The aftermath of the USJ begins. We learn of the fate of our cinnamon rolls. Katsuki and Himiko are distraught. Himiko's dad is supportive. And Katsuki comes clean on what happened fourteen years ago.
Katsuki sat in the chair in the waiting room, elbows on his knees and hands pressed to his face, bent over to try and support himself. Next to him, Himiko was curled up in the chair, her legs pulled up to her chest with her arms around them, her head buried in her knees as she cried silently. Her body was leaned slightly to the side, barely pressed up against Katsuki, the contact grounding them both.
Most of the class had not gone to the hospital, able to be treated at UA. With the attack, the school was on high alert and those who weren't injured or who were at least easily treatable were kept on campus. Jiro had been brought in for her chest, having gone overboard and needing some tests to make sure she hadn't caused any permanent damage. But Katsuki and Himiko had nearly attacked the EMTs when they tried to stop them from riding along with Izuku and Ochako.
Interference from All Might convinced the EMT's to allow them along, explaining their relations to the two in question. Between the Number One Hero's insistence and that, they allowed the two to ride in a separate vehicle along with Jiro, who didn't need as much extra care as she was just being taken to be sure.
Jiro had tried to make them both feel better, but nothing seemed to get through to the blonde duo. Himiko just kept her head down and refused to look at anyone, while Katsuki's Quirk kept popping in his hands as he clenched and unclenched them repeatedly as they drove to the hospital. As soon as they had arrived, they'd been directed to a nearby waiting room where they had been silent since, just waiting for some kind of news.
Their vigil was interrupted by the door opening, both of their heads snapping up to see…the principal, the small mammal standing there with his arms crossed behind his back and a solemn expression on his face. As soon as they noticed it was him, Himiko's head fell once more and she sobbed, her hopes dashed for the tenth time this day. Katsuki breathed deep to keep his temper under control, looking away and gritting his teeth.
"I'm afraid I have no more news than you do about Midoriya or Uraraka's conditions, but rest assured, the very best doctors and nurses are here looking out for them, as well as our own Recovery Girl, since she knows more about their Quirk's than most," Nezu started with, setting expectations and internally frowning at how quickly their faces fell. "We have contacted your parents. Your mother and father are on their way, Bakugo. The Uraraka's are unfortunately far away from transport, but we've sent a car to pick them up as soon as possible. Your father, Himiko, was unable to come due to him being across the sea, but he asked you call him as soon as you feel up to it," the principal said softly, his tone gentle as he spoke to the two young adults.
Katsuki nodded, still unable to really speak as Himiko just sat still, her head still buried in her knees, but the slightest twitch of her one hand indicating she was listening. Nezu walked over towards the two and stood before Bakugo's chair, gently pressing a paw on his knee. "I know this a lot right now, but would you be able to answer a few questions for me? I've spoken to your classmates, but I believe that there is context only you could give right now."
Katsuki opened his mouth to speak, wincing at the dryness in his throat as he coughed unexpectedly. Nezu, seeing this, quickly walked over to the nearby water cooler and filled a cup for Katsuki, bringing it back and pressing it into the blonde's hand. Katsuki drained it in one motion, sighing as he slumped in the chair. "You want to know why Zu went batshit, right?"
"I have a strong suspicion as to why, based on what the other students said, but I would appreciate confirmation."
Katsuki nodded slowly. "It was him. The leader was the bastard who ruined our lives as kids. Neither of us caught on at first, but I guess at some point Zu figured it out. I didn't until I saw how he reacted."
"I see. Asui and Shinso said Izuku threatened to kill the leader, in a very convincing fashion. Do you believe he would have, if he had been able to?"
"Izu's a hero!" Himiko cried out, lifting her head for the first time, glaring at Nezu with red, swollen eyes. "D-Don't say stuff like that about him!"
Nezu held up a hand in response to her outburst. "Whatever the answer is, he won't be in trouble. I'm merely trying to ascertain his mental state during that time. Uraraka would have killed any normal human with what she did to the Nomu creature, you know."
"Cheeks wouldn't kill either," Katsuki snarled, Nezu's reassurances not really calming the blonde.
Nezu let out a sigh. "Please, students, hear me out. I am not condemning them. It is an open secret amongst the UA staff that I have blood on my paws, you see. I am the only animal with a Quirk like mine that I am aware of. There was a time where humans held me in captivity and experimented upon me, until a pair of researchers decided this was too inhumane and allowed me to escape. Those two were spared my wrath…but the rest of the staff were not." The cold flame in Nezu's eyes had both Himiko and Katsuki leaning back slightly, notably worried by the way Nezu's cheerful demeanor changed.
Nezu sighed once more, placing his paws behind his back. "I tell you this so you understand that I, of all heroes, understand vengeance. And I am not the only one. So no, I would not condemn Midoriya for seeking his revenge in such a high stakes situation, nor Uraraka for snapping in a moment where she thought she'd lost one of her loves. I am just trying to get the full picture. That is all. So please…I ask again, do you believe he would have done it if he could?"
The two blondes were silent for a moment as they considered it. Himiko turned to Bakugo, knowing that he knew that side of Izuku better than she did. The spiky-haired teen ran one hand through his hair, gripping it and tugging on it to help settle himself as he spoke methodically. "I…I don't really know. I think he wanted to, but I'm not sure if he could have done it. He already feels so guilty for everyone else who died, I…I don't know if he has it in him to actually fucking do it."
"I see. That's understandable. And do you think Uraraka would do what she did today, if in the same situation?"
"...I don't think she'd have held it so long it um, crushed…someone again…but holding them down and maybe breaking some bones she would. I…she wasn't thinking…I wasn't thinking…" Himiko managed to mutter, struggling as she went.
"Hmm. Well, it is only preliminary, but based on the residue we found, we were able to perform some tests upon the being called 'Nomu'. We couldn't get as much information as we desired, but the way it dissolved was clearly not caused by Uraraka's Quirk. So it must have been some type of failsafe from the League of Villains. However, what we were able to decipher is that the creature known as Nomu was not fully human…or at least, not anymore. So there will be no punishment sought for her for what she did, as its death had nothing to do with her and was caused by the League in some fashion."
"It was self-defense either way!" Katsuki replied, eyes narrowed.
Nezu sighed. "I agree. The issue is the Commission takes a very…dim…view on the death of a villain, regardless of how often it occurs. Which is distressingly, much more often than any of us would wish."
"Fuck the Commission," Himiko muttered, eyes averted.
"A sentiment I share, but one I would advise not speaking out loud unless you are certain you are with like-minded individuals," Nezu gently admonished, a small half-smile gracing his face.
