The aftermath of the night before was overwhelming. Sirens blared, online speculation surged, and news outlets buzzed as everyone in Japan discussed the latest event in Musutafu. The reactions were straightforward, to say the least. Some people were glad the threat to society was taken care of and were grateful to the heroes for swiftly resolving the situation; some questioned why such a crisis escalated in the first place, audibly voicing their doubts; few were blind enough to blame every casualty, despite its low percentage, on the heroes and slayers, while others had their suspicions.

Suspicions of the sudden death of a villain who had been beheaded off-screen by another threat. That very threat was then decapitated by a teenager who might be affiliated with the heroes and U.A. students at the place of the incident. Theories of rampant quirks and even blood-sucking quirk-type villains were the hot topic.

Suspicions about who those kids actually are from the higher-ups of the hero commission. The mysterious teens didn't appear in any provisional or professional licensing records. With no official registration, their identities—and their role in the incident—became the center of a media storm. Reporters, journalists, and bloggers are agitated and need to satisfy their curiosity and that of the public, leading to the upcoming conference with some of the official members of the Hero Commission and the number one hero, Endeavor.

Speaking of popular, Zenitsu's battle against Kaigaku was trending on many blogging sites. Mostly because of the number one's presence along with three of the more recognized U.A. students and the panic from anarchy disposal by the mysterious enemies. Some admired his way with the sword, others found his courage to take on an unknown enemy inspiring, and tweets spread debating his possible quirk from the last attack; the blonde pulled from his breathing style to defeat his senior.

This all happened within the span of ten hours.

Aizawa took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He stood beside the still form of Zenitsu lying on the hospital bed. The boy was wrapped from head to feet with bandages. Fortunately, it was majorly cracked skin. He was brought to a private ward of the city's hospital. A doctor with a healing factor quirk who Nezu and Recovery Girl were familiar with gave him a call and booked him this private ward.

Shinobu arrived at the hospital late last night upon hearing the news but with enough time to apply the anti-demon blood coagulant she and Tamayo worked on. She was lucky she had some on her, as she recalled Tamayo's assistant having most of it. She and the doctor spoke for some time before concluding he'll come around soon. Of course, Shinobu smiled, opting to look over one of her own.

The pro hero studied the blonde's bandaged form as the IV steadily fed into his arm. His morning visiting time was up for now; he had to come back later to check on his student. Knowing he was in good hands, he walked to the door and exited quietly. His hands were tucked in his pockets as he made it back to the reception ward to sign out. Once he finished, he thanked the nurse receptionist politely, and then, about to leave, his eyes trailed to where Hizashi sat waiting.

"How's he holding up?" Hizashi shot up to his feet, approaching this friend as they exited together into the winter air.

"He's stable, and from what I was told, he'll recover." Aizawa said, keeping his eyes forward. "Lucky, considering the damage he took to his legs."

"He's tough. Knowing your students, they always are." Hizashi replied, with a hint of awe. He fixed his gaze on his best friend, noting how quiet he's become. Not that he couldn't relate, especially since they visited Kurogiri in Tartarus earlier today. "You're quieter than usual. And that's saying something."

Snowflakes descended gradually as the silence continued till Aizawa broke it.

"This takes me back to the Kamino incident. They left because I didn't check in on them." He said. "And the same thing repeated yesterday."

Hizashi blinked. "You mean the kid slayers?"

Aizawa gave a slow nod, adjusting his scarf. "I knew they'd be restless after getting the detail on Lucas' escape from All Might, especially Hashibira. No supervision. No orders. And from the report I got, each of the three boys nearly got killed."

He continued. "Agatsuma can't walk. Shinazugawa and Inosuke have been more subdued since yesterday."

"But they were. Plus, they weren't out there alone. They had some of your students and Endeavor." Hizashi adds, "And they survived. Even if you didn't mean to, I'm sure they've learned something out of this."

Aizawa didn't answer, as the silence following that felt heavier than before.

・・・・・・

Class 1-A dorms felt less lively today after their training session and school day. Inosuke was less troublesome since last night, which was surprising to say the least. Tanjirou was relieved to know Zenitsu was alright. He had confronted his boar-headed friend and scolded him in his usual firm way for leaving on his own. The two bickered until Kanao and Genya shoved two rice balls into their mouths to get them to stop. Funny enough, they did and later bonded over the meal.

