Angel: Someone asked if I thought about writing Bleach. I might've talked about the anime before, I don't remember currently, back then I had no context for it if I have talked about it. I have started to watch Bleach as of this upload. Writing-wise...I mean, there's potential, and there's this one character a friend told me about, Hitsugaya, that they said I would like. And I have watched out-of-context clips of him, and yeah, I do like him. Ichigo is starting to grow on me too, but not in the same vein as Bakugo in this fic. And speaking of which, Ichigo does remind me of like a beta Bakugo, might be just me.
Writing the series...that decision gets complicated, because the series is like at least 3 times as long as MHA. Which...I don't know if I would put myself through over 400 episodes, and I wish I was lying about that number. It's not like I CAN'T do it, because I'm like 80% done with MHA as a whole, but this anime is still like a quarter of Bleach if I have to compare the two. Honestly, I'm on the fence about it, I don't know if I could commit myself to over 400 episodes, and what, 4 movies? I have to really think about it because I've only watched the first season as of uploading. It's not a no, but I have to determine whether or not it's worth it. And even if I end up being crazy enough to write it, that's a looooot of continuity to consider.
"If Deku returns, everyone taking shelter here will be in danger," Endeavor walked up to Principal Nezu.
"I'll figure out a way to make them understand. You see, when we were preparing for the last School Festival, we reinforced the UA Barrier," He revealed to everyone with a smile. "We didn't end up needing the extra security, so this is our chance to test it out! Don't forget, All Might grew up in this school too. And we survived. Go ahead, students. Bring your classmate back."
"One more thing," Izuka looked over her shoulder at Endeavor. "I understand the circumstances my brother gave you when it came to me. And I appreciate you helping him out as long as you have. But let me make myself clear. If you, or any other hero do this again without me knowing, then I won't be as lenient as I have. I could've said or done a lot worse, even if we're in UA," She then gave Endeavor a death glare. "So don't you dare let this happen in the future. You got me?"
Endeavor cleared his throat as he couldn't help but feel a little fear. "...I understand."
Before they left, Tenya raised his hand. "Principal Nezu. You mentioned that the UA Barrier was upgraded. Will you elaborate? We're here because we understand Midoriya's concerns why he left us, and why Mido took the actions she did to try and find him." Izuka gave a slightly nervous frown at the reminder that she went off on her own. Katsuki rubbed her arm comfortingly to remind the girl that they weren't angry at her—well, no one was besides himself. But he could tell that they still didn't hold it against her. "If campus defenses are strong, that might help us convince him to come back. We need evidence that his return won't bring harm to anyone at the school. That's why, initially, we were just planning to fight with him in the streets. And don't worry, Mido, we won't force you to fight him."
"It's okay. I was always going to do it."
Tenya looked at her in shock, some of the others caught off guard as well. "But he's your brother. Won't it be too much to fight him? And against One for All?" The class rep asked her in concern.
"I appreciate you looking out for me, but...if you're already doing this to help the both of us, then I can't just sit back and do nothing. And besides, even with that in mind, he can't hurt me more than he already did by leaving and not telling me. That's much worse," She narrowed her eyes at the reminder. "So it will take more than just defeating him to bring him back."
"I didn't suggest he come back out of pity," Principal Nezu revealed to the group. "Practically speaking, Midoriya is an invaluable asset in our fight against the League. We want to keep him safe, which means we should protect him in a state-of-the-art facility. This applies to Mido as well, since she's considered just as valuable to them to get to Midoriya. Luckily, UA was able to buy the country's latest security tech on the cheap. In fact, our defense systems are comparable to what you might find at Tartarus."
"This sounds impressive, sir," Momo gave a worried frown. "But those systems were no match against Shigaraki's forces."
"Correct," Principal Nezu acknowledged the break out from Tartarus. "However, since UA was infiltrated last year, and one of our own was a victim of the villains, I've stayed focused on the threat Shigaraki poses. So when it was time to reinforce the barrier...I went ahead and added my own personal improvements to the plans."
'Well, he was terrifying during the practical. So it's no doubt that he'd keep this in mind for security' Izuka thought with a slightly sheepish look.
"Our school's better protected than a prison?" Tenya questioned him in alarm.
"It caused quite a stir. Let me be blunt. If an army of villains were trying to invade UA at this very moment...no harm would come to the evacuees or the students. Frankly, the attackers wouldn't stand a chance. You see, the UA Barrier is more than a stationary defensive wall. This whole campus can move!" A little twinkle appeared in his eye revealing this. "The grounds have been divided into a grid, every part of which is independently mobile. In the event of an emergency, sections can be lowered to become an underground shelter. These shelters are then able to move along various paths. All powered by the magic of science!"
"Like an underground railroad or something!" Izuka blinked in surprise at him. "Or a maze!"
"Oh, yeah, you would be familiar with that," Katsuki murmured thoughtfully, since she had made similar things before in middle school.
"That's some mecha anime tech!" Denki yelped towards the principal wide-eyed.
