No, no, this was so messed up. She was making himself even more angry just thinking about it.
My curiosity. The one thing I've always been insecure about, that I've been told by others would actually help me in my hero career, is already holding me back. No, she refused to accept this. It wasn't her fault! It was HIS! That big dumb brute leading their group at the front!
"Hado? Is everything okay?" Tamaki asked, walking next to her.
"Oh, you know." She spoke through gritted teeth. "Why wouldn't it be?"
"I'm…sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have told you."
"No, no, I'm glad you did." She batted her eyelashes at him and put on her best reassuring smile. "And I'll be alright. I promise."
"...Okay. If you're sure." His worried glance lingered on her for a moment longer before turning back forward.
Nejire's eye twitched. A lot of the time her bubbly nature was real, sometimes it was an act, but right now it was a really really hard act.
And I can't actually let my frustration show, because no one takes me seriously. Every time I get mad people just point out my pout and call me cute. Not that that wasn't true. But still.
The Kijimi patrol squad was just turning a street corner, when the police car in front suddenly stopped.
Mandalay looked up at a nearby rooftop. "Is that who I think it is?"
It was Hawks. He appeared to be searching for something. Red feathers were probing around the area, flying in different directions and down into the streets and alleys while Hawks himself sat on a ledge, a HUD lit up on his golden goggles.
"Hmm…nothing here…" Hawks noticed the patrol on the road beneath him and started. "Ah. We've, ah, got company."
Nejire had activated her Quirk and was floating up, grateful for the distraction and a new person to talk to. "Hawks! What are you doing here? How are you holding up with less feathers? What are you looking for? I'm Nejire-chan, by the way!" She floated to his level, coming up into his vision.
Hawks laughed nervously and took his goggles off his face. "I know who you are. Hey down there, Gang Orca. Mandalay. Everyone else." He waved to the others. "This must be y'alls area, huh? Sorry to intrude. Hey, did you hear me?" He shouted over his shoulder. "I said we had company!"
Midoriya appeared from the backside of the building, leaping onto the roof, a green streak of agility. "Sorry!" he apologized to Hawks, holding up something pinched between his gloved fingers "I found something…" He paused when he saw her. "Ah…hello, Ha…Nejire-chan."
"Hey, Deku." She waved. For some reason, seeing him lifted her spirits. Him and Hawks here? Surely they were up to something important!
"Nejire-chan, get down from there and let them go about their business. I won't say it again," Gang Orca called up to her.
Nejire grimaced. Then, Mandalay spoke up. "No, hold on. What are you doing here, Hawks? You don't have enough feathers back to be flying as you please."
The blonde hero chuckled. "Luckily, Deku here has become a bit of an expert at flying as he pleases, and he was willing to give me a lift. We were searching for any traces of that sniper villain that attacked him and your patrol the other day."
Nejire's mouth opened in interest. "The bald lady?" she blurted, unable to help herself.
"And I found one! A trace." Midoriya brandished what he'd found. It appeared to be a clump of dark indigo hair. "She must have recovered her other shots, but this was a piece from the one that I punched."
"Perfect!" Hawks clapped his hands. "Now we just need to get into contact with the police officer in Fuchu. He had the Quirk for DNA tracking. Though I haven't heard from him since before the war, so it could be difficult…" He chewed on his cheek, the same way Nejire often did when she was deep in thought.
Oh mannnn. Part of her was sinking even deeper in despair. What Deku and Hawks were up to seemed so much more interesting and exciting than being stuck where she was. Tamaki's advice rang in her head, but she just couldn't help it. I know it'd be dangerous, but right now I'm being tortured! Any change of pace, any whatsoever, would be oh-so-welcome…especially since it seemed like they were doing detective work! And screw what they all say, I'd be a GREAT detective!
"See, they got what they came for," Gang Orca blustered abrasively. "Now can we please get moving?"
A frustrated growl escaped her mouth, and her right arm spasmed, desperate to punch the air.