The original twenty exchanged subtle, worrisome glances, but it lessened when Kanao and Genya intervened. As the four slayers went to their rooms, the others proceeded with their day as they would on a usual weekend, but talking about the events from last night.

"You three sure you're good?"

Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki paused whatever they were doing to glance at Kaminari, who gulped from their sudden stares.

"I mean, you guys literally took on a whole army last night and protected everyone." Kaminari began meekly.

Midoriya nodded with a small smile. "Thanks, Kaminari. We're okay...just tired, I guess."

"We're standing here now, aren't we?" Bakugo muttered, raising a brow.

Todoroki sets his tea down. "I called Natsuo after everything. His side aches, but he'll be fine." His fingers were tapping rhythmically against the table—a subtle sign he wasn't as calm as he sounded. His brother might get scarred from being assaulted twice in one night.

A brief silence fell over the group. Kaminari rubbed the back of his neck, hesitating.

"It's not just that, though. You guys were out there fighting something the public doesn't really understand. Everyone saw the footage on the news this morning and last night."

"I think what Kaminari is trying to say... is that yesterday's event took a toll on your mind." Iida cleared his throat, grabbing everyone's attention. "You helped evacuate people, protected civilians, and minimized damage costs." He adjusted his glasses. "That's what a hero does."

Todoroki looked right at his class rep. "Yeah, but it's not just that."

Bakugo scoffed. "Yeah. Some out-of-nowhere demon explodes in the middle of a crowd, each of our classmates almost dies, the Commission is breathing down our necks, and the media's making theories like we're part of some damn cult."

Uraraka twirled her pen, looking around the room with a worried frown. "But even after everything, everyone survived. I know the media's watching, but...I think we should be checking in on each other too."

They all turned to look at the elevator where the others had gone, holding the stillness like a thread between them.

"I think it was admirable how you guys handled the entire thing." Everyone turned to Koda, who shrunk back from the stares.

"Koda..."

"Some of us aren't fully used to hurting someone to that degree—let alone killing—but you, Endeavor, Inosuke, Genya, and even Zenitsu held on." He continued, fiddling with his fingers.

"I'm siding with Koda on this one. It's not our first time seeing our friends decapitating demons, but the way you three threw hands without hesitation. Earns my respect." Kirishima pats Koda's shoulder while Mineta nods , adding his own points.

"I get it's for our safety, but honestly... Watching that? Kinda disturbing. And now everyone else is getting paranoid."

"It was them or everyone else. They might have been humans before, but we can't assume restraining them wouldn't backfire. Plus, that's the surest way to make sure this action won't repeat itself since their freedom means death and lots more demons." Todoroki placed his palms together, continuing. "Besides, we signed up for this line of work. And we might come across the same thing one day."

Sero mused, his head facing the ceiling, kicking his feet lightly. "Like a controlled invasion. Man, we learn something new from each other every day, huh?"

"Literally."

Footsteps were heard after that and the door sliding shut. Everyone saw their homeroom teacher walk in, exiting the frosty climate. Aizawa took in the settled and gathered form of his students, but before he could ask, Bakugo grunted.

"They're in their rooms."

Aizawa nods. Without a word, he turns with a purposeful stride to the elevator. He pushed the button and dropped.

"You kids should get ready. We'll be leaving for the hospital later in the afternoon."

Everyone's eyes lit up knowing it would be their chance to check on Zenitsu's welfare. With that, the elevator doors shut behind Aizawa.

Once the lift stopped at its designated floor, the second floor. I'm really going for it, huh? He stepped past the parted doors and halted in front of the boys' door, opposite the girls'. He heard a muffled conversation inside, or more accurately, someone grumbling under their breath. With a quiet sigh, he knocked once.

After a few muffled voices, the door slid open a moment later, revealing Tanjirou, his face solemn. Behind him, Kanao sat cross-legged on one of their beds with Nezuko, gently squeezing her hands. Genya leaned against the wall, and Inosuke was halfway through tying a pillow to his head like a battle helmet. The man stepped in without a word, letting the door click shut behind him.

Tanjirou bowed his head. "We're sorry." Aizawa raised a brow, but nonetheless he let the boy continue. "For acting on our own. For not trusting the adults. For—"

"You are young teens. Not soldiers. I've said this once. There are rules. Licenses. Protocols. Boundaries." Aizawa said finally under the dim light.

