55

Kyouka hissed sharply as Hadou led her out into the street. Now that the fighting was over and the danger had passed, she found it hard to be distracted from the throbbing pain shooting up her leg. She was led over to a car and Hadou lifted her carefully onto the hood, making sure to keep pressure off her injury.

Behind them was the rest of the women, including Miruko dragging Stain's unconscious body. He was bound tightly, with handcuffs that Momo made ensuring there was no chance of escape if he managed to wake up.

"Um, Miruko?" Pony asked. "What should we do about the body back in the alleyway?"

Kyouka felt bad, but in the excitement and danger of the fight, she had forgotten about it. 

"Leave him," Miruko said gruffly. "There's nothing we can do for him, and the police will want the crime scene as untouched as possible."

"Yaoyorozu, can you make something to put under her leg?" Hadou asked as she lifted Kyouka's leg up, her voice much more commanding than normal. "We need to make sure it's elevated until the paramedics can get here."

Momo nodded quickly and made an inflatable rubber pillow, pulling it out of her stomach and pressing a button on the side of it, causing the pillow to rapidly inflate. She walked over to Kyouka and placed it under her leg, allowing Hadou to set it down gently. 

"Alright, let's take a look at you," Hadou muttered, turning Kyouka's leg slightly. "Hmm. It's definitely in the bone, there's no way we're gonna pull out before you get to the hospital. Good news is that you're not bleeding much at all, so you're gonna be totally fine. You'll be up and walking tomorrow, I bet!"

"That's great!" Mina cheered.

"Are you a doctor?" Pony asked.

Kyouka smiled a bit when Pony spoke. Even after just a week, she was already speaking a little smoother.

Hadou shook her head. "I've just got some training and seen some stuff. Don't worry, Jirou, I've been hurt much worse than that and been back in school the next day! You'll be fine!"

Kyouka smiled a little as she leaned back and closed her eyes for a moment, letting out a deep breath. 

"You made it," Momo said softly as she and the other women gathered around the car. 

"Barely," Kyouka responded with a huff. "That was damn intense."

"So, what happened?!" Eiko asked excitedly. 

Kyouka cracked one eye open and tried to sit up, but Hadou put a finger on her sternum and pushed her back down. "You can tell us from down there," she chastised lightly. 

"Right, sorry," Kyouka muttered softly, leaning back onto the car. Her brow furrowed as she felt something soft beneath her head—something that definitely wasn't there a few moments ago. 

She turned her head slightly and saw a small pillow. Above her, Momo was blushing slightly as she smiled down at her, pulling her hand back quickly.

"Thanks, Yaomomo," Kyouka said with a small smile.

"My pleasure," she returned with a nod. 

Kyouka adjusted herself slightly and let out another sigh. "So, I'm here with Death Arms, right? He's probably freaking the fuck out right now, but I don't have his number, so there's not much I can do about that…"

"You're with Death Arms?" Miruko asked. "I can message him on the Hero Network and let him know I've got you. Keep him from giving himself an aneurysm, at least."

Kyouka blinked. "Oh, that would be great, thank you."

Miruko laughed sharply. "He's still gonna chew you out. Nothing I can do about that."

"Right," Kyouka mumbled, groaning a little. "Anyway, I was listening for more victims, but I heard Midoriya talking to Stain instead. I took off running as fast as I could to find him."

"By yourself?" Momo asked, worry in her voice.

"There wasn't anyone around," Kyouka explained. "If I had waited, who knows what would have happened to him? I mean, I called you all, right? I'm not totally reckless."

"Says the woman with the knife in her leg," Mina said with a laugh.

Kyouka rolled her eyes as Mina stuck out her tongue. "I got there and Midoriya and Stain were having this back and forth. He was saying some crap about real heroes and fake heroes, saying that Midoriya and his family were all greedy and the scum of society or something, I wasn't really listening."

She noticed Mina bristle a little bit. She was his girlfriend, after all; it made sense for her to be protective. What was odd was she also noticed Momo do the same thing, and the two women exchanging a look.

"I tried to get him to run," Kyouka continued, "but he wouldn't listen. He seemed intent on fighting him, maybe to prove something, I don't know."

