Binding the Galaxy Together

by AutoKnight01

A young survivor of Order 66 has crashed onto Earth completely by accident. Once she comes to she finds herself in the care of..a dragon and a rabbit? With little to no knowledge about what happened, a young Padawan now must struggle with fitting into an unknown society and dealing with the everyday life of U.A. High to try and be a hero. *StarWarsXover* *IzuOcha* *OCxOther later*

33. Chapter 33 - Traumatic

Hello everyone and thank you so much for tuning in again! Before we start off I'd just like to give a big thank you to all of you who have read, commented, and beta read this fic. It means a lot to me that this has been so well received on both and AO3. Between the two sites we currently sit at 300,000 hits and close to a thousand comments and reviews. Those numbers wouldn't be as high as they are without all of you so from the bottom of my heart, thank you all for sticking with me for this long! Hope you all continue to do so as we move forward. Oh! And a very special thank you to yas for beta reading! So here's to it and let's begin!

Patterns of speech:

Normal – May the Plus Ultra be with you.

'Inner thoughts with single quote marks', "Radio speak, transmissions for double ones" – May the Plus Ultra be with you.

All Might – May the Plus Ultra be with you.

R3 – May the Plus Ultra be with you.

I only own my OC and the plot of this here story. All characters and locations in the MHA world are property of Kōhei Horikoshi. Star Wars is owned by Disney. Enjoy the new chapter!

Binding The Galaxy Together

Chapter 33: Traumatic

Miles away from U.A., secluded from any heroes whatsoever, a lone run-down bar stood with boarded up windows. Right above the wooden floor, a dark, misty gateway opened up. From it fell Tomura Shigaraki, broken and bleeding from his wounds. As Kurogiri's body fully formed behind him, the hand-covered villain struggled to get up with his injuries.

"Not fair…it's not fair at all…"

"Oh dear. Judging by your wording, I take it that things didn't go well, Tomura?"

Growling, Tomura looked up at the TV hanging above the bar.

"Didn't go well is an understatement, master," he whined. "Everything that we set out to do didn't happen!"

"Everything, you say?"

"Yeah. Everything. Those worthless villains I brought weren't even strong enough to kill a few measly kids. Then, heroes who weren't even supposed to be there showed up. Someone got word out even though the signals were jammed. It screwed everything up!"

"It shouldn't have mattered who was there as long as you had Nomu. Your master and I spent much time and hard work making him on par with All Might. Now, where is he?"

Tomura began shaking again as Kurogiri;s body came into full view.

"Doctor, Nomu was unrecoverable due to his destruction."

"What did you just say?!" the doctor cried.

"Destroyed? That doesn't sound very much like All Might," "Master" said.

"Well, it's true! All Might went at Nomu with all his power and broke through Shock Absorption like it was nothing at all. You were wrong, master. All Might's still as strong as he ever was. He wasn't weakened at all!"

"I wasn't wrong, Tomura. You were merely not as prepared as you should've been."

"How could he have not been prepared?! How could All Might have 'destroyed' it as he claims?"

"It's hardly a significant loss, doctor. The loss of only one Nomu, while unfortunate, is not enough to so much as loosen a cog in our machine."

"Still it would be preferable if someone doesn't break their toys as soon as they get them. Now Shigaraki, answer my question."

"Shut the hell up, you old geezer!" Tomura growled at the television. "If it weren't for those damn hero brats, I'm sure we would have succeeded."

"Hero brats? You mean you were bested by mere children of all things?"

"These weren't just regular kids!"

"Enough."

Both voices stopped their bickering as the master's voice overtook theirs.

"Tomura Shigaraki, even though you were not victorious today, do not let yourself lose sight of your dream. You wish to kill All Might. But it is apparent that day will not be today. He bested you but you have the opportunity to learn from it and return in a way he will not see coming."

The words did work to placate Tomura, if even a little.

"Now sit up and let Kurogiri tend to your wounds."

The blue headed villain got up with a limp and painfully sat down on the nearest barstool. One hand was shot through thanks to Snipe's gunshot, and the other was broken thanks to Mirko's kick. Both his legs had bullet wounds in them. Both times he got injured today it was because he was aiming for that blind kid.

…That blind girl…and that other boy who yelled "Smash!" like All Might…

"I hate them," he growled. "I want them dead. All Might and those kids, especially two of them. One of them was running around shouting All Might's catchphrases and throwing punches just as strong. And the other was a girl…a hacker. She cheated, master. I don't know how, but one of those hero student snots had multiple powers like you."

"The only known natural way to obtain multiple quirks is through my own, Tomura. You know this."

"I know what I saw. This girl was using more than one quirk. She had to have been. It's the only explanation."

"And what makes you sure you saw what you saw?"

"The girl was blind," Kurogiri answered.

That statement silenced the two voices for a few moments before the master's voice came back through.

"Blind you say, Kurogiri?"

"He's right," Tomura answered. "This girl was clearly using some sort of telekinetic quirk, a strong one. But on top of that, I saw her eyes up close. They weren't working. It's possible she was born like that. But it didn't make any damn difference. She somehow knew where everything was just fine!"

"Is that so?" The doctor asked, interested..

"Then she had these weapons. These weird…glow-stick-looking sword things that somehow cut through Nomu and rendered his regeneration quirk useless. That's how All Might killed it. He and that blind brat used two of them to chop it at the waist and neck."

The silence returned again, longer this time.

"Tomura," Master came. "I want you to start from the beginning, and tell me exactly what you saw."

---

It all happened so fast.

One minute, they were all headed out the door, and the next, everyone was panicking at the sight of a villain being run through the chest by a lightsaber. The last thing Izuku saw as he was pushed out the door was Camilla on her knees with Ryukyu trying to shake the girl out of whatever trance she seemed to be in. Mirko tried to hold the other heroes back from detaining her, but he was out the door before he could see more. Vlad King, Class 1-B's homeroom teacher, kept watch over the kids until the police and medics arrived. Among them was Detective Tsukauchi, which Izuku was thankful for. Something told him Camilla was going to need every bit of help she could get.

Once they were cleared to leave and they were back on the bus, it was silent. It stayed that way the entire drive back to campus. Ochako sat next to them, and they shared a look. They were both scared. They knew their Jedi friend was an ex-soldier. They knew she had a kill count. It just never came up in conversation due to them being busy. They didn't even consider how she was dealing with everything in her head. Now they had an idea that…maybe she was just handling it by not handling it. Today was the day that tactic stopped working.

Izuku and Ochako decided not to talk and only stare. They felt they didn't need to talk. Their expressions had already spoken a million words. Their thoughts were interrupted as the bus came to a halt. Midnight was the one to escort them all in Aizawa's place as he was carted off in an ambulance.

One by one they got off and just stayed frozen in front of the entrance to the main building. Midnight tried to guide them towards the building itself so they could all get looked over by Recovery Girl, but they didn't move. Once the bus was out of sight, all hell had broken loose.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

"SHARRO JUST STRAIGHT UP MURDERED SOMEONE!"

"WHAT WAS SHE THINKING?!"

Despite the craziness, Midnight still tried to get the students under control. She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled as loud as she could, getting them all to re-adjust their sights onto her.

"All of you please calm down," she sternly directed. "I know you're all shaken up. Believe me when I say you're not alone. All I can ask of you right now is that you please let your teachers handle this."

"But…but Miss Midnight. Sharro…she…she…"

"I know, Yaoyorozu. I know." Midnight soothed the poor girl. "I want to know the full story behind this as well. And believe you me, we're going to get to the bottom of this."

"To the bottom of what?!" Minoru fearfully cried. "She ran a villain through! Doesn't that make her a villain too?!"

"Camilla isn't a villain," Shoto spoke with an air of anger.. "I don't know what happened with her, but I'm sure there's an explanation for it."

Izuku wasn't sure what kind of talk Camilla had with Shoto a couple days ago to make him trust her this much, but whatever it was, it sure looked like it was working in her favor with some, but not all.

"Todoroki," Kirishima started nervously. "It's manly of you to try and find another angle for all this, but what Sharro did—"

"She has mental trauma, Kirishima," Shoto cut him off. "I didn't get a good look at her before she charged, but I know full well what a panic attack looks like. And I also know that it can make people act irrationally."

"Todoroki may have a point. There clearly was something wrong with her," Tenya stepped in. "It may be possible that Sharro entered some sort of mental disassociation. Similar to what we saw during the break in yesterday."

"Are you seriously trying to defend her after what she did too?!" Denki cried. "Dude, I get you're the class rep, but come on!"

