Over the Top

by papireaz

When I died, I expected a few manga volumes. Maybe to learn what the One Piece is. Instead, I found myself in a world that I recognised, a story I had read and what's worse was that it was a story I had no interest in wanting to involve myself in! Then and again, the offer to become a Hero is far too tempting...

72. Issue 70

Save Your Tears - The Weeknd

---

"If I look up in the sky,

I wonder what I'll see?

Grey or white? Perhaps shades of blue?

Maybe a full moon, full of life."

---

I sighed.

"My room… it's exactly the same as I remember it was before."

I was at the Class A dorm with my boxes around me, on the top floor, room L, just like before. The only issue was that I was alone. Everyone else had moved from this floor after the incident, leaving a thin coating of dust on everything. Kaminari and Jiro were helping me move everything back in from the other dorm, and while I would say that Tokage and Monoma were helping out too, they were also goofing around.

"It's a nice room for me to peg you in," Tokage teased. "Look! The curtains are green and they even match our dildo-,"

"Can you not? Maybe you have a green fluffy dildo that pleases you because no man would ever want your shark teeth to tear their dick apart, but I don't have that issue," I cut Tokage's dirty conversation off. "Monoma? Care to add your own thoughts?"

"Yes, Boss!"

"...I'm not your Boss."

"Well, you were a Mafia Boss," Monoma replied cheekily. "Even if it was for a day and a half, it still counts. Not even just the Boss, but the chairman of an entire clan. That's a bit high-up for a cop, don't you think? I have to tease you about that. I'd be a shit friend if I didn't."

I shook my head at him, sighing heavily.

"I miss when you were hanging onto every word I said and thought the world of me. What happened to my devoted follower, Neito Monoma?!" I lamented, jumping on my bed. "So what do you say, Tokage? Want to jump into bed with me?"

"After your little speech about how no man would ever want me? Count yourself lucky I still speak to you, dumbass!" Tokage replied with a grin. "Now are you going to let Jiro and I carry your boxes up here, or what?! Do you have no pride as a man?"

"Please. As if you have any pride whatsoever."

As Tokage and I began to bicker more and more, I watched as Monoma and Kaminari lifted my remaining boxes from downstairs up to my room. Jiro was the one helping test if my sockets still worked as well as helping me give a good clean of the room.

"Are you trying to say that cleaning is what we women are only good at?!"

"Fucing hell, can you shut up already? And tomorrow I have to go to Kanazawa with you as well," I moaned, setting up my TV. "It's not that deep, and I didn't even say that. Friendly fire, don't you think, Jiro? Tokage, while I appreciate you being hospitable to me for the past few months at the Class B dorm, I can finally say what I've wanted to say for a while. Get the hell out of my room, and never order food using my account ever again. Cheers."

Tokage rolled her eyes at me.

"Hey! You ate the food too!"

"Because you used my money!"

"Well maybe change your password from a Transformer you liked when you were a kid!"

"I don't want to!"

"Why the hell not you, big baby?!"

"I'm not the baby! You're the baby!"

"Oh, says the grown man with an easy-to-guess password any ten-year-old could figure out! Maybe you really are a kid!"

"I'm nearly eighteen!"

"Your birthday is in one month!" Tokage replied with a smirk. "Mine isn't until October, so actually, I win. Old man. I bet you forget that because Alzheimer's is already kicking in for you, isn't it?"

"Old man? We're born in the same year."

"Lalalalalalala, not listening," Tokage plugged her ears like a child, turning away from me. "I'm right, you're wrong. I'm right, you're wrong. I'm right, you're wrong. I'm right, you're wrong. I'm right, you're wrong. I'm right, you're wrong. I'm right, you're wrong. I'm right, you're wrong. I'm right, you're wrong. I'm right, you're wrong. I'm right, you're wrong. I'm right, you're wrong. I'm right, you're wrong. I'm right, you're wrong. I'm right, you're wrong. I'm right, you're wrong."

I sighed, turning to face Jiro who was giggling at our exchange.

"Can you believe her?"

"I'm not the one who invited her into my room," Jiro replied, shrugging her shoulders. "...That being said, are you sure you're alright moving back here? Not that I or Kaminari don't want you here, but, coming back to Class A and moving back in with us are two very different things."

I shrugged my shoulders, setting up my lamp on my desk.

"Eh. Sure, I could have stayed in Class B's dorm, God knows it would have been more comfortable. But that's not who I am," I told Jiro truthfully. "I've always taken the more difficult path in life, and this is no exception. Truth is, I think Tokage is acting out because the crazy bitch knows she's going to miss living with me. This is probably her childish way of trying to make me miss her or something."

"I heard that!"

"And you're not refuting it, are you?" I asked Tokage with a grin. "It's fine. You know you can visit me whenever you want, I mean you are my partner. Your words, not mine. Just because I'm here again doesn't mean we aren't friends, I mean you're the one that's supposed to have my back."

"Yeah, but aren't we supposed to be enemies? Class A versus Class B and whatnot."

"Monoma!" I yelled.

"Yeah?" We all heard Monoma reply from down the stairs. "What is it?"

"Are we enemies now?"

Pause.

"Absolutely fucking not! Who tried to put that idea in your head? Oh, when I get my hands on them-,"

I turned to look at Tokage with a smirk, shrugging my shoulders as I knew I had won the argument. Even Jiro laughed at Tokage's shocked expression as she stuttered to respond clearly.

"O… okay, but we're talking about normal people here. Not the leader of your Cult."

"Hey! If I had a Cult, you'd be the leader. Monoma's the spokesperson," I joked. "And Jiro's the celebrity that talks about our Cult publicly. Hell, she could even make songs for our Cult, wouldn't that be sick?"

"I'm staying the fuck away from your Cult."

"Jiro! C'mon. Don't be like that! That's not very nice Cultist behaviour."

---

Chapter

Seventy

'Death and Goodbye Part 1'

---

Tokage and Monoma quickly left after my room was set up.

They didn't need to help me, in fact, I didn't ask for their help. They forced me to accept their help to move my stuff from the Class B dorm to… here. Here. As I walked down the stairs into the living room that held so many memories, as well as nightmares, I couldn't help but feel a small tug at my lips as I traced the kitchen counter.

I was finally back here.

Home.

"Yo!" Kaminari yelled from the couch. "Are you gonna' sit down here, or what?"

I shrugged my shoulders, vaulting over the couch to sit next to Kaminari who was smacking the TV remote against the pillow he was resting on. On the other couch, Mineta and Tsuyu were sitting on their phones. I opened my mouth to say something to them, but Kaminari tapped my knee, shaking his head at me.

Ah.

"..."

"...What do you want to watch?" Kaminari asked me. "Mineta, do you want to watch something? I know you're a fan of that new anime, er, Aluminum Spherical Race! Want to watch the new episode again?"

I watched as Mineta raised his head, his eyes locking into mine as he shook his head.

Right.

I felt my fingers curl up into a fist, my palm providing them the only warmth in this living room as I was suddenly transfixed by the lamp in front of me. It was as Jiro had told me, coming back to Class A was something everyone had wanted - Even if they didn't like me, it was what was meant to happen. But moving back into the dorm? Perhaps that was a step too far.

It's different being classmates with someone who hurt you.

It's different living with them.

How would I have liked it if I was forced to live in the same house as say Yozora or Overhaul? Truth be told, I'd probably hate it too. Yet the old me would have run away from this. I'd probably have made a shitty excuse to leave and go to the roof, and then I'd probably smoke a few cigarettes deep in thought. I would have isolated myself, and I would have found myself yet again stuck.

Stuck to be better.

So I grabbed the pillow Kaminari was resting on and threw it at Mineta.

The silence was deafening, not only had Kaminari dropped the TV remote in shock but Mineta turned to look at me in surprise. Even Tsuyu turned off her phone, her brows furrowed as she stared at me curiously, as if I were a zoo animal. And I couldn't blame her, I did not doubt that she was trying to think about every angle of why I did what I did…

But it wasn't so complex of an answer.

I just felt like it.

"What was that for, So-, Yamazaki?" Mineta asked me, nearly slipping up. "Maybe you haven't realised it yet, but we're not friends again. If you aren't aware, we haven't spoken in nearly-,"

"Shut up and come over here already," I cut him off. "Kaminari told me you still want to be friends with me. That you just didn't know how to start things off with me again after everything that's , don't give him that look! He didn't betray you. I did. So come on over."

"Why?" Mineta asked, nervously looking at me. He couldn't trust me. It hurt, but I couldn't blame him, despite that I still smiled as wide as I could. "Are you going to hurt me again? Tell me it was okay for my parents to abuse me because I deserved it. That I'm never going to amount to anything in life, and that no one in this house wants me here? What's the next hurtful thing you're going to say, Sora?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Honestly, who knows? But that's beside the point. I'm not a psychic. I'd like to promise I won't hurt anyone again, but I'm human and I will make that mistake again and again," I told him truthfully. "But it's the same way you guys are going to try and not the same mistakes that you did with me isn't a guarantee. So, is this done, Mineta? You know I missed you in a sense."

"You missed me? What are you, gay?"

"Is it wrong to miss the homies?" I teased, throwing another pillow at him. Mineta growled as he got up from his couch and jumped over to my couch, punching at my legs which shielded me. I laughed as I kicked him, sending him barreling over to Kaminari who was forced to endure a punch aimed at his balls. "Haha. Idiot."

"No! You're an idiot!" Mineta yelled at me, grabbing my foot and dragging me off the couch possessing strength I didn't know he had. "You think you can just come back here and be my friend again without getting punched in the face, you dumbass! I'm going to beat you until your face is blue, you shitty bastard!"

Smack.