"What?" Mina asked in disbelief. "Oh, you thick-skulled-"

"He made the right call," Miruko said, interrupting her. 

The rest of the women seemed surprised. "Really?" Momo asked.

Miruko nodded as she continued to use her phone. "Stain was faster than him. Running would have just put his back on the danger and left him vulnerable." 

"Yeah," Eiko said, crashing her fists together. "And it totally wouldn't have been manly to run!"

Hadou sashayed over and tapped Eiko on the nose with a finger. "You gotta know when you're outgunned, Kirishima! There's no shame in waiting for backup."

"He tried to get me to run," Kyouka added. "I told him there was no way I was gonna leave him to fight Stain alone."

"Also manly!" Eiko cheered.

"You're funny," Hadou said suddenly, giggling as she looked up at Eiko. "I like you."

Mina raised an intrigued eyebrow at Hadou before turning back to Kyouka. "I knew you were a badass, but damn. Standing up to Stain like that couldn't have been easy."

Kyouka laughed and shook her head against the pillow. "No way. Midoriya and I fought pretty well together, but Stain was tough. We got a few good shots in, but he kept coming. He even had a gas mask so Midoriya's breath didn't do anything."

"What?!" Pony exclaimed. "What are chances of that?" 

"Oh, he said it-"

Kyouka's eyes went wide for a moment as she remembered what Stain said. "He said something about Shigaraki!"

"That bastard from the USJ?" Mina gasped.

Miruko's ears twitched as she put her phone away. "The League's involved with this? Can't say I'm surprised. The police will want to hear your testimonies, especially if Stain said anything like that."

Kyouka nodded. "Understood. Anyway, I used one of my jacks to grab his arms so Midoriya could break his sword, and he took exception to that. The asshole started coming for me, that's when he got this knife in my leg. Then he tried to take a swing at my jack." She shook her left jack a little for emphasis. 

"Oh no," Momo said breathlessly. "That must have been terrifying."

She was right, but Kyouka tried to hide it. "A little, yeah. Honestly, I don't think he could have cut them. They're pretty tough." 

Miruko cocked her hip. "You don't think a guy with a blade could cut those ear thingies?"

"Like I said, they're tough," Kyouka answered, letting her jack move down and punch through the steel hood of the car like it was paper. "I've gotten them caught in stuff over the years, especially growing up. They'll hurt, but no permanent damage so far. I also think they can grow back."

"Woah, really?" Hadou asked in awe. "That's so cool! Wait, how do you know that?"

Kyouka rocked her head back and forth. "Technically I don't know for sure. My mom has basically the same quirk as me and when she was younger, a villain cut one of her jacks off while it was holding her hostage to get away from a hero. It grew back, so I assume mine will, too."

"Let's not test that theory, please," Momo said firmly.

"Agreed," Kyouka offered weakly. "Midoriya made sure I didn't test it today. Faster than I could really see, he threw his arm in front of the blade and blocked it. Bad thing was, Stain finally got a good hit on him. Drew blood."

"Which is how Stain's quirk works," Miruko scoffed. "I'm glad he told me."

"What does it do?" Momo asked.

"Paralyzes you," Kyouka answered. "He licked Midoriya's blood and he froze up. Couldn't move a muscle for a while." 

Pony gasped. "So he was helpless?" 

Kyouka nodded. "But Midoriya's blood is poison, so it made him unsteady and gave him a lisp, which was hilarious, but I had to keep Stain off him for a little bit. He was dangerous even when loopy."

"On one leg?" Eiko asked. "Man, you're so cool!" 

Kyouka blushed a little harder and clicked her jacks together nervously. "Y-yeah. But we were basically done for when Ochako and Miruko arrived. Thanks for the save, by the way."

Miruko smirked. "It's what I do. Save people and kick ass."

"Damn, yeah it is," Kyouka said with a relieved sigh. "Watching you in person is way different than in a video. You're something else."

"First the dragon and now you," Miruko chuckled. "My fanclub is getting bigger every day."

"Well, yeah," Kyouka muttered, blushing a little harder. "You saved my life, that kinda earns some brownie points, yeah?"

