The blood that binds

by mattstark66

Himiko Toga was convinced that she had everything she could ever want at her fingertips. That is, until she met a kindhearted boy who showed her exactly what was missing. The smallest tweak at the beginning of a story can have tremendous repercussions down the line. A story about two teenagers and how finding each other would bind them together and change their fates forever.

19. Chapter 19: The reunion

Notes: This chapter was first envisioned years ago. This was literally years in the making, and this chapter is basically the whole reason why I started writing this story in the first place. In fact, I may have come up with this shortly after writing down the first draft of the first chapter, but this was the one thing that propelled me further, and made me want to publish.

So, I hope you'll enjoy!

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The reunion

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Utter silence. Darkness. Dread. A deep pit in the bottom of the stomach. The feeling of falling in place. An unending void. And then the world opened up again, as if she had just been released from a cell located in an alternate dimension.

She dropped gracelessly to her knees on a wooden floor. Beside her, with a dull thud, Sakyou's unconscious body plopped to the ground face first. Behind, Samehada yelped as he lost his balance, but he was thankful for having fallen on his butt instead of his nose for once.

Scrambling to get up, she noticed that she wasn't in the lobby of the building in Naruhata any longer, but in an establishment of some sort. Given the lavish booths, the soft lights, the stools near a well kept stone-top counter and the large cabinet filled with a variety of hard liquors and distilled drinks in the back wall, she surmised it could only be a high-end bar. The warm colors of the walls and furniture gave the place a welcoming atmosphere.

A familiar "face", which took the shape of dark-purple smoke and shiny, shifty yellow eyes, framed by a characteristic metal brace, stood beyond the counter. He greeted her amicably, bowing slightly, one hand over his chest.

"Welcome to your new home, Ms. Magne. I hope you'll find it agreeable and comforting."

She was about to speak when her stomach lurched, like it wanted to expel any contents within itself, and Magne stumbled forwards and supported herself on the counter before keeling over. Coming to sit on one of the lush stools, she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. The clink of glass right before her caused her to open one eyelid just a teeny bit to seek its source in curiosity. She spotted that a pretty, ornate cup filled with a transparent liquid had been placed right in front of her.

"Ice water. Should help with your nausea," said Kurogiri, hands occupied cleaning a different cup with a white napkin.

She gladly downed the whole thing in an instant, and immediately started to feel better. She inspected the cup closely, in wonder. It was a refreshing drink, and it felt like it had a touch of something…

"Ginger. The secret ingredient, that is," Kurogiri uttered nonchalantly, as if he could read the question crossing her mind.

Magne nodded at him. "Thanks, I very much needed that. Traveling with your quirk doesn't sit well with me."

Samehada, recovered from the trip through the void, sat beside her, a bucket of cold seawater waiting for him.

"At least you managed to not vomit. That other time, when Kurogiri here took us from Musutafu all the way to Naruhata, you spent like a whole hour in the toilet!" the shark man said in between gulps of delicious salt, icy water. He also excitedly poured some handfuls of it over his gills to refresh, and Kurogiri made a point to ignore the fact that Samehada was dousing his pristine floor, the very same one he had waxed not even an hour prior.

"No need to remind me…" Then it dawned on Magne. The momentary relief and tranquility she had been feeling was thrown in the trash, as a wave of anxiety came over her as she remembered a special person whose visage wasn't accounted for. "Himiko!"

"What about her?" Samehada asked innocently.

"What do you think, King?! Do you see her anywhere around us?"

"Oh, right. Her and Charon too," he uttered, massaging his still sore nose.

Almost falling backwards from her seat, Magne started to frantically look around the bar, as if she would encounter a hint of ashen-blonde hair styled in messy buns in a corner, hiding from sight. After a fruitless search, she directed her attention back to Kurogiri, her brows furrowing and her expression morphing into a scowl.

"Where is she, Kurogiri?"

The man, or rather creature dressed as a butler seemed to sigh, and his shoulders slumped a little.

"I should have known this argument would be coming forth."

Magne did not like Kurogiri's tired tone a single bit. Her anxiety turned into full blown horror, only being held back by her fury.

"I demand to know where she is! What happened to Himiko?"

"She…" Kurogiri began, but was interrupted when the door on the other side of the bar opened suddenly and violently with a bang.

Kurogiri, Magne and Samehada all looked upon the latest arrival, to find a pale, slightly out of breath Honoka Oogama still clutching her gut, her clothes dripping crimson.

"Charon!" exclaimed Samehada, glad to find that his friend was alive; an excitement that Magne couldn't share given the lack of Himiko by the woman's side.

"I warped you directly to the infirmary so you could have that wound treated straight away," Kurogiri chided, but Honoka chose to ignore him, flipping her hair behind her shoulder.

The silver-haired Villain held an indecipherable look on her face, a mixture of tiredness, anger, sorrow and, perhaps, just a smidge of joy. In any case, she was the one to answer Magne's question.

"Himiko's not here."

A silence so profound that a pencil scratching the surface of a piece of paper would be heard enveloped the bar and its occupants. When she processed those words, it took all of Magne's will not to break down into tears in that instant. She held her breath for a moment, and placed a hand over her heart, gripping her white shirt. She still needed confirmation of Himiko's fate.

"You mean, she was arrested?"

Honoka sighed dejectedly. "No."

The floor went missing beneath her feet for a second, but Magne quickly regained her bearings as a blinding rage overcame her senses. She stomped her way to Honoka.

"What the fuck did you do?!" she yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at Honoka.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Honoka asked indignantly, showing no signs of being intimidated by the display.

"You went upstairs to look for her, saying that you'd find Himiko so you could get away from that shitshow! If she didn't make it, what in the hell did you do to her?!"

"You think I'd hurt her, is that right?"

"What do you want me to think, Charon? First you get all pissy about Himiko not really being comfortable around us, then you go after her and now you're telling me that she's gone and you expect me to just be okay with that?"

A couple of tears freely flowed down Magne's red cheeks, her grimace downright murderous as she stared at Honoka, who couldn't respond immediately and averted her gaze. Kurogiri and Samehada could only observe the confrontation in shocked silence.

Magne readied a closed fist, but it was then that Honoka herself sniffed, and a single, lone tear escaped from her left eye, deterring the magnetism user.

"When I went looking for her," Honoka said in a meek tone, "I had already figured out that she was helping that boy escape."

Stunned, Magne's anger gave way to confusion. "What? What the fuck are you talking about, Charon? I left him tied up."

"Yeah, and I told Himiko to stay back, I guess in the garage?" said from his spot a now unfrozen Samehada.

"I figured none of you noticed it," Honoka said enigmatically, before she glanced back at Magne, "There was a trail - blood drops - leaving the room where we stashed Izuku and going up the stairs."

"She cut him loose?" Samehada asked, surprised.

"Maybe. Don't know, don't care. Doesn't really matter now."

"You mean…" It hit Magne like a freight train, and she gazed down at the floor. "Himiko cut him, and I did my best, but I guess his wound was still open…" Her eyes lingered over the gash on Honoka's stomach, then they rose to meet Honoka's red ones. Her knuckles tightened. "But that does not explain how you got injured."

Honoka flinched for the first time under Magne's venomous stare, but she trudged on.

"I tried to save her, Magne."

Her simple, remorseful response befuddled and disarmed Magne once again.

"Charon, where are you going with this?"

"They were on the second floor, trying to break a window in order to escape. I confronted them, but Himiko got in the way when I tried to recapture Izuku. The building could come crashing down at any moment, but no matter what I told her, she refused to leave his side and come with me."

"What did you do?" Magne asked, haunted and hurt and furious in equal measure.

A bloodied hand went up to dry her cheek; a slow, deliberate motion that made it look like Honoka was doing her best to stay up and conscious, and which inadvertently painted her face red.

"I"m not proud of it, but… I ended up attacking Himiko. Not to hurt her!" she pointed out in a hurry before Magne could lunge at her, "I only did it to get her out of the way. I was so distraught that after everything that we went through she still wanted to help that boy…" She was getting smaller and her voice weaker. "I thought that killing him would be my way to help her, you know?"

"Why?"

"You know Medea's tale?" Magne nodded in confirmation. "Then that's why."

Magne shook her head, not willing to believe in the notion that Izuku could betray Himiko like Jason did to Medea. Regardless, she could understand why Honoka saw similarities.

"And then?" she inquired, doubt still lingering in her lips.

"Himiko stabbed me to protect him. I was astonished, and fuming, but one look at her and I could tell that she didn't mean to kill me. And then those explosives went off, and… I saw a part of the ceiling get dislodged and fall right on top of her and the boy. It was too fast and there was nothing I could do. Not even Kurogiri had a chance to do anything."

"No…"

"I didn't want to lose her!… And I did anyway."

As if she couldn't hold back a moment longer, Honoka broke down at that instant, crying copiously, shoulders shaking in grief.