Silence stretched for a few minutes, Nezu waiting patiently, before Katsuki managed to speak up. "What happens now?"
"Well…as I said, I do not know what condition Uraraka and Midoriya are in at this time. But I have faith in the staff here, they are well trained in treating heroes. After your parents arrive, we will likely have you and they return to the dorms-"
"No!" came the cry from both young adults, the two of them leaping to their feet in response to Nezu's statement.
The mammal simply stared up at them with a stern gaze. "Would you be so kind as to allow me to finish?"
"I'm not leaving 'Chako or Izu!" Himiko said, her fists clenched at her sides as tears pricked at the corner of her eyes once more.
"What she said," Katsuki growled.
"Visiting hours are nearly over, young ones," Nezu pointed out. "You cannot do them any good waiting here. I swear to you, that the moment any news comes to me, I will be certain to have it brought to you immediately. But the hospital has rules and we must abide by them."
"Fuck the rul-" Katsuki began, but the door opening from the hospital side had the trio spinning about to see Recovery Girl and a familiar black-haired doctor.
"Dr. Kirishima?" Katsuki gasped in confusion.
"This is my main hospital," she replied, quirking an eyebrow at the blonde.
"Kirishima?" Himiko asked, looking at Katsuki.
"Yeah, she's Eijiro's mom, he said."
"Oh, you're the 'manly' boy Eiji keeps telling my wife and I about, I see. Small world," Dr. Kirishima said with a smirk.
"This is all a fascinating coincidence, but perhaps you would be so kind as to inform us of the students' conditions?" Nezu asked, gently returning the conversation back to where he knew the two blonde's would want to go.
"Ah, yes, of course," Dr. Kirishima replied, her expression smoothing out.
"Actually, hold that thought," Nezu said, his ears perking up. The other four in the room looked at the mammalian principal, before a commotion in the hallway had them all glancing over to the entrance to the waiting room, just in time for it to slam open as Mistuki stormed into the room, her red eyes panicked. As soon as she saw Katsuki and Himiko, she bolted forward and yanked them both into her arms, clinging to them desperately.
Moments later, Masaru came into the room and quietly closed the door behind him, pausing at the sight before striding across the room. Gently he wrapped his arms around the trio as best he could, sighing quietly as Himiko and Mitsuki both sobbed quietly. Katsuki made no sound, but his grip around his mother was tight, almost bruising, looking for all the world like he was a young boy once more even though he was taller than her now.
The other three in the room waited patiently, silently, all somewhat used to this sort of interaction when worry, fear, and grief were fresh and blinding. After a minute or so had passed, Mitsuki finally released the two, stepping back with her hands on their shoulders, peering at them both as if inspecting them for injuries. Masaru placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it tightly as he tried to gently pull her away to give them space.
"Are you two okay?" Mitsuki asked in a whisper, still keeping her eyes locked on the young adults before her.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Katsuki replied, swiping at his eyes to clear the stubborn water at the corner. "Worry about Zu and Ochako."
"...I won't be okay until I know if they are," Himiko whispered.
"Is it true? Was the leader of the villains…him?" she asked the two, her expression shifting between rage and despair at Katsuki's meek nod in reply.
"He escaped?" Masaru asked, turning to look over at the principal.
"I am afraid so. Once All Might arrived, they decided without their secret weapon, they could not win, and utilized a powerful warp Quirk to make their escape," Nezu replied solemnly.
"And Izuku and Ochako? Are they alright?" Mitsuki released the two teenagers, turning to look at the other three.
"That's what we came to discuss," Dr. Kirishima said, Recovery Girl nodding along. She took a deep breath. "I will start with the good news…we believe they will both make full recoveries."
At those words, Himiko's legs gave out and she nearly fell to the floor in relief, only the quick action of Masaru kept her from falling as he helped her into the chair behind her. Katsuki clenched his fists in his hair and pulled hard, as if too many emotions ran through him at once for him to handle and he just had to do something. The adults both let out deep sighs of relief, but neither Mitsuki nor Masaru missed the part she said 'start with the good news', which had an implication they were not comfortable with.
"That said…there is some less than ideal news," the doctor continued. She hated to ruin the joy that leapt into the two young adults, but she did not want to hide anything from them.
"Midoriya's energy storage organ was badly damaged by the hit he took. The previous damage added up over the years meant that it was far weaker than it should have been, and the blow to his chest ruptured it. Though my power managed to heal it, it's…much weaker than before. More blows like that and…not many things could heal it, I'm afraid to say. And his likelihood of energy leakage is going to increase significantly from it," Recovery Girl said.
"As for Uraraka…she didn't just overuse her Quirk. She caused some minor brain scarring. At this time, the damage is superficial as far as we can tell. It will not impact her life. But if she does something that extreme again, it is possible she could cause permanent brain damage to herself. She also badly damaged her esophagus and throat from the amount of bile that was forced up from her Quirk overuse. While she will recover from this as well, it, again, is something that can come back to harm her in the future."
"I'm not dismissing the future issues, but…they'll be okay for now, right?" Mitsuki asked, looking at her son and likely future daughter-in-law in worry.
Dr. Kirishima sighed deeply. "Yes. For now. But they will be in the hospital for at least a few more days. For now, it is best for you to return to your dorms. Miss Jiro has also been given a clean bill of health, so she'll be leaving as well."
"Is she a friend of yours?" Masaru asked the blonde teenagers. Himiko and Katuski nodded, Himiko leaning into Katsuki's shoulder. He turned back to the trio before him. "If she doesn't have a ride back, we can take her with us. We have plenty of room in the car."
"I would be most appreciative of that, Mr. and Mrs. Bakugo," Nezu replied calmly. "I have some further duties I must attend to before I can return to UA, so if you can take them all back to the dorms it would take quite a load off my mind."
"Won't be a problem. You two good to go then?" Mitsuki asked, looking back at the teenagers.
"...we can't see them before we go?" Himiko whispered beseechingly.
Dr. Kirishima shook her head slowly. "I'm very sorry, but they are currently in intensive care still and cannot receive visitors. We'll contact your parents whenever they are free for visitors."
"Thank you," Mitsuki said, placing her hands on Himiko and Katsuki's shoulders again. "C'mon brats, let's get you back to the dorms."
"...whatever. Where's Ears, then?"
"Miss Jiro will meet you downstairs at the exit."
"Alright. Let's get going, okay?" Masaru said, smiling softly as he buried his own worries for the sake of his wife and the kids.
