The school was inundated with parents and concerned parties as the calls had gone out to inform them that their children had been injured, in some cases critically so. Nezu Midnight and Hound Dog did their best to answer the questions and demands to see their children. All the children were "asleep" now; Nezu didn't want to send the parents into the medical wards.

In truth, some sleep had been achieved through medication, as some would sleep, but then others would awaken screaming. Some just laid on their side crying; some would call out for help or their companions; desperate calls took rearranging rooms, putting people who had suffered in battle together so that at least when they awoke, those most on their minds were near enough to see.

Kyoka bolted upright, her hands over her mouth, covering her scream as tears fell. Frantically, she looked around the hospital ward; her pounding heart only calmed once she saw them in the beds. Set, in the bed next to her, was curled into a ball, shuddering in her sleep. Momo, in the bed directly across, the girl's head tossed side to side in a fevered dream. She looked and saw Izuku struggling to get out of bed; she saw him limp across to Momo's bed and touch the girl's hand.

"You are safe," she heard him whisper. "You are safe, we are safe, not alone, we are all here beside you, ease your fears, Momo, we are right here." She watched as Momo began to relax; she saw him take a cloth and dampen it, wiping Momo's brow. "Sleep, know that we watch over you."

Kyoka stared at him, tears falling slower as he turned and limped to her. Wordlessly, he took her hand as he sat down on the bed; he pulled her gently into a tender embrace. "I may not be able to chase away dreams, but I am here for you," he whispered. Kyoka stiffened and then melted into his hug, crying; she felt another set of arms around her. They looked and saw Setsuna.

"Can I get in on this?" she said with a sniffle as she climbed on the bed. Momo got up and walked over. Izuku smiled and moved so she could climb on the bed; all the girls were cuddled together when he went to leave. Momo grabbed his hand and shook her head. He grabbed a chair and took a seat facing towards them, his hand out; all three took it and fell asleep just like that.

-ICU-

Recovery Girl exited the surgical room where a boy had been gutted. She moved to the next one, where a boy had had a hole put in him. Then to the other, where a girl had suffered Major Burns all over her body. The last one was the poor girl with cranial damage and severe swelling on the brain; she was found huddled over one of her classmates in the Ruin's Zone.

Orbital fractures, broken limbs, broken arms, broken ribs, cuts, stab wounds, it was a horror show of violence. The doctors worked frantically. Thankfully, the fractured limbs could be set, and after they rested, she could heal. A specialist was coming in for the girl.

When Dawn finally broke, she sank into her chair behind her desk. None of her patients had died tonight, but for some, it was going to be an intensive few days. The veteran knew that home and a bed were not in her future, so she sat back and closed her eyes for a bit; this would be the way for now.

-Morning Light-

After the night they had experienced, the morning light brought comfort as nurses came in and checked vitals and brought food, sometimes feeding their patients as doing so on their own was not an option. Of course, not everyone could eat, but they nibbled absently on some toast or picked at something on their trays. The cuddle pile reluctantly broke apart to eat; Momo was starving due to her quirk, and so was Set, as her natural regeneration had pillaged her body to do its work. The genuine encouragement to eat came when they were all informed that they needed the energy so Recovery Girl could treat them so they could be released. Of course, the kids were asking about their classmates or comrades in the ICU; the nurses gave them the most basic information that they were resting at the moment but unable to see anyone.

Once everyone ate, the heroine made her rounds, dispensing kisses, and gummies, leaving the kids all asleep once she was done. It was, of course, a side effect of her quirk, but since they were so drained for some, it was the first real sleep they had achieved since the incident.

After Recovery Girl tended to the ICU patients, it was time for parent consults; the hardest were the three children in the ICU, Kosei, Neito, and Toru.

Kosei and Neito were still in a very delicate shape. She watched through the glass as their parents sat in the rooms with their unconscious children, holding their hands as the monitors gave a steady beat. They were both in a medically induced coma to keep them stable, as more surgeries were going to be needed for both of them.

