AN: Thanks for reading and leaving reviews, everyone!

Shota stood on the far corner of UA's rooftop, looking out over the campus. The police and assisting heroes had long since left to process the villains, and the students had been dismissed for the day. A double handful of upperclassmen had come together and volunteered to escort the students of 1-A home, but he still noticed a handful of students remaining on campus.

He idly observed the students until he heard the door to the stairwell open. Spinning around, he saw Nemuri and Hizashi approaching him.

"Sho," Nemuri started, noticing the subtle change in his demeanor immediately. "What happened today?"

"It's not like you to mess up like that," Hizashi agreed.

"Oboro," Shota answered, as if the name would explain everything.

"What do you mean Oboro?!" Hizashi demanded. "There's no way he'd become a villain!"

"Not willingly," Nemuri retorted, only keeping her composure slightly better than Hizashi was. "You saw him, didn't you?"

"Yes," Shota confirmed. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and continued. "The villain Kurogiri - our primary objective. All Might succeeded in blowing away his concealing smoke so that I could Erase his quirk but-"

"How?!" Hizashi asked. "He- Oboro died!"

"I know!" Shota yelled. "That's why I screwed up. I- I hesitated and two kids are in the hospital because of me. We should have ended this, damn it! But-"

"You didn't know," Nemuri said softly. "How could you?"

"I-"

"Look, if those kids didn't come back in time then we wouldn't be better off," Hizashi pointed out. "Better to learn sooner rather than later, right?"

"Zashi's right - we can't even know if you knew back then," Nemuri added.

"Thanks," Aizawa said quietly. While he had doubts about his own ignorance in the matter, he appreciated their encouragement. Oboro's death was felt by all of them, so if anyone understood how he felt right now, it would be them.

"So what're you gonna do?" Hizashi asked.

"What do you mean?" Shota lied.

"Oh come on." Nemuri folded her arms. "You can't tell me you are going to just let Oboro go. You know damn well that Zashi and I aren't going to either."

"You're right." The ghost of a smile formed on Shota's lips. "I don't know when we're going to get another chance, but the next time Oboro shows up, I won't let him go."

"You mean we won't let him go," Hizashi corrected.

"We'll help you capture Kurogiri, and then we'll see about getting Oboro back," Kayama promised.

"Sounds like a plan," Aizawa agreed.

After they were let out for the day, Kyoka quickly made her way home to find her worried parents waiting for her. Which was fine by her - despite her demeanor, she was shaken by the experience and appreciated their hugs and reassurance. After promising her parents that she was okay and finally changing out of her hero costume (which was thankfully more practical than most of her classmates), she was ready to head back out.

Because unlike her, Aika never made it home. And she sure as hell wasn't gonna let her best friend be stuck in the hospital alone.

Pulling out her phone, she smiled when she saw the message from Nezu. The principal took sympathy on her and had passed along her room number along with the assurance that she was in stable condition.

Not wasting any more time, she took off toward Mustafu General Hospital. It didn't take long for her to arrive, and soon, she stood in front of her friend's room. Taking a deep breath, Kyoka put her hand on the handle and opened the door.

She was greeted by the sound of a heart rate monitor, its steady beeping the only sound in the room as she entered. Seconds later, she saw her friend lying on the bed. Her costume had been replaced by a hospital gown and she appeared to be sleeping peacefully. If it wasn't for the numerous IVs hooked up to her arm, Kyoka could have sworn it was just like one of their sleepovers where her friend overslept (like she always did).

"Hey Aika," Kyoka said, giving a timid wave with her hand, but her jacks clicking together told a different story. "I hope you don't mind me dropping in."

She dragged the provided chair next to the bed and plopped down into it. Once again, her jacks betrayed her as they hovered over her friend, assuring her that her heart was steady and that she was breathing. Aika's breath was a little shallow but not dangerously so.

"This is the longest I think you've ever been quiet." Kyoka smirked. "And I'm counting when we're in class too. It's weird - I don't like it."

