Kei Abiko, along with the other officers, wearily returned from their day at U.A., taking statements from the students who had been the victims of the assault. Kei was young to the force, barely two years out of the academy. Her quirk, Transcribe, helped take statements, as the words would fall perfectly onto the page verbatim, leaving no window for claims that the statement was taken incorrectly. He pulled her long light brown hair free of the ponytail it had been trapped in all day; her honey-brown eyes danced over the file in front of her.

Victim Statement: Izuku Midoriya

It was clear and concise; he gave what details he could and answered clearly when he didn't know the answer, refusing to speculate. She saw a clear pattern in the statements, with the students trying their best to subdue the attackers, but as the battle raged on, more violent acts came into play. Desperation had eroded their self-control, a prolonged fight against those seeking to harm, and in the case of some of the other statements, she had taken far more unspeakable acts.

She sat back and waved to her colleagues, who were headed out for the second part of their day while she was compiling all the statements and preparing the file for the captain.

She typed his name, age, and identification number into the computer and hit search; six arrests for Vigilantism (All Charges Dropped), 5 cases of loitering, 1 case of breaking (Victim refused to press charges), Public Disturbance (7 Counts). 0 convictions.

Kei started digging into his file; Vigilantism charges were dropped due to him not having a quirk. Most of the charges stemmed from him stopping criminal acts; there was one that had resulted in the trial and arrest of the former Pro Umpire; the man had been put into a comma and was left with permanent injuries. Umpire was implicated and convicted in the death of Izuku's parents. Kei noticed that in all cases, the child's guardian, Garret Jax, had never once come to collect the child or post bail. All the reports listed Izuku in good health with no mention of scaring. Kei then had to question if somehow the kid had accumulated all those scars in the time since the last time he was arrested, which was less than six months ago, but she knew that was bullshit. The arrest reports had listed no defining markings or tattoos.

She ran the name "Garrett Jax" and got nothing beyond the basic information, name, last known address, and identification number. He had no driver's license; the state identification had expired decades ago, and no education record, just some paperwork declaring him the guardian, all signed and stamped by Judge Matsuura. She stopped and returned to the Umpire case, Judge Matsuura, Hirohito Matsuura.

She started flipping back through Izuku's cases, well over 60% stamped by Judge Matsuura. Now, odd was not even close to the correct wording. She wanted to dig more but needed to compile all the reports for the captain.

-Corners Office-

"Are you sure these are the scum from the USJ?" Vikito said, holding a wad of cash up and away from Hirito.

"Look, man, I got you the paperwork; you can verify it yourself. Either pay me, or I can always call someone else."

"You are going to anyway," Vikito replied sarcastically.

"Yeah, you don't pay enough for that, but you get 24 hours," Hirito said with a smirk as Vikito handed over the money.

"How many?"

"Sixteen!" Hirito said, surprised.

"What? Sixteen?" Vikito looked at the bodies, "Those kids killed sixteen?"

Hirito nodded my head. "I talked to my buddy at Takai Processing, and that number could climb even higher. There are so many wounded that their infirmary is filled. They had to send some of them to different hospitals in the security wing. They don't know if they will make it through the night. Those kids fucked them up!"

"Indeed, they did," Vikito said as he began to snap photos.

-Izuku & Reiko-

Reiko woke up, covering her mouth as she screamed; her body was slick with sweat. Eyeless villains grabbed her and tore at her clothing. She saw them attacking Pony and others who were screaming for her to save them, but she couldn't stop them; she tore their eyes out, ripped at limbs, and tongues everything she could till she was being dragged down. She ran from her room into the backyard, where the cool air felt like ice on her skin. She couldn't breathe; she was trying but couldn't breathe. When a hand touched her shoulder, she turned and swung with all her might; her blow was blocked, and she stumbled back, seeing the eyeless monster.

Hands grabbed her shoulders, she struggled, and she was yanked forward into a hug, "Reiko, I got you, breath!" she knew that voice, "Breath, come on." She knew this scent.

"Izuku?" she croaked.

"It's me, Reiko; breath," he said. Reiko looked at her, and it was him; she took a breath, falling to her knees. He went down with her, making sure she didn't hurt herself.

"I couldn't save them," she sobbed. "They were screaming for me to save them, but I couldn't!"

Her parents came running outside, seeing their daughter sobbing, clinging desperately to the shirtless Izuku. Emiko went forward, but her husband stopped her.

