A/N: Hey so, I'm so sorry for the lack of updates. Both on this fic and Incomprehensible Feelings. I thought I had overcame my burnout. Turns out, hell no I didn't lol.

But I think I'm finally at a position where I have the motivation to write again.

What I may try to do in the future is have a backlog of chapters written for both fics, so in case I get burnout again, I at least still have stuff to post for a period of time.

But enough of my rambling, please enjoy this new chapter!

Lanolin couldn't believe what she was hearing. After the events in Eggperial City, everyone regrouped at Restoration HQ, sitting across a large table. Immediately, Shadow ordered this person—Izuku—to explain who he was and where he came from. After all, he was a human with abilities akin to Sonic or Silver. That's practically unheard of. His explanation was… to put it mildly, crazy.

"I come from a world where eighty percent of the population is made up of super-powered individuals; which we call Quirks. I was originally Quirkless, but an amazing hero called All Might—my mentor—transferred his power to me, allowing me to be a hero! After I got into U.A., I spent the next year to improve my body and Quirk, unlocking more abilities within it, training alongside my friends, and eventually fighting the world's greatest villain, who was quietly suffering on the inside. And that's about it. The short version, anyway."

Everyone in the room sat quietly, absorbing the information Izuku had provided them. Everyone except Sonic and Tails seemed to understand it well, despite Sonic fiddling with a bracelet on his wrist. Although no one seemed to notice, Shadow appeared to be the most skeptical. He has encountered many phenomena in his lifetime. Hell, he's in the same room as Blaze the Cat, whom of which is from another dimension. Perhaps he needed a way to understand the boy more.

Sonic jumped up from his chair. "Kid from a world with superpowers, who himself is a superhero. Cool."

"Isn't it!? I've met so many incredible heroes as well! Like for example—"

"Before that," Tails interrupted what was most likely a potential Izuku ramble. "how did you end up here in the first place?"

Izuku settled into a chair, his mind slowly but surely swirling with thoughts as he began to recall the events that had taken place. "It was when I was about to be done a patrol. I was sitting down, talking to some friends, when a random portal opened up in front of me."

"Eh? How does that just happen?" Tangle asked.

"I feel like we should be the last ones asking that question," Rouge comments.

Izuku put his hand to his chin. "It had multiple colors as well. I think red, yellow, green, blue—"

"Cyan, white, and purple?" Sonic finished.

Izuku nodded in response, which caused the hedgehog in front of him to snap his fingers.

"Sounds like the Chaos Emeralds to me," Sonic said.

"Chaos Emeralds?" Izuku asked.

"They are gems of unlimited power." Tails chimed in. "With all seven in total, you could potentially control the world!"

"However, when we confronted Dr. Eggman just yesterday, he had fabricated numerous counterfeit emeralds, did he not? It seems plausible that he may have some involvement in this matter," Blaze suggested.

"No," Shadow shook his head, stepping forward. "Even with so many combined, I don't think they could generate enough energy for a Chaos Control on that scale."

"Yes. Dr. Eggman didn't seem to know who Izuku was at all either. Tangle and Lanolin can say the same," Whisper said.

"Still… the Chaos Emeralds don't just have a mind of their own? Right?" Lanolin asked.

"They do. They've appeared on their own on many occasions," Sonic replies.

"Like during our adventure on Eggman's Interstellar Amusement Park. They showed up as if we needed their help. Super Sonic had to help the Mother Wisp," Tails said.

Lanolin listened to Tails recount their adventure on the less than stellar park attraction, frankly dumbfounded. Her gaze slid over to Izuku, who was intently writing in his journal. It struck her as odd but also somewhat amusing; she couldn't help but smile at the sight of him seemingly capturing the moment.

"Would that mean that… the Chaos Emeralds brought Izuku here on purpose? But that's crazy!" Amy shouted.

"True, but we've seen crazier, as weird as that is to admit," Rouge commented.

Tails pondered the information. The implication that Izuku had been brought to their world for a specific purpose… It was interesting, though the exact nature of that purpose remained unclear. It led to more questions than answers. Was it possible that the Chaos Emeralds possessed knowledge of something beyond even their own understanding? The current present even?