Tenya, bless him, didn't let Denki's words or anyone else's deter him. It was relieving to see that at least some of them seemed willing to take Camilla's side in all this. It gave Izuku and Ochako a little hope, and they would take however much they could get.

"Mental problems or not, Camilla is still gonna be in a heap of trouble," Toru stated.

"We've only known her for a week," Tsuyu chimed. "And she did tell us that story about the whole quirk marriage thing, ribbit. But other than that, what else do we really know about her?"

"Not much else, really," Mezo agreed with the frog girl.

"She did say back in the windstorm zone that she would tell me and Jiro her secrets," Fumikage remembered.

"So she is hiding something?" Mina wondered. "What do you think it is?"

"No idea," Kyoka replied. "Whatever it is, I don't think we're ever gonna know now. And…I'm not even sure I wanna know anymore."

"You really wanna know her secrets, you dipshits?"

Every set of eyes among the group shifted over to view Katsuki, who had his gauntlet clad hand on his hip and a scowl on his face.

"You think you know what it is, Bakugo?" Eijiro asked.

"Of course I don't, you moron!" Katsuki yelled. "I just know who does!"

The explosive blond whipped around and pointed his finger at Izuku and Ochako.

"Why don't we ask them?!"

Izuku flinched as he felt Katsuki's loud volume in his ears. Then he turned to look at his ex friend as he stomped up to him, fury evident in his eyes.

"Kacchan, what are you—"

"Don't try to deny it, Deku! Whatever the hell is going on with No-Eyes, you and Round Face know all about it, don't you?!"

Ochako, for Camilla's sake, just played dumb. "What makes you think that?"

Katsuki rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed that Ochako chose to drag this out.

"I got into U.A. same as you, dumbass! I can notice things when I want to! You and Deku never took your eyes off each other the entire ride back to campus. This didn't freak you out the same way as us! So talk!"

Of all the times for a shred of logic to creep its way into Katsuki's brain, it just had to be now. Still, Ochako kept her cool as much as she could to stave the boy off, something Izuku was watching closely. As amazing as it was to see her be like this, he had grown tired, and the adrenaline from before had worn off. So his wounds were starting to hurt more.

"Let's imagine for a second we did know something, Bakugo. What makes you think we would tell you?"

"You really think you have a right to keep this from us after the shit she just pulled?!"

"Even if we did tell you, you probably wouldn't believe us anyway! None of you would!"

"Just what the hell does that—"

"SHUT UP!"

The two of them ceased their bickering once Izuku stood between them and pushed Katsuki back with his unbroken arm.

"Both of you just…stop," He tiredly begged before aiming a glare at Katsuki. "She's right, though. As much as I want to clarify everything, please remember that we've all just been through a lot. None of us are clearheaded enough for this conversation."

He took his hand off Katsuki's shoulder and looked at the rest of his class.

"We're all too stressed right now to think clearly. I know you want answers, but I can't give them yet. All I ask is that you wait to pass judgment on Camilla. I know what you saw her do. I saw it too. Please just...believe that she's probably more scared right now than any of you."

He turned away to take his leave, and Ochako placed a hand on his shoulder to join him.

"Don't you dare walk away from us, Deku!"

"Bakugo, enough!"

Katsuki's approach was stopped as Midnight's hand landed on his own shoulder and pulled back.

"He's been through enough today, and so have you," she said, trying to calm him down. "Now, if you have any injuries, go inside and follow Midoriya to Recovery Girl. If you don't, then get changed and head to your classroom."

She turned back to the group.

"And that goes for the rest of you too. If you need to get looked over, Recovery Girl is still here. If not, then change back into your uniforms and return to your classroom. The principal wishes to have a word with you all before you go home."

It sounded like a tall order, but really, what more was there to say? Izuku turned around, Ochako at his side, and headed inside the campus, intent on getting his fingers and arm healed by Recovery Girl. Both of them were a grab bag of different emotions.

"Midoriya. Uraraka."

Izuku stopped and turned around, confused. Why was Shoto following him? He didn't look injured. Yet, he still walked alongside him and Ochako without hesitation.

"What is it, Todoroki?" Ochako asked.

"I won't pry but I just want to hear it from you. Was Bakugo right? Is there more to know about Camilla that can explain things?"

As if the pile couldn't get any taller. Did this day just have it out for them or something? Was there some sort of universal balance Izuku upset today?

"No matter what happens, trust in the Force."

…or maybe that had something to do with it. Izuku kept forgetting about his little trip into his own quirk last night. Those words from that man still rang some interesting bells. The more he thought of them, and the more he saw happen today, the meaning still wasn't clear. But…somehow, he couldn't help but trust the ghostly person. He glanced at Ochako to look into her eyes. He was unsure how, but her look made her thoughts very clear.

Be careful.

And for good reason. Fumikage and Kyoka may still end up learning about this, but bringing in Shoto as well may be a bit too much right now.

"There is," Izuku answered Shoto. "But we can't be the ones to tell you. If you really wanna know, you gotta try and get it from Camilla herself."

"That may be easier said than done at this point," Shoto said. "I don't know where she was taken."

"Then at best, we can keep you posted on what's happening with her. At least, when we get that info ourselves. Today has been…"

"I know," Shoto stopped Ochako. "I should probably go. If you do end up seeing Camilla before you leave, please tell her I'll listen. It's the least I can do to repay her for listening to me."

Correctly guessing that this was indeed tied to that talk they had alone, Ochako and Izuku nodded. Shoto nodded back and then left to change and retrieve his things. Walking alone now, Izuku and Ochako remained silent the rest of the way to Recovery Girl's office. Once they arrived, the elderly heroine ushered them in and got straight to work. Thankfully the two of them weren't that short on stamina, so Heal would be utilized. Recovery Girl looked about ready to tear Izuku a new one for hurting himself again but the boy quickly explained how his whole arm getting broken this time wasn't his fault. He saw Ochako on death's door, and his body moved on its own. It was becoming a habit, and according to Recovery Girl, a bad one. But this time, she would let him off the hook since it did end up saving Ochako's life.

After his arm was set in a sling and his fingers were bandaged, Izuku kept his eyes on Ochako as Recovery Girl tended to her next. She complained that her legs were burning and cramping on-and-off, thanks to a high fall she took thanks to that portal she went through. It was not the worst injury of the bunch, but definitely substantial. Legwork was needed for a swordsman, and if her legs got too damaged, it would be a huge hindrance. Upon inspection, it didn't look like anything in her legs was torn or broken. But a little more stress, and it would've most likely turned out that way. So, for now, nothing more than a kiss from the nurse was needed. The moment her healing energy hit, Ochako looked like her legs had just been doused in a cold bath after being on fire..

After she was done tending to their wounds, Recovery Girl instructed both teenagers to stay put for a few minutes while she tended to whoever else needed it. The only other kid who went to see the nurse turned out to be Hanta, who needed his arm mended. He was quickly shooed into another bed separated by a curtain, and the two were left alone.

"Everything today was so crazy," Izuku muttered.

He looked down at his shoes, reflecting once more on the events.

"The villains, that Nomu thing, All Might…and Camilla. Everything was so insane. When I was trapped in the flood zone with Asui and Mineta, my thoughts were running a mile a minute. Then there was you and All Might and I just…I couldn't think straight for most of the day. I feel…I feel like I could've done more if I had just kept a more level head. Instead, I got hurt. And then you—"

Whatever more he had to say came to a grinding halt. Looking down, he saw that Ochako had moved from her spot to sit right next to him and wrap her arms around him in a tight embrace while burying her face into his shoulder. Normally, Izuku would have been redder than a ketchup bottle when Ochako had her arms around him like this. But the soft sound of her sniffling caused all that blushing to cease.

"Deku…I almost died today…I almost died…back in the fire zone."

Izuku's eyes widened. He had been so wrapped up thinking about one friend that he didn't even think to ask about what his other one had gone through. Izuku felt like an idiot.

"If I hadn't found that lightsaber, I would've been cut to pieces. Then when that hand villain tried to grab my face…I…all of it….just…"

The sounds of Ochako sobbing echoed through the nurse's office while Izuku sat there wondering what he could do or say to help her feel better. When no better alternatives came to mind, he just had to settle for putting his arm around her back and letting her use his shoulder as a tissue. It felt like nothing, though. Even though he quickly understood why Ochako would cry, it killed Izuku inside to hear her and see her like this. The last thing he wanted for his friends was for them to be even slightly sad or down. He knew what it felt like, and he would never wish it on them. Instead, he was forced to settle for letting them be sad and acting like a rock. Unfortunately, right now that could only work for Ochako.