The ride back to the dorms was mostly silent, night having fallen by the time they exited the hospital. Katsuki had taken up the seat behind his father, leaning against the window with his eyes closed, the only indication of him being awake being the way he kept clenching his fists and jaw. Himiko took up the middle, half scrunched into herself at first, but after a minute she'd leaned her head onto Kyoka's shoulder, just needing some kind of contact. The purple-haired girl was far too emotionally and physically wrung out to react beyond placing her hand over Himiko's between them, wanting to help comfort her friend. The gentle squeeze Himiko gave back to her hand told her the gesture was appreciated.
Once arriving, the adults had followed behind the students back to their dorm, only to be greeted by another half dozen set of parents exiting the dorm, speaking quietly to Cementoss and Midnight. They all perked up at the sight of the five of them.
"Bakugo, Himiko, Jiro. Are you doing all right?" Cementoss asked softly, stepping up to them and giving a nod to the parents.
"...we're fine," Katsuki muttered, not meeting the teacher's gaze.
"You must be Mr. and Mrs. Bakugo, yes?" Midnight asked, looking at the two following behind the trio.
"Yes, I'm Mistuki, this is my husband Masaru…what the hells going on here?" she asked, looking around at the other parents gathered.
Cementoss sighed. "These were all the parents we could gather on short notice. Unfortunately, these dorms aren't exactly equipped to have this many families show up at once, so I was about to take them to the teacher dorms for the evening. Tomorrow morning Principal Nezu intends on having a meeting with as many of the parents as he can to go over what happened and speak on our future plans. Would you like to spend the night as well?" he offered. The two shared a glance, before nodding.
"Yeah, that works. Are you two going to be okay here?" Mitsuki asked, looking over her kids.
Katsuki looked at Himiko's silent, slumped form, letting out a sigh. "Yeah Mom. We'll deal. The others are gonna want to know about Zu and Cheeks so…Himiko, you can just go to bed. I'll…I'll deal with the questions."
"No. I can handle it, Kats. I'm not weak," she replied, a little bit of bite in her voice.
"Never once thought you were."
"...were my parents able to make it?" Kyoka asked quietly, not seeing them in the crowd.
Cementoss shook his head. "They are on their way, but the train from where they live had a malfunction and is being repaired. They'll be here tomorrow morning."
"Oh, okay."
Katsuki glanced at the two girls and sighed deeply once more, before turning around and pulling his mother and father into a quick hug. "You go sleep…you can see our rooms tomorrow and can bitch at me for how I organized it and shit, okay?"
Mitsuki let out a muted bark of laughter, reaching up and ruffling her son's hair fondly. "Cheeky brat. I'll hold you to that."
"Sleep well, Katsuki. If you need us, just call, okay?" Masaru said softly, smiling at him. He turned to look at Himiko. "The same for you, Himiko. I know your father wasn't able to come, but if you need anything, you let me know, okay?"
Himiko walked over and hugged him around the midsection, burying her face in his chest. "Y-yeah, okay. Thanks, Masaru."
"You're welcome. Now go on, get inside, the three of you need rest. It was nice meeting you Jiro. Wish it was under better circumstances, but I'm glad you're alright as well.
"Thank you Mr. Bakugo," Kyoka replied quietly.
Letting go of his parents, Katsuki turned and walked back towards the dorms, the two girls following behind. As he went, he saw his parents and who he assumed were the other students following Cementoss. Midnight fell into step next to him, replying to his silent question. "Aizawa is still recovering, although he will make a full recovery. For tonight, I'll be staying with you all in the dorms just in case any of you need anything."
"K," Katsuki grunted back. He opened the door with no fanfare, his shoulders hunched as he expected a loud reaction from the class, but when nothing came he opened his eyes carefully.
The room was awash in blankets and pillows, the couches pushed out of the way for what looked like the largest sleepover he'd ever heard of. The students were in various forms of pajamas, sitting quietly and talking amongst themselves, although all sound had faded as soon as the trio entered the room. Midnight closed the door behind her and locked it, choosing not to say anything further.
"Zu and Cheeks will be okay," Katsuki said, deciding to rip the bandaid off. It was like the entire room let out a collective breath, tension bleeding out of the area like air from a balloon with a hole in it. Katsuki glanced back at the two girls behind him and gently grabbed Kyoka's arm, pulling her forward. "Ears, you should sit down for a bit."
She glared at him, but didn't resist, allowing him to gently pull her over to a pile of blankets that Momo and Mina had made, both patting them as they smiled up at Jiro. He turned to look at Himiko, the blonde shaking her head in a silent negation.
She opened her mouth and spoke quietly. "I…I'll go get changed. A-and come back here?" she asked at the end as if unsure of her invite.
"We decided we would prefer to stick together tonight, so yes, please do come back once you've changed," Momo said with a soft smile.
"Yeah, we even convinced Todobro to join us!" Kaminari said with a wide grin, the dual-haired boy staring at him with a slight glare.
"You said Midnight said we had to stay down here."
Midnight piped up, a gentle smile on her face. "I did not, but I would rather you stayed. It's easier for me to keep an eye out for you all if you're in one location." Todoroki considered this for a moment, before nodding, but his glare at Kaminari just grew at the reveal. The blonde boy chuckled nervously, moving to sit on the other side of Shinso, the purple-haired boy rolling his eyes.
Eijiro approached Katsuki with a worried smile, holding up a pair of shorts and a tank top. "Hope you don't mind, I went into your room and grabbed some of your stuff so you didn't have to."
Katsuki rubbed his tongue against his teeth for a moment, warring between being touched by the gesture and being annoyed by the invasion of his privacy. Eventually he settled on both. "Don't go through my shit next time, but…thanks. I need a shower, then I'll answer your questions I know you fucks have."
"It's okay if you don't want to talk Bakubro!" Kaminari called out from the other side of the room, where he was leaning against Shinso, the purple-haired teen staring blankly at the blonde next to him.
"I don't want to be here at all, but I didn't have much choice in the fucking matter. I'd rather get this out of the way tonight. It's fine. I'll be back." With those final words, he left the room to the shower, deciding on a quick rinse to just get back and get settled.
Himiko collapsed onto her bed as soon as she got into her room. After a moment, letting out a deep, shuddering breath, she grabbed her phone and quickly dialed up her father.
The phone didn't even finish a single ring before it was picked up, the gruff but concerned sound of her father on the other end. "Kid? You okay?"
Himiko let out a choked sob, wiping at her eyes angrily. "N-not really, dad. Izu and 'Chako a-are…are…they said they'll be fine but they are still in the hospital and we couldn't see them and I don't know what to do and-"
"Himiko, shush, it's okay. Take a deep breath," her dad cajoled her gently.