"Ah, well…"

Everyone focused on Izuku, who was shyly scratching his head.

"As much as it's nice meeting you all, is there any way I could get back home?" he asked.

The group all collectively looked at Tails.

"Unfortunately, I don't have the proper means to build something of that caliber yet. I'm sorry."

Izuku slowly approached and gently patted Tails on the head. "It's all good. I kinda had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy."

Silver looked concerned. "So then what do we do?"

Amy stood up. "For now, Izuku can stay here at Restoration HQ until he can find his way back home."

"Are you sure?" Izuku asked. "If I'm going to be a bother, I can find somewhere else to stay."

"Don't sweat it," Sonic said walking over. "You seem like a good kid. You're welcome to stay here for as long as you need."

Izuku smiled at the blue hedgehog, feeling a nice sense of comfort from him. He tried reaching for his backpack, until he noticed it that it wasn't there. He frowned in annoyance.

"Whatever is the matter?" Blaze asked.

"My backpack is gone. I thought I had it with me, but I must've left it back at my world," Izuku explained. "It sucks because it had spare clothes, especially now."

"Why's that?" Amy asked.

Izuku turned his head back to everyone. "Well… how do I explain this? Some days I feel like a guy, while other days I feel like a girl. So I keep clothes in case I'm feeling like either one. But I don't have any now, so…"

She felt a soft hand around hers, the sudden touch sending a jolt through her. Turning to her side, she caught sight of Amy standing just inches away, a bright smile adorning her muzzle.

"I think I know just the girl to help! Besides me, of course," Amy said.

Izuku conked her head a little in confusion and intrigue, before her eyes widened at the sudden pull of her body. The group watched as Amy dragged Izuku along with her to another part of the building. Afterward, everyone stood and just glared at one another.

"…Okay, but can we talk about how ABSOLUTELY COOL her abilities are!?" Tangle shouted.

Izuku didn't know what to expect from a pink hedgehog dragging her to another part of the building. Well, she didn't know what to expect from this new world in general. Talking animals certainly wasn't on the list.

"Here we are!" Amy said.

However, she then caught sight of an adorable small rabbit girl who seemed to be doing some knitting at a table.

"Hello, Miss Amy! And, um, who is this with you?" the kid asked.

Amy clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling with delight as she playfully pushed Izuku forward. A bright giggle escaped her lips as she nudged Izuku toward the innocent-looking bunny girl.

"This is a new friend we made. Her name is Izuku Midoriya, but you can call her 'Izuku,'" Amy said, then turned to Izuku. "This is Cream. She's who we're seeing to help you. She may not look like it, but she is excellent in all things girl attire!"

Cream shook her head and responded, "Only because you taught me so much, Miss Amy."

Amy stepped over, crouched down, and patted Cream on the head. "You don't give yourself enough credit. You were doing great even before I helped polish your skills."

Izuku watched as Cream and Amy engaged in conversation, even if it was just for a brief moment. Something familiar about their interaction struck a chord with her, reminding her of how Iida and Momo would always go above and beyond to support their classmates back in her own world. The bond between Cream and Amy was clearly deeper than mere coincidence; it was obvious they shared a close connection. That's what Izuku assumed, smiling brightly at the two.

Amy stood up. "Now, Cream! Let's get to work!"

Cream smiled and nodded. "Right!"

"What does that— AH!"

Izuku was immediately grabbed and thrown into a chair. From Izuku's shaky vision, she could spot Cream immediately getting started on some clothes. Amy, on the other hand? She was right in front of her.

"Just to be clear, you currently feel like a girl?" Amy asked.

Izuku nodded. "Y-Yes, that's correct."

"Great! But just to be on the safer side, Cream, we need at least two attires! One male, one female!" Amy called out.

"Yes, Ms. Amy!" Cream said, sewing surprisingly fast.

"Is this how you two normally operate?" Izuku asked.

Amy waved her hand. "More or less. Now, hold still!"

