The Previous Day – UA High Faculty Meeting
Aizawa slumped in his chair, his bandaged fingers steepled beneath his chin as Nezu clapped his tiny paws together.
"Given recent events." the principal chirped,
"I propose we grant Class 1-A a day's respite. They've earned it."
Yagi, still adjusting to his skeletal form in staff meetings, perked up. "A splendid idea! The children need time to—"
"—process trauma without coddling," Aizawa finished flatly. But the dark circles under his eyes betrayed his usual sternness. He exhaled through his nose.
"Fine. One day."
[Class 1-A Dorm Common Room – That Evening]
"Group hangout at Deku's tomorrow!" Uraraka announced, flopping onto the couch beside Tsuyu.
"His mom makes the best katsudon."
Iida's hand chopped the air.
"While fraternization is encouraged, we must consider proper scheduling! A sign-up sheet for arrival times—"
Kaminari threw an arm around his shoulders.
"Dude. It's not a field trip. We show up, we eat, we traumatize Midoriya with our presence. Simple."
Bakugo, lurking near the kitchen, scoffed.
"Like I'd waste my day with you losers."
Kirishima grinned. "Aw, come on, man! It'll be manly bonding!"
"Tch. Whatever." But no one missed how Bakugo didn't actually say no.
The next morning, Midoriya would open his door to find nearly his entire class crammed into the hallway, Uraraka beaming with a bakery box, Iida holding a very organized snack spreadsheet, and Bakugo... lurking angrily at the back, arms crossed.
Some things, it seemed, were stronger than trauma—like friendship, free food, and the unspoken understanding that they'd all nearly died together. And maybe that was enough.
[Next Day]
The rhythmic chopping of vegetables filled the Midoriya apartment as Inko hummed softly to herself. Sunlight streamed through the kitchen window, casting warm patterns across the counter where Izuku sat scribbling in his notebook.
His fingers still trembled slightly when he gripped his pen too tightly - a lingering effect from the USJ that Recovery Girl hadn't been able to completely erase.
"I made extra katsudon."
Izuku's head snapped up, his freckled face lighting up. Before he could respond, the doorbell rang with three distinct chimes - the middle one cut short, just like Uraraka always pressed it.
"I'll get it!" He nearly tripped over his own feet in his haste, skidding to a stop at the genkan. The door swung open to reveal Uraraka bouncing on her toes, a bakery box clutched in her hands, while Iida stood ramrod straight behind her, adjusting his glasses.
"We brought melon bread!" Uraraka announced, her round cheeks dimpling as she smiled. Then her eyes caught on the fading yellow-green bruises peeking beneath Izuku's collar. Her smile faltered for just a second before she barrelled forward, pressing the box into his hands. "The guy at the shop gave us an extra one for free!"
Iida executed a perfect 90-degree bow. "As class representative, I deemed it essential to check on all classmates following the traumatic events at USJ!"
His robotic arm movements stuttered slightly when he straightened. "Though I maintain that a more organized visitation schedule would have been preferable-"
Uraraka elbowed him gently.
"He means we were worried about you."
Izuku felt his eyes prickle with warmth as he ushered them inside. The sweet aroma of freshly baked bread mingled with the savoury scents from the kitchen as they settled around the kotatsu. For a moment, it was almost possible to pretend they were just normal teenagers, not students who had stared death in the face.
Then Izuku's grip tightened unconsciously around his notebook, the edges crumpling under his fingers with a sound like distant gunfire. All three of them froze at the noise.
"You okay there, Deku?" Uraraka asked softly, reaching out but stopping just short of touching his hand.
"Yeah! Yeah, just-"
Izuku forced his fingers to relax, smoothing out the creased pages. His eyes caught on his latest sketch - a detailed analysis of Radahn's fighting style, the margins filled with frantic question marks.
"It's stupid. We weren't even the ones most hurt, but-"
"But trauma doesn't work on a sliding scale," Iida said unexpectedly. When they both turned to stare, his ears turned slightly pink.
The quiet that followed was comfortable this time, filled with the clinking of dishes as Inko brought over tea. Outside, the sounds of the city continued unaware - cars honking, children laughing on their way home from school, the distant wail of a hero siren. Normal life, moving forward.
Until Uraraka broke the silence with a sudden gasp.
"Oh! Did you guys hear about-"
[UA Teacher's Lounge - Same Afternoon]
The coffee machine gurgled ominously before spitting out a dark stream into Aizawa's waiting mug. The bitter aroma did little to cut through the fog of exhaustion clinging to him, but he drank it anyway, relishing the scalding heat on his tongue.
"You look like death warmed over."
Aizawa didn't turn to face Present Mic, though he did lift two fingers in a rude gesture. "Twenty-eight children walked into an active combat zone last week. Excuse me if I'm not well-rested."
Mic's usual boisterous energy was subdued as he dropped into the chair opposite, his sunglasses reflecting the flickering fluorescent lights. "They're alive, Shota. Thanks to you. Thanks to all of us."