"It's OK, Uraraka," he softly whispered. "I was scared too."

Ochako didn't stop crying, but she did try to soften her sobs so she could listen.

"The boat was sinking into the lake with Asui, Mineta, and I still on it. That was scary enough, but then I looked straight into that beaked guy's face. Then…then Camilla told us it was really dead and it was built to fight All Might with multiple quirks and…I was terrified. I was scared for my life, Uraraka. I was scared for myself, I was scared for you, for everyone on whether or not we would live to see another school day. I mean…we're supposed to be heroes and what could I do?"

"You're not heroes."

The voice that interrupted them belonged to none other than the eldest hero on U.A.'s staff. Recovery Girl walked back to them after finishing her work on Hanta.

"Too many kids like you think you're already heroes just because you got into hero school. You may be hero students, but not fully-fledged pros. Both of you went through something that kids your age shouldn't be subjected to until much later in your education here. I'm not a therapist like Hound Dog, but I can and will say to you: remember that you have each other and your loved ones to keep your heads on straight. Being there for those who need it is the core moral of any hero worth their weight, and judging by how much you two seem to care for each other, I think you two will be more than fine."

Hearing praise coming from Recovery Girl rather than nagging about how young people constantly hurt themselves was rare, but a welcome change. Both teenagers felt slightly better after her wise words. Then, Hanta came out a moment later with his arm set in a sling of its own and the tape acting as a cast removed. He bid his two classmates goodbye and went to change and leave school. Now, it was only them and Recovery Girl. With them now in solitude, Ochako took her head off Izuku's shoulder and reached for a tissue. After wiping her eyes and blowing her nose, she looked at the nurse again.

"Was anyone else hurt?" she asked, clearly looking for some good news.

Recovery Girl could flash a smile at that, which made Ochako smile in return.

"Thankfully, everyone made it out with no lasting harm. The only two who needed immediate attention were Eraserhead and All Might. Though it's funny, when I was treating Eraserhead, I found some blood matted into his hair. But I could find no trace of a head injury."

Izuku and Ochako suddenly felt very nervous.

"W-what about All Might? Is he alright?" Izuku asked, hoping it would change the subject.

That's where Recovery Girl frowned.

---

Ryukyu was oddly very nervous. She can't remember a time she ever felt nervous for Mirko of all people.

The rabbit hero had been silent ever since they left the U.S.J. The situation devolved into what could only be called a shit show. Several of the staffed heroes for U.A. moved in to try and grab Camilla, but Mirko got protective. Any time Snipe, Cementoss, or anyone else so much as tried to take a step toward them, she would yell out profanities and threats of violence. While that happened, Ryukyu knelt and tried to get any response out of Camilla, but the girl seemed lost in the horrible realization of what she had done. Minutes later, the police arrived, and Detective Tsukauchi was leading the squad. Once he made his way in and saw the aftermath, he assigned himself to Camilla while ordering the rest of the officers to arrest and detain the other villains.

In the end, seventy-one villains were arrested, and one body was bagged.

Then came the hard part. It wasn't what anyone wanted, but Tsukauchi, for all intensive purposes, had to treat this situation as he would if it were any other student. Cuffs were put on the Padawan's wrists, and Power Loader collected her lightsabers. Ryukyu then painfully had to watch as Tsukauchi led Camilla out of the building. She didn't resist, but the poor girl looked like she wanted to die alongside the man she just put down. Tsukauchi loaded her into a police car and then drove her back to campus to detain her there.

Nezu then told Ryukyu and Mirko they were dismissed, but they refused. They wanted to talk with Camilla, and they were sure as hell going to find out what happened to her. Mirko didn't utter a word on the trip back to the school. She just kept a scowl on her face that Ryukyu didn't like. She couldn't sense feelings, but she had a pretty good guess as to why the human rabbit was like this. Living with the young Jedi had indeed caused a bond to form, whether Mirko liked it or not. Now, she was concerned, like any guardian would be over their charge. And it was obvious she hated feeling it.

When they got to the campus, Ryukyu messaged Tsukauchi asking where he was. He quickly responded, saying he was in a room with All Might. After this update, they made their way over with Mirko looking more impatient by the step.

"Rumi, please don't do or say anything rash," Ryukyu warned.

Mirko said nothing. She only stared at the door for a few seconds before pushing it open. Recovery Girl had her main office and a few rooms with hospital equipment should the need arrive for emergency critical care. Two of those beds were now occupied. One of them had Aizawa unconscious from the care he had gotten, and the other had All Might.

The number one pro sure as hell didn't look like himself right now in both look and facial expression. He was currently sitting up in his bed and staring at his feet in deep thought. His entire midsection was wrapped up in bandages, and a few smaller ones were on his face. Standing next to him was Tsukauchi, hat in his head and looking somberly.

"I just finished filling him in," the detective said.

That explained the sadness. Despite it though, All Might turned and met Ryukyu and Mirko's gazes. Ryukyu was tempted to go and hug the man, but she was afraid she'd break him. What a thing to think about All Might of all people. Even though she was fully in on his secret of One For All, seeing him like this was still so surreal.

"Ryukyu, Mirko, words can't even begin to express how—"

*THWACK!*

"Ow!"

It appeared Mirko's care for etiquette only went as far as holding back that swat to All Might's arm.

"Words can't express? Is that what you think? Well, let's give it a try anyway. Earlier this morning, you were supposed to be here at U.A. so you could take that class for its rescue lesson. Instead, you chose to use up nearly every minute of All Might time you had solving petty crimes that didn't require you. And because you weren't where you were supposed to be, that set of a whole cavalcade of events led to where we are now. So. to put it into one sentence, everything that happened today is your fault!"

"Rumi!"

The dragoon hero had put herself between Mirko and the bedridden hero and started pushing her back.

"I get that you're angry, but taking it out on All Might won't help anything!"

"Don't defend me, Ryukyu."

That defeated voice from All Might sounded so wrong to the number nine hero. Yeah, she had heard it before, but still…this was the Symbol of Peace. Seeing and hearing him like this was still so weird, even after knowing about One For All.

"I appreciate it, but nothing Mirko said was false," All Might bowed his head and nursed his arm. "She was right. My impulsive nature to stop crime wherever I go made me waste the little time I had in my hero form. And because of that, the children had to suffer for it. Truth be told, I deserve a lot more than a punch to the arm."

"Tch. Damn right, you do."

"Rumi."

"Are you seriously going to try and say he wasn't an idiot today?!"

"Of course I'm not. But keep your voice down. Eraserhead is resting and I don't want to wake him."

From Mirko's look, it seemed she had just realized Aizawa's presence. She looked over to see him and sighed with a scowl not leaving her own face.

"All Might shouldn't have wasted his time, we all agree to that, but what's done is done. Right now, there's a much bigger problem we need to take care of."

"Young Sharro…"

Ryukyu looked back to All Might and saw him frown fearfully.

"Did she really…?"

"Yes," Ryukyu finished. "But we don't think she did it on purpose."

"What do you mean?" Tsukauchi asked.

"She was perfectly fine when we rejoined everyone else," Mirko explained. "Everything went smoothly until that dumbass popped up from behind us and started spouting the same villain bullshit. Next thing we know, Martian Girl is on her knees, looking like she just saw death itself. Then she just rushed forward and ran the guy through."

Mirko's explanation, while brief, did paint the picture as well as it was needed. The look All Might was giving the two heroines was proof enough.

"A panic attack?" All Might wondered.

"It looked more like a PTSD episode to me, but we won't know for sure until we get the answers from her," Ryukyu replied, then looked to the detective. "Where is she being held?"

"For now, she's being kept in the principal's office," Tsukauchi explained. "Sansa is keeping guard to ensure she doesn't leave."

"What about her lightsabers?" Ryukyu asked. "If it's at all possible, we need to get those back."

"That's not going to be easy," Tsukauchi said, regretfully. "Power Loader is in possession of them now, and he's thoroughly looking over them. Even worse, Nezu has requested to be present for it."

And just like that, the stress load on their shoulders drastically increased.

"Were those sabers ever registered as support items?" All Might asked.

Ryukyu turned to Mirko for the answer, since she wasn't present while designing Camilla's hero suit. The rabbit hero had to take a moment to think, which didn't bode well.

"I think."

That didn't sound good.

"Look, whether they were or not shouldn't matter, right? Let's just go get them back. You're a cop. Can't you just say you need them as evidence or something?"

"Not until the examination by the head support hero of the school is finished. By that time, it'll be too late. Camilla did explain that, like her ship, those lightsabers were made from metals that aren't found here on Earth. Once Power Loader and Nezu see that…we better get ready for a long talk in the future."