Izuku shut her lips tight as Amy popped open a makeup kit. With no time to waste, she immediately began applying all sorts of things to Izuku's face, eyes, and lips: foundation, concealer, a bit of eyeliner, and lipstick to match her lip color. To Izuku, it felt like a while, but in reality, it was more like five to ten minutes at most. Unbeknownst to the three, the others were watching from afar.

"Aww, I wish I could've joined in," Tangle said sadly.

"That's Amy for you. Working her magic," Sonic said.

"Not that I particularly care for my appearance… but perhaps she could help me with something similar?" Blaze asked.

Sonic smiled at her. "Sure thing! I'll even ask her for you."

Blaze blushed and smiled. "Thank you."

Sonic's train of thought changed as he stared at Shadow. He seemed put off by something. He wondered what. Perhaps he should ask—

"Done!"

Amy spun the chair around, before putting it to an immediate halt. Afterwards, she held a mirror to Izuku's face.

"Ta-dah! Well, what do you think?" Amy asked.

Izuku looked deep into the mirror. She gently grasped its handle and inspected herself thoroughly. Her eyelashes seemed more prominent. Her face had a nice smoothness that she adored, even a little bit of pink on the cheeks. Her hair was about the same, except a little curlier and looser. Her lips were a light peach, just noticeable enough to make a great difference for her.

"I-I love it. I genuinely adore it! Thank you, Amy!" Izuku said, giving her a hug with all her might.

Amy smiled but soon began to have a blue face. "Y-You're welcome! The hug is appreciated…! But I think you're using too much strength…"

Izuku gasped and immediately retracted the hug. "A-Ah, my apologies!"

Amy huffed and puffed but managed to catch her breath. "It's okay. More importantly, let's see how Cream is doing."

The two faced the rabbit girl, and to their surprise, she had both clothes done in no time at all. To Amy's utter surprise, they both looked… rather plain. One shirt said "Sunshine" in pink letters, with the rest of the shirt in a sky color, and the other said "Rainbows" in the same color scheme but flipped. Along with that were a pair of pretty normal-looking jeans and a nice-looking green skirt.

Amy looked a little nervous. "C-Cream, are you sure—"

"Oh my god, these look great!" Izuku exclaimed.

To Amy's surprise, the girl rushed over to Cream and inspected her creations. Izuku practically inspected every inch and detail of the pieces of clothing before wrapping Cream in a big—but less powerful—hug.

"You do, Ms. Izuku?" Cream asked.

Izuku nodded her head profusely. "Absolutely! These are the type of clothes I love wearing. How did you know?"

Cream shrugged. "I made these because you look like someone who likes simple things, so I made something that would fit you!"

Izuku couldn't help but embrace Cream again, a feeling of warmth washing over her. "Thank you so much. I'll cherish these, I promise."

Amy watched the interaction as if it were a scene from a movie. She could practically feel her eyes tearing up from how cute and wholesome it was! She wiped them away before standing tall and proud.

"You did amazing, Cream. I'm very proud of you! And thank you, Izuku, for letting us help you."

Izuku veered her sight towards Amy and grinned, giving her a thumbs up. Everyone else watched on and smiled. Well, except for Shadow, which Sonic saw as usual. That's when the three girls noticed everyone else was watching and giggled. Lanolin watched from the back. Getting a good look at Izuku, she could admit that she looked relatively pretty.

"Let's all have a seat and chat for a bit. We have no more work for the time being, so we might as well. Besides, I'm sure Izuku needs some much needed downtime," Amy suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Sonic replied.

"Definitely," Silver said.

The group sat down at the chairs present, with some fetching more chairs, and sitting down and chatting with one another. Sonic would usually be on his way to his next big adventure, but a little downtime didn't hurt. Besides, this new Izuku person was someone worth his attention. Well that, and mystery behind the brooding black hedgehog's weird glances at the new human.

Sonic jumped from his seat and flipped over to the other side of the table where Shadow sat.

"So, what's your deal?" Sonic asked.

Shadow tried not to pay his rival any mind. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Cmon, don't play that game with me. You've been eyeing this Izuku kid ever since she popped up. It's clear you have something going on in that head of yours," Sonic retorted.