The room descended into silence as Mineta punched me in the face. It wasn't a hard punch, but it did shock me, yet as I looked around the room it wasn't just me who was in shock. Kaminari cringed at us, Tsuyu had gotten up and looked to be thinking about whether she should restrict Mineta or not - And the guy himself simply stood tall, huffing loudly.

"That was for all the mean shit you said, you prick. And for ditching us without an explanation of what happened," Mineta told me. "But you already have had some sense knocked into you, so my punch doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. But I don't care what you think, Sora. At one point you were my best friend. And I trusted you. Sora-,"

"Nope," I cut him off, smiling at him. At how confident and headstrong Mineta had grown in the year apart, no longer was he the cowardly and perverted guy in our class. Not that he was ever just that to me. "You're still my best friend, idiot. Your punch will always matter. No matter what. Come here, I got something for you."

I watched as Mineta slowly approached me before I leaned over and slugged him in the face. It was then that Tsuyu intervened, using her quick reflexes to catch Mineta before he crashed into the couch, probably breaking it. I couldn't help but laugh at her expression.

"What's that for, kero?"

"...Tsuyu. Please," Mineta pleaded, nodding at the girl. Tsuyu reluctantly let him go, and I could only stand up from the floor and went over to him. He now stood at my shoulders. He wasn't even the shortest person in our class anymore, that was reserved for Tsuyu now. "Sora. I… Let's make a promise, just me and you. Ignore everyone else here, because I might be selfish to ask you this."

"Yeah?"

"If you're ever feeling stressed out, or you feel like things aren't going your way, I want you to tell me," Mineta told me, raising his fists out. "Cuz' I'll be there to have a brawl with you. Not to see who'll win, but because it helps. Because I will be there to punch you in the face when you need it. So, I want you to promise me that if I fuck up, you'll be there to punch me in the face too."

I laughed at him.

"If I don't agree to that, what are friends for? Kaminari, get us three beers. I have a six-pack on my shelf in the fridge," I replied, sitting back down on the couch with Mineta by my side. Kaminari grumbled but did exactly as I asked as the three of us faced the TV, grinning at each other. "So, what should we watch? Wait, why don't we watch 'The Wolf of Economics Street? I heard there's a bunch of sex scenes in that one. Especially with that new hot Australian actress."

Mineta perked up at that.

"Really?"

"Ugh," Tsuyu sighed, sitting back down on the couch, but she didn't even try to hide the big grin on her face. "Boys."

…

"Psst," I whispered to Mineta. "Are you and Tsuyu…?"

"Dating? Yeah, we are."

I nodded at that.

Huh… what were they-,

…

"Wait, what the fuck-,!"

---

"Remind me why we're going to Kanazawa?"

Tokage huffed, pushing me onto the train as I hastily threw my cigarette underneath the train tracks, sighing at the loss of yet another perfectly good cigarette. While Tokage was dragging around her suitcase, mostly for show, I gripped my red sports back tightly as we walked over to an empty carriage and sat down at a table.

"Didn't I tell you? We're meeting the Sixth, or rather you are," Tokage answered. "I already met her briefly, but considering you got yourself wrapped up in another plot that left you nearly dead, forgive me for not having been able to gather the best information on her. So, I thought if you came with me then you'd be able to ask all the questions you want."

I grumbled at that.

"I come back to Class A, and I'm already taking off."

"I'm sure they'll understand."

"They won't," I replied honestly. "Or most of them won't care, at the very least they're so busy off in their own worlds that they'll just think I went home for the weekend, even when they find out the truth it won't exactly change. But we both know that not everyone in that class cares to understand. All they see is me doing my own shit once again, this time not even caring to fully explain it to them."

"And how would you? Explain it to them, I mean."

I didn't bother to answer that question, and it's not like Tokage expected an answer out of me anyway as she leaned back in her seat taking my silence as confirmation that she was right. And in a sense she was. Perhaps if I explained to Class A why I wanted to find Raiden, who he even was, as well as the fact that I was trying to find a way to stop myself from eventually dying, maybe things would be different.

Yet, how could I bring myself to explain that fact to them?

It was a bitter truth, one I perhaps hadn't fully realised myself yet.

I was dying.

While my friends would likely hit thirty, I'd be dead well before then. If I couldn't fully comprehend that, how could I expect that Class A could? At the very least, telling people like Tokage, Aizawa and Nejire made sense - Our paths crossed many times and they were just as calm as I was about the future prospect of my death.

Even Recovery Girl had practically given up hope that I could be saved.

As she had told me recently - 'Do not place your bets on a magical cure. It does not exist.'

"And if I did explain it to them, what would it change? Setsuna, all it would do is make more people worry. Make more people think differently about me, and I don't want the remaining members of Class A who dislike me to suddenly change because I might die, that's just pity," I eventually told her. "Don't you have experience with this? You had a terminal illness in your past life, didn't you?"

Tokage nodded at that.

"I did, so it's not like I don't understand how you feel. I just think it's pointless to hide what might be inevitable, Sora. You can be positive in thinking that you'll find a way to cure it, but someone here has to be realistic," Tokage replied. "Your Uncle and Nejire can claim that you won't die, and you can claim that you'll find something, but there's no guarantee. I'm going to stick by your side no matter what, but surely even you have to realise you're caught in a bad romance."

"I am?"

"Either you die achieving nothing, or you die having achieved everything but you don't want to go," Tokage summed up. "These are two impending fates for you as of now. Now, if we can find a cure, that's different. But we haven't. You haven't even gotten a wisp of hope that you can cure your body from tearing itself apart, but more than that, I'm curious as to why it's started now. If anything you should be bed-ridden right now in the hospital. You'd never have made it to U.A. int he first place."

I hummed at that.

"I have an idea."

"You do?"

"Overhaul," I answered. "When I sacrificed my powers - I lost access to all of them. Including my healing Quirk. See, something has always bothered me, and that's why All For One just let me live. He knew who I was, where I was and even what schools I went to. I think, and this is just my theory, that he knew that Yukari had sabotaged me, and as a big fuck you to her that was why he gave me that healing Quirk. In comparison to being able to see 'visions' of the future, summon a cloud I can control and gamble parts of my body for power, it stands out of place, right?"

"I guess. Maybe All For One let you live to see what you would do? Either you lived and became a pawn for him, or you would die and that would be the end of it," Tokage nodded in agreement with my theory. "But I don't understand how Overhaul has anything to do with this?"

"I sacrificed all my powers, Setsuna," I explained to her. "That means no healing Quirk. I bet the entire time before then, it was my healing Quirk that was stopping me from dying. In a sense, my healing Quirk works by reverting me to how I once was. Thus back then, my body was breaking down but repairing itself to a state where nothing really happened. Outside of mild headaches I got as well as a few injuries, I was fine. But in the year when I had no access to my Quirks, my body was breaking down more and more without being repaired."

Tokage snapped her fingers at that.

"Right! So when Yukari gave you your Quirks back, it's like they were reset! So, instead of your healing Quirk reverting you to how you were before you lost your powers, it's been reverting you to when you got them again. That's why your Quirks are different! Why you are dying slowly, it's because in that year away from your Quirks you were too damaged to be repaired, even now your body repairs you to a time where it was still fucked," Tokage reasoned. "Essentially, in order to cure you, we'll need to find a way to revert your body back to zero."

I nodded at that.

"I think that's what I need to do. The issue is how are we going to do that?"

"Maybe a Quirk?"

"The only person we know who could have healed me is dead," I replied sadly. "She died during the Overhaul raid. Eri, that is. Ironically, she's probably the only one who would have been able to save me with a bit of training. So, unless we can find a Quirk to resurrect the dead, we're shit out of luck in that regard."

"What about getting you a new body?"

"Like a Nomu?"

"In a sense," Tokage nodded at me. "I'm sure we can just kidnap that League of Villains scientist-,"

"Impossible. Zero killed him. They dumped his decapitated in his office with his crimes"

"Oh. Yeah. Right."

I watched as Tokage deflated at that. Despite putting on an appearance that she was being 'realistic', her pessimism was only a front she put on because she had to. I smiled at Tokage, my number one supporter. It was funny how things turned out. Not even Aizawa or Nejire had gone out of their way to track someone down in another prefecture who might have had a clue to help me, that took dedication and an abundance of free time.

And passion.

"Stop smiling at me. It's creepy," Tokage shuddered at me. "It's like you want to ravage me. I mean, it's not like I would be opposed to train sex. It's kinky, and in public. I don't think the family of four a few rows behind us will be happy with my moans. But, if you want your sex doll is ready for a fucking."

"In your dreams."

"I bet you have wild sexual fantasies about me."

"I can't think of anything worse, Setsuna."

"You say that, but even you have to admit that the two of us make a bad romance," Tokage returned viciously. "I mean you have me, a massive tsundere. Although my sharp tongue doesn't reveal a sweet side to me, it just reveals even more barbed wire."

"I doubt it. No real tsundere is a self-proclaimed one."

"B-Baka!"

"You forced that one out. Is there even a 'dere' for crazy people? Not psychos, as in actually mentally ill people. That's the one you fit," I replied. "And yeah, we'd make a terrible couple. You with your… tendencies. Me with my adventures of getting in danger as well as my entire life story, I bet we would break up after a week."

Tokage smiled at that.

"I used to tease you and Jiro getting together, and what happened?"

"We had a nasty breakup and now she's dating someone else? I wouldn't count that as a positive to you," I rolled my eyes at Tokage's suggestion. "And I've said this countless times before, you are the epitome of a crazy bitch. I feel like you're the type of girlfriend to stab their partner, the person they cheated on then themselves in the presence of adultery."

"You aren't wrong."

"The fact that you can admit it so freely makes me nervous!"