She tried, she tried so hard, but she couldn't get the image out of her head…Izuku, unbreathing, unmoving, his chest caved in…Ochako, blood dripping from her mouth and nose, eyes wide and unseeing as she lay limply in Toshinori's arms…how? How was she supposed to deal!?
"You don't, kid. It's okay to be upset, to be hurt," her dad replied, making her realize she'd spoken out loud without meaning to. He continued. "What you're feeling is fine, it's understandable. Don't be mad at yourself for not holding it together. But don't lose sight of hope…they will be okay. That's what to focus on. Okay?
"Y-yeah, okay," she managed to stutter out, wiping her eyes with her sleeve again.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be there. I'm looking into flights back, but a storm is coming in and most of the airports around here are closed down."
"Where are you, anyways? Principal Nezu said you were overseas."
"Small town in the Philippines. I had something to take care of, so I thought a quick jaunt for a couple weeks would be fine. Wasn't expecting UA to get attacked."
"None of us were…" Himiko whispered back, slumping back onto her bed. She threw the arm not holding her phone over her face, covering her eyes with it as she lay across her bed.
"Where are you now?"
"Back at the dorms…they said we couldn't stay at the hospital. T-the others are all in the common room, said we're having a sleepover cause they didn't want anyone to b-be alone."
"Probably not a bad idea. Is there anyone keeping an eye on you all?"
"Miss Midnight said she'll be staying here, since our homeroom teacher is…is also h-hurt. He stopped so many villains, dad, a-all by himself, he was going to keep us all safe even if he got hurt, if it wasn't for that stupid warp villain we might have gotten o-out before anyone else got hurt," Himiko kept feeling tears welling up as she spoke, frustrating her every time they choked her off.
"Midnight…not a huge fan of how she parades around, but she does good work with victims of sexual assault and abuse. She's fine. Your homeroom teacher, he's Eraserhead, right?"
"Uh-huh."
"Good hero. Underground type, you could learn a lot from him. Sounds like he tried to protect his students, like a true hero should. Good. Is he going to recover, do you know?"
"I think so, that's what they made it sound like…him and Thirteen, she got hurt too, but I didn't see how, I was teleported away."
"Nezu said you got hurt as well, but you were healed before you left?"
"Yeah, my leg. The…the Nomu thing got me…I was um…I was stabbing it, a lot. But it had regeneration and-"
"You don't need to defend your actions to me, kiddo. You know I always have your back. But you really should rest. I'll be on the call tomorrow morning for the conference with Nezu, but if you want I can call you afterwards."
Himiko took a deep breath in and let it out. "I, I don't know. If Izu and 'Chako can have visitors, I wanna go see them…"
"Alright well, text me if you need me, okay? I'll be back in Japan as soon as this storm leaves."
"No, dad, don't rush, it's…It'll be okay. I'll be okay. I got my friends, and they'll get better and we'll all be okay. I'm a hero, that's what I'm here for, I c-can deal with this. I can."
"...that's my girl," the affection in his voice made her tear up once more, a wobbly smile crossing her face. "But don't forget, it's okay to hurt too. Take care of yourself kiddo."
"I will, thanks Dad. Love you!"
"Love you too. Goodnight."
The link clicked off, leaving Himiko alone in her dark room once more. She sat up and began to change, shucking her dirty and bloody costume. She considered a shower, but she didn't think she had the energy for it, and decided to just wipe off the worst of the worst and put on her pajamas. As she made her way downstairs, she saw Katsuki leaving the showers himself, a tank top and shorts on and a towel around his neck. He glanced back at her and arched an eyebrow. She gave him a nod in return, and the two blondes entered the common area with the rest.
"Oh good, you're back," Midnight said from the kitchen, where she was currently on the phone. She walked over to the two of them and spoke quietly, setting her phone down. "Eri is…panicking, it seems she knows some of you got hurt. Mic has her right now, so don't feel obligated, but we want to know if you want her here with you tonight, or would you rather she's with one of the teachers?"
Katsuki shared another glance with Himiko. Himiko nodded. Katsuki looked back at Midnight. "Give us fifteen minutes and then have her come by. She can stay with us tonight."
She looked over them both with an appraising eye, before nodding. "Alright, if you're sure," Midnight replied, waiting for another confirmation from both. With a nod, she picked her phone back up and spoke quietly into it, exiting the dorms to presumably fetch Eri. Katsuki walked over to where the class was waiting, watching the two of them, and collapsed onto the floor next to Eijiro and Sero. Himiko split off and walked over to where Mina and Tsu were, sitting down at the spot they indicated for her.
Katsuki leaned back against the couch behind him, closing his eyes. Without opening them, he spoke. "So…ask now, because I just want to be done with this."
The room was silent for a good, long minute, no one wanting to come out and say it, until Shinso sighed. "What happened with Midoriya that set him off that way?"
"...finally, someone had the balls to ask. Yep. Well, long story short, that Nine fuckwad? That's the one who got his parents killed and made me lose my leg."
Even with his eyes closed, the horrified gasps and murmured snarls from the classmates around him told him exactly how they felt about the revelation. He worked his jaw for a moment. "Zu said if anyone asks, just tell them. Ei and Fangs already know. The story is pretty fucked. You all sure you wanna hear it?"
"...if you're comfortable telling it, I believe we would like to know," Momo replied quietly.
"Do you require anything beforehand? I would be happy to retrieve it for you!" Ida replied, his voice shaking slightly, just enough for Katsuki to open his eyes and look at the blue-haired boy. He noticed how the other teen was shaking slightly, his eyes wide and almost manic, and it clicked in his head.
"Glasses, I know that look. You did the right thing, going and getting help. If it weren't for you…I don't wanna think about what would have happened to Zu or Cheeks. So stop feeling guilty and shit. You got us the help we needed."
"But if I had been faster-"
"If I'd been smarter, that fucking warp bitch would have never gotten everyone. Stop with the 'but if's' because thats a waste of fucking time. Just…you helped us, Ida. Everyone helped. Whatever happened, I know you all kicked ass. So all ya'll stop feeling sorry for yourselves and just…just listen, okay?"
Himiko snorted. "Delicate as always, Kats."
"Bite me." Himiko opened her mouth to speak, but a rumble from her stomach made her wince and had Katsuki looking at her with a blank stare. The other blonde flushed, refusing to meet his gaze as he groaned, facepalming. "You fucking moron."
"I didn't have a chance to restock before the trip!" she shot back.
"And of course tonight's the night Recovery Girl is out. Fuck," Katsuki cursed.