The girl let out a loud sigh as she stood up and grabbed a clipboard with her charts. "I know you're quirk's supposed to make you invincible, but I guess even that's got its limits. Quirk Exhaustion, Internal bleeding… I swear if any of this forces you to give up your dream…" She hung the chart back up with more force than necessary. "We promised to be heroes together. All of that training Mido and Raka gave us, the trust they placed in us. I just- why'd you do it?"

"Kyo…ka."

Kyoka gasped as her eyes shot up. Aika's eyes were partially open, and she was staring right at her.

"Aika!" In an instant, she was next to her friend's side. "You're awake!"

"Did we win?" Aika asked slowly.

"Hmph. Of course you'd ask that." Kyoka closed her eyes as she smiled at her friend. "Yeah, we did. Most of us got out pretty unscathed too." She decided to omit the part about Katsuki for now.

"I'm glad." Aika gave up on trying to keep her eyes open, but she turned her head toward her friend to let her know she was still paying attention. "Too bright."

"That's rich coming from you." Kyoka hesitated as she looked at her friend. "Do you remember what happened?"

"Yeah. That girl. Her music was so sad. So I- did what Uraraka told us-"

"And then she tried to explode you," Kyoka said darkly.

"It's okay. I survived."

Kyoka placed her hand on her friend's shoulder, steadying her. Aika was too weak to try laughing, but her brain supplied the sound anyway. "You didn't deserve that."

"She- I want to talk to her again."

"And what if she tries to hurt you a second time?"

"Then I'll… get stronger…"

"Aika-"

"Don't- mad. My- choice."

"Damn it." Kyoka hung her head. "Why are you like this?"

"You- love me," Aika said, and when Kyoka looked she saw a crooked grin on her face.

"You got me," Kyoka admitted. "Someone's gotta keep you out of trouble."

"Appreciate… you," Aika said. She weakly held up a hand, and Kyoka took it, threading their fingers together.

"Get some rest Aika," Kyoka said. "You want me to play some music for you?"

"Yes… nice."

Kyoka used her jacks to fish her phone out of her bag. Dropping it into her free hand, she unlocked it and pulled up the j-pop playlist. The one she created with Aika, and she would die before she admitted she listened to it. Turning the playlist on, she set the phone down and told Aika everything she knew about the attack until the other girl fell back asleep.

She waited a bit longer, until her stomach reminded her that it was long past dinnertime. With an annoyed huff, Kyoka extracted her hand and retrieved her phone. "I'm going to get out of here. I hope you feel better soon. I'll be back tomorrow. With Mido and Raka - they owe you some answers."

Feeling better, she left the hospital. Stepping out into the evening sky, she raised her head and sighed.

"Even with our training, being a hero's a lot harder than I thought. I'm jealous of how easy this is for you, Aika."

After a long afternoon making sure their classmates were taken care of followed by a meeting with the heroes and teachers, Izuku and Ochako finally found themselves alone. Not giving Izuku any chance to escape, Ochako made her move.

"Izu," Ochako said, noticing his subtle tensing as he anticipated what she was about to ask. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not getting out of this, am I?" Izuku asked.

"Nope!" Ochako said brightly. "You know me too well."

Izuku couldn't help but smile at his girlfriend. "I guess you're right. It's just - a lot."

"Izu-" Ochako closed the distance between them and took his hands in hers. "You don't have to shoulder the burden alone. Let me help you."

"You're right," Izuku admitted. "It's just - it feels like this is all my fault. They're-"

"They're your family," Ochako said firmly. "But that's not your fault! This - this is all an attempt to get back at All Might. Not you. Otherwise- otherwise I wouldn't even be here!"

"Ocha-" Izuku gasped.

"Tell me I'm wrong," Ochako said.

"You're… not," Izuku admitted as his face fell.

"And it would be really awkward if I was!" Ochako giggled far-too loudly.