And then she felt Midoriya's eyes on her.
It wasn't like she could see his face: he was wearing his hood and mask up like always. But she could tell she was being watched. No, I don't want him to see that. He needs to think of me and Tamaki as reliable seniors. He clearly didn't trust his own classmates, but now that she was graduated, she had a higher standard to live up to.
Nejire turned to descend to the street, when a white-faced police officer emerged from the car, shaking. "You all need to see this right now!" he urged.
"Hmm?" Mandalay stepped toward him in alarm. "What is it?"
"It's…on the broadcast screen we have on the dashboard…"
The heroes began to gather around. Hawks stood up from the ledge. "Mind if we take a look, too?" he asked, gesturing to Midoriya and himself.
Gang Orca was already gathering around the car with the others, not paying attention. "You're fine in my book," Nejire said, "even if that blubbery jerk shouts at you."
She went down to the car. Midoriya and Hawks followed her.
The police had used the arm mechanism attached to the dash screen to pull it out of the front seat, so now it was facing out the door, where everyone could see it. Nejire nudged her way forward to join Tamaki on his left side. Then, Midoriya came up to her left side. They all gathered there, and the group stared.
On the screen was Dabi.
"Hello, Japan," he said, "or rather, any of you still left who are able to tune in."
A storm of whispers swept through the group, but Mandalay shushed them. "Listen!" she hissed.
The scarred, evil son of Endeavor was standing in a dark place, with no identifying or definable surroundings. He was lit by a single source beneath the camera, throwing shadows across his face and making him appear even more grotesque.
"I am currently speaking to you from the location where the bold few survivors of the Paranormal Liberation Front are gathering. More and more come every day. And along with them - are newcomers. People who were not with us before. People who have come seeking food, water, shelter, safety. And they are receiving it."
"What a piece of shit," someone groaned.
Dabi's face turned grim. "We recognize that it is not easy to find us. A necessary hazard, I'm afraid. The heroes are still out there, and they are hunting people down. They're invading our streets, trying to regain their iron fist of control. If you feel too afraid to seek us out, I understand. But for those of you bold enough to get back out there and find the string of pearls that you leads you to our doorstep…there is much to be promised."
Nejire was horrified. Her face was stinging just looking at him. Her fingers danced up toward her scarred cheek.
"We do not just offer safety and comfort. We offer power. Strength. A chance to restore our country. A country where everyone can feel safe enough to be who they are, without facing the hypocritical tyranny of hero society. If you come to us, you will have a meaningful role to play. You will have a sense of belonging. You may even get another Quirk."
The heroes gasped. "All For One!"
"All For One…"
"He's there with him for sure."
"ShhhhH!" Hawks urged.
"You may think I'm a liar and a murderer. You'd be correct, for the most part." Dabi shrugged. "But I intend to display that this time, I mean what I say. How can you trust me? I promise that in three days' time, I am going to be near Annaka Hospital in Gunma Prefecture. The select few that manage to reach this location, you will get a lucky chance to come back with me using an easy and safe mode of transportation, courtesy of the boss. This, I promise. Alright, that's all. Stay safe, stay away from the heroes, DO NOT ANSWER ANY OF THEIR QUESTIONS. EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO AUTONOMY. Thank you for listening. Dabi out."
The broadcast cut.
…
The Shiketsu bomber leaned back in the old armchair, mulling things over.
A specific location in three days' time, huh Dabi?
Surely there was no way the heroes would take the bait. But they might have no choice. At the very least, this will be all they think about for the next week. That gives me…
…An opening.
The bomber grinned.
…
Izuku stared at Hawks as the others all freaked out and chattered around them.
"Annaka Hospital," he croaked.
Hawks was bug-eyed. "But…how? How does he know they're in there?"
"Endeavor was going out on patrols from there! They have eyes everywhere, Hawks. They're under the skin of the whole country. That's one thing I've found out while I've been out here."