"But you wouldn't cheat on me, right Sora?" Tokage asked me. "I mean if you did, I would stab you in your throat and bathe in your blood. Then I'd stab the woman you cheated on me with, but I'd make sure that she lives. But she can never have sex enjoyably ever again. And then I'd kill myself to join you in a lover's paradise."

"Freaky. Definitely a yandere."

"But I don't have an obsession over you? In fact, to put it bluntly, if it wasn't for the fact that you've helped me out before and saved my life, I'd probably ignore you," Tokage replied. "And to be honest, you would probably ignore me too. It was pure chance that made our lives cross over and meet. Naturally, I still would have been a Hero just to ensure I get a nice rich husband and live a fulfilling and lazy life. You, on the other hand…"

I laughed at that.

"Setsuna, I have no idea what I want to do."

"Even if you were to suddenly stop being a Hero?"

"Will I still be a Detective?"

"No."

"Then I don't have an answer."

"What if you accomplish all your goals?" Tokage asked me. "You find and reunite with Raiden, you're cured, all the villains are locked and you've made things right with Class A. Don't tell me you'd actively want to be a Hero then. The only reason I'm here is because I have to be here, not because I want to. There's nothing more I hate than saving people in my life."

"Why's that?"

"Because you can't save anyone. People can only save themselves," Tokage explained to me. "You can disagree, but I don't care. I know I'm right. You saved yourself, and I saved myself too. We can help each other to reach that point, but ultimately the only one who can make that plunge and save yourself is you. No one else. No one can save your life other than your own. Others can help guide you to that truth, but ultimately it sort of is a principle of self-reliance. That's how I viewed it."

I nodded at that.

"I don't necessarily disagree," I replied. "It's not like I strongly agree either, but I don't disagree either. No one can save you, it's a leap of faith. But I do think other people allow you to save yourself if that makes sense. It's a responsibility you have to others and yourself that makes it so you can save yourself. But without having anyone in your life… How can you save yourself? I think that's why villains exist."

"Oh?"

"They're convinced that the world or other people need saving, so they ignore themselves. In a sense, it's a bit hypocritical, how can you be the saviour when you're in need of being saved? But you can only truly save yourself, even if it's by the push of others," I explained. "That's how I view it. How I've saved myself in my life. It wasn't because someone had the answers for me, someone didn't enter my life and brightened it. I just had to accept what was in my heart and change it. And in my heart, I wanted to be back at U.A. It's what I've always wanted."

Tokage hummed at that.

"I see. Makes sense."

"What would you do if you weren't a Hero then?"

"Me? Preferably, I'd like to work with kids, or maybe get into law to help make sure kids are put in good families or something," Tokage answered, surprising me. She rarely gave such an answer. "Don't act so shocked, I've always wanted to work with kids. You know, it's the same way everyone can see you as a teacher. I think you'd be a great teacher for troubled youth. Considering you were a troubled youth once."

"Hey!"

"Sorry, sorry. I was just making sure that you weren't thinking I had gone soft."

I shook my head at her, rolling my eyes at Tokage.

"I think you'd traumatise the children you work with."

"Perfect~!"

---

To say that Kanazawa was a quiet place would be a lie.

It was washed up. And not in the metaphorical sense, in the physical sense. The land itself was twisted and strange due to the centuries of earthquakes and tsunamis centred on the region, not to mention the advent of Heroes and Villains. Yet, even as the land was strange with hills all over the city looking straight out of a Sonic game, the people were friendly.

"This is Kanazawa?"

"Yep," Tokage replied, getting a taxi for us. "The Sixth's place isn't too far from here. She should know we are coming, so I messaged her early this morning. At the very least we can go back home tomorrow in the morning. One night is more than enough to investigate thoroughly, don't you think?"

"Wait, you only messaged her today?!"

"Now, we wouldn't want to give her a chance to run away, would we?"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

It didn't take long for a cab to come over and pick us up outside of Kanazawa's train station, and soon enough we were on the move as Tokage pointed out to me all the historical landmarks that she wanted to visit before our little trip was up. I merely sat at the back of the cab, resting my head against the window deep in thought.

What the fuck had Tokage done.

Eventually, we arrived at our destination. A shoddy-looking street that was situated on a hill, it was the kind of street that Hinata would have been afraid for me to walk in when I was younger. Not that I was in any danger, or the fact that the street was dangerous. It looked malnourished as streets, or perhaps that was the buildings that looked from the outside as if they had been built over a hundred years ago. And perhaps that was the real kicker of Kanazawa.

Despite it being a city just like Musutafu, it felt so much more…

Old.

"So? You like the city?"

"Sorta," I nodded at Tokage. "It's cosy. You know, it reminds me of the cities in our previous-, You know. It reminds me of when I lived in London. A mix of old and new clashing. It's totally different from Musutafu, they'd have painted over this street and pretended that its history never existed. Gentrification in a sense."

Tokage hummed at that.

"You lived in London? That's the first time I've seen you willingly talk about your past."

"Well, it's not like it matters now."

"I guess. I was from Florence. Italy. I guess it sorta feels like home," Tokage told me. "For all its faults, this country's pretty cool sometimes. But I do agree with you. In a sense, everyone would want to think that this country is paradise on Earth. It's not. You know, I don't think I ever told you why I hate Musutafu, did I?"

I shook my head at her as I paid for the taxi, getting our bags and her suitcase from the trunk of the car. Tokage smiled at me gratefully as I tried to carry her bags, but her incessant whining made me pass it over to her.

"You didn't."

"It's because like you said. Musutafu would have erased such a street like this," Tokage replied. "It may be old and run down, it may clash with a more modern look that the city wants to be. But Musutafu's history and people are important to its identity, no? I guess Musutafu trying to become the economic cornerstone of Asia with the Redevelopment project somehow means it has to play by different rules. I really like this place."

"It's quite nice."

"Oh? What say you and I live here in our dream house, then?" Tokage asked me with a smirk. "Just the two of us and any children we may procure from fucking like rabbits. It doesn't sound like a bad dream, right? Waking up in the morning to the sound of crashing waves, a freshly made sandwich and a nice scenic drive. Isn't it odd that soon we'll be forced to be adults? Forced to go into the harshest world of them all."

"You got to stop teasing me like this."

"Am I edging you too much?"

"I'd prefer that if I do get edged it's not by you. By that I mean I'd rather you just not touch my crotch in the first place, or just ever," I joked. "So, where is this place that the Sixth is staying at? How far away is it?"

"You're looking right at it."

It looked a lot like a house. Or rather, it was a house. One that had been converted half into a ramen stand as a newly placed sign that read 'Shion's Brilliant Ramen!' clashed heavily with the old brickwork and look of the place. And from the empty road, as well as what I could see inside, the place was empty. Not just one or two customers; it felt more like it was dead.

I turned over to Tokage who shrugged her shoulders at me.

"Don't look at me like that. I didn't choose this place."

Following Tokage inside the place, I could see it truly was just a normal house that had half of it converted into a ramen stand. Stools were everywhere with the sound and smell of cooking humming in the air as I placed my bag next to Tokage's suitcase as we stood there awkwardly waiting for someone to notice us. The place was nice and calm, and the faint sound of city pop playing on the radio made it feel that much more warm and welcome.

"Hi~!"

It wasn't an adult who greeted us, but a really cute six-year-old boy. He had shoulder-length dark red hair, wore a Super Sentai sweater with Endeavour tracksuit bottoms, and had a massive smile plastered over his face as he greeted us excitedly.

"Mummy said she'll be with you guys in a min! And that I hafta' ent… in… train you!"

"Entertain, you mean," I corrected.

"Yeah, that!" The boy nodded at me. "I'm Haruto, nice to meet you!"

"Sora," I replied, high-fiving the little kid who couldn't stop bouncing around as he stared at me in childlike wonder.

"So, are you with Nee-san? Like how Mummy and Daddy are together?"

"Nee-san? Who the fuc-, erm, who's Nee-san?"

Haruto pointed at Tokage.

"She's your sister?!"

"H-hey! Kids like me," Tokage huffed out annoyedly, shoving me slightly. "No, Haruto-chan. Sora and I aren't together like your Mummy and Daddy. We're just friends. Best friends. Like you and that Sally girl, you told me about."

Haruto nodded at that.

"Oh. Okay! Can I call you Nii-san then?"

"Uhm, sure. Sounds nice," I replied, ruffling the boy's hair. "Hah. I guess you don't like it when I do that, do you? I don't like it either when my own Dad does it either. You know, I always wanted a younger brother. Tell me, Haruto. Do you like football?"

The boy grinned at me.

"Mmh! I love football!"

"What team do you support?"

"Barca!"

"Good choice," I smiled at him. "I like Barca too. It's a good team with a good history of players. Better than those Real Madrid fuc-, snakes. But you know there is an even better team who are the best team ever."

"Who?"

"Liverpool FC."

"Really?"

I nodded at Haruto.

"Yep, I support them as well."

"Really? Well if you like them, Nii-san, I like them too!"

Tears swelled up in my eyes. Wow. I couldn't stop the emotions from leaving my body as I hugged the boy dearly, finally. Someone could agree with me! Tokage rolled her eyes at my dramatic display while I taught Haruto how to sing You'll Never Walk Alone and how many trophies we had won before we were finally joined by an older woman. I didn't miss how Tokage's face lit up at the sight of her, or how they hugged fiercely.

The woman had dark long red hair, something that made sense when taking a good look at Haruto . Definitely his mother. Red hair with hazelnut eyes and quite a blessed figure, the first thought that popped into my mind was that she looked quite dignified despite wearing a chef's apron and having her braided.

