Letting out a deep breath she'd taken without realizing it the sniper opened her purple eyes. The change from complete darkness to a clear night illuminated by the bright lights of the city below caused the woman to still as she allowed her vision to adjust. A half a minute later she tapped the long scouter on the right side of her face, activating it.

The formerly clear blue tinted screen quickly became dotted with various markings and symbols, the main one in the very center of the screen being a circle with a vertical line that emerged from the bottom of it. The lines had several horizontal ones that cut across it at regular intervals, each one labelled with a different distance. A small display on the bottom right corner of the screen told the sniper what the temperature, weather, and wind speed were around her.

Letting out a breath the sniper activated her Quirk and setting down the fleshy bipods that rested at the front of her rifle on the elevated ledge that ran along the roof she trailed her left hand through her two-tone hair tearing some off in the process. The action was painless and even if it wasn't the pain would have been crushed down years ago she reflected as she began to fiddle with the hair, molding it into a more desirable ogive shape. As her hand continued its ministrations the sniper's eyes remained focused at the rooftop across the street in front of her.

From the file she'd received the sniper knew that her target, a much beloved local hero, would make his way through the area within the next ten minutes on his regular patrol. Each time the man would stop on the roof she was watching using the building's height to make sure that everything was okay on the bustling streets below before moving on. The woman didn't know why her superiors wanted the man dead but she knew better than to ask. This wasn't her first mission, her first time 'fixing problems' the Commission wanted dealt with but it was her first mission alone and the woman knew it was as much a test of her abilities and willingness to follow orders as it was to actually contributing to the betterment of society. After all this was also going to be the first time she killed a hero.

A part of her didn't want to do this, felt that all of this, the intrigue, the killing, was everything she was supposed to stand against. She'd voiced those thoughts in the beginning of her training when the subject of killing had first been broached but her worries had been explained away as 'for the greater good.' After all, if killing a single person could stop the detonation of a nuclear weapon that would otherwise level a city wasn't it better to kill the individual no matter how innocent or guilty they might be. It was the trolley dilemma and she was old enough to know that in the end not everybody could be saved; nor did everyone deserve to be.

Shaking her head to clear away her thoughts the woman focused on her task pushing down and suppressing her emotions as she'd been taught. She could break down later in private, right now she couldn't afford to be weak. As if in response to her determination a tendril of flesh emerged from her rifle stretching in front of her right eye where it curled to form a crude scope. The scope didn't magnify the woman's vision zooming in on the target like a normal scope did; rather, it merely narrowed her field of vision allowing her to focus on where her shot would hit with pinpoint accuracy. It was accurate for about half a kilometer, maybe three fourths of one if she was lucky and focused but the scope didn't take into account the wind, distance, or weather conditions, that was what her lightning bolt shaped long scouter support gear was for.

She didn't need it necessarily; under the supervision of various teachers - the best the country and Hero Association had to offer - she'd spent years honing her shooting in all kinds of conditions, learning the math and calculations needed before practicing them again and again till she could perform them perfectly inside her head. The more physical aspects were repeated until they became instinctive, programmed into her muscles and body until they came to her as natural as breathing. For a moment the woman's mind followed the thought, carrying her back to memories of the training she'd had to endure and it was this distracted state of mind that cost her.

The sound of loose gravel being kicked up on the rooftop behind her caused the woman to spin around though she made sure not to move her right arm and the rifle attached to it spinning only her body. Turning the woman found herself greeted by the glaring visage of the very hero she'd been on the lookout for.

Shadows hid the man's eyes from view while a mask covered his mouth and nose, straps running back to his ears making it look similar to a doctor's mask, albeit one made out of metal. His outfit consisted of a pair of white long pants, loose around his legs, with a utility belt with several grey pouches strapped across his waist. His top was burgundy in color, a thin open vest of tight protective fabric that covered his back and arms while leaving the chest entirely open, showing the herculean-like muscular form underneath. A long crimson cape fluttered on his back, the edges of the cape ripped from the various battles it'd been through. The collar of the cape was high and encircled the hero's neck reaching up towards the man's similarly collared hair which jutted forwards at the front in a singular spike but on the sides near the back split away giving the hairdo the appearance of a 'T' if one was to look at him from above. For a moment the two stared at each other and the woman could feel a drop of sweat form along her forehead before slowly descending down the side of her face.

Then the man spoke a single word, his voice deep and manly, "You…"

The woman couldn't contain a gulp of fear, her Quirk was powerful, lethal even, especially at range but it was next to useless in close quarters combat. Most of her training had consisted of increasing her sniper abilities making them second nature and while she had covered close quarters combat even fighting those whose Quirks gave them an advantage in the situation she knew that her skills paled in comparison to a hero who fought that way daily.

"I know you!"

'...Huh?'

The woman blinked in shock, her eyes widening as she looked at the hero in confusion, "Yeah, you're that new hero right? The one trained by the Commission? "

"Y-yes," Her voice cracking in disbelief, was-was he... fanboying over her?

