The gloom hovering over the students of Class 1-A continued to dour their spirits. Most of the class didn't even have the will to leave their rooms and spent their time sulking silently, staring blankly at the ceiling while their minds raced with a thousand thoughts.

One of the few students who had chosen to leave their dorm was Yaoyorozu. In the kitchen, the teenager was making a batch of tea. When she was younger, Momo would always start making tea whenever she was upset. Momo silently stood while the kettle boiled over the burner. Once the kettle had been boiled, she put the tea leaves over a teapot and prepared to pour the boiling water into the pot. These were a new brand of tea leaves her parents had gotten her, and they'd packed the brand for her before she left. From the inscriptions on the brand, the tea looked like it was from a foreign nation. What sort of fragrance and texture would the tea leaves possess?

Without warning, her eyes misted, and her trembling hands caused some boiling water to splash onto the table. Who was she kidding? How could she believe making a cup of tea would distract her mind from the fact that Kageyama was now imprisoned because of her incompetence? She was such an idiot! But before the tears could start streaming down Yaoyorozu's face, the teenager picked up on the sound of footsteps. She wiped away the tears from her eyes and regained her composure. Even if she couldn't lie to herself about her despair, as the vice representative of her class, she had to put on a face and be strong for their sake. She turned her head and saw Uraraka approaching her.

"Oh, Uraraka. Did you already finish unpacking everything," Yaoyorozu asked.

"Yeah. I just wanted to get out and stretch my legs, see if any of our classmates were out and about, you know." Uraraka perched her head slightly upon seeing the boiling kettle in Yaoyorozu's hands. "You're making yourself tea, right?" she asked.

"Yes. Would you like a cup?"

"Sure, why not? Why don't we sit down over there on the couch?"

Yaoyorozu nodded and proceeded to pour two cups for herself and Uraraka. The girls went over to the couch and sipped their tea for a few moments.

"So, what do you think of the dorms," Yaoyorozu asked.

"They're amazing," Uraraka replied quietly, "The dorm room is the size of my house, which was a huge shock for me."

"The rooms are about the size of one of my closets at home, so unpacking and organizing all my belongings took a bit more work than I'd expected." Uraraka's eyes lightly widened in surprise.

"I wonder if our classmates and Class 1-B have finished unpacking," Uraraka said, "You think the students in Class 1-B have the same kind of dorm sy-" The bob-haired girl's voice petered out, and her teacup began to tremble lightly. "What am I doing? I thought I'd come down here to take my mind off everything, but it's... it's just hard knowing he's not here with us."

Yaoyorozu somberly nodded her head and placed her tea cup on the table. "I know. I can't stop thinking about it all, from the training camp to the warehouse. I watched Kageyama fight the Nomu and chose to leave him behind... If I'd stayed and fought alongside him, maybe I could have found a way to save the rest of our class and stop the League of Villains from taking him."

"No, it's not your fault. If I'd been smarter or quicker on my feet, I could've saved Bakugo and Tokoyami from being taken by the masked villain, and maybe Kageyama would've never been forced to give himself up to save them." Uraraka leaned her body forward and ran her hand through her hair in frustration.

"And when you planned to save Kageyama, I knew deep down it wouldn't work, but... I just... couldn't bring myself to stop you."

Yaoyorozu fiercely shook her head in disagreement. "The responsibility for our classmates going on that mission falls solely onto my shoulders. It was only thanks to me that the mission was possible. Against my better judgment, I led my classmates into the jaws of the most powerful enemy this nation has ever seen."

The mention of All For One caused both teenagers to recall the battle between Kageyama and the symbol of evil. Though both were experiencing guilt over the events that transpired, neither could ignore their feelings on the esper's triumphant stand against the symbol of evil.

"...When I first saw the broadcast of the destruction in Kamino, I couldn't believe what I was seeing," Uraraka muttered as she recalled the horrific imagery from that night, "I was scared that for once, maybe All Might couldn't win like he always does and that maybe... Kageyama wouldn't be leaving the villain's hideout alive. But when I saw that Kageyama was fighting in such an incredible battle... it was unreal."

Yaoyorozu's muscles jumped underneath her skin, her body shaking and instinctively reacting as she recalled her encounter with the symbol of evil. "When the others and I witnessed that man demolish Kamino Ward... it was an indescribable fear. His horrifying aura awakened a primal terror inside me, a sensation I didn't even know I possessed, snuffing out any semblance of rational thought or planning. When staring in the face of that monster, we all fled mindlessly like helpless animals being hunted by a predator. But Kageyama..."