Toru mother held her hand as the girl was undergoing treatment; even through the soundproofing, her screams could be heard as the charred and damaged skin was being removed. Thankfully, the girl would be okay after this torment as the Pro Medical Hero Graff was nearby; the hero's quirk would allow new skin to grow after the damaged area had been removed, and unfortunately, that process was excruciating.

Recovery Girl was distraught that the girl had been sent into training naked with gloves and boots; she would vent her fury on those who ever approved such a thing later.

The parents had just finished a meeting with the police detective, who told them that statements needed to be collected from all the children as the majority had been unable to do so after the incident and that there were officers and specialists on hand to take those statements before they left for the day if the child felt up to it. They tried to respect what they had been through but stressed the importance of talking to the children. Then came a problematic part for Captain Abe; he wanted to stress that in no way were the children going to be held responsible for any actions taken in the course of defending themselves or their classmates, but that was why the police needed to talk to them as soon as possible so they could help piece together what happened.

After Captain Abe stepped out, it was time for Midnight and Hound Dog. They had to go over the trauma responses the parents needed to be prepared for before taking their children home, telling them the physical wounds had been treated, but the mental trauma of the event was not going to be so easy. They were briefed on what to expect, things to avoid, and a list of emergency numbers available while the children were home. The parents sat, absorbed the information, and put on their best faces as they collected their children from the medical wing.

Pony was shocked and reduced to tears when her family came bursting; tears from her mother and little brothers soon followed as they clung to her. She managed to see her father past them, standing there doing his best to look stoic, but she could see the tears at the corners of his eyes seeing his precious little girl in the hospital bed.

Reiko's mother hugged her daughter and told her that this was unacceptable and that she had been through so much already. Rieko couldn't answer her; all she did was tug on her father to pull him into the hug and let their love soothe her guilt for things she had to do.

Hiryu was surprised to see his older sister come through the crowd to his bedside; she squeezed his hand. He could tell she had been chewing on her nails; she did that when nervous or scared.

"I am okay, big sister," he said in Chinese.

"You may say that, but I will judge such things," she responded.

Momo sat embarrassed as her father hugged her and cried about his little girl while she and her mother patted his back to soothe him.

Set's little sister was in her lap, trying to squeeze the life out of her, but seeing as she was only five and didn't possess a strength quirk, Set was all right. Her parents just held her free hand.

Kyoka's father was in a nearly similar state to Momo's when he laid eyes on her, but she saw him choke it back; she knew he was going to explode as soon as they were alone in any capacity. They just sat on either side and hugged her; when their daughter pulled them in tighter, they just held her as she cried in their arms.

Ochaco chastised her parents for taking the day off, trying to tell them that it was unnecessary, but when her mother took her hand and said. "Baby, it is okay," and pulled her in. Ochaco's stoic façade crumbled.

Eijiro sat there as his mother was reading his medical chart, and his father sat on the edge of his bed, talking to his son and checking on him. He glanced to his side and saw Togaru with his family; he watched as Togaru's little sister put on a "Special" Band-aids to make her big brother all better. Then his gaze fell on the Izuku; he saw the curtain open, and the boy stepped out, dressed. No one was there with him. He looked around at the scenes playing out all around him, even at his bedside. When his mother put his chart down and was now holding him tightly, he could tell that she was crying; he put his arm around her. "It is okay, Mom; I'm all right," he whispered. He watched as the boy he hat…disliked gathered the last of his things.

-Izuku-

Awkward, sad, lonely. He didn't want to stay any longer than needed, especially with all the families around. In times like this, he missed his parents, moments when he just needed them. He slipped over to Momo and Set, squeezing their hands and telling them to call if they needed anything; they couldn't respond as their parents had them occupied; it was how he planned it. With so many people around, they couldn't tell he was walking out alone. He did the same to Kyoka, but when he went to pull his hand away, she held on.