Shadow tried staying silent, but gave up and sighed. "I'm just wondering what kind of person she is. That's all."

"Oh? Wanna say more, or…?"

Shadow grunted. "Someone with that much power, using it for good, and what she told us earlier… I want to see what she's capable of."

"So you want to battle her."

"In a sense, yes."

"In a sEnSe yEs! You avoid the conversation way too much," Sonic joked.

"I'd watch your tone, hedgehog," Shadow growled.

"What, sounding like Eggman too?"

Shadow scoffed and stood up, hearing Sonic laughing as he walked away. His initial intention was just to ignore Sonic's constant quips at him, but he realized now would be the perfect opportunity to act on what he was just considering. Step by step, he made his way to Izuku, whom of which was talking to Cream.

"Izuku Midoriya, was it?" Shadow asked.

The girl turned her attention to the black hedgehog. "Yes?"

"I'll make this as simple as can be. I'd like to spar with you."

…

"Huh?"

Shadow turned away. "I want to test your strength. Meet me in the fields."

Shadow turned and walked away, leaving a mysterious aura that Izuku could feel trailing behind him. The girl stood rooted to the spot, her mind swirling with confusion and a barrage of questions for why he made such a request. And yet, with this haze of uncertainty, came a flicker of curiosity ignited within her—an eagerness to unravel just what Shadow the Hedgehog was all about.

The field of grass lightly blew towards the east, carried by the gentle breeze of the day. As the sunlight danced upon the vivid green blades, the landscape seemed to come alive, its vibrant colors awash with warmth. In the distance, tall trees stood majestically, their leaves whispering in the wind, while the tranquility of the scene was broken only by the presence of two determined fighters: Izuku Midoriya and Shadow the Hedgehog.

The others gathered there to watch, as Shadow didn't make it unknown or quiet with his intentions. They were easily overheard. Some were interested, such as Silver and Blaze; some were skeptical, mainly Lanolin and Rouge, and others were cautious, much like Tails and Cream. Shadow isn't the most easygoing fighter. He can be rough, fierce, and even vicious. Given his background, it's not surprising, but sometimes it would be nice if he had mellowed out somewhat since the incident with the Ark or when the Black Arms invaded Earth.

All of these facts aside, Tails stepped up.

"As Shadow has stated, this is a sparring match. So please, try to be careful, and don't accidentally damage the exterior of Restoration HQ," Tails explained cautiously.

"We're a good enough distance away. We're fine," Shadow stated.

Izuku relaxed her muscles and stood in a dynamic pose. Was it from a popular manga, and she thought it was so cool that she wanted to use it? Yes! But she wouldn't let anyone else here know that. Although if she had the orange gi, it would be perfect.

"I'm ready whenever you are, Shadow," Izuku grinned.

Shadow assumed a pose very similar to that of an alien prince, matching Izuku's unknowingly. "…Ready."

Without so much as a "Begin!" from Tails, the two immediately charged at one another, the air blowing in their faces. Shadow started things off simply with a kick to the stomach, but Izuku's Danger Sense caught it immediately. She activated One For All and maneuvered her body to the right, avoiding the attack's impact. She springs a Blackwhip on Shadow with her left hand, who backflips to prevent being captured. But what he wasn't expecting was Izuku to speed off behind him and throw her own kick. By Izuku's own admission, she was starting off at 20%.

'Tch… she's quite fast.' Shadow thinks. 'However…'

Izuku's attack hits nothing but the air, Shadow seemingly fading from view. She feels a pain on the back of her neck as she gets sent flying a good distance away. Danger Sense didn't catch it. The attack was too quick. Izuku suddenly stops mid-air, and without moving her body, she uses Gearshift and suddenly takes off at a high speed at the direction she just came from. Extending her legs out, she increases the output of One For All.

'One For All, 30%!'

