I sat in one of the waiting room chairs staring at my phone. News articles had already been published for the incident two days ago. Media outlets were stating that Katsuki had been tapped to join the League of Villains, and the attack on the boot camp was the perfect excuse to get him out to their side without any extra questions. They were instigating the same fearmongering for Katsuki as they had done for me when the truth regarding my parents came out at the sports festival. They were using images of Katsuki's gold medal ceremony as proof of his villain future. I had been asleep in the infirmary at the time and had not seen a recording or photos from the ceremony. After all, the confirmation of a villain-hero relationship nixed almost all other news. It was astonishing that UA had chosen to chain and muffle Katsuki in order to give him his medal – after all, he did say that he had not truly won it.

I sighed, putting my phone away in the pocket of my shorts. I had been discharged this morning, but I could not bring myself to leave. The doctor that had seen me the other night had wrapped my hand in special cloths formulated with burn gel under a more protective wrapping. Recovery Girl had come to assist with healing everyone yesterday and had ordered a transfusion and nutrients for me. The doctors seemed confused until she said she would be unable to heal my wounds – but she had just healed Midoriya's arms right before me. Thankfully, they did not press the issue. It was not worth the headache explaining why to healthcare professionals who I hoped to never have to deal with again. At Recovery Girl's recommendation, they had kept me for an extra day for observation.

I gently touched my cheek with my right hand. The apple of my cheek and the fleshy bit below it was still a tad tender from Akari's slap. I had found out later that she had been telling the truth – she had been inside the cabin with everyone during the attack and had not left. It had been Aoyama who had shot the villain with the beam of light – his laser.

Akari had not come to visit Honenuki or any of her classmates yet. If she was so distraught over him the other night – then why had she not come? Were her tears just for show? Just for the attention? I wiped my eyes as tears started to sting at the corners. Hell, I was still crying over Katsuki's kidnapping, and we were just friends. We were nothing more than just friends. I retracted my hand from my face and picked out an ice cube from the cup beside me. After my transfusion yesterday, I was slowly beginning to feel temperature in the tips of my fingers. I ran the ice cube over my lower and upper arm, then my exposed legs – nothing. Was this another consequence of using my quirk? Or of double dosing?

"Makoto?" A voice gasped to my right. I lifted my head and saw Kirishima and Todoroki entering the main waiting room. The remainder of the cube turned to water in my hand. "You're already released? That's so manly! How's the hand?" Kirishima took the seat to my left, looking over my bandaged hand. Todoroki moved to stand in front of us.

I nodded. "Just have to wait for the burn to heal now."

"Recovery Girl didn't see you to?" Todoroki looked off towards Midoriya's wing.

"She did, I just used too much of my quirk for her to heal me." I answered. It wasn't a complete lie.

Kirishima groaned. "You've got to stop doing that – look at how long it took your nose to heal."

"Don't remind me," I sighed, letting myself sink into the chair farther. If I got paired up against Akari again, it would be a very different result. "Uhm, I heard some of the nurses say that Yaoyorozu woke up this morning."

Todoroki perked up slightly. "Shall we all visit her then?" Kirishima nodded, pulling me out of the chair by my triceps. I followed behind the two boys down the wing. The two went to enter her room but slunk back and out of the doorway. Todoroki put his finger to his lips, "All Might's in there with the police." Did Yaoyorozu know something about the attack? My heart skipped a beat as my breathing halted. I needed to know – maybe I could bring Katsuki back.

Yaoyorozu was the first to speak. "With the help from Awase from Class B, I was able to attach a tracker onto one of the villains. This is the creation that will receive that signal. I hope it helps your search."

All Might spoke next, "previously, Aizawa said you lacked the self-confidence and judgement needed to make quick decisions. My, how much you've grown."

"With a My classmate still in danger; it's frustrating. I can't help you more than this. I hate it."

"That painful feeling is a sign that you are worthy of being a hero. Please don't worry; you can leave the rest to us." Their feet began to slick against the tile. Todoroki, Kirishima, and I quickly returned to walking down the hall. "Why, if it isn't young Satoshi, young Todoroki, and young Kirishima! Visiting your classmates?" We turned to face the two. He smiled as he greeted us, hands on his hips.