The door creaked open before Aizawa could respond, revealing All Might in his skeletal form, a stack of papers clutched in his bony fingers. "Ah! I brought the revised security protocols from Nezu-"
"Not now, Yagi." Aizawa's capture weapon shifted around his shoulders like a living thing.
"The media's already circling like vultures. We don't have time for paperwork."
All Might's smile dimmed but didn't disappear entirely.
"Of course. Though I did think-"
The intercom crackled to life with Nezu's cheerful voice. "Faculty meeting in Conference Room B! We have some rather... persistent questions to address regarding our recent incident."
[UA Press Conference - Next Morning]
The press room was a sea of flashing lights and jostling reporters, the air thick with the scent of hairspray and desperation. Nezu took the podium with his usual aplomb, his beady eyes scanning the crowd as the shouts began:
"How many casualties at USJ?"
"Is it true your staff executed villains?"
Nezu's paws folded neatly on the lectern.
"All inquiries regarding the USJ incident are being handled by the proper authorities. Now, if we could focus on-"
"Bullshit!"
A tabloid reporter leapt to his feet, waving a blurry photograph.
"We have evidence of bodies being removed under cover of darkness!"
A hush fell over the room. Midnight, standing off to the side, subtly released a wave of her pheromones. The reporter swayed before slumping back into his seat, his aggressive expression melting into a dopey grin.
Nezu's smile never wavered. "As I was saying, let's discuss something more uplifting - the upcoming UA Sports Festival!"
[Class 1-A Homeroom - Following Period]
Aizawa unrolled himself from his sleeping bag with the grace of a man who had perfected the motion through years of practice. The class immediately fell silent, though excitement thrummed through the room like electricity.
"The UA Sports Festival begins in two weeks." he said flatly.
"Try not to embarrass yourselves."
The dam broke.
"Finally! My time to shine!" Kaminari whooped, finger-gunning at Jiro, who responded by flicking an earphone jack at his forehead.
"I shall claim victory for the Iida family legacy!" Iida declared, his arm chops cutting through the air with military precision.
Ashido leaned so far over her desk that she nearly toppled onto Kirishima.
"Bet I place higher than you!"
An explosion punctuated the noise as Bakugo slammed his palms on his desk.
"SHUT THE HELL UP, EXTRAS! FIRST PLACE IS MINE!"
At the back of the room, Todoroki sat motionless, his mismatched eyes fixed on Midoriya with unsettling intensity. When the dismissal bell rang, he materialized at Midoriya's desk like a ghost.
"You." he said, voice barely above a whisper. The temperature around them dropped noticeably.
"I'll defeat you."
Midoriya swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. Before he could respond, Todoroki turned on his heel and strode away, leaving frost crystallizing in his wake.
[UA Rooftop - After School]
The sunset painted the sky in fiery hues as All Might coughed into his handkerchief, the familiar coppery taste of blood flooding his mouth. The USJ had been too close. Far too close. And now, with the Sports Festival looming...
The door creaked open behind him.
"You're brooding." Aizawa observed, joining him at the railing.
"Just thinking-" All Might replied, tucking the bloodstained cloth away.
"Don't hurt yourself." Aizawa's dry tone lacked its usual bite.
They stood in companionable silence for a long moment before he spoke again.
"The media's not going to let the USJ go. Not with Enrai's methods."
All Might's grip tightened on the railing. "He saved those children."
"At what cost?" Aizawa turned to face him fully, his dark eyes unreadable.
"There are lines heroes shouldn't cross, Yagi. Once you cross them-"
The wind picked up,
The setting sun painted All Might's broad shoulders crimson as he gripped the rooftop railing, his usual smile absent. The metal groaned under his unconscious strength as another explosion - unmistakably Bakugo's - echoed from the training grounds below.
"You think I'm being naive." he said, his deep voice uncharacteristically flat.
Aizawa's capture scarf rippled in the evening breeze like a living shadow.
"I think we're standing in the wreckage of decisions made by men who stopped asking 'should we' and only asked 'can we'."
All Might's jaw tightened. "And Enrai?"
"Is either the messenger or the warning." Aizawa finally turned to face him fully.
"The children are learning too fast." Aizawa murmured.
"Not just techniques."
"They survived." All Might's voice carried the weight of Symbol of Peace.
"That has to count for something."
"Survival isn't the same as living." Aizawa's bandaged hands flexed unconsciously.
"And some scars don't fade."
Aizawa turned to leave, his silhouette framed against the darkening sky.
"Nezu announced the Sports Festival. The Commission will be watching closer than ever." He paused at the rooftop door.
As the door clicked shut behind him, All Might remained at the railing, his shadow stretching long across the rooftop.
The Symbol of Peace clenched his fists. Whatever storm was coming, he'd make sure these children had a fighting chance. Even if it cost him everything.
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(A/N): Do write comments and also point out any mistakes mid-chapter , I'll correct it as soon as possible.
And also tell me how are you guys enjoying the fanfic so far?