"Setsuna-chan! Nice to meet you again!" She greeted Tokage. "Sorry for not being able to pick you and your friend up in person, but I was so busy preparing some meals for a few customers that just left and Kazuma's still at work. I'll pay you guys back for the taxi, however. Haruto! Did you greet your Nee-san too?"

I watched as Haruto quickly forgot all about me and shot off like a torpedo, hugging Tokage fiercely. I watched as a look of surprise was quickly hidden by the girl as she hugged Haruto back, and I guess even I forgot that despite how she acted…

Setsuna Tokage was just like me.

We were both just kids who had died and found ourselves in a completely new world.

In a sense, just as I put on my mask, so did she.

Maybe even more.

"So, I guess I never did meet you. Even before you were born, I always wondered how you would turn out. You look a lot like her," The woman turned to greet me, and I could see the dark six imprinted on her forearm. "I'm Shion, but I guess you may know me as the Sixth. It's nice to meet you, Sora. Has anyone told you that you look like your mother?"

I shook my head at her.

"Nah. But I can see it. I guess I have the same nose as Yukari."

"Eyes too."

"Her eyes were yellow, mine's brown."

"Similar eye shape," Shion replied. "And her hair was just as messy as yours. I heard you met Gyro as well. I guess now you can finally say that you've met everyone who's just like us. Isn't that a treat?"

"I guess. So, do you mind if we eat?"

"No, no, I'll get a bowl for you two right away," Shion replied. "Haruto. Show them to our dining table, I'll be back in a bit. And be a good boy, okay? If I hear that you played another prank on someone I will take away your Lego."

"Muuum!"

"Haruto."

It was a battle between mother and child as Shion raised her brow at his tone of voice, and Ryo immediately realised he had messed up as he quickly changed his attitude and led Tokage and me to a room upstairs. Toys were half-littered over the floor, and I could see that the family here lived on the second and third floors of the house while they used the first floor to conduct business.

"Here they are! Two miso pork ramen!" Shion excitedly brought over our food, and the aroma was nearly enough to make me jump in and start swimming in the broth. "If you want more spice, just tell me. Haruto, what did I tell you about the toys?"

"To clean them up?"

"Yep! It's not nice for Setsuna and Sora to walk over your toys, is it?"

"Mmh. Okay!"

I watched in amusement as Haruto ran off around the rest of the house to pick up his toys from the floor, it was a clear way to get him out of the room so we could have a more 'mature' discussion, but despite that the look on Shion's face still made me feel a pang of… I don't know.

"...Sorry about Haruto, he's a bit scatterbrained at the moment. I guess from all the excitement from meeting you, Sora. I did tell him and my husband that technically, you two are my cousins," Shion apologised to me. "My husband and I have tried to get him to make friends with the other boys in his class, but because Haruto doesn't have a Quirk it's a little hard. Children. They're at a small enough age where they can exclude someone and not realise what they're doing."

"Your son is Quirkless?" I asked in shock before clearing my throat. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry or anything. I just… Is Haruto, you know…?"

"My actual son? Yeah, I did give birth to him thankfully. I would have thought that maybe All For One would have removed my reproductive organs, but he didn't. And I suspect that you two are likely the same," Shion told us. "And it's fine, Sora. I owe your Mother my life. After all, she freed me along with everyone else. And from what I heard, she died recently. I'm sorry for your loss."

I nodded numbly at her.

"Yeah, cheers."

"So, Shion-san, I heard that you might be pregnant again? How'd the medical check-up go?" Tokage asked enthusiastically. "Before I left, Kazuma was telling me all about how you guys were looking at moving."

Shion nodded at her.

"The medical was good. Now I'm not pregnant as of yet, but we do want another child soon. Maybe a daughter, it'd be nice for Haruto to have a younger sibling. I heard you have a sibling, Sora?" Shion asked me. "Do you get along with them? I… Don't have much experience in that regard. In my old life I was a single child."

I nodded at Shion.

"I have multiple. Though, I guess, I mainly grew up with my sister, Miwa. She's a pain in my arse sometimes, but she loves me a lot. My other siblings are Yukari's other kids, they aren't in my life," I admitted freely. "I… I don't know how Tokage found you. But I do have some questions for you. And I don't want to dredge up the past if it's uncomfortable for you, we're all victims of All For One's cruelty. Maybe more so you. I don't want to ruin your happy life here-,"

"Check out the heart of him, yeah? You really caught a good guy here," Shion cut me off, teasing Tokage who actually had shut up in embarrassment for once. "Don't worry about it, Sora. Really. They may not be the best memories of mine, but much like Gyro a lot of my old life's memories are fragmented. I know bits and pieces of it, and I don't really care much about my past in the first place. No matter what, because of what you and your mother did, Haruto and Kazuma - my husband - will never be hurt by All For One. I should be the one thanking you right now."

…

I looked at Shion in surprise, especially as she bowed her head deeply toward me.

"Uhm, honestly it's fine."

"It's not just fine. Yukari didn't just free us, Sora. Unlike Gyro who became a hitman for All For One to prove his worth, I was just kept around as an experiment. It was your mother who set me free, who set all of us free," Shion replied. "And I heard that she was forced to give birth to you. I may not have known Yukari, and it may be biassed for me to say this of the woman to whom I gratefully owe my safety, happiness and life too, but she was a good person. She had a good heart, and I can see that you have inherited that from her."

"I-, I guess."

"Not I guess. You should be more proud of that fact. So please, feel free to ask away. I can't pay back my debt to Yukari, but if I can help you then that's good enough," Shion told me. "I don't mind, and I won't hide anything either. Honestly. Just ask anything and I'll try my hardest to answer."

I nodded at her gratefully.

"Well, one of my questions is sort of irrelevant to you. I guess the timeline doesn't add up considering by the time I was born you were long free, but do you by any chance know if there's a cure to stop your body from rejecting itself and breaking itself apart?" I asked her, knowing that I probably wouldn't get an answer. Shion shook her head in response, and I merely sighed. "Yeah, I expected that to be honest. Damn. Oh well, it's not like this was going to be easy."

"Is it… important?"

"Yeah. I'm… dying. From that cause specifically. I sorta' need a miracle cure like that, so I was hoping maybe you'd know something but that was wishful thinking on my part. But that doesn't matter, I can deal with that later. I have another question, one that's more important."

"Yeah?"

"Raiden Aotsuki. Yukari's firstborn… I know that All For One took him away from her and experimented on him. Do you know if he's alive or dead? I don't know the timeline exactly, but before he died All For One told me he took Raiden after Yukari had freed you all, but Yukari told me otherwise in a sense. She said he was still alive, and All For One never told me if Raiden was still alive or not. And I have confirmation from other criminals that Raiden was involved with the Yakuza for a few years. I only have the word of someone like us, Zero, someone who's a villain that says Raiden is dead."

"And you trust him?"

I shared a look with Tokage.

"I do."

"Why?" Shion asked me. "Why trust a word of a villain? You are talking about Zero here, right? He's a part of the League of Villains. I heard all about the members of the League on the news the other day. The government called them terrorists, as did the U.N. Funny. I don't remember a Zero being existing when I watched this story. You just said that he's one of us. Use some maths, Sora. Why would you trust him?"

I nodded at Shion.

"That's why I trust him. Because the numbers don't add up."

"That's stupid."

"He's never proven me wrong either," I replied. "He keeps his promises, so there isn't any need to lie to me either. If there is someone who I can count on, it is Zero. But, he's also the most dangerous villain out there. That's beside the point, however."

"...You do know there's a chance he's lying to you about your brother, right?" Shion asked me. "I don't know much about your brother, Raiden. I don't think All For One killed him, and I don't think Yukari would have much reason to lie. I'm just curious about why Zero told you that he was the one who killed Raiden. As I said, if you use some maths that makes him the thirteenth. Sure, All For One could have made another person like us without Yukari or Setsuna's mother… But…"

Shion paused as Tokage refused to look at me.

And I chuckled.

"You're trying to say that Zero might be Raiden, aren't you?"

That was the question I had been asking myself for a while, even if I didn't have the guts to say it until now. Heh. It would make some sense. But ultimately, it couldn't be the right answer.

It just couldn't.

"I know Zero. I know him well; he wears a mask for a reason. And it's the same reason that you exist, Tokage," I replied. "It's my theory that Zero's mask protects his identity because if he didn't wear it he wouldn't be able to do what he does. Think about it, whenever the League shows up it's because they have information. Information an insider-only knows. For a while, I thought it was because he has control over other people with his manipulation Quirk, but that's a red herring."

"Huh?" Tokage blinked at me in surprise. "You mean… Do you think he's someone that needs to wear a mask because he can't do what he does if he didn't wear the mask? Ha. It sounds like he's someone important."

"He is," I agreed with Tokage. "I don't think I've ever told anyone this, but I'm pretty sure he's a U.A. student. More specifically… I think he's in Class A. I think I've known for a while now. And I don't think Zero's been hiding that fact from me either, it's just a thread I haven't pulled on yet."

"Class A-, Wait, Sora-,"

"Think about it logically. The villains didn't break into U.A. to find out where the USJ was, they just knew. As if someone had pinged them the location on their phone, and we know for a fact it wasn't Aoyama, the canonical traitor of U.A.," I explained to Tokage, cutting her sentence off as she tried to process what I was saying. "We interrogated Aoyama during the summer camp, but the villains still knew our route. I had to team up with Aizawa and the other Heroes and police to form a plan of action. Even then, it wasn't enough."

"That doesn't mean he doesn't use his manipulation Quirk!"

"It doesn't work the way you think it does, Tokage," I replied, shaking my head at her. "I suppose you too don't understand what I'm talking about, Shion. I have four Quirks. And it's confirmed by Zero that he also has more than one Quirk. That means ultimately, we're the same. It's not that we have four individual powerful Quirks, All For One was smart. My guess is just as how he calculated the best combination of Quirks for me, the same could be said of Zero."

