The park Izuku had found was eerie quiet. While everyone else settled into the shed they had found for the night, Izuku decided on some self training.

All Might's quirk had been acting up since they left the safe house, but Izuku had kept it to himself, worried if it had something to do with the new quirk that had appeared. Izuku lifted his hand, aiming toward the wide trunk of a nearby tree. Fingers spread out, Izuku tried to bring forth the black energy to impale the tree.

"It's called Black Whip."

Izuku flinched, the whispered voice a flutter across his ear, but he had learned to ignore it these last few days.

He activated One for All, but aside from the familiar warmth that spread under his skin, nothing else manifested out of his hands.

He tried to imagine Kacchan in danger again. The spike that had pierced through his shoulder. His face was a nauseous mixture of dirt, sweat, and blood. Izuku could still see it so clearly in his mind that he wanted to reach out to him in desperation to reach him.

He felt something twist in his hands like a wisp in his veins, but then his lungs collapsed in his chest as the fear of being crushed forced its way through, making Izuku stumble back as he clutched at his chest, forcing a gasp of breath.

Sweat beaded against his forehead as he took large gulps of air, defeated again by his own fear.

"You're doing it wrong."

"Shut up." Izuku said.

His voice was rough as he forced the words out. He stood back up, shaking his head to clear the fear and the voice from his head as he tried something else.

"Get it together Izuku, you can do this." He said.

Izuku lifted his hand up. He and Kacchan had talked about trying the air pressure attack he had tried back at the hospital. It was risky since it had a habit of breaking his fingers if he wasn't careful, but he had gotten better since he began practicing with Kacchan.

Fingers bent and aimed at the trunk of the tree, Izuku took a deep breath, letting One for All pool between his middle finger and flicked his finger forward, shouting a sharp blast of air that dented into the hardwood like a fist.

The harsh thump of the wood breaking as the impact echoed through the park as Izuku grinned at his personal victory.

"Good job, young Midoriya."

The familiar voice of All Might was loud and clear over his shoulder and Izuku startled, turning around to nothing. It was silent for only a second before the rush of different voices bombarded his mind, all vying for his attention.

"Stop." Izuku groaned.

He grabbed fistfuls of his green hair in pain, trying to make it stop. He stumbled forward. Even though Izuku felt a rush to hear All Might's voice again, but the others overwhelmed the emotions, making him anxious and disoriented.

He moved through the trees, no longer paying attention to his surrounding as his only thought was to get away.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Izuku said.

"Deku?"

That was new. Was he going so crazy that even Kacchan was joining the sea of voices calling to him?

"Midoriya."

"Young Midoriya."

"Kid."

"Deku, you okay?"

Izuku shook his head, his eyes shut tight as he tried to force everything out so he could think even for a moment.

"Stop, just stop…" Izuku said.

"Midoriya!" "Deku!"

Something grabbed his shoulder and Izuku reacted on instinct as he grabbed the hand and slammed the figment into the closest tree.

"You're not real!" Izuku yelled.

Everything stilled all at once and Izuku sighed in relief as he relished the quiet of his mind. He took a few panting breaths, waiting to see if it would last before his hand clenched around the soft skin of someone's wrist.

His vision cleared as his eyes met with Kacchan's fiery-red, his gaze cautious as he looked at him. He had Kacchan's hand pinned above his head, the rough bark scratching at his knuckles.

Izuku's faced flushed, but some part of him didn't want to let go. For whatever reason, Kacchan's presence made their voices fad away, but he wasn't sure if that had to do with the proximity or the skin on skin contact between them. Izuku hesitated to find out.

"You gonna let go or what?" Kacchan asked.

"whaaa… I'm sorry!" Izuku stuttered.

He let go of Kacchan's wrist, stumbling back to put distance between them as he bowed his head.

"I'm so sorry, Kac… Kacchan! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Izuku repeated.

Kacchan doesn't respond as he rubs at his wrist, a light discoloration surfacing like a brand, and Izuku realizes he had activated his quirk during his episode.