"Of course, if the system were to break down, our careful planning will have been for nothing. Which is why...there are also 3,000 layers of reinforced plates underground. If we detect anything abnormal, the interception system activates," Principal Nezu told the students. "This unlocks the supports so the defensive plates can move as needed. As such, we can delay any especially troublesome attacks. In the meantime, the shelters would travel along safe routes, eventually stopping at another secure stronghold. Shiketsu, for example, recently bolstered their defenses. There'll be no more imposters for them, or us. So Mido won't have to worry about accidentally getting into a fight with one!"
"I try not to remember that..." Izuka looked away in annoyance from the memory of fighting Himiko accidentally. She was honestly lucky that the villain didn't seek her out afterwards. Momo and Ochaco pat her back with sheepish smiles, knowing that Himiko pushed it when being territorial over Izuku...
"My apologies!" He smiled and then turned serious. "Anyway, of course, there are similar hero high schools out there too."
"Shiketsu?!" Hanta yelped at the fact that they were prepared too, since it was unlikely that Himiko would try the same thing again. "But their campus is so far away!"
"UA in the East...Shiketsu in the West..." Katsuki had said that day when UA crossed paths with Shiketsu before the provision license exam.
"Oh right, Shiketsu. Those guys," Katsuki and Shoto said in unison.
"Did you forget that easily?! Also, you guys are never in sync like that!" Izuka's hair stood on end looking between them. However, neither boy acknowledged this.
"If I'm not mistaken, these plans have Shigaraki's upgraded Quirk in mind," Fumikage pointed out to everyone. "But at the time of the School Festival, we didn't know that Decay was going to become supercharged."
"You're right, I had no real evidence," Principal Nezu agreed with a frown. "Just a gut feeling. That's why I paid for the extra measures myself!"
"And what did that set you back, a few 100 million?!" Denki yelped towards the animal.
"If you weren't aware, the principal supports Quirk morality education," Endeavor spoke up to them. "His passion is recognized globally. His contributions in this crisis have been vital."
Principal Nezu closed his eyes, bowing his head. "Ignorance. Intolerance. Some people refuse to take that extra step to try and understand others. Many even group together and act out of fear. This prevents progress. Putting in the work is the more difficult path. Anyway...it would be both logical and beneficial for Midoriya to come back." Ochaco especially paid attention to those words. "You kids get out there and give it your all."
And she still kept this in mind while standing in front of the exhausted and beaten Izuku...against the angry mob that awaited the students.
"No way! Send him somewhere else!" Someone cried out, as Ochaco knew that this was out of fear for their safety.
"You're out of your minds! We won't let him in! Leave!"
"Shigaraki will come!"
"Wasn't UA supposed to guarantee our safety and peace of mind?!" Cementoss, Ectoplasm, and Principal Nezu stared at the crowd in silence.
"Don't let him in!"
"Send him away!"
"If he's got multiple Quirks, he's a Nomu!"
Izuku bowed his head, Izuka staring at him while Katsuki was holding her hand. She already had a feeling that his return would not be accepted that easily...given what they had heard about him while trying to track him down. But to see so many people against him now, instead of her...she realized just how upset he was when the two waves of rumors floated around against her. And she still didn't forget what he did to her before he left...but she didn't want this for him at the same time.
"My babies!" Inko cried out while trying to reach them, but Mitsuki Bakugo held her back.
"No, it's too dangerous!" She warned the woman, as she didn't want Inko getting hurt.
"You're scaring people!" Among the crowd...was Ragdoll and Kota. They looked up ahead in concern, knowing that Izuku was a good person...but the majority opinion wasn't something they could easily fight against.
"If you wanna fight, do it somewhere else!"
Back inside, Neito was holding back a scared Eri, while some Class B students looked out the window.
"What else are you lying about, huh?!"
"Yeah, start talking! We want answers!"
"The principal couldn't convince them?" Hanta stared up ahead, as he couldn't help but feel a little disgusted. Izuku was just a kid, and yet everyone was turning against him for the sake of their own lives...not even considering his own.
"At first, there were people who acted as though they understood the situation we're in," Thirteen spoke up, looking up ahead sadly. "But speculation leads to unease, and it can be difficult for reason to overcome fear and rumors."
"Dial back the volume, will ya?!" Present Mic hollered into a megaphone. Best Jeanist held his shoulder, staring at the crowd.
"I'm not sure they're going to listen to teachers," He spoke up, remembering the backlash that even the top three heroes got. "They came here because of me. Perhaps I can sway them."
"You got it, Jeany," Present Mic murmured anxiously, wondering if that was really going to work...
"Best Jeanist!" An angry woman spoke up, having seen him. "The only reason we came here is because we believed what you said!"
"Yes. And I stand by that sentiment," Best Jeanist told her, everyone having stopped shouting to hear him. "As the principal explained, this is the safest place for you to be. Your lives are the priority. In order to prevent further violence, our plan was to use Izuku Midoriya as bait to find the villains. Unfortunately, our search was fruitless. We have little to show for it. While the boy and his sister in that regard are targets of the villains...he is also our most valuable asset. To allow him to wear himself down any more could prove fatal. This may not be ideal, but we're doing the best we can. We understand some among you feel anxious about this." Outside the barrier, Hawks, Endeavor, and Shoto could hear him. "But we hope you'll let him rest here, in this stronghold. If we want him to fight for our futures...we need him to be healthy and strong."