"Yeah, we're just on our way to see Midoriya," Todoroki quickly covered.

All Might's smile faded. "How did you hurt your hand?"

I became flustered for a moment, staring at my hand. "I-I burnt it on one of the villains."

"Was it from Dabi – the patchwork man?" The officer interjected.

I shook my head, "he said his name was Death Wish."

The officer frowned. "Are you sure that was his name?" I nodded. "Death Wish was not apprehended with the others. Please, don't go anywhere on your own until he is in custody. Here's my card – if he tries to make contact. Has someone taken your statement yet?"

"N-no." I shook my head as I took his card. Detective Tsukauchi. He was tall and well built with a squared jaw and matching dark eyes and hair.

He nodded. "We'll be in contact then. Stay safe, you three." With that, the two left. I looked down at his business card once more before shoving it into my front pocket. If Death Wish was still out with the League – Katsuki was not safe. That villain had a hunger that only killing his prey could satiate. I took in a breath as All Might, and the detective disappeared from view before walking into Yaoyorozu's room. I was going to rescue Katsuki, with or without her help.

"Oh, Satoshi," Yaoyorozu smiled. Her forehead was wrapped in bandages, and her eyes had trouble adjusting to their focus. Todoroki and Kirishima entered the room a moment after, "hello everyone." I'm going to rescue Katsuki. I took in a sharp breath, focusing on the floor. I'm going to rescue Katsuki. My right hand tightened into a fist at my side. I'm going to rescue Katsuki.

"Hey – how are you feeling?" Kirishima spoke, moving past me to her side. I'm going to rescue Katsuki.

"Alright," she replied, "my head still hurts, though. Are you three, okay?" I'm going to rescue Katsuki.

"Uh, yeah. Makoto's hand got burnt pretty bad though," Kirishima's hand rose to rub the back of his neck. I'm going to rescue Katsuki.

"I'm going to rescue Katsuki," I said it out loud this time. Katsuki's fear struck face was burned into my mind as the villains pulled him through the portal. I lifted my gaze to meet theirs. "Please – make another receiver."

Yaoyorozu swallowed hard, her smile disappearing. "You were listening. How do you plan on rescuing Bakugo? There's no way you can go – especially not injured."

"I-I'll figure it out," I said, letting out a shaky breath. "I can't just sit here and do nothing." Kirishima and Todoroki nodded.

"I'm going with you. I feel the same way. I just sat there and let them take my best friend without doing anything," Kirishima shouted, hands hardening into fists. "So please, make us a new receiver!"

"Do you want to rescue him too, Todoroki?" Yaoyorozu turned her attention to him.

He nodded. "It's all that's been on my mind since it happened. If we had been just a little stronger, we could have prevented it."

"So?" Yaoyorozu turned her attention back to me. "You have Kirishima and Todoroki on your side, but how do you plan to accomplish your mission? I don't want to see more of my friends getting harmed." Friend.

"I don't know how yet, but tomorrow night. I'm going, with or without your help." I turned to leave. "I'm not letting my friend stay there a moment longer." I rushed from the room.

"Let me think about it!" Yaoyorozu shouted. I stopped in my tracks at her door. "Okay?"

"Meet us in front of the hospital tomorrow after dark." Todoroki spoke for me before we left her alone. We made our way down to Midoriya's room in silence. When we arrived, he was still unconscious, both of his arms cast heavily.

"Do you think we can do this without Yaomomo?" Kirishima spoke after a moment. I let myself fall back against the wall. "Can the three of us even try?"

Todoroki shrugged. "They could be anywhere. Realistically, they would remain in Japan, but we don't know where they could have warped to."

"I'll make a call." Redemption or one of his sidekicks might have information on the League or one of its new members. "Someone out there must know something."

"Satoshi," Todoroki spoke from his spot beside Midoriya's bed, "do you think we can rescue Bakugo without fighting?"

I nodded. "I believe we can do this without breaking any laws." But, if it came down to it – maybe I would be labelled a villain after all.

"Let's visit the others and get out of here." Kirishima rubbed the back of his neck. "It's seriously depressing seeing Midoriya broken again." I followed behind the two boys to Hagakure and Jiro's room – both of which were still unconscious from the noxious gas from a middle school villain. Middle school… had my father chosen his path early on as well? Could he have become a hero instead if he had met the right people?