Her nervousness was obvious and the hero quickly bowed his head in apology. "I apologize if my behavior made you uneasy," he said before straightening up as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I just try to pay attention to new heroes as they debut; I can't help but think that anyone who becomes a hero is really manly. Doing what you can to help others no matter the cost; knowing the danger that could await you yet having the courage to do that day after day, what's more manly than that?"

"Yeahhh," the woman said, as she regained her composure, dragging the word out, "I suppose it is pretty" she hesitated, "… manly."

"You're right it is!" The red haired hero said enthusiastically, "There's nothing better than the feeling of saving someone, being able to look at them and say 'Don't worry, everything's going to be alright.'" The man walked forward and raised his right foot and rested it on the ledge to the right of the woman's gun and looked down at the city below them. "Do you see them down there?" He asked, his voice softening, "Every time I look down there, see them walking around and living their busy lives I'm reminded of just why we do what we do. They look up to us to keep them safe, trust in us, believe in us and it's our job, our duty to make sure that their belief isn't wasted."

"But what about when you can't save somebody?" The woman asked, her voice speaking before her mind could stop her. "What do you do when you're weak and you don't believe… you know, that you can't live up to their faith?"

For a moment silence hung over the two and it took most of the woman's self control to keep from just hopping over the ledge to fall to her death in the street below. What was she doing? She was supposed to kill the man in front of her not have a philosophical conversation about what being a hero meant! Mentally tearing her hair out in frustration the woman's attention turned back to the man as he turned his gaze from the bustling streets below to the clear night sky above them.

"When I was a sidekick I failed to save somebody." His tone was soft but the woman could hear the grief polluting the simple statement. "That day… I hesitated, I was scared and because of that a forty-three year old father of two never made it home to his family. He never got to hug his wife and two daughters again. Never got a chance to tuck his little girls into bed, watch them grow up, or grow old with his wife while his kids found spouses of their own."

Turning the crimson hero fixed the woman in place with a look, "He died because my spirit was weak and I carry that burden with me every day and I'll do so for the rest of my life. We are heroes but we're also human and as a result it's natural to feel fear, to be afraid especially in a job like this where danger and death is an everyday occurrence. What matters is that we overcome our hesitation and fear, rise above it to become something more. You might fail to save someone but once they're gone there is nothing you can do to change what happened. If you fixate on your mistakes, the people you couldn't save, then you will never be able to be the best hero you could be. You could try but the weight of your guilt will bind you tighter than any chain ever could. There are no redos, you can't go back and change what happened so don't focus on the fact that you couldn't, didn't, do more. Use that loss to drive you so that next time you don't hesitate, don't falter. Nobody can save the world by themself so just focus on saving what you can. That's my advice rookie."

Turning the red haired man began to walk away before turning to shoot the woman one last look, "It was nice meeting you and know that you will have moments in your career where you will doubt yourself. Where the villains, disasters, and people who need help just seem to keep on coming, go on and on without an end in sight. When that happens and you wonder if you have what it takes to carry on, if you really are making a difference, know that in the end you are helping people. It might not seem like it but you are making a difference in these people's lives."

A tear streaked down the woman's face and the man turned his back to her respectfully as he resumed walking but he could still hear her words, "Thank you." Underneath his mask the man smiled but as he opened his mouth to tell her 'You're welcome,' a muted shot rang out. The man's brain didn't have time to understand what was happening; didn't get a chance to even attempt to activate his hardening Quirk, before the red themed hero fell forward collapsing to the roof dead as a puddle of crimson blood began to pool underneath him courtesy of the rather large hole through his chest.

For a moment the woman stood there frozen, not believing what she'd done as smoke trailed upwards from the muzzle of her rifle. She-she'd done it; she'd killed a hero. As the realization sank in panic began to rise within her as well as doubt. Just-just what had she done? She'd just killed a pro hero and not some no name but a man who'd broken through the top hundred on the charts and was still steadily climbing the ranks. She tried to push down her panic, the Commission had ordered it she'd just been following orders but the woman still couldn't push the sheer sense of wrongness that tore its way through her. She wanted to be a hero damn it, protect people and keep them safe. What was heroic about shooting somebody who - as far she knew - had done nothing wrong. Kami she'd shot him in the back of all things.

The contents of the woman's stomach rose within her passing through her throat and into her mouth forcing the woman on her hands and knees as she retched, her Quirk deactivating automatically without her focus to keep it activated. When she finished the woman gasped for air, taking deep, shaky breaths as each arm gripped the other in front of her core, trying to preserve a warmth the woman couldn't feel as she shivered despite the rather warm summer night around her.

She tried to turn her thoughts to other matters but all her brain could do was replay the montage of the hero's final moments over and over again: the man turning away from her exposing his broad, muscular back; her arm coming up; a single bullet firing; and a hole being torn through the man before he collapsed forward his body turning slightly as it fell as if wanting to see as least the face of his killer but dying before he could.