Yup. It was all coming undone now. If Nezu was involved now, then there would be no way this day ends without the fuzzy principal of the school knowing the truth.

"So what the fuck do we do now?" Mirko asked the detective.

"The only thing we can do. We will be there for Camilla as best we can, and hope Nezu will have mercy on her. Right now, her fate is entirely in his hands."

That seemed just about accurate. Tsukauchi could only pull so many strings as a police officer, and Ryukyu knew it. She had some pull as the number nine hero herself, but both positions hardly meant anything when it came to the affairs between a school principal and their students. Unfortunately, that left them all with the mutual realization that if they were to have any hope of Nezu not kicking the Jedi out of school, he would need to know the truth. The whole truth. That was not a conversation they were looking forward to.

Before they could think further, a couple of soft knocks came from the other side of the door.

"Come in," All Might called.

The door opened with a small creak, and Izuku and Ochako walked in, Izuku with his arm in a sling and his finger on his other hand wrapped in bandages. Both of them had changed back into their school uniforms.

"S-sorry. Were we interrupting something?"

"N-not at all, young Uraraka," All Might assured her. "We were just discussing young Sharro before you arrived."

The two kids frowned at the name. Ryukyu could tell they were afraid as much as everyone else in the room.

"In fact, I was just about to head over to the principal's office to talk with her. If you two wish, you can come with us. It might help her to have you there."

Both of them nodded immediately. Yup. Those kids were definitely ready to be there for Camilla regardless of what they saw her do earlier.

"You guys better go on alone. Recovery Girl will have my head if I get up and try to walk right now."

"Where's the line? I want in," Mirko half-joked.

Ryukyu began to push the rabbit hero out before she acted on the other half.

"Rest up, All Might. Everyone else, let's go."

As the dragoon hero ushered everyone out of the room, she glanced back at All Might as if to assure him. The nod she got in response seemed to convey that he understood. Then he laid back down to try and get some rest.

If only he noticed Aizawa's eyes shut moments before his own did.

Once the door was shut, Ryukyu looked to Izuku and Ochako.

"Are you two alright?" she asked.

"As OK as we can be, I guess," Ochako answered as she nervously grabbed her arm. "Is Camilla…?"

"Right now, Uraraka, we don't know any more than you do," Tsukauchi stopped her.

"Let's get going. Nejire should already be there with her."

"You told Hado?" Mirko asked.

"Of course I did," Ryukyu replied. "I'm not just gonna keep this from her. And she said she wanted to help not even two seconds later."

"Out of enthusiasm or…something else?" Mirko wondered.

"Probably a mixture of many things. When we talked she did seem genuinely concerned."

"Well, let's get going then. One of you lead, 'cause I don't know this place."

Ryukyu rolled her eyes and decided to take point on the journey to the principal's office. As they began to move, Izuku felt a tug on his shoulder and saw it was Ochako's hand with her pinky raised. The three adults went ahead on their own while Izuku stayed put.

"Aren't you going to tell them?" Ochako asked.

"Tell them what?"

"About last night, remember? That guy you saw when you were meditating? Trust in the Force? You know, that?"

Izuku shut his eyes and sighed. He didn't forget at all.

"I'm going to tell them, I will. But not right now. Camilla needs help far more than I do right now. You know that. Plus, I need All Might to be present and not where anyone like Mister Aizawa could hear us."

Conceding the point was something Ochako needed to do here. She wanted answers, but knew she had to wait a bit more before getting them. Their friend came first. All she could do was hope there would be a solution to this problem that didn't involve Camilla's expulsion.

---

Black. Darkness. A void of emptiness. That was all Camilla had in her head right now.

Ever since she had been brought here, the young Jedi had stayed in her place like a statue with her head pointed straight down. She wasn't even bothering to use the Force in the way that was second nature to her. For now, she was completely blind and unwilling to let herself see. She truly felt like she deserved nothing but darkness at this point. All her senses could register was the sterile smell of the room, the chair she sat on, and the metal of the handcuffs around her wrists. They were meaningless to someone with her kind of power, but she wouldn't cause more trouble by breaking out of them. Not that she wanted to anyway.

Here Camilla sat, isolated in an empty room with a solitary table, awaiting the inevitable end to everything she had worked so hard for.

'Idiot.'

Tears began to form in the corner of her lifeless eyes as the spikes in emotions she felt back at the U.S.J from her peers and teachers rushed through her brain again.

'You idiot.'

Worst of all, she could feel Izuku and Ochako specifically. Those two were scared yeah, but it wasn't fear of her. No. Those two had just seen her end someone's life so brutally, and they only feared for her. They shouldn't. It was obvious now what she was. She was a damaged failure of a Jedi, and an even bigger failure of a short lived hero student. She thought she had herself under control. But all it took was two days for that control to be ripped away.

'How can I face them? Or anyone? All I've accomplished today is the absolute destruction of the bridges between me, and the very people I keep seeing in my visions. Now they're probably never going to trust me again.'

A shaky exhale was followed by a couple of tears hitting the surface of the table.

'Some Jedi I turned out to be. Forgive me, my master. I failed.'

Before she could admonish herself further, Camilla's ears heard the sound of the door opening. She still didn't use her power to see, but the Force picked up on a familiar thought pattern. And if she had to guess by those hurried footsteps…

Yup.

She was now trapped in a tight hug courtesy of Nejire Hado.

"Camilla! I'm so sorry about what happened! Ryukyu found me and told me about it! Are you alright?! Do you need anything?! Water? A bag to breathe in?!"

"Nejire?" Camilla was confused. "What are you doing?"

"Hugging you, duh! What else am I supposed to do, kiss you?"

"Wha-no! What I mean is why! Why are you hugging me?!"

She still couldn't see, but Camilla felt she correctly guessed that Nejire was looking at her with that same look of childish curiosity she would occasionally get.

"Because you're hurting, aren't you?"

The Jedi sighed. Of course she didn't know yet.

"Nejire…they must not have told you the full story. Today I—"

"You killed a villain, and in front of all your classmates and the teachers too. Yeah, I know. I told you Ryukyu filled me in. Completely in."

She knew? And still she was in here trying to comfort her? Nejire Hado was trying to comfort a killer?

"Why?" Camilla croaked.

Picking up on what question the word was short for, Nejire answered determinedly.

"What kind of hero would I be if I didn't be there for the people who need help when they need it most?"

"Needing and deserving are two very different things, Nejire. I'm a villain now in the eyes of your society."

Nejire was silent, assumingly because she was starting to realize that.

"Did you do it because you wanted to?"

"Uh…no."

"Did you enjoy it?"

"No!"

"If you could go back in time and stop yourself, would you?"

"Of course I would!"

"Then you're not a villain. You're not even bad."

…What was it with her attracting people who are way too forgiving when they clearly shouldn't be?

"I'm not gonna just up and abandon you, Camilla. Not when you need me the most. Plus, I brought you something to help you feel better."

Camilla just sighed, certain she wouldn't want what Nejire would offer her. She heard the sound of a paper wrapper being torn open. Then, the familiar scent of chocolate hit her nose.

"I know you like the ones with caramel."

A shaky breath escaped her lungs as Camilla finally let the Force flow through her and her eyes "opened." Nejire's body was the first thing in her view now as well as the item giving off the delicious scent in her fingers. This was all so weird. Nejire should be furious with her, not bringing her candy bars to help her sadness go away. Still, though, when she bit into it, her spirits lifted a bit. Thankful as she was for Nejire's insistence, and though she enjoyed the taste of the chocolate caramel goodness in her mouth, the young Jedi sighed again. It still wasn't enough.

"It's good. But it doesn't change anything" she murmured. "I don't know what's going to happen to me now. I'm probably going to be expelled and arrested."

Nejire shook her head defiantly.

"No! Don't think like that! We can figure something out! You, me, Ryukyu, Midoriya, Mirko, Uraraka, Tsukauchi, and All Might! We're a team! I mean, I don't think All Might really likes me, but that's not the point! The point is, don't worry. We're not gonna just let you go down like this without a fight."

She was persistent. Camilla had to at least give her that.

"Where even am I?" she asked.

"You're in Principal Nezu's office." Nejire answered. "According to Ryukyu, he had something to say to your class and then he was gonna come here to question you."

"Which gives us some time to talk before he gets here."

The two girls looked over and Camilla's vision picked up on five other figures walking in with five unmistakable Force connections shining within her view. As her allies flooded in, the two fingers with the bright pink lights and the nine lights all over his body moved in and hugged her from both sides. She couldn't exactly hug them back due to the cuffs on her wrists.