"So… what are his Quirks?" Shion asked me. "Why can't he use his manipulation Quirk to gather information? Why are you convinced that someone in your class, one of your friends, is a villain?"

"Like I said, it's because we're similar. All of my Quirks react to one main Quirk. My Nimbus is the cornerstone for my other three Quirks, that's just how it works, and I think Zero's the exact same," I answered. "It's just my theory, but that's why it can't be because of his manipulation Quirk. That works by effectively taking control of someone's body like a robot, only it's not accurate plus the mind is still operated normally by the person themself."

Tokage hummed at that.

"...You're trying to say that the manipulation Quirk can't be used without the main Quirk, right?"

I nodded at her.

"Yeah. I have a Quirk that that allows me to sacrifice parts of my health for power, but that power can only influence my Nimbus, it makes it stronger and faster, more durable. In a sense, and this is just my theory, I believe that the reason why Zero's fourth Quirk is unknown at this moment is because I'd immediately know it, or rather know him," I told them. "Manipulation, the ability to summon weapons out of thin air and a speed booster, those three Quirks intersect and are under the control of a fourth Quirk. I know it."

Shion nodded at my theory.

"It's plausible. It could be true. Admittedly, regarding this Zero guy, I don't know who it could be. I thought maybe it would be Gyro, but Setsuna here told me otherwise, and ultimately if every person like us is accounted for in this world… it has to be Raiden, doesn't it? Even if there's no evidence that proves it, there's no evidence disproving it either. But if he's Raiden then how can be he a part of Class A? Outside of you, everyone from my memories is there."

That was the first point that shot holes in my theory.

"You're not wrong, Shion. It's either one or the other, it can't be both. The timeline wouldn't make sense…"

"I think you are wrong."

Looking over at Tokage, I could see that she stared at me with a clenched jaw.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You said it yourself. Zero could be like me," Tokage pointed at herself. "A wolf in sheep's clothing. An actor. Setsuna Tokage existed in canon, yet here I am living in her body. Why can't the same thing have happened? Raiden taking someone's place in Class A. How would you even know? None of us even remember what Class A even properly look like in canon, we could be completely fucked in that regard. Or, and hear me out, you're just a thundering dumbass that reads too many conspiracy theories."

…

"If Zero was Raiden, he wouldn't lie to you about killing your brother. More than that, if he truly was Raiden, why would he be so dead set on being your rival and fighting you to the death? Something you willingly want to follow through with yourself, furthermore even if Zero or Raiden was in Class A, what would be the point?" Tokage asked me. "Zero's goal is to eventually go back to the world we lived in. Back to our old lives. Currently, he's the joint-head leader of the League of Villains with Shigaraki, why would he still be at U.A.? We don't even know where the League is right now."

That was another fair point.

One I couldn't argue against.

"...I don't know. Like I said, it's something I've been asking myself for a while now. I don't have the answer to this question, of who Zero is. And… For as long as we're both hero and villain; standing on opposite sides of the battlefield I don't think it matters," I told them honestly. "I'm going to kill him. And he's going to kill me. We're both gunning for each other because I can't achieve my goals if he's alive, and he can't achieve mine if I'm alive. We're each other's final barriers."

Shion grunted at that.

"That's horribly tragic, no?"

"Maybe so. Like I said, I don't think he's Raiden, and while it may make sense for him to be a student of Class A, I have no evidence that isn't circumstantial and easily dismissed. What I'm trying to say is that Zero doesn't matter, whoever he is clearly isn't a mystery that needs to be solved, honestly, I don't think I want to know who's under the mask," I replied sadly. "Because it won't change a thing. I know the real Zero. That's something you can't fake."

"What do you mean?" Tokage asked me in confusion.

"We all wear masks. I… I've worn a lot of masks throughout my life. Mentally and physically, and the same can be said for Zero. But in the heat of the moment, when our swords are clashing as we're bleeding all over the floor cause' we've cut each other open, that's the real Zero," I answered. "His 'mask' as a villain is the real him. In the same way, this badge represents the real me. The personification of our decisions and ideals clashing against one another, two sides of the same coin."

The one who wanted to go back to it all and redo the past.

The one who couldn't accept the past and ran away from it.

That's who we were.

Just two fools unwilling to compromise on what we both held dear to our hearts.

The past.

The future.

And neither of us could be said to be living in the present. It was why he was the villain in my story, and I in his. Because we would always reject each other - It's why we were rivals. Zero, the man who was desperately trying to go back to the past and me, the man who was still running from it. Even though I had grown, and so had Zero, deep down we were still the same as ever.

"And… that's it. You'll kill each other to live? To achieve your goals? You clearly care about him, but you're still willing to throw that all away?!" Shion asked me in surprise. "That's foolish. That's an excuse you two are using because it's easier that way to block out the pain. Hm. Kids. I swear, you're not even eighteen and yet you've been through some traumatic shit, certainly more than I did when I was your age. You should be the ones kept safe from all this, but you aren't."

"Shion-san, I guess it's our duty as heroes," Tokage whispered. "But I hate this duty. I hate this stupid job, and I hate idiots like you, Sora. And that Zero guy too. Idiots who think they can throw their lives away on pride alone; that's not what it means to be a man. You could walk away from Zero at any time, and you still go out of your way to challenge and fight him. You don't have to fight him."

"I know. But I want to," I told her honestly. "I want to prove him wrong, I want to beat him. I don't want to run away anymore, so I have to face him in order to do that. I'm sorry, Setsuna. I guess you'll see me get more and more hurt when it comes to Zero. That's something I don't need foresight to predict."

Tokage sighed at that.

"Boys. You and your stupid pride. If only I could just leave it all behind…"

"Well, it's not comfortable, but we do have a room upstairs," Shion offered. "The offer's here for you, Setsuna-chan. Haruto already calls you his big sister, and Kazuma and I really appreciated your short stay with us a few days ago. It may be presumptuous to say, but in a sense, we're all a big family. We've all bonded over what All For One did to us, over our past lives. That shouldn't impact our present though. I found love, got married, had a kid and opened a ramen restaurant. If I can do it, so can you both."

Tokage chuckled at her.

"If I ever leave U.A., I'll take you up on your offer. Until then, I have to make sure that my best friend here doesn't kill himself doing the most stupid shit imaginable," Tokage replied, pointing at me. "I made you a promise, Sora. I'm going to help you find Raiden and cure you. I can't say if my help is going to be worthwhile or not, but I'll be your partner until the end of the line."

I smiled at her.

"Heh. That's fine by me."

Even as Haruto came bursting into the room wearing a Hawks costume, I couldn't help but remain seated as I ignored Shion and Tokage playing with Haruto. Damn it. It was unavoidable for me to feel this way; to feel anger at someone I had never met. Wherever Raiden was, I just had one wish. Maybe he was the one who was also looking for me, trying to find the family that he lost due to no fault of his own.

And that was a comforting thought.

One also clouded with anger.

At All For One, the man who caused all this pain and suffering for his own amusement. At Zero for not being able to help me and misleading me at times perhaps unknowingly, at Yukari for making me promise such a thing as reuniting our family - Something that we had never once been and never will be. Angry at Raiden for being elusive and having not left any trails behind.

And angry at this world for having been the cause of all this.

Deep down, I knew that my anger wouldn't ever fade.

And it gnawed at me, even at the happy sight of Tokage finally finding a family. She didn't talk about her family life in general, in a sense both in this life and her previous she had been dealt a bad hand. Maybe we all had. But just as I found Hinata, Gekko, Miwa and so many others, maybe Tokage finally found it.

A place to call home.

---

"Thanks for coming over, but seriously. I don't need your help."

While Haruto was still playing with Tokage, I watched as Shion went over to the kitchen to start preparing dinner. I tried to help her, but I quickly realised that I was out of my depth in making ramen.

"I mean… I don't want to be a burden-,"

"It's cute you think you're a burden, but with how you're holding that knife you have more of a chance of chopping your fingers off than slicing the onions properly," Shion replied with a smirk. "It's fine, I'm a chef after all. I want to cook all alone, it's actually a stress reliever of sorts."

"Really?"

"Mmh. I mean I have to take Haruto to school, I have to prepare food for customers, I have to manage my husband and I's finances, I have to manage a lot of things in life; that's being an adult for you. It's full of responsibilities… And I can't imagine my life any other way," Shion told me honestly. "Just because you can't help someone doesn't mean you are a burden. That's the naive thinking of a child."

"Oh, yeah?"

I was slumped over the kitchen counter watching Shion prepare the ingredients with expert skill. It sort of scared me actually, how scarily precise she was with each slice and dice.

"Nothing in life is transactional. Those are just the follies of people who missed out on their youth, if you expect something to be given back for simply doing anything then you'll never ever leave the island that you live on, it's only because of others that an island can turn into a country, filled with various people. You'll take losses. And people will leave," Shion explained to me wisely. "But, then you meet the people that don't leave. For me, it's my husband and my son. What can Haruto do for me? Why would I expect him to pay me back for being a responsible mother? That's not what I want. I would never want that for him. I love him unconditionally."

Shion paused.

"...You look like you had a rough first life, Sora."

"It wasn't that bad. Tokage had it worse."

"I know, but this isn't the suffering Olympics, no one's comparing what either of you went through. There's just no point. Tokage never had a stable family in her life, she may not ever want to admit it, but there is something within her that begs for attention," Shion told me. "And it was no fault of her own that the world chewed her and spat her back out twice. A family that never paid attention to their sick daughter since birth and waited for her to die so that they could move on, perhaps they thought it would be better if they didn't get too attached before she died."

