She was still in shock as they were counted outside the building. Everyone seemed to be talking about the events, but she remained silent.
She didn't even utter a sound when the police officer told them about Mr. Aizawa and Thirteen's situation.
"All Might is also without any serious injuries," he said. "He's in the nurse's office right now. Recovery Girl's power should be all the treatment he needs."
"But," Saya mumbled. The officer's eyes landed on hers. "but I saw him…"
He put a hand on her shoulder, reassuringly.
"There's no need to worry about him, young lady," he stated. "He is the the number one hero, y'know?"
Saya opened her mouth to respond, but no sounds came out. Had the fear she had felt induced her to hallucinations?
"What about Deku?" Uraraka asked.
"How's Midoriya?" Iida also requested to know.
"Recovery Girl is taking care of him, too," the officer informed them.
They were soon taken back to the school's main campus, where the police questioned each of them about what they all had seen. Some of them testified in groups, but when Saya's turn came, the officer they had seen earlier requested to talk to her alone.
"Please sit, Hayashi," he instructed her, signaling to one of the chairs at the conference room they were using for the investigation. "My name is Naomasa Tsukauchi," he said. "I'm a detective of the police force and I'd really like to hear everything you saw and heard during the attack," he explained. "Please try to be as thorough as possible, as any details, even the smallest ones that you might think are unimportant, could be crucial in figuring out the identity and whereabouts of the perpetrators of this incident."
"Sure," Saya said.
She was feeling a bit calmer now, especially after having talked to her parents earlier on the phone.
They had both been very worried, especially her mom, but hearing their voices had been quite reassuring. It was like she had been stuck in a different world altogether for the past few hours and talking to them had reconnected her with some sense of normalcy and familiarity that her recently acquainted classmates and teachers could not provide her with.
Saya proceeded to tell the detective everything she had experienced, from her, Kirishima's and Bakugo's failed attack to the mist guy, to their fight against the villains in the collapse zone, to when they arrived at the central plaza.
She told him the names she had heard: Nomu and Kurogiri and Shigaraki Tomura. She admitted to having acted in a rush, illogical way when running after Midoriya.
"That is very useful, Hayashi, thank you," the detective said. "Although, there is one more question I would really like to ask."
"Okay," she agreed.
"When I told you and your classmates about All Might's state after the battle," he said, "you told me you had seen something. What was it?"
Saya's eyes opened quite wide.
"Nothing about the villains," she said. "I just…"
"Was it something about All Might?" Tsukauchi ventured.
Her blue eyes connected with his, apprehension clearly visible in them.
"I must have been too shocked," she tried to explain. "But I thought I saw him… deflate, somehow." Saying that aloud made it sound even more ridiculous than it was in her mind. "It was only for a second, though," she said. "And then Cementoss made that wall so that—"
Realization dawned on her and she looked the detective in the eye again.
"So that we wouldn't see him!" she finally finished piecing it all together.
She noticed the detective's expression had hardened a little bit.
"Is he—?" she asked. She couldn't bring herself to finish her own question. "Is he—?" she tried again.
"I was afraid this was what you meant when you said that," the detective interrupted her. "Hayashi, you are Kaiser's daughter, aren't you?"
"Yeah," she answered. "What does it have to do with…?"
"What I'm going to rely to you is a piece of classified information that must not by any means reach anyone in the public. Not even your classmates, or friends, or family," he said. "I'm sure as a pro's daughter, you'll understand."
Saya's mouth was agape. He put a hand on her shoulder in order to reassure her.
"All Might will talk to you about this as soon as he can," he told her. "But before that, I need you to understand that it is of the utmost importance that you keep this information a secret, do you understand?"
"Yes," she nodded, a frown forming on her forehead with worry.
"All Might's health is nowhere as good as it used to be," he explained. "Past battles and injuries have seriously damaged his body and today, in order to continue to be the symbol of peace, he has to hide his true form."
"So he has weakened," Saya muttered. "Those villains," she added, "they did say something about that."
"Yes," Detective Tsukauchi admitted. "It does seem like they knew about this."
"But, how?" she wondered aloud. "Is that why All Might wasn't able to capture them? I did think it was too strange that he would just stand there in the smoke without attacking those guys! All Might would've never let them escape if he wasn't—"
"You're very perceptive, Hayashi," the Detective interrupted her, sending a half-hearted smile her way. "I'm sure you understand what would happen if this information were to leak, right?"
A droplet of sweat slid down Saya's temple as she imagined that.
"Chaos," she said. "If it were to become public knowledge that the symbol of peace is…"
"Exactly," he said. "All Might's strength not only protects us. It also gives us hope. His mere existence is a deterrent for villains to act. If people knew he's not as powerful as he used to, not only would he be targeted again, but everyone's safety would be in peril."