"Okay, okay." Hawks pinched his eyes. "So, maybe he isn't serious. Maybe this is just a veiled threat. You know, winking at us to let us know that he knows."
"Knows what?" asked Mandalay. "What are you talking about? What's at that hospital?"
Izuku became aware of a few people paying attention to them now, namely the aforementioned brunette woman and also Tamaki.
Nejire, next to Tamaki with her shoulder near Izuku's own, was still staring off into space. One of her hands was up and hovering around the end of her short hair. She didn't even seem aware that she was doing it.
"Dabi's entire family, except for my classmate," Izuku explained to Mandalay. "Endeavor, Endeavor's wife Rei, her two middle children. They're all at that hospital, recovering from wounds they sustained in the Shiketsu bombing."
"Endeavor wasn't wounded; he's just staying near his family to protect them," Hawks added. "I was also recovering there as well, from what that very psycho did to my back." He nodded at the black screen. "This was my first time away from it in weeks."
"We have to go back," said Izuku.
"I completely agree." Hawks unfolded his half-regrown wings. "As soon as possible, by my reckoning."
"Whoa, whoa." Mandalay held up her hands to halt them. "Don't you think you should call this in to Nezu and UA? Surely they've seen this as well, and will be coming up with a plan? If we organize an operation…"
"Organized operations are how we got into this whole mess in the first place!" Izuku protested. "If we try to overplan this, the villains will trip us up from under our feet. That's exactly what happened last time, and it'll be even harder for everything to go right with supplies and communications when the country is so screwed over! That hospital is miles from here and UA, through dangerous territory. It's got its own support system. There are hundreds of civilians living in it!"
"Midoriya…" Mandalay flattened her mouth at him with almost pitying eyes. "Don't you think you're running headlong into bait?"
"I'm just not sure," Nejire muttered.
They all turned to her.
She was tapping her burnt cheek with her other arm crossed over her chest. "Everything about that message was weird, don't you think? His whole schtick in his first big drama video was about his family. It got a little political, sure, but he's mainly just using that to get over his daddy issues."
"Nejire-cha-" Mandalay began to protest.
"Now he's just pushing all these other political talking points into this new message, and he even mentions the hospital where you guys say his family is, but doesn't bring up that they're there? What for?"
"Like I said," said Hawks, "maybe the whole point is a warning to us. To let us know that they're always watching. A message to specifically the heroes that know the significance of that hospital."
Or just to me, thought Izuku darkly. This comes up just after he visits the place for the first time? That can't be a coincidence.
"Then why would he actively try to involve other people? He wants the civilians who heard all that to try and go there. To meet up with him. If it's all fake just to send a warning, and he isn't actually gonna show up, then why would he send people there?"
"To bait them into leaving their homes and coming out of hiding?" suggested Amajiki. "Maybe they just need to capture some people for…something."
"They," Izuku muttered. "They. They as in Dabi and who else? He's talking big stuff in that video. All For One-sounding kind of stuff." But is it All For One AND Shigaraki, or is AFO still controlling both bodies?
"The civilians must be a factor," said Hawks, eyes widening. "He didn't bring up Endeavor in the video, but the people sheltering at and around the hospital know he's there. If they saw this broadcast, if they get wind of it…"
"They could turn against Endeavor and force him and his family to leave," Izuku finished, "exposing them."
"We do need to get back there. We've got to escort them to safety." Hawks prepared to take off. "You ready, Deku? We can stop at 7-11 along the way," he quipped sardonically.
"See?" Mandalay threw up her arms, exasperated. "That's the exact kind of thing you need an organized operation for."
"It's the top two heroes," said Nejire. "And not to mention Deku, too." She gave him a look. "They're right not to waste time on making a mission out of this."
"Thank you," Izuku said, in a quieter tone. He was a bit taken aback at her contributions and her apparent trust in him.