Searching for confirmation, Magne turned her head to look at Kurogiri desperately, her panicked eyes begging him to deny it. She held on to a smidge of faith, hoping against hope that it was a fabrication or that, perhaps, Honoka didn't see the whole thing.

For the first time in a long while, Kurogiri was thankful that his complexion made it difficult to read his expression – most of the time – otherwise Magne would be staring at a flabbergasted face of someone who was completely floored by Honoka's sheer audacity to spin such a ridiculous sotry mere minutes after it all went down.

But he would never dare disprove her. Preventing any conflicts from arising between the Villains that would assist his Master being but one of his many duties, he surmised that the actual truth of Himiko and Honoka's confrontation would jeopardize their relationship. As so, to disguise his bewilderment, he coughed on a closed fist and bowed again to Magne, and decided to play Honoka's little game.

Plus, he was sure that his Master would find it amusing.

"I'm afraid it is the truth. By the time I located both Charon and Toga, the structure was already crumbling. And even though I witnessed Charon being stabbed, I would've taken Toga in anyway, but before I could, I saw a slab drop over her." After a short pause, he added, sounding regretful, "I'm terribly sorry. If only I had acted sooner…"

Magne was breathless and looked like she had been impaled through the chest, and Honoka was still crying. Samehada lowered his head in distress. His anatomy was not built for such, but he knew he would be shedding some tears himself if he had the capability to.

"I can't believe the kiddo's gone," Samehada lamented, leaning back, one of his massive hands crushing the metal bucket in anguish. "I'm gonna miss her…"

"Oh, Himiko, I told you that kid was dangerous," Magne whispered, too low even for Honoka to hear.

Honoka felt her legs giving in and she tripped forwards, but Magne was quick to react and broke her fall. Looking up, Honoka was met with kind and understanding eyes, a far cry from the rage from but a minute prior.

"Thank you, Magne," Honoka said, smiling at the woman who was holding her, and helped her sit on one of the stools. "Remind me to buy you a new pair of glasses, honey."

Magne didn't deny or acknowledge Honoka's offer. After a quick check to make sure Honoka was secured and stable on top of the stool, Magne let go of her, and dragged her feet towards the exit, to clear her head with a walk. Twilight was nearing, the time in which the boundary between the real and the supernatural ceased to exist, so perhaps she would get lucky and have the opportunity to properly say her goodbyes to Himiko.

However, Kurogiri was faster and blocked her way. Her reddened, puffy eyes glared at him. Unperturbed, and in the gentlest voice he could muster, he pointed in the opposite direction.

"We have individual accommodations in the back, and one has already been set up especially for you. Of course, we'll give you as much time as you need to mourn, but I ask you to not leave right now, as it's too risky. Heroes and police abound, and you have a hefty bounty on your head."

It took a long, tense moment, but finding him to be unrelenting, Magne wordlessly turned around and followed Kurogiri's directions, too tired and out of it to press the issue. Samehada made to go after her, and he picked up Sakyou's body beforehand, placing it over his shoulder.

"Like I mentioned earlier, there's an infirmary in the back as well, King Shark. Butcher could use the rest."

Samehada gave a thumbs up to Kurogiri and closed the door behind him. With only Kurogiri and herself left at the bar, Honoka stopped whimpering. Groaning, she took a napkin from a nearby holder to clean her nose and face, then rapped her fingers over the stonetop counter to grab the nomu's attention.

"Whip me up a moscow mule, Kuro-chan," she requested in a sweet voice, smiling politely.

He huffed. "You know I'm not actually a bartender?" he complained, not addressing the sudden change in humor.

"Then why did you serve both Magne and Samehada?"

His eyes squinted in annoyance, but he simply shook his head, letting go before an argument could brew. He had to clean the floor again, and couldn't waste time with trivialities. Still, since he knew Honoka to whine when she didn't get what she wanted, he opted to honor her request first.

"Should you be drinking with that injury?" he asked as he moved back to his original position, behind the counter, to gather the ingredients.

"My quirk did most of the work already. It's only hurting like a bitch, something the alcohol is meant to help. And who are you anyway, my father?"

Booming laughter came from their left. Turning her neck to the side, Honoka realized that it was coming from what was either a TV or a computer monitor, blocky letters spelling "SOUND ONLY" on its screen. She looked inquisitively at Kurogiri.

"Is the TV laughing at us?"

"Not at you, Ms. Charon, but at your theatrics. I find your demeanor exquisite," spoke a male voice in a charming tone.

"And who the hell are you supposed to be?"

"You will address the Master with respect," Kurogiri warned, the purple smoke flaring violently around his eyes.

"Settle down, Kurogiri. There is no need to fret. We haven't been properly introduced, after all." Kurogiri huffed, but backed off, and resumed the cocktail's preparation. "I am your actual employer, so to say, Ms. Charon. You may refer to me as 'Master' or 'Sensei', whichever you prefer."

"I hate both options," she muttered, sticking her tongue out. Kurogiri glared at her. "And I thought that Giran was my boss?"

All For One chortled at her antics, and ignored her disgust at his aliases.

"As you know, Giran's merely an intermediary. No matter, that's not relevant at present. I have to ask, for I am curious, but why did you lie about the events concerning Himiko Toga's tragic destiny?"

"Wait, how do you know that?"

"Cameras, naturally," All For One replied, mirth evident in his voice.

"Naturally... So you did see me plunging the knife, huh, Kuro-chan? I thought you were only going through the motions?" she asked coyly, side eyeing him.

"You insult my intelligence and my acting skills," he replied pompously as he squeezed a lime.

She shrugged and diverted her attention back to the weird monitor.

"Well, not a lie, exactly. More like… hiding the whole truth."

"You can argue semantics all you want, the result's the same."

"Oh yeah? Well… I did it because I know how important she is to Magne. And, if this team we're a part of is to work together, she can't be made aware of what I did to her precious Himiko. She has to believe it was an accident, and that Himiko decided by herself to sever ties before ending up like that."

"Ah, so all for team cohesion, you say?"

"Pretty much. I like those guys, and I couldn't let Himiko tear us apart."

"Sound logic at work for a noble goal, if nothing else. Although, I believe a name such as 'Apate' would be more fitting given your treacherous act, wouldn't you agree?" All For One asked teasingly.

She showed a lopsided grin. "Just Charon is fine. I chose it, and I prefer the image of an envoy of death."

"Fair enough. Speaking of, how can you be so sure that Toga has passed? We never verified it, and Kurogiri merely followed your lead."

"She was stabbed in the lower back and a six-story building crushed her. How could anyone survive that?"

"You'd be surprised by the sort of injuries one can pull through, Ms. Charon. Anyway, your assumption is sound, for now. Still, regarding Toga, I would expect you to actually feel something, considering that you two are so similar to one another."

She took a moment to reflect, and scratched the back of her head in dissatisfaction at the truth. "I do wish that it could be different… But in the end, she made her choice, and she tried to kill me. I simply returned the favor."

"Yes, yes, all's fair in love and war, so it is said. In any case, I'm impressed by your efforts, and convinced more than ever that you'll be a most valuable ally to our… humble organization."

Kurogiri placed a copper mug in front of Honoka, and she took a swig of her drink before nodding at the screen, raising the mug in salute. "I appreciate the flattery. But really, I wanted to be in a place where I could take the heroes down a peg or two. Though with today's results…"

All For One chortled once more. "All in due time, my dear. All in due time."

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-/ - \-

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Night falls. A tiny speck of oranges, yellows and reds endures and colors the sky, near the horizon. Clouds abound, and yet the full moon is allowed to shine in all its glory, unimpeded. Yet, a certain green-haired teenager couldn't care less about the beauty of space, and of sunset.

His head was hanging low, eyes directed at the asphalt below his shoes. Staring at nothing. Unfocused. Unresponsive to the world around him. Nearly catatonic.

Where was he again?

He scrambled his mind for memories, to remember, because he felt like he was forgetting something or someone incredibly important; who or which came to mean so much to him in such a short span of time, as to be almost illogical. Then again, sufficiently intense emotions rarely make sense to a sane mind in the first place.

What had just happened?

The smell of cement, or perhaps concrete, mixed with blood and medicine filled his nostrils, tugging at his brain. He had been inside someplace, right?

"I'm telling you, he needs to be taken to a hospital at once! Actually, he should've been sent to one well over an hour ago! Not only was he drugged, but he lost a considerable amount of blood. We must keep him under observation to make sure there won't be sequelae!"

Shouta Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose, the makings of a migraine banging away at the base of his skull enthusiastically. He turned to the agitated paramedic for the third time in the past fifteen minutes with the strongest glare he could conjure.

"He was administered emergency care already, and you yourself said then that his vitals are stable and that he didn't seem to be experiencing any after-effects. In the absence of his mother, I, as a licensed Pro Hero, am to act as his temporary legal guardian. He refuses to leave before we find any signs of the girl and I won't go against his wishes."

'The… girl?' Izuku idly wondered.

