Katsuki woke as suddenly as he had fallen unconscious, totally unaware of how much time had passed. He opened his eyes to find an unfamiliar drop ceiling high above him and an obnoxious, steady beeping emanating from somewhere on his right. He blinked a few times before trying to sit up, only to fall back into the firm pillow behind his head with a pained gasp. Shooting pain pulsated through his spine and stole his breath, robbing him of the ability to sit up.

"Don't do that, Katsuki. Stay still."

Katsuki watched as his mother appeared at the side of his hospital bed and pressed a button on the side of the frame. Slowly, the bed rose into a reclining position, and Katsuki blinked several times as he tried to take in his surroundings. His mother was lacking her usual meticulous makeup, and her typically wild and spiky hair was flat to frame her face. In place of her usual business suit, the woman simply wore jeans and a black t-shirt with a band logo upon the chest. It took Katsuki several seconds to even realize who he was looking at before he immediately turned away with a disgusted sneer. An empty hospital bed was in his line of sight to his immediate left, and for some reason, the visual filled him with anxiety.

"…where… what the hell happened…?"

"You were attacked," Mitsuki said flatly. "The police found you and another boy at the park. Apparently, a villain jumped you, your friend tried to save you and almost got himself killed, and then All Might showed up and took care of the situation. You're very lucky, Katsuki. You both would've died if he hadn't been in the area."

Katsuki squinted his eyes and tried to focus on the events in question. He remembered the phone call, the metal trashcan hitting his back, and Izuku's body on the ground. Everything else was merely a blur.

"…Izuku," Katsuki said slowly. He finally looked back over to meet his mother's eyes. Her expression was unreadable, and Katsuki began to fear the worst. "Is he…?"

"He's fine," Mitsuki reassured with a wave of her hand. "Seems like a nice kid, to me… if a little dense. He was released from the hospital this morning after being under observation all night with you. I… spoke to his mother when she got here. She knows everything about… us… and offered to take you in for a while once you get discharged… if that's what you want."

Katsuki stared at his mother, unblinking.

"Yeah. That's what I want," Katsuki said firmly.

Mitsuki's face fell, and she heaved a shuddering sigh as she ran a hand through her hair.

"Yeah, I figured. I don't blame you. I don't know where your father is. I called, I texted, and just… nothing. He clearly just doesn't care anymore. I'm not sure he ever did," Mitsuki finished as she sat in one of the chairs opposite the bed and crossed her legs before offering a shrug. "We're probably on our own, now."

Katsuki ground his teeth together before coming to a sudden realization.

"…didn't you have work today?"

"Yeah. I did," Mitsuki confirmed as she folded her arms. "I told them I wasn't coming in this week, and if that was a problem, they could eat my ass and fire me, in that order. They won't, unless they're really stupid. I do the job of at least three others. I am the company."

Katsuki said nothing as he leaned back into the pillow and closed his eyes. He remained silent for a good while, unable to really focus on anything specific through the odd, unnatural haze at the forefront of his mind.

"…I need time. You've just… everything is so fucked up. You have no idea what it's like living with you two. I've had so much shit to say to you for years, but there was never a good time. And now we're here."

"Yeah. I'm… sorry, Katsuki, for whatever that's worth," Mitsuki said softly. "Whenever you feel like coming back home, we'll talk. We'll figure this out. I want things to be decent between us before you leave for U.A., you know. For now, though, you just need to rest. Izuku should be coming by later, so… that should be good."

Again, Katsuki said nothing for several minutes. A series of loud knocks interrupted him from his thoughts, and he opened one eye to look at the door as a muffled, boisterous voice echoed through the wood.

"I am here… if you're awake! If not, I'll return later!"

"Sir, please!" a second, softer voice insisted. "There are other patients trying to get rest!"

"I am sorry!" the first replied, only slightly lower in volume. "And additionally, still here!"

Katsuki tensed as his mother raised her voice and stood from the chair before walking toward the door at a brisk pace.

"He's awake!" she called. "Don't go anywhere!"

Katsuki squinted and forced himself to sit up, his spine tingling in resistance as he did so. The boy put on a brave face as All Might strode into the room, the V-shaped sections of his hair nearly brushing against the ceiling as he made his way to the foot of the bed. His ever-present smile was once again plastered upon his face, and the man balled his hands before placing them firmly upon his hips. Katsuki could only stare at his idol in dumbfounded silence as Mitsuki reentered the room and stood off to the side, a knowing smirk upon her face.