He bows his head further in shame as it eats at him for hurting Kacchan.

"I didn't mean to hurt you Kacchan, I'm so sorry." Izuku said.

That got a reaction out of Kachan as he glared daggers at Izuku, his teeth clenched as he curled his hands into fists.

"You think I'm weak?" Kacchan asked.

"No! Of course I've never thought of you as weak, Kacchan!" Izuku said.

"Then shut the hell up about it!" Kacchan yelled.

Izuku sealed his lips shut. The adrenaline had dropped by then as he let himself fall back onto the ground, exhausted now. Izuku took a once over of the other boy now that he had calmed down. Kacchan dropped the two rabbits he had slung over one shoulder by a small rope as crossed his arms and reclined back on the same tree Izuku had just pinned him to.

"What happened?" Kacchan asked.

Izuku scratches the back of his head as he smiled nervously.

"Nothing, maybe I'm just tired?" Izuku suggested.

Kacchan squinted his eyes to sharp slits as he eyed Izuku unimpressed and Izuku's shoulders slumped down as he caved, telling him what had happened.

"It makes it harder to use my quirk, but worse than that, I feel like I'm losing it." Izuku admitted.

"When did it start?" Kacchan asked.

He considered telling him it was when the black ener… whip quirk had appeared, but Izuku paused as he reconsidered if that was really when it had all began since he could remember a similar moment even farther back.

"The voices are recent, but if I really think about it, I think it was back at the hospital with Shinso." Izuku mumbled.

"What about Eyebags?" Kacchan asked.

"When he used his quirk on me, right before One for All helped me escape. I saw All Might, but I also saw others standing around me. I think they were the previous users of One for All." Izuku said.

There was a pale look on Kacchan's face and even his arms prickled with goosebumps as he stared at Izuku, disturbed.

"Like ghosts?" Kacchan asked.

"No!… well I don't think so… I hope not anyway." Izuku said.

That the quirk given to him by his childhood hero was some kind of haunted quirk had never crossed Izuku's mind, but now he considered the actual possibility that he was being haunted.

"I guess it's possible." Izuku muttered.

"Why did you wait until now to say something?" Kacchan said.

Izuku looked back up at the blonde, his thoughts interrupted as he realized the angry tick of the blonde's brow as he waited. Izuku waved his hands, trying to ward off the inevitable anger if he said the wrong thing.

"No! I planned to tell you, Kacchan, honest! It's just so much has happened that I forgot! Plus, I wasn't sure if it was just some kind of fluke back then, but I guess it's getting worst." Izuku said.

They settled back in their spots when Kacchan didn't explode and Izuku continued, letting everything out now that he got started.

"My dreams too, its like they're trying to say something to me, but it's muffled and when by the time I wake up, I can barely remember it." Izuku said.

Izuku could never make out their faces except for All Might, but it always left him with this sad ache in his chest when he woke up that Izuku had been avoiding sleep any chance he could to avoid feeling the emptiness in his chest.

"Well, nothing we can do for now. Just don't use your quirk for now until we get to the school. We don't need you having another episode in front of everyone." Kacchan said.

"I can do small things, but I agree it may be for the best." Izuku agreed.

"Now stand up." Kacchan ordered.

He glanced up at him, confused, as he moved the tower over him.

"Let's spar before we head back." Kacchan said.

Izuku smiles and stands up as he gets into position. The two spar for a few hours until the sky dipped into the sky. Kacchan had gotten better fighting without his quirk, but Izuku knew he would adjust. Kacchan was a natural at everything he put his mind to.

They called it quits after Kacchan pinned Izuku for the third time onto the ground, his lungs burning as Kacchan held his wrist in a vice grip, the ache harsh as his legs kept Izuku's thighs pressed into the ground.

"Too slow." Kacchan grinned down at him.

"You're too good." Izuku said in return.

Kacchan huffed, his chest puffed up with pride at the compliment as he eased off of him. He reached his arm out to Izuku, who laid out on the ground, catching his breath, body aching.