The memory of Kageyama's heroic stand caused Yaoyorozu's body to relax and her face to soften. "He overcame that primal, irrational terror and protected us. He stood proud and alone with a determination unlike anything I've ever seen. Staring at us, at me, with those glowing, crimson eyes, blazing with fiery willpower..." Her heartbeat increased rapidly without warning, and a flush slowly spread across her cheeks. Yaoyorozu grasped her hand over her beating heart to slow its pace. What was coming over her? Why was the image of Kageyama in his transformed state eliciting such a reaction from her?

"Yaoyorozu, you ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine..." Yaoyorozu took a calm breath and brought her heartbeat back to normal. "Anyway, the point is that Kageyama stepped up and displayed bravery that none of us could muster."

Uraraka's smile widened. "I know. I remembered every second of his battle with All For One. But I'll never forget when he gained his second wind. I was shouting for him as loudly as possible, and I'm sure you were too, Yaoyorozu."

"At that moment, he truly embodied what it meant to be a hero and a member of the Body Improvement Club," Yaoyorozu added.

"Absolutely," Uraraka added, "After seeing him win against All For One, I really thought the worst was over, but..." The brief feeling of contentment and fond memories was soon broken. Now, they were finally returning to the present, the moment where things had taken their darkest turn.

"Then it all came crashing down," Uraraka continued, her face downcast and her eyes staring at the floor. "Nearly all of us got expelled from U.A. High, then out of nowhere, Mr. Aizawa changes his mind, and we all get to move into the dorms. But then it turns out, even that came at a price..." The bob-haired girl's head further sunk in somberness and reflection. "Even now, it's hard for me to believe Kageyama did what he did. We've always seen how hard he works to improve himself and never to hurt other people. He's never the first to throw a punch and resort to violence. But then something in him snapped, and none of us noticed. Maybe we didn't want to notice the signs, and by the time we did, it was too late."

Yaoyorozu silently nodded in agreement. "And now, our entire class is wallowing in the shame and despair of our failure while Kageyama is being held in Tartarus, bound to a fate he doesn't deserve." Hearing Momo speak these words out loud caused both girls to sink back into their seats, serving as yet another verbal reminder of what their actions and lack of actions had ended up causing. Without Kageyama safe and by their side, none of them could genuinely accept their new transition to U.A. High. Class 1-A could not be completed without their greatest and bravest classmate. How could any of them carry on with things as they were? What if Kageyama would never return to U.A. High and be kept as a prisoner for the rest of his life? These thoughts were beginning to creep into the minds of Yaoyorozu and Uraraka, threatening to overtake them and sink their minds deeper into despair.

"No!"

Ochaco Uraraka stood up from her seat. She couldn't explain it, but just as her heart was about to be clouded by despair, a tiny spark was lit, reigniting the determination she had begun to harness ever since meeting Deku and becoming a student at U.A. High. "There's no way I'm gonna just sit here and feel sorry for myself. There's still something we can do!"

"But what?" Yaoyorozu asked, "The Hero Commission is keeping Kageyama under the tightest security possible. The only ones who could change their minds are the pro heroes, the principal, and All Might."

"Maybe we can't get him out of Tartarus, but we can get the rest of the class out of their funk and make sure when Kageyama comes back, he can come back to the classmates he's gotten to know instead of the classmates who're so bummed out they can't even bother to leave their rooms. We need to remind'em what being a student at U.A. High and being a member of the Body Improvement Club means, and it doesn't mean we sit around feeling sorry for ourselves while our friend's in prison."

Seeing Uraraka's newfound determination managed to spark something within Yaoyorozu's heart as well, and she quickly found herself back on her feet. Uraraka was correct: instead of wasting time trying to distract herself from the pain, she needed to redirect those emotions into something productive that would help Kageyama. "Yes. We must give our class something to devote energy to, a genuine reason to leave their rooms. And more importantly, we must find at least some way to mitigate the damage caused by Kageyama's rampage, even if it seems minuscule."

"Great," said Uraraka, pleased to see Yaoyorozu regain some of her spirit, "So what's your idea?"

Momo took a few seconds to consider their options. Then, an idea came to her: "Yavin Forest was grievously damaged during Kageyama's battle with the pro heroes, and the forest is only a few miles from the campus. If we asked Principal Nezu for permission, we could coordinate with the reconstruction agencies and have the entire class assist in restoring the damage to the forest while the top heroes supervise."

"That's a great idea," Uraraka replied, "I'm sure Kendo and Tetsutetsu would want to join us as members of the Body Improvement Club, so we should tell them tomorrow. Actually, why not just start tonight?"

"Agreed. The sooner, the better," replied Yaoyorozu. "I'll speak with the principal and tell him about this idea. You should talk to Midoriya since he's the vice president of the Body Improvement Club, and I'm sure he'll be eager to aid in this endeavor."