"He's been dazed for a while now. He needs to be properly checked!" To make her point, the paramedic flashed a small light over Izuku's face several times, provoking just the smallest of reactions on the teenager. "You see? He's not even responding to external stimuli anymore!"

"He just blinked at you flashing that thing on his face."

"Sure, but–"

"And what do you expect, after such a traumatic event? Considering what I'm sure we both have seen in our lines of work, this kind of numb state is normal. And while he was being treated, he demanded to stay. So, the kid stays as long as he is healthy to do so, and you assured me he is."

"But…!" the woman tried to argue.

A massive hand softly landed on her right shoulder, and looking back, the paramedic was stunned to find the one and only All Might peering down at her. Not in an intimidatory manner, but rather an apologetic one, his furrowed brows pleading at her to drop the argument.

"I understand and appreciate your concern, and that Young Midoriya needs medical attention. But for now, he is okay, isn't he?" The woman nodded slowly, more out of peer pressure from the Symbol of Peace leaning over her than anything else. "So let him stay for a bit longer. He has been through enough, and doesn't need a bunch of adults arguing in his ear, correct?"

"Let it go, Kurosawa. If All Might says it's okay, then it's fine," her coworker called from the back of the parked ambulance.

'Toshinori is here?' Izuku thought.

Mentally shrugging, but still peeved, Kurosawa excused herself and stormed towards the vehicle, stationed in between several other cars belonging to Naruhata's Police and Fire Departments. Detectives Niijima and Tsukauchi could be seen discussing something with the Naruhata Police Chief. A dump truck, filled to the brim, was leaving the scene at the same time that a new, empty one, arrived.

The building where Izuku had been held as a hostage had come crashing down over an hour and a half beforehand, and the search and rescue teams were hands and knees deep at work removing tons of debris from the place while looking for Himiko. Luckily for them, they had extremely qualified and capable help.

Being on the onset of the disaster, All Might was responsible for breaking down, removing and bringing the largest and heaviest blocks of concrete and torn steel to the waiting trucks. And he was not the lone hero, since a quick call from Shouta to Nezu to report the incident had the principal reveal that his faculty colleague Anan Kurose, the Pro Hero Thirteen, was in the vicinity, and coincidentally on the same route that Tsukauchi and Niijima took to get to Naruhata.

'Too convenient, so he somehow knew that Kurose would be helpful and must have sent her this way on some errand…' Shouta thought at the time, slightly creeped out by the principal's nearly supernatural clairvoyance.

Whatever the case, once asked, Thirteen didn't hesitate to offer them her assistance, and meeting up with the detectives, she was one of the first people to arrive and get started with the clean up. With the aid of her quirk, Black Hole, Thirteen and All Might had been making waves at clearing the rubble and it was only a matter of time till they found any signs of the ashen-blonde girl.

"I'm sorry, and I promise that as soon as we're done here, Young Midoriya will be taken to specialized care!" All Might said to the paramedic's retreating figure. Sighing, he turned to Shouta. "Is everything okay?"

"Back already? Shouldn't you be helping with the rescue?" Shouta cut him off, exasperated.

"I wanted to check on Young Midoriya, and I saw you arguing with that paramedic." All Might spoke in a tone that left no room for counters. "You were taking that a bit too personally, Eraserhead."

Shouta scratched his chin, inpatient and frustrated. "I know, it's just… being here and seeing that thing fall brought back some memories. It's hard to detach myself from what Midoriya is probably feeling, because I was in his exact shoes once. I get that it's unprofessional, but…"

"Don't worry, I can sympathize… I just hope that Young Toga somehow made it."

"All we have is hope right now… which isn't all that comforting."

'To… ga…?'

The sensation of wetness on the hands over his lap was like a wake up call to him. He hurriedly inspected his injured left hand, but the new curative that enveloped it was clean, with no indication of any further bleeding. So his hands went up to his face to investigate the source of moisture, and he discovered that his cheeks were wet, and that his eyes were stinging.

'Oh, so I'm crying…'

It then hit him. Images in quick succession, almost like a film reel, flashed before his vision, all the way from him and Himiko climbing the stairs and getting cornered in that office room, to him suddenly being pulled away, and then being forced to leave… her… behind…

"Why?"

The Heroes glanced at each other for a second, wondering if they had imagined a pained cry. The following groans of despair pulled their attention to the sitting, inconsolable Izuku. All Might, without hesitation, kneeled before him, and he tentatively placed a hand on his student's shoulder, but Izuku brushed him off, breaking the Hero's heart.

"Why did you abandon her?"

The resentment emanating from Izuku was like kryptonite to All Might, so when he started stuttering, unable to formulate a response quickly enough, Shouta decided that he should intervene.

"Because I had to make a choice. She was trapped, and there wasn't enough time to get her out."

"Why not?" Izuku asked, then pointedly stared daggers at All Might, "If not you, what about him? He was here, wasn't he? Or are you telling me that the no. 1 Hero couldn't do anything?!"

"Young Midoriya, I…" All Might started, then drifted off, yet not knowing where to begin.

"What use is all that power if you couldn't save her!?" Izuku screamed, staring at his lap.

It was Shouta's turn to stand in front of Izuku, beside All Might, in a show of support. The pain in the kid's voice was much too palpable, and it wasn't the moment for a stern talking down in any event.

"You obviously don't know, since you were upstairs the whole time, but All Might is the only reason why we were able to get to you in the first place," Shouta said plainly, objectively.

Izuku raised his eyes to meet Shouta's, still irate, but the surprise demonstrated that he was willing to listen. "... What do you mean?"

"Those explosions you surely heard and felt, they were aimed at knocking the building down. If not for All Might being there and using his own body as a literal pillar to keep it standing as steady as possible, we would've never reached you in time."

Shaken and unsure on what to think or feel, Izuku glanced at All Might. "Is that true?"

All Might let his head droop a bit. "It is, Young Midoriya. Perhaps there was a short window where I could have rescued the two of you, but I thought that the odds of success would be higher if I bought as much time as I possibly could. All so Eraserhead and that other Hero could look for you in my stead."

"What he means is that he had a split second to choose, Midoriya-kun. And with my experience as a hero I can tell you, without a shadow of a doubt, that All Might took the wisest, safest course of action. If not for what he did, at this very moment not only Toga, but you yourself would be stuck under there."

"And because I was saved, you're saying that it was worth it to leave her for dead?" Izuku asked, sounding offended.

Sighing and scratching the back of his head, Shouta glanced up at the night sky, more to stall than to search for an answer. He peeked at All Might, who seemed to be reeling from the weight of the world bearing over his massive shoulders.

'Well, time to be the asshole,' Shouta thought. He met Izuku's eyes, and didn't back away or avert his gaze as he replied, "Yes, saving your life was our top priority, so it was worth it."

Izuku's glower got even deeper than before. "Is a hero supposed to admit something like that?"

Panicked, All Might got up abruptly to argue with Shouta, his hands moving wildly as he tried to placate the situation.

"Eraser! There's no need to speak to him like that!" He turned to Izuku and bowed profusely. "Please, Young Midoriya, don't take what he said to heart! Of course that we would have preferred to have saved Young Toga just as well–"

He was silenced by a pat on his shoulder. Glancing at Shouta, All Might saw the man lower his chin slightly and motion with his hand for him to simmer down. Shouta was asking for a vote of confidence and, pondering that he was a heroics teacher already, All Might figured that the request was warranted. He took a step back, getting out of the way.

"Midoriya-kun, from what I've read about you, your dream is to become a Professional Hero. Correct?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"You think a hero is an all powerful entity that can do anything and everything?"

"He's All Might, the Symbol of Peace! He's supposed to protect and save everyone!"

"And as powerful as he is, All Might is still only one person, who can't be at two places at the same time. Either he stood there to hold the building, or the attempt at a rescue wouldn't even have been possible."

"But…! He…!" Izuku stared at All Might, more frustrated now than mad. "All those times when you saved ten, a hundred, a thousand people in minutes! Why now couldn't you...?"

Understanding Shouta's angle, Toshinori now felt confident enough to assist his colleague.

"And what of the others who were in danger in places that I could never know or reach in time, because I was already busy trying to save people from a villain or a natural disaster?" All Might interjected, taking a step forward again, his face grave. "He is right, Midoriya-kun. As much as I hate to admit it, even I cannot be there for every person in need. It is a fact of life, that is as painful as it is real."

"As a Hero, you'll have to learn that at times you'll be forced to make hard choices, the ones you wished you never had to even consider," Shouta added, wearing a weary smile, "I understand what you must be feeling, and I apologize for being unable to help Toga. If you must be mad at someone, let it be at me, for not having a quirk suitable for the situation."

"Now, now, that's not fair to you, Eraser!"

"Maybe," Shouta said, shrugging, "It doesn't change the fact I was powerless to save someone who was within my reach."