"They were, they were…" Reiko wailed. "Pony, her clothes, she was so scared! Niren, Ochaco, Awase….

"It is okay, Reiko; it didn't happen; it was a nightmare." Izuku pulled out his phone and showed her a picture of Pony with her family cuddled together. "See, that was just a few hours ago. Pony is safe; the others are safe."

Emiko and Shinobu felt their hearts breaking; Emiko felt the tears sliding down her cheeks as she watched them hold each other. She noticed that Izuku was shirtless, and then she noticed the scars, a literal second skin of scars, all over him. Her crying ceased. She looked at her husband and could tell he saw them, too.

Reiko started to calm down as she looked at photos in the group chat; she closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing; when she opened them again, she realized she was hugging a shirtless Izuku while she was in a thin nightgown that was damp with sweat, she was straddling one of his legs, the chill she felt began to retreat as she embarrassment took over. Her parents walked over. Thankfully, one of them handed her a robe; she quickly put it on. "I am sorry that I pulled you from your sleep to deal with my nightmare," Reiko said quietly.

"I wasn't asleep," he said. "I haven't been able to fall asleep yet, and isn't this why you wanted me to come home with you so we could support each other?" Reiko nodded. "Then let me support you, Reiko."

Reiko nodded as they walked back into the house. Reluctantly, her parents left the two sitting on the couch as they scrolled through his phone, looking at photos their class had posted of them at home. Reiko felt herself calming down, and her head slowly came to rest on his shoulder. He heard her breathing soften as she fell asleep, leaning on him. He set his phone down and pulled the blanket over them both.

Reiko snuggled in closer to the warmth; it was this cocoon of safety, and she nuzzled in deeper. Her hand felt something firm under her fingers; lightly, they danced over the firm surface; she heard a giggle and froze. Slowly, she realized where she was on the couch, laying on top of Izuku, her hand under his shirt, playing with his stomach, his arms wrapped protectively around her. The reality of the situation made her heat up; she slowly tilted her head to look at his face.

She watched as his eyes fluttered open, a blush spreading across his face at the intimate position they found themselves. Reiko pushed herself higher, bringing her leg over so she could straddle those same abs she had just touched; he couldn't move or speak as she tucked her hair behind her ear. Slowly, she leaned down, closing her eyes, as he did the same. Their lips meet tenderly; she opens her mouth, inviting him to deepen the kiss, an invitation he eagerly accepted. Neither knew how long they were lost in the kiss, but the sound of someone on the stairs sent them scrambling apart. Reiko flushed and breathed heavily, looked at him, giggled, and fled.

Izuku scrambled to the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face. When he came out, he folded his blankets and pillow, putting them away; in the kitchen was Shinobu; he seemed to have just put some coffee to boil and was pulling items out to make breakfast, waffles.

"Good morning, Izuku. I see that you finally were able to sleep," he smiled. "Something to drink?"

"I will wait for the coffee if you don't mind," Izuku said, taking a seat.

"Not at all," Shinobu cleared his throat, "Can I ask you something? And you don't have to answer if you do not wish."

"Of course, sir," Izuku said, straightening up.

"The scars," Izuku stopped and realized he was sitting in a tank top and short.

"I apologize, sir; I will get dressed and cover them," Izuku said, getting to his feet quickly. "I forgot that seeing them makes people uncomfortable."

"No, that is not it," Shinobu said, stopping the boy. "Emiko and I saw them last night. There is no easy way to say this: how did you acquire so many? We wanted to know how you came by them."

"Most of them are due to my training, some from fights," Izuku said so casually that Shinobu almost winced. "I call them lessons."

"Lessons?"

"Yes, lessons that I learned in my quest to be a hero, lest I forget and make the same mistake again," Izuku's tone burrowed into Shinobu.

"Who trained you?" he said, not betraying his emotions.

"My master."

"And is he still with around?"

"No, he died; the last thing I had of him was his favorite weapon, but it was destroyed during…the incident," Shinobu noticed the sadness in Izuku's voice; on the one hand, he felt for the boy, but on the other hand he was happy that the last part of this twisted bastard's mementos was no longer in existence.

"What was his name?" Shinobu asked.

"Garret Jax," Izuku said, leaving the kitchen to change his clothes.