"Yes, yes, Nejire-chan, we're all aware of what your thoughts on careful planning are." Gang Orca broke into the conversation. He looked at Hawks and Midoriya. "If you two really are planning to go and go now, then do it. We have our own things to do. I'll see about making contact with UA when we reach our rally point, to at least let them know what your plans are. You would not disagree with that notion, surely."
Hawks shook his head. "That's fine, Orca. Tell them that if they do intend to send aid, they better make it fast. Deku and I are gonna get those Todorokis outta there and we're gonna do it in the blink of an eye, if we can help it."
"Right," Izuku agreed.
And then they both took off.
…
Izuku thought he heard further chatter in the patrol as the two of them left, and then something that sounded like arguing. But he didn't look back.
They soared over rooftops, Izuku using OFA and Float to keep himself up while wrapping a Blackwhip around Hawks' waist to give him auxiliary support, his feathers not quite enough to sustain him for the long flight they had ahead. Those small wings did flap furiously, though, giving Hawks just enough buoyancy to be actually quite light to hold in the whip. Izuku figured he could probably do it for a couple hundred miles.
"That blue-haired young lady was pretty…"
"Ehhhh?" Izuku whipped his head around to stare at Hawks in midair.
"...helpful. Pretty helpful. Is what I was going to say." The older hero smirked. "Didn't you think so? She was part of the Big Three, right? Sometimes I wish I had gone to UA. I feel like I could have been a part of the Big Three."
Izuku made a grumpy face under the mask. "We have serious things to focus on, sir."
"I know, and I meant every word back there. I'm glad that patrol didn't offer to help us further, besides Gang Orca's offer of a message. Something about it seemed…dysfunctional."
"It's Gang Orca himself. He doesn't respect Hado."
"That's the girl's name?"
Izuku nodded.
"Well…he hasn't gotten to where he is for nothing. And I can see why certain heroes and people are becoming more controlling, in this environment. Some might see it as the only way to maintain their sanity."
"But Hado isn't out of control. She's just…frenetic. And that energy can be directed into really helpful places." The last segment of the battle with Shigaraki, Gigantomachia, and the near-high-ends could have gone much worse without her. And she saved me from the Hojos. "I mean, she read Dabi like a book back there. She's actually super smart."
Hawks let out an exaggerated sigh. "Oh, Midoriya, what a shame. If only she'd heard you say that, you might be getting a big old hug right now. Or maybe something more, if you can imagine it…?"
"Stop. Please," Izuku groaned. I have voices in my head saying the same kind of embarrassing stuff all the time.
"Hehehe. Well, we got Lady Nagant's hair, but that's gonna have to be on hold until we handle this. I guess we'd best focus on what's directly ahead of us."
Yeah. Ahead…
Ahead was Rei again. That image he had of her, sitting on the bench in the middle of the idyllic scene in just a nightgown, that wide hat on her head, smiling because she'd just gotten it from him…
Ahhhh. Hawks would tease him about Nejire, but he had no idea that Izuku was currently very attracted to a woman an entire generation above him. And if he found out about Iruka…
Izuku blushed under the mask. Thinking about Iruka was way too distracting. The tactile memories he had to go off of…he couldn't help it, his body craved more of that.
And he wasn't gonna get it anytime soon, especially if his mind continued to latch onto Rei Todoroki of all people. Oh well.
"That burn on her face," said Hawks, in a much more serious tone. Pulling Izuku back to reality. "She got that from Dabi?"
Slowly, Izuku nodded. "Her hair was burned, too. It used to go down past her knees. It was…it was really pretty."
And yet, as I seem to continue encountering her…I feel like I learn a little more about her each time, and it feels like she hasn't lost any of her beauty at all. Thinking about Nejire gave him that same fluttery feeling it had for half a year. Rei is beautiful. Mirko is sexy. Iruka is cute. All of them have a helping of all three qualities, too, but Nejire is super beautiful, sexy, and cute all at once.
Wait, what am I even thinking? He groaned internally, feeling like Kaminari or something. Shut up, Nana, he thought preemptively, when he sensed that she was about to tease him.