"…young Bakugo!" All Might began with a firm nod. "You're awake!"

Katsuki continued to stare, unsure of what to say or feel as the legendary figure before him fixed him with a wide grin.

"…yeah," he agreed. "Yeah, I… am."

"…and I am terrible at handling awkward situations! Please forgive me!" All Might continued as he folded his arms across his barrel chest with a firm nod.

"…me too," Katsuki replied. "It's fine…"

"I'll go and get us some food," Mitsuki offered. "You two boys have fun," she added before landing a playful punch into All Might's biceps.

The man merely nodded and watched Mitsuki go, before turning back to Katsuki and lowering his voice ever so slightly.

"She's a rather intimidating woman, isn't she? But she seems like a good mother that cares about you quite a bit," All Might offered as he walked around the bed to stand at Katsuki's side. He was slightly taken aback by the boy's sudden shift to a scowl, but he remained close as he leaned in slightly. "How are you feeling?"

A small part of Katsuki considered answering the question with more than a simple physical description, but the rest of his mind stomped out the notion immediately.

"…I don't know," Katsuki admitted. "My back hurts. I don't really remember much. I don't even remember you being there, actually..."

"I see," All Might acknowledged as he leaned back up to a standing position. "Well, I can certainly say that you are very lucky, young man… but also very brave. Though I wasn't there in time to see you in action, you did no small amount of damage to that villain on your own. Had you not been taken by surprise, you may have been able to stave them off for quite a while. That sludge villain had more than a few missing and burned chunks on account of your quirk. Very impressive!"

The numbness in Katsuki's chest was quickly replaced by a swell of pride, and he allowed himself a small smirk.

"Heh. Serves that bastard right for jumping me. I could've taken him in a fair fight…"

"Maybe so," All Might agreed, though his smile faltered ever so slightly. "Your friend, though… Izuku Midoriya. He's even luckier."

Katsuki shifted within the bed, feeling conflicted.

"What exactly did he do?" Katsuki asked. "I only remember seeing him on the ground… and a little before that."

"Well," All Might began, "he… did his best to save you. He didn't last very long against the villain, but he did stall the situation just long enough for me to wander by. Midoriya managed to take one of the villain's eyes with his bare hands, before being choked into unconsciousness. Had I not arrived wh-"

"He'd be dead," Katsuki finished. "Because he doesn't have a Quirk and rushing in like that was stupid."

"Well… in so many words, yes," All Might admitted. "He has the spirit of a true hero who cares deeply for his friends, but… not necessarily the ability to go with it. His body is strong for a boy his age, but without an accompanying Quirk… he really cannot hope to stand up to the majority of villains. He and I had a long talk last night, and I believe I may have upset him."

"The truth is upsetting," Katsuki replied with a shrug. "People shouldn't overstep their bounds, and he should have known he was no match for that villain."

"If he had done that, you may not have survived that fight," All Might reminded.

Katsuki said nothing, his attention fully fixated upon the I.V. tube sticking out of the back of his hand. Another awkward silence ensued, until the pro hero let out a weary sigh.

"…young Bakugo," All Might tried once again, "be careful what you say, and to whom. It's quite clear to me that Midoriya looks up to you and sees you in much the same way that others your age look up to pro heroes. He and I had a long discussion about the future, and… I left him incredibly disappointed. I explained to him that he needs to find something other than hero work, but I could see in his eyes that my words didn't quite reach him. I think you owe it to him to help him come to terms with reality in a way that only a close friend can. Being a hero means more than winning fights and saving innocents from life and death circumstances, you know. Given that you're going to try to get into U.A. in the fall, this could be good practice with the… more unpleasant sort of 'rescue' work that comes from uncomfortable conversations with people that need to have them."

"Kinda like this one?" Katsuki asked.

"…exactly like this one," All Might confirmed with a nod. "You didn't hear it from me, but I'll be teaching at U.A., starting in your potential first semester. Your academic data and the way you held you own while injured against that sludge villain are both promising… and I hope to see you there. Truly. You have great potential."

"I'll be there," Katsuki resolved, his expression suddenly serious and full of determination. "You can count on it."

"Good!" All Might praised as he patted the railing of the bed. The colossal man turned and headed toward the door, only to look over his shoulder at Katsuki once again. "That being said… there is one other thing I'd like you to do for me, young Bakugo."