Miruko laughed again. "Wasn't just me. Uraraka helped, too. She's a quick learner." 

"Yeah…" Kyouka mumbled, reliving the memory of Ochako appearing on the rooftop and jumping down in front of her. That wasn't something she was going to be forgetting anytime soon. 

"You still there?" Mina asked, waving a hand in front of her face.

Kyouka blinked. "Oh, sorry. Where was I? Right. Uh, Miruko and Ochako fought Stain for a bit, but Ochako got paralyzed. His quirk ended on Midoriya a little after, but he didn't move. He laid in wait and taunted Stain. He rushed Midoriya and got a surprise claw to the chest, then a surprise foot to the back. That's when you all showed up. Badass entrances, by the way. I wish I had it on video."

"Same!" Hadou cheered. "You all did great and looked good doing it!"

Suddenly, the bubbly air of their TA dulled. She looked down at Kyouka with a very kind, soft expression on her face, her beautiful periwinkle eyes gazing right at her. "But in all seriousness, thank you for saving Greenhorn. He's bullheaded, but he's very important to me. I'll thank him later for saving you. I don't want any of my students getting hurt."

"Aw…" Mina cooed. "You're such a good TA."

Hadou turned around and bowed slightly to Miruko. "And thank you for saving my students."

"Yeah, well, just make sure you mention it to your boss, alright?" Miruko said with a wink.

Wait, why did she wink?

Before Kyouka could think any further, Mina had moved closer to her. She leaned down and put her arms around Kyouka as best she could, holding her in a tight, warm, and very soft hug. "Thank you for staying safe and being a hero," Mina said quietly.

Kyouka blushed a little. "No probl-"

She was cut off as Mina leaned in and planted a small kiss on her cheek. "And that's for saving my boyfriend." 

Kyouka's face lit up hard enough that her red face paint disappeared. 

There was a silence in the street for a few moments as everyone processed what just happened.

Pony said something in English that Kyouka couldn't understand, but it sounded like poetry. 

Momo cleared her throat as she looked like she was psyching herself up for something. "Um, yes, thank you, Kyouka. You'll forgive me if I don't kiss you, though."

Kyouka didn't understand the strange longing sensation that suddenly formed in her chest.

Wait.

Eiko spoke up first. "Woah, woah, what does that mean? Am I reading too much into it, or…?"

Momo took a deep breath, bolstering herself again. "I thanked Kyouka for saving m-my boyfriend."

Kyouka's jaw dropped. "W-wait. Y-you, too?"

Momo nodded.

Eiko looked as stunned as Kyouka. "T-they're taking more?" she whispered under her breath, quietly enough that only Kyouka could hear.

"Why you surprised?" Pony asked Kyouka. "Mina said that others can join!" 

"I g-guess," Kyouka stuttered. She just didn't expect it so soon. Apparently, the trio had become a foursome when she wasn't looking, and with Momo of all people. Lucky bastards. 

"Oh, did you all not know?" Hadou asked. "Ashido was talking about it all week! Oh! What else do I know that you don't? You all know that Uraraka is dating them too, right? Oh, was that a secret?"

"Y-yeah, we knew that," Eiko mumbled.

"Where is Ochako, anyway?" Mina asked, seemingly very pleased with all the chaos. "And Midori, for that matter." 

"You did not fail me."

Ochako stared up into Izuku's eyes as her face twisted in frustration. He moved his hands slightly on her cheeks, pressing his forehead further into her own.

"You did not fail yourself."

Ochako's defiance burned in her eyes as she glared up at him. She wasn't defying him, she was defying herself. He could see the torment on her face as her mind and heart struggled with each other, which was in turn causing his quirk to snarl in frustration. 

"If you hadn't come when you did," Izuku said softly, but firmly, "Jirou and I would have been injured, if not killed. You saved both of us. You did. If you hadn't come and if you hadn't brought Miruko, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

A tear began to leak from Ochako's eye as her frustration boiled over. 

"I remember what you told me," he continued. "You promised you would stand between me and danger the next time. And you did. You did."

