Izuku and Ochaco just finished with their class and hung out with Eri as a kind of family date to the theatre, now that crowded places stopped being too much of a problem with her. Eri was at the dorms, with Momo helping her with her homework about subtraction. The couple went to The Crowley, where Inko was busy cleaning. "Hey, Mom."

"Hello, sweetie. You're just in time for the pub to open."

"I wonder what weirdness will pop up today."

A familiar voice of Midnight behind him answered. "At a guess, I would say a high probability of murder and mayhem."

"Nemuri, you're back? Where's Mina?" Izuku asked, turning around and found the Sorceress standing behind him. But found something felt...off about her.

"You're saying Mina is safe, but what about the others?

"She's just changing; she should be up shortly. You didn't think I would have ditched your Chosen to Elsewhere?"

Izuku raised a brow at that statement.

"Not that I wasn't occasionally tempted, mind you. That girl can be infuriatingly dense. And she's too devoted to you for her own good."

"Speaking of which, there's someone I wanted to introduce you to."

"Nemuri! Oh dear, you've barely changed at all. You really must tell me your secret. Was it a moisturizer?" Inko greeted her enthusiastically, with a hug.

"It's a kind of Magic, Mom," Izuku said.

"Well, hello, Inko. It's been a while. What a pleasant surprise. Whatever brought you here such a short notice?"

"Yeah, right. As if you didn't already know," Izuku muttered behind his breath.

"Wanna say anything, Izuku?" Midnight asked, not turning her head to face him.

"Nothing. Just thinking how fortunate you volunteered the last few days. Discover anything?"

"Of course. But perhaps we should have that chat later? No need to bore your mother with unnecessary details."

"Sure."

"Daddy! I missed you so much," Mina jumped to his neck, hanging on him, her legs wrapped around his torso. "Hi Ochaco, I hope you haven't neglected him."

"Oh no..." Izuku dreaded the possible conversation.

"What is it, Daddy?"

"Mina, let me introduce you to my mother. Mom, this is Mina. Another classmate."

"Hello. Mina, was it? What a nice name. Izuku, why does she keep calling you Daddy and why is she hanging onto you?" she asked, her hands on her hips.

"Would you...believe me if I said it's just a nickname? And that she's just...very friendly?"

"Of course, hun," she smiled.

'Bless my mother,' he thought. "Thanks, Mom."

"My! Aren't you surrounded by pretty girls? It's a good thing Ochaco doesn't get jealous."

"Yeah..."

"Well, you are a lucky young man. And it's easy to see how much you love her. That likely makes things easier."

"I imagine so."

"Well, how about Nemuri and I run the pub tonight. Why don't the three of you have fun?"

"If you're sure?"

"Oh, yes. Daddy! Why don't the three of us go up to your room, and we can have a fun chat?"

"Actually, let's go grab a beer somewhere. You can tell us about your trip."

While Izuku would absolutely love to do what Mina implied, he didn't think it was a good idea to have a threesome with his Mom just downstairs. Nevermind the fact that Ochaco won't agree to that.

"Awww...but Daddy!"

"Let's go, Cho...Mina. Ochaco?"

"That sounds fun, My Love. Let us go, Mina."

"I'll see you two later. Mom. Nemuri."

"Toodalooo, Izuku. Enjoy, and I'll see you tonight to give a quick debrief."

"Bye."

Leaving The Crowley behind, they made their way through Mustafu's evening streets. The setting sun cast long shadows between the buildings, and the early evening crowd was starting to fill the sidewalks - office workers heading home, couples on dates, and students from various hero schools still in their uniforms.

Izuku led them away from the main thoroughfare, down a quieter side street where he knew a decent bar that wouldn't be too crowded. The kind of place where they could talk without shouting over the ambient noise, but busy enough that their conversation wouldn't stand out.

They ordered their drinks, and Izuku took the chance to talk with the Sorceress who was pouting.

"I still say we should have gone to your room and had a threesome. Maybe at the dorms?"

"Eri's there, Mina. And she had the habit of going back-and-forth to the room to get some things she forgot. Let's do it another time. How was Camelot?"

"Weird. Like, seriously weird."

"Well, it's a magical kingdom in Elsewhere."

"Well, yeah. That part. But it's weirder than that, like the atmosphere was so tense. Everyone watching everyone else. Booker showing up freaked them the hell out, enough that they more or less ignored Midnight-sensei and me."

"Probably unwise of them."

