A day had passed and I was reoriented back to the usual schedule, no longer having to use a wheelchair to carry myself around. I caught up on all the schoolwork I had missed and was happy that the process for my return to class was brief enough for the whole ordeal to not have messed my school life up too badly. In the morning, I was able to walk to the cafeteria with a few friends and have breakfast with them, like we always did. I was thankful for how normal everything seemed, and how willing my classmates were to help me ease back into my regular routine.

Upon reaching the 1A classroom, I was immediately met with an outburst of commotion. Mina had everyone gathered in a little circle as she showed off her breakdancing skills, moving across the floor as she spun and wiggled around. I smiled at the sight, grateful to be met with such enthusiastic energy in an uncertain morning such as this. As Izuku and Aoyama joined in with her shenanigans, more activity started to arise, with Kaminari, as well as others observing the commotion.

Class started when the intercom switched on, and the usual alarm rang through the halls. As the bell tolled, we all eventually made our way to our respective seats and sat idly as Aizawa emerged from his sleeping bag to inform us of the festival that was coming soon.

"UA High will be hosting its annual School Festival in a month's time. Festivities will include food stands, games, a beauty pageant, as well as a talent show to showcase each class's skills and creative, imaginative capacity," he said, rubbing an eye. Kirishima raised his hand to ask a question while subtly eyeing me from his seat.

"What about the recent villain attacks? Don't you think it's a little unsafe given what has happened so far?" Aizawa nodded in consideration, but refuted his point.

"Your concern is valid, and there has been an exceptional amount of villain activity as of late, but the school has taken preventative measures to make sure something like this doesn't happen again. There will be security guards rounding school grounds and a patrol squadron in the air. The reason why we're holding his festival is because of its significance to the business and support courses. Many relevant companies seek UA students to either intern or work at their establishments -- it proves to be a useful opportunity to many of our students.

"Now that's out of the way, I suggest that you start planning now, and refine your performance for the show after. Yaoyorozu and Iida, as the class representatives, will be hosting a popular vote to decide Class 1A's contribution to the festival." It seemed like he was done for the day, as our homeroom teacher just ducked back under his desk and went to sleep again as our class reps made their way to the front.

The class was quick to start shouting ideas, some more innovative than others, but still ideas nonetheless. Uraraka suggested a mochi shop, Deku wanted a hero quiz, while Denki, backed by Mineta, vied for a maid cafe. There was an amalgamation of creativity within 1A's students, but none of it gave way to an agreement that everyone liked.

We continued to spout ideas until the end of class, but to no avail, as every person seemed to have a differing opinion of what we all should do for the festival. This conversation continued until the end of the day, when most of the class had to return to the dorms to discuss plausible events that they could host.

As for me, I had to return to my internship with Gang Orca, given that it wasn't over yet, and I wanted to make the most out of the experience. Besides, internships were ending soon, and I wanted to say goodbye to everyone before I left -- I couldn't leave them hanging, especially after what had lapsed with Compress and all. The thought of them worrying over me brought upon a foul mood.

As I arrived at the estate, I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the possibly overwhelming response I would get from the team. The moment my knuckles knocked on the wooden door, the barrier burst open, revealing a wide-eyed member from Team S. He took one look at me and subsequently screamed. Startled, I backpedaled a bit, holding my hands up in a defensive position.

"(Y/N)!" my friend yelled, "(Y/N)'s here!" More screams came from the inside of the building as the team member hurriedly beckoned for me to join the rest of them in the house. Quickly shaking off the initial shock, I laughed and ran down the hall, towards the room that the loud shouting was coming from.

Upon skidding into the room, I was met with the gleeful faces of my comrades, who welcomed me with open arms, rushing to embrace me and making sure I was alright.

The clamoring of voices came from all around, the chatter of my companions filling the atmosphere with a certain liveliness that rejuvenated my spirit, making my insides tumble about and my heart flutter with a lightness that I hadn't even considered until I took a gasping breath to laugh.

This unending happiness continued to spread through my being all throughout patrol and practice. Relishing in the seemingly final moments with my comrades, I recognized the happiness I felt and embraced it wholeheartedly. 

The day passed by quickly and the normally long, grueling hours of training dissolved into what seemed like minutes of joy. Soon enough, dinnertime had come and most of the team bid their final farewells to me as they went back to their homes to enjoy a hot meal.

Gang Orca stayed behind and bought me a Donburi rice bowl that I could enjoy while I took the bus back to the train station. 

Waiting to walk me to the bus stop as I packed my things, he stood in silence with crossed arms, leaning his shoulder against the wall, and stared at the door, almost troubled by the sight of it. Noticing this, I tried to start a conversation to get his mind off of things.