"Thank you, Izuku," she said. "Thank you for…"

"Think nothing of it, Kyoka," he smiled for her. "Just sorry I didn't get there a moment sooner."

"Glad you didn't get there a moment later," she said, trying to smile for him. Her father asked her something, and her grip loosened. He slipped his hand free.

"Be with your family," he told her. "Call me if you need anything." Before she could respond, he had slipped amongst the crowd.

He stopped and looked in on Reiko and Pony. He wanted to see that they were all right at least, but when he saw their families crowded around them, the pang of feeling like an outsider hit him harder. He didn't want to intrude, so he turned and made his way to check out.

The female officer he sat across from in the interview room was excellent; as he talked, he saw her hand hovering over the paper; the letters tumbled onto the page, taking his statement. He was put at ease when the first thing she told him was that he nor his classmates would be held responsible for any actions taken during the assault and that it was important he told her as much as he could and not to hold anything back. Izuku tried to go over the day like he was asked; she had him read and sign his statement when he was done.

"I noticed you don't have a guardian with you," she said.

"That is correct, ma'am," he replied.

She handed over a packet with information for trauma help, relaying that it was essential for him to, perhaps a bit more than others, to report any symptoms or problems immediately to a member of the faculty or to call any of the numbers provided. She stopped and pulled out her card; he saw her write a number on the back before handing it to him.

"That is my number," she smiled at him tenderly. "If you remember anything or need someone to talk to, please call me. Day or Night."

"Thank you," Izuku said as he got to his feet and walked out. As he walked out, his instincts shouted at him, TO THE LEFT! He turned as Pony nearly bulldozed him.

"You didn't even come by to see me," she hugged him. "Are you okay?"

"P-Pony?" he said in surprise; he paused and hugged her back. "I'm sorry, Pony, I was going to, but then I saw you with your family, and I didn't want to intrude. But how did you know?"

"Reiko's mother went to check on you and told Reiko who told me!" Pony pulled him a bit tighter. "You can't have my first kiss and then just disappear after something like that."

"I'm sorry, Pony, I wasn't trying to…" he paused. "I won't let it happen again. Are you physically all right?" He felt her nod against his shoulder; she pulled back and looked at him.

"Are you?"

"I am."

She wiped a tear and kissed his cheek, "I don't care what is happening; when something like this happens, you come to see me, so I know you are all right. Do you understand?" Izuku smiled and nodded; he felt a warm feeling from her; he didn't quite understand it, but he knew he liked it.

"PLEASE TELL ME YOU WERE SUCCESSFUL IN LOCATING HIM!"

They both turned and saw Reiko. Pony smiled, "Your turn, Reiko. Call me; I will call you later as well," she said before walking away.

Reiko marched up to him, "Well, I am sure that Pony was able to convey that your disappearance without allowing us to see you caused us distress. Let me say it in my way." Izuku just nodded. "Izuku, you are special to me; in times like these, it is beyond imperative that I know you are in good physical health and that you understand you are not alone." She placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him into a soft kiss. "You do not get to fade away, not when you have moved me so." She kissed him again. "Now you are coming home with me." She said, stepping back; it wasn't a question but a statement.

"Reiko…," he managed to say, his mind still slightly awhirl from her kisses.

"This is not a negotiation," she said, grabbing and pulling his hand. "My parents insist, and I agree that now is not the time for us to be alone. While you may be more stoic than the rest of us, I will not allow you to be alone. Yesterday's events haunt your mind as they do mine." She looked over her shoulder. "I need someone I can talk to, someone who understands. Please?"

"Okay," he responded. "Let me at least go to my room to get some clothes. I will meet you in front of you in 15 minutes.

"15 Minutes," she said, releasing his hand. "My father will be waiting for you; I must give my statement first."

The sense of being an outsider was still there, but the feeling he received from Pony and Reiko trumped that it was this warmth, a warmth he didn't know he was missing until it was offered. He understood that he wanted that; it wasn't even a want; it was a craving. When he came around the corner, he saw Pony about to enter the interview room. He ran over and grabbed her hand. She gave a little startled yelp, but she smiled when he saw him. He quickly glanced around, but no one was looking. He kissed her quickly, and she blushed and smiled.