"Like, I don't know what he's actually done, but the nobles we met were all really scared of him. Some thought he had come to punish the nobles for their rebellion."

"So it's called an open rebellion."

"Not like out in the open, no. But people whisper it, sometimes. Especially after a couple of jugs. I spent most of the time hanging in one of the little pubs around the castle while Booker and Midnight-sensei were up at the main hall."

"Wait. I thought Camelot was a castle?"

"It's a city, dearest," Ochaco corrected. "The castle at its heart, with its support structures, then the inner walls, the city proper, and finally the outer walls and defenses. And fifty thousand more or less innocent lives who do not deserve to die for the sins of my nobles."

"The things I didn't know about the place I'm the king of..." he shook his head.

"It's kind of neat, actually. Very ye olde English Castle kind of thing...cobblestones and huge stone walls and little old pubs."

"So you were in the pubs chilling?"

"Of course not, Daddy. I was there spying. It's well known that the best place to gather intel is in a pub; you wouldn't believe the things you pick up if you're working as a part time waitress."

"No, I certainly can't understand that. So you worked while there?"

"Yeah. There was a nice little pub, the King's Dragon, which needed a waitress urgently, so I just went there and offered to help out."

Izuku paused. "A rather tasteless name when you think about it."

Ochaco frowned, "Indeed. Once we are back, I may need to have a word with that publican. Do go on, Mina."

"What's the mood in Camelot?" Izuku added.

"Well, once they get tipsy...they're pretty pissed. Keep talking about how these foreigners have moved in, taken over."

"Foreigners? I thought the nobles were from Camelot?" he turned to Ochaco.

"The nobles all have their own estates with their own local townspeople. The people of Camelot would likely take poorly to provincials trying to lord over them."

"Pretty much. Especially the mercenaries they've brought in. The nobles and their soldiers largely stayed inside the Castle with their own guards. There's muttering of an uprising; especially after...someone...helped spread the rumor that the Queen had escaped and was returning with allies," she smiled mischievously.

"Mina?"

"Yes, Daddy?" she looked at him while fluttering her eyelashes, acting coy.

"Did you spread that rumor?"

"I may have helped it a little. Though most people think she's bringing the Fae, not the Winter King. Anyway, the nobles were getting increasingly agitated; nobody wants to be sitting on the Throne when the Queen shows up with the Wild Hunt."

"I can imagine."

"Especially once word got out she'd escaped. They weren't able to keep that quiet; this poor unfortunate mercenary got like really drunk at the Dragon and spilled the beans the first night we were there. It was all over town the next morning."

"You've been a busy little spy, haven't you?" he smiled at her.

"Of course, Daddy. Don't I deserve some reward?" she purred, her hands on his chest, her fingers tracing a circle.

"Perhaps later, Mina. What about Nemuri and Booker?"

"You'd have to ask Sensei; she didn't tell me much. Booker's still in Camelot; the only time I saw him, he looks pissed."

"Hopefully, he's okay."

"I am certain he can manage, My Love," Ochaco assured him.

"I'll have a chat with Nemuri later. But for now, I guess all we can do is raise toasts."

"To us. The Knights of the Lake! We are so awesome!"

"I'll drink to that."

"To us, My Love. For being the strength I can always lean on, the heart I never knew I lacked, my hope for the better world. To you."

"And you."

The three of them clinked glasses, and the evening moved on, the three chatting about nothing of great import, but the mood was warm and friendly.

"It's getting late, Daddy. You should go talk to Sensei. Ochaco and I will have another drink and spend some time chatting. Girl talk, you know."

"So you girls aren't coming?"

"Oh you can always make us girls come. But something tells me you'll want to have this chat alone. Don't worry, I won't keep her up too late."

"If you're sure. I'll see you at the dorms, Ochaco."

"Of course, dearest. Now go, deal with your...landlady."

"Good night, Mina. I'll see you tomorrow."

He walked back to The Crowley. The moonless night looked like a void, with only a few stars for natural light. The streets, unlike before, were devoid of people. It was likely because this was a weekday, and people were already preparing for tomorrow's exhaustion.

"I wonder what made Mina send me back alone," he muttered. He looked ahead and found the CLOSED sign on the bar despite being relatively early for that, but its lights were on.

He entered the establishment, only to see Midnight alone, hunched over a table. The usually vibrant woman seemed diminished somehow, her shoulders curved inward as she traced the rim of her wine glass with one finger. The empty pub's silence felt heavy around her.