"I won't tell anyone," Saya vowed.
"You'll make a great hero one day, Hayashi," the detective said.
The sun had just finished setting and most of her classmates had already gone home by the time Detective Tsukauchi let her go.
Parents had been called and many had chosen to pick their children up from the campus, whereas others were to be taken home in a bus the school had provided given the special situation.
Saya had just assumed she would take the bus ride, but the sound of Mitsuki's voice soon filled the whole hallway, telling her otherwise.
"Saya-chan!" She called. "Are you alright?" she asked, placing both her hands on the girl's shoulders.
Bakugo was beside her, a frustrated frown on his face like he was embarrassed by his mother's mere presence there.
"I'm fine," Saya croaked.
"I just got off the phone with your mom," Mitsuki told her. "You're coming with us."
"I am most thankful," Saya said. "I hope it's not an inconvenience."
"Of course not, sweetie," Mitsuki rolled her eyes.
The three of them started walking out of the building and into a nearby parking lot where Mitsuki's red SUV was parked.
They each occupied a seat, with Bakugo on the front next to his mother and Saya in the back, right behind him.
Both blonds grabbed their phones as soon as they got in the car.
"I'm telling Masaru to order pizza for dinner," Mitsuki announced. "Is there a particular flavor you like, Saya?"
She blinked twice.
"Oh," she said, "I really don't want to inconvenience you, I can have dinner at home, it's alright."
Mitsuki turned to look at her.
"Didn't I tell you you were coming with us?" the woman said.
"I thought you meant, as in, on a ride home?" Saya's statement sounded more like a question.
"No, sweetie," Mitsuki rolled her eyes as she started the engine. "As in, you're staying with us this weekend."
Saya gaped.
"Excuse me?" she panicked.
Bakugo tsked on the front seat, but no one paid him any mind.
"Your mom was completely freaked out about what happened," Mitsuki explained. "She is also really sorry neither her nor your dad can come be with you at this time and she doesn't think being alone will do you any good. I wholeheartedly agree with her, so I told her we would accommodate you on our guest bedroom for the weekend."
"Wait, but—"
"She also told me there are some other things you might need help with, like grocery shopping, so of course you can count on us for that too."
"Mrs. Bakugo, I'm sorry, but—"
"Just Mitsuki!" the woman interrupted in a singsong voice as she turned the steering wheel in order to get out of the parking lot.
She pressed the gas a bit too hard and almost hit another vehicle.
"What the hell old hag! Be more careful!" Bakugo yelled.
"I know what I'm doing, you brat!"
They started bantering.
Saya opened her mouth and closed it again. This was hell. A whole weekend of this was just something she was not in the mood to tolerate.
"I'm sorry," she said again. "I'm really grateful for your hospitality, but I cannot accept it. It's just too much. I'll be fine, my mom is just exaggerating. There's no need to—"
"Oyuki told me that was exactly what you would say," the older woman laughed. "She said to tell you to call her and argue with her if you wanted to."
Saya clenched her jaw.
She knew there was no arguing with her mother. There was simply no way to convince her once her mind was set and with a quirk that passively enhanced her charm, she would probably just end up convincing Saya anyway.
Perhaps if she called her dad and complained, she thought, but how could she bother him with something like that when he was investigating the fourth hero murder in Sapporo that had happened just that same afternoon?
Mitsuki cut in front of another car, who honked at them
"Learn to drive, you idiot!" she yelled through the window.
"You're the one who needs to do that!" Bakugo complained. "We didn't survive the villains just so that you could kill us on the way home, you old hag!"
Saya sighed.
This was going to be one very long weekend.
She tuned their banter out soon after, focusing her attention on the unfamiliar streets and city lights.
How peaceful it all looked: people coming and going incessantly.
Every single one of those people had lives, families, friends, people that cared about them. Every single one of them was preoccupied with their own issues. They just mindlessly drove and walked like any other day, like there was nothing to worry about. Like their safety was guaranteed.
A great part of that was thanks to All Might, she realized.
"Saya!" Mitsuki exclaimed. Judging by her tone, she must have called her name at least a couple of times before getting a response.
"Sorry," Saya said. "Did you say something?"
"I just wanted to know what pizza flavor you like," the woman asked.
"Anything with meat in it," Saya responded.
No one said much more after that and Saya continued to watch the unfamiliar streets become recognizable as they approached their neighborhood.
"Safe and sound," Mitsuki announced as she parked her car in the garage.
"Yeah, but barely!" Bakugo complained.
Mitsuki paid him no mind.