The two heroes talked amongst each other for a bit, All Might trying to console Eraserhead, while the latter rejected the attempts; Shouta was actually getting irritated at All Might's earnestness. It never brewed into an argument, though, as they both settled down once they noticed that Izuku hadn't said anything more, and that the teenager was pensive.

After a few moments, Izuku looked up at All Might, and he could discern immediately the strain that he hero was putting himself through, which went invisible to everyone else, since he was one of the few people who knew just how much effort it took for Toshinori to maintain that form.

To his side, Eraserhead was also transparently exhausted, and his eyes clearly communicated a deep sadness. Izuku couldn't be sure what that signified, but perhaps it expressed that the underground Hero had been sincere when he said that he had to make a tough call, and that he wasn't happy about it.

"So," Izuku finally said, "you're telling me that there was no way to rescue us both?"

"No, not as things stood," Shouta confirmed.

"And when you said that it was worth it, it didn't mean that you were ok with it?"

"No, it didn't. I just needed to take the fact that we could get you out as a small blessing; as compensation for having failed to get to her as well. That's another thing: either you try to glean something positive out of a terrible situation, or you'll crumble and give up on a heroic career very early on."

'So, in the end, I just slowed her down, huh?' Izuku sourly concluded.

To Shouta and All Might's welcome surprise, Izuku seemed to have accepted their explanation by the way his eyebrows lightly unfurrowed. But then another shadow came over his features that set them on edge.

"Then you shouldn't have bothered," Izuku mumbled, devastated.

The heroes glanced worriedly at each other.

"What are you saying, Midoriya-kun?" Shouta asked, perturbed.

New tears came forth, and Izuku had trouble keeping them at bay. "It's my fault that she got trapped. If I weren't so useless, I could have protected her and myself. Maybe we could have escaped earlier." He looked up at Shouta, wearing a gut-wrenching frown. "I don't deserve to be here. I should have stayed under there, with her."

"Young Midoriya!" All Might uttered automatically, distraught.

Sensing their breath being stolen away, Shouta and Toshinori had trouble thinking on what to do for a while. That surging feeling of uselessness, of worthlessness, they were something the two of them, in their own way, knew intimately. Yet All Might reached a resolution faster, as hearing the description of what transpired from Eraserhead was like seeing a reflection of his own past.

This time, it was his turn to ask for permission to handle it, and he tapped Shouta's back to get his attention. Getting the picture quickly with a quick read of All Might's expression, Shouta placed his hands inside his pockets and nodded.

All Might inhaled and exhaled deeply to stay his nerves.

"Izuku," All Might said commandingly, and being called by his first name in public like that, Izuku answered it by not running from his gaze, "why did Young Toga protect you from that Villainess?"

Izuku's eyebrows furrowed, as if he seemed confused by the question. "Because, despite everything, she still likes me."

"And do you like her back?"

Izuku glared at him as if Toshinori was mocking him for asking the obvious. "Of course I like her!"

All Might chuckled, as that reaction was leagues better than if Izuku had kept sulking. "And remember that you said that you wanted to help her?"

"Obviously." His anger subdued a bit, as he became more contemplative. "Right when I thought that I could be there for her, this happens. I'm nothing compared to her."

"If it's true that you're nothing, do you think that Toga-san would nurture any feelings for you?"

That gave Izuku pause. His first instinct was to say that he didn't know, but thinking back to his interactions with Himiko, she saw in him something great, amazing that not even he was aware of, which was why she opened up to him, little by little, in spite of her intuition.

"I don't think so…?" Izuku replied, unsure.

All Might liked this reaction, and continued.

"Would you have gladly stayed behind, and watched as she was carried away to safety?"

"Yes."

"Then, I have only one more, very important question for you: do you believe that's what she would have wanted?"

It struck Izuku like a lightning bolt. Stuck deep down in his pit of self-doubt, he had failed to consider the possibility that someone would have laid their life in exchange for his. Maybe only his mom had ever crossed his mind, but then again mothers sacrificing themselves for their children was something that permeated society's collective consciousness since the dawn of time. So, to think that Himiko wanted to save him, even if she didn't make it…

Still, a piece of him was reluctant to agree. "But I promised her that I would never leave her! I broke that once, and then I did it again! I'm not worthy of any of this!" He was crying frustrated tears again. "She should be the one right here, right now, not me!"

"I believe only she can be the judge of that, Midoriya-kun." All Might kneeled before Izuku once again. His smile was sad, but warm, and his voice gentle.

"But I abandoned her?" came out his answer, more of a cry than a proper sentence.

All Might placed a hand over Izuku's right shoulder and squeezed slightly. Izuku did not brush him off.

"You didn't. Eraser told me that she was resigned to her fate." – 'No one should be that accepting of their own death that young,' he idly thought. – "From what I could gather, she was satisfied with having saved your life, so I can confidently say that she would've hated to see you like this, beating yourself up and wishing that you could've taken her place."

"So what?" Izuku challenged, angry, hurt and stubborn. "Should I just be okay with that? That I get to live after she gave up on her life?"

In response to Izuku's provocation, All Might bore a gentle grin. It had worked on him when it came to Nana, so knowing Izuku, it probably would be just as effective on the boy.

"No. You should revolt, and apply yourself, and swear that you won't let that happen ever again." He tapped Izuku on the shoulder. "Can you do that? For her?"

Izuku's eyes widened, but then his expression hardened, the boy finding his resolve, exactly like All Might wanted. "Yes, I can."

"That's my boy!"

Smiling widely, All Might ruffled his student's hair affectionately, and while Izuku's serious face didn't disappear, the slight upwards curve at the edges of his lips were more than enough evidence of his improved mood. After that, All Might, having spotted Thirteen signaling for him, apologized to Izuku and Shouta, and moved so fast that he practically teleported towards her. Only then did it dawn on Izuku that his idol was personally assisting with the search for Himiko, and his smile now had a hint of pride to it.

Having stood by, Shouta had pondered that it wasn't going to be as simple as All Might put it, since, for one, they had yet to rescue Himiko and, besides, her extensive criminal record didn't exactly paint a pretty, bright future. And still he didn't dare say anything that could spoil the heartfelt exchange, opting to merely chuckle sensibly at it.

It was shortly after that they heard shouting coming from the rescue team, as a few people were excitedly calling for the paramedics. Feeling his heart jumping and threatening to rip out of his ribcage, Izuku didn't even realize that he had started running in All Might's direction, Shouta walking briskly behind him. And then, All Might stopped frantically moving, and Izuku felt elation.

There, in the middle of everyone, the Hero stood, cradling in his arms the small, fragile body of one Himiko Toga. He held her delicately, making sure to not accidentally mess with the blade still stuck to her lower back.

"I found her!" All Might announced, voice heavy with emotion. A finger pressed itself against the side of her neck, and then it stopped momentarily below her nostrils. "She's… she's got a pulse!" he yelled triumphantly, "She's still breathing!"

---

...

---

He placed the styrofoam cup on the holder of the coffee machine for the third time. The contraption made several startling, gurgling noises, and less than thirty seconds later a new, fresh batch of black nectar filled the container. After getting very close to overusing his heroic form, Toshinori was exhausted, and needed the boost. He couldn't afford to sleep now while he waited for any news of Himiko's ongoing medical intervention.

Making his way back to the waiting area, Toshinori saw in a corner Naomasa and Shouta conversing with each other. In the middle of a line of seats, he found that Inko and Izuku had lost their personal battles with fatigue and were both sleeping soundly, yet Inko's hand was firmly attached to Izuku's.

Their reunion in the hospital's lounge, after Izuku had been cleared by a medic, had been a teary, but wholesome one, and Inko had refused to leave her son's side the whole time. Toshinori was still smiling hours later, and savouring every bit of appreciation Inko had sent to him for having upheld his promise of getting her son back to her.

Walking towards his protégé and his mother, Toshinori deposited his cup on top of a chair, then removed his jacket and delicately placed it over them like a blanket, as the air conditioning inside the hospital was unrelenting and he noticed that Inko had been shivering. She smiled in her sleep, and unconsciously leaned into the garment, while Izuku readjusted slightly on his seat, but didn't wake up.

He stood there for a bit, sipping from his coffee while intermittently switching his attention from the resting mother and son to a TV hanging from the ceiling, a late night news show displaying an aerial view of the demolished building, pretty much having been cleared up in record time due to his and Thirteen's swift intervention. He didn't know what the police had told the press to explain the events of the day, and frankly he wasn't interested in the slightest, being way far down in his current list of priorities.

Noticing movement out of the corner of his eye, Toshinori glanced in the direction where Naomasa and Shouta were to see that the detective was beckoning him their way. Downing the last of his hot beverage, Toshinori left the cup on top of a table, mindful of the possibility that he would probably use it again very soon, and joined the men in waiting.

"Hey, Yagi-san," Naomasa said in a low voice once Toshinori was within earshot, in an effort not to disturb Izuku or Inko, "There's a matter we have to discuss now."

"And what is it?" Toshinori asked rhetorically, fully aware of what it – probably – was.