"You're back. Welcome home, Izuku," Midnight greeted.

"I guess it really is home, huh?"

"Home is always a place where you can always return and they never get to tell you no. But I hope you know you'll always be welcome under my roof."

"Thanks, Nemuri. You seem maudlin."

"I'm half-drunk and half-depressed." She slumped further over her glass, her usual perfect makeup slightly smudged at the corner of her eye. "Dealing with the ideocracy of scheming nobles tires me out. Why don't you grab a drink? Join Auntie Nems."

"No customer tonight?" he sauntered to the bar and got himself a drink.

"Plenty, actually. I just told them to fuck off; I'm not in the mood to play bartender tonight," she sighed deeply. "Your mother's gone to sleep. I suspect I should be doing the same, though I doubt I'd be able to."

"What's troubling you, Nemuri?" he sat across her.

"Nothing. Or everything. The stupidity of it all, the meaningless waste," she scoffed. "The nobles peacocks strutting as if their particular brand on narcissism hasn't been seen a thousand times before. Do you know what the ennui is, Izuku?" she swirled her wine glass.

"It's what kills gods and immortals, I think? Boredom, or knowledge that there are no more new experiences. Something like that."

"Close enough," she looked at him. "I've always been quite good at keeping it at bay; taking pleasures in small things, because I know all I'll ultimately find in the big things is frustration. Over time every brilliant political scheme looks the same...but there is always new joy to be found in a perfect glass of Scotch, the smell of freshly brewed coffee, or the beauty of an exquisite sculpture."

"It sounds like you're an aesthete."

"It sounds like I'm alive. When all I grew up with has passed." For a moment, what she was wasn't the usual wise, dangerous, but playful teacher or bartender but the tired ancient human, barely holding onto the humanity she had left. "Fuck it. Never mind me, Izuku. Tomorrow, I'll shake this off and find something meaningful to do. I think we just got a new cordial from MagePunk...I'll try it out, once I'm sober enough to appreciate it."

"How do you do it?" Izuku asked, referring to her longevity.

"Magic? Quite outrageous amounts of magic, in fact." Her laugh was hollow as she traced a finger along what might have been a faint line at the corner of her mouth - one that wasn't there this morning before she pulled out the glowing gem and it disappeared. "Those mana you charged the gems with was a Chicxulub impactor to the regular static electricity I usually got."

"Any time, Nemuri. Just drop them off if you need more."

"Wouldn't want to be too reliant on a single source. People come, and people go, but extortion is forever. Sláinte," she mirthfully laughed.

"Sláinte, Nemuri."

"So, what's bothering you? You can tell Auntie Nems."

"You were Chosen once, weren't you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Dad. He mentioned that you hadn't been anyone's Chosen for a long time. It implies you were, once."

"Ah, yes. Old Horney. I guess He'd know. Though I wasn't initiated by backdoor exploration, unlike your Chosen."

Izuku was briefly surprised she knew what he'd call it, but shook his head. She was Sorceress, after all. "No, I discovered that with Momo. Anal sex wasn't necessary."

"Sex was never necessary at all," she corrected. "Though I agree it's fun. The normal method is drinking or sharing blood, but I guess you'd take after your father."

"Who was your...patron?"

"My Mistress? Who do you think?"

Izuku looked at her and pieced together the information. "The Mother? But she died two thousand years ago."

"Two thousand and sixty-seven years, six months. Seven days. And fifteen hours. Not that I'm counting." Her fingers whitened around the wine glass stem, and for a moment, the pub's warm lighting cast deep shadows across her face, aging her centuries in seconds. The words brought back that moment with painful clarity - the way she'd jolted awake in the darkest hour before dawn, her chest hollow and aching as if something vital had been torn away. The Temple had been so quiet that night, until the first screams began as other Chosen felt the severance.

"What happened?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. The Mother became less and less involved. Less interested in the world, or in her Chosen. I was the last one initiated, the baby of the Sisterhood. Then one day, She was gone. Without a word of goodbye. Our world ended."

"And then?"

"For a while, we tried to keep it together. The Sisterhood of the Abandoned. But it was painful, a constant reminder of what we'd had. And lost. Being abandoned by your God...hurts. More than you can know. Over time, we scattered. Some gave up; wasted away or killed themselves. 'Going to The Mother,' we called it."

"Others?"

