We headed back to the locker rooms after that, to change and head home to Heights Alliance.

"Good job today, Ochako-chan," said Tsu, falling into step alongside me.

"Oh, thanks. Same to you! That kick was awesome!"

"But you won outright...I lost two."

Not self-pitying, of course. Tsu isn't like that, she's just honest. And yeah, after going through what we'd gone through at our Work Studies...

I could see the others outta the corner of my eye. And sure, they'd done work studies too, faced people, but not like ours. Not like Eri...It felt like there was just that sense of urgency, that feeling like nothing but a total win was ever acceptable, even in training, was something the four of us who'd been in work study - and Bakugou - shared, somehow.

"Next time you won't," I told her. She tilted her head. "Kero?"

"What?"

"You're a bit more serious than you used to be, Ochaco-chan."

I guess I am.

We started changing in the locker room. Mina came over to me, smirking again. "You sure got -"

Tsu interrupted her, "You did great today, Mina."

Thanks, Tsu, I thought, flushing up with embarassment again. I really wish she'd stop bringing that up.

"Oh, thanks! Though it could've gone better if it weren't for that sadistic little creep!"

We all nodded. Mineta.

"It's about time somebody did something about him!" said Ashido.

"Yes, indeed. I think he went too far today," said Yaoyorozu.

"For real?" Ashido cried out.

"Yes...Do you have something in mind?"

"A few ideas!"

We all gathered again in uniform and headed back towards Heights Alliance, following Iida. Suddenly -

"Iida!"

Kendo, with the rest of Class 1B behind her - excepting Monoma - was smiling at us.

"Kendo. You fought valiantly today!" Iida bowed to her.

"Thanks," she said, scratching her head a little. "We were wondering - would you mind if we came and hung out with you guys?"

"Of course not!" Iida cried out. "We would be honored to have you join us!"

"Great!" said Kendo. "See you there."

They fell in with us, pairing off in various groups. Shiozaki bowed to Tsu in passing. "A valiant fight," she praised, but continued on past us with her hands together, praying. Rin nodded to Tsu as well, joining us on one side, while Kodai fell into step besides me on the other.

"Truly impressive, Asui-san," said Rin. "How you took me down. I hope we may have a true rematch some day - that was a formidable move."

"Thanks. I learned it from Selkie."

"The Pro hero you did your internship with? What was he like?"

"A truly inspiring leader. You could really put your trust in him."

"And the both of you interned with Ryukyu, the number ten hero, as well didn't you? It was in the news."

I glanced at Kodai to see if she was going to add something, but she seemed to be just as quiet here as she'd been in training.

"Yup."

"Wow. How impressive!"

We'd made it to Heights Alliance and walked into the rec room, the other still chatting with Class 1B. Rin was hailed by Shishida and Kaminari and waved goodbye to us, while Kodai didn't seem to have much more to say.

"Uraraka, Tsu, come join me!" Hagakure waved at us from the couch.

The warm inviting smell of Beef Stew distracted me. "Just a sec, let's grab dinner!"

"I'll make us some tea!" said Yaoyorozu, while Sato ran off to get cake. Yum!

Two full bowls of beef stew and Tsu and I were with Hagakure. Tsu was seated, while I let my head drape over the couch, pretty tired, munching on stew and just feeling happy.

"You two were so awesome. I can't believe our team lost!"

"Indeed," said Tokoyami, who sat down by Tsu, rather close. "We carry the sole burden of failing Class 1A."

Tsu, I noticed, seemed a little flushed around Tokoyami. Interesting. But nobody starts pestering her about it.

"You were pretty cool out there, Tokoyami," said Tsu quietly.

"We'll get em next time!" said Hagakure, waving her arms in some gesture we couldn't see.

"Then we'll get you after that!" piped in Komori. She jumped in between Tokoyami and Tsu, grinning.

"So...got any pictures of Hawks? Scandalous ones?" she grinned.

"Herm. I may."

Tsu had turned away to talk to Hagakure, though she seemed a little bummed. "How come you didn't try your light refraction on them, Tooru?"

"That's a really hard move, and besides Yaomomo had Aoyama use light attacks."

"Yaomomo's a great leader," I told her. "But you can't expect her to just do everything. Sometimes you have to act on your own."

They both looked at me and seemed surprised.

"Teamwork's important, though," said Tsu. "Especially listening to what your leader has to say. Not following orders can get you and your group in serious trouble."

"But sometimes that's the right thing to do, right?" I asked, kinda surprised that Tsu was so serious-looking all of a sudden.

"Not in a real fight. When Ryukyu told us to act, we did what she said."

I didn't say anything. But I wasn't convinced.

If you just expect the leader - like Deku, or Yaomomo, or any great pro - to do everything - aren't you just putting it all on them to be perfect, and right, all the time?

Isn't that what made things so hard for All Might? Carrying the burden all by himself?

I gave Mom and Dad a call that night. Chatting with them was strange, even if it was familiar.

"How's it going, how's school?"

"Fine. How's work?"

They always looked so exhausted...

"Plenty of new orders, sadly, with all these new catastrophes..."

That's why the first time I saw a hero save someone, what I really noticed were the looks on people's faces...

"But we'll pull through!"

When a hero is truly suffering and in pain...Who helps them?

"What are your plans, Ochako? Are you going back to your work study with Ryukyu?"

"Yeah, it's so fun to tell everyone our daughter is working for the #10 hero!"

"I...don't know."

DAIKA CITY

"The middle schooler in question, who allegedly attacked a classmate with a knife is currently on the run. An investigation is udnerway."

"Saito was popular with the other children."

"XXXX was alwaays smiling. A pretty social kid. I still can't wrap my head around this."

"I-I saw her...I saw XXXX suck Saito's blood...she even stuck a straw in his wound...It was like she was in a trance...making this creepy, disgusting face..."

"We take full responsibility, and we only wish we could make up for it somehow. Despite our efforts, she turned out bad. That - that demon child..."

"Mama. Papa. Little birdie. So cute."

Those stupid news reports.

DAIKA CITY

"This is your normal?" asked that Chitose lady, licking her lips. "Fascinating. So this is you without a mask. My intuition is still as sharp as ever. As I thought, you're the manifstation of the darkness in this super-powered society."

I began coughing up blood. Hack hack.

"Your body is ravaged, inside and out. How sad. A miserable girl who, with her meta ability supressed, has driven herself to the brink of death. Do you know what's really to blame, Himiko Toga? Quirk Counseling! Where they attempt to hammer out any bumps in your understanding of the world and program you to fit neatly into society's little boxes. IT's a far-from perfect process, of course. The counseling ends up emphasizing the inherent differences among us all. And that's the bug they've yet to work out of the programming. You drink blood totransform. You were born with that Meta Ability, nad you've always had astrong fascination with blood." She was cradling my face.

That bird... So cute. Cute and pretty.

"But the true tragedy here came from a perfectly ordinary feeling - admiration!"

Opening my mouth to take the first bite.

"Blood and admiration! Those two elements combined into something that society was never going to accept! So you pushed it all down, suppressed yourself and created a mask!"

my parents, my stupid parents..."Stop that! What do you think you're doing!? And stop making that creepy smile! You look like some sorta deviant! Why can't you just be normal? Act like a normal little girl?"

"SHADDUP!" I screamed at that awful Chitose. Ready to strike.