Chapter 75: The Flame Frozen.

A trip meant to be filled with fun, training and memories had turned into a nightmare. With the villains having escaped with their captive, the rest of the class and world needs to cope with this unprecedented victory for the other side.

When the frost-fuelled explosion was in the distance, Bakugo's group was surprised and cautious, as no one else at camp had a quirk capable of such a thing outside Todoroki. Hearing from Shoji that it was coming from where Midoriya should be only made their worries greater, so they left their classmates with their unconscious payloads and made their way over.

Minutes before they arrived, they saw a blast of green flames, trying to tag a fleeing man, the source being an enraged and fully transformed Koharu who seemed hellbent on incinerating her target, the forest be damned. They couldn't communicate with her, but after she smacked Bakugo across the face, she directed their closer attention to her target. This villain carried the frozen, unmoving body of Midoriya.

Knowing he had been captured, they decided to give chase, but the villain proved to be agile, evading their attempts to hit him or slow him down while at the same time using his quirk to absorb Koharu and Todoroki's flame attacks, only to let loose ear-thumbing blasts of ice and ice right back at them.

Even when Kendo joined them, she couldn't offer much more than her opening sneak attack, throwing an entire tree at the villain, who narrowly evaded it. She had also heard the commotion and, out of worry for what it could mean, had left Kamakiri to see what it was. Class B's rep was slightly upset when she heard the news. Still, with the 3 of them, plus Koharu, they had managed to keep the chase on. When the villain finally landed, they had been ready to beat him and rescue their frozen classmate and friend.

But it wasn't easy. Yes, the villain landed, but he wasn't alone. He had messaged the rest about his success and the fact that he had a tail. Thus, Mr. Compress, Dabi, Twice, and Toga were all on high alert, striking as soon as they got a clear shot. Dabi's intense flames countered Todoroki's ice and kept people like Kendo at bay.

Mr. Compress proved too quick for Bakugo to tag, compressing himself into a marble time and time again to evade his attacks. At the same time, Toga seemed to vanish, appearing long enough to try to attack. However, she also focused on Todoroki, calling him 'cute' and clarifying how much she wanted to cut him up. Midoriya's captor handled Koharu, the man having had Compress use his quirk on Midoriya, he placed the marble in his pocket and engaged with the furious infernal snake, the clearing being scorched and frozen every other minute.

The students were banking on their classmates, hopefully, making an appearance or maybe one of the teachers, to even things out. Someone like Eraser would be a game-changer, shutting down the villains' powers and ensuring their defeat.

But as moments dragged on, feeling like hours, it wasn’t the teachers or their classmates who arrived, but a Nomu which managed to get the jump on Koharu, ramming into her side, distracting her long enough for her opponent to land a critical blow, the students witnessing first hand a repeat of Midoriya’s fate as thunder boomed once more, and an iceberg emerged, freezing Koharu near solid, her body shattering into several giant pieces.

The shock of seeing what was their strongest asset go down do easily meant that Toga was able to latch onto Bakugo, having abandoned her assault on Todoroki, driving her needle tipped support item into his thigh, right into a left femoral artery, a fact she gleefully told him, and recalling their classes on basic first aid, they all knew if Bakugo moved funny, or if she felt like it, he would rip it open and bleed out.

They were running out of options, down two members of their fighting force, but that was when Aoyama made his appearance. Having followed Twice and Dabi, he fired his laser from the bushes, tagging Twice, which threw Toga off just long enough for Bakugo to force her off of him. Before he quickly slammed his hand into his thigh and seared his wound. They weren't even, but it was something.

Sadly, that wouldn't be enough, as Kurogiri made his appearance as well, creating portals that the villains used to escape. On Dabi's orders, Compress deactivated his quirk so that they could confirm their capture. For Kendo, that was the first time she had seen Midoriya since the mess began. He was unconscious, frozen, and had a hole in his torso that wasn't healing.