Hawks was now on an entirely different wavelength. His expression was solemn and introspective. "He told me who he was, you know," he was saying. "When he had me pinned in the villa. Tokoyami came to save me, and then I passed out. I was the first one to know that he's Touya."
"...Oh." Izuku didn't like to think about it, but he was currently flying with someone who he'd seen kill someone else. On video, but still. Hawks had taken a life.
Izuku looked at his face. Does he wish he'd killed Dabi, too?
The two of them carried on.
They did not stop at 7-11, but they did grab food and water at a way station. The sun set.
They left the city for the burbs, and then the burbs for the boonies.
The stars traversed the sky. Crickets chirped. They passed over a group of kids taking some crops, and intended to stop them, but chose not to when the kids showed them the farmer who owned the land…that is, the grave he was buried in. After they'd left, Hawks proclaimed his suspicions that they'd killed the man, but Izuku had seen it in their eyes that that wasn't true.
A lot of people were scared. But even scared people pushed to their very limits had difficulty doing something like killing.
They made it to the city again as the first streaks of color appeared in the eastern sky. When they closed in on Annaka Hospital, it was sunrise.
…
The faucet squeaked as she turned it, and the sound of the water blasting out and onto the floor of the shower was heavenly to the ears.
The Kijimi patrol group had returned to the safehouse a couple of hours ago to hear the news: the water pressure had been fixed, at least for now. There would also be a steadier supply of water to the building for a week until they rotated it to some other nearby building in the hero network that needed it.
Best news I've heard in days, thought Nejire, putting one foot into the shower, then the other. It was cold water. She'd had trouble with hot showers since the wound, but getting one wouldn't have been possible here anyway. The pressure, though…that being back up was nice.
And when they'd gotten back, Gang Orca had gone straight to communications to send the message about Midoriya and Hawks' plan to go rescue the Todorokis, and she hadn't seen him since. It was now just getting dark outside, and she had just this time…this ten-minute allotted time…to herself.
It was a tiny alcove shower in a tiny alcove bathroom in a tiny narrow hallway, and the floor creaked beneath her, but Nejire didn't care. It was private and it was cozy enough.
She just sighed and turned herself fully into the stream of the water, feeling the cold liquid bounce off her arms, soothe her face scars, cascade over the tips of her breasts and down her thighs. She lifted her head up and smoothed her hair back, pushing down her two wavy swirling strands with a nice long exhale. She got up on her tiptoes and arched her back, popping her aching joints.
"All the hottest girls have the sorest bodies," she muttered absurdly, thinking of some social media post she'd seen before the world had gone to hell. She smacked her lips and picked up the soap, lathering it over herself.
Stupid Gang Orca and his stupid snide remarks. And in front of Hawks and Deku, too. Deku didn't defend me this time. He was in too much of a hurry. But surprisingly, Mandalay had started to argue after they'd left. Not directly in defense of her, but she had gotten mad at Gang Orca for being too "brusque in the presence of guests", whatever that meant. That had kicked off into a whole thing, and with everyone already tense from the Dabi video, it had just been sort of ugly.
Man, I just want to get out of here.
She'd decided that, while she wasn't totally sure on his actual plan, that Dabi was one hundred percent going to show up to that hospital. And what if he brings backup? Like, hella backup? Deku and Endeavor and Hawks were probably the three strongest heroes left, but that was only with Hawks at full strength, which he wasn't. And three heroes weren't enough to do anything in the last big battle.
Ughhhh…
Nejire turned around and faced the wall of the shower, letting the water bounce off her shoulders and butt. Instinctively, she reached around to grab her hair and pull it all to the front in one big wet strand, over her shoulder, so she could scrub her back without it getting in the way. But of course, all her hair, her beautiful hair, was gone.
And it may not ever grow back properly to that length again. Because of him.
She opened and closed her fist. Was it stupid to care so much about her hair and her appearance, when Dabi had done far worse to others?