"I'll be fine until she's back."
"When's the last time you drank any?"
"...three days ago?"
"Oh for fucks sake Himiko!" Katsuki shouted, his eyes red as he glared at the blonde. He began to struggle to his feet, cursing himself as he nearly tripped in the blanket thrown over his lap.
"Wait wait wait, what's going on?" Momo asked, holding her hands out as she tried to calm whatever was going on.
"The dumbass vampire needs to drink blood to live, not just for her Quirk, and she's been out of blood bags and not said anything!" he snarled. "So she can just bite my damned arm and we'll be fine."
"You got hurt today too, Kats! I can't drink from you! It'll be fine, I can wait until Recovery Girl comes back," Himiko shot back.
"No one else can access the storage?" Momo asked again.
"Nezu, but he's also out," Katsuki replied.
"She can have mine. I didn't get hurt, ribbit," Tsuyu said, her expression blank. Himiko stared at her, gobsmacked.
"N-no, that's okay, I mean it, I'll be fine!"
Tsuyu tilted her head to the side, placing one finger against her lip. "Would my blood be bad to drink or something?"
Himiko waved her hands in front of her face in negation. "No! No, nothing like that, I'm sure it's delicious! I just don't want you to do something you're not comfortable with."
"I offered, ribbit. That means I'm fine with it."
"Wait, so blood has different tastes to you?" Mina asked, curious.
Himiko glanced about the room, seeing none of the judgment or fear she expected in anyone's gaze. Most of them were either blank faced or just a mild curiosity, nothing like back in middle school before she moved to Aldera. "Um…yeah. Like, Ochako's is very sweet and light, and Izu's is strong and robust, and Katsuki's is kinda bitter but with a spicy aftertaste, and um…yeah."
"Wonder what mine tastes like?" Mina pondered. "I'd offer, but it might be acidic so don't know if it'd be bad for you to drink it."
"Ask Recovery Girl, she can check," Katsuki remarked.
"You really don't have to!" Himiko waved her hands in front of her face once more, flushing slightly. Her expression flushed more when a loud rumbling came from her stomach once more, she blonde hunching her shoulders as Tsuyu looked at her again, before tilting her head to the side, exposing her neck.
"There. You can do it now."
Himiko blinked, her cheeks going from the pink they had been to bright red as she glanced away from Tsuyu's exposed neck. "I-I normally just bite them on the arm."
Tsu glanced down at her exposed arms. "Hmm. I think I'd rather have any marks on my neck. That's easier to cover up, ribbit."
"Uh, um…if…if you're sure. D-do you want to go somewhere else?"
"It's fine here. I don't mind."
"Froggy don't give a fuck," Mina giggled.
"Shame is for the weak, ribbit."
Katsuki snorted at her, the first real smile crossing his face in hours. "Alright Frogger, that was fucking funny."
"Thank you, I'll be here all week." The fact her expression remained utterly placid had most of the class releasing half-hysterical giggles at her, a small smile crossing her lips as people started to relax a bit more. She glanced over at Himiko once more, pointing towards her neck with her hand.
Himiko gulped, slowly sliding closer to Tsuyu. The only ones she'd bitten on the neck before were Izuku and Ochako, so it was a little odd to her, but if this is where she preferred it…with a quick swipe of her tongue to numb the region, she sank her teeth in, piercing Tsuyu's neck and letting the liquid flow over her lips. She nearly shook from the feeling, the hunger that had been gnawing at her for over a day now finally fading as she closed her eyes in bliss.
"Oh wow she's really going at it, huh?" Toru asked, her clothes shifting as she got closer to look. "Does it hurt, Tsu?"
"Not really. Felt a little pinch when she bit, but otherwise just a little numb, ribbit."
"Docs say her saliva numbs sensation and disinfects the area. She's also immune to blood-borne diseases and pathogens and stuff. I guess a lot of blood-Quirk users have that in common," Katsuki remarked.
Himiko broke off, licking her lips slowly with her eyes closed. She let out a satisfied sigh, opening her eyes sleepily to see Tsuyu's large eyes looking into hers. Himiko gave her a soft smile. "Thanks, Tsu."
"You're welcome."
Himiko gave Tsuyu a quick hug, the green-haired girl surprised for a brief moment before returning it, releasing it as Himiko got resettled back between her and Mina. She was startled by Momo's hand in front of her face, holding a small tissue in it and pointing to her cheek with a soft smile. Himiko took it and wiped at her face happily, getting the small smears she'd left on accident and crushing the tissue up, tossing it to the nearby garbage can and managing to land it in.
Katsuki relaxed his shoulders. "Well, now that that's settled…ya'll still wanna hear this shit?"
"I reiterate what I said before…if you're comfortable telling us and Izuku is okay with it as well, I believe we'd all like to know. If only so we can avoid upsetting either of you in the future," Momo replied, her hands clasped in her lap.
He sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "It happened when we were four, about a month after Zu's birthday. My Quirk came in a couple months back, and we'd been excited to see what he was going to get. It was midsummer, so not a lot of people around. My parents were down at the warehouse, working on a new Fall lineup, so I was over Zu's house. His dad was off that day, taking some vacation time, and his mom was between cases so she was home. Uncle Hisashi was sitting on the porch, reading up on the news while we played in the front yard."
A small smile had crossed Katsuki's face as his eyes closed, still looking up as he leaned further back against the couch behind him. "It was a good day, honestly. Zu and I had spent a good couple hours sketching out designs for our hero costumes, and when we got bored with that we were playing catch. Fucker still kept messing up the throw, heh." His smile faded slightly.
"Anyways…we hear this commotion down the street. I looked behind me, seeing this white-haired guy running full bore down the street like a demon was nipping at his heels or some shit. Honestly, four year old me didn't give a shit, so I shrugged and turned away from him to wait for Zu's next throw. Which I guess is why I didn't see it." Katsuki's smile had completely disappeared by this point, a pall falling over the room as they could feel the tension building.
"That…that fucker was a villain. Running from some heroes. We never found out why, we never found out what he had even done that day that was so bad. All I know is seeing Izuku's eyes go wide in panic. I remember the sky above going dark. The pressure on the air, that prickling sensation whenever you're too close to a sparking line or something. The smell of ozone…and then bam!" Half the class jumped when Katsuki shouted the last word, having been drawn into the tale.
"Izuku shoved me out of the way. If he hadn't…I'd be dead. He literally leapt up and pushed me away, the stupid, absolutely moronic, heroic dumbass he is, little twig Izuku fucking shoved me away from a fucking bolt of lightning," Katsuki let out a bitter, humorless laugh, one hand coming up to cover his eyes as he continued to speak.