Line Break

Morning came, bringing with it the warm summer sun, a partly cloudy day, and cool winds. It was an ideal summer morning that would have students out with friends, families at the peak, or maybe at a lake. But it wasn't like that, not for U.A., as outside their sealed gates, a small army of reporters stood, microphones, tape recorders, and cameras held at the ready. So many of them were yelling, and it was hard to make out any one voice or demand, but one wouldn't need to hear such to know what they wanted.

Word of the summer camp attack had spread, and they demanded answers.

There wasn't a single student inside the school, any of whom would have shown up for clubs or extra work during the summer break, having been informed to remain at home. This left the school, typically so full of activity, colour, and life, feeling empty, bare, and cold—a feeling that, for Nezu, summed up his sentiments about things.

“Do we have the full report, Present Mic?” Nezu asked, his tone chipper. Yet not a single person present believed he was happy.

Present Mic, typically a much more expressive and happy man, was similarly down as he tapped a report file. “Yeah, the police forwarded it around 6 AM.” If things weren’t so down in the dumps, he would have been impressed with how quickly the cops had managed to get this done. He hadn’t even woken up and had a morning cup of coffee ruined by the news by the time they finished this.

"Let's hear it," Nezu instructed, as all they had were scattered reports, not including anything from their 2 fellow staff members who hadn't been able to contact them since.

Mic nodded, though he didn’t like it. “11 students, 9 of whom were from class B, were knocked unconscious by the gas and are in serious condition. 9 others were injured to varying degrees.” He frowned as he read through the details of those injuries. Pony's condition was the worst, followed by Yanagi's. Uraraka and Asui encountered a villainess who left them delirious from blood loss; the same villain would nearly kill Bakugo using a similar method. Kamakiri and Kendo have both been shot like target dummies.

“19 students were unharmed, physically anyway, and…" Present Mic had to pause and gather his strength, as he didn't think he would ever get used to this, to reading about such things when, as a hero, he was meant to prevent it. He didn't think anyone present was unaffected either. All Might, particularly, despite being healed back to full health, looked like he had just heard he would die tomorrow.

"One confirmed missing person, Midoriya Izuku of class B, was seen captured by Bakugo, Todoroki, Kendo, and Aoyama." Present Mic continued, setting down the report, which included a missing person's report.

He also added that he was combining a hand through his bright blonde, outrageous hair. “We can assume the same befell Ragdoll, as she’s nowhere to be found, but the cops have reason to think she was attacked, and badly injured from the amount of blood found, while Pixie-Bob took a nasty hit to the head and is in serious condition.”

Midnight didn't speak, but she feared that the assumption that Ragdoll hadn't just been killed was based on a lack of a body. They had seen cases where there wasn't one to find, or the villain took the corpse to dispose of it in another location.

A glance showed she wasn't the only one thinking such morbid things, but they couldn't ignore it because it wasn't unpleasant.

"Koharu, Midoriya's pet snake, is also in critical condition, having been frozen and shattered into pieces. They'll still try to help her regenerate via heat and food, but the vet they called in is struggling." Mic concluded, as he didn't like any of that, even Koharu. Animal she might be, but she was a real riot, emotive and intelligent, compassionate and caring in her own way. She reminded him of Nezu, only his boss was scarier somehow.

And she had to be scooped by like pieces of broken glass, the recovery team having been terrified they didn’t find the right parts to prioritise as she thawed and they put her back together.

“And with the villains?” Cementoss asked, his hand clenched into a hard fist.

Mic scoffed. “We managed to capture 3-all taken down by students. But the rest managed to get away thanks to our annoying warper.” That included a death row inmate and a powerful psychopath like Muscular, the same bastard who nearly killed Tsunotori and was the reason she still lay in a medically induced coma as they worked to repair the damage. Recovery Girl had already left to lend whatever help she could.

"The training camp was meant to help prepare the students to handle villain attacks. The irony is shameful…" Nezu concluded, taking a break to keep a level head. “We knew the League would make another move, but we lacked a foundational understanding of their designs. They seek the destruction of hero society, and we were ignorant of their campaign already starting."

“But could we have foreseen this? They’re moving pieces we didn’t even know they had.”  Midnight asked the big question: no matter how they felt, they had to operate on what they could and could not. “Besides, as painful as it is to admit, with All Might putting an end to most organised crime, we’ll all rusty.” That hurt to admit, but it was a fact.