We exited the hospital together, walking to the train station in silence. Todoroki was the first to speak. "I'm going to head home. I'll come back and visit them again tomorrow."

Kirishima nodded, "hopefully, they'll wake up tomorrow. Are you going to come to Makoto?"

I shook my head. "I'm going to do some reconnaissance tomorrow. Depending on what I find…"

"You're not going to go in alone," Kirishima said firmly, jaw tight. "If you can't meet up for then, let us know where to connect with you. We'll save our friend together!" He looked down at me, pleading with me. His eyes were tearing up in the corners ever so slightly. I reluctantly nodded.

"Where do you live," Todoroki asked as we descended the station steps.

"Outer east end of Musutafu," Kirishima replied. His brows rose as something in his brain clicked. "I'll get her home safe." Right. The detective said to not go anywhere on my own because of Death Wish. Todoroki nodded, taking the train west while we boarded the next train east.

We sat in silence on the train, staring at our phones. I opened my Instagram app; the latest post was from Hawks. He was feeding a dear at a lush park. The same park we had ended our day in during our internships. I typed in Katsuki's username and began to scroll through his posts once again.

"Is that Bakugo's account?" Kirishima whispered, resting his arm across my shoulders. "Hey – did you accidentally like one of his photos at like, two in the morning a few nights ago?"

I froze, my finger mid scroll. My head snapped up to meet his. "How do you know that?"

Kirishima gave me a wide, sharped toothed grin. "I walked in on him freaking out after those extra late-night classes from Aizawa and Vlad. I've never seen Bakugo pissed off and embarrassed at the same time. We were trying to figure out if you did it on purpose or if you accidentally liked one. What were you doing up that late anyway?"

I cast my gaze downward at the floor of the train car. "I-I had something on my mind."

"So, which is it?" Kirishima cocked his head, his right arm moving to rest on the back of the seat behind me.

I sighed and returned to look up at Kirishima. "I tried to turn my phone off when Mina entered from your lessons - it was a mistake."

He hummed, "you know what – I'm really proud of you." I tilted my head slightly in confusion. "You've really grown a lot since we started school. Whenever anyone tried to reach out to you – you ran and hid. I'm glad to have gotten to know the real Makoto."

[B&M]

I waved to Kirishima as he started down the road back to the train station. I awkwardly shut the large wooden door behind me as I made my way out of the main compound to the guest house. There was no sign of Akari anywhere. I locked myself inside and laid on the sofa with my phone to my ear.

"Hey, Makoto! How's the hand?" Redemption answered after the first ring.

"It's fine," I answered quickly. "I was actually calling to see if either you or any of your sidekicks had noticed a burnt, patchworked man before?"

"Isn't that the guy from Kamino?" An unknown voice spoke up in the background. Was I on speaker phone? He never put me on speaker phone.

Redemption yelled at the man before turning his attention back to me. "No! You're going to try to rescue that kid. Are you fucking crazy like your mother? No. Absolutely not. Leave it up to the Pros to do. If I see you – I will run you back to UA myself." The line went dead. Damn it.

Who told him about my hand? I let my phone drop onto my chest as I stared at my wrapped hand. The specialized wrapping was supposed to support the growth of healthy new skin in an expedited manner – but I doubt it would be healed for tomorrow. I could do whatever needed to be done to rescue Katsuki with one hand. I rolled off my sofa onto my feet and grabbed my school bag. I unzipped the compartments and hung it upside down, shaking it until everything fell out. I went to my closet and grabbed a change of clothing, a hoodie, and a notebook – packing it away in my bag.

[B&M]

My phone began to ring in my back pocket. I adjusted my book bag and pulled my phone out of my back pocket. I ducked into an alley and answered the call, "hello?"

"Hey, we're all here. Where are you?" Kirishima spoke on the other end.

"I'm already here." I answered, eyeing the dank and smelly puddle under the garbage bin. Gross.

A group of people gasped. "In Kamino," Yaoyorozu questioned. If Yaoyorozu's tracker and that loudmouth from Redemption's call noted the same city – I was definitely in the right place. Redemption was probably somewhere in this city for the same reason I was then.