"And then he got hit. A full blown bolt of lightning to this kid who was still in the bloody air mind you, so no chance of being grounded. Do you know how many joules of energy are in a bolt of lightning?"
"I believe it is around one billion, yes?" Momo answered quietly.
"Bingo, Ponytail. One fucking billion. All that at once, the same fucking instant. See, the thing about Izuku's Quirk, the way it works, is it absorbs until he reaches his cap, right? Once he hits the cap, he stops absorbing. But there's a weird trick to it. If all the energy arrives from a single source at the same time, he takes in all of it."
Katsuki swept one hand in the air with a vague gesture. "Obviously, that was way over his cap. He's a fucking four year old and his Quirk kicked in to save his life. And that's when we learned what happens if he goes over his cap all at once."
Katsuki finally lifted his head off the couch, looking back at his classmates, all but two watching him wide-eyed and waiting for his reveal, only Himiko and Eijiro (the two who already knew), simply with sad expressions on their faces as he continued, his voice becoming more and more hysterical.
"The docs called it 'Overcharge'. Those fields he creates? Imagine a dome, about a meter out from his body. That's where it began. I was on the ground, from where he'd shoved me out of the way, but as soon as he fell to the ground, his body smoking, I tried to crawl over to him…and that's when the dome appeared. Right over my left leg…and cut it clean off."
Gasps were heard from most of the class, but he didn't let them interrupt his story. "I didn't even feel it, that's how clean and hot the cut was heh. All I could see was Zu…his body glowing green, every inch of exposed skin covered in green, his eyes burning with a green, crackling flame. His clothing disintegrated, his entire body just…covered in this green energy, to the point I couldn't see him anymore. It was like he'd become an elemental, from a video game or something. And then he screamed."
Katsuki looked down at his hands, his fists clenching as he spoke, his voice quieting down to almost a whisper. "The dome expanded. His dad came running to us…he'd probably ran as soon as he saw the sky go dark, but it all happened so fast. I saw, outside the dome, his mom opening the front door and running as well. And then I saw the dome expand."
He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. "...Uncle Hisashi vanished into the green. Just…gone. And then Auntie Inko, the same. The house, it blew away, maybe two or three pieces somehow surviving but nothing else. The dome kept growing, screaming, all sound just being consumed by it, all I could hear was Izuku's screams, the roar of the energy…I think maybe I was screaming too, I dunno. Everything was so jumbled up and crazy and just…yeah."
He lifted a hand up and pressed it against his forehead, closing his eyes once more as his voice dropped to a whisper. "They said the dome expanded about three hundred meters in thirty seconds. It got weaker the further out it went, to the point that by the end of the edge it wasn't hurting anyone. But those closest…thirty seven people died that day. Two hundred and eleven were injured. All because one fucking monster decided to try to kill a kid to distract some heroes from catching him."
He fell back against the couch, emotionally spent from speaking for so long and reliving what happened. "...everyone ruled it was the villain's fault. No one blamed him. Not a single person…save one. The fucking nerd has never once admitted it wasn't his fault. It's been fourteen fucking years and he still won't listen! He won't listen when I say I don't care about the leg, because I fucking don't! He wouldn't listen when I told him he could be a hero, the one thing he wanted to do! Nothing I could do could fucking convince him!"
He ran one hand down his face, furiously rubbing at the tears that were trailing down his cheeks. Part of him was disgusted he was showing so much weakness, but he couldn't help it, he felt like he was wrung out a thousand times in one day, like his entire body just ached, and it wasn't from the fight. His chest hurt just from the sheer pressure of his emotions.
"...wasn't until Fangs and Cheeks showed up that he finally gave it a shot. It's cause of them he was there today. I owe them both so much…because I wasn't sure how to save him from himself. That…that fucker carved the numbers thirty seven and two-hundred eleven into his hands, did you know that? All so he'd always see the scars, see the numbers." He wasn't sure if he was talking to the class anymore, or just to himself, or to the gods themselves. He just couldn't stop, words spilling out from him like water from a broken faucet.
"Wasn't the only self-inflicted scars he had. He thought he was so fucking slick but I knew, I always knew. We had him in therapy, we had him in all sorts of doctors and nurses and everything, but the one thing he refused to do was accept that it wasn't his fucking fault!" He practically screamed the word, shoving his fists into his eyes and bending over, his shoulders shaking as tears ran down his cheeks slowly.
A firm, warm arm went over his shoulder, pulling him close. From the firmness and location, he knew it was Eijiro, his arm tight over his shoulder as he squeezed close. He let out a deep breath, his shoulders slowly coming to a still as he felt the warm presence at his side. He let his head list to the side, resting it on Eijiro's shoulder with his eyes closed.
"...'m sorry," he murmured to the room at large, feeling bad for his outburst.
"Please don't apologize," Momo's voice sounded in the room.
"Yeah man, don't sweat it. That's…that's a lot. I'm…shit, I'm so sorry you went through that," Sero said quietly.
"Zu had it worse than-''he began, but was interrupted by Eijiro shaking him and Shinso's voice cutting in.
"We're not talking about who had what worse, Bakugo. Comparing trauma is stupid. You and Midoriya went through something shitty, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we're all sorry you did." The class jumped in, quiet reassurances and comments agreeing with what Shinso and Sero had said.
Momo cleared her throat, speaking carefully. "I do not mean to pry, but, um…should we keep an eye out for further…self injury?"
Katsuki sighed. "He hasn't in a couple years. Especially not since he got with the girls. He's been so much happier since then, so very much." He looked up and over at Himiko, the other blonde having stayed silent, but he could see the watery smile on her face as she took what he said to heart.
Momo nodded sharply, slowly climbing to her feet. "All right, I understand. Um…would anyone like some tea? I think I need a cup myself."
"I'll help," Sato offered, standing up. Shoji stood as well, as various members of the room agreed to having one. A few asked for other drinks, and Shoji nodded as he walked towards the fridge to retrieve those.
"...honestly, I can see why Midoriya went apeshit then," Kaminari remarked quietly. Most of the class glared at him, but Katsuki just snickered tiredly.
"Yeah. I told Fangs before…me and Zu both had to take anger management, but he's better at it than I am. But when he loses his temper…yeah, any villain who pisses him off is gonna fucking regret it."
"So that really was the guy who attacked you guys when you were kids? What are the fucking odds?" Kyoka asked, mostly to herself.
"Apparently way too high," Mina replied.