"We let ourselves get complacent, believing we would ride the sweet life till retirement." Present Mic gripped the table’s edge, feeling like a hypocrite for encouraging their students to go above and beyond while they acted like they were on easy street.

It was a bigger shame, as unlike so many others, they knew All Might, the man who built their golden age, wouldn't be around forever. Even with Midoriya having restored his health, his quirk was still fading, and even if it wasn't, he was not the young pro he used to be.

“If Shouta could hear me admit to that, he’ll have my hide…” He hadn't even had the chance to call his old friend. He had just woken up, saw the news, and nearly had a heart attack as they talked about suspected injuries among students and staff, but they had no info.

All Might looked as down as he was, his head bowed low, his posture making it seem like his regularly massive frame was as small as a timid mouse. “How can I call myself their teacher? As my students fought desperately for their lives, I was in Okayama handling a lazy night shift.”

All Might had been taking his newly restored health for all it was worth. Yes, he didn't have One for All anymore, and he couldn't pull multi-day patrols anymore, but even just being able to breathe easily again, not needing to worry about coughing up blood, and enjoying a large hearty American-style BBQ lunch made things seem brighter, and it reflected in his hero work.

Tabloids and news networks had claimed rumours that he was slowing down as he prepared for retirement, but they talked like he had found his second wind. The man was able to easily handle a full shift, even taking on the night shift as well as the day before.

But now he felt like a complete fool. He should have been working closer to the summer camp. That way, when he got word, he could have rushed over, but instead, he arrived in the early morning hours, long after the students and staff had been evacuated, long after the threat had passed.

"Hindsight is 20/20, but I hate how much we know now. The League saw our Sports festival for what it was, an attempt to show we weren't phased and decided to hit us again where it hurt." Snipe stated, looking at the table in rage and shame. “To have a student kidnapped and so many others sent to the hospital, it’s a deep failure, no two ways about it.”

“And with the kidnapping of Midoriya, they’ve turned public sentiment against us. People are questioning if heroes like us can protect them.” Thirteen stated, as they had all seen it when they arrived, that the army of press only seemed to grow as time passed.

Nezu picked up that morning paper, its headline reading ‘Sports Festival Star Kidnapped: U.A. failures of management exposed’. "They're currently condemning U.A. high, and if Midoriya was one of the targets, they no doubt picked him because of his potential, but also for his past."

"All Might has mentioned it in the past, but what was Midoriya involved in that it would bear mention?" Midnight asked, as she looked between her boss and their symbol of peace, the latter raising his head high enough to look towards Nezu, as if waiting to see what he would say about this.

"The long and short of it is that his quirk left him on the wrong side of the law due to critical misunderstandings and how he perceives things involving fire. However, while flashy and scary looking, it was easily handled, and he's been nothing but an ideal student since he enrolled." Neu quickly explained, not necessarily lying, but instead leaving out ultimately pointless details.

“You’re worried that they'll try to turn Midoriya to their way of thinking?" From Thirteen's tone, one could tell she was sceptical about such a thing being possible.

And Nezu agreed as he shook his head. “No, Midoriya has shown no inclinations towards villainy, and if his therapist believed he had any issues, it would have ended up on my desk for review.” The fact that Midoriya attended a therapist whose reports could end up on Nezu's desk wasn't something of a concern as he brushed past that. "But I worry that they'll use him to undermine society's trust in us as heroes and a school by using him in some nefarious scheme."

Nezu didn't know what that was, and that worried him, as he didn't have a clue what this could be.

Well, he had the one, but that was a horrifying thought to ponder, though he knew All Might felt the same. When they took into account who they knew bankrolled the Leage, who could create creatures like the Nomu, they feared for more than Midoriya’s life.

"Since we're on the topic of trust, there's something I can't just ignore, and I bet none of you can deny it either," Present Mic looked up, his eyes visible through his shades. “There’s a traitor at this school.”