"I heard that someone matching that blue flame user's description was seen in the area." I answered. If Yaoyorozu was there, she was on board to rescue Katsuki.

"We'll come into the city from Daibaku station." Iida spoke this time. "Meet us there at ten o'clock."

"Iida?" I cocked my head, watching the alley around me, "did you tell people about our plan?"

"We'll see you in Kamino soon!" Kirishima redirected before he hung up. I stared at my phone for a moment as the screen went dark. They were really coming. I felt a tingling sensation spread out from my chest. This task just got much more complicated - or easier. I was not yet sure which one it may be. I would have backup and assistance to rescue Katsuki, but now I was also responsible for at least four others and their safety. It was my idea after all. I let out a sigh and typed in the name of the train station. It was about a thirty-minute walk from the alley into a section of the city that I had not checked yet. If I met up with them, I would have their exact location to rescue Katsuki, and my aimless searching could end.

I continued along the main streets that were covered in shop stalls and restaurants, bars and estheticians, before searching in the alleys. After two hours of searching, there was nothing new that I had learned besides for that he wasn't there. Katsuki had to still be alive – please.

I sat outside of the bustling Daibaku station with a can of iced coffee from the cheapest vending machine. The time was ticking closer and closer to ten. I tapped my heel against the cement stair – I was wasting time sitting here waiting for them. I took my phone out of its case; three black papers tucked into my case. Three? No, there should only be two. I opened them – the notes from the sports festival and after my final exam were still there. But there was one that was brand new. It was on the same black paper in the same white paint pen. This time it was not an encouraging message. 'Don't do something stupid'. Whoever was sending these notes – and now hiding them – knew of my rescue plan. Though, was it stupid to try to rescue Katsuki on my own or as a task regardless of who I brought along?

"So, this is Kamino ward, it's so crowded," a short, slow voice spoke. Todoroki? I turned to see Kirishima, Yaoyorozu, Iida, Todoroki, and Midoriya standing just opposite the station entrance. Midoriya came as well? Both of his arms were bandaged, but it appeared that his breaks had been healed. I stuffed the three notes back into my case and popped my phone into place.

"Those villains are hiding somewhere in this city – just tell me where to go!" Kirishima attempted to run into the street but was stopped by Yaoyorozu's shout. I stood and crossed the stairs to their group. "Makoto!"

Midoriya's shoulders relaxed. "I'm glad to see you're okay. Todoroki told me that you were injured at the boot camp too. How are you healing?"

I lifted my bandaged hand as I stopped a few feet away from their tight circle, "slow but fine. Let's get away from the entrance so we can talk." The group nodded.

"From now on we need to be extremely careful. These criminals already know what we look like, remember? We have to consider that we could be attacked at any moment," Yaoyorozu spoke once we stopped on a quieter part of the sidewalk.

"We won't be able to scout effectively if we're recognisable – and even if we were to rely on Satoshi to scout for us with her quirk, we would be a hindrance to her." Iida mused.

Kirishima rubbed the back of his neck, "okay. What should we do?"

Yaoyorozu pointed to a large over-stock store behind us, "I have an idea, though it is a bit old school." Everyone quickly entered the store, finding items for their disguises. I sat outside of the change room, watching as everyone picked their alter-egos. Midoriya came out dressed in a purple shirt, matching blue jacket and pants with sunglasses, goatee, and a golden chain. Todoroki had on a black vested suit over a blue button-up and a very poorly affixed wig while Yaoyorozu slipped on a gaudy pink dress, sunglasses and load upon load of jewelry. Iida slicked back his hair and put on a stick-on mustache. He had on simple slacks with a white button-up, bow tie, and suspenders. Kirishima on the other hand, slicked his hair down, stuck horns on either side of his head, and sported a dark red jogging suit over a white shirt.

"Where's your outfit?" Yaoyorozu sat down beside me while the others went to pay for their creations.

"I'll just keep myself broken down or something," I tried to redirect.

Her face fell, "is this store too expensive? I'll cover you – go find your outfit! Maybe a wig to cover your hair, though." Yaoyorozu stood, grabbed me by the elbows and pulled me to my feet before leading me to the women's clothing section.

"I can't ask you to do that," I paused, placing my hands between us.