"Thank you, Pony," he said. "Thank you for coming after me."

It was Pony's turn to kiss him quickly. "I run faster than you to chase you down eventually." She smiled and placed her hand on his chest. "Call me later; I need to hear your voice."

"I will, I promise," he said as he moved away and walked outside.

Izuku walked across campus to the dorms and packed a bag with some changes of clothes; he grabbed his phone chargers and headphones. When he returned, he saw Reiko's father standing outside. "Thank you for inviting me to your home, sir," Izuku said with a bow.

Shinobu Yanagi looked the boy over; he had made a positive impression on him after the discipline meeting and seeing how his daughter reacted to him. "It is our pleasure, Mr. Midoriya," he said warmly, doing his best to put the boy at ease. "I would not dare say I understand what you have gone through. I had to agree with Reiko that the thought of you being alone was not right. Besides, it will allow me a chance to thank you for teaching that little bastard a lesson for attacking my daughter." He added with a laugh. Shinobu stopped and placed his hand on Izuku's shoulder. "I don't know how much help we can be, but I hate that you must go through this alone. If you need help, do not be afraid to ask; there is no shame in it. We all need some help at some point."

"Thank you, Mr. Yanagi," Izuku said once again. A feeling washed over him; he didn't understand how much he had missed it.

"Please call me Shinobu; having you call Mr. Yanagi in my house will just be too strange," he replied with a light chuckle.

"Thank you, Shinobu," Izuku said, testing the name.

They didn't have to wait long before Reiko and her mother emerged. The woman looked at Izuku and gave a faint smile. "It is good to see that you have recovered, Mr. Midoriya. Please address me as Emiko."

"Thank you for taking me into your home, Emiko," Izuku said, bowing. With that, they headed off to the parking lot; as they were walking, they saw reporters on the other side of the gates snapping photos. Emiko and Shinobu positioned themselves between the kids, obscuring the images the best they could.

"Seems the press is aware of the attack," Emiko commented.

"Vultures," Shinobu spat.

-Mina-

Mina Ashido was listless; she was thankful to see her parents but couldn't hug them. They noticed that she flinched when they went to hug her. She felt dirty for what she had done. Seeing her like that, her father felt his blood boil; his wife gently touched his shoulder.

"Let me help her get dressed," she whispered; he nodded and drew the curtain to give them privacy. Mina's mother, Kara, was a mutant like her daughter; her skin was deep red, with long, flowing black hair and reddish-tinged horns that came out and swooped back like a goat. She sat on the bed, reached out, and touched Mina's hand. She felt her daughter stiffen and try to pull back, but Kara held her hand.

"Even when you survive, you wonder if what you did to do so was right," Kara said. Mina stopped and stared at her mother. "The screams, the blood, or even the silence. It replays over and over in your head like an endless loop. You want to make it stop, but it just won't; the silence is deafening when it does stop for even a moment. Something, anything is better than that silence." Kara took her other hand and cupped Mina's cheek. "You are not dirty, Mina. The blood will always leave a stain, but that doesn't make you dirty. Others wouldn't be here if it weren't for you; it would be the same. Heroes are the ones who get dirty so others can remain clean."

Mina's lip began to tremble. "No matter what, Mina, we love you," Kara pulled her daughter tight as the tears started to fall. "It is okay, my darling."

-Ibarra-

Ibarra looked at the gold cross in her hands, turning it absently over. Her mother and father sat on opposite edges of the bed. "I don't know if I can do this," she said.

"And that is okay," her father said; Ibarra looked at him, shocked. "Ibarra, we will not press you for what happened if and when you are ready to share that, we will be ready to listen. If you have questions or doubts, that is to be understood. And you shouldn't make that decision until you are ready."

"And if I decide to walk away?" she whispered.