At his words, the room grew tense, uncomfortable even as the blonde continued. "We chose the location because it was out of the way, and the only ones who knew about it were us and the Pussycats, and yet, just like with the USJ, the villains just so happened to know about it, knew they were isolated, and struck in the night. Nah, I don't buy that being a chance. I guess a kid could have used their phone to leak the location-"

"Mic, stop this, " Midnight said, but Mic only stood, slamming his head into the table in frustration.

“What's the problem? If we don't find out who the mole is, we invite the villains to take another swing at us. And I'm not willing to gamble that the third time won't put a kid in a coffin.” Cementoss frowned harder at the statement, the rest as receptive as he was. As horrible as it was to say, no confirmed deaths was a plus, but when up against a group who had tried to kill their students twice now, that was a miracle-one they couldn’t rely on.

But to accuse each other of treachery, of betraying both their vows as heroes, and the ideals of being a teacher? It was a step too far.

Snipe was the one who met Mic's anger head-on, though not with as explosive fury as his fellow teacher, but with a more controlled one. "And how do you suppose we check one another? You could be the mole and are trying to throw us off your scent. It could be me trying to do the same by focusing on you." He laid out. Perhaps the police could investigate, but as pros who worked with them closely, they knew a lot more than the average citizen who would just look up tips online.

If there truly was a turncoat, it would take them slipping up or an extensive and prolonged investigation to find anything. And who is to say they wouldn't go dormant until things calmed?

Snipe shook his head, as there was just too much happening for this to be given any serious consideration, too many holes and variables. "We start doubting each other, and they'll just come bite us in the ass. Double so if we put that scrutiny on the students so soon after this latest mess."

"Snipe is correct, though, for what it's worth, I trust every single person seated at this table, even if I can't prove that I am innocent," Nezu stated, putting strength and sincerity into his words. “What we should focus on is ensuring the protection of our student body, and to that end, I do have a proposal which I’ve been contemplating putting up to vote for some time now and-”

Nezu's proposal was quite rudely interrupted by a phone ringing. The repeating 'A Phone call is here' made it clear whose device it was as All Might quickly pulled it out, sagging under the unimpressed looks from the rest.

He seemed ready to reject or silence the call and keep going, but when he saw whoever the caller was, he chose to answer.

"Excuse me, everyone, I have to take this." All Might got up and rushed for the door.

“We’re in a meeting, All Might. Couldn’t you set it to vibrate?” Mic asked, as that just seemed like common sense.

"Or change the ringtone? I'm sure that's the basic one, but you're not some civilian." Midnight added her own comment, as it was funny at first, but really, did All Might not know how to change it?

Outside, in the empty hallway, All Might could be alone with nothing but his thoughts. “What Symbol of Peace can’t even keep his students safe from harm?” he asked, flexing his hand. What good would his recovered health be if he couldn't save people? If he couldn't help, the young boy was responsible for it.

He got no answer, but he couldn’t wallow forever and answered the call. “Sorry, what is it, Tsukauchi?”

Line Break

2 days after the attack, and the news was still covering it, seemingly having a breaking news bulletin each time a new piece of info came out. But that didn't mean older news-related news faded; it was merely added to the building fire of civic discontent, fear, and paranoia.

The League was first seen as a joke that lucked into an assault on the USJ, which they bombed. The League gained some attention after their raid on Hosu, but all the press was taken by Stain's clash with 2 U.A. students of new fame thanks to the Sports Festival. Now, when people brought up the League, it was because they had launched a second attack on U.A. and, for little loss, had managed a massive win.

Across the many channels and commentary programs, it was the same. One was talking about Midoriya and how he had been captured with no news of a ransom or details, and another was highlighting the number of reported injuries. One brought to attention how there was a young boy caught up in it, the son of a hero duo, who had tragically been killed a couple of years prior by a villain who was rumoured to be involved in the attack. Or just talking heads and concerned parents stating that they wouldn't be comfortable if they had a child in U.A., and are even thinking of pulling them out.

The TV was shut off, leaving the only light in the space, which felt cold. A deep, piercing, and hair-raising chill, the sort of chill people thought characters in horror movies felt, or a party of heroes as they entered the domain of the dragon they sought to slay. For the man who walked through the place, he couldn't feel it, but then again, would the dragon notice such feelings?