-Kyoka Jiro-

It had been years since she slept in her parents' bed, but the first night, she protested it but needed it. The second night, she slept alone and regretted it; she woke up terrified. She grabbed her phone and fired off texts to see if Set, Momo, or Izuku were awake. She stared at her phone and the lack of response; they were probably asleep, she thought. They were not waking up in the middle of the night, turning on every light in their room. I can't believe I looked under the bed; I am weak. The text alert from her phone made her jump; she scrambled to answer it.

Izuku: Hey, you okay?

Kyoka: No, a nightmare.

Izuku: Yea I understand, me too.

Kyoka: Why didn't you message someone?

Izuku: I don't know

Kyoka: Stupid. It told you in the hospital to message me if you needed to talk. I messaged you!

Izuku: I know, I just…I didn't want to bother anyone…not used to so many people caring.

Kyoka: We care; hearing your voice earlier was good.

Izuku: That was my first video call. It was good to see you.

Kyoka: Oh you missed me! J

Izuku: Yes.

Kyoka started to blush and blubber to herself.

Izuku: I mean…I missed you, Momo, and Set; I wanted to ensure you were all okay.

Kyoka: Aw, I thought I was special

Izuku: You are special…I mean… you're teasing me, aren't you?

Kyoka: IZUKU! I am insulted….ok maybe a little.

Izuku: You are terrible, a terrible, terrible person.

Kyoka: Yeah, but you would miss me if I stopped talking to you.

Izuku: I would, terribly.

Kyoka twirled her finger around her jacket as she lay on her side, staring at the phone.

Kyoka: Why didn't you talk to Rieko?

Izuku: She is in her parent's room; she had a pretty bad nightmare last night. The one wasn't too bad, but her mom pulled her in with them.

Kyoka: I slept with mine last night; I thought I would be challenging and hero-like and sleep alone tonight…big mistake.

Izuku: Do you want to talk about it?

Kyoka: A little. Is that okay?

Izuku: Yea tell me about it.

Kyoka: So, of course, we are at the USJ, but everything keeps going wrong. Everyone dies, but I die last, and then it all rewinds. We get a little farther, but we all die again. Rewind, I try to do something different, and we die, but it isn't that we die; things you know happen. No matter what happens, if we fight or run, we all die. Then, for some reason, other people ask me to tell them what to do. I try to help, but I fail—every time. So I am just sitting on the ground, too scared to do anything because things keep worsening. And no one will do anything unless I tell them, and everyone gets slaughtered right in front of me, but this time, the villains don't kill me. They thank me. Like I was on their team, it just sucked so bad…

*Thonk* Kyoka froze, *Thonk* something thudded against her window. *Thonk* she reached to the side of the bed and grabbed the Escrima stick Momo had made during the fight. She crept towards the window, *Thonk* *Thonk**Thonk**Thonk*

Her heart was pounding. Had the villains tracked her home? Were the nightmares about to become reality? She hit call on her phone, and she heard a ringtone; it was a Deep Dope song, the first song she had recommended to Izuku, her favorite song. "Beyond Life and Dreams." She flung open the window, and there was standing in the yard. Under her window was Izuku.

He seemed to panic momentarily before placing one leg forward, one hand over his heart and another reaching out towards her.

"What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon. Who is already sick and pale with grief. That her maid art is far fairer than she," he took another step, maintaining the same pose. "Be not her maid since she is envious: her vestal livery is sick and green. And none but fools do wear it, cast it off. It is my lady, O; it is my love!" Izuku spun, coming into the same pose. The whole drama made Kyoka smile. She raised her eyebrow and leaned on the windowsill. Neither teen noticed the phone peeking out from another window.

"O, that she knew she were! She speaks, yet she says nothing: what of that?" Kyoka stifled a laugh. "Her eye discourses; I will answer it. I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks: Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, having some business, do entreat her eyes To twinkle in their spheres till they return."

Kyoka was twirling a jack around her finger. She blushed as she watched him reciting Shakespeare; it was cheesy, silly, and over the top. But she loved it; it made her heart beat a little faster, and it was the type of romantic gesture that would make her roll her eyes if she watched it. But watching it play out, she couldn't help but feel herself sinking into it, into him, and it made her blush.

"The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, As daylight doth a lamp, her eyes in heaven. Through the airy region stream so bright," Izuku fell to his knees, still reaching out to her, blushing up a storm. He paused, his mind racing for a moment. She smirked and leaned to the side, her face resting on her hand. He smiled suddenly.