"Come on, I need to make dinner." Kacchan said.

Izuku grabbed onto Kacchan's hand, his skin soft for someone as harsh as Kacchan. Izuku's wrist ached as he pulled him up and Izuku noticed the purple brand on his skin now matched the one he had given Kacchan earlier.

They grabbed the two rabbits that were left forgotten on the ground and headed back to the others, who were only a few minutes away. Hatsume was the first one to spot them as she sat outside of the shed. A turned wheel barrow laid to the side of her as she worked on the wheel that was bent at a ninety-degree angle. Denki was doing his best to hold the wheel in place as Hatsume tried to hammer out the dent, but he looked scared as his whole body cringed away every time she swung the hammer down.

Shinso stood nearby patting the dust off the gym mats they found inside the shed, but he paused, watching with a large smirk at Denki who noticed and whined at the purple-haired boy.

"Switch with me!" Denki cried.

Izuku went over to them and activated his quirk, keeping it at a small amount. When no voices appeared, he sighed in relief and took the wheel from Denki, forcing back in its proper place.

"My hero, I thought my fingers were goners!" Denki cried.

Denki clung to Izuku as he mock cried into his shoulders. Izuku ignored his antics as Kacchan walked past them and took the chance to slam his fist into Denki's head. The yellow-haired boy flinched, grasping at his head as he looked at Kacchan with hurt.

"What was that for?" Denki asked.

Kacchan glared as he stuffed his hands back in his pockets and stomped over to the shed without looking back at either of them.

"You're annoying, that what!" Kacchan yelled.

"Where's Chieko?" Izuku asked.

Hatsume shrug as she inspected the wheel to make sure it was all good. Shinso chuckled as he eyed the pouting Denki before answering Izuku's question.

"She went off to the park saying she was going to collect some herbs." Shinso said.

"And you let her go off alone?" Kacchan said.

He frowned, his brows puckered and irritated as he questioned the three.

"Calm down, mom, I didn't go very far. Anyone would have heard me screaming if anyone attacked me." Chieko said.

Chieko appeared from the bushes nearby by no worst for wear as she held a small basket in one hand while shaking out the leaves that were stuck in her hair.

"Who you calling mom!?" Kacchan yelled.

Chieko laughed and Izuku noticed the dirt stains all over her clothes and across one of her cheeks, but she looked bright eyed as she smiled at everyone.

"I agree with Kacchan, though. It's not safe for anyone to go off alone, so tell us and we'll go with you next time, okay?" Izuku suggested.

Chieko sighed, but nodded in agreement.

"Did you find anything?" Shinso asked.

Chieko's excitement returned as she pulled out a rather pretty looking flower, root and all as she held it up like it was a prized trophy.

"I found the marshmallow flower!" Chieko cried.

Everyone blinked at her, unsure of how to react. Izuku guessed this was a good thing, so he smiled at his friend.

"That's good?" Izuku guessed.

"This can help with auntie's coughing, so she should be able to sleep better tonight." She explained.

Izuku's smile became more genuine at the thought that Chieko had thought about his mother's comfort.

"Thank you, I'm sure mom will appreciate it." Izuku said.

Chieko's smile grew on her face and she didn't even mind when Kacchan came over and scruffed up her hair, tangling it even further. The blonde smirked down at her as he teased her.

"Good. Let's go inside to prepare it and you can help me with dinner." Kacchan said.

Chieko eyed the two rabbits slung over his shoulder and her nose crinkled at the sight of what he could mean by helping.

"I'll skin them. Can't risk you ruining it. You can help with the potatoes." Kacchan said.

Chieko nodded, and the two headed off, her steps light as she went inside to show his mom.

"We're having rabbit stew, so you all better be ready for dinner!" Kacchan ordered before making his way inside.

Everyone said their agreements before going back to what they had been doing. Izuku helped Hatsume by ripping up one of the gym mats to use as padding for the wheelbarrow.