"Gang Orca?" He turned his attention to me almost immediately.

"Yes?" I picked up my bag after I finished tying my shoes.

"Do you know what happened with the whole kidnapping situation?" The pro hero rubbed his chin, taking his time to formulate an appropriate response. I appreciated how freely he was able to talk about the event and not treat it awkwardly, like a taboo topic to never be mentioned.

"They rescued you, and a little girl from the yakuza base," Gang Orca rumbled slowly, "Since we're alone, I can tell you that there was a Shie Hassaikai raid just before you were rescued. Heroes took down the leader of that yakuza syndicate and a small girl was saved. I'm unsure of the verifiability of this, but apparently they'd been farming her for quirk-enhancing and quirk-erasing drugs." My eyes widened at the intel as I stood up.

"Where is she now?" I asked, making my way to the door that Gang Orca held open for me. 

"At the Musutafu Hospital. She's slowly recovering, thanks to the help of dedicated medical workers and UA High." 

Before I could ask more about the predicament, or step a foot outside, my phone buzzed. Opening it, I found that I'd gotten a text from Midoriya regarding a visit to the Musutafu Hospital. Gang Orca and I exchanged glances as he peered over my shoulder to see the message.

"Why does he want me to visit the girl?" I mumbled, "Does he just want a friend to come along? But that wouldn't make much sense, would it?" Gang Orca hummed.

"He must have a reason for you to come. His messages seem rushed... desperate, almost." I typed up a response as I walked out the door, hearing the clicking sound of a lock behind me as Gang Orca followed suit. We made our way to the bus stop, only a couple blocks away from the pro hero's residency, in comfortable silence. 

I sighed when the sight of the familiar bench and perfume advertisements got closer and more defined in what little there was of the evening light. 

"Everyone's gonna miss you, (L/N)," Gang Orca's deep voice suddenly interjected, "You were a real great addition to the team." I laughed sadly as his hand came to rest upon my shoulder.

"I'm gonna miss you guys too." 

"I'll always be here if you need me. The others will be as well. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions." 

The screeching sound of a bus halting in front of the stop pierced the calm atmosphere. Turning to look at Gang Orca for the last time, I bit my bottom lip, hesitating to go and just leave so abruptly. The pro hero chuckled at the act, releasing my shoulder from his grip and ushering me to catch the bus.

"Be safe, (L/N)." I could have imagined it, but at that moment, there was a great big grin that laced his features. It suited him well -- the curve of his mouth and the slight crinkle in his eyes highlighted his gentler, subtler features. Though his pointed teeth showed and his professional aura dimmed, I still found it endearing. 

I could tell that he cared.

"Thank you." I smiled back. "I will."

__

The trip to Musutafu came and went faster than expected. As the city passed me by on the bullet train, I couldn't help but wonder why Deku wanted me to accompany him to the visit to the hospital. We texted a bit when I arrived in the station, and a little more when I got on the bus. 

The questions didn't cease when we met up, but I had to repress them in order to concentrate on the matter at hand. Izuku handed me a gift basket to take to Eri when we entered the hospital. 

With the bundle of presents in my arms, I walked with Midoriya to Eri's hospital room. Our footsteps echoed down the hallway, the hollow sound that followed perhaps acting as a warning premonition that foretold some catastrophe. Deku had gone eerily silent, an unfamiliar coldness radiating off of him -- a coldness that made me uneasy. Taking a quick glance at the green-haired boy, I gave a soft sigh as I recognized the worry in his eyes, and stopped him in the middle of the hallway.

Midoriya froze, turning to look at me with an attentive stare.

"(Y/N)?" he asked, "Is everything okay?" I was caught off guard by the selfless question, pausing to make sure that I could correctly process his words. Hesitating for a moment, I watched as my friend's eyes shifted from one emotion to the next -- from reflecting worry for reasons unknown, to shimmering with benevolence, teeming with kindness and the notions of reliability, of openness. Murmuring a soft "oh" and recoiling my hand, I felt an aching in my chest as I gazed into the irises of the self-denying.

"I should be asking you the same thing, Izuku." A silence hung in the air for a moment, accompanied by the clenching of jaws and the flickering of gazes, all done quietly in hopes of not attracting unwanted attention. The freckled boy swallowed, his fists clenching and unclenching as he decided on what to say next. He looked lost, an anxious sheen shining in his eyes once more as he revealed himself to me.

And just like that, without a warning, he suddenly began to speak.

"She's gone through so much." His irises began to gloss over with unforsaken tears as his nose twitched, the tip beginning to grow a light shade of pink. "I don't know how to say it in words. I don't even know if I can- if I can help her, (Y/N). She deserves the world. She didn't deserve what happened to her. But despite this, I don't know how to make things better for her." He blinked, releasing the hot tears that welled up in his eyes, pushing them to cascade down his rosied cheeks and trickle down to his chin.