Shadow's eyes widen ever so slightly and puts his arms up to block, just in time to feel the immense pressure and strength behind both of Izuku's feet. He attempts to grab the girl's legs, but she launches off of Shadow's arms and lands on the ground. Izuku suddenly disappears from sight and seemingly appears in two different places at once. However, Shadow can tell one's an afterimage, so he throws a punch at the real Izuku, who catches it with ease. Disappearing from sight again, she appears behind Shadow. The latter jumps into the air and decides to try and play it safe. However, Izuku began flying too, her speed too immense, causing the girl to finally land a blow to Shadow's face.

"Agh! How in the hell are you moving so quickly?" Shadow asked himself.

Izuku smiled. "It's one of my abilities called Gearshift. I can shift the speed of objects or people without abiding by the laws of inertia!"

Shadow didn't let up. A quick flash appeared as he teleported, suddenly disappearing from Izuku's view. She searched around frantically, until she felt the blaring feeling of Danger Sense. She looked up, but was met with a kick to the face, crashing into the ground below. The hedgehog—using the thrusters in his shoes—floated above the crater. He looked slightly frustrated, yet still curious.

"For a spar, Shadow seems to be taking this pretty seriously," Silver comments.

"That's how Shadow typically operates. Spar or not, he's not going to go easy on you," Rouge stated.

Sonic fixated on the spot where Izuku had crashed. From said spot, a huge gust of wind blew in all directions, causing many of the group to cover their faces. But not Sonic. He kept watch with his signature grin.

Shadow's brow furrowed slightly. Izuku's whole demeanor shifted slightly. Her eyes showed one of seriousness, the electricity that emitted from her power sparked more frequently, not to mention the power he could feel from that wind alone. She looked up toward the hedgehog, fist clenched, taking up a stance once more.

He grinned. "Come at me."

He almost regretted saying that.

Almost immediately a fist was right at his face. He attempted to avoid it, but the side of her punch grazed the right side of his face, doing more damage than he expected. Grunting, he attempts to teleport, but has his face grabbed.

'Tch! She's hindering my focus!'

'One For All, 50%!'

She slammed him into the ground. Using Blackwhip, she keeps him trapped as she uses more tendrils to create makeshift fists to rapidly punch at him. It was a little extreme, yes, but he wanted a fight, so he's going to get one. With each and every punch, Shadow could feel something in him grow. A weird feeling. An odd feeling. This feeling of wanting to surpass the opponent in front of him. Or, more specifically, finally start trying. In a sudden burst of strength, the Blackwhip is destroyed, and Izuku receives a devastating blow to her stomach. The pain was too much as she coughed up some saliva.

"Do not underestimate the Ultimate Lifeform," Shadow tells her.

Izuku was sent flying back once more, smashing against a tree. She sat there for a minute, her mind racing, collecting her thoughts. That sudden burst of power came out of nowhere. Just how much strength was he concealing. Well, there was only one way to find out.

"New World Order…"

She ejects Blackwhip from her body. The tendrils begin to glow, then soften, and finally burst into flames.

"…'Blackwhip gains pyrokinetic properties!'"

'Tenth, is this a good idea?' Shelton asked.

'What if he just teleports and avoids the attack?' Bruce jumped in.

"Given that look on his face…" Izuku said, looking right at Shadow's eyes of conviction, "…I doubt he'd try and simply dodge this."

Everyone was talking amongst themselves, but Lanolim stayed silent as she watched.

'This Izuku girl… she may be on the losing end, but she has conviction,' Lanolin thought, pondering to herself.

She wraps the tendrils around her hands and begins flaring them up, increasing their fire power. It was like witnessing a star finally exploding, witnessing the light reach its peak. Her body did begin to feel the heat, but she was willing to risk some harm to her body. Cupping her hands together formed a ball of fire, which she continued charging. Shadow locked eyes with Izuku and smirked, throwing his hand up.

"I'll fight fire with fire," he said.

From behind him, multiple yellow-colored spears of crackling chaos energy materialized, their vibrant hues shimmering in the air. Izuku's gaze snapped to the dazzling formation of the spears, a sense of unease creeping in. This could be more trouble than she had anticipated, but there was no time for hesitation; it was now or never.

"Blackfire!" Izuku yelled.

"Chaos Spear!" Shadow shouted.