"Just a second," Naomasa said while going over the annotations on his notepad. He scratched the top of his head with the pencil he held in a hand. "I just want to make sure, Aizawa-san, but that other man that aided you and All Might was neither another Hero, nor, perhaps, a Vigilante?"

Shouta sighed and looked away for a second. For all intents and purposes, he should have arrested Knuckleduster once dust settled, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. So, naturally, he let the man go, and told the detective a little lie.

"No. Like I said, he was a regular civilian who just happened upon the place by coincidence. And I didn't recruit him, he volunteered to help me find Midoriya-kun. Under the circumstances, I could not deny his assistance."

"Huh, weird. It's just that All Might's description of him matches with a known Vigilante who is at large in Naruhata ever since the Villain Factory first appeared; possibly earlier than that." Naomasa, suspicious, discreetly glanced at Toshinori, who sweatdropped and feigned not to know what topic they were discussing. "And you let him go instead of holding him for questioning?"

"That was my mistake. I was too preoccupied with keeping Midoriya-kun under control and failed to see that the man left without a word. The boy would have run back inside had I not done so," he said, trying his best at appearing sincere.

Naomasa sighed. "No problem. It's comforting to know that there are dedicated, courageous citizens such as that one," the detective concluded, dropping the subject to the heroes collective relief.

"Gentlemen, what did you call me here for?" Toshinori prompted, taking advantage of the lull in conversation.

"It's about what we're going to do with Himiko Toga once she gets out of surgery," explained Naomasa.

"What? But why? She's in custody, so shouldn't the investigation into that place's connection to the Villain Factory take precedence?"

Naomasa groaned. "That disaster made it difficult to collect evidence. Niijima is devoted to finding anything of interest, but we shouldn't expect much that is worthwhile."

"If nothing else, we can be certain that there was something sinister at work there. Demolition charges were very obviously employed," said Shouta.

"Yes, all points to a third party that was watching from afar and were waiting for the best time to use their trump card. Just look at how those Villains conveniently vanished," pointed out Toshinori.

"Yeah, but they left Toga for dead. Why, when they could have taken her just as well, even if only to execute her for betraying them? If Midoriya-kun's testimony is to be trusted," said the detective matter-of-factly.

"Probably were certain that she'd die in the cave in," commented Shouta.

"Has he lied to you yet, Tsukauchi-kun?" asked Toshinori a bit forcefully, feeling offended on his student's behalf.

'Once, when he wanted to protect your secret identity, Toshinori,' Naomasa thought, but didn't vocalize, knowing better.

"No," he replied to Toshinori, "And if anything, it aligns with Aizawa-san's recollection of his rescue, on how she seemed at peace. I don't know, given her history, a part of me finds it difficult to give Toga the benefit of the doubt. At any rate, this brings us back to what we should do to her."

"Can't we leave that for later?" said Toshinori tiredly, "It's too soon and we've all been through much these past couple of days."

"I'm sorry, Yagi-san, but as soon as she's able to, protocol states that I'll have to interview her, and that a prosecutor comes to handle her case, which we can hardly be optimistic about. I can tell you ahead of time that the only reason why she won't be sent straight to Tartarus is because she's a minor."

"I was fearing that…" uttered Toshinori.

Naomasa also didn't sound happy in the slightest. "Yeah, well, we were about to discuss if there's anything we could do to assist Toga and, failing that, how to ease Midoriya-kun into the fact that she'll be gone anyway."

"Not that it matters to me, detective, but didn't you just say that you don't trust her change of heart? Why would you want to help her?" inquired an intrigued Shouta.

"This is probably going to sound silly… and embarrassing," Naomasa mumbled while rubbing his neck, "But, I kind of feel indebted to Midoriya-kun? I made his life so much harder when I shouldn't have. That, and he's so convinced of the possibility that she can be rehabilitated that I can't help but want to cheer for him. Well, for them, I guess."

Toshinori chuckled at his friend's bashfulness. "Midoriya-kun's energy is very contagious, isn't it?"

"It really is…"

"Not very consistent, eh, detective?" Shouta teased.

Naomasa dismissed the jab with a shake of his head.

"Sue me… Anyway," said the detective, getting serious again, "I'll have no choice but to perform my duty once it comes to it. However, if there's anything I could do to help either Midoriya-kun or Toga-san, do tell."

"That'll be an arduous endeavor," said Shouta, "Our current laws are very restrictive in regards to probation, and someone who's done the things she has will never qualify. Not even her expressing regret and the desire to make amends will carry any weight."

"We're in a bit of a tight spot indeed. I imagine that if All Might personally intervened, it could work?" suggested Toshinori.

"Nah, it's a terrible idea to stick his name to this. It would be a PR disaster if it ever got out that All Might of all people pulled some strings he definitely shouldn't have in favor of a serial killer."

"I guess that makes sense," mumbled a downtrodden Toshinori.

As Shouta got lost in thought, Naomasa took that as a cue to approach Toshinori and whisper to him, "Eraserhead does not know about you being All Might?"

"No," Toshinori whispered back, "I haven't been properly introduced to UA's staff just yet."

"Shouldn't you do it now?"

"I think that's too much information to process after a day like this one," Toshinori said while smiling nervously and motioning for Naomasa to take it easy with a hand.

Meanwhile, Shouta had reached something. 'Mic would definitely joke that I'm not being logical if he were here… good thing he isn't,' he thought idly, hiding a grin under his scarf.

"Erm, I don't really have any skin in the game, so Toga being sent to prison does not affect me, but… Having witnessed how in her last moments she didn't hold a grudge against me, and that she put his safety over her own…"

He trailed off, eyes distant, as if recalling something else.

"Those are not the actions of someone who will continue to hurt others if they're left free. Is that your point, Aizawa-san?" said Toshinori, completing Shouta's thought.

"Pretty much," Shouta complimented, having been broken out of his stupor.

"This is all well and good," Naomasa said, "but you just said, and I agree, that her being regretful and self-sacrificial won't be of influence to a public prosecutor or a judge."

"So, can't remember all the details, but Nezu might have a plan brewing that addresses that." Shouta sighed, remembering just how tiring having an overly enthusiastic, oversized mouse-bear-dog thing talk his ear off had been. "He bothered me for a whole day. Couldn't shut up, really, no matter how many times I told him that it was probably illegal."

"Nezu? UA's principal?" Naomasa asked, sounding skeptical.

"The one and only."

Before the detective could proceed with questioning how Nezu fit into their situation, their conversation was silenced by a medic that abruptly pushed open the set of double doors on the other end of the lounge. He was wearing scrubs, complete with a hair cap and a mask over his mouth. Upon spotting the group, he walked rapidly in their direction.

"I imagine that you're the ones waiting for Himiko Toga?"

"Yes," Toshinori replied, apprehensive.

"Well, I'll just get straight to the point: the surgery was a success."

All three men let out the breath they were holding. A sonorous sniff alerted them of Izuku's presence. He had woken up almost by instinct, the very moment the doctor had arrived, and was standing right beside Toshinori. Inko was still asleep.

"She's okay?" Izuku asked, wanting to make sure, tears freely falling.

"Yes," the doctor replied, looking pointedly at Izuku, "We managed to extract the blade and seal the wound without much issue. And, other than the stabbing, she didn't suffer any major injuries."

"This is excellent news!" Toshinori said, enveloping Izuku in a side hug, which the boy reciprocated.

"It is. And it's practically a miracle that she only had a few cuts and lacerations here and there. I was told that her legs were trapped under an enormous chunk of concrete?"

"It was the reason why we couldn't free her," Shouta answered.

"Not sure how, but there were no fractures of any kind. She only sustained some bruises in the spots where the heavy weight applied pressure on her skin."

"When All Might discovered her, he did say that it was like she had a guardian angel watching over her. Two large pieces of the ceiling and a wooden table formed a sort of protective shield all around her," commented Toshinori, smiling at the recollection.

"Like I said: a miracle. It simply wasn't that girl's turn to leave this world, it seems."

Scrambling from under Toshinori's arms, Izuku jumped in front of the doctor. He dried his face with a sleeve, and when he was done, his eyes glinted in excitement.

"Can I see her?"

It was then that the doctor seemed uncomfortable for the first time since arriving, making a shiver go up Izuku's spine.

"Well, yes, you can see her, but I don't think she'll be able to talk."

"Why?"

"Look, boy, we don't know why, but she hasn't woken up yet."

"What?" Izuku muttered meekly.

The doctor sighed.

"The anesthesia wore off an hour ago and she hasn't shown any signs of regaining consciousness. I would have come to give you the news sooner, if not for the fact that we were trying our damnedest to wake her up. None of the drugs administered brought her back, so we surmised that the cause isn't physical."

"You're telling us that she's in a coma?" Naomasa asked.

"It's too early to tell for certain, but it's a possibility. She didn't suffer any cranial trauma, and yet..."

"But, why?" Izuku questioned, absolutly floored.