"He tossed me aside like I was nothin'," she muttered through clenched teeth. "I couldn't protect you. Not like you protected me from Terrorflame."

"But you did," he answered, stroking one of her hairs out of her face. "You did exactly what I did. You held out long enough against a far superior opponent to save everyone. Terrorflame was toying with me. You know that. He could have killed me at any point, but he didn't. Stain was serious and you still took him on."

"You still did somethin'," she hissed. "You have that scar because you did somethin'. You saved Mina and I from that monster twice ." 

"And you saved Jirou and I twice," Izuku retorted. "That dumpster saved us, and Miruko being here saved us. If it was anyone but you, things would have been much different. Think of how long it took Mo, or Pony, or Nejire, Eiko, and Mina to get here. If it was anyone but you, I would be dead right now." 

Ochako sighed and the fight left her body. "You're right. We're heroes, we shouldn't be gettin' hung up on stuff like this. I just… made that promise and wanted to make good on it." 

"And you did ," Izuku repeated. "Come on, Ochako, what would you say if our positions were reversed right now?"

She thought for a moment and then let out a small laugh, which sounded like the chorus of angels to Izuku's ears. "You're right. Today's just been a long and… pretty depressin' day."

"You can say that again," Izuku muttered. "This attack was monstrous."

There was a long pause between them. In the silence, he couldn't help but hear the fires still crackling around him. 

"Thank you, Deku," Ochako mumbled quietly after a time. "For helpin' me. It's like you were readin' my mind."

Izuku smiled, stroking her cheek and wiping away another tear. "I can be perceptive when I want to be, or when I let my quirk do it's thing. You might see me like this more often; I'm learning to be more… receptive to my quirk. That's in no small part to you, Ochako. You talked about saving me? You save me every single day, just by accepting me. By loving me."

Ochako laughed again. "You dork."

"Can't argue that," he muttered. "Can you move?" 

"No," she huffed. "How long does this last?"

Izuku leaned back, rubbing his chin. "I'm not sure. I'm pretty sure I was already freed by now. Maybe the time Stain paralyzes people is dependent on other factors."

"Well, that's just great," she grumbled. "Can you lift me up?"

Izuku smiled and moved around, putting his arms underneath her and lifting her in a bridal carry. He began to carry her out of the alleyway when she suddenly gasped.

"Oh my God, is that guy dead?!" she exclaimed. "Was he here the whole time? I didn't notice him!"

Izuku nodded sadly. "Native was his hero name. I… didn't get here in time. Stain had already gotten him. He was a fine hero; he'll be missed greatly. He didn't deserve that." Izuku felt like he should be sadder, but the stressful events of the day had left him feeling emotionally dull. All he wanted to do right now was curl up with his hoard and sleep.

"I guess… if I didn't get here," she began, "then that might have been you or Kyouka." 

Izuku squeezed her in his arms once. "Exactly. You're the only reason my story didn't end here today."

Ochako nodded with a small smile as they continued walking. Izuku could tell that she still wasn't totally over her 'failure', but it was past his ability to fix, at least at that time. She needed affirmation and encouragement from other sources, not just from him. 

However, for now, he was satisfied. His hoard was safe. Not only was it safe, it had performed amazingly. Jirou had fought alongside him bravely and had saved him several times, Ochako had saved his and Jirou's life, and then the others had shown up to put the final nail in Stain. Or perhaps the final 'horn' was more appropriate, considering Pony. 

Jirou was injured, but she would heal. The only one he was truly worried about at the moment was Ochako, but in a way, he was proud of how hard she was taking it. Her drive to succeed, perform and protect was always powerful, but it had gotten even stronger since they had started dating.

His hoard would truly grow mighty indeed with a gem like her both in it and protecting it. 

Izuku carried Ochako out of the alleyway and into the street, where the rest of the women were waiting. 

"There you are!" Nejire exclaimed.

Pony jumped up a little. "Izzy! Ochako!" 

Izuku smiled over at the women as he carefully moved to the car that Jirou was laying on and placed Ochako next to her. He turned around and promptly bowed deeply. "Thank you all for saving me. I owe you my life."