The woman forced her mind away seeking something, anything that could preoccupy her thoughts and ironically it was the words of the hero now that lay dead before her that answered. "When you wonder if you have what it takes to carry on, if you really are making a difference, know that in the end you are helping people. It might not seem like it but you are making a difference in these people's lives." As the words echoed through her mind in the man's deep voice the woman's shaking began to abate. She had followed orders, she had done her duty. Closing her eyes the woman used her training to regain control of her breathing, slowing her panting down as she forced herself to take slow, deep, heavy breaths of oxygen. She didn't know what the hero had done to deserve the hit, she couldn't know if what she'd done was right but she had to trust, to believe that what the Commission, no, what she was doing was helping others.

Standing up the woman forced herself to act casual, stretching her arms outright over her head as she leaned backwards, popping her back all while trying to ignore the body that lay near her. Everything she did, no matter how wrong or evil it might seem, she was doing for them, the people that even now were walking unconcerned on the streets below her unaware of the dark actions taken just above their heads.

Having collected herself the woman turned around to leave just in time for her field of vision to be filled by a large hand grasping at her face, torn bloodied fingernails stretching, reaching towards her as she dodged out of the way. Activating her Quirk the woman fired her gun instinctively, at this distance not needing to aim or even worry about accuracy, her training making it so that the bullet pierced through the stomach of the thing right where it's heart would be. The creature fell backwards, stumbled and the woman exhaled only for her relief to wither away as she took in the monster cloaked in the skin and tissue of the hero she'd just killed. The thing stopped it's backwards stumble as it turned it's gaze towards her, a single eye mad with bloodlust and endless hunger shining through the shadows that covered the crimson orbs.

It charged and the woman fired again and again, her bullets tearing through the beast splattering blood, bone, and gore on the ground behind it but the creature didn't falter in it's charge even as one of her bullets tore through it's mask taking both the metal mouthguard and the left side of the jaw that lay underneath from its body. The woman leaped backwards trying to hop out of the thing's reach but she was too slow as the back of her knees hit the ledge running around the border of the roof. A hand wrapped around her face and the beast's momentum carried the two of them up and over.

Together they fell, grappling back and forth as wind blew past them, setting their hair and the remnants of the creature's cape fluttering wildly. The creature snapping at her with what remained of its mouth while it's torn, bloodied nails tore deep furrows into her pale flesh. The woman deactivated her Quirk and using her hands grabbed the creature's wrists forcing them back but she could do nothing as the creature's head and jaw snapped at her, yellow saliva mixed with crimson blood splattering her face. A noise, a primal roar of defiance tore itself from the woman's throat as she pushed her muscles to the limit twisting the two of them in midair and forcing the beast underneath her so it was falling below her. The ground rushed up at them and the last thing the woman saw was the body of the man who had once been Crimson Riot splattering across the ground before darkness filled her vision.

Sitting up in her bed Kaina Tsutsumi gasped for air as her left hand grabbed at the neckline of her tank top, the black fabric drenched in sweat sticking tight to her body as she desperately tried to pull the constricting piece of cloth away from her throat. She struggled with it a moment before forcing the clothing up and over her head where it fell to crumple atop the sheets that covered her lower half. Kaina's large breasts - having been pulled upwards with the tank top - fell down bouncing against her chest for a moment before they returned to resting against it, her nipples hardening as they were exposed to the pre-morning air inside her room.

As her purple eyes darted around, Kaina's breathing began to slow, years of training kicking in, as her brain took in the familiar comforting sight of her bedroom, her surroundings outlined by the faint yellow light of a street lamp leaking in from behind the curtain drawn over her window. Confirming she was alone Kaina collapsed backwards with a groan, her head slamming into one pillow as she grabbed it's companion pulling it over her face to muffle her yell of frustration. As her scream died away Kaina tossed the pillow aside uncaringly as she stared upwards at the ceiling, her expression blank.

Why? Why did this keep happening to her? She tried to think back to when they'd started, the nightmares. She couldn't name an exact time the dreams had always been there ever since she'd started her …'job' but it was only recently that they'd begun to make a more regular appearance. For months now they'd filled her non-waking moments, sometimes, like tonight, she'd dream about past times when she'd been ordered to neutralize someone, other times she'd find herself in a seemingly endless field of golden wheat that stretched as far as the eye could see under the warm light of an afternoon sun shining down from a clear blue sky. That was one of the more peaceful dreams or at least it was until she started sinking into the mud underneath her, mud created from the blood spilling out of the bodies of all those she'd killed who now lay around her, their accusing unseeing eyes turned to stare her way. She'd try to escape but the harder she tried the faster she sank, sometimes the decaying, dirt stained arms of her victims even reaching up to drag her down faster until cool wet Earth filled her vision.