But no. When Nejire thought hard about what literally happened, there was more to it.
When she got out of the shower, she didn't put her pajamas on. She got back into her hero costume.
It didn't take long to find Tamaki and deal him in.
"This is a terrible idea," he said. "Do you even know how to get there?"
"We'll figure it out!"
"We? Hado, we have important work to do here. There are people in danger in Kijimi. Do you think they'll be safe as long as the Harbor and the Hojos are in power? They don't have anyone else but us! I promised Nova-"
"I get it, I really do." She took her friend by the shoulders. "But I'm so, so set on this. Like, I've made up my mind five times over."
"And I…get that. Hado, believe me. I get secondhand…whatever that horrible feeling is, whenever Gang Orca says anything to you. If I were in your position I'd want to leave too. But this…this is crazy."
Nejire sniffed. "Well," she said, standing up straight. "If it's crazy, then I guess I'm crazy like everyone apparently thinks. But I'm done caring."
"Remember what I said about getting involved in Midoriya and All Might's business? Well…that goes, like, double for Todoroki business! These aren't games we should play! Dabi is…"
"Dabi isn't just a matter for Endeavor." Nejire stared him dead in the eye. "He can pretend that he is all he wants, but he's not. He's killed and hurt plenty of people who weren't Todorokis, and he's probably planning on doing it more in the next few days. He threw his fire at me and laughed. He laughed at Endeavor, and only had eyes for him. I don't even care about my physical wounds. He made an example of me." She raised her fist. "I'm gonna blast the shit out of him. Endeavor can have his father-son heart-to-heart next to his hospital bed, because I'm gonna get there first."
"That's revenge, Nejire." She'd given Tamaki permission to use her first name a long time ago, but he only did it when he was super serious.
"Maybe it is. Maybe this is impulsive, hot-headed, emotionally driven, all that. But if I stay here, I'm going to blow a gasket."
Tamaki just stared at her for a long time, slightly shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't stop you from going," he finally muttered. "But I can stop you from dying, maybe…by going with you."
Nejire exhaled in relief.
The two of them discreetly packed up their few possessions into backpacks and went upstairs through the safehouse, heading for the fire escape on the third floor. They passed a room and heard Gang Orca's voice inside it. They turned a corner and went down a hallway where they passed more people, nodding to them and smiling innocently. No one seemed to suspect.
They came to the fire escape and opened the door into the night. It was a clear one, warm and still.
Tamaki let her go first and then followed her out. Mandalay was waiting for them on the steps.
She had a sad smile. Starlight reflected in her eyes. "I figured as much."
Both of them froze. Nejire felt rather like she was back in high school all over again. "It was my idea," she blurted. "Amajiki's just going to protect me-"
The pro heroine sighed and stepped up to them. "Hado…Hado, Hado. Is this in your heart?"
Nejire hadn't expected that question. But she had an answer. "Yes."
Mandalay smiled, and held something out to her. A well-folded little piece of laminated paper.
"It's a map to Annaka Hospital. I took the liberty of drawing out the route in marker."
Stunned, Nejire took the map, unfolded it a bit, confirmed that it was truly what she said it was. She handed it to Tamaki, who similarly inspected it, a slightly nervous look on his face. "Mandalay-"
"Go on." The woman's face was hard to read. "Go put those talents to work in a place where they're appreciated, Nejire Hado."
"But, Gang Orca-"
"I'll handle it for when you come back." Her face softened. "So please come back."
Nejire was seized with an almost unholy bout of determination. "Will do," she replied. "Thank you, Mandalay."
Together, she and Tamaki passed the older heroine and went down the steps. Nejire activated her Quirk a little, giving him some light to read the map.
They went off into the darkness. The safehouse, and the safety inherent in its title, shrank in the distance behind them.
…
"No," said Endeavor. "This is out of the question."
"What?!" Hawks exclaimed. "How is it out of the question? You need to get out of here-"
"My family is still recovering from their wounds."