"I'll be honest: there's still much that medical science does not know about psychogenic comas. It's understandable when a comatose state is brought about because of illness, or a stroke, or a particularly hard hit to the head. But when it's psychological, the reason why is difficult to pinpoint and treat accordingly."

"So, due to psychological trauma, not physical, that she must've gone through, her brain decided to shut down to protect itself?" said Toshinori, moving a hand over his hair in frustration.

"It's not a satisfying answer, I'm sure, but… Yes, that's a likely scenario."

"But for how long will it last?" Izuku asked in a bid to placate his racing heart.

"Hours, a day or two. Maybe even weeks, or months. I'm sorry, truly, but there is no possible way to predict."

Izuku felt short of breath, and like a void had spawned inside his chest, but too much had come past for him to give up now. Tightening his fists into knuckles he asked, determined, through gritted teeth, "Is there anything I can do?"

The doctor removed his mask and scratched his chin in thought. He snapped his fingers a couple of seconds later.

"Huh, as a matter of fact, there is. The best thing one can do to support someone in such a delicate condition is to talk."

"Talk?"

"Yeah, speak to her, as if she's awake. Tell her about your day, tell her stories… Oh! Brush her hair, do her nails, what have you. It's not hard science, per se, but clinical trials and studies have historically shown that these actions can propel the comatose patient to recover faster."

"Then I'll come here everyday, till she returns to us," said a resolute Izuku.

"Hmm, that's commendable, but it would be too much work, coming to Naruhata with such frequency," said Toshinori, mulling over what was said and searching for feasible alternatives.

"I won't ignore her!"

"I never said that, Young Midoriya." Then, Toshinori addressed the medic, "Is it possible to transfer her?"

The doctor nodded. "Well, right now we're closely monitoring her, in case she develops any sort of post op complications. But once this period ends, and she's still comatose as she's discharged from the ICU, I see no reason why not."

A light bulb lit up above Toshinori's head. He inspected a sleeping Inko for an instant, smiling slightly, then looked at an expectant Izuku, who was absorbing every word from the doctor eagerly.

'She's a nurse, huh?' – "Say, doctor…?"

"Oh, right," he replied after staring confusedly at Toshinori for a moment, realizing he had never introduced himself, "My name is Kenzo Isha."

"So, Dr. Isha. Is keeping Young Toga in a hospital absolutely necessary?"

"Um, no, I suppose. She does not need ventilators to breathe. Other than being kept fed and hydrated intravenously, and having her hygiene being taken care of, there's no need for her to stay in a medical facility. In essence, as long as she receives the proper care, she can be taken home."

"What are you planning, Yagi-san?" asked Naomasa, who had exchanged suspicious glances with both Izuku and Shouta.

"I just think that Young Midoriya shouldn't have to make a trip to the hospital every day to see her, that's all," Toshinori replied, bearing a knowing smirk and an excited shine to his eyes.

.

.

.

"That is absurd, probably naive, likely immoral, and definitely dangerous, Yagi-san," Naomasa said sternly with a scowl.

"Aizawa-san can vouch for Young Toga no longer being a threat, can't he?"

Toshinori pointed at Shouta, who shrugged before nodding affirmatively.

"Even still, that's a terrible idea! And a single interaction which took place under extreme stress, might I add, isn't enough evidence of that!"

"C'mon, Tsukauchi-kun! Izuku here can back it up just as much, and he has agreed to it!"

Toshinori pointed to Izuku, who held a determined look.

"He's not exactly an unbiased bystander, and he's a minor! There's no precedent for something like this. A-and we haven't even asked his mother for permission."

This time, Toshinori smugly pointed behind Naomasa, and the detective twirled around and came face to face with none other than Inko Midoriya, somehow awake and already privy to their argument. She bore the same steadfast expression as her son.

"I accept. I'll have to make some arrangements at work, but if its for my son and Young Toga's sake. I'll do it."

"And I'll have a word with All Might, but I'm sure he won't be opposed if I decide to assist her. Oh, as long as you'll take me, Inko, of course."

"I would be delighted to have you by our side, Toshinori," Inko replied while blushing.

Izuku was a bit weirded out, but decided not to shine a light over whatever just passed between his mother and Toshinori.

"But, Midoriya-san, Toga can still be a threat to your safety!" he pleaded, appealing to her good judgement.

"I appreciate your concern, Tsukauchi-san, but I'll take my son's side. If he trusts Toga, so do I."

Izuku hugged his mom lovingly, and Inko and Toshinori grinned at each other. Shouta watched it all unfold amused.

On the other hand, Naomasa Tsukauchi found himself cornered, and incapable of formulating new retorts in his tired state. Hanging his head low, defeated, he walked over to the chair where he had left his trenchcoat to pick up his phone from one of the internal pockets.

"I'll update Midoriya's security detail on this disturbing development," he said, already nursing a headache. Good thing that he was in a hospital.

---

-\ - /-

---

Himiko woke up with a start, roused from a dreamless, restless sleep by the waning light of the late afternoon sun blanketing her face. She closed her eyes by reflex just as fast as she had opened them, as it had been a while since she last used them. She felt nauseous, sore, exhausted, sweaty and so, so very weak. At least there wasn't any pain other than the spot where she was stabbed.

'Wait, I'm… awake?'

Anxiety began bubbling up in the pit of her stomach, as her heart rate skyrocketed. This was completely wrong. She was supposed to be dead, so why in the world was she conscious?

Still not daring to open her eyes, now more out of fear than necessity, she explored her surroundings with small movements, discreetly. However, arms, fingers, legs, joints, and whatever else she tried to move answered back with an annoying sting, as if her muscles were drained after she had trained too hard the previous day and were now experiencing the after-effects, bothering her to no end. She found that she wasn't naked, at least, but the feel of the clothes on her skin didn't match her usual sweater, skirt, kneesocks combo, and seemed to actually be a one-piece type of clothing.

'What the fuck? Am I wearing a gown or something!?'

She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.

After fumbling around for a while, she finally noticed the comfortable sensation of a soft pillow and mattress below her, and not the cold, hard ground of some back alley that she would have expected. That, and a warm blanket covering her body. Too warm, in fact, as she willed her weakened arm muscles to force it off herself to achieve some sort of relief.

'I'm on a bed and with different clothes? What fucking sick joke is this?'

There was no way in the world that she had been rescued alongside the other villains; not after trying to murder Honoka, so she must be someplace else.

Now even more puzzled and weirded out than before and wanting to fully get her bearings, one hand moved to rub her temple, the other positioned to shield her eyes from the light, as she made one more attempt at keeping them open by blinking repeatedly. Eventually, her vision stopped wobbling and hurting, and decided to cooperate. She could finally decipher that she was staring at a white ceiling, and she soon realized with dread that she recognized it.

She had seen those hero related banners before, after all.

Scanning her whereabouts further to make sure that she wasn't hallucinating all of this in some kind of near-death related experience, she saw multiple All Might posters hanging on the walls. There were also shelves filled with All Might's and other heroes' action figures, a familiar rug on the floor and a wardrobe opposite to the bed, as well as a desk upon which several notebooks and a framed picture of a green-haired mother and son rested on.

"Okay, what the fuck is going on?" she wondered out loud, abject fear distinctly tinging her voice.

Her breathing was shallow and frantic and her mind went into overdrive as she tried to think of a reasonable explanation on how she had ended up in this place. Her last memory – or what she assumed to be the last – was of the retreating backs of two strange, adult men, carrying her Izuku to safety. After that, she had passed out, and died in peace, either of blood loss, crushed gruesomely, or both. Whatever it had been, she had decided it was a fitting end after the life she had led; probably much better and more dignified than she deserved, but she had felt content.

Then this, she concluded, just had to be her own personal hell. She had never been religious, but this simply had to be the tactic that the devil had decided was suitable to torture her: to torment her with reminders of a life she could never live, and of a person she could never be with.

What else could explain the fact that she was currently inside of Izuku's bedroom, laying upon his bed?

Any minute now the illusion would dissipate – she was certain –, and her torturers would reveal themselves, laughing mockingly for a brief while only to start poking her with pitchforks, or whatever it was that demons did to the souls of the damned. She felt like crying, and she retracted her arms to hug herself.

It was then that she was suddenly dragged from her nebulous brooding when she felt something rigid being pulled alongside her left arm, accompanied by her ears picking up on the sound of a drop falling into a pool of liquid, as well as a distinct beeping that fused with the background noise coming from beyond the window. Looking to her left, she saw that a heart monitor was connected to her chest, and that there was also an IV stand, holding a bag half-full with a transparent substance.

She first angrily pulled at the monitor's sensors, prompting the machine to screech and howl. Then, she followed the length tube with her eyes all the way from the top of the IV stand to see that it was latched to her arm, pumping liquid into her bloodstream, something she failed to notice earlier in her befuddled state.

She focused and stared at the tube coming out of her arm, unmoving, for all of five seconds, until she had fully processed the picture in front of her. She panicked.