His mother had struggled with walking her breath, making it difficult to go for long distances. When she started having fevers two days ago, Izuku knew she wouldn't make it much longer if they kept going, so they had stopped to find something they could use to carry her the last bit of the way.

They weren't far from the school, but they didn't want to strain his mother any further in case her condition worsened, so they had taken their time getting her comfortable while they took the much needed break themselves.

Shinso and Denki relaxed after their warm up routines that Kacchan had made for them. Shinso struggled the most out of the two, his body shaking from the strain as he leaned forward out of breath while Denki was barely breaking a sweat.

"Come on Shinso, we still need to do another set before Bakugo gets pissed." Denki said.

"How are you still fine?" Shinso asked.

Denki grinned as he eyed the other boy.

"I was training for months before the U.A. Exam. I was going to try out for the hero course." Denki said.

Izuku's ears perked, Hatsume noticed as she smirked and waved him away to join the boys.

"You were going to take the exams for the hero course, too." Izuku asked.

"Oh yeah, and I'm pretty sure I would have passed if things hadn't turned on its head the way it did." Denki said.

"I wanted to be a hero too, but with my quirk… I figured I didn't have a chance, so I was going to apply for the general studies course." Shinso said.

Denki's face looked back at him in surprise and Izuku knew his won face matched his as they looked at Shinso wide eyed.

"You would have been an amazing hero with your quirk!" Izuku commented.

"Yeah! I could have totally seen you as some kind of spy hero or something sneaky like that!" Denki agreed.

Izuku nodded his own ideas of the type of hero Shinso would have been running wild. His quirk had so many uses that possibilities were endless.

"I bet I could have made your gear too." Hatsume said, joining in.

Shinso's cheeks pinked a small smile on his face, which differed from the cocky smile he usually had to tease Denki.

"Maybe we can still be heroes when we get to U.A.?" Denki suggested.

There was a silent thoughtfulness of everyone else, but Izuku frowned as his shoulders dropped a bit, not at all in agreement with that train of thought. Heroes will something of the past and Izuku believed that after what happened at the hospital. The other line of thoughts must have reached the same conclusion as Izuku, because their silence turned solemn at the reminder.

"Hey get your asses in here! Dinners ready!" Kacchan yelled, making everyone jump in place.

"You all go on ahead. I'll eat later." Izuku said.

The others nodded, not at all surprised, since this had been Izuku's usual routine. They made their way inside as Izuku jumped up to sit on the roof of the shed.

He could just make out the outline of the school in the distance and he considered the possibility that they could make it by tomorrow afternoon if the wheel barrow held up for his mom. If they could make it before dark would be better.

"I told you dinner was ready." Kacchan said.

Izuku stumbled and peaked out from the side of the roof to find the blonde looking up at him in annoyance.

Izuku flinched as he hid over the edge. He felt he was in trouble with the spike-haired blonde, but he couldn't remember doing anything that would aggravate Kacchan.

The other took a moment to look around the clearing before glancing back up at Izuku. One arm reached out towards him.

"Well, don't sit there like an idiot and help me up." Kacchan ordered.

This was the second time Kacchan had reached his hand out to Izuku in one day. The image of him looking up at Izuku with his arm out towards him brought back vague memories of a creek, a much smaller Kacchan soaked and looking up at Izuku in the same way as Izuku offered his arm out towards him.

"Well?" Kacchan asked.

"Oh!… right." Izuku stuttered.

Izuku pulled him onto the roof. He could see now why Kacchan needed the extra lift, as one of their heavier fleece blankets and a sealed plastic container occupied his other arm.

"Here, you didn't come down to eat." Kacchan grumbled.

The sealed container was warm in Izuku's hands and, pulling the lid off, the mild aroma of broth came through. Taking a sip, the liquid warmed Izuku's insides as some bits of potato and rabbit meat melted on his tongue. They had little in the way of food, and meat was a luxury, so it was a welcomed treat when they were lucky enough to catch something and Kacchan's cooking could rival his mom's.

"Thank you." Izuku hummed.