"…anything," Katsuki answered as he squirmed to sit up a bit straighter. "Anything you need me to do."

"Sometime in the next few months, I may need to… see you in action, in a private setting. Before you apply to U.A. University. I can't give you a timeline or make any promises, but there are some things I may need to see for myself about your abilities, both in and out of combat. Midoriya had a lot to say about you, young man."

Katsuki's mind raced as he tried to make sense of the statement.

"…just let me know anytime after I'm out of this place, and I'll be ready for you," Katsuki boasted. "And All Might?"

"Mm?" the man intoned as he put a hand upon the doorknob.

Katsuki hesitated, trying to decide between two closing statements.

"…watch yourself. I'll be coming for that number one spot in a few years."

All Might chuckled softly to himself and offered the boy a backward wave.

"I do like a challenge. I'm looking forward to it," he replied before stepping out into the hall to leave Katsuki to his thoughts. The teen merely slumped back into his cushions, suddenly feeling very small as the beginnings of a headache throbbed in his forehead.

"Shit!"

"Uh, Mina?"

"Don't take it off! I don't wanna goop ya by accident!"

"Mina, what's going on?" Eijiro asked, his eyes still tightly shut behind his blindfold. "Did something happen?"

"Um… kinda," the girl admitted as she cringed into the bathroom mirror before the pair. "I mean, it's a good thing your carpet is dark…"

"Mina!" Eijiro whined, his shoulders tensing. "It got into the carpet!?"

Mina Ashido bit her lip for a moment while continuing to run her plastic comb through her companion's long, shaggy locks of hair.

"…sorta? A little?"

"Crap. Mom's gonna kill me," Eijiro whined.

"…we could just bleach the entire carpet," Mina suggested with a shrug as she ran the brush in her other hand along Eijiro's roots. "It won't look bad if it's all one color…"

"We're going shopping for a new bathroom rug after this," Eijiro groaned. "I mean, as long as you're still available to hang out."

"Of course!" Mina reassured. "I've got some stuff to pick up, anyway. Shopping with you is always fun."

"Maybe for you it is," Eijiro grumbled. "You're not gonna make me try on clothes again, are you?"

Mina merely chuckled and grinned wickedly into the mirror, unseen to her friend.

"Hell yeah I am. After all, the whole point of this is to give you a new look, right? We've gotta get you some bright colors, man. You'd look super cute in yellow or orange, with this new situation going on."

"Can I look yet?" Eijiro asked as he felt the comb work its way through the ends of his hair. "I've been blind for like an hour!"

"And spoil the surprise?" Mina asked. "Fine, fine. I guess you can have a tiny little preview. Can't exactly have this thing on for the back sections, anyway."

Suddenly, Eijiro felt his blindfold being untied behind his head. All at once, the cloth was pulled from his field of vision, and he blinked several times to try to adjust to the harsh fluorescent lights above the wide bathroom mirror. His reflection sat with a stained towel around his neck, looking absolutely stunned. The cloth was splotched with a deep red matching the front left quadrant of his freshly dyed hair. The rest of his unkempt mane was a bright, almost yellow-looking bleached white held back against his skull with various clips and barrettes. Over his shoulder, Mina offered him a confident grin through the glass.

"Well? I figured you'd like the color, given how much you like Crimson Riot. I think it looks sexy. Don't touch it!"

Eijiro paused and flinched with his hand halfway up to the dyed section of his hair. He turned his head slightly, taking in the unfamiliar color before locking eyes with Mina in the mirror.

"…it looks badass."

"Yeah it does!" Mina agreed as she rested her elbow upon the boy's shoulder and put her chin in her hand. "When you're all done… can I play with it? I've got an idea for a fresh new style."

Eijiro grinned and offered his friend a nod.

"I trust ya."

"That's a mistake," Mina joked as she extended her arms outward, interlaced her fingers, and cracked the outstretched digits. "We're gonna need to go and get a lot of hairspray…"

Author's Note:

Next chapter will feature more Kirishima/Ashido, and some other stuff. I might need to take a week off on account of having a family member that isn't doing well in the hospital, but I don't know yet. If that ends up being the case, I'll leave a note on my profile. I'll do my best to get chapters out next week/the week after, but I'm not sure what's going to happen just yet.

-RD