The girl immediately went to remove the needle from her vein, her mind running wild with desperate thoughts. So their idea of punishment included drugging her as well? She succeeded, but her jerky movements knocked the stand off-balance, making it crash with a loud metallic "clang" on the wooden floor.

'What the fuck is going on!?' She repeated the question again and again and again, teary-eyed, feeling all at once irate, lost and sorrowful.

"Himiko?"

She scoffed out loud. So the devil would even go so far as to tease her by mimicking his voice? Well, she figured it made sense, as there was hardly a reason to take it easy on her. She would have laughed, had her throat not feel as rough and dry as sandpaper.

She heard the door on the far side of the room open, and nothing could have prepared her for whose presence was made known. In came a familiar gentle face with green mop for hair, his deep, bright emerald eyes highlighted by the timid rays of the sun.

"Izu… ku…?" was all an incredulous Himiko managed to utter.

His smile at hearing her voice and seeing her up was as beautiful as she remembered it being.

"Himiko! You're finally awake!"

The radiance of his happiness blinded her, and punched a stake through her heart.

At first relieved that she was alive, unlike the suggestion of the still wailing heart monitor, the shine of his expression then turned momentarily to apprehension, as he took in the fact that she had removed her IV and that it had fallen over. In the blink of an eye, he was by Himiko's side, setting the equipment keeping her alive upright again while making sure nothing had leaked. When he found that it wasn't broken nor torn anywhere, he then allowed himself to take the monitor's plug off the outlet by his desk to render it mute. He sighed in relief.

"You probably knocked all of this off by accident when you woke up, right?" he said, trying to make small talk.

He then gently grabbed Himiko's hand and took the needle she hadn't even noticed she was still holding. As he moved his calloused fingers up her arm, feeling her skin trying to locate a vein to stick it through, Himiko, who had watched everything so far completely silent, found her voice once more.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Giving you a saline solution."

"Why?"

This time, unfiltered rage and anguish was clear in her voice. Though, unbeknownst to him, it was directed at herself. Izuku, bewildered, stopped what he was doing to look at Himiko.

"Because I don't want you to die of dehydration…?" he questioned-answered, unsure of what she was on about.

She shook her head violently, and pulled her arm away from him, grabbing on to her hair for dear life.

"No, this isn't real!"

That caught Izuku off guard. "Himiko, what are you saying?"

He reached for her hand, but she swatted it away.

"Leave now!" she yelled with her eyes forcibly shut, "I'm dead and you're not here!"

His voice trembled. "But you're not dead! Or dying!"

"No… No!"

Yet shaking violently, Himiko abruptly got up and hopped off the bed, making Izuku yelp in shock. She immediately lost her balance and fell to her hands and knees, as a combination of wobbly legs, dizziness and pain in her lower back made it too hard to soften the impact and land correctly.

"Himiko!"

Worried beyond belief, Izuku let go of the needle and jumped after her. He tried pulling her by the waist before she could hurt herself any further, but Himiko wanted off his grip.

She scratched one of his arms. He groaned at the pain, but did not let go. He successfully managed to make her sit upright by pulling her by the shoulders, as in her struggle he was afraid that she would bump her head on the floor.

She was fighting as much as she could. Having swirled around in his grip, she was now pushing him away, both her hands on his chest.

"Let me go!"

"Himiko, please, listen to me."

"No, let me go! You're not Izuku!"

"I promise you that it's me, Himiko!"

Next, he hugged her, chest to chest, and that's when Himiko nearly lost her mind. She began to strike his shoulders and back with clenched fists as hard as she could in an attempt to break them up, but Izuku never let go. She squirmed and thrashed and struggled under his hold, but he patiently waited for her fit of frenzied despair to run its course.

After a minute or so her arms had grown too tired and she gave up. Almost by instinct, she clung to his shirt and started weeping on his shoulder. And, without any hurry, Izuku held her for as long as she would allow him, running circles around her back with one hand while the other softly caressed her long, slightly disheveled hair.

By the time Himiko had calmed down enough to talk normally, the sun had stopped blasting the bedroom's window, the teenagers being enveloped by a comforting penumbra. Himiko had always felt more at ease in darker places, after all.

"This is all real, isn't it?" she said, sucking in a breath, "Somehow, I'm… still alive."

He pulled back a bit, so he could look into her gorgeous yellow eyes. To his disappointment, she refused to meet his gaze, as if she was ashamed to be in his presence. Even then, he managed to read the pain inscribed in them, as clear as water to him.

"I'm really here, and so are you. And to be honest, it kind of is amazing that you survived." He giggled, trying to lighten the mood, but Himiko wasn't receptive to it. Eyebrows furrowing, he continued, nonetheless, "That's what the doctor said, at least. All I know is that I was so, so happy, and… and relieved when they found you and you were still hanging in there. I… I could barely breathe."

She bit her lower lip and her head drooped. She tried to swallow the lump inside her throat, but she had never felt such an intense knot blocking the way as she did now. Those big, lovely hands on her hips weren't helping matters.

"Happy," she mumbled with some difficulty, "Happy. You were happy."

"Of course!"

She did not deserve it… never, not even in a million years.

She disentangled herself from Izuku's arms, and this time it felt wrong of him to fight it. She wasn't endangering herself, he pondered, so he didn't want to force her of anything.

She scooted away from him to a corner of the room, as far as she could, and hugged her knees and tried to make herself as small as possible, as if she wanted to shrink and disappear.

"Why are you helping me?"

As he had come to learn from multiple past interactions, when Himiko was this vulnerable Izuku had to be fully open and sincere in order to get through to her. How ironic that she had been the one to put a sizable dent in his inhibitions.

"Because I want to. Simple as," he said, holding nothing back. He had no reason to. He felt like he had lost too much time by being separated from her already.

She let out a humorless chuckle. It didn't stop sounding unbelievable.

"After everything I've done to others, to you… and you still want to save me," she said, hurting all over, though if the pain were physical or mental, she couldn't tell the difference.

He thought of reaching out, but hesitated. As resolute as he felt not even a minute beforehand, there was something so deeply, hauntingly cold beneath her voice that it made it hard for him to act. Or speak, for that matter. It was like Himiko had erected an icy wall in between them.

"Himiko, I…" he tried, forcing his own voice out.

"I'm a murderer, Izuku." She had intended to shout it, but it came out more like a whisper. Her throat raspy, her tongue dry, her lips a thin line. "I'm no better than a monster. So why, just why do you insist on me?"

She was now staring at Izuku, or rather, through him, as if she was reading his soul to try and truly understand just what was wrong with him. He shivered under her scrutiny, but braced himself to keep his head high. He wouldn't allow himself to falter.

"Himiko, you already know, but your past doesn't matter to me anymore." She groaned, but he insisted. "I didn't lie then, and I'm not now."

"Hah! That's easy for you to say. You don't have blood on your hands."

He trudged on, to get his point across. "And you protected me! Would a monster put their life on the line for someone else?"

She rolled her eyes. "After I kidnapped you! I wanted to kill you and take your blood, Izuku, and I damn well came so very near! What are you not getting?"

"What I'm not getting?!" Try as he might to prevent it, Izuku was starting to get frustrated. In a way, it was like they were arguing again in the dark room of that building. "Himiko, you're alive, and you're free from those villains! You have a second chance now to do better!"

She slammed a closed fist against the wall, glaring at him. The ice fortress was encroaching on her heart.

"I hurt and killed people just because I felt like doing it! What is even left here that's redeemable? Huh?! What's there to save?" she said, hitting her own chest, challenging him, daring him to prove her wrong.

"You regretted attacking me and came back to save me!" He was pointing in her face energetically. "The person who I fell for is not a monster!"

She nearly snarled under her breath, and rose to her feet. She approached Izuku and, bearing down at him, almost leering, she growled before speaking up again.

"So what that I regret it? I still did all those things! Nothing I ever do will erase them!"

Her fists were clenched so tight that her knuckles were white. Izuku knelt on the floor momentarily, looking up at her. His hands joined together for a moment, almost as if he was pleading at her, but then he got up as well, and now they were staring at each other, face to face.

He had to hold himself back not to take her hand, or caress her cheeks, wise to the fact that she most likely did not want any sort of contact.

"You can't change the past, but there's no reason to believe you can't make a better future," he said earnestly.

Her eyes saw red, as if the mere suggestion of her being capable of good disgusted her. They were bloodshot, and in the low light it looked like they were beginning to glow, more like a raging fire than the peaceful and warm sunshine Izuku loved.

"You should have let me die," she stated plainly.

Tears made their way to the corners of his eyes.

"You know I would never let that happen."

She sighed, and her eyes drooped. "I know. The selfless Izuku can't stay still when there's someone in need." She had a lopsided grin sitting on her lips. "The thing is, Izuku… I don't need you now."

"What… do you mean?" he asked, fearful of her answer.