They shared the blanket as the night air cooled. Kacchan's arm was close to his own as his heat seeped into Izuku's skin. Neither of them commented on it, as Izuku was content to eat his supper.

It was nice.

It was confusing.

"Will Gadgets have the wheelbarrow by the time we head out tomorrow?" Kacchan asked.

Izuku fiddled with the container, turning it in his hands as he thought it over. He could no longer see the details of Kacchan's face as the darkness cast around them, but he could feel his red eyes staring at him.

"I'm pretty sure she will. If we head out before noon, we should be able to make it to the school before it gets dark." Izuku said.

They were banking on the idea that they would be let in without too much trouble. Izuku wanted to believe that the teachers there would help them, or at least his mother, but the hospital kept coming to mind and everything that had happened. His grip tightened around the container, denting around the edges of his fingers.

"Do you think it will be like before?" Izuku asked.

Kacchan shuffled in his seat, getting comfortable and for a moment, his arm pressed against Izuku's side. He ignored the flutters that came at the direct contact.

"Possible. We'll figure it out if it comes to it. You gonna tell them about All Might?" Izuku asked.

He brought up a good question; they were going to a school. Someone could help him control his quirk the way All Might should have. Izuku clenched his fist tighter, making some of the lukewarm broth splash land on his hand.

"Doe it even matter now? Detective Tsukauchi seemed to think I'd use this quirk to defeat the villains and get everything back to before, but is that even possible?" Izuku asked.

"Never thought I'd see the day you give up on something." Kacchan said.

There was a bitterness to his tone, though Izuku wasn't sure what that meant.

"It's not that I'm giving up. I guess I just don't understand what to do anymore. This quirk is still so mysterious and it feels like I'm losing my mind because of it. How can I even think about saving a world when I can barely keep us alive?" Izuku asked.

He was rambling, his chest clenching the more his thoughts spiraled with the heaviness of this burden. Kacchan had hit the center of his insecurities. Izuku didn't want to give up. He wanted to believe that he could defeat the bad guys and save everyone like he used to dream about.

But then his lungs would tighten as if he was being crushed again by that gravity quirk. That they escaped with their lives at all that day was a miracle, and Izuku knew it wasn't because of him. Sure, he and Kacchan may have given the finishing blow in the end, but that was only because they had forced his mother to take a life to save him.

If he still needed his mother to protect him…

Izuku's throat clenched.

Before he could spiral any further, the stinging slap of Kacchan smacking both his cheeks brought him back to reality as he stared back at the outline of Kacchan who was staring back at him, his hands holding his face in place, smashing his cheeks together.

"Stop it." Kacchan ordered.

He took a breath, holding until his nerves calmed and he nodded to let him know he was okay. Kacchan released him and Izuku rubbed the sting away from his cheeks.

"Let's just focus on getting into the school. For now, we'll hide your secret." Kacchan said.

"Okay." Izuku agreed.

Even if he couldn't really let the thoughts go completely, his secret reminded him of one other secret they had to figure out.

"What about Chieko?" Izuku asked.

"Her's too. She's too weak to keep from getting taken again. We're not risking it." Kacchan said.

That was one thing they both agreed on. Chieko was too passive, even if she had finally agreed to learn some basic self defense. She hesitated too much and there was no guarantee they could watch her at every minute of the day.

As the two settled in, Izuku finished the last of his now cold soup and wrapped the edges of the blanket tighter around him. He would keep with until the earlier hours of the morning when Shinso or Denki would wake up to take over and allow Izuku time to snooze before they left.

"You should head in and sleep, Kacchan." Izuku said.

"Not…. tired." Kacchan said.

Izuku chuckled because even Kacchan's yawn gave him away. The blonde had never been a night owl compared to Izuku, who was naturally nocturnal.

"Shut up, I'm staying up." Kacchan grumbled.

His tone was sulky as his stubbornness appeared. It wasn't like Izuku minded the company. In fact, he enjoyed any time with Kacchan, but he had noticed the other boy seemed to keep Izuku within eyesight, as if he would disappear at any moment.