Shivering at the memory Kaina wrapped herself tighter in her sheets, uncaring that they were still slick with her sweat. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep the rest of the night, she was never able to return to the land of Morpheus once she awoke from the nightly terrors sent her way but gods willing she was going to try. After all, she wanted to look her best when she saw the little unicorn later today along with her favorite insomniac.

Shota Aizawa let out an annoyed groan, one perfected by hundreds of introverts throughout history who'd found themselves adopted and fostered by the extroverts that called them friends. As he sipped his cup of coffee courtesy of one poor nurse who'd found himself at the end of the man's red eyed glare, the tired teacher cast a sideways glance at the twenty files resting on the seat in the hallway beside him. He knew that he should read them, diligently review each of his soon-to-be-student's profiles so he could have a basic understanding of what they were capable of come the first day of school tomorrow but, in all honesty the man couldn't be bothered.

He himself had attended U.A. over a decade ago and he had learned through first hand experience that files didn't tell you everything. Sure they gave you information, information about people's past, their abilities and skills, their Quirk and what they could and couldn't do with them. However it also built up preconceptions, tricked your mind into believing things without actually knowing them through experience. His students would be coming to him with these mental blocks in place and if Shota let himself be tricked as well his students would never be able to reach their full potential. They would grow, yes, but they would always be a pale reflection of what they could have been and none of them would be the wiser for it.

That was why the first thing Shota did with his class was a Quirk Apprehension Test. Their scores would be in their files already but not only did the Ministry of Education foolishly score them without the use of their Quirks they did so months before the students even began the process to apply to high school. Holding a test that he could supervise was just one of the several reasons Shota did it though. Allowing him to witness his students Quirks firsthand, testing them to use their Quirks creatively, seeing what effect Quirk Exhaustion had on them, to how well they were able to push through it and carry on made it much more rational to test his students immediately than to have them sit through the Entrance Ceremony. As for guidance sessions with Ryo, those were actually useful for helping his students figure out what kind of Heroes and hero work they wanted to do once they went Pro but Shota could put those off until after he judged that they at least be semi-competent heroes and if nothing else they could do them next year.

The squeaking of springs as someone sat down in the unoccupied chair to his left drew Shota's attention and he turned to look at someone he judged hesitantly as one of his better acquaintances. Tsutsumi met his gaze head on and flashed him a devilish smirk that he responded to with one of his trademark scowls. "Why are you here?" Shota asked bluntly.

"I'm here to see the little unicorn," Tsutsumi replied with a smile, "why are you here?"

"She still won't use her quirk." Shota said, his expression blank, "Despite their assurances she keeps insisting that her 'power' is evil and only hurts people. They thought that she might be willing to use it if I was here to watch since she knows that I can stop it should things go wrong."

"Hmm, sounds feasible," Tsutsumi said as she leaned back in her chair trying to get comfortable. "Do you think it will work?" Shota replied with a shrug and for a moment silence fell between the two heroes.

"Why haven't you come to see her?" Shota didn't answer but Tsutsumi didn't let the silence stretch this time, "She asks about you ya know? Wants to know where the scary scarf man is? At first I thought it was because she was afraid of you, wanted to make sure that you would stay away but I asked and she told me that she actually liked it when you were there." She stopped to look at her companion but Shota didn't reply, his head hung forward resulting in his shaggy black mane hiding his face from view.

"I've come to visit her," Tsutsumi said after a moment, "brought her a little stuffed unicorn for her to sleep with. She cried when I gave it to her, apparently it was the first toy she ever got that actually came from someone who cared. She-"

"I'm not good with kids," Shota said, his voice low but firm, cutting through Tsutsumi's tale, "they don't like me, scare easily. You saw her reaction when I tried to reassure her, she broke out crying. There's a reason I'm an underground hero."

Tsutsumi hummed in agreement before she shot Shota a sympathetic look as she raised her right hand to rest it on his upper back comfortingly. "That might be true in most cases Aizawa but she wants to see you; and whether you admit it or not I know that you want to help her. You never volunteer to help kids with troublesome Quirks, cuts into your brooding time, and I know that the doctors would never have been able to reach you if it wasn't for the fact you gave them your number."

Shota didn't reply and Tsutsumi put her arms behind her head as she relaxed, closing her eyes, although it was obvious to those who paid attention that she was still awake. They stayed like that for a moment but this time it was Shota who interrupted the silence. "Stay away from her," his voice was still low but Tsutusmi heard it all the same, her right eyelid rising slightly as she looked at her companion who'd turned his head to stare at her, his expression one that would have intimidated many a lesser criminal and hero.

"Why?"

"Don't play coy with me Tsutsumi," Shota growled his lip curling at the corner to expose the teeth underneath, "I know what you do for the Commission; I know that you're their little cleanup lady or did you forget that I was ordered to 'provide support' for some of the missions they gave you. I know you're skilled enough that you won't miss from a kilometer away especially if a certain someone erased the villain's Forewarn Quirk beforehand. I might have ignored it once, put it aside as an accident or a one off, but it's too big a coincidence when every time I help you out the target dies either on site or in route to a detainment center."