"Why don't you go bring the stuff you'll need for the weekend, Saya?" she said. "Oh, what's that on your porch?"
Saya turned around to look in the direction the woman was pointing and saw a box that must be almost as tall as she was. Her face lit up immediately.
"Just something I ordered online," she said.
"Well, that looks heavy," Mitsuki commented. "Katsuki, go help her get that box inside," she said. "Also make sure she does come out again and doesn't just bail on us," she joked.
"Do I look like a babysitter?" he complained.
"There's no need," Saya said, "I'll be okay with the box and I would never do something like that," she added, although the idea had certainly crossed her mind.
She crossed the street without waiting for the blond, but promptly heard the string of curses he was muttering as he reluctantly followed her.
"What the hell is in there anyway?" he asked as she unlocked the front door.
"A punching bag," Saya explained.
She turned around just in time to see the surprise cross his face.
"What?" she asked.
"I didn't say anything!" he complained.
"You know I don't really need your help with this, right?" Saya went ahead and strengthened her arms in order to lift the box.
"Yeah, whatever, airhead," Bakugo said. "Just let me do it so my mom won't pester me the whole weekend."
Saya did wait for him and they both lifted the box. It was certainly heavier than she had expected, but she was sure she would have been able to manage on her own.
They placed the box on the floor at the genkan.
Bakugo eyed her bunny slippers and smirked.
"Damn nerd," he muttered.
"Well, at least I'm obsessed with someone other than myself," Saya retorted, getting a pair of in-house slippers for him.
"Shut up, fangirl" he said.
They both put on the slippers and transported the box to Saya's living room.
It was an ample space that connected to the dining room and kitchen. All the walls were painted an off-white hue and the furniture and decor that her mom had selected were gold, blush pink, white and a dark green that gave some contrast here and there. It looked straight out of a magazine, except for a few scattered items that Saya hadn't taken the time to put away.
"Where are you gonna place this shit?" Bakugo asked.
Saya hadn't even thought of that.
She had two rooms upstairs, but one was her bedroom and the other had been transformed into a walk-in closet for her. Her mom's idea, of course.
"I don't know," she admitted. "I think I'll just leave in in the living room for now." She pointed at her green velvet sofa. "Uhm, you can sit if you want to," she said. "I'll just bring my stuff."
"Okay."
It felt so weird to have a boy in her living room, especially when she wasn't there.
She still wanted to kill her mom.
She's gonna hear me, Saya thought as she climbed up the stairs.
The first thing she did was take off her uniform. She had already taken a shower at the UA changing rooms, after taking off her costume when they got back from USJ.
She put on some wide-leg jeans and a tight long sleeved top the color of matcha latte.
She found a white duffel bag and loaded it with a few changes of clothes, pajamas, towels, toiletries, her phone charger, her laptop and her blow drier.
She reviewed the things in her mind to see if she had forgotten anything important, but soon decided not to pay that much mind as she could just cross the street and get whatever she needed. Maybe that could even become an excuse to get back earlier, Saya thought as she went downstairs.
She found Bakugo crouched beside what looked to be the contents of the box he had helped her move earlier.
"Hey!" she exclaimed. "What do you think you're doing!?"
He didn't bother looking up at her from the instructions booklet he was looking at.
"What does it look like, dumbass." He didn't even intonate that as a question.
Saya was right in front of him in two long strides. She snatched the booklet out of his hand.
"You had no right to do this!"
"Hah!?" this time he did look at her, he seemed to be as annoyed as she was. "You were taking too long. I was bored out of my fucking mind and this was the only mildly interesting thing around here," he said. "Besides, I already assembled the base," he added. "You just need to fill it up later, you should be thanking me, you loser!"
"But I wanted to do an unboxing video!" she complained. "You've just ruined half my fun!"
He rolled his eyes and stood up.
"You done?" he asked. "I'm fucking hungry."
"You're such an idiot," she said.
He started for the door, completely ignoring her comment and Saya followed him, seething.
That had been such an invasion of privacy, she thought. What if she had lied about it being a punching bag? It could've very well been something else and he would have just…
She clenched her jaw.
The word asshole didn't even begin to describe him.
She wanted to punch his face so hard all of his teeth would fall out.
She breathed in and out as they both crossed the street to his house. To think she would have to spend the next two days with him made her blood boil in her veins, but she needed to calm down.
She had always had quite the temper and she hated it. Oh, what Saya wouldn't have given to just be calm, cold and aloof.
She sighed.
They got to the Bakugo household and Mitsuki soon showed Saya the guest bedroom upstairs. It was nice and cozy and it was obvious the woman had taken the time to prepare it to accommodate her, which made her feel equal parts thankful and guilty.