"I…I kinda wanna know what the hell Uraraka did? Like, that was crazy! That monster was beating everyone and she just…made it collapse!" Toru remarked, her shirt sleeves waving wildly.
"She's never done anything like that before," Himiko replied quietly. "Not to that level. We figured out she could increase gravity on something months ago, but she normally could only do it for a few seconds before it backlashes, and the bigger the object, the worse it was."
"Oh, that's what she did to the Zero-Pointer!" Mina clapped her hands, eyes sparkling. "She, like, hit its tank tread with a cable she tore out of one of the bots and it just fell into the street and fell over!"
"The backlash seemed a bit…extreme," Ida remarked.
"...like I said, never did anything like that before. 'Chako has a temper, but I've never seen her like that, not once," Himiko replied.
"To be fair, I mean…if my partner got blasted like Midoriya did, I'd be pretty pissed too," Kaminari remarked.
Katsuki snorted. "Pissed was me. Pissed was Fangs. I ain't ever seen Cheeks go blank like that. I hope we never see it again. She fucked herself up with that stunt."
"You said she'd be okay?" Mina asked, worried.
"...she'll be okay, but it was a close call," Himiko replied. "Same with Izu. They both really…really hurt themselves, there. I never want to see them like that again. They are getting such a lecture when they get back!" Himiko's attempt at lightening the mood didn't really succeed, but it did get a few giggles from the class.
"May I ask a question?" Todoroki spoke up, having been silent the entire time, his back against the wall somewhat apart from the rest.
"Sup, half and half?" Katsuki asked, sitting upright but not making a move to remove Eijiro's arm.
"What was that green light that Midoriya sent into the air at the end? It…did something to me."
"Izu can share his energy with others, it's like a really crazy adrenaline rush depending on how much he gives. That was…I've never seen him do it at a distance or anything, he normally has to touch you to do it. But…guess he figured out a new trick or something," Himiko replied.
"It was a light that Dark Shadow did not shy from. Truly remarkable," Tokoyami said.
"Told you, Midoriya was fun like that! I liked that, Fumi, we should do it again! I almost got to beat up the blue guy!" Dark Shadow said, curled around Tokoyami's shoulder.
"...I just wanna say thanks, for all the help you guys gave with Izuku and his whole crazy fight shit," Katsuki said.
"Nah man, no thanks needed. If it weren't for him…I think things would have gone much worse," Kaminari said.
"That is likely true," Momo nodded as she stepped back into the common room, a tray of tea upon it. "I…I don't think most of us had an answer to Nine or Nomu."
"...is it wrong that I don't feel bad about what happened to Nomu?" Kaminari asked quietly, fidgeting with his hands as he looked down.
"If it is, you and I are in the same boat Pikachu," Katsuki replied.
"Nezu said it wasn't…really human, anymore. And that the way it collapsed was caused by something the League did, not 'Chako."
"I don't know if that makes it better or worse," Sero muttered.
"Better. I didn't see everything…but those villains were trying to kill us. They brought a bioweapon or whatever it was to kill a bunch of college kids. I don't have an ounce of sympathy for it," Kyoka replied, her hands shaking slightly as she held her cup of tea in both hands.
"When Midoriya and Uraraka return to us, I would suggest we try to be gentle about any discussion on what happened. Let them speak if they want, but otherwise, I think…I think we know enough we don't need to ask any further," Momo said into the room at large, taking a sip from her own cup.
"...Zu'd appreciate that," Katsuki muttered, looking up at Momo and giving her a tired half-smile for her consideration.
The door to the dorms opened up, Midnight stepping in, Eri curled up in her arms. As soon as she arrived, Eri struggled out of her arms and bolted towards Himiko, almost diving into her arms. Tsuyu snatched the teacup she'd been holding out of her hands just in time to avoid it being splashed everywhere, Eri wrapping her arms around Himiko's neck and burying her head into her shoulder.
Himiko returned the hug, tightly squeezing the unicorn child as she let out a deep breath. "It's okay, Eri. We're okay."
"B-but Izu and 'Chako, w-where are they?" Eri stuttered, her voice muffled.
"They got a bit banged up kid, but they'll be okay. They just gotta rest," Katsuki answered for Himiko, most of the room staring at him in confusion at the whiplash in his tone. All traces of anger and sadness gone, just a calming, half-smiling demeanor that worked wonders to relax Eri's shoulders.
Eri removed her face from Himiko's shoulder, looking back at Katsuki with a scared expression. "You promise, Kacchan?"
"Course I do. I ain't steered you wrong yet, have I?" Eri shook her head no in response. Katsuki smiled at her, looking over at the kitchen where Sato was still standing. "Hey, big guy, any chance we got some hot chocolate for the squirt?"
Sato paused, thinking to himself. "I don't believe we have any mixes, but I can throw something together. Give me a few minutes." Not waiting for a response, he started digging through the cupboards.
"Why don't we watch a movie or something?" Sero asked.
"Oh! Oh, I have all the old school Disney and Ghibli movies! You know, pre-Quirk movies!" Toru exclaimed, her sleeves waving in the air.
"What are those?" Todoroki asked, one eyebrow arched. Most of the room turned to look at him in sheer confusion, the dual-haired boy simply blinking at them with a blank expression.
"...yeah let's not touch that right now," Katsuki muttered. Louder, he said "Long as it's okay for Eri to see."
"Yeah! They are all really good! I'll bring them down!" Toru scrabbled in her blankets for a moment to get traction, before running up the stairs at high speeds.
"Well, guess we're watching a movie. That okay, Eri?" Himiko asked, gently running her hand through the little girl's hair. Eri nodded, snuggling into her lap as Tsuyu tossed a blanket over the two of them, getting a quick grin from Himiko in return.
As Toru returned and the room began to debate which movie to watch first (with a very confused Todoroki wondering why it was such a big deal), Katsuki leaned over and spoke quietly into Eijiro's ear. "...thanks, Ei…for um…helping me out, tonight."
"Anytime, Katsuki. Anytime."
A hand tapped Izuku on the cheek repeatedly, making him wrinkle his nose in annoyance.
"Oh you fucking…get away from him you idiot Toshinori!" a voice cried out, followed by a loud smacking noise.
"It was working! Hey, kid, can you hear us?"
"Do none of you have any patience?"
"Shut up hermit!"
"Oh for fucks sake, get the idiot up, I have a bone to pick with him!"
"Please, everyone, calm down, if we are just patient I'm sure-"
"Yoichi, shut up."
"Second, that was uncalled for."
"You too Shinomori!"