"Sansa, get yourself some coffee," Tsukauchi told the officer guarding the door. "This talk needs to be private."

The cat-headed cop saluted and walked off. Tsukauchi closed the door after him.

"Are you alright?" Ochako asked.

"Not really," Camilla mumbled back. "Why are you two even here?"

The simultaneous pangs of confusion she sensed from them made her own come forth as the two let her go and stood side by side again.

"Defects stick together," Izuku stated firmly. "Uraraka and I are still on your side, no matter what happens."

Camilla felt her eyes sting and knew a dam was about to break, so she slammed her eyelids shut. Nejire was one thing, but these two were relentless in their affection for her to the point where it was overwhelming.

"Dank farrik, you two. Be mad at me. Yell at me. Do something for creation's sake."

"Not gonna happen, Martian Girl," Mirko replied first. "Like it or not, this support system is behind you to the end."

"And while we have some time alone, I think there are a few things we should discuss." Ryukyu said.

Tsukauchi was quick to agree. "We only have a few minutes before Nezu comes in to talk. As best you can, just tell us what happened with you. What made you do it?"

As the detective took a seat, Camilla merely sighed and turned her body so she was pointed towards him. With her fists curled and set in her lap, she began to talk.

"It happened so fast in reality. But to me…it was like time was standing still and rewinding at the same time. I don't know if that makes any sort of sense, but that's what it felt like. One moment, I was walking towards the exit, then the next that villain shows up and…and he said…that. The moment he did…I just wasn't here anymore."

"What did he say?"

Camilla went silent again, not having the courage to say it again.

"Camilla, it's alright," Ryukyu approached and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You're not in danger. It was a phrase that triggered you, right?"

"Let's backtrack," Mirko rubbed her chin. "That douche came up from behind, Scales recognized him, then he spouted about how good soldiers follow orders."

*CRASH!*

Her fists squeezed even tighter, and something definitely broke. But Camilla didn't have enough wit or care at the moment to try and figure out what it was. All she could register now was Ryukyu's other hand coming down on her other shoulder and trying to relax her.

"Camilla, relax. It's okay. Everything is okay. Remember where you are. You're in Nezu's office. You aren't in any danger. We're all right here with you."

"Mhm!" Nejire rushed over and hugged the Jedi from behind. "Don't freak out, we're all here to help!"

"Be more tactless, Rumi!"

"I didn't…ugh. Cam, I…I'm sorry." Mirko knelt down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay, Mirko." Camilla assured her. "I never told you or anyone about this because I thought I was alright. As it turns out, I'm not."

"….God fucking dammit, Cam. You should've brought it up anyways."

"….I'm sorry."

Even though it was her who apologized, Camilla felt another wave of guilt wash over her rabbit-like guardian. Why was she feeling guilty? None of this was her fault. A sigh could be heard coming from the detective from pure exasperation. Remembering she was in the middle of answering the man's question, Camilla tried her best to pull herself together to finish.

"Once you heard…those words…what happened then?"

"I was back on that day…the day I came here…the day my troops turned on me. When that villain was close enough I didn't see him. I only saw a clone trooper coming to kill me, saying that exact same phrase over and over like a broken droid. In that moment, my mind only went to one instinct. So…I acted on it…"

Tsukauchi drummed his fingers on the surface of the table as the young Jedi described to him that she had suffered a war flashback in the worst of times. As much as he wanted to admonish the kid for what she had done, he just didn't have the heart to do it. Not that it probably would have done much good anyway. She knew what she did. It wasn't even her first time doing it. But the regret on her face, the fear, the self-disgust…it was all too genuine. He had come to know if those faces were real or not.

"Definitely Post Traumatic Stress Disorder if I ever saw it," the detective deduced. "Now comes the hard part."

"What hard part?" Izuku worriedly asked.

Before Tsukauchi could answer, the sound of a door opening reached everyone's ears first. Turning to said door, the animal of unknown origin that was U.A.'s principal walked in and proceeded to his desk. Camilla could feel a huge wave of surprise and confusion as Izuku and Ochako laid eyes on Nezu for probably the first time in their lives, which was followed by a small series of whispers from Nejire, assumingly explaining the creature to them. He only stopped on his way there to look at what Camilla could now see were shattered shards.

"I really liked this tea set," Nezu commented.

Oh, great. This was a perfect start. Now Camilla had broken something of his in another short burst of no self-control. She was all but ready to stand up and walk back to the police car to let everyone else judge her, but Ryukyu's gentle grip on her shoulders remained there for support, something she was currently very grateful for. As Nezu hopped into his chair, his head pointed towards the girl, but his words went to another.

"I had wished our first meeting since you graduated would be under better circumstances, Ryukyu," Nezu said to the dragoon hero.

Ryukyu bowed her head to the principal, agreeing with him.

"Regardless, it's nice to see you again, principal."

"Oh, come now. We're both heroes here. Nezu is just fine now."

Ryukyu didn't respond that time. Camilla only watched as Nezu's head shifted slightly to the side—right where Izuku, Ochako, and Nejire were standing.

"I recognize she's a friend of yours, but may I ask the three of you to wait outside?" he politely asked.

"No," all three of them responded in unison, surprising Nezu.

"Quite the support system you have for yourself, Miss Sharro," Nezu commented.

"So I've been told," Camilla muttered. "But if it's all the same to you, Principal Nezu, I'd at least like them here while you explain what you're going to do with me."

The pause of silence after she said that started to thicken the tension like water in a freezer.

"I haven't made any decision about what to do with you yet, Sharro."

That was…unexpected for everyone there.

"You haven't?"

"No. The decision for that all depends on your decision."

"My decision, sir?"

"The decision of how much you're going to tell me."

Camilla's mouth snapped shut, as did everyone else's in the room. Nezu truly did have an air of intimidation about him that was difficult to match.

"I'll be frank with you, Miss Sharro. Ever since we met in my office, I've sensed something quite different about you. Not just in your abnormal power, or even your eyesight. The answer you gave me for the written exam, do you remember? I certainly do. I asked you what being a hero truly meant. And you replied to me…"

He paused to see if the girl would finish for him, and she did.

"There's no true answer."

"That's right. Such an answer is not one found most anywhere among kids your age. The reason mainly for that being is that whenever that answer is given to said question, it's usually asked to a seasoned hero with years of experience under their belt."

Camilla had gone rigid.

"Then, I took a walk to the support department. Power Loader has your weapons and was giving them a very close examination. Now, U.A. may not be a police precinct, but our laboratory has plenty of forensic equipment for students to work on costume production and modification assignments. Once we realized that they weren't registered with any support company, it only led to one possible conclusion. They are your own creations, aren't they?"

Still stiff as a mountain, Camilla could just barely muster the strength to nod towards Nezu. Taking that as his confirmation, the principal went on.

"So I'm going to ask you this one question. You may answer it however you want, but just know that your future as a hero student depends on your reply. Withholding anything will not do you any favors."

Another nod came because at this point, what else could she do but accept any and all terms laid out before her?

"Camilla Sharro, who are you?"

That was it. One small question yet it was gigantic. Nervous beyond all hell, the blind Padawan looked to Ryukyu.

"He can be trusted, right?" she asked out loud.

Ryukyu, Nejire, and Tsukauchi nodded. Tsukauchi would've used One For All as an example to prove it but restrained himself since Nejire was there.

"Principal Nezu is as trustworthy as they come, Camilla," Ryukyu assured her. "I promise you."

Alright. The ball was rolling down the slope and there was no stopping it now. With a deep breath, Camilla redirected her gaze to the chimera of rodent species.

"You said you sensed something different about me, principal. Well, you were right. I don't think you're aware of just how right you were."

The pique in Nezu's interest could be seen by others while the Jedi definitely felt it.

"Is that so?" he asked, eager for more.

Camilla nodded. Then she opened her mouth and began.

Like a broken fire hydrant, everything came out. Camilla spared no detail for Nezu. She told him about where she was born, the Jedi, the Force, the war, and how she was stranded on Earth. Throughout the entire explanation, her senses kept picking up more of the principal's emotions. Or rather, the little ones he did give off. Nezu was hard to read. Camilla already knew that from the entrance exam. A rare wild card for her Force abilities. So as she explained onward, she could only sense very minor spikes of curiosity and…excitement. That frayed a bit at her nerves but still she kept talking, until finally, she got to her least favorite part.

That day.