"Mostly drifted away. Some started families, had babies...tried to find meaning in life, somehow. Which is how the bloodlines of Sorcery entered the world. And some...some went bad."

"The Coven?"

"Foremost, I guess. Sorcery was...different back then. Confusing and erratic. And Ailidh always was good at getting what she wanted. When she realized she had the power to take what she wanted, she wasn't shy about it."

"And Merlin?"

"Nah, that little rat-faced bastard wasn't a Chosen. Ours was a Sisterhood. No boys allowed. He was something else entirely."

"So you knew Merlin?"

"I knew of him. You keep forgetting: I wasn't anyone important. There were a hundred Chosen at the Temple, and I was the youngest, not to mention the least powerful. Once everything went to hell...I left quite early. Spent the next fifty years breeding roses near Londinium."

"Roses? Really?"

"If you want to live forever, Izuku, I advise you to find joy in the little things." A ghost of her usual smile flickered across her face, but her eyes remained distant, focused on memories he couldn't see. "The great narratives lose their sparkle, but a beautiful rose will always be a beautiful rose."

"I think we both know Merlin didn't plan for me to live forever."

She scoffed. "As if I care what that little bastard planned for. Your destiny is yours. Not Merlin's. Not the Voices'. Yours. Just make sure you're still around after the final battle so you can raise your countless kids."

"I only have one and another coming up planned."

"For now. Your father is a fertility god; if you think you'll be able to stop at one or two children, may I recommend celibacy?"

"Not happening. I'll take my chances with the children."

"Thought as much."

"Do you still keep in touch with the others?"

She shook her head after having a sip of her wine. "No. First, I left to avoid the reminders of what we'd been. Later...well, later there were none left. I'm the last. The last of the first Sisterhood of Chosen ever. The Last of the First."

"Are you...okay, Nemuri?"

"Yeah, I think I'm going to call it a night." She stood slowly, like the weight of her memories was physically pressing down on her shoulders. "Tomorrow won't get any better for having another drink at this point. A small bit of advice. Treasure your Chosen. There is no word that can describe how much each treasure their God. None of us in the Sisterhood were anywhere near as close to Her as your Chosen are to you, and that still happened. I'll see you tomorrow, Izuku."

"I will. Thank you and good night, Nemuri."

He briefly digested what he had just learned. The minutes he needed to decompress turned into an hour, and then two. It was well past midnight when he returned to the dorms. He took a quick shower before returning to his room and found Ochaco and Eri, already on the bed.

Ochaco was sleeping with her arm draped around Eri, the both curled up under the blankets. The sight of his two favorite girls cuddled together like that brought a smile to his face.

He didn't have the heart to wake either of them, so he just climbed in and settled himself down behind Ochaco. But she felt him approach and turned to him.

"Did I wake you up?" he whispered.

"Not really. I just miss you, My Love. How was the Lady Sorceress?"

"Depressed."

"Mina said she had been quiet, returning. I worry we may have placed too much on her shoulders."

"She'll be fine, I'm sure," he kissed her on the forehead.

"Let us hope so. Good night, My Love. It is time for us to sleep. It has been a rather long day."

"Good night, Ochaco."

He slowly closed his eyes, and his breathing became rhythmic and regular as he dreamt of a young woman, clad in white. Her raven hair flowing behind her as her sapphire eyes sparkled, and looked excitedly around the Temple. The sound was almost muted, but enough to hear the tapping sound of her shoes.

It reminded Izuku of Eri as she excitedly looked at the robot Melissa had if she was at least a decade older.

Eventually, she reached a large door, ornate and made of solid silver, tastefully adorned with gemstones. Its height reached the skies. It created a large sound, just from being opened. That was then, when she first saw Her.

Izuku couldn't see her face, too bright to even look at, but could make out the short brown hair and pointy ears. The girl looked at the regal woman in awe, forgetting to kneel in front of her.

She giggled, amused by the girl's reaction. Izuku couldn't help but feel she was familiar, but his mind drifted when he tried to remember where.

On each side of the room were fifty or so women also clad in the same clothes. They each introduced themselves to their new Sister, each one distinct from the last. All sorts of expressions and attitudes. From friendly, bratty, and even, she thought, a little bitchy Ailidh. But they all welcomed her with open arms.

Then a cloud of mist swallowed Izuku. He saw her sleeping on the bed, the outside a moonless night. She jolted awake, her face was that of a surprise, followed by confusion, realization, and finally, despair. The light inside the room was dimmed, but her tears shone as the girl wailed along with the hundred or so Chosen.