"Sounds awesome! Well, let's get to it!" Both teenagers made their way through the dorms to begin their assignments. Though their hearts continued to ache, they were reminded of what it meant to fight against pain, the way Kageyama and Midoriya had done so many times already. Now, it was time to follow their example and try their best to pick up the pieces of their broken class. Though it would undoubtedly be challenging, both were determined to see it through and do something. As Uraraka raced through the hall to her best friend's room, she was optimistic that with a bit of encouragement, Deku would be just as ready to pitch in.

While many of the other students of Class 1-A had been hit hard by the recent turn of events, no student in the dorms had been hit with greater despair than Izuku Midoriya. Ever since he'd learned that Kageyama was responsible for the destruction of Yavin forest, the ninth bearer of One For All had been a mess. He'd constantly switch from feeling nothing at all to bursting into tears, and his mind had been too overcome with pain and memories to react to anything that had happened the following day. His mother wanted to ask what was bothering her son so badly, but she assumed it must have been due to All Might's hospitalization and his true form being revealed, so she didn't pry. Though that was one aspect of the guilt eating him up inside, she had no way of knowing the horrendous sequence of events that had transpired in Musustafu that day.

Throughout the moving process and Aizawa's guide of the dorms, the young hero-in-training had remained silent and lifeless in the back and kept playing in his mind a repeat of everything that had happened since the villains attacked the camp. As he had brought all his belongings into his new room, those events continued to play in his mind like a constant loop. With his heart in a numb, detached state, Izuku sat in bed as the loop continued its playback.

The flashbacks began when he first got injured by Muscular. He'd been forced to go past his limits and grievously injured his right arm, and because he wasn't strong enough to save Kota without breaking his arms, Kageyama had to use up all his energy to heal him. Then, his lack of strength showed itself again as he watched his best friend offer himself as a prisoner in exchange for freeing Bakugo and Tokoyami. He couldn't save someone right in front of him, and because of that failure, Kageyama had to sacrifice himself. But even when his weakness had been shown to Deku in all its glory, he still thought he could save Kageyama.

"But I have to know: what did you think you could accomplish by coming here? Did you actually believe that any of you could provide support to Kageyama? All of you have seen what he's capable of. There is nothing that any of you could have provided that he could not do by himself. Compared to him, you are just extras. Deep down, I'm sure that all of you had enough sense to know that. And yet, you wanted to feel special. You believed on the smallest chance that you could've helped Kageyama escape, you'd actually be doing something useful for a change. That way, you could free yourselves from the guilt of knowing that Kageyama has once again done everything while you sat on the sidelines doing nothing like the extras you are. But why don't you ask him how much your help has done for him? See whether your presence has put him in any better situation?"

All For One's mocking speech had been haunting him ever since he learned of Kageyama's rampage. Though the esper had tried to assure them their attempted rescue mattered to him, Izuku could not honestly believe it. All Izuku had done was put himself and his friends in danger and force Kageyama to step up in a situation that should've never happened. He wanted to prove to himself that he could help Kageyama and that he wouldn't have to bear the burden of fighting All For One by himself, but the incident at the warehouse proved just how naive that line of thinking was. Then, because of his selfishness and incompetence, Aizawa expelled nearly all of his class. During his desperate attempt to keep his classmates enrolled in U.A. High and fix Izuku's mistake, Kageyama lost control of his powers. He was held in Tartarus as if he were some sort of evil psychopath like All for One.

Izuku could feel his eyes water, his heart beginning to switch into the state of despair he'd been fluctuating in and out of all day. What kind of hero was Izuku? What sort of bearer of One For All could let things come to this? He was an arrogant fool!

"Hey, Deku..." Izuku's attention was directed to Uraraka's voice from behind his door. The green-haired teenager wiped his eyes away and made sure to look presentable for his friend. "Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Uraraka opened the door but was surprised that nearly all the boxes were still packed. She saw a few All Might figurines and a poster of him hung up on the wall, but other than that, the room appeared barren. "So Deku, Yaoyorozu, and I were talking, and we were thinking that we should try and get everyone in Class 1-A out of their rooms. We could ask the principal for our class to help with clearing the damage in Yavin forest so it'll be easier for it to recover. We're sure it'll be a lot of physical work, and that's why the vice president of the Body Improvement Club should be the one to help lead this mini-project."

The bob-haired girl expected Deku to jump at the idea and react with the positivity and determination he always displayed. Uraraka's assumptions were quickly put to rest when her friend didn't stir even an inch from his spot. "...No. I can't."

"What?" Ochaco couldn't believe that Deku, of all people, would refuse such an offer. "Why not?"

"What's the point? There must be pro-heroes and other emergency forces that are taking care of the damage. All we'd be doing is getting in the way and making things worse."