It was silence for a few seconds...until an angry man stepped up. "Wait. Are you kidding me? You know how things got this bad? You losers failed and turned Japan into a lawless country. And now that you've screwed everything up...you want us to pay the price for it! That's what you're asking, right?! What the hell is that about?!"
Izuku looked at him wide-eyed for how he was taking it. That wasn't what they meant to say at all...but with so much going around, and all the fear from the people...they didn't want to listen.
"Yeah, he's right!"
"Keep him out!"
"And you call yourselves heroes?"
"Wait a minute," The same man got a good look at Izuka, realizing that Best Jeanist mentioned her. "...if he's a danger to us, then his sister must've known about it this whole damn time!" He pointed right at her. Her eyes widened in shock, shaking a little. She herself was kind of expecting something similar to happen given that she was Izuku's sister. And jumping to a conclusion that she knew something about Izuku wasn't illogical. But it was something she still wasn't prepared for at all given her focus on her brother until now.
"You knew about him this whole time and you didn't tell anyone? And you're a UA student!" Her whole class looked at the crowd wide-eyed at the things they were hearing. "The audacity to do such a thing! You're probably just like him so we don't want you here either!"
Izuka snapped out of it to make her lips into a thin line staring at them. It wasn't like she wasn't used to it...but still...it wasn't a great feeling to hear this stuff either. Meanwhile, Izuku looked at the crowd in fear...because he hadn't had the chance to hear all of the backlash of heroes. He was too busy trying to do things on his own, and no one had mentioned it before to him until now. They felt like...villains...when it shouldn't feel that way.
"You call yourselves heroes?!"
He started to hyperventilate seeing how many people didn't want him there...and how many people he continued to hurt. Even Inko was crying her eyes out. "My babies..."
"Give us a break!"
"We just want to be able to live in peace!"
"What the hell did the girl expect from us when we found out?!"
"No..." Izuku's eyes shook at her as Izuka had yet to react to any of this. "She's getting blamed for everything too because of me...!" The last thing he wanted was for people to doubt her becoming a new symbol someday if they were going to act like this...
"What kind of sister are you? What do you want from us?!"
Izuka looked towards the ground in silence, no one able to see her expression. Katsuki growled and stepped forward, as he had definitely heard enough.
"These damn people-!"
"Bakugo, stand down!" Tenya placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "That won't solve anything!"
"Get off of me!" He protested in annoyance; he was sick and tired of people doubting Izuka, so he wanted to say something. However, there was also a good chance that the crowd would turn against him as well...
"It's no good," Present Mic gritted his teeth at the raging crowd.
"Protect us! What good are you?!"
"Keep the girl away from us too! We don't want that around us!"
"She must be a Nomu too! We should've known from that photo she was a villain all along!"
Ochaco pressed her fingers together. If we don't do something...
If we continue to leave things as they are... Izuka looked up with a fierce expression, looking over to Momo. She ran over and whispered something in her friend's ear. Momo blinked and then nodded, making her something quickly from her lipids. Ochaco jumped past Present Mic, grabbing his megaphone as she jumped past the people.
Izuka summoned a Black Hole and fazed through the ground, to the shock of the others.
This crowd will turn into a mob! Izuka and Ochaco thought in unison. Ochaco landed in the middle of the crowd, jumping up again. A little boy looked up with a gasp as she floated all the way to the roof of the building. The green-haired girl then appeared right next to Ochaco with a bullhorn of her own thanks to Momo. The two didn't look at each other, nor did they ask each other what their intentions were...because each girl already understood them. Ochaco took a deep breath, as Izuka inhaled deeply. The two then stepped up, seeing the crowd.
"That's..." Mr. Uraraka was hugging his wife close, the two looking up in concern.
"That's our girl!"
"Izuka...?" Inko sniffed while looking at her daughter.
Izuku let out a small gasp seeing her as well. Katsuki was a little surprised, but then waited along with everyone else for what they had to say.
Ochaco put her megaphone up to her face. "Dek...Izuku Midoriya...has a very important power."
"And yes...it is true that I've known about it. I was there when he inherited it, actually," Izuka spoke up as well.
"So what?! That just makes him and his own sister even more dangerous! They'll get us all killed because he wants to take a nap and she wants to stay here too!"
"You're wrong!" Ochaco frowned down at the man. "He left UA because he didn't wanna cause trouble for anybody! Mido—Izuka Midoriya—didn't even know about it! She left briefly to go and find him! We're the ones who made him come back!"
"He didn't even want to return, or talk to me! He just wanted to make sure all of our lives would be protected!" Izuka narrowed her eyes a little. "So he thought pushing everyone away would solve all of that, but it doesn't."