"If that is what your heart tells you, then that is the right decision," he said.

"If I stay?"

"Then stay, but make sure your entire will is dedicated to this," he squeezed her hand. "It is not only your life that is on the line; the sacrifice you made was for another, was it not?" She nodded, "Did you do it for personal gain, for wealth to fulfill some dark desire?" she shook her head. "Then release your burden to the lord Ibarra, pray for guidance, and listen to your heart. I have faith that you will make the right decision."

"Let us take you home; nothing needs to be sorted now," her mother said.

"Will you both sit with me when I give my statement?" Ibarra said as she put her cross back around her neck. "I need you there, and I want you to know." They both nodded and pulled her into a tight hug.

-Ojiro-

He wiped the tears angrily from his cheeks as he sat in the interview room. "They found her laying on top of me, protecting me…"

"We can stop or take a break if you need to," the officer said.

"NO!" he said suddenly. "No, sorry," he said softer. "So, I barely saw the man before he tackled her out of the building, but the girl, her name was Miss. It's not like when you call a woman Ms. or miss your shot. She had light brown hair and gold eyes. Unlike the other people we fought, she and the guy who attacked Itsuka had actual costumes, and they matched. White tights, gold boots, gloves, and tank top."

-Shoto-

He sat in the bed, his mind preoccupied with the events of the day before. His injuries had been relatively minor compared to most, but they wanted to keep him for observation. And sadly, they wouldn't release him till his father came to get him. The whole atmosphere of the room changed when the doors opened, and in walked the #2 hero; all eyes were drawn to him as he entered; there was an aura about him that commanded your attention.

He didn't even acknowledge it; his gaze was straight ahead, and following behind him was her daughter; she just looked at the ground as she walked, not looking up to make eye contact. When they came to the foot of Shoto's bed, father and son stared at each other; no words passed between them for a moment.

"Your sister has brought you clothes; see that you get changed so we may leave," Endeavor said, then he turned and left the room.

Fuyumi waited until he left, and then she hugged him suddenly. "Are you okay?"

Shoto knew that if he didn't hug her back, she would get upset, and he loved her too much to do that to her, so he returned her affection. In truth, Fuyumi was his and his brother's kryptonite; even Endeavor had learned to be careful how he treated her, especially when her brothers were around. After his mother had gone into the hospital, Fuyumi stepped in and assumed that role, and he loved her dearly. While he held her, he whispered. "I used my fire."

She pulled back and looked at him, shocked, aware of his reasoning for not doing so. "Did I betray her by doing so?" he asked.

"No, Shoto," she replied. "What made you do it?"

"There was this monster, and he had already…he had…he was about to do something, and it just happened. My Ice wasn't able to stop it," he said quietly. "There is a boy in the other class who copies quirks, and he used mine while we were fighting. If I had used both, a girl in my class may not have been hurt."

"Your stubbornness to ignore half of yourself has always been a shortcoming, Shoto," she said as she stroked his cheek. "I understood why you felt the way you did; I always hoped you would accept that part of you."

"I hate him!" Shoto hissed. "I hate that he is our father. But you are right. My stubbornness may have cost someone their life and scared them another way beyond this," he said as he touched his face.

"Then don't fail in the same way again," Fuyumi said with a hint of authority. "You can be great, Shoto, better than him. Not because of him but despite him."

"I want to see her," he said, looking at his hands. "Do you think she hates me?"

"No, Shoto, she was/is sick. But once she came to her senses, she hated herself for what she did, and I know what she wants: nothing more than to see you again." Fuyumi took his hand.

"I need to train my fire," he said. "But I don't want to ask him, not yet."

"Then ask Burnin," she replied. "She always said if you wanted to learn, she would help. Now get dressed; Natsuo is waiting by the car. He was worried about you, but he wouldn't say so."

"Was he?"

She giggled, "Yeah, he didn't even bring his video games."

"Wow, he was worried," Shoto said, surprised.