Izuku groaned, his head pounding, his chest aching, as he slowly stirred. With a frustrated twitch, he slowly managed to open his eyes, blinking rapidly as he tried to clear the giant glowing spot in his vision…wait, no, that was One For All. Ah. The vestige world. With a pained grunt, he managed to get one arm underneath him and was able to sit up, his head spinning rapidly as he did so.
"...I thought being dead I wouldn't feel pain," he muttered to himself.
"Oh you're not dead…not yet!" came the hissed voice of Second, the older man darting forward to grab Izuku by the collar, barely being restrained by Banjo and En before he could reach Izuku.
"Wait…I'm alive?" he asked, blinking rapidly in confusion.
"No thanks to your actions, but yes," Nana replied, her eyes narrowed and arms crossed as she stared down at him. He had the odd thought that she must have been a mother at some point, to have perfected the 'disappointed mom' look as well as she clearly had.
"Yeah, it's thanks to me, you fucking dumbass," Second shot back, the other two letting him go when he seemed to stop showing indication he was going to attack Izuku.
Nana sighed at him and reached her hand down, offering Izuku a hand. "C'mon, up and at 'em."
Izuku blinked again in confusion, but took the offered hand, finding himself yanked to his feet in a moment. He wobbled for a moment, feeling the firm pressure of Toshinori's hand on his back holding him in place. He offered a smile back to his mentor's vestige, the flaming figure's face smiling back at him.
"Um…so…not that I'm unhappy to see you all, but why is this the first time since I got One For All that I'm here?"
Yoichi shrugged. "We're not entirely sure. It could be because of how tightly you held onto us when you gave the last of your strength to your friends. Or it could be-"
Izuku's eyes went wide as he jolted forward. "Wait, my friends?! Are they okay? What happened? What-"
"We don't know any more than you do, Izuku," En replied, cutting Izuku off from his worried rambling.
"But you're alive, and it's been well over an hour since you passed out. So the only way that would occur is if someone saved you. It's likely you were rescued," Shinomori said.
Izuku let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Oh…okay. That's good. At least, I think it is…"
"Yes it fucking is you suicidal twat!" Second snarled. "If you die, One For All goes with you! Don't act like an idiot like that!"
"Second, seriously, you need to chill man. We've all done dumb shit," Banjo interjected.
"Yes but not so much that I had to forcibly give him my Quirk and activate it for him to avoid him snapping his damned neck!"
"Wait…wha-?" Izuku goggled.
"Yeah. I had to change your acceleration right before you hit the stairs, else you'd have broken your neck and nothing woulda saved your dumb ass!"
"You can do that?!" Izuku gasped.
Second facepalmed. "Of course that's what he takes away from my statement."
"You gave it to him, you may as well explain it while he's here," En shrugged.
"I didn't give it on purpose, it just…happened!" Second shouted, pointing at Izuku with both hands.
"Well, it happened, so explain it," Shinomori said.
Second sighed. "My Quirk is called Gear Shift. I could change how things accelerate in space and completely ignore inertia. Used to only work on tiny objects, but it's been marinating in One For All for a while, so…yeah. Works on you too, now."
"That's so cool!" Izuku whispered, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"It's too strong now! Don't go using it every fucking fight! It'll put a massive strain on your body, you'll be out of the fight if you use it for too long."
"Yes, of course! But I could do so much with that! Ignoring inertia entirely? That's incredible! You have such a cool Quirk!" Izuku gushed.
Second blinked at him, narrowing his eyes as he worked his jaw. "...yeah, whatever. Be more fucking careful next time." He spun about, stomping over to his chair and collapsing into it, refusing to look over at Izuku.
"Since you're here and we don't know how long we'll have you, I shall explain mine as well," Shinomori spoke softly. Izuku turned to look at him. "I believe you've noticed some of it by now, the various types of danger it will key you into. But it appears it changed once it fused with your Quirk as well."
"How?" Izuku asked. In response, Shinomori pointed up to the night sky above. Izuku glanced up, seeing first the glowing orb of One For All burning merrily in the sky, but then he noticed it. The lights he'd seen right before he thought he died were still there. Some much fainter than others, but some bright and brilliant and shining, shimmering, various celestial bodies scattered about as if they were within his grasp instead of somewhere far off in the distance.
"...what?" he whispered, confused and dazzled. Somewhere deep inside he knew which lights were which, he could sense them, sense how much trouble they were in, how in danger…the pink singularity, half collapsed into itself, struggling to stay in form, the orange nova popping and sparking as if it were upset, the bubbling star dripping as if teary, a shimmering white dwarf star that spun rapidly, a small twirl of energy shining off one corner of it… "I-is that…are those…"
"The people you care for? Yes," Shinomori replied when it was clear Izuku couldn't finish his sentence. "It appears Danger Sense applies to those you hold close to your heart. The closer you hold them, the greater sense you have. You can sense danger to them, not just yourself, so long as you are close enough. And it apparently allowed you to send your empowerment ability to them at range."
"...this is a lot to take in," he managed to get out, flopping back down to the ground.
"We know, Izuku. But you'll get it. That said…we need to talk about what you did," Nana said, her tone half stern and half soothing.
"...I'm not apologizing for going after him," Izuku muttered.
"Good!" Third replied, leaning against the far wall, but at least looking at him this time as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Third, don't encourage this!" Nana hissed back at the man.
"Nothing wrong with avenging one's family, Seven. First thing the kids done I approve of."
"Stop it, all of you!" Yoichi exclaimed, his eyes glaring around the room at the other wielders. He sighed, turning back to Izuku. "I won't judge you for your actions. But the loss of control led to both you, and those you care for, getting hurt. You cannot lose control like that."
"I was in perfect control!" Izuku protested.
"No, you were calm, that isn't the same thing," En replied.
"It's not my fault they had that weird powerup for the Nomu-"
"And if you had been in better control, you would have noticed the ping from Danger Sense and been able to react before it caved your chest in," Shinomori interjected.
Izuku gaped at him. "H-How?! That thing was too fast!"
"You're faster, Izuku. If you try to be," Yoichi said. "You could have reacted in time, if you hadn't been ignoring your powers." Izuku opened his mouth to protest again, but the rumbling of the lake around them had them all sighing. "Looks like your time is up once more, Izuku. Please…just think on what we said," Yoichi pleaded.
Izuku choked off his reply and sighed. He nodded, as he felt his consciousness ripped out of the vestige realm and back into the waking world…
Honestly, Katsuki completely took over this chapter. I had it planned to be pretty focused on him due to it being from his perspective, but even as I wrote it, I did not expect it go end up as emotional as it got. Sometimes, the character just has things to say.