"What are they doing...?" Izuku murmured as he stared at the two.
"His ability is special, a power created to beat All for One! And her power is connected to his, so All for One wants to steal it! That's why the villains are after them!" Ochaco tried to explain to everyone. "Why he's been fighting this whole time. And he's been doing it alone! Like Izuka said, he left to protect every one of us, but we want you to look at him now!" Everyone turned to look at Izuku...seeing how tired he was, how much he needed to rest despite everything. "He wants to change our situation more than anybody...and he's put himself in harm's way to do it. Even if that meant isolating his sister! Do you see what that's done to him and her?"
Inko continued to cry, knowing that her child was going to be in danger...but now, she just wanted him safe. She wanted him to come back, even if just for a while. And for Izuka to continue to pursue her dream, even if people didn't want her to...
"You wondered what I wanted. Maybe I haven't been the best sister or hero to Izuku. That's fine with me if people see it that way. But...what I want...what I need...is to save my brother's life," Izuka spoke with no expression, not even anger towards the people for doubting her. "And to have all of my friends right there with me. So if I have to justify that to anyone...I'll do it even if no one hears me, if they won't accept it. And I have to live with it...! But even so...I'm accepting full responsibility for my brother! It's not much to you, but to me, this is partly my fault too! I should've stopped him, I should've brought him back myself!" She gestured to herself, Izuku letting out a small gasp. "So as his sister, don't focus on him, blame me! But don't take it out on someone who needs to rest, who hasn't eaten, who keeps pushing himself!"
I've been down this road...of doubt in me, fear, rejection...so many times now from the public. But for Izuku...I can do it again if it means that they'll leave him alone. Even if I have to prove myself to them, I will...because every single time, I've had my friends to support me. And I don't doubt that now.
"Izuka..." Izuku murmured at her words that she was going to shoulder all of the backlash, even though she didn't have to...she could've just defended herself from what they were saying...and instead, she was using it to protect him. She's...she's gonna put herself through that again...for me? I deserve the anger, not her. I left without even saying anything to my own sister...
"Just because someone has a special power, that doesn't mean they're a special person!" Ochaco cried out to them, her voice breaking a little. All of them stayed in shocked silence...and someone from the very back recognized him...the woman he saved because of her appearance.
Izuku stood in front of her to protect her should they attack again. "Leave her to me. You can go now. I've got this."
"That hero..." She murmured upon seeing his face...recognizing the costume. "He's the one who rescued me. And he has a sister? Someone who...who was faced with discrimination too because of who she was...?" She felt like she could relate to the girl, because she was always met with insults or people who didn't like...people who looked like her.
Katsuki stepped up to Izuku, who was still in a stunned silence. "There's a fancy system in place to protect these idiots. And still...they're scared out of their minds," He then looked annoyed, mostly because of what they said about his girlfriend. "But don't worry, we'll clean up any messes you can't handle. And no way am I letting that idiot take the fall for you."
Putting in the work is more difficult path Principal Nezu thought of what he said to the students. But it's worth it. Once someone is able to take that extra step forward, it will clear a path for the person who will become the best hero we've known. One who surpasses even All Might.
Izuka and Ochaco continued to stare at the crowd pleadingly. The latter could still remember when she saw people cheering on Eel Boy...and how happy she was.
I've always liked to see people happy. Growing up, my parents looked so worried, though. Right now, they still were. It made me feel worried too. The first time I saw someone doing hero work...I couldn't help but watch the faces of those around me. It was amazing to see everyone overcome with joy. She wished she could say the same now...but compared to back then, everyone was still angry or afraid...of what would happen in the future. Since now...they were still doubting heroes, because they felt that many had failed them...not helped by many heroes quitting or having passed away. It made them question who was left...and who they could put their faith in. And now, looking at Izuku, seeing how hard he fought for them...it made them rethink what they were doing.
I've always supported my family. Growing up, my brother was so passionate about heroes...even when he was told he wouldn't get a Quirk. Izuka glanced down at her brother, gripping the megaphone. So it was infectious to me...until that fateful day. I pushed those feelings back...so that he could still love heroes. So that he wouldn't ever resent me for fulfilling his dream. But now...as angry as I still am at him, I can't just sit back and let people treat him like this. Because the boy I know that still wanted to save people with a smile...was still in there somewhere. She knew that deep down...and it was heartbreaking to see that he had broken himself down the way he did. Being able to forgive him, she had no idea how she could accomplish that. But hopefully, he would understand that no matter what, she would support him.
"Look at him..." One of the people murmured, understanding what he had been through.
"Poor kid..."
"He must have kept fighting," The heteromorph woman spoke up, getting their attention. "That boy went out of his way to save me, then ran off to help others. All while trying to protect his sister."
"We looked at him. Happy now? Let me guess," One person still bitter looked up ahead. "You want us to get beat up like that too?" He then glared up at the girls. "You wanna see us broken down and covered in mud?!"
"The heroes are the ones who are getting dirty!" The girls shouted in unison, causing him to recoil back in shock.