"Good thing you're not asking then!" She beamed before riffling through the racks. I sighed, defeated, and began to look through the rows of dresses. Unfortunately, that would be the easiest to put on with one hand. I pulled out a white sundress with a plunging neckline – that was very out of character for me. I pursed my lips, debating the decision. "I found a blonde wig for you – you've got to try it on with that dress!" She hurried me into the change room. Yaoyorozu was having too much fun disguise shopping.

I slipped out of my grey tank top and unbuttoned my jean shorts just enough to have them drop. I threw the dress over my head and gently worked for my wrapped hand through first before my other and pulled it into place. The deep neckline ended two inches above my belly button. The pieces of fabric that covered my breasts tied in a halter at the back of my neck. I would need help with my hair to wear the wig decently well. I exited the change room with my shirt and shorts in my good hand. "Could someone help me with my wig?"

"Kirishima, do you mind? I'll go take the tags and pay!" Yaoyorozu pulled the tags off the dress and wig before marching to the front of the store.

"Do you have a hair tie?" Kirishima motioned for me to sit down on the bench. I nodded, sitting on the bench again, and handed him the hair tie I kept on my wrist. He swiftly gathered all of my hair into a bun before slipping the long straight blonde wig into place. I thanked him and put my clothes into my backpack before we exited the store to meet the others.

"Let's leave our clothes in the station lockers," Midoriya suggested, lowering his vocal tone to poorly mimic a gruff delinquent. We turned back towards the station in agreement.

"Look! There's UA." A voice cried out. We all froze. Had we already been recognized in these ridiculous costumes? How?! A large screen on a department store flashed from the news to an image of Principle Nezu, Vlad, and Aizawa bowing to the press. They were apologizing for being negligent for the events at the bootcamp. They weren't negligent, though. The media pressed them about how often we had been targeted by villains. They theorized that the reason we were being attacked by villains so often was that I was coordinating those plans. They all thought that I was the cause of this. The crowd around us murmured about why I had not been expelled or jailed yet.

Katsuki had been kidnapped and all they could do was blame their perception of me for the situation at hand. The media was being harsh as well – putting more and more polarizing questions on air for the teachers.

Nezu cleared his throat. "The student that you are villainizing was one of the students injured during the recent conflict. I can assure you all, if there were any concerns regarding her time at UA – she would not have a place within our doors. Now, I would appreciate you end this line of questions on Miss Satoshi." I felt a hand grab for my right. Kirishima squeezed my hand before pulling me away from the screen to the station, putting my bag in with his. The others had gone on ahead of us – how long had I been watching? Yaoyorozu pulled her tracker out and led the way through the crowded streets until we exited into a less lively business district.

"Okay, this is the spot the tracker is broad casting from," Yaoyorozu spoke as she stopped at the corner of the alley. Across the street was a large warehouse with darkened windows. "According to the tracking information, the villain hasn't left this location for the past day. We don't know what we're going into – there might be one villain, and who knows what else. They may even have Bakugo someplace else. We're going in completely blind."

"I don't like how things are looking. If I think things are going to be the least bit dangerous, we're done," Iida stressed.

I rubbed my thumb across the first knuckle of my pointer. "I'll break down and investigate from the inside. We'll have our answer then."

Yaoyorozu created an earpiece and handed it to me while she created a second for Kirishima, "so we can stay in touch if you find anything." I nodded, slipping the device over my right ear. We made our way down the thin alley to the side of the building.

"I'll watch your back from out here," Kirishima held up a night vision device. Those things were expensive! Hopefully, he had not purchased it just for this mission. I nodded, breaking my body down. The group stopped at a window. Iida boosted Kirishima up with his night vision camera while Todoroki boosted Midoriya on his shoulders. I entered the warehouse.

It was an appalling sight. Large vats sat in rows filled with unawakened Nomus. There had to be at least twenty ready for deployment. Rag Doll laid on a bloodied table off to the side. I reformed a hand and gently touched her – there was no response. I closed my fist and rubbed my knuckles over her breast bone – still no response to stimuli. Her eyes were open and glazed over, staring into nowhere. I reformed my head, using my hand to press the button on the earpiece to speak. "Rag Doll is here, alive but unresponsive." Katsuki, where are you?