Around him, the old warehouse had seen better days. Decay and broken equipment littered the floor, but it mattered not, as in the corner of the building rested the building's true purpose. Within steel vats, his Nomu rested up to their exposed brains in fluid. Cords and pipes connected them to their life support, monitoring, and activation switches. This part was kept as sterile as possible and always had the smell of bleach.

But there was more to this than that, as they had moved 2 larger, sleeker pods made from a clear glasslike substance, both of which were occupied.

“Seems like Tomura’s efforts have paid for his efforts and then some.” The man spoke, amusement and pride coming off him in waves.

At his side, a smaller man stood, his frame adorned with a clean doctor’s robe as he scoffed. “Well, you had a hand in it, so it’s expected that things went so well for us.”

The first laughed, his amusement growing as he listened to his old friend, a trusted and long-served ally who never seemed to approve of his successor. “Come now, doctor. You give me too much credit. I had no such hand in his plans. I only supply the Nomu, that was all.”

"I find that hard to believe, considering it wasn't long ago he was throwing tantrums like a child." The doctor reminded him that he might not need to interact with Shigaraki. The boy hadn't seen him in years, but that didn't mean he wasn't kept up to date on him.

"He's making considerable improvements to himself and his organisation, and the world is noticing." The shadowy figure placed his hand on one of the pods. "He even managed to capture such a highly coveted prize.”

Within it rested Midoriya. Stripped down to his underwear, he aimlessly floated in the fluid, the hole punched in his chest still visible. Slowing healing slowed as his body hissed and bubbled the fluid; its regeneration slowed to a crawl. Next to it, another green-haired figure floated. Like Midoriya, she was fitted with a mask that covered her mouth and nose, allowing her to breathe but not much else. 

“I trust he’s secure, doctor?” The figure asked, to which the doctor nodded, pleased with the results of his efforts.

“I’ve taken the necessary precautions and then some, old friend. He’s currently being kept under via a notedly potent sedative. His pod is also being kept near freezing, insufficient to cause cellular damage, but it would make it hard for him to heat up should he wake or have some waking dream." Securing a copy of the boy's medical file hadn't been easy, particularly when he was on the commission radar. Still, he got it, which was an amazing read. Even a generation ago, one could never have dreamed up a quirk like this.

But that also meant containing it wouldn't be simple, so he ensured that the younger of their sleeping captives was administered with a sedative three times as strong as the one being used on Ragdoll, while his suspension fluid could withstand being kept at a much colder temperature.

“And should he do so?” The taller figure asked, less concerned and more…curious.

"His pod is made from flame-resistant blast glass and airtight; he's fitted with an oxygen mask, but if he transforms, he's liable to pass out before he can do any damage." The doctor waved off the statement, as should the boy wake, he wouldn’t even be all that strong, as thawing himself out had to have drained his reserves. He couldn’t even force his wound to close as it should, even while he wasn’t conscious.

Still, weakened as they might be, one couldn't deny that they were valuable, incredibly slow as the shadowy figure smiled. However, it seemed to be an inverse of All Might's famous smile. As it didn't bring hope, it didn't inspire or light up the room.

It was the smile of a monster, one ready and waiting to devour, and only choosing not to so that it could enjoy watching you squirm longer. "It's quite interesting, wouldn't you say, doctor? All those precautions for a student, and yet we didn't need anything close for the hero.” He chuckled, but could feel his desires rising as he looked at the two.

"But what can be said about both of them…is that they have such tempting quirks. To say they'll be useful would be a gross understatement. I would say they're potential game changers."

Line Break

2 days after the attack, in the hospital that the students and teachers had been sent to, one of those had finally started to wake. It started slowly, their eyes twitching beneath heavy eyelids, a groan passing through her dry lips as she slowly woke up.