"They're the people who'll have to wash away the stain!" Ochaco screamed down at him.
"No one said we were going to let that happen to you! Who gets hurt here in the end, huh?! What about the heroes who get injured, bloodied, even die, all for your sake?!" Izuka implored to the man. "They're the ones who continue to go through all of that pain just for society to live in peace!"
Tsuyu and Momo stepped up to a shocked Mina, Denki, and Eijiro. "Ochaco..." Tsuyu frowned up at the girl.
"Mido..." Momo murmured in concern, knowing that Izuka had seen and been through a lot in the war...
Tenya stepped up to Izuku, his eyes narrowed. "You get it, right? They're up there fighting. For all of us. Uraraka wants to see everyone smile. Especially you. Mido wants to ensure that your heart can still long to be the hero you wanted to be when you started here...even though I'm sure that she's still furious with you." Izuku didn't respond as his mouth wavered because he didn't realize...that no matter how much fighting he did out there, even against his own class...they weren't going to let him suffer. To continue fighting on his own. Ochaco looked towards Izuku as he started to cry.
"Uraraka...big sister..." He murmured as Izuka wiped her eyes with her arm, trying really hard to maintain her composure.
"I wish we could reassure everybody here, but we can't," Ochaco told the crowd from her spot. "And I'm sorry about that, really, I am! The truth is, we're all scared. We're just like you! We care about our friends and neighbors too!"
"Maybe some of you still doubt us or can't see what this has all done for Izuku!" Izuka stared at the people. "And I wish the heroes didn't lose your trust. But we've suffered losses from the war too. We've lost so many heroes, just like you guys have lost families, homes, normal lives! Heroes that we've looked up to!"
Watching him, and Mido, trying to save people so desperately got me thinking. When a hero is in pain...when heroes are suffering...the ones who will protect them are...
"Ochaco. You're missing it," Mr. Uraraka told his excited daughter, who looked up at him curiously. "The hero is over there!" He pointed to Eel Boy, who stepped out bruised, but okay.
"Hey! Eel Boy!" A citizen cried out, causing Ochaco to look up. The hero looked up to see the citizen smiling for him. "You're the best!"
"Yeah!"
"Thank you!"
"Thanks!"
Ochaco looked at her hero in shock, as he looked...so happy for the people cheering him on. "Eel Boy! Eel Boy! Eel Boy! Eel Boy!" Ochaco brightened up happily and smiled upon seeing him do the same.
The people who will protect them...are the ones they fight for!
Ochaco took another deep breath. "So please. Lend him your support! Help him fight for us!" She then thought...of Himiko Toga, and her teary-eyed smile. She gripped her megaphone...as she wanted to help the villain too. "Search your hearts! Will you allow him to rest at your side? Will you give him time to prepare for his battle to protect you?" Inko was blushing and crying, so grateful to the girl and her daughter for doing this for her family... "Mido wasn't even comfortable coming to UA until her brother had to convince her. And she got to grow as much as us! So just let her be there for him! Izuku Midoriya is carrying the burden of his power and trying to keep us safe!" Izuku had tears falling down his face as well, clutching at his heart. "But he still has a lot to learn. He's just a kid!"
"I know it's a lot to ask of you, some of you might not still want to, for him or me," Izuka took a deep breath, the girls reaching out to hold each other's hands. "But he's not a villain, he's just a boy who grew up loving heroes! Looked up to them, aspired to be them despite everything he's been through. The thing he needs most right now is to be here! He's made mistakes, I won't deny that, and I have too. But the thing I want is for him to be safe with us! Not isolated for people who don't recognize his age or his drive! I've seen him do so many great things, and I know he'll continue to do so regardless of what anyone says!" Izuku let out a big sniff, Katsuki staring at him. He knew it took a lot out of the girl to say this for him because...well, she could've easily not done so.
"Yeah, but-"
"WE'RE BEGGING YOU!" The girls screamed into the megaphones, Izuku falling towards the ground. "LET UA..." Izuku clutched at his heart while crying...remembering how he and Izuka met Ochaco. And even tried to talk to Izuka despite her shyness at the time. "CONTINUE TO BE HIS HERO ACADEMY!"
Izuku was openly sobbing at their words and Izuka teared up too, sniffing. She tended to be the one who cried the least out of her family...but here, she couldn't help it. She just...couldn't let Izuku be turned away like this. Not when he had been through so much and needed help...
The woman he saved immediately ran over to him. Principal Nezu was left in shock, as were the citizens watching him.
The man Izuku talked to when he saw Kamui Woods for the first time stepped up.
A single step...is all it takes to start down a new path... He thought, and the faces of the people...reflected that as they were no longer angry or distrustful.
"Come back!" Ragdoll gasped as she reached out her hand. Kota had ran off from her side.
"So?" Mandalay smiled while in the shoe store. "Which pair of shoes did you pick out?"
"Those!" Kota insisted on the red sneakers with the black laces. "It's gotta be them! The red ones!" Because...he had seen Izuku's shoes the night he saved Kota from Muscular. So he wanted them...as a memory for that day the boy became his hero.