"And what are you going to do with these wild theories of yours?" Tsutsumi asked, her blank face looking like it'd been carved from stone although she'd shifted slightly so her right elbow was now pointed towards Shota's side, something the man didn't miss.

"Nothing," Shota admitted harshly but reluctantly. "I'm an underground hero, it wouldn't take much to make me disappear or suffer an unfortunate 'accident' one day. I don't have the influence you Pros build up over the course of your careers and even if I did what citizen want to believe that their country is ordering the execution of criminals much less heroes. No, they'd rather ignore the dark side of heroic society in favor of keeping what peace they have."

"Then why do you want me to stay away from Eri?"

"Tell me if this sounds familiar," Shota said, casting his dual-haired companion a measured look, "an orphan or someone in a similar situation with a powerful Quirk that has nothing and no one to rely on. Saved from a bad situation or life by a hero or someone that acted heroically. A child or teen in need of a home that the Commission just happens to be uniquely placed to provide. Sound like a familiar bird hero to you?"

"You're worried that the Commission will find out about her and turn her into the next Hawks?"

"No, I'm worried that you'll sentence an innocent little girl, one whose life so far has consisted almost solely of being a lab experiment to be controlled by politicians and yes men with an unhealthy desire for more power than they already have."

For a moment the two locked eyes, Shota's shadowy black orbs filled with steely determination clashing against Tsutsumi's emotionless purple as the tension thickened in the air around them. It was Tsutsumi that blinked first, turning away to look at the blank wall beside her. "They don't know about her."

"What?"

"You heard me, they don't know about Eri." Tsutsumi repeated, looking at Aizawa, her expression softening. "When I go and visit her they think that I'm just doing my normal hospital visits to boost my ratings. A child that can't control their Quirk is nothing new even if she's a little old for it but the Commisions to busy keeping an eye on Hawks to think about raising another kid so soon. As for her Quirk it's not in the system yet, and even when it does go in it won't be hard to get them to under report it, people do it all the time."

"Why haven't you told them about her?" Shota asked suspiciously, although his expression had softened from Arctic tundra to morning frost at her revelation. "You know how powerful she is without control, isn't it your duty to tell them about her?"

"Duty's such a funny word," Tsutsumi said as she pulled a piece of hair from her head that she began to mold with her hand. "As a hero it's my duty to protect people. At the Commission it's my duty to keep people safe by 'taking care' of someone every now and then. Duty this duty that. Hah!" She chuckled bitterly.

"My duty, the way I see it, is to do what I think is right and I think that the right thing for Eri is to keep her as far away from the Commission as I can. I know that despite being a hero my job isn't good and just. I'm the dark side of heroism just like you said and that's a burden that I've-," she paused, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath holding it a moment before letting it out, "that I've resigned myself to carrying. I don't want Eri to become the next Takami, the next me. After everything she's been through she deserves better than becoming like us."

"...On that at least we can both agree." Silence descended once more as the tension surrounding the two Pro Heroes began to ebb away leaving just the normal bustle and chatter of a hospital hallway around them.

Eri sat upright in her bed, pillows against her back and sheets pulled up to her waist as her bandaged arms rested on the covers in front of her. The creaking of the door opening drew the crimson eyed youth's attention and she turned the sun outside the window behind her outlining the girl in a golden glow; the form of a small stuffed toy unicorn resting on the bed beside her pillows.

She was greeted by the smiling visage of a woman in a pink sleeveless dress that reached down to just above her knees. A paler pink cowl neck encircled the woman's throat with a zipper pulled up as far as it could go. Black floral text, meaningless to the girl although she thought the flower shaped characters were pretty, ran down the front side of the dress on the right. Two low heeled sandals rose in color completed the ensemble but the woman's most eye-catching feature wasn't her clothing; instead if one was to look at her their eyes would be drawn to the two white feathered wings that sprouted from the woman's shoulder blades stretching out about a foot on either side of her. The wings were much too small to fly with but combined with the woman's blonde hair that fell in ringlets to her sizable bust and her vivid bright blue eyes it made her all the more angelic.

"Conis-san," Eri said, identifying the kind nurse who'd taken care of her the last few weeks. "What…are you doing here?"

"Well Eri-chan," Conis replied with a smile as she stepped closer to the little girl, her hands clutched behind her back hiding them from view, "I have a surprise for you."

"A… surprise?"

"Yep, a surprise." Conis said, nodding her head in confirmation with her eyes closed before opening them again as tilted her head to the side, her left arm emerging so the woman could raise a finger to her chin in thought, "although I guess it'd be more of a present really… Oh well," she said with a shrug as she smiled widely, "I'm sure you'll love it." Her bottom lip began to quiver as tears rushed to her eyes "O-or," she sniffled, "or do you not want it?"