"Someone's in there watching you!" Kirishima shouted. I spun around, searching the corners of the warehouse. I had not noticed anyone. "Second floor, top of the stairs." I caught the wisps of blonde hair disappearing into nothing. Long, blonde strands – it couldn't be. Then the warehouse collapsed from the ceiling down. I had just enough time to break my head and hand back down. I shifted my atoms to above my classmates. Mount Lady, Tiger, Gang Orca, and Beast Jeanist had been the cause of the destruction and they captured all of the Nomu in a single act. Tiger hugged Rag Doll close to their body, trying to get her to react to stimuli as well. Just what had happened to her? My classmates sat on the ground with their backs to the alley wall.

"Is everything alright," Midoriya asked, looking around in the air.

I reformed my head beside the window. "It's a group of pro heroes, they've captured the Nomu, and Rag Doll is safe."

"What about Bakugo?" Iida turned, his shoulders pressing into both sides of the alley. I shook my head. "It seems that the pros were on it before us. They'll find him and bring him back to UA." If Katsuki wasn't here – where was he being kept? I broke myself down watching from the window.

"I'm sorry, but Rag Doll's quirk was so useful I just had to take it. How could I not?" A deep voice echoed from deeper in the warehouse. Had to have her quirk? "Since my body was destroyed; I haven't had the time to stock up on new quirks." Best Jeanist instantly sent out strands from his sleeve and wrapped them around the man in the background. I could see his fibers glinting in the moonlight, but I could not see his target. A bright light emitted from the man a moment before the remainder of the warehouse exploded outward. I reformed myself, dropping to the ground beside Yaoyorozu. The detonation caused the buildings around the man to crumble into dust. Half of the wall that hid us had been blasted away. I broke myself down again, peeking over the ruin. It was a tall man in a black suit with a black breathing apparatus covering his face. Who was that?

My classmates looked sick from the villainous pressure he exuded. Buildings were encased in flames. The man began to lift away from the ground, floating steadily fifteen meters from where he had been. Each and every single Nomu had been covered in a gray sludge that exploded from their mouths – and in an instant they were gone. Tiger, Best Jeanist, Gang Orca, and Mount Lady were sprawled throughout the rubble. How strong was he?

The man started to clap. "I see why you're the number four hero, Best Jeanist. That blast should have annihilated the lot of you. But you were able to manipulate everyone's clothing and pull them out of the way just in time. Quick thinking. Consider me impressed." Best Jeanist sat up painfully, manipulating the fibres in his jacket. A hole suddenly appeared in his stomach as the ground behind him cracked at the impact of an unknown force. Then the waterfall of blood exploded out from the hole. "Your skill comes from time and patience of working your quirk into its finest. It wouldn't pair well with Tomura's disposition."

My heart fell into my stomach and ceased function as a blob of sludge appeared a few feet in front of the man. Katsuki stood coughing when the sludge disappeared into the ground. The League of Villains appeared behind Katsuki not a moment later, spluttering up sludge. I watched as the man spoke, approaching Shigaraki with an open hand. No, no! I needed a way to get Katsuki out of there. He was surrounded by villains in a large open area. The man had some sludge travel quirk – but he also caused an explosion and gave Beast Jeanist a new hole in his stomach. It was not safe for Katsuki to be out there – but I didn't know how I was going to get him out. Who was this man?

All Might came hurtling down from the sky, crashing into the man. "I'll have you return my student, All for One!" All for One? No way. That could not be All for One – he was supposed to be dead. The man caught All Might's fists with open hands, a gust causing debris and pressure to move away from them. As if they were the eye of the storm. Katsuki and the other villains were pushed away from the two and farther from where I floated. The man had multiple quirks just like All for One. Please still be alright, Katsuki. All Might lunged at All for One, but his arm expanded before a large gust of air hit All Might. He went flying past the fallen buildings and through those that still stood.

"Get off the battlefield. Tomura – and take that child with you," All for One ordered and lifted his hand. His fingers turned dark with red glowing patterns running along his extremities as they shot out and into Kurogiri, the portalForcibleeable quirk activation." All Might burst out of the debris and shot back into the fight with All for One. The villains turned on Katsuki, attacking wildly. He dodged their attacks and let off small explosions to get around them or catch them off guard. I needed to get Katsuki out of there, now. I could use my nebula to create a safe space for Katsuki away from the villains – but then we'd both be stuck in the middle of the battle. Even with just Katsuki, All Might would not be able to fight freely with Katsuki still at the centre of the action.