Another vision of her as she witnessed what her Sisters did. Blood everywhere the first dozen of them claimed their lives, desperate smiles on their faces. She ran. Ran, and never looked back.

Izuku saw her bear more and more resemblance to the Midnight he knew with each passing vision. Her hair grew longer, and the glow in her eyes started becoming brighter as the price of maintaining her youth became more and more expensive until eventually, she reached the woman he knew.

But then he woke.

"Good morning, My Heart. Are you okay?" Ochaco asked him, sitting beside him, her hands cupping his cheek.

"Bad dreams. Just bad dreams," he muttered.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"Nothing special. Just...bad memories."

"Do not fret, My Love. Whatever they are, we will handle them together," she joined him in bed, cuddling her Husband and his head resting on her bosom.

"I could get used to this, you know?"

"Used to what?"

"Waking up next to you, feeling your heartbeat on my face, your smell and warmth of your body."

"And that, dearest pervert, seems to have inspired other ambitions...Unless it's Excalibur that is poking my thigh?"

"Guilty as charged," he chuckled.

The two looked at each other, their faces drawing towards each other until Izuku's phone rang and shattered the magical moment.

He looked at his phone and saw it was Itsuka, telling him the rest of them were gathered in the common room.

"Sadly, that ambition must remain unfulfilled, My Love," she smiled sweetly, and yet somehow sad.

"Duty calls."

"You have a duty to your wife as well, Izuku. But that shall have to wait; a Noble's first duty is to his followers," she stood up, her behind briefly brushing against his groin before she started to dress up.

"'Tis ever heavier than a mountain."

"You are learning, My Love."

"Looks like I have no choice," he grabbed his clothes. "We either get ready or someone will disturb us," he said, distracted by her beauty as she put on her pants.

"Yes, My Love. Now, stop leering at me, and get yourself ready."

"Don't take this from me."

"If it means that much to you, My Heart...ogle to your heart's desire," she raised her hands above her head, enjoying Izuku's gaze on her.

"You're the best wife a man could wish for. Have I told you that?"

"Never often enough, dearest. But the show is over; time for you to get ready," she dressed herself in her sweater.

"I guess," he sighed.

"I shall see you downstairs, dearest. Do not linger too long."

"Sure," he watched her back as she got out of the room. "I love that woman," he muttered himself, his mood improved considerably.

He put on a shirt and got ready to go downstairs. "Who knew being a king would be such busy work? Well. Let's go greet my adoring subjects," he psyched himself up.

Izuku went out and went to the elevator. Most of the class have yet to wake up. As the bell of the elevator dinged, Izuku yawned as he stepped out and was greeted by the girls waiting for him.

"Izuku, ye lazy cunt. Why dun ye come run with me in the morning? Get yer ass outta bed, meet me by the gym at 5...we could get a good 2-3 hours in."

"Some of us are just married and have a good reason to not get out of bed, Nana. And a very good morning to you too."

"Morning, Master. Did you and the Princess have a good night?"

"Would be better if you guys let us sleep in, for once."

"Sorry, Mina told us to gather."

"Mina?"

"Good morning, Daddy! Ochaco, you're looking radiant!"

"So, Chosen...to what do I owe this early morning wakeup?" he asked, looking outside. The sky was still dark, and the sun was nowhere in sight.

"You have nothing else to planned, right, Daddy?"

Izuku narrowed his eyes at Mina.

"We have time, dearest. Stop glaring at your Chosen."

"I guess," he sighed.

"We are here, Danna-sama," Momo greeted him alongside Kitsune.

"Should you be up already, Momo?" he asked, worriedly.

"I am well, Danna-sama. And ready to assist you...in any way I can."

"Let's try to avoid you getting hurt again. Hello, Kitsune," he greeted but the fox demon only glared at him. "Nice to see you too, foxy."

Yui approached the Seer. "Izuku. She's fully recovered. Just try not to overload her quite that much again. Mortals aren't meant for that kind of power."

"Izu-kun!" Himiko tackled behind him, but he barely moved an inch. "Did you miss me?"

"I did. How are you, Himi?"

"Happy now that you're here," she rubbed her face to his side. She looked at Itsuka to see her reaction but the werewolf was unfazed. Rather, she gave a look of pity to the dhampir, which caused the veins in her head to pop. She glared at her, the sparks between the two were palpable.