"See how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!" Izuku looked at her hopefully.

"Oh, I don't think so," she said quickly.

"She speaks," Izuku said, still on his knee; he clasped his hands together in prayer, his head bowed. "O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head. As is a winged messenger of heaven; unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him. When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air." He raised his head, a smile on his face, hope shining in his eyes.

Kyoka bit her lip; she couldn't stop smiling or blushing. She mimicked his pose from earlier, her hand over her heart, her hand stretched out towards the night sky. "O Izuku, Izuku! Wherefore art thou, Izuku? Deny thy… class and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a 1-A."

Izuku couldn't keep the laughter from his voice, "Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?"

Kyoka closed her eyes, letting her hand drop dramatically, "'Thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a 1-B. What's 1-B? It is neither hand, foot, arm, face, or any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? What we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; Retain that dear perfection which he owes."

"Should I take thee at the word? Call me, but love, I would be baptized anew." Izuku said, rising to his feet.

"How camest thou to my window, tell me, and wherefore? The Orchards' walls were high and difficult to climb. And the place death, considering who thou art, if my parents find thee here," Kyoka was now looking at him, her heart beating harder. She looked at the trellis under her window.

"I have night's cloak to hide me from their sight," he saw her looking at Trellis; he didn't even know he was moving till he was halfway up. In for a penny, in for a pound, he thought. "Hi," he said as he reached the top; Kyoka stepped back. Izuku nearly fell off the trellis. Kyoka was wearing a loose-fitting tank top, one of the straps hanging off her shoulder, and some simple gym shorts that were relatively short. He noticed her slender, toned legs and arms, her beautiful purple eyes fixed on him. The way she twirled one of her jacks around one of her fingers, the light blush on her cheeks.

"How did you know where I lived?" she said, taking a small step towards him.

"You gave me the address," he responded, unable to move, "We were supposed to get together this weekend."

"How did you get here so fast?" another small step.

"I was only a few blocks away when the text came in. Reiko only lives a few miles away," his voice hitched as she took another step.

"So you decided to come over, jump over my wall, throw rocks at my window, and recite Shakespeare." Another small step.

"We have to recite in front of class for Classic Lit," he whispered. "Might as um…get some practice in."

"Am I practice?" she was right before him now. "I would like to practice…with you."

"But," their faces were mere inches from each other; they could feel each other's breath on their lips.

"Do you not think I am pretty enough?" he shook his head.

"I think you're beautiful," Izuku said. "But, I…um…fuck it." Izuku closed the distance. Their lips meet, and instant electricity runs through them. She threw her arms around his neck and leaped into his arms, her legs wrapping around him. He caught her as their mouths parted, inviting the others in. She aggressively pulled him deeper into the kiss, her hands tangled in his hair. It spurred him on; his hands slipped from her back to grab her by the butt, and she moaned lightly into his mouth.

He pulled back some, "Kyoka," he whispered. She was about to lean in again.

"KYOKA!" a woman's voice came from the other side of the door, "Is someone in there with you?"

The spell was not just broken, but it was shattered; Kyoka realized her position, her state of dress, and where his hands were. "No, Mom, it is just the television!" she called back. "You have to get out of here," Kyoka whispered to him as he scrambled to grab the television remote. "She will kill us both; you have to get out of here," she kissed him. Izuku smiled, turned, and leaped out the window; hitting the ground, he rolled and ran. Kyoka tried to compose herself as she opened the door.

"What is up, Mom?" Kyoka said, standing in the doorway.

"Is someone in here?" Mika said, looking around her daughter's room.

"No, I was just watching some television; I had a nightmare," Kyoka said, stepping aside so her mom could look around the room.

"The Shakespeare?" Mika said.

"I have to do a recital for Classic Literature," Kyoka said, sounding natural. "I was watching a video to help me run my lines." Mika nodded, looking out the window.

"If you had a nightmare, why didn't you come to us?"

"I don't know; I texted some friends, and one of them responded that we talked some." Kyoka sat down on her bed. "Mom, I slept in your guy's bed; I haven't done that since I was 10!" Mika was about to say something. "For the record, that movie was and still is terrifying; I still can't watch Skin Walker."

Mika sat down next to Kyoka, "I want to be a hero; I can't hide in your bed every time something bad happens," Kyoka looked down at her hands. "I have to be tough, like you."