I cringed at the image of that.

"They're not real parents! Don't remind me of those bastards, if I ever get the chance to meet them just know I'll beat the shit out of them!" I angrily replied. "...My old life wasn't as bad as Tokage's, and in retrospect I mean both my old life and who I once was. My parents were wealthy I guess. I lived in London and had everything I could ever afford, I guess I was sorta' spoiled in a sense. I was the youngest kid of three, one of which went to Oxford University for physics. The other was talented at many things and went off to work in a bank. I was nine years younger than my older sister, twelve years younger than my older brother."

Shion nodded at that.

"You felt like you weren't special?"

"I wasn't. I was sorta' athletic as a kid, so my Dad pushed me into football. I love it now, but as a kid, I couldn't stand it and was afraid of the ball, I really only played because of my family. I was so used to playing to make others happy, studying subjects I didn't care about and getting high grades just so that their smiles wouldn't fade," I replied, and my fingers were itching for a cigarette. "Compared to my siblings, I was disappointment to my parents. I didn't make it far in life, I mean I died at seventeen. I doubt anyone even cared that I died."

Shion frowned at me for those words.

"Don't say that. It may be hard to accept, but I don't think that's the case."

"It's not like I'll ever know."

"Maybe so, but it's because you'll never know that you'll dictate the truth. You want no one to have cared that you died because you think it's easier, don't you? To ignore the past. Setsuna-chan talks a lot about you, and I can see why. You're a complex young adult, and you've been through a lot. But it eats away at you on the inside, you can hide it but I know that you ask yourself why, why it happens to you."

I paused at that.

"...Why? I don't think it matters why these things happen. They just do. It's just fate. And I can fight and lash out at it all I want, but some things will never change for me. These horrible things happened to me because I was a burden. After all, I was in the wrong. After all, I couldn't change my ways in time," I answered truthfully. "A month ago I'd have said something about it being my punishment, but I moved on from that. I'm just another cog in the machine. Another idiot whose mistakes have hurt others. So I'll make up for it, even if it leads to nothing."

Shion simply nodded at me.

"I see. In my past life, I think I died at twenty-four. I remember I was a social worker, it was my responsibility to look after children. It's easy for me to look at Setsuna-chan and see a child calling out for attention and love after having been forced to pretend for so long that she's a big girl who doesn't need it, after forcing herself to believe that love is something you need to have earned," Shion told me. "And it also allows me to see the effect that you have on her. You'll love her unconditionally, something she's not used to. And she's finally able to understand how to love back."

"You're smart. So I guess you're going to psychoanalyse me too?"

Shion grinned at that.

"...It's in your eyes, Sora. A child is torn apart by what they believe happened and what really happened. You want to believe you weren't special, that things are your fault and that you were a burden because it keeps a lid on your emotions because everything is under your illusion of control," Shion told me. "If a child constantly thinks they aren't good enough, a child will develop bad habits of being a people pleaser. They'll derive their own self-worth from making others happy, because if they don't do that then they'll never be good enough."

I blinked at her in surprise.

"You think… that's me?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but when you love someone do you throw everything at them?" Shion asked me. "In a sense, you devote every bit of yourself to someone. And you don't want anything back. You're similar to Setsuna-chan. You were never once told that you were loved for simply existing, for simply being there. Two children with warped ideas of love taught from a young age simply just to make sense of their own loneliness. Setsuna's came out of the loneliness of not having loving parents in her life, and I think your issues stem from a similar branch."

"I-, I wasn't lonely as a kid."

"But you weren't happy either, were you?" Shion asked me as she began to prepare the broth. "Setsuna tells me you never talk about your past. Neither does she about hers. It's by design, I find. A child will feel guilty that they aren't loved, they're more perceptive than most parents think. And that's the start of loneliness. The start of bad habits. Who was the one who smoked in your life?"

"Huh?"

"You're smoking habit. Your hands have been twitching for them for a few minutes now," Shion told me, pointing at them. "Someone in your old life must have smoked for you to smoke as much as you do. You know it's a bad habit, but you still do it. You just don't care about the consequences."

"...I think it was my father."

Shion nodded at that.

"Do you think smoking cigarettes makes you more like him?"

"I never really thought about it," I answered honestly. "I only saw him smoke maybe once or twice, but the memory of it was striking in a sense. Burned into my mind even after all these years, just like the smell of cigarettes on clothes. I… I had a friend once. I don't remember his face, just his kind smile. He died when I was young. He had a terminal illness, and I-, I-, I know why he didn't tell me, why he put on a brave face. Because I didn't understand why he died until I was older."

"And you think those in your life won't understand?"

"How can they? I can freely talk to you about this because you're like me. I told Tokage about this because she can understand more easily how I feel, it's not dying that I'm afraid of, and I am afraid of dying, but not because of the death itself," I answered, touching the scented candle on the counter. But it didn't burn me. "I'm more afraid of what my death will make others feel like. If they'll love me even after death, they'll never move on. I don't want that. I don't want my life to have been a burden on theirs, because that'll-,"

I don't know why I reached out for it.

Something inexplicably took hold of me at that moment as I reached out to the candle and snuffed out the flame, the pain from it being overwritten by the sheer joy. It was like a fight, even when I was bruised and battered, I still fought back and sometimes couldn't ignore the fact that I got sheer joy from inflicting pain on others, from winning a fight, I could feel it all wrapped up in a ball near my stomach.

"...Do you know what's the biggest sign for a child that wasn't loved unconditionally?"

"Flinching from other's love? I hid away from it for a while until now."

"No. It's poor control over what they feel," Shion replied. "Extreme jealousy, extreme love… and extreme anger. When I said that your eyes revealed everything before, I wasn't lying. Because all I see is an angry child lashing out against the world. It's different from the solitude of Setsuna's, different from the sadness of missing out on a childhood I see in mine sometimes, yours feels much like that flame you just put out. Call it what you want, but I understand why you're the one fighting. Setsuna, not so much."

"Anger? I'm not an angry person."

"Everyone has anger within them, it's just a choice if they want to push it down and ignore it, much like the past, or reconcile with it," Shion said. "It's an inevitable struggle as we get older with age. Especially in boys. I fear for when Haruto gets a little older and his friend group expands. My son is Quirkless after all. I don't want him to fall into the wrong crowd, but it's not like I can force his friendships. An emotional imbalance, I heard some more sophisticated people call it. You may not be an angry person usually, but have you ever not been clouded with anger? Those scars don't just disappear, Sora."

…

"I'll take your silence as an answer. Scars aren't something you should ignore, they have an effect to keep throbbing uncontrollably until you properly care for them. But you know, my offer that I gave to Tokage applies to you too," Shion said to me. "If you ever just want to leave that badge of yours behind and start living a different life with what time you have left, you'll have a place here. Even though you just met me, it feels like I've known you for a long time. Yukari… I'm sure Gyro told you our shared truth, didn't he?"

I nodded at her.

"One through four were failure's. That's why Yukari and Tokage's mother were brought in. You and Gyro were deemed as failure's as well, Gyro went on to become a hitman to prove his usefulness… How did you live?" I asked her. "I didn't want to ask in front of Tokage. This isn't something that concerns her. To be honest, I don't think she cares. But I met Gyro. I saw how broken he was. He remembers his past in fragments, and I assume you do too. That's why you were failure's in All For One's eyes."

"You aren't wrong," Shion told me, scratching her left arm as she sighed heavily. "I didn't become All For One's hitman. I assume he told you that me and him were put in the hole after Gyro helped your mother free everyone from number seven to eleven. So, I guess that's Hachi Yamaguchi, the Natsuki kid, Kyuugo, the little Nanao girl and-,"

"Kyuugo? Oh, right. You mean Yozora."

Shion blinked at me in surprise however.

"That's… who Kyuugo grew up to be?"

"Yeah. I don't know the full story there, all I do know is that Yozora, Nanao and the Eleventh escaped together. The Eleventh was going to rat them out to live and Yozora ended up killing him and went on the run, becoming a villain," I replied. "I know Nanao. Strictly speaking, she's my boss technically. She doesn't like to talk about what happened as much as I like talking about certain aspects of my past. So I get her sentiments, I really do. It's just annoying."

Shion hummed at that.

"I… also worked with All For One. I wasn't an enforcer or hitman though, nothing along those lines," Shion told me. "I just worked so I could live. Odd jobs here and there. Maybe help Yukari by tying down some of the young kids and allowing them to be tortured for the sake of science. I don't know how you feel about Yukari being one of the head scientists involved in our creation, but I want you to know that it wasn't…"

I shook my head at Shion, however.

"Trust me, I don't think any less of her because of her past. I'd be a hypocrite. I barely knew the woman, and she abandoned me at birth yet still gave up her life for mine. I'm not judging her at all, and in the end she crossed All For One by freeing everyone and paid the ultimate price for it," I said to her, a small smile appearing on my face. "That took bravery and a helluva lot of kindness. I guess you helped Gyro and Yukari, right? That's why you were put in the hole with Gyro in the end."

Shion nodded at me.

"You're oddly perceptive and good at drawing conclusions."

"I guess that's my freaking job after all."

"I did help. It was Yukari who provided the distraction, Gyro who broke them out of the cells and myself who led them all away from the building. A group effort that didn't go unpunished," Shion explained. "Gyro and I were sent to a place we barely survived. Yukari was forced to have her son taken away from her and had you against her will. I… I don't know what I would do if Haruto was taken away from me and I was forced to have another child without knowing what happened to Haruto."

Cringing at that, I looked down at the floor.

I understood that.