She left her duffel bag on the bed.
"There are clean towels and a duvet in the closet," Mitsuki was saying.
She left the room and Saya followed her.
"The next door is Katsuki's bedroom and the one next to it is ours. The bathroom is over there," she explained, pointing to each door as she spoke. "In case you need anything, don't hesitate to tell us, even if it's in the middle of the night."
"Thank you so much," Saya said.
There was a feeling of it all being way too much, but Mitsuki would hear none of it.
"Oh, and in case you—" the older woman was saying when the bell rang. "That must be the pizza!" she said. "It was about time!"
She practically ran downstairs leaving Saya just standing right there wondering what the appropriate thing to do was.
"You gonna move or what?" Bakugo's voice said from behind her, startling her.
He had changed into a pair of gray sweatpants and a plain black oversized t-shirt. Saya hadn't even heard him leave his room.
She rolled her eyes as a response and started for the stairs. He followed her and they were soon in the living room, where Mr. Bakugo was already sitting.
He was placing napkins and sauce containers on the huge coffee table, so Saya assumed they would be eating there instead of in the dining room.
Bakugo let himself fall on one of the sofas like a sack of potatoes.
"So, Saya," Mr. Bakugo said. "I ordered the char-grilled beef one for you. I hope it's okay."
"Of course," Saya smiled, taking the farthest seat possible on the brown couch where Bakugo was now sprawled. "You're very kind, Mr. Bakugo. I'm really thankful," she ended up saying.
His son gave her a side eye glare.
"Finally," Mitsuki said as she got in the living room, four Domino's boxes neatly stacked on one of her arms.
She placed them on the table and opened each one of them, the delicious aromas quickly reaching Saya's nose.
"Smells so good," she said.
"Be careful with this one," Mitsuki said, pointing to one of the pizzas. "It's a spicy with extra jalapeño and jolokia oil," she explained. "Katsuki's favorite."
The teenager promptly reached for a slice without even thanking for the food first.
Saya suppressed the need to roll her eyes at him.
"I'll keep that in mind," she said. "Thank you for the food," she added, like it was customary.
Both adults echoed her, and everyone dived right into the cardboard boxes.
Saya tried the char-grilled beef one first and took a bite out of it, the tastiness of the meat and mushroom toppings filling both her mouth and her heart with joy.
"So," Mr. Bakugo said as they ate, "I heard you two kicked some villain ass today."
Saya took her time to chew and swallow.
She didn't really want to think about the events that transpired that afternoon, but she had figured that conversation would be inevitable.
"They were a bunch of weak-ass small fries," Bakugo talked between bites to her right. "They were out of their fucking minds to get into UA."
"I heard they were trying to kill All Might?" Mitsuki's words were not phrased as a question, but sounded like one. "Inko told me so when I talked to her on the hallway," she added.
Masaru's eyebrows traveled up on his forehead.
"That's unheard of," he said.
"Bunch of idiots," Bakugo mumbled. "They never had a chance to begin with."
Saya's heart sunk.
"Well that Nomu guy sure gave him a tough fight," was all she said.
"I just hope Katsuki didn't get in your way or the pros'" Mitsuki taunted.
"Hah!?" Bakugo's face contorted in rage. "Whaddaya mean get in her way?!" he yelled.
Saya shook her head no.
"He was amazing, actually," Saya said.
Every head in the room turned towards her in an instant. A frown formed in her brow, unaware of the reactions her unexpected statement had caused.
"He was able to strategize really well even in the heat of the moment," she said. "I, on the other hand," she let out a long sigh, "I just froze when I saw the tougher villains and when I finally got to do something, I acted recklessly," she admitted.
She didn't meet anyone's eyes, her hair casting a shadow over hers.
"But this is the last time something like this happens to me," she said. She looked straight at Bakugo, a determined look in her blue eyes. "Next time, I will not let you outshine me," she declared. "I promise."
A sinister smile pulled the corners of the boy's lips.
"Hah!" he said. "You'll never be able to beat me."
Mr. Bakugo cleared his throat.
"Well, some competitiveness can definitely help you guys get better," he said. "But just remember you're supposed to be fighting villains, not one another."
The conversation soon took a turn in a different direction, even Mitsuki sensing it was better to leave that subject alone for the night.
They all ate and talked and Bakugo and his mom argued about some stupid stuff.
But it never left Saya's mind.
She had meant every word she had said.
She needed to train harder. Work harder. She needed to surpass both Bakugo and Todoroki and everyone else.
They all needed to get stronger as soon as possible, she thought, All Might's weakened form replaying once more in her mind's eye.