Re-telling the story again of when she lost everything brought back a weight in her heart that the young Jedi thought she had broken free of. As it turns out, she was only fooling herself. That became apparent as she explained what she remembered. Her troops turning on her, how she and R3 got away, and then how she arrived on Earth and came to be in the care of Ryukyu and Mirko. Her conclusion came a minute later after she explained how she met Izuku, Ochako, and All Might, and decided to tell them her secrets.

"After I told them my identity, they stuck by me as friends and we've been training together to get into U.A. We succeeded, and now…here we are."

With her story over, Camilla sat there waiting for some sort of reaction to finally come from Nezu. Instead, for a good minute or two, the chimera of a hero just sat there in total silence. Once again, the Padawan couldn't sense much emotion coming from him. That honor mostly belonged to herself and the others around her. All of them, save for the principal were feeling a mixture of nervousness with some slight frustration to how Nezu seemed to be taking all this. Was he just testing her? So many people warned Camilla about how Nezu liked to test his students in his own way sometimes. Was this one of those ways? Was he simply taking longer to process this? Or, even worse, was it that he simply didn't believe a single word of it?

"Well…I must say this is something I never expected," the principal finally said. "It's rather…exciting!"

Of all the words he could've used to describe this situation, exciting was definitely near the bottom of the list.

"Life beyond the stars has always been a fascination of mine. Now to have an extra-terrestrial here within my academy, it's truly a wondrous thing, is it not?"

"W-wait. That's it? You just believe me?"

"It isn't whether or not I believe you. I know you're not lying."

"But how?"

"Let's just say this Force of yours gives you your powers, and my quirk gives me mine," Nezu looked past the girl and the room's occupants. "I take it you all have been in on this for a while now."

Ryukyu, Tsukauchi, Nejire, and Mirko all nodded, saying they were in on it from the very beginning. Izuku and Ochako explained that Camilla had told them a few months after arriving, confirming the Jedi's story as truth.

"I see," Nezu rubbed his paws together. "Well, you know what they say. Be careful what you ask. The answer may be more shocking than what you anticipated."

"Who says that?" Ochako wondered.

"Oh, I do. I think having a bit of wit in this job helps the day go by faster," Nezu replied. "Now then, let's move on to business. Who else knows about you other than the people in this room?"

"The only other one who knows is All Might," Camilla answered.

"Did you have any plans for telling anyone else about this?"

The young Jedi froze and frowned again as she thought back to the many people she had probably emotionally scarred today.

"I did, actually," The answer surprised Nejire and Tsukauchi, who were hearing this for the first time. "Kyoka Jiro and Fumikage Tokoyami. They were in the same zone as me and…well, they saw me get a little too rough and figured out something was off. I said I'd tell them if we survived. And I intended to uphold that promise. Now…now I'd be surprised if anyone in school will even look at me once word gets out."

"Well, it's a good thing it's not getting out!" Nezu excitedly explained. "I've already explained to the students of class 1-A that the events of today's tragic failure are best kept to themselves. All of them whole heartedly agreed before I released them to go home."

"That's good," Izuku muttered.

It wasn't really a win. At the very least, it was victory adjacent. So the whole school wouldn't find out. Great, but her own class still probably hated her. Still...she had to do something.

"Maybe I should just call them. We all exchanged numbers at the start of school." Camilla suggested. "Kyoka and Fumikage are both pretty level headed. Maybe…I don't know. Maybe they'd hear me out."

It sounded like a decent try. But Nezu apparently had other ideas.

"Well, I'm sorry, Camilla. But I'm afraid telling only Jiro and Tokoyami may be the wrong way to go about this."

"What? But I already promised them I would say something. I can't just—"

"Hold it," Mirko's hand slapped over Camilla's mouth, silencing her incoming rant. She leveled a glare at Nezu. "What do you mean only those two?"

It was a rumor among many pro heroes that the creepiest thing you could ever come across in your career would never be a villain. Instead, the thing most people shivered from thinking about was being on the receiving end of one of Nezu's smiles. Upon seeing it up close and personal, Mirko would never admit out loud that she finally understood why. Those beady eyes mixed in with that growing smirk was just…unnerving.

"I knew there was a reason reviews of you are highly positive, Mirko. A shame you never attended U.A. alongside Miss Tatsuma."

Mirko just waved it off, trying to act like she wasn't intimidated.

"H.H.S. did the job just fine."

"And living proof sits before me, but enough on that. For now, I will tell you my idea. And that idea is rather than merely tell Jiro and Tokoyami this reality breaking secret, I want you to tell your whole class, as well as the teaching staff."

…

…

…

Yeah. They heard it right.

Believing the idea had come from Nezu…yeah, no amount of foresight could've seen that one.

"I'm sorry…I think I misheard you," Camilla shook her head. "Rather than just tell two of my classmates, you want me to let all eighteen of the others in on this?"

"And her teachers? I'm sorry, but where is the logic in this?"

Ryukyu never thought there would come a day when she we would be siding with Mirko in an argument against Nezu. Yet here she was.

"Princ…ahem. Nezu, sir, surely telling so many people at once isn't necessary."

"Oh, but I beg to differ, Ryukyu. If you will allow me a minute or two, I will explain my stance."

Everyone present wanted to hear this so they stayed silent and motioned for the mammal of indeterminate origin to continue.

"I won't sugarcoat this. After what you did today, you frightened your whole class as well as all the teachers who saw you. Even the ones who didn't see will hear about it. Eraserhead has already woken up and has been updated by Present Mic. Needless to say, he's frightened and confused too. They're all going to want answers. So my suggestion to you is, quite frankly, the only one I think you can go with that will land you anywhere even the least bit favorable. You need to give them those answers. Tell them the truth about who you are. I won't lie and say everything will be alright if you do. Chances are, some will be even more scared, but that fear will be mostly about what you are instead of what you did. And what you are can be easier to understand given some time, and maybe it can help forgiveness for what you did come sooner."

It felt like a slap to the face to hear it, but Nezu was right. Letting everyone in on who she really was seemed more mandatory now than optional, especially when the principal was suggesting it. But what would that mean for her class? They had all lived their whole lives believing they were alone in the universe and now they would most likely learn they weren't. The culture shock alone would probably be enough to scar them forever.

Then, Shoto flashed through her mind. How would he react to learning that the entire reason he thought they shared something big in common, was all a gigantic lie? He'd probably take it as a punch to the gut.

"But of course, I have no say in this particular matter," Nezu chimed.

All of her thoughts game to a grinding halt yet again with that sentence.

"Wait…what?"

"You heard me. I'm not forcing you to pick one over the other. If you merely choose to tell Tokoyami and Jiro while leaving the rest in the dark, then I will support you in your decision. All I'm doing here is offering you an alternative that may break more minds at once, but in the long run, may be a more suitable decision. The choice is yours which route you take."

That made her feel a little better. Truth be told, thanks to those constant visions of hers, Camilla always did plan to let everyone in her class eventually know about her true identity. But she wanted it to happen gradually to prevent panic and unrest. Though now, with everything that's happened, that might be unavoidable. She needed to weigh her options.

"How soon do you need an answer by?" Tsukauchi asked.

"If it's not too much to ask, I would prefer a response by tomorrow morning. I just got done telling the rest of your class this, but school will be suspended until next week to give you all time to recover from the attack. You'll all start up again on Monday."

"Oh…well, that's….hold on."

The wording caught Camilla by surprise. Surely he wasn't…was he?

"You mean…you're not expelling me?"

"Why would I do that?"

What even was this day anymore?

"Principal Nezu…I killed a man. Not just maim or dismember. I ended a villain's life in front of all my classmates and several pro heroes to boot! Why in the Force are you keeping me in?"

"I'll be blunt. Expelling you crossed my mind more than once. But I wanted to hear you out first to get your side. And after getting that, along with the truth, I've determined that expelling you would be a poor choice. Suffice it to say, I think you need U.A. a lot more than you originally believed."

She tilted her head, clearly not understanding what he meant.

"At U.A., we work to cultivate Japan's best and brightest into the best heroes they can be. From what I've heard these past few minutes, this path is one you've been destined for since the day you were born.

"It's about more than becoming a hero for you, isn't it? You're trying to stay as true to yourself as you possibly can. And if I listened to your story correctly, the Jedi are an order of warriors who vow to keep the peace wherever they go. Is that right?"

"Yes."

"Then it would be foolish of me to snuff out such promising potential without giving her a chance to prove herself worthy. Would it not?"

Dang it. Those tears were starting to crawl out of the corners of her eyes again.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Nezu asked the girl with a tilt of his head.

"Why are you going this far for me?" Camilla asked back while feeling a single tear slide down her cheek.

