It takes forever to evacuate everyone.

Between the growing media, officers, and paramedics, it's well past noon, verging quickly on late afternoon and paramedics continue to scramble around the chaos, careful not to touch evidence, police officers bagging and sealing documents. Someone hands out blankets, another takes statements, and the people I'd fought are roughly drug away. I see the man with four arms amongst the chaos and try to offer a thankful smile. It dies on the arrival of the gray suits.

Like a gathering storm, they step into the room and the air feels different.

They're not even mean, all kind words and placating tones.

One, a rather robust lady with a sweet disposition, leans over the toddler. Another, briefcase in hand, reaches for a boy.

The sight of them… it makes me nauseous.

I…

I can barely breathe.

Stomach bubbling, skin crawling. I can almost hear Mama screaming in my ears, clawing desperately to grab us back. I can remember the hollow horror as they arrived, the threat of let's try again dear curling in my throat.

I circle back to the room I'd dressed in, knees weak and only too aware of the rising panic.

Deep breaths, head tucked under, fingers clutching at my legs. My nails scratch into my skin, the pain the only thing grounding.

Aunt Nemuri finds me that way, black tendrils choking at my throat.

"Rin-chan, Rin-chan-"

"No-No-No-"

She cuts me off with a soft shush, fingers brushing back my hair. The way a mother does, nails soothing and there. Her blue eyes are startling. Pretty and bright. I try to focus on them, try to focus on my breathing.

"I know Rin-chan. They're not here for you. I promise. You've gotta focus on your breathing baby girl, c'mon, deep breaths. We'll go home soon. We just need to finish debriefing with the police. It's going to be okay. I won't let them take you. I promise. Your ours, forever."

He chose you.

I try.

I suck in desperate breaths, but it doesn't stop my sobs.

There here. There here so close it would only take one misstep.

One mistake.

Aunt Nemuri just rubs my back quietly, voice low and murmuring.

Slowly, too slow, I manage to catch my breath.

Aunt Nemuri doesn't move away.

I'm thankful. Fingers grasping for her arm, I barely hold back the shadows.

"Don't-" I whisper, lips quivering. "Don't-Don't let go."

"I promise," she says, and there's a seriousness in her expression I cling to. We rise, her strong arms pulling me with her. My knees knock, and hers are dusty, sprinkled with small pieces of debris. "C'mon baby girl. Let's get to the station so we can go home. We've done enough here."

Home…

Home sounds nice.

.

.

.

We end up stopping at a retail store to buy some sandals before we make it to the police station. Without the threat of the gray suits, it's easier. Easier to breathe, easier to be okay.

The station isn't any quieter. If anything, it's even busier. There are even more cop cars surrounding it, lights flickering and drawing an even bigger crowd. We have to sneak through the side to get through. A couple of hecklers follow, eyeing the side of the building curiously.

Inside phones ring non-stop. Someone is shouting, something about cells and Tartarus and I don't really understand, don't want to understand, but Aunt Nemuri does.

She stops in the middle of the hallway, face paling instantly.

She…

For a moment, she looks like she forgets to breathe.

"Aunt…?" I mutter, concerned.

I can feel her arms shake.

"Right this way," an officer states, and when my godmother doesn't move, I end up basically pulling her with me.

The room we're led to is small, clean, and bare of anything except a metal table and white walls. Four chairs on each side of the table and I push Aunt Nemuri in one, concerned when her blue eyes stare off into space.

"Aunt Nemuri?" I try again, not really sure what to do. "Do… do you need water?"

It doesn't quite shake her out, but she blinks.

"They caught Kurogiri," she says softly, and she sounds lost.

And it takes a moment too long for it to register why.

Oh.

The one that looked like their—like her friend. Shirakumo.

I try to imagine if it was Shinsou.

Blue droplets break and spread across my skin.

"Oh," I say, wrapping my arms around my middle. I… I don't know what to do. I wonder if I should offer a hug. "I… I'm sorry."

She sighs.

Then the officer arrives and there's no more time to think about it.

.

.

.

By the time we finish debriefing, I'm ravenous and exhausted and there's a pounding headache growing behind my eyes. Aunt Nemuri hands me a granola and we slowly make our way home.

Outside of the dorms, Yamada-sensei is waiting for us.

As much as I've missed him, I'm glad when he reaches for Aunt Nemuri first.