He continued running towards Izuku with tears in his eyes, pushing past people.
This...is the story of how my sister and I became the world's greatest heroes. Sure...but not just us. It's the story of how we all became the greatest...of heroes.
All this time...it's been uplifting, hell...and terrifying. That's not easy to ignore. However...it can't be denied that we didn't do this alone. All of us in some shape or form...are heroes of our own.
Minoru stared from behind with tears in his eyes. "Midoriya..." He ran up to him, only to be stopped by Tenya. "We can't just sit here!"
"It shouldn't be us this time," The class rep informed him in a soft voice, looking up. You've got this...Uraraka and Mido.
Kota panted as he ran, bending down in front of Izuku. The heteromorph woman joined him. "Mr. Deku, I'm sorry! Forgive me!" He pleaded with his hero, sniffing. "I was...too afraid to say anything before. I'm sorry, but..." Izuku looked up at the boy...as he hadn't seen Kota in so long. "That girl and your sister were trying so hard to get everyone to let you stay...and I knew I had to do something! Because...I wanna be like you! And that's why...I'm here!" He was still crying...but looked happy as his mouth wavered. "So you don't have to cry anymore! Everything'll be okay!"
"Wow...Kota," He murmured at the boy's words, that Kota was willing to do that for him...and he didn't even want Izuku around at camp.
"Deku!" Eri came running in, reaching out to hug him to his shock. She had begged Monoma to let her out so she could see him. "I was scared...it's always been like that for me. But then...you, and Lemillion, and Mido...you all helped me. And because of you...I'm not afraid anymore," She teared up, looking towards Izuka on the roof. "I wanna be like her, a strong and kind hero...so please don't worry!" She held his cheeks, smiling for him as she tried not to cry.
The heteromorph woman helped him get onto his feet. Kota got onto his feet, looking up at him. Eri also stared at the stranger. "I take it you're a UA student?"
"Yes," He answered simply to her.
"A bunch of the shelters turned me away," She revealed tearfully to him. "They said they weren't letting any heteromorphs inside. UA was the only refuge that would welcome me..." She gave him a tiny smile, as she never got to properly thank him for before... "But you know, I got to see you again, so I'm happy. And you have such a brave sister..." She bent down to give him a hug, something he never got for saving someone. "Thanks for what you did back then, crybaby hero." Kota and Eri ran up to hug him too, leaving Izuku stunned...
The citizens all stared at these exchanges, feeling bad for how they treated him...the man who saw the twins with Kamui Woods gave his umbrella to the naysayer. "Maybe before we start getting hysterical, we listen to what the young hero has to say. He just wants to rest. It's not like he's planning to stay here permanently. The city's short on resources and pros, so where else can he recover safely? Where else can his own sister not have to worry about those against her because of him? Don't you think either of them deserve a break?" He implored to everyone and Izuka blinked in astonishment. Because the whole time...she didn't consider the fact that she needed a break too. A break from everything: her brother leaving, having to go off on her own...having to deal with his actions. She didn't consider the fact that emotionally, she wasn't okay, and she needed that rest too. "That's what you teachers were trying to explain, right?"
Izuka teared up, staring at the man gratefully for bringing that up. Ochaco noticed this and hugged the girl close for comfort.
"Yes," Principal Nezu gave him a small nod.
"Can't they go to Shiketsu?!" One of them implored from the crowd. "They've got a secure campus too!"
"They could," The woman next to him pointed out. "But this same thing would probably happen to them there."
He gasped and then frowned, realizing that they'd be turned away too...and probably from every other shelter as well. Plus...it probably wouldn't feel the same being in an unfamiliar area, not surrounded by their friends and their own mother.
"To be honest...I've had to face some hard truths lately," The heteromorph man spoke up gravely. "Before things got bad, I felt like the pros were just performers on a stage." All Might was a great example of this, since it was just easy on the surface to do what he did. That he was a messiah for heroes. "We watched an extraordinary man named All Might...show us what a hero really was. We applauded him and wanted to be him. And somewhere along the way, we forgot that he was a person." It was so easy to associate him with being a hero...without realizing that the number one hero of all people went through his own troubles. That he had his own weaknesses that he left undisclosed to everyone...well, mostly everyone. "But the stage has been destroyed." He, of course, was referring to what happened in Jaku City, and the rest of the world. "The script was thrown out. There's no more money or fame for the pros, and plenty of them have called it quits. Given all that, you gotta wonder why the rest of them still bother fighting for us! If we reject those who are trying to help us even now, what do we have worth saving? How can we expect to get our lives back?"
The cycle of distrusting heroes, demanding answers, shaming them...it had to end at some point. He knew that things wouldn't be normal again if they kept doing this. Because then eventually...there would be no heroes left to help them...and as much as some people out there wanted to protect themselves...they weren't capable of doing so. Making them even more unsafe in that regard.
"I know this is tough. But come on!" The man implored to the people around him. "We can't keep acting like a bunch of spectators!"