That earned a small chuckle out of Izuku. "It really would." He looked fondly at his girlfriend and leaned in for a quick kiss, which she happily reciprocated. "Thanks Ocha."

"Oh I'm not done yet," Ochako warned him. "Where do you want to go so we can talk more?"

"Hmm," Izuku pondered. "How about we go to the lake?"

"Sounds great!" Ochako agreed, letting one of Izuku's hands go. "Lead the way!"

Their trip was almost surreal. The attack on the USJ had already made the news, and as they walked, they were painfully aware of their UA uniforms and the attention it gave them. It wasn't much, but they caught more than a few glances and whispered questions.

Thankfully, nobody dared to follow them and soon enough they reached the quiet lake that was their destination. Since most people were still at work or in school, the nearby cafe was still empty, and the benches that dotted the lakeside were all but abandoned, save for the few birds looking for an easy meal. Fortunately, they didn't care about the day's events and left the two alone as they found a bench far away from the road and sat down. Looking at Izuku curiously, Ochako offered her arm and Izuku accepted, leaning into his girlfriend's side.

"Are you okay?" Izuku asked.

"Mostly," Ochako confessed before she gave him a sideways glance. "Are you trying to shift the focus off of you?"

"No," Izuku said softly. "But it's your turn. We're a team, right?"

"Way to throw my words back at me," Ochako grumbled before sighing. "I'm angry at Bakugo. But I'm also angry at myself. I wasn't fast enough to save him."

"That's not your fault," Izuku insisted.

"I just- after all this time, all this training, and I'm left feeling like I'm not good enough," Ochako admitted, her fist clenching. "If I can't save someone right in front of me-"

"Ocha." Izuku sat up and before she knew what was happening he was sitting in her lap. "Remember all of my dark moments, when I thought I'd never be good enough?"

"Of course," Ochako said, knowing where this was going.

"Well." Izuku traced a finger along his girlfriend's cheek, slowly circling one of her blush marks. "Someone very important to me made sure I knew that I was good enough. Because no matter how many times I failed. I always got back up again - and that's more important."

"Izu." Ochako cupped his hand with her own as she closed her eyes. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Izuku smiled at her. "You're allowed to feel bad. Today was worse than we both expected - in more ways than one."

"You can say that again." Ochako frowned. "I was hoping for a normal school year this time!"

"Me too," Izuku said. He gave her a crooked smile before his face turned serious again. "Now though - we have no idea what Hana's going to do."

"You said she was angry, didn't you?" Ochako asked. "She never was that way in my timeline. She was always cold and calculating. Much like a watchmaker."

"That's not how she was today," Izuku replied. "I guess her brother's presence had an effect on her."

"And her presence probably affected Tom- Tenko," Ochako agreed.

"I'm sure we'll find out soon. I want to talk to him."

"Of course you do." Ochako smiled warmly at her boyfriend. "Do you want me there?"

"I think I'd like that, yeah. Hopefully we can learn more about Hana from him."

"Are you going to tell him?"

"I need to talk to grandma first."

"You know what she's going to say," Ochako pointed out.

"I know. But-" Izuku looked down at his fist. "You saw how Blackwhip was acting. I was angry." His cheeks turned pink. "But I couldn't hurt him."

"Of course you couldn't." Ochako gave him a serene smile. "If you did you wouldn't be you."

"I don't want to give up on him. I know we promised Nana but-"

"But we saved Himiko."

"Exactly!" Izuku said. "I know their situation isn't the same and he's been under All For One's influence for fifteen years but- I think there's a chance to reach him."

As he spoke, Izuku thought back to their final conversation when Tenko asked where the heroes were fifteen years ago. Those words were angry, but something about the way he spoke bothered him. Like a part of him was still waiting for a hero.

"What about Hana?"

"If we can reach Tenko - if we can find Hana before All For One performs surgery on her… maybe we can reach both of them," Izuku explained.

"Why did I have a feeling you were going to say that," Ochako said warmly.

"Because you're thinking the same thing."