It's…

It's uncomfortable.

Adults aren't really supposed to cry.

But when she breaks down, Yamada-sensei looks about ready to join her.

I accept his side hug reluctantly before shaking them off to head inside.

I don't think it really hits me till I get back though.

Unlocking the door, Miska runs immediately to meet me, yowling loudly and affectionately and knocking against my ankles. I automatically look for Sensei, words half-formed on my lips to tell him everything. About the chaos and the police station and Aunt Nemuri's sadness. Only… Only he's not there. I should know this, I'd been told on our way back at the department store when we stopped to buy some sandals. But it's still… it's eerie. Everything's the way we left it last night when he left. Dishes in the sink, his bedroom door too wide. And the mess of his bed where we—where I'd slept that night.

I swallow.

"Sensei?" I call, knowing it's stupid.

No one answers and I pull the cat into my arms. She purrs, face butting up against my chin and swiping against my cheek.

The sudden ache at his loss, at Aunt Nemuri's soft cries, at Kagura's bruised face… It makes the space in my chest feels cavernous.

I swallow, fingers curling into Miska's warm fur.

When she purrs, it's all I can do not to crush her against me.

"He burned himself, took a flame straight to the face to stop the illusion. Rumor is he saw his sister, that she's the one he saw peeling back his flesh and laughing."

I…

I can't do this.

I can't-

I want Sensei.

I turn, cat still in hand, blue-colored dew spilling out my pores and clinging to my arms. I march right back out into the lobby. Yamada-sensei and Aunt Nemuri are still at the front of the lobby, heads knocked together and... And I don't want to disturb them. I don't want them. I want Sensei, but that's impossible… I look instead for my classmates, surveying who all is out.

Ojiro, Sero, and Ninja are laughing over some sort of game between them. Sparkles is in the kitchen, dancing about ridiculously.

I spy Todoroki on the couch, a bowl of what's probably cold soba in his hand.

If you want something, you need to ask.

I swallow and walk toward him.

Then, sitting on the couch beside him, try not to cry.

His brows furrow when he looks over, a mouth full of noodles hanging from his lips.

I don't know where to start.

I don't know how to start.

What would you tell Hitoshi?

"I… I'm sad," I manage, still holding the cat desperately against my chest. She's not particularly happy about it, voice rising to yowl angrily. I don't let go, afraid the moment I do I'll fall apart. Afraid the grey suits from before will come—will find me. "Can… Can I lay on you?"

He blinks.

My lip quivers.

I don't know what I'm going to do if he says no.

Maybe drag myself to Toru's room? Or Momo's?

He swallows the mouthful of noodles and shrugs.

"I guess."

I don't wait any longer, leaning across the couch, I turn my body so that my back is to the back of the couch and rest my cheek against his left thigh. It's warm. I adjust Miska, who look entirely unhappy at all of this hugging, and pet her continuously until she finally settles.

He doesn't move, doesn't really do anything but slurp loudly at his noodles and stare off at the tv. It's some sort of game show.

I close my eyes and try to pretend he's Aizawa.

It's not easy. He smells like sandal wood and cologne; he lacks the same muscle tone in his legs that Sensei has. But he's warm and still and the background noise of my classmates is comforting in a way that makes me feels unexpectedly safe. And slowly, as my body relaxes, I guess I fall asleep.

.

.

.

I wake to the sound of giggles and a soft series of clicks.

Slowly, groggily, I lift myself up.

Todoroki is still sitting in the same space, an empty bowl in hand, and he meets my eye fully before they dip to my shoulder. And I realize that my shirt dress has shifted, revealing a large portion of my neck and shoulder all dotted and cratered with scars. I frown before noting the others crowding around.

Mina, Toru, and Kaminari all have phones out with Iida standing nearby swatting his arm, strangely pink-faced. Ojiro behind him laughs and I scrub the sleep from my face and blink at all of them.

They're so weird…

"Awww! Rin-chan is so cute!" Toru giggles. There's another click and I realize quite suddenly that she's taking pictures.

I pout.

"Stop that," I manage, then blink again when I realize Miska's gone.

I look around, frowning when I don't immediately find her.

"Oh! If you're looking for your cat, Midnight-sensei put her back in your room after you fell asleep," Mina says, and she does a little twirl. It's very graceful.