“Oh my head…” As Pony woke up, she had to blink away the last of the sandman’s grip on her, looking around the room, which didn't match the girl's sleeping quarters or her bedroom back home. Wait, she blinked again and started looking around more closely. She could figure out it was a hospital and that her exposed arms were both wrapped up in thick bandages, her body feeling incredibly sore and tired despite the girl just waking up. “What happene…”

Like a slap in the face, it all came back to her. “Oh.” The Test of Courage, the smoke scare, rushing to find Kota-boy, and the announcement of the villain's attack. Fighting…well, getting her ass kicked by Muscular for 90% of the fight. She was…pretty sure she won, but couldn't recall details; it was all a little fuzzy. Same as the blurred image of running into Eraser, that was Eraser, wasn't it?

She was sure it was, but that was just about it. No matter how hard she tried to recall anything past that point, she came up empty. She must have blacked out, made sense as she had been messed up by then. “I hope Kota boy is doing okay. Maybe I’ll ask to call him, just to be sure.”

As she tried to figure out how to call a nurse to do just that without yelling and tearing her dry vocal cords, the door opened up, and a familiar head popped in. “Hey, she’s awake!” Tetsutetsu called out, leading several others into her room, all classmates. Some looked like they didn't get so much as a scratch, while others looked a little banged up but were still up and about.

“Oh, that's a relief. We were starting to get concerned, but it looks like you're about ready to bounce back, right?" Kendo asked, a joking smile on her face.

Kodai walked up, holding a plate covered by an upside-down Tupperware container. “Apple and Honey Roll Cake, we thought you'd like it over bland hospital food." She stated as she placed it at Pony's bedside counter, wordlessly moving to help the girl drink, pouring a glass of iced water, and aiding Pony in taking it.

Feeling her throat finally regain some moisture, a notion she never thought she would think, Monoma was the next to speak up. “You have no idea how much it takes off my…our chest to see you awake, considering how badly injured you were.” Pony smiled at his little slip. It was nice to be reminded he cared for all of them, but he should be more open about it.

“Yeah, that Muscular ass did a real number on me, didn’t he?” She joked, accidentally slipping into English for a moment, getting confused looks from most of them, who probably only caught half of it. Where was Honenuki to translate when you needed him? Wait, where was Tokage? Now that she thought about it, it was a pretty small group.

Well, they probably were visiting others, so she could stamp out her worry for them and focus on the person who couldn't fight back. “How’s Kota?”

Bondo sighed but sounded more amused than having held any genuine worry. “Told you she’ll be worried about him.” He told Kodai and Monoma, both nodding.

"He's fine. All thanks to you," Monoma told her, but Pony could pick up something off with him. His smile, typically smug and annoying, seemed strained, like he was holding something back. Maybe he was just a little off balance since. The rest of the remedial saw her when Eraser for her badly beaten body back, but…she didn't know. There was something more to it; she just couldn't figure out what.

"Kid, you pulled out some new move. Does it have anything to do with the new horns?" Tetsutetsu asked, pointing them out. While Pony couldn't see it, her horns did look different. They were almost half as big, more jagged and noticeable, and not nearly as smooth.

Pony reached for it with her right arm, tracing her horn's much bumpier and rougher texture. She would detach one and check it closer, but she thought it might not be a good idea. “Not really sure, I just…was in a tough spot, but couldn’t afford to fail, you know? Can’t really explain it better than that.”

That said, she was curious where the rest were. “Where’s everyone else?” At her question, it seemed like the joy just…drained away; her classmates looked distraught, their gaze moving to anything but her. Komori looked the worst, as she looked close to tears, whimpering in the back like she was hiding from a serial killer.

Pony felt her prior worry rise from the grave, stronger than ever. "Guys…guys, tell me what happened? Was Midoriya not able to stop the flames? Wait, where are Hebimi and Yanagi?" She would have thought her new horned friend would be the first to see her, but…he wasn’t.

Was that because he couldn’t?

"Tsunotori, please calm down, you'll pull your stitches." Kendo's words broke through to her as Pony just realised she had been rising from her hospital bed. With the realisation, she hissed as she felt the cuts on her back nearly reopen as Kendo guided her back down. Or tried to.