Eri rapidly waved her arms back and forth in a panic as she tried to calm down the tearful nurse who seemed on the edge of dissolving into sobs, "N-no Conis-san, don't cry," the nurse sniffled again, "I… I want your present."

"R-really?" the blonde stammered through her tearful eyes, "Do you really mean that?"

"Uh-huh, uh-huh," Eri hummed, nodding rapidly.

"Great!" Eri could only blink in shock as the tears vanished, the waterworks disappearing as if they'd never been there at all. "Now I want you to close your eyes and stick out your hands. I'm going to place something into them but you can't open your eyes until I say so, okay?"

Eri's response was to blink her crimson eyes for a moment before obediently doing as Conis had asked. The girl stretched her arms forward and closed her eyes, feeling rather than seeing the woman press her hands together forming them into a small cup. When a small weight was rested within them Eri began to open her eyes only for a hand to rapidly fill her field of vision before she could see anything. Eri jolted backwards but Conis, hidden behind her hand, rushed to reassure the young girl, "Ah, ah, ah I said no peeking." she chided her smooth voice calming the white haired youth who relaxed back on her bed.

"Great now, close your eyes and don't open them until I say too." Eri closed her eyes again and she felt rather than saw the hand pull away. "Okay you can open your eyes now." Conis said a few seconds later.

Eri did as Conis instructed, opening her eyes she looked downwards tilting her head to the side in confusion as she examined the red semi-round object resting within it her little hands. She gulped as she turned her gaze from it to the nurse lady who'd given it to her and back again. "This…," she asked hesitantly, her voice low and soft, "is for me?"

The wing's on the back of the kind blonde haired nurse fluttered slightly. "Yep," the angelic woman confirmed, an excited smile on her face, "I think you're gonna love it. It's called an apple and it's my favorite fruit in the whole wide world."

"App-le?" Eri whispered softly looking with wonder at the fruit just a shade darker than her own crimson eyes.

"Yep an apple," Conis repeated, "it's a Red Delicious to be specific; they're really popular in the United States and trust me when I say it cost me more than enough yen to get one here."

The news caused Eri to turn her gaze from the fruit to Conis looking at the angelic woman with just a hint of fear. Conis merely sighed and raising a hand rested it on Eri's head trying her best to ignore the way the girl seemed to curl into herself at the motion. "Don't worry Eri," she said soothingly, "I wanted to do this for you."

"Why," Eri asked suspiciously as she blew up her cheeks as if to act more intimidating although all it did was make Conis want to squeal at how cute it made her.

"Because I thought you'd like it."

Eri seemed to weigh her response for a moment as she let the air out of her cheeks returning her gaze to the fruit clutched in her hands. Conis meanwhile let out a mental sigh as she cast a pitying look at the young girl before her although she was careful to hide it. She'd been here when the two heroes had brought the girl in and she'd been there when the Doctor had come to the rather obvious conclusion that some very bad things had been done to the young girl.

He'd done the usual tests: blood pressure, temperature, checking her ears, throat, eyes, as well as her reaction time. Everything had seemed normal but when he'd begun the physical examination the doctor had quickly become very, very concerned. 'Strange,' that was the word he'd used to describe it, 'like nothing he'd ever seen before'. He said it was as if someone had operated on the girl, cut her open and then sealed the wound before leaving it alone so it could heal. The only problem was the time it would take for a surgery scar to become so minor it was practically invisible was years if not decades, much longer than Eri had been alive. The subsequent discovery of multiple such scars decorating the little girl's body had led the doctor to the rather obvious if horrifying realization that the girl had been operated on repeatedly only to have her body healed again, and again, and again. This wasn't operating on a patient to save their life, or actions taken out of anger no it was calm, systematic torture under a complete and utter sadist. Torture that was repeated dozens, hundreds of times with Eri likely being awake through it all.

Shuddering at the mere thought Conis turned her gaze to the white haired girl. With what she'd been through Conis thought it was a miracle that Eri was as kind as she was. Heaven only knew how bad she'd have been if she'd had to experience what the sweet little angel before her had gone through. As it was, Conis resolved herself to help Eri to the best of her ability and Conis knew just how she'd start, by helping the girl to smile.

Eri had tried to smile when Lady Nagant had asked her to on one of the Sniper Hero's past visits. Conis could still remember the girl had tried to move her mouth contorting her face like she was trying to make her mouth go a certain way before pinching her cheeks with her hands drawing them upwards. Seconds later her hands had fallen to her lap as a tear fell to land beside them turning the blue cloth of her hospital dress a slightly darker color. "I'm sorry…" Eri'd said tears filling her eyes as she looked up at them with the look of one who was lost and looking for help. "How… do you smile again?"