I yawn, quickly moving to cover my mouth, and as I do my stomach gurgles, the headache behind my eyes throbbing to remind me it's there.

"Mmm," I mumble, then leaning over, half tumble half fall back on to Todoroki in my best rendition of a hug. "Thank you."

"Un."

I release him and crawl back up, ignoring my classmates' weirdness including Iida who's already launched into a tirade about privacy and leaving people alone. Ojiro, apparently not all that interested, wanders off in the direction of the now empty kitchen.

Glancing back at Iida, I frown.

He'd been there that night.

I rise, body creaking and popping from my nap and step closer to him. I don't really bother to ask, reaching instead for a hug from him as well.

He chokes on whatever he was saying, back going stiff.

"Rin-chan's so cuddly when she's sleepy," Toru whispers loudly.

"Wonder what Shinsou-kun's gonna say about all this huggin!" Mina giggles back.

"You have his number? We should message him!"

I ignore them with practiced ease.

"Thank you," I tell Iida instead, tiredly dropping my head to his chest. I wind my arms around his middle and lean in, reminded of all the times he was there for me. He hugs back automatically, the smell of soap mingling with exhaust, his arms strong and safe. I almost don't want to let go.

"Ah... Hoki-chan? Is everything okay?"

I don't really know.

On one hand, I'd saved Kagura—I'd helped those people—I'd protected.

But the villain's words… Aunt Nemuri's tears…

Sensei's absence.

I don't have the words to explain it.

Just try.

"I… I don't know. Someone kidnapped Kagura-nee-chan," I mumble into his chest, not moving. "I don't know when Sensei is coming home. My brother is crazy because he was tortured. He was human trafficked. They wanted to sell me to an auction house. The grey suits were there-"

"Wait, what!" Kaminari gapes. "Hold on, back up! Someone got kidnapped?"

I let go of Iida reluctantly. He's staring, mouth wide open. I grimace and sort of shrug at the blonde.

"I… yes? Well, sort of. Not anymore," I try, but then Toru is there, her shirt waving in agitation.

"Not anymore?" she squawks, and her entire body vibrates, the outline of her skin gleaming before disappearing. "What does that mean? And what do you mean someone wanted to sell you? Rin-chan, you better have got names! Who do we need to beat up? Let me at 'em!"

I can't help the little smile.

"I already beat them," I admit softly, a little embarrassed. "I trashed their mail trafficking warehouse. They were kidnapping the quirkless."

"Hey, wasn't that on the news?" Mina asks, and she all but prances towards the TV, probably to project her phone. "We were paying more attention to the other story. You know, the one Aizawa-sensei and the others are-"

"Sensei?" I ask, eyes widening. "He's on TV?"

"Not directly," Iida warns even as Kaminari shouts. "Yes!"

"We saw glimpses!" Toru explains, an invisible arm hooking in mine to pull me away.

Before I have a chance to ask, a video is playing on the tv. I move more than willingly, vaguely recognizing the front of the building as the same one Aunt Nemuri and I had left.

"That's it."

"That's crazy!" Kaminari says, bouncing on his toes. "They said there were tons of victims!"

"Sixteen," I correct, feeling strangely removed as I watch the people covered in blankets being loaded into ambulances. The screen pans, a clip of flashing lights, and then a woman in a business suit is in front of the middle-aged woman I'd spoken to earlier.

"-been in that place for about a day," the victim says. She doesn't hide the bruises or flinch from the cameras, her dark eyes sharp as she stares. "Probably found us from that damn database—it shouldn't be constitutional! But right… The villains. They were planning to ship us soon, something about a lab, but I heard talk that there was a black-market auction house as well. Next thing I know there's a sound like the building's falling in on us, shouting and gunshots! There wasn't anywhere to hide, and suddenly these massive tentacles were tearing off doors!"

"Oh wow, that sounds terrifying!" the interviewer says.

"Oh, that does sound like Rin!" Toru laughs, her clothes leaning forward against the back of a chair. "Fucking bad guys up like normal! Woo!"

"Hagakure-chan!" Iida scolds half-heartedly.

I can't help the little snort.

"Yes, but how did-"

"Shh!" Mina says, flapping her hand at all of us. She rewinds the story back a few seconds.