-Neito-

"It is hazardous," Recovery Girl said to his parents. "But with the damage done, there isn't more we can do," she said solemnly.

"If this doesn't work, then he will die," his father said. Recovery Girl nodded.

"His vitals are stable but trending downward," she said. "Unless something akin to a miracle was to happen, then it will only be a matter of time."

His mother was crying as she held her comatose son's hand, "Don't leave us, Neito," she whispered. She turned and looked at Recovery Girl, "How long would he have to find the quirk?"

"A few minutes," she responded.

"Do it," his fathers said. "I don't want to watch him die in his sleep; he deserves a chance to fight."

Recovery Girl made a gesture to the observation window; soon, the door opened, and it was brought the arm of the Nomu; it was hooked up to some strange machine, and his parents looked at it with disgust. She turned to a medical tray and grabbed a syringe; once everything was in place, with a final nod from his parents, she injected the cocktail of drugs into Neito's IV.

The boy's eyes slowly fluttered open; he saw his parents' faces and could tell things were terrible. "Toru?" he asked.

His mother was holding his hand, "She is recovering from treatment. But baby, you need to listen."

"Mr. Monoma," Recovery Girl said, grabbing his attention. "We need you to focus." His head bobbed some, but he was able to look at her. "The injuries you received are serious and outside our medical ability to treat. We need you to copy the regeneration ability of the beast you fought at the USJ."

He nodded his head as the machines began to beep; one of the assistants rushed to silence them, and the arm was brought over to him; he tried to lift his hand, but it rose slightly and then fell to the bed, his father lifted his hand, smiling at his dear boy as the arm of the Nomu was brought close.

When Neito's hand was laid upon it, his eyes started to close. His mother and father called to him, but it seemed so distant. Their voices were fading; everything was, and his head fell to the side. He barely noticed as people were scrambling about; he saw the door open, and a girl was there; her hair was chartreuse and wavy with pink specks. Her eyelashes were bushy, and she had big, round eyes. Her skin was a bright pink, and she looked to be in pain; she was screaming something at her, and she held on desperately to someone to stay upright. He saw them trying to get her to leave, but she was trying to get closer; he could see she was crying. In desperation, she kept screaming; through all the muted sounds, it finally drifted to his ears. "HERO SHIT! COME ONE, NEITO, YOU CAN DO IT. TIME FOR HERO SHIT!"

"Toru…" he whispered; he felt something under his hand, an arm…he reached deep, calling upon his quirk. He felt different but pushed past the first one, the next one…that was it. Desperately, he grabbed it, and as soon as he did, everything suddenly erupted in noise and color all around him; he bolted upright and turned towards the girl. He only saw a medical gown, but he could hear her crying. His mother and father were being held back as Recovery Girl sat back and watched as everything healed.

"Remarkable," she whispered. She stepped back as his parents fell upon him, hugging him and crying.

-Recovery Girls Office-

"Itsuka Kendo woke up a few hours ago," she said, taking a glass of bourbon.

"Her condition?" Nezu asked, taking a sip from his glass.

"She will fully recover and should be released in the morning," she replied. "Kosei Tsuburaba is stable. It will be a few days, but he will also make a full recovery. Neito Monoma is in better shape than when he enrolled here, and Toru Hagakure will recover as well; thankfully, there seems to be no damage from her leaving her room."

"Aizawa?"

"That stubborn fool will make it," she chuckled. "I will keep him here for a few days and continue to treat him."

"He isn't going to like that," Nezu said with a smirk, "But he can live with it."

"Thirteen?"

"Good, the damage to her back will leave a scar, but she will be clear to go home tomorrow. Find who did this to them, Nezu," she said, staring at her drink. "Find the bastards that did this to these children and make them pay."

"That is the plan, Chiyo," Nezu said, draining his drink. "Go home, get some sleep."

"You should do the same."

"I will, once I handle some things," he said as he walked towards the door. "They were able to recover the footage from the USJ."

"Oh!" she replied.

"Yes, I will sleep later."