"Come on, that's not true! It's the chance for you to do something important and help people! That's why we're here!"

Izuku shook his head, leaning forward toward the edge of his bed. "Me helping people? That's funny." A small, self-derisive smile spread across Midoriya's lips. "I can't even help Shige. He's always supported me, and I had the GALL to push him away because, what, he was better than me? What a sick joke. But I HAD to prove to myself that I could help him for once and rushed headfirst into danger like an idiot. And guess what? It only made things worse for everyone.

"The only thing I can do is stay out of the way and let the real heroes handle this." Gone were the embers of passion within the hero-in-training's heart; he was too overcome with shame and sorrow to stand up and take charge. And there was nothing anyone could do to change his mind...

However, Uraraka would not stand for this. The bob-haired teenager grabbed her friend by the shoulders and turned him so he could stare into her eyes. Izuku was briefly startled by the determination and lack of hesitation in her gaze. How could she carry such a look after all that had happened?

"Deku, listen to me. We've all made mistakes this past week. We all wish we could've done things better or gone differently. Believe me, I get it. All I've been thinking about these past few days is everything I didn't do and what an idiot I was for not stepping up when I could. But it happened, and right now, we can only make the best of what we have. Kageyama knew that. Do you think he wanted to leave with the League of Villains or fight All For One by himself? Of course not, but he did it anyway. Even when he nearly died, he stood up, kept fighting, and managed to win for us. Right now, we have a chance to do the same thing. We can keep fighting in our own way, just like him. If you wanna sit here and do nothing, then you're basically saying that everything Kageyama sacrificed for us ended up for nothing. And the Deku I know would never agree with something like that."

Ochaco Uraraka's character growth was once again showing itself. In a time when even the strongest members of Class 1-A were overtaken with despair, the bob-haired girl stood firm alongside Yaoyorozu and held to the convictions that Midoriya and Kageyama had championed. Even if they didn't believe in themselves, Uraraka would continue to believe in them, which was why she adamantly wished for her words to reach Deku. She got her wish as she noticed some light returning to Deku's eyes.

Izuku Midoriya felt the meaning of his friend's words sink into his body. "You're right, Uraraka. There's no way I'd insult Kageyama's sacrifice, and I'm sure the rest of the class feels the same way." Even if he believed himself to be worthless and still felt like doing nothing but sink into his bed, the one thing he would not believe was that Kageyama was useless or that his actions amounted to nothing.

"There's the Deku I know," Uraraka replied joyfully. "Now, how about we round up the rest of the class and tell them our plan?"

Deku nodded with fervent agreement. The two friends exited the room and went to the remaining rooms on the floor. Now that Deku's spirit was re-energized, they would see this through!

It took about ten minutes for all of Class 1-A to reconvene in the dorms' lobby. Many of the students remained silent, unsure of what Deku could be planning at a time like this while still being drowned in sadness. Standing in front of the group of huddled students were Deku, Uraraka, and Yaoyorozu.

"Alright, everybody, please listen up." Deku raised his voice, and now all eyes were focused on him. As the students all looked at him, Izuku could see from the expressions on their faces how differently each classmate was handling this situation. Several classmates like Tsu, Jirou, and Tokoyami were pensive, their eyes mixed with sadness and horror, as anyone would expect. Others, such as Kirishima and Bakugo, Deku could see a mixture of frustration and hatred. He couldn't believe that they could carry such intense anger at a time like this, but then he realized that the focus of such hatred was directed at themselves, and that was something he could completely empathize with.

"I know a lot of stuff has happened the past few days," Izuku began, "Everyone here is hurting, just like me, and I'm sure, like me, a lot of you probably didn't even want to get out of your beds." Izuku's eyes went to Uraraka, then Yaoyorozu, and a smile spread. "Luckily, Uraraka and Yaoyorozu were able to stay strong and remind me why I couldn't just sit in bed."

"Get to the point, Deku," Bakugo barked, "What'd you bring us all here for?"

"Right." Midoriya's eyes returned to the rest of his class. "Uraraka and Yaoyorozu came up with a plan to have our class go to Yavin forest to help with the recovery efforts tomorrow. It's only a few miles away from U.A. High, so we'd be close enough so the teachers could come to help if anything goes wrong. Yaoyorozu already spoke with Principal Nezu, and he approved of our idea. I'll go over the rest of the details with Yaoyorozu and Uraraka later tonight, but I wanted to let you guys know in advance so you're ready."

"Count us in, too."

Kendo and Tetsutetsu approached the surprised students from the corner of the wall. "What're you two doing here?" Bakugo asked.