Nezu took another brief moment of silence to himself before answering.

"Miss Sharro, Camilla, whatever you prefer, allow me to make something clear. You became mine and the other teachers' responsibility the moment you were accepted into U.A. High School. I knew right from the very start that there was something quite different about you, but I couldn't put my paw on just what it was. I'm going this far because I believe the fault for this lies with me. I should've tried to learn more about you at the start rather than put such a thing off. If I had, perhaps this could've been avoided. But it did, and now we must move forward. You have the potential to become a wonderful hero and I wish to help guide you on that path. Do you no longer want to be a hero or a Jedi because of what happened today?"

The young Padawan took a moment to think about it. Yeah, today definitely did not go in her favor, and the guilt eating away at her for frightening her entire class was going to last for a long while. Still, she couldn't in all honesty say that she entirely wanted to give up. She wanted to see this through. She was just convinced that she wouldn't have gotten to this point, and she would've been expelled and carted off in the back of Tsukauchi's car. So, when asked if she wanted to continue her education, she only had one answer…the one she could feel the others behind her were hoping she would say.

"I do. I still want to be both of those things."

Once she said this, the relief and joy she could feel between her guardians, friends, and the principal in front of her spoke volumes.

"Then I would be more than happy to keep you in school, should you agree to a few terms."

"S-sure! Absolutely! Name them!"

"First and foremost, upon returning to school, you will be attending therapy sessions twice a week with Hound Dog to help control your Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I'm fine with you being a student, but I want you to be less of a danger to yourself and to others around you. Understand?"

The agreement was immediate. Camilla nodded and gave a firm "Mhm!", prompting Nezu to go on.

"Secondly, your lightsabers are to remain in my possession. I understand you built one and the other is your master's but until I feel you can safely wield them again, I feel it's best to keep you apart from them."

Camilla did flinch upon hearing her weapons would be stripped from her for a while, but after a moment, she figured it was bound to happen anyway. So, she nodded.

"I understand," she answered weakly.

The short mammal nodded and stood up in his chair, ready to take his leave. Before he did, he glanced at the blind girl and studied her expression.

"Is something wrong, Camilla?" Nezu asked.

"It's surprising is all, you taking this so well."

"Is it really that big a shock? This planet has been living with a super-powered population for centuries. To learn that life exists beyond our planet is hardly big news. The biggest surprise out of all of this, to me at least, is that humankind exists in more places than one."

"Well, to be fair, principal, not everyone on this planet is you," Mirko said.

"Tis a shame," Nezu said. "Anyway, I wish to discuss a few more terms with you, Camilla, but I feel it's better we shelve those for another day. It would be best for you to return home and rest."

"Is that gonna be a problem?" Mirko asked Tsukauchi.

The detective sighed as Camilla pointed her gaze towards him along with everyone else's.

"I suppose for now I can report the death as a freak accident…which I guess in a way isn't totally a lie. It's certainly not like Camilla meant to do what she did. But to omit her or the cause of death from the report may cause some questions to arise…"

"Please do what you can, detective. If you need any assistance please do not hesitate to let me know and I will give it." Nezu offered.

He sighed again as Camilla heard jingling of keys from his pocket. Gently, Tsukauchi took one of Camilla's hands into his own and used the other to unlock the cuffs. One at a time, her wrists were freed and then the blind girl found herself trapped in another hug, this time from behind but from the same peppy bluenette.

"Yes! I'm so happy! You're not expelled! You get to stay!" Nejire cheered.

Judging by the emotions flaring from Ochako and Izuku, the sentiment was shared by them as well.

"Talk about a lucky break," Tsukauchi commented.

"Not luck." Camilla corrected. "The will of the Force works oddly sometimes."

"Luck or will, who cares?" Mirko stood up straight. "Let's get the fuck outta here. We have a talk ahead of us."

"One that I'll ask you to keep me updated on," Tsukauchi went on. "I unfortunately need to return to the station. All those arrests means more paperwork and processing for me. Which means I'm about to destroy a few pots of coffee before I can return home."

The life of a pro hero was one of renown, but many people on this world take for granted what police officers do on a daily basis.

"Thank you for all of your help today, detective," Ryukyu said, ever grateful.

Tsukauchi responded not with words, but with a small bow in the dragoon hero's direction. Then he turned and walked out of the door, instructing officer Sansa to follow him. When his voice went away, Nejire suggested to the Jedi to go get changed so they could leave too. Camilla nodded, agreeing with that plan and stood up. But before she left, she faced Nezu once more and bowed to him as she would to a master on the Jedi council.

"Principal Nezu, I can't even begin to thank you."

"You are most welcome, Camilla. Just please consider all your options before giving me your decision. That's all I ask."

"I will."

She turned to walk towards the door, and everyone else followed.

"And if I may…"

Her hand froze over the knob, and she and the rest turned back to face Nezu again. Her vision through the Force couldn't make it out, but Camilla could've sworn by the contained joy within the principal that he was smiling at her.

"...allow me to personally welcome you into U.A. High School, Padawan Sharro."

That tone of acceptance and the formal use of her title was enough to make another small smile grace Camilla's lips.

With that, the meeting was truly adjourned, and the group left Nezu's office and headed down to the locker rooms. Once there, Camilla changed back into her school uniform, and the six of them got on the train for Izuku's and Camilla's neighborhood. As much as they were ready for this nightmare of a day to end, there was still one thing left to do before they could call it. They had to figure out exactly who would be brought into their circle of trust. Would it be a select few? Or would the Padawan dive in and tell everyone, like Nezu suggested? Either way, there was one more talk to be had.

Two, if one would count bringing a certain astromech up to speed.

When the door to Mirko's apartment opened, R3 sped over on all three legs and demanded to know what had taken her so long to get home like a concerned parent. Rather than give her droid an answer, Camilla just sidestepped by him and headed straight for the shower. Once she was clean and dressed in her PJs, she rejoined the group of five, now six with R3, and sat on the couch. Only then did she appease her oldest friend by sparing no detail on today's events.

Judging by how his chirping of Binary was flying out at previously unheard speeds, the rest of the group could correctly guess R3 wasn't thrilled.

"R3, R3, I'm begging you! Hey! Will you please just–ugh! Let me tell…"

As she watched the scene before her, normally, Ochako would giggle every so often at the antics of the two off-worlders. However, given that she had some idea of R3's agitation, and that Camilla was already in a heap of stress and trouble, this probably wouldn't be the best time to laugh.

The beeping kept flying out of R3 like the most censored show on television was playing behind them for a few more moments until the Jedi finally had enough. She balled her fist and pounded the top of the droid's dome, which seemed to do the trick in silencing him.

"Alright! That's enough!" Camilla cried.

Seeming to have calmed down by the tiniest percent, R3 then shot out another much shorter series of bleeps.

"I don't know what my next move is, R3. That's what we're all here to find out."

"Uuuhhh…yeah. That's not the case, kid."

Mirko's words made Camilla look over at her, confused but weary.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm pretty sure we all know what your next move has to be," the rabbit hero went on. "You're the only one hung up on it."

Ochako watched as her alien friend slowly shifted her "gaze" in each of their directions one by one. After going through all five of them twice over, she sighed in defeat and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"So, everyone here thinks I should tell them all?"

"Well…yeah," Izuku mumbled.

"It's kinda unavoidable," Nejire agreed.

The couch cushions poofed a bit as Camilla leaned back into them as if trying to disappear into them. Taking this moment, Ochako walked forward, sat beside her, and rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Camilla, you know what you have to do," Ochako calmly said.

"I know, alright?! I know what I have to do. I'm just trying to think if there's anything else I can do."

"There isn't, and you know it," Ryukyu said. "I'm frustrated that things lasted this short too, but Principal Nezu is right. Getting this out of the way sooner rather than later might be in everyone's best interest, including your own."

The silence rang as loud as war as Camilla's head bowed down again. Ochako scooted herself a bit closer to offer a bit more comfort. She only put an arm around her back, but the look of appreciation from the Jedi learner was all the affirmation Ochako needed to keep herself there.

"Then, I guess it's unavoidable," Finally, she relented. "All of them it is."

Ryukyu walked over and gingerly placed her hand on Camilla's other shoulder. She flashed a warm smile, and Ochako couldn't help but wonder if Camilla can even make it out when it was this close to her .

"I'll call Nezu tomorrow morning and let him know," the dragoon hero said.

Camilla nodded, and judging by how her head shifted to the others in the room, her next question was for all of them.

"Can I count on all of you to be there?"