"... I know. And I've seen that you are not like the students here. You've lived through things that no one should have to." He turned to Genya and Inosuke. "You've been trained to act. Not wait. I should have accounted for that."

"Is Monitsu okay?" Inosuke asked suddenly, abandoning his makeshift helmet.

"He's alive." Aizawa replied. "Thanks to your friend and the doctors."

Inosuke mumbled something about not wanting his whining to stop just yet. Tanjirou gave a weak smile, but it quickly faded. The message was clear. Both sides were taking accountability for their actions. A second chance. A place to stand despite the world changing around them, even if some parties weren't accounted for in the first place.

"No more unsupervised actions. No more splitting off. But for what it's worth, you did good." Aizawa turned to the door, then paused, adding. "Visiting hours start soon. We'll be leaving for the hospital in thirty minutes. Get ready."

The five straightened.

"...And one more thing, your friend wouldn't have survived without you."

・・・・・・

'Kocho.'

'My, if it isn't Tomioka, is there a reason you called?' Shinobu spoke into the phone in hand. She was in the private room of the hospital in Zenitsu's ward, taking full advantage of the tools she was given access to. Her phone was placed between her shoulder and ear while she took off her gloves and disposed of used kits. 'If it's about Zenitsu, he should be waking up anytime from now. Beating an Upper Moon by himself was no easy feat, even if Upper six was recently replaced. That's one enemy down.'

'I see.' A relief breath came from his side, and a few background voices came from the cell phone. 'There's something I need to tell you...'

Shinobu paid rapt attention to his voice once he explained, her eyes slowly widening. 'He made it. That's great news. I hope you and Muichiro don't mind escorting him to the hospital. If you're stationed with any hero, it'd be wonderful if they could help'.

'Yeah... And Kocho?'

'Hm?'

'...Thank you. For saving him.'

'Tomioka...' Shinobu blinked, closing the kit. 'You're surprisingly honest today. Should I write this down? You're not running a fever, are you?' She concludes with a small smile as she hangs up.

Tomioka retracted the phone from his ear, handing it to Muichiro, who caught it.

"What'd she say?" Muichiro asked.

"We bring him back to the hospital. Thankfully, the sun is setting already." Tomioka looked to the side at the canopy of the less busy street as the sunset began. Underneath the canopy, Yushiro sat with Mandalay next to him, who he warily eyed.

"Are you two just going to stand there and not explain a damn thing, leaving me with her?" Yushiro glowered at the two Hashiras.

He'd only arrived in this world a few hours ago, catching snippets of what he'd learned and could decipher here as he stuck to dark spaces. These three found him while on patrol. Since Yushiro could recognize them, having been to the corps and seen them a few times without interaction, he quickly told them he was on their side, which they might have already known from the master.

Mandalay deadpanned, looking at the two. "Are you sure he isn't one of those bad demons you talked about?"

"He won't do anything. He's on our side after all." Muichiro placed a hand on his chin, turning to Yushiro. "Though we're short on time, do you mind toning it down for a sec?"

The demon frowned, almost insulted; nonetheless, he agreed while Mandalay was talking to Tomioka. The pussycat heroine placed a cat paw on her headphone and said with a nod.

"Alright, Let's go now. I'll lead you to the hospital."

・・・・・・

Squeaky wheelchairs breached the stillness that once filled the air of the hospital waiting room. The students arrived with their homeroom teacher later, sitting patiently for any updates.

"Eraser, you brought your kids along?"

Aizawa, leaning against the wall, turned to Mandalay's voice, acknowledging her presence. "Mandalay, what brings you here?"

She stops in front of him, explaining, "Well, I and the Hashiras on patrol today had to bring someone in. I was just about to inform you about it on the phone." Just as she said that, the doctor trailed from behind. He scanned the visitors briefly, then recognized the teacher.

"Please, right this way." The doctor gestured. Before that, Aizawa gave a brief nod to the heroine, who excused herself.

The doctor spoke as he led them to the private ward, shuffling the papers on his clipboard. "The kid's alright, though he might need to stay in the hospital for a week to be discharged."

A sigh of relief escaped everyone as he continued.

"Miss Kocho has been quick to grasp and manage the resources given to her in a short time. Seemingly from her expertise in the medical field. You're lucky to have her around." He smiled, glancing at the door before clearing his throat. "You can go in now."