“Just tell me!” Pony was sluggish and weak right now, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t put up a fight. “Please…”

Kendo looked to the others, and having a silent conversation didn't help Pony calm down, as they wanted her to. Eventually, Kendo turned back to her to explain things. "No one was hurt because of the fire. As far as we can tell, Midoriya did a great job at handling it, but…"

"There was more than just the fire; another villain was present, and he flooded a big part of the forest with a knockout gas-like quirk. 9 of us got hit with it before we knew what was happening, and they haven't woken up since." She changed the topic, but Pony hardly noticed as she wondered how serious it had been. If…if the quirk just put them to sleep, why hadn't they woken up yet?

Kamakiri looked like he wanted to punch something, which was his face. “Kendo and I weren’t fast enough, if we had just caught the bastard sooner…” Kendo placed a hand on his shoulder, Pony noticing how her hands weren't wrapped up, but had band-aids here and there. In contrast, Kamakiri had bandages similar to her own sticking out of his shirt.

Pony gulped, feeling a rock form in her gut. "And…and what about my group? We didn't see any gas. Midoriya went to handle flames, I went to save Kota, and Yanagi went to warn you guys, but she managed to do that, right?" None answered.

“Right?” She begged, but the response wasn't an assurance; it was Komori breaking down, falling to her knees, her tears flowing without restraint.

“It’s my fault…I…she’s hurt because of me, she nearly died because of me.” Komori continued crying, even as Bondo tried to calm her.

“Reiko…dead?” Pony couldn’t understand, Reiko…she couldn’t be dead…she was fine when she saw her, she-

Kendo stepped in before Pony could go there. "Not dead! She's alive, she's very much alive, Pony, but she got banged up pretty bad.”

“It’s all because of-!” Monoma growled, but Kodai stopped him with a shake of her head.

"Monoma, it was an accident; she doesn't need to," Awase spoke, but was interrupted.

“Awase,” Pony's voice was soft, but it was far from weak as he turned to her, seeing her staring into his very soul. “What in the hell happened to my friend? You don’t get to know and leave me in the dark.”

Awase gulped, but he saw no way out, none that didn't include running for the door. Even then, that would only delay and compound things, so he had to just bite the bullet and hope for the best.

So, he explained what he knew. It wasn’t like Komori would be able to in her condition. "We don't know the details, but it seems Tokoyami's lost control of his quirk and rampaged everywhere. Yanagi and Shoji couldn't stop it, but they could lure him to where Bakugo and Todoroki were fighting so they could."

Why…oh wait, wasn’t he stuck in some cave for training? And Pony was pretty sure she heard Tokoyami growl and yell from it.

Komori whimpered, her face already messy with tears and snot. “I made a noise, I know I shouldn't have, I should have kept quiet and let them pass, but I was so scared, I didn't know what that was and-"

Monoma handled the rest. "Yanagi distracted Tokoyami, and he hit her, he hit her really hard, and she wasn't speaking, she wasn't awake, and they rushed her here, but we haven't heard anything since."

"We've been visiting to check up on you all ever since. You're the first to wake up, so maybe the rest will soon be up and about, too." Kendo added, though it did little to lift Pony's mood.

"You said most got taken out by the sleeping gas guy, and Yanagi got…" Pony had to stop before she…screamed? Cried? Fired off her horns at something? She didn’t know, and she didn’t want to know. “What about Midoriya? I heard from Muscular that they were looking for him…”

Their silence was damning.

“Please no, please don’t tell me.” Pony didn't know she was starting to cry as Kendo bowed her head. She felt the most shame, not just as a class rep but as someone who had been there. She had been in reach and still couldn't do it.

"We couldn't stop it, I tried-I fought like my life depended on it, but…they got away with Midoriya," Kendo confirmed.

Line Break

And we have this chapter, which was a bit of an oddity, though not for any bad reasons. It's been one which I've wanted to work on for a while now, as with how things have changed in the story, and how this summer assault went down, there was a lot that needs to happen leading up to an event which…oh boy, will some of you hate me for it, but alas, I will not spoil it. I did want to have them chase down the still unnamed villain, who effortlessly defeated Midoriya, but that seemed like it would be too much of a rewrite of them chasing Compress to rescue Tokoyami and Bakugo.