Both wanted to see how Class 1-A was dealing with everything that had happened but were surprised to see them all gathered together at a time like this, so the curious pair decided to eavesdrop on their meeting. "With everything that's happened, the two of us wanted to see how all of you were doing. Then we saw you all gathered in a meeting, so we listened and heard about your plan."

"There's no way you can leave Class 1-B out of this," Tetsutetsu said.

"Really?" Yaoyorozu said, "You would be willing to aid Class 1-A in fixing our mistake?"

"Of course," Kendo replied, "Besides, it's not just your mistake. We were at the camp with the rest of you guys, and we were there when you made the plan to rescue Mob by yourselves. The two of us carry responsibility, too, and there's no way we could stay at this school if we just did nothing while you guys are going out and trying to fix this."

"No way we could call ourselves members of the Body Improvement Club, either," Tetsutetsu added. This comment managed to elicit small smiles from several members of the Body Improvement Club.

"So now the whole class knows the plan." Taking the stage away from Deku, Yaoyorozu spoke up to clarify a message to her class. "Remember, we're doing this for Kageyama because standing around at a time like this would be a mockery of everything he did for our sakes. So, no matter how we're all feeling, I expect everybody here to be at their best tomorrow. Is that clear?"

All of the class nodded their heads in understanding. These students of U.A. High were bound together by this shared sense of responsibility and guilt. Despite all that had happened to them and Shigeo, they would do their best to move forward and fight on, just as the esper had always done.

Charred wood was spread all across the landscape. Black, scorched pieces of plants and trees now replaced areas filled with lush greenery. The intensity of Kageyama and Endeavor's flames had managed to vaporize a large chunk of the forest, and the parts of the forest that had escaped the path of the fire were still heavily burned. Several logs were so brittle that merely a touch was enough to break them apart into tiny pieces that the wind would blow away. For the few forest areas that managed to escape severe damage, birds, insects, and other small mammals were scrambling and screeching wildly, unable to comprehend that most of their home had become a burned wasteland. Where the trees that had been their homes once stood, now all left were the stumps to remind them of what once was.

But despite the terrible scars that the battle between Mob and the heroes had inflicted, some were taking steps to mend the wounds and fix what was once broken. The night before, Deku, Uraraka, and Yaoyorozu had all reconvened with Principal Nezu to discuss how they would proceed with their plan. The principal knew there had to be several safeguards to protect the students after the League of Villains had attacked, so he contacted the heroes who had taken part in the hideout invasion operation. The heroes were more than willing to lend their aid after what had transpired, and they'd used their connections to enlist the help of a few other heroes to supervise the class. Yaoyorozu had also gone out of her way to contact her parents, and using their vast resources, they managed to enlist the aid of several companies who could help facilitate the recovery of Yavin Forest.

As morning arrived, the work on the recovery had already begun, and many of the hired organizations had already started arriving at the scene. One of the organizations provided premature trees of the same species that grew in Yavin Forest so the population could recover. Another organization provided grasses and shrubs that would be systematically placed around the burned landscape to facilitate the growth of the greenery. Firefighters had already arrived and continued to work on putting out any fires that had continued to burn throughout the night. Still, the firefighters were surprised to see a larger water supply being provided to them by another organization. The large containers of water were meant to douse the forest fires and help moisten and replenish the soil.

However, among the many workers from multiple companies in the forest, the ones taking the most charge were the students of U.A. High. All the students of both Class 1-A and 1-B were present for the recovery efforts, and working together with focus and precision, the students were each doing their part to aid in the recovery efforts. Each student was working in different shifts: some manually removed the tree stumps from the ground, some inserted the new trees and shrubs into the soil, and others placed grass onto the soil. Deku assigned roles to each student based on their strengths and weaknesses and did his best to ensure the process would go as smoothly as possible. Though none of the students could use their Quirks to help in the process, the physical training many had undergone made the process much easier than usual.

The top heroes Endeavor, Hawks, Best Jeanist, and Edgeshot, as well as U.A. teachers and a few other notable heroes, supervised all 39 students. Each had formed a secure perimeter around the forest and kept their senses sharp to detect any possible attack.

As soon as the media caught wind of this student project, they rushed to the site to get answers to the burgeoning questions. Mr. Aizawa and Vlad King answered those questions, feeling it was their duty to explain what their class was doing.

"So Eraserhead, Vlad King, could you tell us the reason for your students aiding in the recovery efforts of the Nomu attack on Yavin Forest?" the reporter asked.

"Well, my students were all eager to help mitigate the damage to the forest, and since the forest isn't too far away from campus, Principal Nezu authorized their departure from campus. To ensure our student's safety, we're having the top heroes keep watch over them and protect them should any villains appear."

"So, to be clear, neither you nor Principal Nezu were the ones who came up with this idea?"