One by one, everyone else gave the redhead a sign of confirmation—be it a nod of the head or a verbal response. The gesture aided another smile to grow.

"Great. R3 and I are gonna need all the help we can get."

"Breeeeep!?"

No one had seen R3's head turn so fast before that sentence was spoken.

"Woooweep! Bupoop!"

"Yes, 'we', R3. You were there the last time I had this conversation. Now, I need you again."

That appeared to be the incorrect response. Once again, the droid descended into anarchy with an incomprehensible chain of beeps that somehow qualified as a language. Every time R3 spoke, it never failed to surprise Ochako that there existed people who could translate this. Living proof sat beside her. Right now, that living proof was expelling probably her hundredth exasperated sigh of the day as she seemed to take in whatever it was R3 was ranting at her. Ochako wanted to take a crack at trying to talk sense into the robot, but decided that wasn't possible.

Ochako strained her brain trying to think of a way to take the stress down on Camilla, but the Jedi seemed to be ahead of her. She reached out her hand and set it atop R3's head. The act did succeed in silencing the droid.

"Please, R3. Please. I am so scared. I'm scared of what could happen, I'm scared of what I could do to my friends, I…I'm scared of myself. This scares me too. Thinking these people that I've been seeing time and time again in my head will hate me once they learn what I am, it terrifies me to no end. But…everyone is right. These people…I don't know why…but they're important to me. I screwed up today, yes. But…I have to see this through. They were always going to learn eventually. At the very least, this way we can make sure it's done directly from us."

The affectionate way Camilla rubbed her thumb back and forth over the metal of R3's head briefly made Ochako think about Camilla and R3's relationship. Yes, R3 was a robot, and she had seen robots at school. None of them were like this. None of them felt the way this one could.

"I need you now more than ever, old friend."

The droid didn't respond immediately, as if he were in thought. Then, R3's voice returned, but it seemed the answer wasn't one Camilla was hoping for. She sighed and rubbed a hand down her face; not the reaction one would see if they were hearing someone agree with her. Then she opened her mouth, about to speak again.

"Do you mind if I try something?"

Ochako stopped her before she could, confusing Camilla. Regardless, she shrugged and gestured to the droid, welcoming her attempt to reason with him. Smiling, Ochako approached and crouched down so her eyes were on level with R3's.

"R3, do me a favor. I'm going to ask you some questions. Just beep once for yes and twice for no. Can you do that for me?"

R3's silver and yellow head turned to point his eye in Camilla's direction for a good ten seconds. There wasn't really a clear way Ochako could figure to take that. But on the eleventh second, his head turned back to face Ochako and she heard one bleep exit his audio processor. With a smile, the gravity girl went on.

"Good! Now, you care about Camilla a lot, right?"

One beep.

"And you want her to have the best life she can, right?"

Another single beep.

"That's good. But what about you? Don't you want a life at all?"

The silence spoke volumes. R3 didn't respond, not even any of the humans around her, judging by their expressions, knew what Ochako was going for.

"Camilla wasn't the only one to crash here that night. R3 did too," Ochako clarified as she turned back to the droid. "You don't wanna stay cooped up in this apartment for the rest of your life do you?"

It was three seconds before the answer came out in the form of two slow beeps.

"Well, this could ensure that doesn't happen. I know you're worried about Camilla, all of us are. But you're important to consider in all of this. You're her best friend, and you mean a lot to us too. Wherever she goes, you've always been there with her. Now she needs you. Yeah, this is scary and there may be consequences, but I promise, we won't let that happen. Not to her or you. So…can we count on you to be there for her?"

The question hung in the air while Ochako and the group waited for an answer. After a few moments, none came. R3's head seemed to be stuck rotating back and forth between Camilla and Ochako, as if he were thinking. Artificial intelligence was a thing on this planet, but how far did it go with this droid? Could he think? Was he thinking right now? If he was, how much longer was she going to have to wait? A second later, the beeping came but it was a lot more than one or two. Another long string of what Ochako assumed as a complete sentence from the robot spilled out. As always, she had no clue what was said. Whatever it was, however, made Camilla smile.

"He said, 'You're the first person other than Camilla who said I mean a lot.'" Camilla told her.

Surprise overtook the brunette as she closed the gap between her and the droid and got down on her knees, putting her eyes on level with R3's own one.

"Of course you mean a lot. I'm sorry if I or anyone else ever made you think differently, but you do," Then she turned to the others. "Am I right?"

"Of course you are!" Nejire was over there in a flash and hugged R3 tightly from the side. "I don't care how often he zaps people when he feels annoyed, I still care about him!"

"Me too," Izuku walked over and placed the hand of his non-broken arm atop R3's head. "Seriously, how can anyone look at him and not think he's super cool?"

Ryukyu was next to join this little moment for R3 and placed an affectionate hand next to Izuku's atop his head.

"I know Camilla has taken up a lot of our attention since you both crashed here, but trust me, R3. I've always considered your well-being regarding these situations."

The little droid looked all around to the people surrounding him and giving him their assurances, presumably not used to being on the receiving end of said treatment. The way he shook in place a bit helped sell that thought. It was kind of adorable to Ochako, watching the other survivor of the Clone Wars get his own version of flustered. Then, his head turned to the only person who hadn't said anything. One by one, the others all turned to look too at Mirko who was sitting in her own chair and flicking her ears with indifference.

"Rumi? Care to say anything?" Ryukyu asked.

One of her signature tired groans was the response Ryukyu and the group got as Mirko recognized early on this wouldn't be something that would drop easily. That tone the dragoon hero used was a clear indicator of that.

"Fine. Some days, the tin can has his uses."

Correctly guessing that was as close to a compliment as R3 would get, Ochako decided to ask one more question.

"What do you say, R3? This is both yours and Camilla's secret to tell. Will you help her tell it?"

The silence rang through the apartment as all the occupants with heartbeats waited for R3's answer. Nejire looked like she was ready to burst from anticipation as the seconds ticked by. Right before that fuse ran out, a singular beep answered them. A wave of smiles came about the group.

"Thank you, dear friend," Camilla softly said.

Collectively, the others all gave their thanks to R3 as well. Not long after that, Izuku, Ochako, Nejire, and Ryukyu all left to return home. Ryukyu offered to give Ochako a ride home on her dragon form, but she politely declined, saying she wanted some time with her thoughts. Understanding, the draconic heroine and her intern both took to the sky to return home for the night, leaving Izuku and Ochako alone on the curb.

"I think I've kept Mom waiting long enough," Izuku said. "I should go. Good night, Uraraka."

Izuku turned to head back home and Ochako kept her eyes on his back for a few moments before thinking.

"Deku, wait."

The boy stopped and turned on his heel to look at her. Slowly, Ochako closed the gap, and when she was within distance, she put her arms around the boy's body and pulled him into a gentle hug, careful not to hurt his broken arm. She could immediately feel his entire body trembling, presumably at the concept of being hugged like this.

"Things are super crazy right now, but, I'm happy you're alright."

The trembling was still there, but it eased up after that sentence left Ochako's mouth. The arm that was still intact slowly moved up to her back and wrapped around it, giving Ochako a gentle squeeze.

"I'm h-happy you're alright too," He mumbled. "And…you looked really cool holding a lightsaber."

Feeling the burn in her cheeks as that compliment processed, Ochako smiled as best she could, and pulled away to look at Izuku's face. It was red from top to bottom.

'He's so cute…Dangit, why is he so cute! No! Focus, girl!'

She shook her head rather vigorously and smiled at him.

"Thanks. Um…g-good night, Deku."

"Good night, Uraraka."

The two turned their backs and began their walks home and the train station respectively. All the while, Ochako was tugging her hair and telling herself repeatedly to push these feelings, whatever the hell they were, as far away as she could. Right now, Camilla needed help. Whatever she and Izuku were to each other had to sit in the back seat and hopefully stay there for as long as possible. She kept that train of thought on the actual train back home, in the shower, and even as she laid in bed staring up at the ceiling of her lonely apartment. Tomorrow was another day.

A/N

Alrighty then. Here's the next chapter and I hope you all enjoyed it. No new art to showcase this time but there will be more as time goes on. In the meantime with me, I'm in the process of moving and college has started up. So now I'm juggling work, school, AND a move. There's some family stuff happening too but really the bottom line is, "Wow this all was timed together so poorly."

Also the new Ahsoka series is awesome and it's been serving as some pretty damn good fuel for me. So yay that.

So with that said, thank you all again for keeping with the story for so long. I love reading your comments and seeing what you all think and can't wait to see where it goes in the future. So with that said, thank you all for reading and I will see you in the next chapter!