"...Though I can't say I agree with Yukari for leaving you. Or ever starting a new family without you or Raiden, I can understand why you'd feel frustrated by the will she passed on to you," Shion sighed out. "Do you mind if I nick a cigarette from you? Come, we can smoke in the garden. We have time, the food's just boiling now and I got one of those super spoons that stirs itself. Modern technology, amirite?"

Shrugging my shoulders, I followed her into her garden as I passed a cigarette to her.

"I'm not frustrated because of Yukari, it's just-,"

I couldn't describe it.

The mixture of emotions such a task gave me.

"At the same time, you don't know why you should do it, right?" Shion asked me, taking a long drag from a cigarette. "You're reuniting your family for the dead woman who broke it in the first place. If she hadn't exceeded her bounds, she wouldn't have lost Raiden. She wouldn't have had you or your other younger siblings. You're asking if it's even worth following the delusion of a woman who had her life shattered before her very eyes."

"I wouldn't call it that, but you aren't far off," I lit up my own cigarette in response. "At the same time, I can't help but want to find Raiden. To know for myself. To know the truth about who he is… Whether he's Zero or someone else entirely. I've always been afraid of the truth. On why Yukari left me, on why she saved me that day, and why I even ended up like this. Because a while back I kept on searching for that truth, and all it did was break me in the end."

Shion nodded at that.

"You're talking about your role in All For One's plans, aren't you?" Shion inquired, glancing at the bi-fold doors to make sure they were closed as she edged a little closer to me. "About being the Fourteenth. The Pianist. Being a soldier for him. ButAll For One's dead, so you thought you would never get the answers. And the only others that know are dead too, right?"

"...I'm the Fourteenth Labrat, another unwanted child in this world," I explained to her. "As for the 'Pianist'... I guess those were just buzzwords for me to play the piano and lose control to my other side and become a tool. I guess All For One's plan to create a soldier with memories and skills of a different life flows through my entire existence. But that's just my theory, that this entire time I was just a pawn in his game. And now the board's been reshuffled, but I'm still a pawn."

"Oh?"

I pointed at my badge.

"Nezu, Hachi Yamaguchi and the Police didn't give this to me out of any kindness in their own hearts. They did so because they're entrusting me with a job," I stood up a little straighter, pausing to take a long drag from my cigarette before expelling the smoke in my lungs. "To uncover what's happening in this country. From laws restricting heroes being passed, money being stolen from the bank and companies seemingly being supported by a shady group no one knows anything about."

"Smells like a conspiracy."

"It probably is," I agreed with her. "And it'll probably be a truth that hurts to uncover. Something I'll never be able to take back. But you know what, I don't mind. Because I know there's no one else who can do it, who can look the truth in the eye and not turn their cheek but stare straight at it and keep walking forward. Just like how I know there's no one else who can find Raiden, that's something that Yukari left to me. So no, I'm not angry at her or anyone else for that fact."

Shion smiled at me as she put out her cigarette.

"You're really something special," Shion praised me. "Setsuna-chan was right. You have a certain quality about you, a never ending relentlessness to help others that can't be tamed. And… Gyro came here two months ago. Said some kid lent him a car and told him to go live his life freely. I can see now why he's started to change his ways, because he met and lost to an earnest kid like you. Hell, I think you're already starting to have that effect on me."

I blushed heavily at the praise.

"I-, I'm not-,"

"Just take the compliment, Sora. You're a great kid," Shion laughed at my embarrassment. "But I suppose you should take this one too. I've met a lot of kids in both my lives, yet I can count on one hand the amount I've seen that's overcome and keep trying to overcome the barriers in their life. I can dress it up all I want by saying it may be a trauma response; but at the end of the day when the chips are down you'll always act. That's something that can't be taught or learned or even forced out, I think that's just someone you've always been."

I scoffed at her.

"I was a coward in my old life…"

"And don't you think living in this world, free from the parents who ignored you, free from a life that made you feel worthless has allowed you to be yourself? The true version of you that you hid away because of those scars you still wear proudly?" Shion raised her brow slightly, awaiting my answer. "You may have been a diamond in the rough in your past life. But right now, because of every battle you've been through, every time you manage to get up right after defeat proves that you chipped away at the rough parts. They may still be there; but there's an undeniable shine to you. That's what Tokage, Gyro and everyone else in your life see."

…

"And everyone calls me cheesy."

Shion simply laughed in response.

"You're a good kid. I hope Haruto someday grows up to be like you, in a sense."

"Hm. How old is he anyway? Five, right?"

"...He's nearly eight."

Huh.

"Huuuuuuuuuuuh?!"

---

"Thanks for having us!"

It was early in the morning as Tokage and I stood outside the house that functioned as a ramen shop. Shion and Haruto were standing outside, waving at us as we got in the car. Shion's husband, Kazuma, a man that was balding slightly and was a little shorter than me was going to drive us to the station.

It didn't take long for the man to do so.

"Thanks for driving us."

"Anything for my wife's family," Kazuma replied. "You two are more than welcome to come again if you have the time. Shion… She doesn't speak much about her family. I get the sense it's complicated."

Tokage and I shared a look.

"Despite that, I want to do everything I can for her and Haruto. I don't have any siblings on my side of the family, so I know that whatever complex family relation you have to Shion, I don't want either Ryo nor Shion to suffer because of it," Kazuma bowed his head deeply. "So thank you so much for coming! I don't think I've ever seen Haruto or Shion so happy before. It may be presumptuous to say, even if you're Shion's cousins, but please, feel free to join our family at any time!"

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly.

"Haha. Cheers. And we'll definitely be back," I replied. "You just keep on trucking ahead, and tell Haruto to work on his kicking skills. Next time I'll teach him how to dribble properly, I'll make a great footballer out of him!"

"Yeah! You can count on me coming back here as long as you'll have me!" Tokage added, sending the man a thumbs up. "It was really fun being with you guys. Hopefully next time I visit it won't be for a night. But, we do have work. See ya' later, Kazuma!"

"Mmh. I'll be off then, good luck to you both!"

Tokage and I waved as the man drove off.

"He's nice."

"The three of them are nice," Tokage corrected me. "You know, they sort of remind me of your family. In a sense. Different dynamics and all, but don't tell me you can't see it. Especially with Haruto, who's so cute I just want to eat him."

I growled at that.

"Miwa's cuter."

"She's seventeen."

"Yeah, but when Miwa was at that age, she was cuter," I replied, trudging along to our platform for the train back home. "She had chubby cheeks, and because of her Quirk, she always transformed her face into the colour blue whenever she got embarrassed. And that happened a lot, especially when I treated her like the most adorable precious thing ever. I remember one time this boy tried asking her out so I beat him up."

"Why?"

"He tried to hold her hand."

Tokage snorted at me.

"You're such a siscon."

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"I said you're a psychopath who's in love with a taken girl, your sister and me," Tokage teased as our train arrived, she hurried to find an empty carriage for us to sit down in. "I mean Miwa's great fun. But she's way too kinky, even for me. I've heard her froth at the mouth over potential BDSM regarding my Quirk usage in sex, and while it's certainly an option, she's far too creative with her imagination."

I cringed at that.

"Why would you even mention that to me?!"

Tokage grinned, shrugging her shoulders at me.

"Why not?"

"I can think of so many reasons! One of them being she's my sister!"

"Yeah, but now I wouldn't be teasing you then, so I didn't do that," Tokage replied with a smirk. "That said, did you find the trip illuminating? I for one learnt that you're great with handling kids."

"I'm not that good."

"Haruto was attached to you."

"Yeah, so? He also looked up to you too," I said to her, leaning back in my seat. "He's a fun kid. Nice and relaxed, not too loud. And he was curious about what we did, how we were sorta 'related' to him through Shion. I guess the worst part was when he thought we were together like his Mum and Dad."

Tokage frowned, poking me in the ribs.

"Oi. Why would you call that the worst part?"

"Because I'd have to be dating you."

"How's that a bad proposition? I mean I have a smokin' hot body, I have a job, and I'm a devoted girlfriend. What more could you want?" I didn't reply on purpose, watching as Tokage's smile strained slightly before she kicked me underneath the table. "I said, what more could you want?"

"For you to not be a total nutcase. A violent psychopath with no loyalty to any government or group, a monster in the literal sense of the word," I told her. "Think, Setsuna. I always tell you this every time we're together, I don't stick it in crazy. And you're fucking batshit mental, I think dating you for a night would be enough to drive me to strangle myself if you haven't already done so."

"Hm. Rude. I'll have you know I'm on my period."

"For every day of the year?"

"H-hey! I've calmed down from how I used to be," Tokage huffed out. "I agree back in our first year of U.A., I was a lot more unhinged. Unprofessional. I was jealous of you and your perfect life while I didn't have anything that I wanted. But that's different now! And it's because of you, ultimately. You and that stupid grin of yours."

"Er… Huh?"

"N-nothing," Tokage uncharacteristically flushed red, stumbling her words before a familiar confident look appeared on her face. "What I'm trying to say is that the reason my life is the way it is with all these amazing people is because of you. I warned you once about using our knowledge to change things around here, that we should let things just play out. But you said no. You said you were going to change things to create a carefree tomorrow for everyone, even someone like me."

I nodded at that, thinking back to the sports festival.

It was coming up soon.

One month.

"I guess I did say that."

"You didn't just say it, you created it," Tokage said to me. "I can freely admit that back then, I was wrong. Back then I was just afraid of losing my chance at a life filled with love. So I was afraid of you. Afraid of myself. But you taught me to stand up and fight, to protect. I'm not lying when I say that you've changed me, it's clear to see for everyone. You gave me the strength to never give up, and that's something I haven't forgotten."

I smiled at her warmly.

"Where's all this appreciation coming from? Sora Appreciation Day isn't for another month."

Tokage rolled her eyes at me.