"Correct," Aizawa replied. The one responsible for this idea is my student, Izuku Midoriya. As you can see, he's coordinating his classmates to be as efficient as possible." Several feet away, Deku was speaking with Yaoyorozu, Iida, and Kendo, who had each been in charge of the different groups and discussed each group's progress.

"Excuse me!" The news crew scurried over to Izuku's side to get more information. Upon seeing the news crew approach him, Izuku's body immediately tensed, and his nervousness flared. He'd always been rather stage-shy, and even with all the trauma that had been heaped onto him recently, that stage fright hadn't completely disappeared.

"Izuku Midoriya! Is Eraserhead correct when he said that you're the one who came up with the idea to help with the recovery efforts?"

"Um, well..." Izuku's cheeks flared, and he took a few seconds to compose himself before he found the words to say. "Not exactly. My friends, Yaoyorozu–" Deku briefly motioned his hand towards Yaoyorozu, "-and Uraraka were the ones who came up with the idea, but right now, I'm the one who's been trying to direct all the students of Class 1-A and Class 1-B."

"He's assigned the students from both classes into different roles to ensure the restoration efforts are made as swiftly and efficiently as possible," added Iida. The spectacled student directed the news crew's attention to the working students. "As you can see, some are working on removing the trunks from the soil, while others are moving the premature trees into holes created by other workers. While we still aren't allowed to use Quirks for hero-related work, our physical training has allowed us to make great progress, and we're hoping by the end of today, all of the new trees will be planted."

"And what inspired all of you to come out and assist in the recovery efforts instead of remaining at U.A. High, especially with the attack at the camp?"

All four students gave each other uneasy stares, for this opened up wounds that were already bleeding profusely. Yaoyorozu was the first to speak. "...It's true; things have been difficult since the incident at the training camp. Kageyama's capture and the critical injuries he received during his battle have shaken up our entire class." Just before she sank any deeper into those emotions and pain, she snapped herself out of it. "Still, we believe that this would be the best use of our time and talents."

"We just thought it was wrong to sit back and relax after Kageyama's huge battle," Kendo continued, "With the effort he put into helping all of us, this is our way of paying it back, even if it's not much in comparison."

Izuku nodded his head. "That's right. We're sure this is what Shige would want us to be doing, and as long as we're here, we'll keep going for his sake."

From this, another wave of smiles spread across the students' faces. Hearing their classmates talk so highly of Kageyama was always a treat. They could only hope their classmate was faring well in Tartarus and would be released soon.

Despite the hopes of the hero course students, Kageyama's imprisonment in Tartarus was far from ideal. The esper had remained tightly bound in his holding facility for the past day. While he had been sleeping, the guards modified the chair he was seated in and added some extra contraptions. An intravenous tube had been inserted into his nasal passages, and more disturbingly, a catheter had been inserted into his bladder while a container to hold his waste. So not only was he being force-fed, but now he couldn't even get up to use the restroom? They were really going this far? Though a part of Kageyama believed he deserved this, another part of him felt bothered that they would treat him in such a dehumanizing manner.

In the room, the only thing in sight were security cameras on the walls and the white walls keeping him imprisoned. His ears could only pick up the faint sounds of the machines on his chair operating, with the occasional whirring noise from the cameras. What's worse is that since he'd been placed in this chair, he hadn't seen a single person. None of his teachers, friends, or even a guard had come in to visit him.

"Hello? Can anyone please tell me what happened to All Might? Is he alright?" Mob asked this to whoever was observing him, but not even a whir of the security camera could be heard by the esper. With nothing but his thoughts to keep him company, time drew out like a blade. So many fears were eating away inside of him, and he desperately needed answers to these burning questions, but no one was giving him an answer. With no answers, it only allowed his imagination to run wild and imagine the worst-case scenarios.

Ever since he'd been taken into custody, he'd been battling with his feelings of shame and guilt. After everything he'd done, all the pain, blood, and tears he had spilled to protect his friends and the innocent, he once again lost control of his powers and caused a disaster that only ended up hurting the people he cared about. Even before that, he'd hurt his friends in different ways. Painful flashbacks from his time at the training camp appeared in his mind. Even now, he could remember all those moments vividly. When he had first fought the Nomu, he'd chosen to fight them alone despite the others' insistence and to put her mind at ease; he'd promised Yaoyorozu he wouldn't be going anywhere. But because of his weakness and inability to stop the villains, he was forced to break that promise and leave with the League of Villains. Then he made ANOTHER promise to the rest of his class that he'd reunite with them all as a class at U.A. High while restraining his friends with his psychic powers. It had all turned into a string of lies and failures he couldn't make up for. Mob knew that there were times he had to be tough on people, a lesson that he'd learned from Mogami, but that didn't make it hurt any less, and with only his thoughts to keep him company, that pain and regret only continued to grow inside of him. How could he face his class again? How could he face Yaoyorozu again?