They all stared in shame for what they had done...the naysayer gripped his umbrella, his eyes shaking. "There, uh...were lots of rumors about a young man in rags who could use multiple Quirks. Same with the young lady about her being a villain...and how she was trying to help Endeavor..." Even now, their phones still showed the message boards going around about the both of them. "Some said they were working with the villains...and some said they were true heroes. So tell us. If you get some rest here, and your sister stays with you...will you win?!" He looked up at Izuku pleadingly, wanting to put his faith in the twins. "Will things go back to the way they were before?"
Izuku gripped at his scarf. "I'll make sure of it."
This earned a sharp gasp in return. The other classmates either smiled, or were trying to wipe away their tears. "Because...my sister and I have my friends beside us." Katsuki wasn't smiling, more like scoffing, but he wasn't going to deny it either. "And...together, we'll make things right," He declared with determined tears his time...not sad ones.
The man's lip quivered at his words...and then he stepped forward.
Hawks, Endeavor, and Shoto watched as the door opened, revealing Ectoplasm. "Uravity and Callista's speeches. I'm guessing you heard them?" Shoto gave a small silent nod. "You should go on inside," He looked towards the hallway that led back into the school grounds. "Things are settling down. For the moment, at least."
The three ran up, Shoto clamping his mouth shut. Hawks and Endeavor were surprised...and then the latter closed his mouth. "In the end...our actions made Deku suffer even more, didn't they? And damaged his relationship with his own sister...We've made no headway." He felt like he blamed himself and the others for not stepping in sooner to get Izuku out. At the same time...it was a difficult situation that they had been and were still in. "We should've sent him here from the beginning, or staged an intervention between him and Callista."
"No, I think what we're seeing right now...is big progress," Hawks murmured as he stepped up, remembering the angry mob that they got. "One for All is a crystallization of power that can link people together...it connects hearts. It bound All Might to the Midoriyas," Toshinori wasn't nearby Izuku, as he could only listen to the speech. Given how their last conservation went...he felt it was best right now to keep his distance. "Then Class A planted their feet at his side, and Mido's too once they found out what she was up to...and what she had to keep hidden for all that time. And now...Uravity and Callista have pulled the citizens into the mix." Ochaco wiped her tears in relief, Izuka sniffling with a relived smile of her own. Hawks let out a small gasp, his eyes wavering...as he could feel things changing for the better, even if a small step. "Take a sec to look around. If these people can unite...and think about others instead of themselves...we might just see a bright future...where everybody has a smile on their face...and heroes really do have too much time on their hands!"
A bunch of people were surrounding Izuku, either to check on him like his mother, or to reassure the citizens.
Shoto looked on with a small smile, happy that they got through to the people. And like Ochaco and his class, he would support the twins as well. He also remembered something else...
Shoto turned away in silence, clenching a fist. 'Damn it, Midoriya...why did you make us do this?' He then looked up at the girl. "Do you know...where Midoriya is?" He asked the girl carefully.
"I just woke up after needing some rest, I haven't seen him yet. Did he need to get something?" She blinked and Tenya glanced at the other students. He took a deep breath, deciding he'd be the one to tell her as class rep.
"Mido...this is...not easy to say to you. But...your brother has left UA."
"...What?" Izuka murmured quietly, turning away as her eyes shook. "No...that's...that's not-"
Despite Izuka hiding her feelings away at the time...he knew that deep down, she was worried, upset, and probably a lot more than she was letting on. Watching her...he didn't want that for his own family anymore. Even though his family was still broken...watching the Midoriyas fall apart the way they did, it inspired him to patch things up with them. Because the twins had a strong bond, and he knew his siblings and parents wanted that too again...
"Hey, Dad." Endeavor turned to him in shock. "We're in this together."
He reminded himself of seeing his son's eyes of hatred, tipping his hat. "Yes..." He acknowledged, promising to not push away Shoto.
"I couldn't make them see," Principal Nezu stated as he looked down at a tablet. "But then...your kids got them to open their eyes...Aizawa."
Mr. Aizawa was still recovering at the hospital. He now had an eyepatch over his right eye, a small smile on his face. He just wished he could be there with them now... "They sure did. Tell the class rep he's done a good job..." The man murmured gratefully that Tenya had looked after them in his stead. He also now had a bionic leg.
"How's the leg?" Principal Nezu wondered gently, hoping that it wasn't a sensitive subject.
"I won't be out-jumping Mirko any time soon."
"What about Kurogiri?" The principal asked in concern, knowing that Mr. Aizawa wasn't going to stop fighting for him. And he had informed Principal Nezu what happened when he had returned.
"I try talking to him every day," He revealed to his boss. "Unfortunately, there's been no change. But if he is still in there...I know I can reach out to him. Just like how Mido does for her brother and other people." She still reminded him of his old friend...so knowing how much she changed, Kurogiri was capable of doing the same thing...hopefully.