Once the Doctor left, Aizawa slid the door open, ushering each student to step in quietly. The curtains of the ward pushed back gently from the chill breeze breaching in.

"Zenitsu."

Zenitsu was staring at the city in his blue hospital gown, up and sitting as he ate his food. He was covered in light bandages and a few stitches. He blinked, whipping his head to the voices. "Hm?"

The group of students smiled, making their way to him, surrounding the side of his bed.

Ojiro asked. "How are you holding up?"

"You guys," Zenitsu smiled before flinching. "...Gah! Not again!" He backed up once Inosuke prepared to leap on the bed. Thankfully, Asui swiftly caught him with her tongue and set him down.

"They just finished stitching him, ribbit." Asui points out, making Inosuke obey reluctantly.

Mina placed a basket, probably containing food, snacks, and gifts, on the table with a soft smile. "We brought lots of food and sweets, specially made by Sato and the girls. Figured it out from Tanjirou, who told us you were a foodie. Hope it makes you feel better. Oh, and check out what Nezuko brought you."

Zenitsu glanced at Nezuko, her hand extending a card. It was a 'Get well soon' card with a picture of him and the rest of his classmates. His eyes slowly gaped, feeling a warm pat on his head.

"We'll be waiting , Zenitsu. So take care, alright?" Nezuko said finally.

He stared, eyes now glossy, and his fingers crinkled the card a bit on the sides. When he was unconscious, he'd seen his teacher in the afterlife. The one person he'd truly call family, for showing him care and affection after all he'd been put through then. The old man never stopped looking after him, caring for him, and watching him. He told him that he was his pride and joy.

Even after the entire incident with Kaigaku, even after his mentor's death. Zenitsu sniffed, glancing at the photo and then at his friends with trembling lips. Tanjirou and everyone looked his way with a smile. He tried to speak with a lump in his throat. "Y-Yeah."

Grandpa... I've found people who won't stop caring too.

Aizawa watched from the doorstep quietly, sensing footsteps behind him. He looked from the corner of his eye, noting All Might halting next to him.

"Aizawa, How's Young Agatsuma holding up?"

Aizawa held the moment, then answered. "He looks relieved to see everyone visiting him. Looks like the kid had the answers to what he might have faced."

All Might unwrapped the scarf from his neck as Aizawa shut the door gently, giving the teens space. The black-haired male leaned on the wall, bringing his capture weapon below his chin. "You've met Tsukauchi. I assume he already told you to postpone your meeting with Stain after what's been happening lately."

All Might hummed. "Yeah."

Aizawa's lips formed a straight line. "What's wrong?"

"The feeling of ...powerlessness has finally caught up to me." All Might sighed. Bits of conversations floated in the hospital as he continued. "Every time I see the students are evolving, I get tortured by the irritation I can't do anything else for them. They don't need to look back at me anymore, even in times like these when Lucas has slipped off."

"You are still a workaholic. You've been defending this country for decades. A symptom of your addiction made clear by sudden change," Aizawa folded his arms across his chest.

"That's harsh."

"You are able to do something for them."

"Huh?"

"By living and being here. Just by doing that, you can spur on many people." All might gaped as Aizawa continued. "You should boldly sit back and put your feet up. Just as you have been."

"Thanks..."

Meanwhile, back in the ward, Kaminari and Kirishima follow Nezuko by patting Zenitsu as they lighten the mood in the room. Before Inosuke joined in too, the four were bonding that way.

"I think Zenitsu would be just fine." Tanjirou looked on next to Midoriya, who nodded in agreement, watching everyone interact as the noise from the TV played in the background. A headline pulled up on the screen.

"Breaking: Hero Commission and U.A. to address Musutafu incident at national press conference."

Preview

"Tomioka, where did Kocho say we should leave him?" Muichiro jabbed a thumb at Yushiro, who snapped.

"Don't talk about me like I'm not standing here! I've met with her already and helped treat the blonde kid, so my job is done."

"Let's head back to U.A." Tomioka sighed, watching as Yushiro still wouldn't let go and continued his retorts at Yushiro. "Next, Chapter 36: Consequences."

A/N:Felt like giving everyone a chance to breathe and reflect, cause why not? Now we're heading to the aspects of life I cannot get most, like, and really detest. Politics and media. Wish me luck!