Shaking her head Conis focused back on Eri who was slowly raising the apple to her lips where she paused to look at the winged nurse. Conis nodded her head in encouragement, smiling widely as the girl bit into the apple with an audible "crunch." For a moment the girl didn't react, her face blank as her arms fell to rest on her sheet covered lap, apple still in hand as juice ran down her face. At the unexpected reaction Conis was unable to stop the worry that rose within her, did she make a mistake? Did Eri not like it? Oh Kami what if she hated apples?

Conis was wrenched from her musings by a high pitched noise and looking at the horned girl she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. Eri's eyes sparkled with emotions as her mouth curved upwards into a toothless grin, highlighting the girl's dimples and the juice that stained the area around her mouth. The noise had been a high pitched squeal of delight as Eri turned to look at Conis, "Conis-san! Conis-san! It's sweet! It's really sweet"

For a moment Conis could do nothing as she was lost in the cuteness of the young girl before her, so adorable she could practically see the golden aura dotted with flowers and apples that surrounded Eri. However looking into Eri's crimson eyes glittering with happiness Conis felt her grin grow as she closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side, "I know aren't they the best Eri-chan?"

Her response when she opened her eyes was Eri taking another bite of the apple "Hmph"-ing her approval as she rapidly nodded her head up and down.

"Awww, look at that; the little unicorn's decided to show a smile and all without her favorite heroine present." Turning, the two occupants of the room found themselves looking at Lady Nagant who was using the doorframe for support with one hand while she hid her face behind the other as she gave an obvious faux sob. "It's enough to break my heart."

Conis smiled at the pro heroine's antics as Eri began to wave her hands in protest, bubbling about how she was sorry and that Lady Nagant shouldn't cry. Conis couldn't help but chuckle into her fist as Lady Nagant played it up pouting about how the 'Evil Nurse Conis was trying to steal the little unicorn away from her with apples.'

The back and forth continued for a moment before Lady Nagant interrupted Eri's bubbling as she raised a finger to the corner of her mouth, "Oh yeah I almost forgot, I brought you a special guest today Eri."

"A …guest?" Eri asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion.

"Yep, and don't worry even though he looks scary I promise he's as harmless as a pussy cat." Lady Nagant replied with a grin.

"I heard that." A tired voice complained which caused Nagant's smile to widen even more as she leaned out of the room to grab something before pulling it back in.

As a nurse Conis had dealt with many different heroes as well as their antics, but she couldn't help the twitch that developed in the corner of her eye as she looked at the figure whose right arm was wrapped up in Nagant's seemingly vice-like grip. "Lady Nagant…" she spoke, her voice deceptively peaceful and friendly.

Apparently her tone hadn't been as disarming as she'd intended as the heroine turned to look at her with just the barest hints of nervousness on her face. "Yes?"

"Is this man the… special guest you mentioned?"

"Yes…?"

"Then please explain to me why you felt that it was imperative to introduce Eri to a homeless man you clearly picked up off the side of the road?" she scolded. "You have no idea the kind of diseases that he could have from being out on the streets. What if Eri becomes sick with one of them? What would you do then?" Conis's rant was interrupted by the objective of her scolding breaking down into hysterical laughter, laughing so hard Conis thought she might, for the first time in her life, bear witness to someone actually die laughing.

The man meanwhile let out a long, suffering sigh as he muttered something under his breath about 'Nemuri, Hizashi, and Emi never finding out about this,' while he gave an exasperated look with his tired black eyes. "Sorry, but I'm actually a pro hero."

"Oh?" Apparently her eloquent response laden with disbelief and doubt didn't sound that believing as the man's shoulders drooped while Nagant, whose laughter had been dying down returned with renewed vigor.

"Y-yeah he might not look like it but he's a real licensed hero." Nagant got out as she leaned against the wall chuckling, "His name's Eraserhead. He was the one who first found Eri when her Quirk went wild and got it back under control. He's not good with kids though and made her cry so I had to get him to come here."

"Did… did you not want to see me?" The quiet voice of the room's youngest occupant cut through the conversation like a hot knife through butter as the three turned her way, finding Eri with her head downcast and the apple core clutched in her hand. "I'm sorry I-" Eri began to sniffle, "I just wanted to say thank you."

As the little unicorn began to cry, Eraserhead shivered as he felt the other females in the room turn to glare at him. He could practically feel them telling him to 'fix this, NOW!' a command backed by the dark auras promising death and pain rising from their bodies. Sighing, the high school teacher let out a groan as he ran a hand through his shaggy, untamed hair. "I was worried," he said, it was soft but still spoken loud enough for Eri to hear, causing her to lift her head to look at him with red tear filled eyes. "I thought that you wouldn't want to see me since I made you cry the last time you saw me." He explained.

Eri sniffled "You… you were scary… but… you helped me…" She sniffled again. "You turned my power… my Quirk… off… and when you did…" her lips curled up just slightly at the corners, "I was so happy. I… just wanted to say thank you but… you never came."