"Tell us your plan," Todoroki spoke to Midoriya. I pulled myself away from the fight and reformed my head in front of the group.

"Alright. Kirishima is the key to our success. Iida and I will use our quirks to propel ourselves, while Kirishima will use his hardening to allow us to break the wall. The second we've cleared it Todoroki will make a huge slab of ice – as high as he can go. Then we'll cross the battlefield at a height they'll never hope to reach. Kirishima, when there's space between him and the villains, call out to Kachan and he'll use his explosions to join us in the air." Midoriya explained, his gaze drilling into Kirishima's red eyes.

"No," Kirishima shook his head, "Makoto should be the one to do it. I'll be able to hold onto him and get us away from this mess, but she's the only one that can get his attention." My chest went cold as everyone looked at me.

"Okay," I nodded.

Midoriya gave me a small smile, "when we start ascending, call out, and join us." I bit my lip and nodded, dissipating the rest of me. I moved through the stone wall and above the battle zone. Katsuki was trying to dodge the villains that had attacked us, letting explosions off in their faces. A moment later, the wall burst open and a huge slab of ice appeared.

"Katsuki!" I called out once I had solidified my face. He looked up and made eye contact with me. He smirked, using his explosions to propel himself up and above the villains. I broke my face down as he grabbed onto Kirishima's hand. I watched as Katsuki and the others landed on the other side of the wall. I felt something hit my atoms hard. My body solidified on impact and I was sent flying after them. I landed in a pile of rubble on the other side of the wall. The broken bricks dug into my back.

"Satoshi," Iida and Midoriya yelled out. I groaned, pushing myself upright. Katsuki stared down at me, his face stunned. He held out his hand to me; I reached up and took it. He pulled me up. My body crashed into his. Katsuki wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly. His chin rested on the top of my head. I could hear his heart hammering away in his chest. Katsuki was alive and still had his quirk – we had done it. I relaxed under his hold. He was safe.

"Four-Eyes take off your shirt," Katsuki demanded, snapping at Iida.

"Uh, r-r-r-right," Iida stammered. I heard fabric rustling. After a moment, Katsuki draped his shirt around my shoulders.

"Why don't you give her yours," Kirishima shrugged. Katsuki held up the edges of the shirt while I slipped my arms into the sleeves. I quickly buttoned the shirt from the bottom up.

"You idiot! My shirt wouldn't cover her," Katsuki yelled at our friend. I rolled up the ends of Iida's sleeves. His white button-up came down to my knees and covered everything, thankfully. If I were to wear Katsuki's, my top half would be covered and nothing else. Katsuki grumbled as he undid his belt and wrapped it around my waist, forcing a new hole in the leather to fit me. I looked a little less like a mess.

"Anyway," Midoriya stammered, "let's get to the main streets away from here. But – Satoshi, what happened?"

I froze, staring at the wall that separated us from All for One and All Might. "I don't know." It was the same as at the boot camp. Someone with our quirk had attacked me this time. None of the villains had long blonde hair – and Mount Lady was on the opposing side of the building when the roof collapsed initially. Akari had to be involved somehow. Katsuki grabbed my right hand and started to pull me out of the alley. I stumbled, barefoot across the cement sidewalks littered with debris. Hopefully, Todoroki and Yaoyorozu grabbed my shoes, at least. The others followed us. I held down the back of Iida's shirt the best I could with my burnt fingers. We made our way out of the crumbled alleys and empty streets until we exited onto the main street. The street was crowded with people watching the news coverage of their battle from a distance. Katsuki pulled me in closer to himself as we were drowned in the center of the crowd drawn into watching the screen. I watched the edges of the fight. If Akari was there – I would be able to recognise her if she moved quickly enough.

I froze as the crowd cheered. All Might had landed the final blow on All for One, and he was finally down. But, floating for a few seconds at the back of the warehouse was a slight shift in light that blurred and slightly offset – like looking through a glass of water and the displacement of light against the straw. It was Akari.