"First, who says you can't?" Mika replied. Kyoka opened her mouth and shut it. She held up a finger to say something but then stopped. "Just wash off any blood because your dad will freak out. But if you have a terrible day in the field, who better you can turn to than your parents?" Mika put an arm around Kyoka and pulled her closer. "If you think that in 8 years after you are a massive, super successful pro, your father and I will not worry about you every day or expect you to text us every night telling us you are okay, then you are insane. Now, should you fail to do so, we will show up at your home and bust in like crazy people." Kyoka laughed as she hugged her mom.

"Second, you find someone or someone that you can be scared with," Mika laid her head on top of Kyoka's. "That is what your father is for me; I get scared and upset like everyone else. Your dad wraps his arms around me and tells me everything will be alright, or sometimes nothing. That is what a relationship is all about."

"Thanks, Mom," Kyoka said with a smile, thinking how much better she felt after talking with Izuku. The kiss was also nice.

Mika got up and moved towards the door, "Honey, a boy that comes to your window recites Shakespeare, and you invite him to your room to make out is a pretty good candidate." Mika held up her phone, "O Izuku, Izuku! Wherefore art thou, Izuku? Deny thy… class and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a 1-A."

Kyoka's face went pale as she heard her voice from her mother's phone. "Goodnight, Kyoka; inviting him to your room while in your pajamas is quite daring."

Kyoka looked down, then slowly turned and saw her state of dress in the mirror; she blushed so hard the only thing she could do was hide under her blanket, as her mother's laughter could be heard in the hallway.

-Itsuka Kendo-

Itsuka was lying in her room. The curtains and blinds were drawn tight; the room was rather dark, though it was after midday; bright light still bothered her.

She heard the door open, and then she sat up and saw her mom standing there. "Honey, there is a boy here to see you? Do you feel up to it, or is it a bit much right now?"

"No, Mom, I am feeling better. I was about to come out right now," Itsuka sat up and grabbed her sunglasses before moving towards the door. "Who is it?"

"He said his name is Ojiro," her mom replied.

"I know him; I will be right down," Itsuka followed her mom downstairs; she saw Ojiro sitting waiting in the living room. He looked like he was about to jump out of his skin till she saw relief wash over him, but then he seemed to drown in guilt.

"I will be in the kitchen if you need me," her mom said, leaving the two alone.

Ojiro got up and walked right towards her; she could see the emotional conflict on his face and in his eyes. "Itsuka," he started to say.

"Don't, Ojiro," he froze. "Don't apologize," she said, stopping him. "You don't have anything to apologize for."

"They found you huddled over me," Ojiro replied. "You were hurt even more protecting me."

"So." Again, Ojiro didn't know what to say. "Is it because I am a girl?"

"No, that doesn't mean…"

"If the roles were reversed and you were found protecting me, would it be me, and I would come to you, would you say?" Itsuka said.

"You didn't owe me anything," Ojiro said, looking at the ground.

"You don't owe me anything," Itsuka said. "You can say thank you. You can maybe buy me lunch sometime, but you don't owe me anything, Ojiro. We are trying to be heroes; we both lost at the USJ. So let's both do our best to get stronger so when we find those two assholes, we leave them lying."

Ojiro felt relieved at her words and realized she was right; if the roles had been reversed, he would have felt the same way. However, he did like the thought of taking her to lunch. "How about next Saturday," he said. "I can…um…take you to lunch."

"That sounds nice," she smiled as his heart skipped a beat. "Are you hungry now? My mom made some lunch, and I haven't eaten yet."

"Concussion?" he asked, pointing at her sunglasses.

"Yeah, but I am doing okay right now, so would you like to eat lunch with me?"

"I would love to."

-Nieto Monoma-

"Neito, you have visitors," he heard his mother call.

Neito raised an eyebrow and set his book down, walking down the stairs. He had just been released the previous night; they held him an extra day to make sure that he was alright. He was beyond alright; he was terrific and had never felt better. Before he left, he had tried to see Toru, but he could only talk to her through the intercom for a few minutes as she was exhausted from healing. He had never wished he could use his quirk for someone else until he talked with Toru's father about what his daughter had been through. Neito was humbled as her father thanked him for saving and helping his daughter during the fight.

He saw Rieko and Izuku standing there, "What are you guys doing here?"

Izuku gave him the 'Are you stupid' look before he walked over and hugged Neito. "Hell, if I know. You dumb butt, are you okay?"