The two fighters extended their arms, a surge of energy coursing through them. The spears from Shadow came together, fusing into one colossal spear that gleamed with an otherworldly light. It collided fiercely with the blazing beam of green fire from Izuku, the impact sending shockwaves through the air.

Izuku and Shadow roared.

"Graaaaaaah!"

"Haaaaaaah!"

Eventually, an explosion occurred, and dark smoke spread across the area. Izuku's Danger Sense activated as she deactivated the order, using Blackwhip in an attempt to stop Shadow in his tracks. However, the hedgehog's speed was even greater than before, triggering Izuku's Danger Sense once again. She narrowly avoided a blow from him, but he suddenly teleported away. This time, her Danger Sense went off again, alerting her to something from above: hundreds of yellow glowing objects.

"Hey, Shadow! Ain't this a bit extreme?" Sonic called out.

"Not if she dodges it," Shadow replied.

Izuku gulped, gasping for air. Although it wasn't very obvious, she was starting to tire. This was unlike anything she had ever faced before. The other users of One For All floated around her, uncertain of what to say to offer support. Banjo almost spoke up, but Kudo placed a ghostly hand on his shoulder and shook his head. Izuku steadied her breath and closed her eyes, focusing on her Danger Sense. One thing she was grateful for was that Shadow hadn't noticed her building up Fa Jin. With a deep breath, she activated One For All.

"One For All… 80%…" she said in a deep tone.

Shadow smirked, and then swung his arm. He rained down hellfire.

But Izuku took off at blistering speeds, her heart racing with adrenaline. She dodged and weaved with impressive agility, gracefully navigating through the jumbled barrage of spears made of chaos energy. Each movement was not only precise but almost mesmerizing, a fluid dance of evasion.

Shadow, with a fierce intensity in his gaze, conjured five chaos spears in each hand, infusing them with a familiar dark energy as they crackled ominously. He fused them together, the resulting weapon swelling into a monstrous projectile pulsating with hostility. With a powerful spin, he unleashed it like a missile fired from a cannon, hurtling toward the hero with devastating power and speed.

"This is… EVERYTHING I'VE GOT!!" Izuku shouted, a shrill in her voice. "ONE FOR ALL, 100%! PLUS, FA JIN!"

Shadow's eyes widened. Everyone's eyes widened.

"FAUX 200%! DETROIT—"

"Chaos Control."

Izuku felt her entire body stop. Her arms and legs, even her power, came to a halt. She looked to her side and saw Shadow next to her, then glanced down to see his fist in her abdomen. He was a little different this time; dark, black energy surrounded him. He had definitely been holding back. Regardless, with a small smirk, she closed her eyes and fell toward the ground.

Tails gasped. "Silver, catch her—"

Before Silver could act, Shadow appeared below and caught the girl in his arms, bringing a sigh of relief from everyone.

"Mr. Shadow really needs to be more careful," Cream commented.

"Like that ever happens," Tangle said.

Shadow's eyes slowly moved their perception towards Izuku's face, and then her eyes as she opened them.

"I guess I lost, didn't I?" Izuku asked.

Shadow nodded as he gently set her down on the grass. Izuku stretched her arms and took deep breaths. She had just exerted One For All to the maximum for a brief moment, and even that short burst of power had drained a lot of her stamina.

"I've known it for a while, but I definitely still have some growth to do," she said.

Shadow furrowed his brow. "I doubt there is someone as strong as me from the world you're from."

"That may be true, but…" Izuku turned and a warm smile spread from her lips. "Knowing there are other worlds with even greater people, it means I should strive to be the best hero I can be."

Shadow's body shifted ever so slightly, as if he was taken aback. He looked up towards the sky, his mind seemingly somewhere else.

"What is it you want to do?" Shadow asked.

Izuku glanced at the black hedgehog, wondering what she was thinking. She simply replied, "I want to be a hero who can bring a smile to everyone's face and save those who may have been victims, even if they're villains."

There was silence. Only the wind could be heard. But then Shadow turned to her and extended a hand.

"I can consider that admirable."