"Guilty." Ochako giggled. "We're both weirdos, aren't we?"

"But then would we be who we are?"

"I guess you're right." Ochako leaned forward, their foreheads bumping together before their lips found each other. "Feeling any better?"

"Yeah." The light slowly found its way back to Izuku's eyes as he stared into Ochako's mocha eyes. "How about you?"

"Yeah." Ochako smiled softly at him. "This isn't any worse than what I've had to deal with before. We'll figure it out."

"You're right," Izuku said as he slowly slid off of his girlfriend's lap and stood up. Stretching, he offered her a hand. "I think I'm ready to face Mom and Himi. How about you?"

"My parents will be there as well." Ochako's smile wobbled as she took his hand and pulled herself upright. "At least we'll be facing them together?"

"Yep!" Izuku leaned in to kiss his girlfriend one final time before they began the journey back to his apartment.

"Seriously, HOW do you get in this much trouble?" Emily asked her girlfriend as they walked through the streets of Mustafu.

She knew something was up when the teacher started the day with a self-study exercise for their Heroics lesson. A few minutes later, the teacher received a notification on their phone and left without explanation, saying there was an emergency.

Ten minutes later, she heard the announcement about the USJ. The same USJ that Himiko was visiting for class today.

"You've met Izu and Ocha, haven't you?" Himiko replied.

"But why do you keep getting dragged into all of that?" Emily insisted. "I-"

"You what?" Himiko asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Nevermind!" Emily turned away.

"Nope!" Himiko squeezed her girlfriend's hand and jumped in front of her. "Now I'm curious!"

"I was worried about you," Emily admitted softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Himiko gasped and felt her own cheeks heating up. "Emmy…"

"It's one thing to go out and fight villains; that's just our job. But for them to attack our school," Emily huffed. "I'll be angry at the villains later, but it was hell not knowing what was going on. You don't know how relieved I was to find out you were okay!"

Himiko felt a mixture of warmth and guilt as she looked at her girlfriend. She wanted to tell her that they knew about the attack, and that the heroes had a plan. But… that would mean telling her about Izuku and Ochako - and the truth about her. She'd spent the last three months quietly ignoring that detail and hoping that Izuku would tell her it's okay to let her know. After all, she knew about One For All! Why not tell her everything?

She'd have to bring it up again tonight.

In the meantime, she stared at the girl in front of her who looked uncharacteristically vulnerable. Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around Emily. "You know it's gonna take more than that to get rid of me."

"I hope so," Emily said. "Who's gonna keep me in line if you land in the hospital - or worse!"

Himiko snorted. "You say that like you wouldn't be making it the hospital's problem."

"You would too!" Emily insisted.

"Maybe." Himiko gave her girlfriend a lidded glare. "Good thing for them I know you're too damned stubborn to ever land in a hospital."

She felt Emily relaxing in her arms, her muscles untensing. "Well the attack couldn't have been that bad if you're already making jokes like that."

"For now," Himiko admitted. "I don't know if I can sleep tonight."

"You know I'll stay up all night with you," Emily said as her grip on Himiko tightened. "I'm sure we can think of plenty of distractions to keep us busy."

Himiko gave her girlfriend a fanged smile before she leaned up and kissed her. "I knew I could count on you!" Letting her go, she took her hand again. "Let's go get your stuff!"

Dinner went easier than expected, and after staying up far later than he had originally planned, Izuku walked Ochako home. Returning home, he quietly snuck through the living room where Himiko and Emily were currently engrossed in an anime and made it to his own bedroom undetected. Changing into his pajamas, he grabbed his phone and crawled into bed.

He wasn't ready to sleep just yet so Ochako kept him company. The two chatted for almost an hour before exhaustion from the day's events finally caught up with him. With a loud yawn, he wished Ochako goodnight, and she promised to see him soon.

Placing his phone down, Izuku settled down underneath the blankets and closed his eyes, ready to talk to Nana about the day's events.