Before Neito could respond, he felt Reiko join the hug. "Yes, Neito, though we can see that you have physically recovered beyond expectation, we still wanted to see so with our own eyes."

Neito hugged them back, "Physically, yes, I had to use that creature's regeneration, but thankfully, I could do so." Both his friends pulled back and looked at him in surprise. "I did have a hole in my side; they said it destroyed a lung, my stomach, spleen, and a kidney; who could survive through that!"

"The baddest man on the planet, Neito Monoma! That is who," Izuku responded, drawing a laugh.

-Nezu-

It took a while to compile what video feeds they could; he had sat in the darkness of his office, watching the video play on a loop. He watched Ochaco Uraraka's fight to save 13's life in the office from the chameleon villain. He saw the girl scramble, stumble, adapt, and ultimately have to take the villain's life. He could see the emotion play across her face; he read the report she gave before going home with her parents.

He watched as a swarm of rats knocked a lightning villain off the roof to plummet five stories to their death; it was Koji; the boy's remorse was immense. All he said was while he regretted the villain lost their life, he would make the same call: the villains were predators who thought the children were their prey; they had made a mistake.

Togaru was angry; he had expressed how hard he had trained and learned not to kill someone with his quirk, to strive and work so hard and have it taken away so quickly. But he had to save Eijiro; he knew what he was doing and would make the same decision. Two of the villains were dead. Another had been crippled.

Mina, poor Mina Ashido, had taken lives in a fight for survival. Ibarra, Izuku, Denki, Hiryu, and others. Sixteen villains had been taken to the morgue from the USJ, four more had joined them, and another two were not expected to make it. Dozens more had either blinded or crippled.

Whoever had organized this assault had been aware and familiar with the different zones of the USJ. Most villains had been slotted into the right areas, where they would have an advantage. Some of these assaults seemed personal and tailored for particular students. It was apparent that most villains had come there to cause mayhem, satiate their desires, injure, and kill. They found one villain sitting in the Ruins zone; they had done nothing, just waiting to be taken into custody. They didn't sign up to kill children; they weren't going to participate; they had just sat down and waited to be arrested.

This villain had told Nezu about the broker that had recruited him, which had piqued his interest. Some of the other villains rolled over, hoping for some leniency. The underworld had recruiters and villains who would join together to commit certain crimes or for larger targets. Names had been given; it had been a long time since Nezu had been out on the streets; someone had come into his home and terrorized his students.

Nezu stopped in front of his destination, the den of a broker named Eclipse. Nezu paused to remove his tie, folded it neatly, and placed it in his pocket. With an enthusiastic little hop, he climbed the stairs and gave the distinctive musical knock of a shave and a haircut. The door opened, and Nezu looked up at a tall, muscular gentleman. His long black dreads formed into knife points, and he had several tattoos on his exposed arms and upper torso. Nezu used to be smaller; being under 3 feet normally guaranteed it. Though his visits to kindergarten at least allowed him to be at eye level and, in some cases, taller than those he interacted with, the conversation was lacking, to say the least.

"Well, hello, good sir; I am here to talk with Eclipse," Nezu said with a cheerfulness that did not belong to this situation.

The man sneered at the strange creature at his feet, "Do you have an appointment?"

"Oh dear, I didn't think this was that type of establishment," Nezu placed his paw by his cheek. "Nevertheless, I would like to see Eclipse."

"It doesn't work that way," the man said. "Then fuck off!"

"Now that doesn't seem very polite," Nezu said with a smile. "I am afraid I must speak with Eclipse; you see, I aided someone in facilitating an incursion into my home. I didn't appreciate that very much and would like some answers."

"Poor little rat dog," the man said mockingly. "Did someone mess up your nest?" the man laughed. "Get the fuck out of here before I cut you up."

"I have to say, while I was trying for a peaceful resolution, I did oh so hope for that to be not available," Nezu's smile changed; it became a toothy grin, and his eyes lit up with sinister delight. Long hooked claws extended from his paws.

In a blur, Nezu dashed forward, severing the man's Achilles tendons and sending him to his knees; the next strike tore open the man's back, driving him forward, his hands holding him up. Wildly, the man's blades flew out, trying to impale his attacker. They struck nothing but air.