"Hey, no problem, Aniki," Eiko responded, seeming a little… off for some reason. "You saved all our lives at the USJ, it's only fair. Not like Mina and I did much, anyway. He was already down when we got there!"

Izuku waved his hands defensively. "Ah, no, please don't keep track! Keeping score isn't going to do anyone any favors; please just accept my thanks!"

"Ah, that's manly as hell!" Eiko cried out, holding a fist over her heart. 

"Yeah, don't sweat it, Kiri," Mina added as she walked over to Ochako and began looking her over. "We showed up and that's what counts. I'm sure Midori is grateful for that."

"Definitely," Izuku responded. "Thank you, Red Riot."

The red-haired woman beamed proudly, although there was still something off about her.

Mina picked up one of Ochako's arms and moved it around. "So like, you're still paralyzed?"

"Yes…" Ochako sighed, looking up at Mina.

Jirou adjusted herself a little next to Ochako. "That's weird, Midoriya was free a lot sooner than this."

Ochako sighed again. "Yeah, he said that, too." 

Mina let go of Ochako's arm and watched as it stayed in place. A mischievous grin grew across her face as she picked up her other arm and began moving it around as well. 

"Mina…" Ochako muttered, not liking her grin any more than Izuku did.

"What?" she responded innocently, leaving Ochako's arm in the air like she was flexing.

Momo chuckled politely behind her hand. "Mina, she's not one of those poseable action figures, leave her alone."

"Then why does she pose like one?" Mina asked, not stopping for a moment. 

Izuku saw the darkness lingering behind Ochako's eyes fade slightly as she tried to hold back the smile that was growing on her face. He smiled himself and turned back to the rest of the women, shaking his head as Mina made Ochako dab against her will, which caused Jirou to start laughing.

"Oh, what was that thing you threw, M- Yaoyorozu?" Izuku quickly caught himself.

Momo, who was trying to hold back her own laughter as Mina continued to mess with her paralyzed girlfriend, turned to him with a slightly apologetic look. "Ah, um, they know, Zu."

"Oh." That explained why Eiko was acting odd. "I see." 

"Yeah," Pony agreed, "Yaomomo said she dating you now."

Izuku rubbed his head. "Uh, yes. As of Saturday." 

"Oh, after the truth or dare game?" Jirou interjected. "That makes sense. There was all sorts of sexual tension in that room."

"You guys played truth or dare?!" Nejire gasped. "And you didn't invite me?!"

Izuku was grateful for the inadvertent subject change. 

"You can come to the next one," Mina chirped. "I'm sure we'll do it again, it was way too much fun."

Izuku was simultaneously looking forward to and dreading the idea of Nejire in a truth or dare game, so he decided not to think about it. "Oh, and Miruko," he began, bowing to the pro who was watching the students with muted curiosity, "please accept my personal thanks. If it wasn't for you, many of my friends would have been hurt or worse. You have my gratitude." 

Miruko scoffed loudly, waving her head. "Eh, don't sweat it, kid. It's what we do." She smiled a little, nodding her head toward him. "But you're welcome."

Momo cleared her throat, causing Izuku to jump slightly and turn back toward her. "Oh, right, sorry. Er, what was that thing?"

She proudly held up a small black object. "It's a Hyper-Density Seal."

Izuku slapped his forehead. "Oh, of course! Nighteye uses those all the time!"

She tossed one to him, which he caught, then nearly dropped as the weight pulled down. "Woah, these really are dense!"

"There's a joke about you there," Mina quipped as she made Ochako play peekaboo, "but I'm too busy to find it right now." 

Izuku rolled his eyes and looked over at Pony, who was staring up at him with a soft smile. "Thank you too, Stampede."

"It was no problem, Izzy," she responded happily, vibrating slightly as he said her hero name. "I just glad you are okay!"

Izuku smiled wider, reaching over and ruffling her hair gently, eliciting a happy mewl from the American. "Your Japanese is already a lot better. Has your internship gone well?" 

"You were right about it being trial by fire," she said, before the smile suddenly vanished from her face, replaced with that stern fire that she had shown before. "But before today, I learn nothing about being a hero! I am not going to fall behind, and you owe me! This your fault!"