"Yeah, I hear you. So, Mina called you all together?" Izuku looked at the girls and saw each one of them greeting him.

Being surrounded by girls' soft bodies as each greeted him with a hug shortly after watching Ochaco change made Izuku think he would need a cold shower after this.

"I asked her to, Izuku," Midnight answered. "We need to talk about Camelot."

"What's the news?"

"Bad. Could be worse, but it's bad. Someone tried to take out a hit on Booker; two assassins going for him in the halls of Camelot itself."

"Shit. Is he okay?" he asked, the earlier excitement now gone.

"Booker's hard to kill. He traced them back to the Steinbeck Residence, destroyed their townhouse, and wiped out the Camelot branch of the family."

"Who were they?"

Ochaco answered, "One of the Noble clans. Clients of the Yarkows. He will be most displeased."

"Good."

"The word is out that the Queen has escaped and is gathering allies. Between that, and Booker going on a rampage, the rats are abandoning the City and streaming towards the outer estates."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"Only if we wish to waste time digging individual nobles out of their fortified compounds to extract justice. We want them gathered in one place, without too many civilians in the way," Ochaco countered.

"And then set them on fire."

"The Council is broken. Yarkow has declared himself Regent in your absence; about half the Nobles are refusing to acknowledge him. Last we heard, he's calling for a gathering at Mitburgh Fortress. Most of his faction should still be there," Midnight summarized.

"Mitburgh?" Izuku asked, confused.

Ochaco frowned and angrily put her hands on her hips. "An old castle. Abandoned now, but it once belonged to the Pretender. He will try to declare himself King."

"Okay, I'm lost. Pretender?"

"Arthur's nephew. His name has been expunged from the rolls, as Yarkow's will be once I am done with him. But in the early days of the Kingdom, after Arthur fell against the Outsiders, the Pretender raised an army...intending to make himself King."

'Nephew?' Izuku thought. Based on what he read, it could be Gawain, but also technically Mordred. "What happened to him?"

"Your Father happened. It was when the world realized that the Alliance between Camelot and Tír na nÓg had not ended with Arthur. Mitburgh was destroyed, but it remained as symbol...for the man who wants to take the Crown from the Pendragons."

"And now history will repeat itself. Like Father, like Son," Izuku clenched his fist.

"Just so. When is this happening, Lady Sorceress?"

"The meeting is called for Friday. It will take time to gather that many stubborn old enemies together. You have time."

"We should prepare."

"Indeed. I must tell brave Sir Tomas that we will go there to appeal to the Nobles. It should give them something to gather and laugh about, and it happens to be true. I will go there, and I will appeal to the Nobles. Then, once that has failed, we will destroy them. Treason has no other reward."

"Let's hope so. Are the rest of you in?"

"Ye dunnae need to ask, Izuku. Ye had me at setting the treasonous nobles on fire; Ah'm down with that route, for sure."

"I can imagine, yeah."

"Your Chosen are with you, Master. Always," Itsuka added.

"Thanks, Itsuka. I guess I knew that, but..."

"We're all in on this, Izu-kun!" Himiko called from below.

"It's what the Knights of the Lake was founded for," Kyouka added.

"We're making our class prez and vice-prez the Queen and King!" Toru cheered, the others agreed with her.

"My Lord smiting the heretics," Ibara added.

"I'll keep an eye on Ibara-chan so she doesn't make a mass in the middle of the confrontation, shroom," Kinoko promised.

"You girl are the best, really."

"Aren't we just?" Mina boasted, the other girls nodded except for Kitsune who rolled her eyes.

"Thanks, everyone."

"You're welcome, Daddy," she said but noticed Ochaco's uneasiness. "Oh, I know! Why don't we hang out today? Shopping, movies, and more! It'll get rid of bad vibes while uniting us!"

"Sounds fun," he shrugged. He wanted to give back to the girls, even just a little. Though this might just mean that he'll be their luggage carrier for this large group date.

Thanks for reading this chapter!

In here, we explored Midnight's origin while also moving the story along.

This sets up the conflict next chapter, with the Nobles. The date will be skipped (for now). And we're skipping directly to Friday. No Evoker lessons since Booker's busy.

As always, let me know if you have questions or suggestions.

I tried to do a double-release, but I didn't make it in time, unfortunately. 😅 But I'm excited to finish the next chapter, which was nearly done.

Next up: Traitors' Reward