"Missed me!" he heard from below him. The man opened his eyes and looked down at Nezu's sinister grin. His scream died as his throat was ripped out, covering Nezu in blood. Nezu rolled out from under the man, and he fell to the floor. He heard the commotion as doors flew open and yells filled the building. He triggered the small detonator in his pocket, and the fuse box outside exploded, plunging the building into darkness.

The yells soon turned to screams of terror.

Eclipse was in his room when the attack began, and everything was plunged into darkness; the two whores in his bed screamed and ran from the room. All over, he could hear his people reacting; he listened to their yells turn to screams as the intense battle seemed to break out everywhere. Who dared to come at him? Over the radio, he heard the cries and frantic yelling. As he listened, he heard a voice over and over.

"Are you Eclipse? No…pity," the tearing flesh and cries of terror struck short. "Eclipse? No…alright!" the voice sounded so cheerful and hopeful. He didn't recognize it; the scene kept playing out repeatedly. Eclipse grabbed his black hair frantically, trying to figure out what was happening; when he called the locals on his payroll, their calls went straight to voice mail. He grabbed a duffle bag and frantically opened a wall safe, filing it with money and drugs; he ran towards the window and the fire escape when all the noise in the building stopped—activating his quirk, shadow tendrils formed on his back.

"IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? WHAT IS GOING ON?" he called over the radio.

"I am sorry, Eclipse, they are well…most of them are dead," a cheerful voice called back. "I do sometimes get carried away with myself," the laugh that followed that statement made Eclipse tremble in fear. "Now, if I have to chase you down, it will not be pleasant, so be a dear and open the door." Eclipse froze and pissed himself when he heard "A shave and haircut" on his door. His tendrils lashed out, slamming the door off its hinges into the dark hallway. He ripped open the window when he felt something slice through the back of his ankle; then something else removed his testicles as he screamed and fell back onto the ground.

"I told you not to run," the voice said like a song; he felt something land on his chest and claws at his throat. He saw this creature on his chest, a predator bathed in blood, its cold black eyes gleaming in delight. "Now, if you don't talk, you are going to bleed out; if you try anything, I will tear out your throat. Blink twice if you understand!"

Eclipse blinked twice. "Now you are going to tell me who hired you to recruit people to attack U.A.!" the broker's eyes widened. "If you don't tell me, I am going to stake you to the floor and split your belly from here to here," he could feel a wet, sharp claw trace the line from his waist to under his breastbone. "Then my unevolved cousins are going to begin to eat you from inside while you are still alive."

Eclipse looked around and saw the glowing eyes of rats filling the room, their eyes reflecting the light coming in from outside. "I can't," Eclipse pleaded. "If I talk, he will kill me!"

"If you don't talk, I will kill you!" the creature said. "IF you do talk, then you get to live. You will be in Tartarus, but you will live!"

"Wait, you're a hero? How can you do this?" he begged.

"Because you made the mistake of attacking my home, and as an educator, I can't let that stand. So start talking!" Eclipse screamed as he felt the claw stab into his waist.

"I'll talk, I'll talk!" he screamed. "I never met the guy who made the purchase order. I was given a call from Giran; he received the order and needed help filling it out! I swear."

"Wonderful," the thing exclaimed. "Now tell me where I can find Giran?"

-Izuku-

He sat up in a cold sweat, the scream still echoing in the room, his black sword in hand. He heard his name being called as lights came on, and Reiko and her parents ran downstairs. He scrambled to free himself from the blankets, getting to his feet, his eyes sweeping the room, looking for anything out of place. Seeing the sword in the boy's hands, her parents froze, but Reiko didn't as she ran and hugged him. They watched as the sword melted away into the shadows, falling from Izuku's grip, and he hugged Reiko back.

"You're alright!" he exclaimed as he hugged her.

"Yes, I am," she whispered as she hugged him back. "As are you, as are you."

He closed his eyes tightly, trying to banish the horrible images that still tried to invade his mind. His ragged breathing began to calm as the lights came on in the room courtesy of her parents. Slowly, he sank to the couch, Reiko still holding him. She could feel him still trembling as he hugged her, his breath rattling in his chest.

"I will stay with him," Reiko told her parents, who reluctantly walked back upstairs. Reiko sat there holding him, stroking his hair till he fell asleep in her arms; she pulled the blanket around them with her quirk. He was talking in his sleep; she heard him calling for her, their classmates; as he fell deeper into sleep, his voice slowed; she felt her heart break when he called for his mother and father, and she saw a tear run down his cheek as he sank deeper into the land of dreams.