"Dad," said Fuyumi, "Natsuo and I, at least, are fine." She gestured to her brother, sitting next to her on the hospital bed. "Fine enough to travel."
"We don't know for sure what the message means," said Endeavor. He was frowning doubtfully.
"That's true, but we discussed it at length with some other heroes," Izuku put in. "We think that the most likely outcome is that Dabi means for the civilians here to turn against you-"
"To make us leave, yes? To expose us! Which is exactly what you'd have us do!" Natsuo snapped angrily.
Izuku balked. He couldn't believe that Natsuo was kind of on the same page as his father.
"Did anyone else here see the video?" Hawks asked quietly.
Endeavor looked toward the door of the room they were sitting in, which led out to a hospital corridor. There were distant sounds of people elsewhere in the facility. "I'm not sure," he muttered. "Some of the staff did, but I couldn't speak for any of the refugees downstairs."
"We shouldn't hide things from them," said Fuyumi. "That's not right."
"Endeavor." Hawks sounded exasperated. "Surely…together, you and I and Deku and anyone else we can scrap together from the area can put together a safe escort. With all due respect, I think you need to get your family as far away from here as possible-"
"What is going on?"
All five of them turned to the door. Rei was standing there, looking quite concerned.
"Oh, Rei, erm…" Endeavor looked contrite.
"Sorry, Mom, we didn't mean to exclude you," Fuyumi said. "We just wanted to let you rest."
"Well, I'm rested enough, thank you very much." Using her cane, Rei sauntered over to the other side of the bed, and noticed Izuku for the first time. "Ah! Midoriya-kun, you're…back."
"Yes, Deku is here to help and so am I. Are you caught up to speed, ma'am?" asked Hawks.
"Insofar that I saw the video of my oldest son sending another threat to us. If there's anything else that's been discussed here without me, then well, I'm not up to speed." Rei sat in the spare chair that was between Izuku's chair and the bed, and crossed her arms, her tone icy.
"They were suggesting that we go somewhere else. Possibly UA," said Endeavor. "But I was trying to tell them that you aren't healed up all the way just yet."
"Well, my leg still hurts, but I could probably travel if I was carried." Rei glanced in Izuku's direction. Or maybe she had looked at Hawks. I'm just seeing what I want to see, probably.
"That's a silly idea. We would need a vehicle, or-"
"Midoriya-kun." Okay, now she was definitely staring at him. "Do you think Touya meant what he said about coming here?"
All eyes went to Izuku. His mouth felt dry. "I, umm…well? I couldn't say one way or the other. It definitely seems likely that something bad is going to happen…now just two days away. So we have to do something."
Rei looked at her husband. "We promised we'd face him as a family," she said.
"But Mom, we're not combatants. Even if we were, we're injured," Fuyumi protested.
"And we don't have Shoto," said Natsuo. "I don't think we can do it without him-"
"You have me," Izuku muttered.
The Todorokis all gaped at him. Hawks was bug-eyed. "Deku, you can't be serious. I thought we were on the same page."
He lifted his face up. "Every time we try to outsmart the villains and put them on the ropes, they lash back stronger. Maybe it's time to be reactive instead of proactive. Maybe it's time to make a defense and wait."
"I agree," said Endeavor immediately. "I don't think braving the streets right now is a good idea, particularly with UA so far away. We may not have a better choice than this."
His children gasped. "Endeavor?"
"Dad!"
"But what about Shoto?"
"We have no backup!"
"We'll be-"
"It's okay." Izuku stood up. He aimed his words at Fuyumi and Natsuo, but Rei, Rei most of all. "You have to remember that he's not just your problem. He's also a pawn in All For One's schemes, and that involves me. It's up to me to take care of any extra problems or plans that come from that message. If Dabi really is coming to build up AFO's army, then I have to stop that. So I plan to stay here and prepare for a fight, regardless. That's my job." He looked over at Hawks. "And I don't think you can actually do any kind of evacuation from here without me, so it seems that this is what we're doing."