"I may have wished to be with you, but the moment those heroes suddenly appeared to take you, I understood that I had accomplished probably the only good thing within my reach."

"Himiko, don't say that…" He didn't want to hear it. She had said it once before, and was about to say it again, and repetition hadn't made it any easier to take.

"Do you get it now? I accepted that I was to die. I wanted to."

He lost his train of thought at her admittance, as the freezing cold reached his own heart and snatched it in a fierce grip. She had been looking like a ghost for some time now, downtrodden and ever paler, and he hated every second that she remained as such.

He channeled that negative energy into newfound strength. He would get through to her, no matter what.

"But you shouldn't have, because it didn't have to end like that."

"And what am I to do? Keep going as the probable record keeper of underage killing? Oh yeah, the 'Teenage Murder Queen', that'd be a great title to hold."

He ignored her sarcasm, shaking his head stubbornly. "But you're wrong! I know you can be good, and can make a difference!"

Her self-restraint was waning, and agony increasing. Every moment arguing with Izuku was miserable, as she didn't want to be a burden on him anymore.

'I always knew in the back of my mind that it wouldn't work. At this point, all I ever did was make his life worse…'

She sent her darkest thoughts to the recesses of her mind, and focused back on Izuku. She had come to a decision, but had to entertain Izuku a bit longer. Which was why she rolled her eyes and asked:

"And how do you know that?"

If he noticed her inner conflicts, he didn't voice it.

"You saved my life, and… You stood up for me against Bakugou, and you supported me every time I needed it. You can be a good person, Himiko!"

"It's not like I turned into a saint. I only did all those things because of you. If it were someone else, well… They wouldn't have lived for long."

He hadn't finished. "And what about no longer being able to attack people for their blood? That little girl, during the festival. Remember her?"

She scrunched her face in astonishment, but then sighed, and looked away. "All that means is that I'm useless now. I'm not even fit to be a villain any longer."

"Why do you keep saying stuff like that? As if the rest of your life was set in stone the moment you chose to no longer hide your quirk?"

She scratched the back of her head, getting impatient. "Izuku, let's be realistic about my situation for once, please. "Even if it is true that I can become good–"

"You already are–"

"Let. Me. Finish. Please?" He zipped his mouth shut, allowing her to proceed. "Izuku, being honest, where is this going to take me? I don't have a fucking clue how or why I'm in your bedroom when I should be at a prison's hospital or whatever, but what I do know is that the millisecond the police's informed that I woke up, they're going to arrest me. Will you be okay with only seeing me behind bars?"

"No, but maybe we can find a way so that won't happen."

Her patience had been spent. She swiveled on her spot, showing him her back.

"And what is the path? Did you think about it?" she inquired, anger seeping into her tongue.

"I… I'm not sure. Detective Tsukauchi didn't say much to me. He only asked me to look after you while you were out."

"Hah, now that's funny! So you haven't the slightest idea, and the police didn't say a thing either."

Her tone was light-hearted, but there was a clear veneer of disdain below it. Now unsure what to do or say, Izuku kept staring at her back. Her shoulders were tense and trembling all at once. He couldn't think of anything else, having spent all his chips at this point.

After almost a whole minute of silence, Himiko seemed fed up with waiting. Groaning, she made for the door of Izuku's room, which he had left open.

"Himiko, where are you–...?"

Too late, as she had crossed the threshold and walked towards the entrance hall. She stared at the familiar hard oak door, then had second thoughts and turned around, walking to the conjoined kitchen and living room. It was likely that there was a policemen outside, and she didn't want to chance being arrested. She wouldn't go out like that.

"Himiko!" Izuku called from his doorway, but she passed by him without a second glance.

Muttering under his breath, he went after her, and located her in the kitchen, rummaging the drawers by the sink in search of something. Before he could ask her what she was doing or stop her in her tracks, he saw that she had grabbed a chef's knife.

"Himiko, what are you doing!?"

"Something I should've done a long time ago," she said idly as she closely inspected the blade and its edge. She grinned softly at finding out it was more than sharp enough for what she was about to do.

"Himiko… No," he pleaded, desperately.

"At first, it was to escape from my parents, but now… You won't have to worry about me being a nuisance ever again, Izuku. I won't bother you anymore, nor hold you back from your dream of being a hero."

He wanted to approach her, but didn't know how without prompting her to act. As he razed the archives of his mind in search of answers, he tried to buy time.

"You never bothered me! What are you saying?"

"Yes, I did."

"Please, Himiko, cut me, stab me, do whatever you want to me, but please, stop…" he begged, heart being torn in half.

She smiled warily at him. "Even now, you want to sacrifice yourself for my sake. I really never learned to deal with that." She giggled, and a sense that she would miss him dearly enveloped her.

"Himiko…"

The thought that she should not delay this crossed her mind, and so her grip on the handle tightened. She was certain that she had no other way out, after all.

"Thank you, Izuku," Himiko said, and then she pointed the knife to her neck. "Thank you for making me happy, if only for a short time."

She was still smiling as the edge of the knife touched her skin.

She closed her eyes.

Time stood still for a moment.

She pulled the knife back slightly, intending to then plunge it deep. Her hand descended–

"That's enough!"

Her smile faltered, and her actions were halted by the sheer pressure exerted by Izuku's shout. She reopened her eyes to see him scowling, angrier than she had ever seen him before. The drastic change to his demeanor was more than enough for her to have second thoughts about ending her life then and there.

At first, when he was imploring her to stop, it looked like he was having an internal battle of some sort. But now it was clear that a side had emerged victorious.

"Izuku…?"

"So me being selfless and wanting to help you is a problem for you, right? Then to hell with that! If that's what it takes for you to stay, this time I'm going to be selfish!"

Her eyebrows furrowed in consternation. "What are you–"

"You may say you don't need me, but guess what? I need you!"

Hearing that brought back that warmth inside her chest that she came to closely associate with him. But the cold, dark void was still there, the regret was still there, the pain of her whole existence was still there.

"Why?!" She tried challenging him, one last time. And he answered.

"I love you."

Three words. Eight letters. That was all it took for Himiko to forget momentarily where she was, and for her to loosen her grip on the knife, which dropped to the floor. When she regained her senses, she felt like screaming and smashing her head against the wardrobe and punching him senseless.

How dare he say something like that at a moment like this?!

"You can't be serious–"

"I love you."

"We don't even know each other for that long and–"

"I love you."

She was about to keep pushing back, but a glance told her that Izuku wouldn't back down. If his tiny smile and the reddeness of his face were any indication, he would declare his love for her each and every time, and for as long as it was necessary.

It was said so plainly, but with such confidence and sincerity, that try as she might, her subconscious could not bring itself to keep doubting it. Her thoughts of not being worthy and of ending her and his suffering forever felt hollow, and unconvincing… because she wanted that to be true. It rang now, loud and clear, how much she wanted that to be the truth, and for the world to be damned because she had to stop lying to herself, as she, too, needed him.

Their connection, which seemed irreparably severed, now felt as strong as ever, and Himiko could now easily imagine a red thread binding her to Izuku.

"I… I think I love you too," she mumbled, realizing that her vision was all blurry and her cheeks wet.

For once Izuku didn't have to walk towards Himiko. Instead, she ran to him, and hugged him with such ferocity that she practically tackled him to the ground. The fall hurt a bit, but he didn't care.

Himiko was safe in his arms.

After the initial bump, Izuku helped her up, because despite her shows of energy, Himiko was still much too fragile from being unconscious for an exceedingly long time. Picking up the knife from where it fell, he deposited it over the counter, and Himiko made no show of intending to go for it. Then, taking her by the hand, he walked to the couch, so they could enjoy the other's presence more comfortably.

Sometime later, the two of them were seated on the living room's couch. The TV was on, but it had become mere white noise, made to be ignored. A tub of tasty, salty popcorn sat on the coffee table, half-full.

Izuku and Himiko, however, were much more interested in each other's lips.

---

Notes: like I said in the beginning, this particular scene, where Izuku and Himiko reunite after a period of separation, was basically the second scene I ever thought of, and this whole fic was more or less an excuse so I could get here. And I'm so very glad that the time to publish this has come, and I'll hope you'll like it.

Himiko's behavior was very erratic, but I hope that I managed to convey how she got here. After deciding that she was not worthy of him, time and again she tried to cope with it or run from it, but either her attempts did not work (trying to kill him) or the universe conspired to keep them together (helping him escape, waking up in his bedroom). Himiko will be in a vulnerable state for a while still, but having her bond with Izuku fully rekindled, you guys and gals and non-binary pals can rest assured that her death wish will take a break.

Actually, both our protagonists need a break, I guess? Damn, I put them through so much hahaha

Anyways, as always, thank you for reading!

Oh yeah, just a small thing, but "Apate" is a minor character of the greek mythos, and she's the personification of deceit. And how and why no adult was present to intervene in IzuToga's reunion? Not all that important (in my opinion), but next chapter will briefly address this.

See you!