"This hero girl showed up. She was controlling those tentacles, had like four or five of them, and wrapped all the traffickers up. She was in the process of calling for it in when backup arrived. She was awe-inspiring. Surrounded in these black flames with her body completely covered by the same material as the tentacles. I have no idea what her quirk was, but if I had to guess maybe something solar-related? It was all black with these little specks of stars going in and out, and when the other hero arrived with the police it swirled like a galaxy. Absolutely beautiful!"

"What was her name, the hero?"

My classmates all lean in.

I rub my neck, uncomfortable.

I hope she doesn't tell them about my family…

"She said she didn't have one yet," the woman says. "But name or not, she's our hero."

Something in that our makes my breath catch.

Ours.

Me?

"Well done, Hoki-chan!" Iida says, eyes gleaming.

"Aww! That's so amazing!" Toru giggles, taking my arm and spinning.

"Ah… thanks?"

"Hold up, what's she mean your quirk covered your whole body?" Kaminari asks, eyebrows rising as he waves his arms. "Like Endeavor style? That sounds creepy!"

Our spinning grinds to a halt.

Mina glowers.

I think Toru might be as well, but it's hard to tell considering she's invisible.

"Um… who?" I ask, blinking. In the kitchen, I think I hear Todoroki laugh. The rest of my classmates nearly fall over (The Number two hero! Really Rin-chan!?). Pulling at the edge of my sleeves. I gesture down towards my shirt-dress with a shrug. "Oh. I… Well maybe? I sort of accidentally burned off my clothes."

The blonde tumbles sideways bleeding.

I jerk, worried.

"Kaminari-kun?"

Did he just faint?

"You pervert!" Toru growls, looking ready to kick him. I pull her back quickly. "Stop that!"

"Rin-chan, you did what?" Mina says at the same time, a wide grin splitting her face. "Seriously?"

"I… I got mad," I explain, shrinking a little and letting go.

Iida looks like he doesn't know who to fuss at. Almost reluctantly, he turns towards Kaminari with flushed cheeks and stern voice, his arm cutting through the air to punctuate his words.

"Kaminari-kun! You ought to conduct yourself respectably-"

I ignore them and turn back to Mina, rubbing briefly at my temples at the headache still pounding there. It's probably from hunger, I'm certain that granola's probably worn off.

"Can… You said you saw Sensei?"

"Oh! Yeah!" she grins, her antenna wiggling. She types something in her phone, the loud clicks echoing through the tv, and seconds later its another news report. Only instead of the mail office, it looks like a warzone. Police crash against random people in the streets, chaos spread over several blocks as some records from the air. Some are trying try to flee and others using their quirks and fight. "Hold on, Midoriya-kun is going to show up in just a few seconds!"

I wasn't really looking for Midoriya, but I wait, fingers moving to rub the space just under my eyes.

The explosion that rocks the entire street is unexpected.

But then the cameras turn and…

And something explodes from the ground. I have no idea how to describe it except kind of like mutilated meat. It floats and something else—a green flash moves too fast for the camera to keep up with.

I recognize it as Midoriya instantly, something held tightly in his arms. I furrow my brows and step closer, squinting as if that would make the small vision of him less grainy. It's not needed a moment later he's flying through the air and landing again. The cameras zoom in and.

And it's her.

It has to be. A wild halo of silver, a blanket of red.

My breath catches.

The little girl. The one from—the one they'd tortured for her blood. Who Kaito used. Kaito, who'd been tortured himself how many times, who'd seen me peel back his skin…

My jaw tightens.

Kaito.

You selfish, heartless bastard.

How dare you?

The blur of green moves. And even at a distance, I can feel the fury in his every move, can taste it like an echo on my tongue. Something monstrous forms from the meat-looking thing, and I realize after a moment it's a man. Only the green tears it apart.

Good.

"Look, you're about to see Sensei!"

I wait.

The glimpse isn't even a second. It's not nearly enough and leaves me starving for more. Sensei on his knees, Tsuyu in her hero costume beside him, both arms clutching at his shoulders.

Something simmers in my veins.

Something old and hurt.

A wave of irrational anger surges towards Tsuyu, towards the others, towards Sensei.

Why is he there and not here?

I manage a flat, lopsided smile for my classmates.

"I… Thanks," I say instead, wishing I had my phone, wishing I could look this up myself. The throbbing in my head almost seems to increase. "I… I think I'm gonna go home now."