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After what felt like an eternity, Mob finally heard a human voice. From the door in front of him, a group of men wearing lab coats appeared, all conversing with one another. Behind them were a handful of security guards bringing the same chair used to bring Mob into this room. One of the security guards stood in front of Kageyama with a stern expression on his face.

"Shigeo Kageyama, we will be taking you to a facility in Tartarus where these doctors will perform a series of medical examinations on you. During this time, you are to remain still and follow all instructions without question. Is that understood?"

"Please, just tell me, what happened to All Might? Is he alright?"

"We are under strict orders to reveal no information on the outside world until further notice."

"But-"

"Men, bring the prisoner!" The guards all unhooked Mob from his chair while the doctors carefully unhooked the urine bag from the catheter. The esper shifted onto the other chair and allowed the guards to place new restraints on him. The group exited the room and made their way to the medical room. As the group walked, Mob wondered what examinations they would do to him. Would they perform X-rays on him? This possibility caused Mob to be hit with a huge realization: what if they discovered he had no Quirk? If they were extensive with their medical examination, would they eventually uncover this? If they did, what would he do? What would he say to them? Should he tell them who he was and where he came from? But what if that only made things worse for himself and everyone who knew his secret? Besides, how could he even stop them? The last thing he wanted to do right now was to use his psychic powers to hurt other people, but he couldn't think of a good reason to get these doctors not to perform the examinations on him. The esper stirred in his seat: he needed someone to talk to, someone who could help him through this!

Within a few minutes, they arrived at the medical room. Several large, advanced machines were spread throughout the room. A hospital gown about his size was hanging on the wall as well. The security guards wheeled the chair next to the gown and then unhooked Mob from the chair again.

"Put on the gown," the guard said, "And remember, if you try anything, we are authorized to use force to subdue you."

The esper quietly nodded. Slowly getting out of the chair, he removed the prison clothes until he was in nothing but his underwear, then placed the gown over his head.

"Okay, men. Three of you will remain here and keep guard. The rest of you, resume your posts."

"Yes, sir." Several security guards and their superior left the room, leaving the esper alone with three security guards and several doctors. Seeing that the doctors could now act, they issued instructions to Shigeo.

"First, we're going to be drawing some blood for analysis. The Commission told us to remove a pint of your blood. So take a seat over here so we can get started." The doctors guided Shigeo to a nearby chair with a syringe and an empty blood bag. "Hold out your left arm." The doctors injected the needle into his skin, and Shigeo watched as the blood bag was being filled with his blood. Would they be able to figure out his lack of a Quirk from his blood? After about half a minute, the doctors removed the syringe.

"Next, you're going to take an MRI scan. Sit on the machine," one of the doctors said, pointing to the MRI machine at the edge of the room. Shigeo quietly walked to the machine as the doctors took cautious steps behind him, and the guards had their guns pointed at him.

While preparing for the MRI scan, Shigeo made another attempt to get some information. "Please, can any of you tell me what's happening out there? I need to know if All Might and my friends are alright."

"We're under strict orders of silence as well," one of the doctors said, "Now be quiet."

Just like with the guard, the doctor's voice was cold and indifferent. Nobody here was even the slightest bit interested in speaking to Shigeo or giving him any information about what was happening in the outside world. There was too much to deal with, too many things he didn't know, and too many questions that needed answering. If only he could just talk to someone—anyone!

37%

"We're taking enough risks keeping him unrestrained like this: what if he goes on another rampage?"

"Huh? What did you say?"

The doctors and the guards all gave each other quizzical stares. "Nobody's said anything."

Mob wasn't sure what to make of this. He was positive he heard one of them speaking just now. So if none of them spoke, then where did the voice come from?

The heads of the Hero Commission had gathered in a conference room at the headquarters to discuss Shigeo Kageyama. Their highest priority was ensuring the public remained in the dark about Kageyama's rampage, so most of their topic of focus had been centered on how to cover the incident up. After several hours of discussion, they decided the best course of action was to place a double in the hospital who would disguise himself as Kageyama. They would limit the media's presence at the hospital as much as possible, and they had already hired a staff of medical personnel who would take over the esper's treatment and ensure none of the hospital's staff discovered anything. Luckily for them, Shigeo had been moving too fast for anyone at the hospital to see, so like the rest of the world, they all assumed the top heroes had rushed out of the hospital to fight the Nomu in Yavin Forest. All security camera footage of the incident had been confiscated as well, and the commission had quietly placed one of their men to momentarily replace the security guard responsible for monitoring the security cameras.