"After he responded to you and Mic calling out to him, I was hoping we'd see some improvement." Kurogiri was still being restrained, some nurses doing some daily practices on him. "That's why he was secretly transported to Central Hospital for restoration research. Mirko crushed the Nomu with his Quirk in the lab. But if you hadn't been able to break through to Shirakumo, at least a little bit, we wouldn't have any strongholds today. It's not much...but we were able to spin a thread of hope that helped us turn the tables."
"We're continuing to watch for Toga?" Mr. Aizawa asked curiously, as he had heard about her being missing in action.
"Yes. We figured out the amount of blood she needs to ingest and the duration of her transformations. Mido has also disclosed to us that Himiko Toga contacted her while she was in recovery." Mr. Aizawa let out a gasp having heard that. "Unfortunately, the phone number is untraceable."
"Mido. Some people reported that at the hospital, you seemed unwell," Principal Nezu pointed out in his office, catching her off guard. Katsuki glanced down at her...as he was the one who reported it to the principal. "Did something happen during your stay?"
She faltered as she looked away, remembering what would've happened had Himiko or someone from the League attacked the hospital. "...I-"
"More trouble?" Momo frowned towards the girl.
"Whoever keeps doing this will suffer the consequences!" Tenya narrowed his eyes and she held up her hands to stop them.
"I was worried about you and everyone else in that hospital, okay?!" She hung her head, the others staring at her. Her eyes were shaking, knowing that she couldn't keep this hidden forever. Not when others were trying to help her and her brother. "...Himiko Toga called me at the hospital. I don't know how she got my number...but all she asked about was my brother and...what to do about him. How she felt. I knew that if I said anything wrong...that she'd track me down. So I said what I could to prevent her from doing so."
Ochaco's eyes slowly widened...remembering when Himiko mentioned the girl during their fight in that house...she never thought it would've led to the villain reaching out to Izuka herself.
"What exactly happened?" Shoto narrowed his eyes, angry that Himiko had to call her and stress the girl out even more.
"We just talked like she wanted us to...like we were friends. I was terrified of what she could've done if I hung up or if I said something she didn't like. And...she wasn't a fan of what I had to say. So she hung up on me, but it seemed like...she was looking for something. I don't know why me or what she wanted," She teared up a little, knowing that she kept something from them again. "And I shouldn't have kept that from you, but I didn't know what to do-"
"Mido, it's okay!" Momo cried out, leaping forward and hugging the girl. Izuka flinched, gasping as her eyes widened.
"Yeah, you protected everyone back there. So don't worry, I wouldn't know what I would've said either," Eijiro placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We won't let you or Izuku continue to do things like this alone," Ochaco spoke up to her friend. "We're with you."
"I understand why you didn't tell us, but things will be okay. We're your friends no matter what," Tsuyu said gently as Izuka shed some tears, trying to wipe them away as others surrounded her to comfort her.
"This is why evacuees can only enter campus after a period of isolation," Principal Nezu revealed to the man.
Mr. Aizawa clenched his fists, wishing that he could've reassured his student. "UA is our stronghold. It's time for our next move," He looked up, determined to end this war with the villains...and to fully reach his old friend.
"Yes, it is."
"Where are you headed?" Ectoplasm wondered to Toshinori walking away.
"Check on those hero-hating groups. They still refuse to take shelter with us," He revealed, knowing that there were still some people out there against them...but as the former number-one, he had to help them too, even without a Quirk. And with that, he drove off in the rain.
Doing this...it wasn't protecting them. But, he also knew that if he just left Izuku alone, he was still going to go through with it... "I could try to stop you. But I know your mind is made up," He looked up with tears flowing from his face. "Well, even if you don't want my help...I won't let you do this alone, understand?"
Izuku did look back...but not for approval. "That's why...you don't have to worry."
He gritted his teeth as he still felt the need to look after Izuku...the boy was clearly not okay, and he was supposed to just sit back and let it happen? He reached out his hand again.
"One more thing!" He cried out, but Izuku jumped away without hearing him out. He then fell onto the rainy ground...as Izuku continued to float away from him.
He knew that Izuku was surrounded by his friends and his sister...so he didn't have to focus on Toshinori right now. All he should be doing was getting better.
Someone was watching him drive down the empty highway, getting onto their feet. And they had an intense look on their face...
"Thank goodness..." Izuka murmured while attempting and failing to wipe her tears at the crowd. She sniffed upon seeing the people surrounding her brother.
"Mido...are you gonna be okay?" Ochaco wondered and Izuka blinked, remembering the previous times people were spreading rumors about her. And that...she hadn't really talked to Izuku about what he did before he left school.
She turned towards the brunette with a hopeful look on her face...something she hadn't felt for a while now. "Everything will be okay, Ochaco. You know why? Because I have you, Momo, and everyone by my side. So thank you...thank you for everything you've done. And for being my very first friend. I'm glad that you were the one who reached out to me."
Ochaco teared up with a happy smile.
"I wanted to say sorry for scaring you the other day. Deku tells me you're really shy, so I hope we can become good friends, Mido!" Ochaco told her enthusiastically before their first class with All Might.
"Yeah...I'm glad I did too."