Izuku stared at the hand. She smiled once more and grabbed onto it, the hedgehog helping her off the ground. The two looked toward the group as they began clapping. All except Lanolin, as she just kept eyeing Izuku, but had a small smirk on her face.

It had been some time since the spar took place. Time went from day to night in no time, with mostly everyone off doing their own thing. Surprisingly, Sonic was still staying around the Restoration HQ, chatting with everyone. Izuku didn't know at the time, but it was unlike Sonic to stick around for a long period of time. Speaking of chatting, she was sitting at a table with Sonic, Silver, Tails, and Whisper.

"You were just… INCREDIBLE!!" Tangled shouted in praise. "Seriously, how do you do all of that!?"

Izuku giggled and grabbed her cup, taking a sip of water. "It's a long, long story. I'm not sure I have the time to tell it. It came with a lot of positives, and negatives. But at the end of the day? I'm still glad to have this power."

"Negatives? How so?" Whisper muttered.

"Well, it's kind of complicated to explain. To put it simply; the power I wield had an original role, and I ended up following that role to a point where I was consumed by it. But, I had friends who got me out of that rut, and eventually, I found my own purpose for the power," Izuku explained.

Tangle frowned. "Wow… that must've been rough."

"But you made it past that hurdle," Silver jumped in. "That's not something anyone can do."

Izuku scratched the back of her head. "Yeah, but part of me wishes I could've realized it sooner."

She felt a gentle pat on her back and turned to see Sonic behind her. He grinned.

"Whether it took one month or one year, all that matters is that you learned from it. Not everyone is perfect. Just keep running and do your best," Sonic said.

Do your best, huh?

Izuku grinned at the blue hedgehog. "You're right."

Just out the cornered of her eye, Izuku spotted a white figure in the distance. Upon closer inspection, it was the sheep girl. Her name was Lanolin, if she recalled correctly.

"Excuse me all of you, I'll be right back. Thank you for your kind words," Izuku said, sprinting across the room.

Lanolin yawned as she headed towards her office area, only stopping when hearing quick footsteps just behind her. She turned a little startled, but relaxed when seeing it was Izuku. Although upon that realization, she did have a few questions.

"Ah, I'm sorry to approach you like this," Izuku said. "You're Lanolin, right?"

Lanolin squinted her eyes. "That would be right."

"I… well, I don't really know how to word this. I guess I just wanted to get to know you better."

"Oh. Well, um…" Lanolin ruffled her fur a little. "I guess we could talk in my office, if you wanted. I haven't got anything better to do."

Lanolin suddenly realized that Izuku's smile had the power to light up an entire house. It was pure—truly pure. There were no ill intentions or negative connotations behind those curved lips. She coughed to bring her mind back to reality, clearing her throat in the process. Taking a key from her pocket, she unlocked her office door. Before entering, she turned to the girl.

"If you want, you can sleep in my office for the time being," Lanolin said.

Izuku conked her head to the side. "Is that okay? Are there not guest rooms here?"

Lanolin began to sweat. "W-Well, I-I can't remember. And I have the most comfortable office, so you can just stay here for now."

Without so much as a word of disagreement, Izuku simply shrugged and decided to go along with her suggestion. Lanolin let out a sigh of relief as she turned on the lights in her office. The two of them walked inside together, and after they entered, she closed the door behind them.

The night grew progressively darker, but it was still not too dark for Rouge the Bat to navigate the skies. Her keen eyes scanned the area around the building until she spotted a lone black hedgehog. Gracefully, she glided back down and tucked her wings away as she landed on the ground.

"Standing by yourself again?" she asked.

Shadow didn't look her way, but Rouge could spot a small smile on his face. She smirked.

"Did something happen?"

"…Izuku," Shadow said.

Rouge appeared somewhat confused. "What about her?"

"She reminded me of her."

Rouge's eyes could only grow wider, before a comforting expression presented itself. She stepped to her friend's side and wrapped an arm around him.

"Yeah. I see what you mean."

Shadow looked up at the moon, his smile widening. He still may not fully understand Izuku Midoriya, but one thing was clear: he had grown to trust the girl more.