But now that the hardest part of the cover-up had been dealt with, their next issue was figuring out just who or what Shigeo Kageyama actually was. Masa decided to have the commission's top doctors and scientists to conduct a series of medical tests on Kageyama to see if they could figure out exactly how his Quirk worked. While waiting for the results of some of these medical examinations, the heads of the Commission were reviewing all of the esper's legal documents.

"So, what have we been able to find on Kageyama so far?" Makoto asked.

"My division has already gathered all of Kageyama's legal documents," Nori replied, laying out copies of the documents on the table, "Birth certificate, residence card, individual number card, and his U.A. Application." The Commission members took the documents and examined them thoroughly.

"So it looks like he was raised at an orphanage in Saitama. No information about his parents," muttered Kamori.

"From what it says on his U.A. High application, it looks like he was hand-picked by All Might himself," Nori said.

"Do we have any school records?" the Commission President asked.

"No. The orphanage chose to have him home-schooled," replied Nori. The head of the investigation department rested his fingers underneath his chin in thought, "It's odd that someone with such a powerful Quirk could be placed in such an obscure orphanage. With his potential, how is it that All Might managed to find him before we did? Things aren't adding up here."

"Pardon my intrusion." A Hero Commission employee entered the room with a thick envelope in her hand. "Here are the results of the medical examinations."

"Excellent." Masa hastily grabbed the documents from her employee's hands. "Now, please leave."

"Yes, m'aam." The employee scurried out of the conference room. Masa opened the contents of the envelope, and when she saw the first page, she froze. The others gave each other quizzical stares: it was rare for Masa to show any visible expression.

"Masa? What is it?" Makoto asked.

"I don't believe it."

"Believe what?"

"Kageyama... doesn't have a Quirk."

"WHAT?!" All of the Hero Commission members jumped out of their seats and hovered over Masa's body to view the contents of the medical examinations. Many of the medical terms and charts demonstrated were a mystery to them, but the doctors had made sure to write and highlight specific sections of the results that allowed the Hero Commission heads to get a general idea of what the results meant.

"He doesn't have a Quirk? How is that even possible? Are you sure these results are accurate?" Makoto said.

"Look at this: X-rays, MRI, DNA tests, blood samples, all of them give the same answer," Masa replied.

"But... how is this possible?" Makoto ran her hand through her hair, the weight and the implications of this discovery causing her great uneasiness. "If he doesn't have a Quirk, then where do his powers come from?"

"I'm not sure," Masa responded, "But one thing is certain: we need to conduct a more thorough investigation. Until we know for certain who Shigeo Kageyama is, where he comes from, and how his powers operate, he'll remain in Tartarus." The head of the Commission grabbed her cell phone and dialed their most useful agent. "Hawks, get over here. We have an assignment for you."

The number three hero only took a few minutes to arrive at the headquarters. When the feathered hero entered the room, he could see how troubled the heads of the Commission were.

"Hawks, take a seat." The hero did as instructed: though he wanted to talk with the Commission about Mob's imprisonment, the expression on his boss's face made it clear arguing with her wasn't the right move at the moment. "What I'm about to tell you cannot leave this room."

Masa closed her eyes before she delivered the massive news. "Kageyama doesn't have a Quirk."

The winged hero let out a soft gasp, and his eyes widened. Did he hear his boss correctly? "Our scientists have conducted several medical examinations, and the results revealed his powers aren't due to a Quirk. We aren't sure what this means, but this revelation means we must act more cautiously and fervently than ever." Masa slid Kageyama's legal documents over to Hawks, who glanced over them as his boss continued speaking.

"We need you to do some digging around. Go to the orphanage where Kageyama was raised and see if you can find any information on him. The orphanage is in Saitama, and the address is listed there in his files. Be as thorough as possible, and above all else, be discreet. The last thing we want is for citizens to know we're poking around into Kageyama's past. We trust you're capable of this."

"You know me," Hawks said, "I'll be quiet and get all the info you need."

"Good. Now go. This needs to be quick, and I have a lot more to discuss with the rest of the Commission."

Hawks nodded and made his way out of the room. But as he walked, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions were swirling behind his calm, collected mask. Mob's safety had been on his mind ever since he'd been placed in Tartarus. He truly wanted to help Mob and get him out of Tartarus, but he was still the Hero Commission's top agent, and he couldn't just go against their orders. But now, it turned out Mob didn't have a Quirk. What exactly did that mean? Was Mob the person he thought he was? Hawks was always good at reading people, but could there be something else about him he was keeping secret? The hero shook his head. He needed to focus and get in the game. He needed to get answers, one way or another.

Now the stakes are heightened! Not too much happened in this chapter, but it's a build-up. Things just keep getting worse, and now more questions are being raised. You'll have to see where things go from here, so stay tuned until Chapter 45.