"Okay, Kacchan." Izuku said with a smile.

It was Izuku who fell asleep in the end. When the fog of sleep had disappeared from his consciousness, he noticed he was laying down, his head resting on what felt like Kacchan's lap. The rough texture of the roof scraped against his back and he could feel the cold air hitting the skin of his legs where his pants had ridden up.

Izuku didn't move from his spot, enjoying the moment for what it was, since there was no saying when Kacchan would be so nice again.

There was a shift as Kacchan moved a bit before Izuku felt a hand run through his hair, but Izuku kept his eyes closed. The soft touch felt nice and Izuku found his body relaxing even further as he hummed in appreciation without meaning to.

The moment ended after that as Izuku realized he gave away that he was awake and his eyes snapped open in surprise at his mistake. The red-faced sight of Kacchan consumed Izuku's sight as he stared down at him in embarrassment, his fingers still tangled in Izuku's curls, forgotten.

Izuku opened his mouth to say anything, but the next moment he was flying over the edge of the roof and he only had enough time to catch himself on all four.

His vision focused on the dewy overgrown grass beneath him, as his heart thumped away in his ears. He couldn't bring himself to look up at Kacchan, who had yet to say anything either.

"What was that?"

Chieko's sleepy voice came from the door as she came out to check the ruckus they must have made outside.

"Nothing!"

"Nothing!"

Their voices overlapped as they answered her and Chieko startled awake, not expecting them to yell at her so early in the morning.

She gave Izuku a weird look before looking up at the roof, though she couldn't see Kacchan from where she stood.

"I… I just f.f. fell asleep! I fell off the roof!" Izuku stuttered an excuse.

Chieko tilted her head, staring at him, which only made Izuku stuttering worse as he covered his face with his arms.

"I'm going to go pack up!" Kacchan yelled.

He didn't appear, though, choosing to jump over the other side of the shed. Hatsume yawned as she came outside with Denki asleep on Shinso's shoulder.

"Whats all the commotion about?" Hatsume asked.

"Izuku was asleep and fell off the roof." Chieko repeated the poor excuse Izuku had given her.

He coughed, trying to change the topic before anyone else questioned him further.

"Hatsume, can you help me finish up the wheelbarrow before we head out.?" Izuku asked.

After they finished, everyone took a light breakfast, which was left over stew from supper. No one complained really, since it was the best they had in a while.

Izuku and Kacchan avoided each other's gazes. He knew this was only making it obvious to everyone else who was taking notice, but Izuku wasn't sure what else to do.

When they packed up, Izuku helped to place his mom inside the cart and decided he would take responsibility in pulling it during the rest of their trip.

The others moved on ahead of him and Izuku noticed when Chieko latched onto Kacchan, dragging him farther ahead of the group, their voices inaudible. This piqued his curiosity while making him nervous at the thought of what they were talking about.

"You two seemed awkward this morning. Is everything okay?" Inko asked.

Izuku blushed, and he was glad his mother couldn't see him from the cart behind him.

"No mom, everything is fine." Izuku reassured.

"Good, I was so happy when I heard you two worked things out and are on better terms. I don't want things to be strained again." His mother said.

Izuku thought about their relationship. He wasn't sure if things would have turned out the same had the villains not taken over.

Some part of him believed that they would have always found their way back to each other eventually, but he wasn't sure if it would be the way things were now. It wasn't what he thought it would be. There was this tension beneath the surface that Izuku couldn't name. The image of Kacchan's embarrassed face, the color making his eyes stand out, made Izuku stutter, his cheeks growing equally hot.

"I don't think we can go back to before." Izuku said.

"I'm glad. I hope you both continue to be friends." Inko agreed.

They didn't stop walking as often this time, preferring to keep moving while staying hydrated with the water bottles and protein bars they had stocked up on from the last market place.

As the sun reached high in the sky at midday, the school came up in the distance. The group paused, exhausted but excited they had finally reached their destination.

"Finally! We finally made it! It's U.A.!" Denki yelled.