"Jesus Christ," Hawks muttered. He rubbed his eyes. "Okay. Fine."
Natsuo grumbled and averted his eyes, arms crossed. Fuyumi looked doubtful. "Mom…are you sure this is what you want?"
She was still staring at Izuku, a pretty smile forming on her face. "I trust Midoriya-kun. Did you not hear how strong he just sounded?"
Endeavor also stood, and clapped Izuku on the shoulder. "This boy was trained by two consecutive top heroes. There's no one stronger." His voice was, actually, full of pride. Izuku was taken aback. He looked up and met the flame hero's eyes.
"Together, you and I, we can do this, Endeavor."
"Hmm." The man nodded. "Hawks? Are you in?"
"Yeah, yeah…"
"I will at least try and contact Shoto. I agree that this will go better if he gets here, but I doubt he'll be able to in time." Endeavor turned to walk out of the room. "In the meantime, Deku, Hawks, make preparations."
"Loud and clear." Hawks did an exaggerated salute.
After the flame hero had left, Hawks appraised Izuku. "Why don't I go try and take the temperature of the other civilians in the building? Just to see what kind of page they're on, if they want us to leave, if they want us to die, et cetera. Take scope of what we're dealing with in advance of this battle. And you can work on potential strategies."
"You want me to come up with the battle strategy?"
"Well, yeah. You're naturally anxious and I'm not. You're much better at coming up with every possible scenario that could go wrong, and I'm better with people." Hawks winked at him and walked out the door.
"That's rude!" Izuku called after him.
"Yeah, well, this whole thing was your idea, so!" The man called back, disappearing around the corner.
Rei and Fuyumi both laughed, but only a little. Hard to keep your spirits up when you've just decided to willingly face the family murderer.
Izuku left the room and walked in the opposite direction in the corridor from the way Hawks had gone. Need someplace quiet if I'm going to come up with a plan. And something to write with. He heard the other Todorokis emerging from the room behind him, and then Natsuo's voice going the opposite way, and assumed they had all left him alone.
Uneven footsteps joined him at his side.
"Sorry I'm not wearing the hat," Rei said, her cane tapping the floor as she kept pace with him. "It's hidden under my bed. I did not want Endeavor to wonder where I might have gotten it."
Izuku gulped. And what does that imply, exactly? "It's not exactly for wearing indoors, anyway."
"My husband certainly seemed proud of you. He takes a lot of credit for where you are today."
"That's not unfounded. He taught me a lot in those last few months of…normalcy." Izuku ran his hands over each other nervously. His heart was racing from being alone with her again.
"Are you hoping that Shoto will make it here?" she asked him.
"Err…I'm not sure. I haven't seen him since…well. Since my secret got out. He would have found out via a note that I left him and my other classmates." I promised myself I wouldn't involve them in my affairs. But this was slightly different, since it was Todoroki's family. Dabi is such a grey area. I can't help but shake the feeling that he's my responsibility, too.
Rei was staring at him. He got the sense that she knew he wasn't telling her everything. Mother sense. But she didn't pry. "I'm glad you're back," she muttered. "My husband will not be able to use his full strength of body or mind, no matter what he claims. Hawks is a clever young man, but there's a weakness in his eyes, and I see the way he looks at my Fuyumi." She stopped and turned to him, making him stop too. "As…silly as it might sound, it feels like you're all I have, Midoriya-kun."
Izuku's heart skipped a beat. "That's a lot of responsibility," he half-squeaked. "I…will try my best."
They had stopped next to a window, and they heard shouts outside of it.
"Halt! Stop right there!"
Izuku and Rei hurried over to the window and looked down to ground level. They could see the hospital entrance to the left, where two people were approaching. Izuku's eyes widened.
"Who are they? Heroes? Do you know them?" asked Rei.
"Yeah…those are my senpais." What are they doing here?! "It's…Suneater and Nejire-chan."