There was a yelp from behind him, causing him to turn around. Ochako's paralysis had finally worn off and Mina was currently floating above her, prevented from flying off into the sky only by Ochako's hand around her wrist. Both women were staring at each other with expressions halfway between mischievous, playful, and affectionate. 

"Yeah, that's fair, Pony," Izuku said, chucking softly as he turned back to her. "I'm glad that you found it helpful though. I'll be sure to-"

"Hey!" Nejire interrupted, clapping her hands together excitedly. "You should totally come join the extra training that I'm making Greenhorn do!" 

Izuku's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea!" He turned to the rest of the women and opened his arms wide. "In fact, all of you should come! Nejire is going to put me through extra training, and I know you'd all like the opportunity to learn from one of the best at UA!" 

The women began to mutter excitedly, each of them nodding and looking around at the others. As they all agreed to join him in his training, he found himself getting a little sentimental, the sounds dulling slightly as he began to think.

This is where he was happiest; caring for and talking with his hoard was what made him happier than anything else. His instincts had been humming happily in his mind ever since he exited that alleyway with Ochako in his arms, pleased with how his hoard was bonding both with him and each other. 

Momo was gazing fondly at Ochako and Mina, who were both giggling as Mina's weight was returned to her. He was still in moderate disbelief that Momo had feelings for him after all these years, but he was unbelievably grateful and was eager to solidify their fledgling relationship. She had been uncertain about her feelings for Ochako and Mina, but judging by the way she was looking at them, he wouldn't have to worry too much about it.

Jirou was watching the others with a soft smile, even though he could tell the pain of her injury was still in the forefront of her mind. She had saved him, no doubt about it, and he had plans to encourage her friendship with him and the other women. If what Mina said was true, and she did have a crush on him… Ah, but perhaps that was too greedy.

Eiko was looking between Mina and Izuku with a slightly confused expression hid behind her smile, seemingly deep in thought about something. He had gotten the distinct impression that Eiko had feelings for Mina, which if that was true, he could-

He pulled himself back again, causing his instincts to grumble slightly. 

Pony and Nejire were chatting about America, Nejire excitedly telling Pony about all the things she saw while she was training over there. Pony had seemed so shy in the first week, but now that she was getting more comfortable, she was opening up like a flower blooming. Perhaps now she would be more willing to talk about those underlying issues she hinted at during the Sports Festival.

Izuku smiled softly to himself as he basked in the warmth of his hoard, a total, primal satisfaction rolling through his mind; this must be how his father felt when he swam through his underwater garden. 

A roar echoed in the distance, causing Izuku to stiffen up.

Speak of the devil.

"What was that?" Eiko asked, turning to the noise defensively. 

Izuku looked over at Jirou. "You might want to cover your ears." The woman cocked an eyebrow before nodding, her jacks retracting as she clamped her hands over them. Izuku planted his feet and let his quirk flow through his neck, chest and head as his scales flashed and his head transformed. He took a deep breath and unleashed his own roar, shaking the ground slightly.

"Ow, watch it!" Miruko snapped at him, covering her own large, fluffy ears defensively.

Izuku winced, hunching down apologetically. "Sorry, Miruko…"

"What was that about?" Pony asked curiously.

Mina sauntered up to her and leaned on her shoulder. "I bet that's his dad," she whispered into her ear.

" Ohhhh …"

 It was only a few moments later when the heavy wingbeats of Stormclaw began to echo through the abandoned street and only a few moments later that the massive dragon crashed down nearby, shrinking back to his human form without breaking stride. 

His father looked a combination of furious and worried as he stomped up to Izuku, lighting crackling between his horns. "Where have you been?" he snarled.

Izuku cowed slightly, giving the older, stronger dragon the deference he warranted. "I got attacked," he explained, gesturing down to the unconscious villain at Miruko's side. "Miruko and my friends saved my life." 

Stormclaw glanced down at Stain, then did a double take, his eyes going wide as his raging quirk faded. 

 "Stain?" Hisashi asked. "You… oh my God." He moved forward and threw his arm around Izuku, pulling him in close.