"I'm not buying you a birthday gift considering you've never bought me one."

"Hey! The only time I could have celebrated your birthday was a time when you were ignoring me! Don't blame me because you were in a bitchy mood."

"You lied to me."

"Er, well, you said you didn't care!"

"Yeah, now! Back then I clearly did care, you idiot! Bakazaki!"

We both laughed at that name.

Bakazaki.

"It's crazy to think that it'll be nearly two years since we first met… since we first came to this school," I whispered. "It makes me feel slightly ancient that in a year will be when we all graduate. In a year, we'll have to say bye-bye to U.A. and all the memories we've made at the school. It just doesn't feel real that now we are the third year students that we once looked up to."

Tokage hummed in agreement.

"That means we have more responsibilities. We're going to have to mentor the firsties."

Right.

I had my own kid to mentor.

Sai Yafuso.

"Uh. We also have to sort out our future's."

"Well yeah, we aren't kids anymore," Tokage replied. "You're turning eighteen in less than a month. You'll be able to buy cigarettes and alcohol legally. Be able to fully go clubbing, buy a house and do other adult things. Because you'll be an adult. We will all be adults soon. That's growing up for ya'."

"I don't want to be an adult!" I childishly yelled, much to Tokage's amusement. "I just want to mess about in school with my friends till the end of time! Fuck. Hey, do you think if we allied ourselves with Zero that he'll be able to send us to a world with no villains where we can just live normal lives with everyone in Class A and B? You know, more school stuff."

"You wouldn't accept that world."

I sighed at her.

"Yeah, you're right. Still, jokes aside, it's weird to realise how far we've actually come in a sense," I said to her. "I wish I didn't have to feel like an old grandpa saying it, but we're definitely the golden generation of U.A. students. Like, when we leave, they might as well shut down the school because of how good we were. I mean we are iconic. Like, c'mon, fuck the next generation and the one after that, there's no way they can surpass us!"

"I think they already have."

"Bullshit!"

"I mean most are taller than you, so."

"They're also taller than you, bitch."

"I'm a woman, I don't need to be tall," Tokage batted her eyelashes at me. "You're a man, don't you feel any shame being a midget? Seriously? I mean you aren't even sixt-foot yet and you're practically eighteen."

"...I'm nearly five-eight."

"And? That's about as tall as you'll ever be."

"Nu-uh! I still have time to grow!"

"To grow into even more of a midget? Come off it, Sora. It's over."

We both laughed at that.

"Setsuna. I-, Thanks a lot for taking me on this trip," I paused, watching as Tokage brushed her dyed dark blue hair to the side, her dark green eyes staring right at me. "It means a lot to me that you went out of your way to find Shion. To help me. With both finding Raiden and curing me before I croak."

"If I don't, who will?"

"You make a fair point. Still, I really appreciate you."

Tokage rolled her eyes at me.

"I haven't done anything yet, so hold off on your thanks till we actually find something useful. Even if Shion doesn't know anything about a cure, I'm sure it exists, I'm sure that the future's bright for you," Tokage told me. "So don't go thinking you're already old now. Or dead. I'll make sure you die at eighty, Sora. You just keep your head high, King. Your nits are falling out all over the floor."

"..."

"What?"

"I thought you were going to say something nice for once."

Tokage rolled her eyes at me, a smile tugging at her lips.

"I'm always nice."

"When?!"

"Always," Tokage's gaze shifted away from me as she stared outside the window to look at the peaceful countryside. "You know… Maybe once all this is done, a life out here in the middle of nowhere would be nice. Just a nice family whose main stress is getting everyone out of the house in time, not anything about villains trying to take over or destroy the world. Not anything about your best friend's brother, or seeing you in a hospital bed."

Hm.

I shrugged my shoulders at that.

"It sounds nice. But that's not a life either of us can choose," I replied. "Even when all this is over, we're too unique to settle down in a town like that, Setsuna. Plus, as much as I like the countryside, I'm a city boy through and through."

Tokage sighed at that.

"I know."

"But hey! Maybe all of us can live in the same street or something?"

"Why?"

"I mean, wouldn't it be fun?"

"How?"

"I… don't know."

It was a weird dream I had last night.

Waking up next to a familiar girl with beautiful purple hair, her comforting arms wrapped around me as she planted kisses on my neck. I'd then wake up and make the two of us breakfast, waving at our friends through the window before a small boy with blue-purple hair would come downstairs feeling sleepy.

And a dog too.

But when I woke up, I had brown hair, not blue.

And Kyoka Jiro was in love with someone else, not me.

"Hey… Setsuna. What do you think our future holds?"

Tokage hummed at that, stroking her chin.

"It's not looking good, I'll admit. I mean we have so many villains just on the loose, doing their own thing. And now we're having to deal with pressure from the public and the government with these new laws passing every day that restricts what a Hero can and can't do," Tokage answered. "Not to mention the U.N. breathing down our necks. I'd say it's a future enveloped by darkness. It may just be because I'm a cynic, but I think we've dug ourselves in a hole so deep that maybe it's a losing battle."

…

I understood what she said clearly.

On a deeper level, despite my badge and everything I had done, I sort of agreed. It was futile to try and change the fact that it was too late to stop the oncoming storm, you could feel it in the air. Right now all of us were just playing defence hoping that when the storm came, it wouldn't tear us all down. That the darkness doesn't overwhelm us to the point where we can't see.

But…

"How about I make another promise?"

Setsuna Tokage gave me a pointed look.

"You love to make promises you can't keep."

"Those are the best kind," I returned, smiling at her. "But… I guess this is a promise to everyone. I guess it's a promise I'm making because of that dark future ahead of us, one that we can't avoid. I'm not so naive that I think I can save everyone, but I still want to try. I understand it a bit. Why does everyone seem to surround me? Why don't they give up on me despite a lot of the things I've done, both good and bad. It's because I shine brightly."

It was like Shion had said.

I was a bright light.

A diamond in the rough.

"So I'll shine even brighter," I told Tokage. That was what my powers were for, what everything in my life had been leading up to. "I'll shine so bright that I'll become a bright light enough to illuminate the impending darkness, even if momentarily. A guiding light for everyone. And I'll share that with you, Kaminari, Jiro, Mineta, Monoma and everyone else. We'll all do it together."

Tokage simply laughed.

"See, now that's a promise I can see you keeping."

I smiled at her.

"Yeah. With that said, I'm going to take a nap."

"Why?"

"Because you kept up all night watching Netflix… Bitch."

---

The first chapter of Act 2 of Part 2 is here!

A set up chapter that touches on a lot of things. We've finally met all of the numbers known to you all with Shion finally in the story! Though, I suppose there are a lot of mysteries still in the air.

For example…

Who is Zero?

I focused a lot on that thread in this chapter because it occurred to me that Sora had never really discussed that with anyone, and you the readers have tried to guess who he is behind his mask. In a sense, I wrote out the main key points of the mystery and who he might be.

And how it could all potentially relate to Raiden.

Now obviously there are a few key missing parts which will be slowly uncovered over the course of Act 2, and largely speaking the rest of Part 2 itself. But I wanted to take this 'beginning' of sorts and slow it down, because this section of the story will heavily be focused on Sora.

In fact, I don't see another POV being written for ages actually. Knowing me, I'll probably change that fact, but the key point I'm highlighting here is that these next chapters and arcs are mostly focused on Sora and his development as has all of Part 2 in a sense.

I always mention cycles and how Part 1 Sora was a poser in a sense. He never changed, he just got a makeover. Sora never really learns a lesson in Part 1 because he's arrogant and thinks he sorta knows better, but now he listens and has matured. Again it's far easier to understand than my ramblings, and you can really see his change in this chapter.

He makes up with Mineta and has tons of heartwarming conversations.

Still, I don't want you to think that all is good.

The next chapters will also hurt.

Things aren't easy for Sora, and you know what that's fair. Still, his resolve to illuminate the darkness for everyone else is for all intents and purposes his guiding motivation in a sense. It's what everything in this story has been leading up to in a sense. It's a false promise too, since it's not like Sora wholly believes in it as of yet.

Class A always felt he was ahead of them in Part 1.

It's sorta come full circle with Sora freely becoming a leader as a Detective, working with everyone and trusting them finally, admitting to his faults and changing them - In a sense he's still ahead of Class A but not because of his lies and manipulations to protect. He's ahead of them because he's their guiding light even if they don't want to admit it.

I have mentioned that Sora doesn't see value in the idea of a 'carefree tomorrow'. For him, it means reverting back to who he used to be. Something that sorta thought the ends justify the means in a fucked up way. Sora's new resolution is the opposite of the idea of a 'carefree tomorrow', and that's by design.

Personally, I always wanted to bash Sora's naive idea of a future.

It just won't exist. Even in a story like MHA, currently in its final arc as per chapter 411, Horikoshi has created a really weird but powerful ending scenario I think. I know people bash on the final arc, but I really like it for what it is - The final stand against the villains.

Hope versus Destruction as the entire world watches.

I won't be writing that, I have other plans for the finale of this story. Different plans entirely. Similar in scope but the vision and outcome as well as the themes embody something entirely different, it won't end with a 'carefree tomorrow' that canon is sorta' building up to. It won't be a bleak ending…

I'd call it bittersweet, an ending that makes sense for the characters and their journeys. As well as a taste of what their lives are like even after the story is said and done, a nice epilogue - Or as my notes call the final chapter; Journey's End. Because we are at essentially a halfway point for the story.

Seriously.

According to my calculations (and dreams) this story should end at around chapter 150, and this is chapter 70 (or 72 if you count the intermission chapters.) There isn't much of the story to go, at this point this is probably the last 'filler' chapters.

From here on out it's just the plot.

So… Goodbye, halcyon days.