Eraserhead couldn't help his internal moan, he knew he was going to regret what he was going to say next but seeing the abused kitten look on the girl before him he couldn't help himself. 'It's because you want to make sure she control her Quirk,' he tried to convince himself, 'Yeah, that's why no other reason. Absolutely no other reason at all.' "Would you like it, if I came to see you again?" he mumbled tucking his head down so his mouth was buried in his capture scarf.

This time the smile that split the girl's face was one of absolute joy, "Yes!" she said. Eraserhead nodded his acceptance of the request and if anyone asked, the twitch at the corner of his mouth was because he was trying to hold in a sneeze and he'd expel any student that said otherwise.

Author's Note:

AN Table of Contents:

1. Arc III - What to Expect

2. Interlude Breakdown

3. Toga's Arm Discussiom

4. PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW

oh also P-atreon, & Social Media Accounts

5. Dedication

HELLO EVERYBODY & HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm back and as promised here is the Interlude between story arcs. I'm not sure when the first chapter of Arc III will be posted but it will be up sometime in early March if I don't get it up next month. Either way Arc III will take us to U.A. High and unlike the last two arcs which mostly focused on Izuku Arc III will be told from switching perspectives allowing you to kind of get a look at everybody. Characters you can expect to make an appearance (as of right now) include Momo, Kendo, Katsuki, All Might, Kyudai Garaki, and more! Izuku will make the occasional appearance and you'll also get your first look at Tomura, something I know quite a few of you have been either looking forward to or complaining about since we're a 100k+ words in and he still has to make an appearance. I plan for the arc to go right up to the sports festival as the festival alone I think will take between three-five chapters making it an Arc all by itself. This won't be due to the festival itself (coming up with events different from cannon is hard ToT) but rather it'll be because of all the different things that will be happening elsewhere at the time that I'll need to cover. However in the end I believe that the festival arc will be a fan favorite once it's completed as will Kamino and I-Island. Ha, guess that means I have my very own big three between the Festival, I-Island, & Kamino.

Now for this chapter. First off we had a look into Lady Nagant's past with the nightmare, as well as a look into her mentality both in the past and in the present. We also got to learn about her relationship with Aizawa, they were occasional partners when the Commission needed somebody 'dealt with' who had a Quirk that they thought might give Nagant trouble and although they tried to keep it hidden Aizawa's a smart kitty and was able to figure it out although he recognizes that he can't go around sharing that information or he might be 'dealt with'. As for Eri I just wanted to give the little unicorn the chance to smile and what better way than with an apple. Conis is basically the girl from One Piece with the same name albeit different hair and she's not important in the grand scheme of things, just a side character to help get Eri mentally stable for the most part.

I also want to talk about Toga's arm since a lot of you commented about it in the last chapter: I won't got into details for fear of spoilers but I do have plans for the future and some characters need to suffer in the present for them to grow in the future. When it comes to the various solutions and questions about why Izuku could heal somethings but not others I already planned to explain it in a future chapter so be on the lookout for that. Also please have some faith in me as an author and wait before voicing your complaints or pointing out that I could have done something else. Each of the points you guys raised or pointed out I had already thought over and while I might not be the next coming of God Oda I do plan well in advance for what's going to happen and as such I try not to do anything without a purpose. Trust me that your questions and points will be answered in time but until then you'll just have to wait. I'll try not to keep you guys in suspense for to long but we'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks for reading and as always make sure to leave a comment, I read them all and lots of them are what keep me writing on cold winter days. If you want early access to chapters you can follow me on P-atreon /dyavolucifer where all donations go to paying for my college. Also this year I'm going to try and keep the next one if not two chapters of Rival Heirs up at all times starting whenever the next chapter goes up. Right now the next chapter of The No-Life Prince is on my P-atreon right now but you can expect that to change very soon. You can also be notified of new releases first by following the same username on I-nstagram or T-witter. Also fun fact if 1/10 people who followed my stories (every story I have up not just Rival Heirs) joined my P-atreon at demon level each year I would make enough to cover a year of college. If that happened I would also be able to quit my other jobs and just write meaning more content available on P-atreon for those who join it. Food for thought.

Speaking of fun facts this interlude is dedicated to the single individuals in Bahrain, Barbados, and Guernsey who read or at least viewed my story. I had no idea where any of these places were or even that they existed until I looked them up on G-oogle Maps so take this dedication any way you want be it a recognition, apology, whatever. You guys are something else and also maybe need a little more publicity so here it is... I guess.

Anyway until next time this is the Demon Lord that stole Father Time's scythe to kill the weird baby New Year signing off,

-D'yavol Lucifer 3:)

*IMPORTANT NOTICE*

All the cover art for my stories are ones I found online. I am really interested in using fanart provided by you the readers to replace them. If you're interested draw something up and pm me so I can send you the details on where to send it or pm me and I'll give you some details so you can draw one. As I say in my bio if I use it I may add you as an oc in one of my stories! Isn't that exciting!

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