"Aw…" Nejire cooed.

"You said your friends saved you?" he asked, letting Izuku go. He turned to his classmates and gave a small bow. "You have saved my son's life again. Thank you all."

"It's our pleasure," Momo responded politely.

"It's what heroes are supposed to do," Ochako added. "He's done the same for us."

Hisashi smiled widely. "You may just be students, but you're all true heroes to me." He then turned to Miruko and bowed to her. "And thank you too, Miruko. It calms this father's heart to know you were here."

Miruko nodded, smirking confidently. "No problem, old timer. Your son's got some talent, you've trained him well."

Hisashi reached over and ruffled Izuku's hair. "He sure does."

Miruko rolled her shoulders as her smirk dropped. "Police and paramedics are on the way. They'll want to take statements from all of us and they'll want to take anyone injured to the hospital."

"It was barely a scratch!" Ochako objected. "I'm fine." Izuku felt the same way; Stain had hardly touched him.

"You were affected by an unknown quirk," Miruko shot back. "It's standard procedure for you to be held overnight for monitoring. Don't bitch, it just makes it worse. No amount of complaining will get you out of it, trust me."

Ochako deflated. "Yes, Miruko."

"Ah, don't be like that," the pro retorted, walking over and punching the taller woman on the arm. "Buck up, Uraraka, you did good today."

She smiled a little at that. "Thank you."

Noise from the far end of the street caught Izuku's attention, where he saw police and paramedics hurrying toward them. 

"Alright," Hisashi said loudly, taking control. "Be respectful and let them do their job. Answer questions as best you can and do what they say. Congratulations to all of you, you survived."

The man steepled his fingers as he watched the news broadcast later that evening. 

The one-horned man was expectedly grim as he looked into the camera. "We return to our ongoing coverage of the crisis on Hosu city, going live to our reporter in the field."

"Thankfully, whatever caused this madness seems to have passed," the woman began, the camera showing her standing in the smoldering city, "and the people of Hosu are returning to normal. Unfortunately, the police have told us that the official death toll in Hosu has reached over 3,000 and is continuing to rise as they explore more of the city. They have no guesses as to how high the numbers will go, but it is safe to say that this is the biggest tragedy Japan has experienced since Terrorflame." 

The man grew a soft, satisfied smirk.

The main caster took back over as the camera returned to the studio. "Even as the fires still burn, the same question is being asked by countless people across the nation: 'how could this have happened?'. Several politicians have already come forward, denouncing the attack as a gross failure on the part of the Hero Association, calling for further oversight from the Hero Public Safety Commission, as well as increased powers for the police."

The man's smirk grew. It was humorous how quickly the people began to turn on their heroes. A small seed of doubt would quickly fester, growing into uncertainty, fear, and tribalism. People who were afraid were people who were easy to manipulate.

"At a press conference minutes ago, the police provided us with all the new information they could. Several eyewitnesses have come forward and said that right before the attack, they saw two men matching the description of Tomura Shigaraki and Kurogiri, two men associated with the League of Villains who attacked UA several weeks ago."

Ah, free publicity. It saved him the trouble of having to take credit.

"During the attack, Stain surfaced, but was defeated by Miruko and some promising young students from UA. Details are limited, as police efforts are focused on Hosu, but the end of the Hero Killer is a small light in this otherwise oppressive darkness. In addition, the police stated that they have reason to believe that Stain was working with the League."

The man paused. The police believed that Stain was involved with the League? A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.

He pressed a button, causing the screen next to him to spring to life. 

"Kurogiri."

The misty man on the far side of the screen tensed up and quickly turned to the camera. "Yes, master?"

"The police believe that Stain is involved with the League. I want you to see to it that those rumors are fostered. We will use his… cult to further our own gains. He is in no position to dispute our claims."

"At once, master," Kurogiri replied immediately. "It will be done. But, it wo-"

"Price is no concern," he said calmly. "This is worth it. Do well, and the League will blossom with fresh blood." 

"Yes, master." 

The man cut the connection, leaning back in his chair and sighing as he felt his head pounding slightly. 

Damned headaches.

He would have to ask the doctor for more painkillers today.