"I don't know what to do." His head hung low so that I might not have seen his tears, his expressions of sorrow and vulnerability, but it was too familiar of an emotion for me to not give attention to it. There was a great ache in my chest as I watched Deku cry. Droplets of crystal misery shattered on the floor as they dripped from his jaw, creating a somber mood within the confines of the secluded hallway. As I glimpsed at the redness forming around his eyes, the urge to comfort the boy became more prominent.

I didn't want him to experience such a crushing sensation of helplessness. It wasn't a pleasant thing to go through, feeling as if it was you against the overwhelming world and there was nothing you could do to stop it from advancing at a pace you were too slow to match. Seeing Izuku suffer like this stirred a sense of uncomfortability within the pits of my stomach.

And what could I say? I don't have the ability to read his thoughts, to hear his memories. Even as open as he was in the moment, I didn't know what was truly going on inside his head, what events had spurred this onslaught of emotion. But I couldn't stand idly in front of him and do nothing.

I supposed that the least I could do was try. To try and console him with sweet phrases that touched lightly upon the ears, with calming words and soothing tongues.

With words that, perhaps, were ones that I had always wanted to hear when this pained.

"You're not alone."

With that, I pulled him into an embrace, wrapping him tightly in my arms, his chest pressed firmly against mine. Deku instinctively hugged back, trembling limbs latching onto me as I offered comfort and an opportunity to find peace again. 

We remained this way for a few minutes, until Midoriya stopped crying and was able to control his breathing patterns again. I separated from him as he wiped away his tears with the back of his hand after drawing in a deep breath and exhaling shakily.

"Thank you, (Y/N)," he spoke quietly, giving me a smile, "I'm really grateful that you're here with me." I returned a small grin and patted his shoulder, gazing warmly at the green-haired student.

"It's no problem, Izuku."

__

Izuku and I eventually made our way to Eri's room after quickly traversing the halls in order to reach our destination. There, we found All Might waiting for us with a concerned expression on his face. As we approached him, he spotted us and those stormy features swapped out for fresh ones, ones that didn't contain any traces of his previous mood. I frowned at the sight, uncomfortable with the realization that there was a need to put on a facade. 

"Young Midoriya, Young (L/N), it's good to see you." I said a greeting back after a couple of seconds, only slightly in disarray due to the sudden change in face of the pro hero. "Eri's inside the room, and fortunately in a stable condition. I'm just here to stand watch in case something happens, so don't mind." Midoriya nodded to All Might as we passed him to enter the hospital room.

Eri was sat on a large bed near the window of the space. Her head was turned towards the scenery outside, hands folded neatly on her lap. From her posture, she seemed quite timid, reluctant to even acknowledge the two new presences in the room.

"Eri," Izuku called, "We're here." The light blue-haired girl perked up, quickly shifting so that she could see Deku. As her eyes scanned the room, she suddenly stopped upon seeing me. I checked behind me to make sure that nobody had walked in and spooked her, and in finding that nobody had, I wondered why she kept her stare locked on me.

I approached her bed slowly, making sure that I was as careful as possible in acting around the poor girl, and gave her a smile. She didn't return it, but that wasn't a problem. 

"Hey Eri," I murmured, "It's nice to meet you. I'm (L/N) (Y/N)." 

"I've seen you before."

"I saw you," she whispered, "I saw you in the room next to mine. I saw you after I heard a lot of yelling and I was taken to a big room." 

My breath hitched and my lips parted at the comment. I stiffened at a sudden jolt in my memory. I didn't know how long I was out for, or what had happened during that time, but I remembered Shigaraki screaming and the walls shaking after he left. 

I felt an unpleasant feeling bubbling in the pits of my stomach as I thought furiously. Heroes had rescued her. Heroes had come into the cell that she was in and searched for her. Her cell was next to mine. Heroes had already infiltrated the labyrinth far before they saved Eri and my rescue came after hers. Eri had been moved from her cell because villains knew that heroes would go there first. 

I started to grow angry. 

And through my building anger, I failed to see that my reaction had been a careless act, as Eri's eyes widened and she withdrew from me, her eyebrows creased and her ruby eyes turning glossy. 

"Please don't be mad at me," she whispered quickly, "I'm sorry for saying that. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I gasped upon realizing what I had done and immediately turned my attention back to the meek girl, gazing at her with pleading eyes and regret-filled features, all thoughts regarding my rescue pushed back to the depths of my mind.

"Oh, no, no. I'm not mad at you, Eri, I'm not," I said in a hushed voice, "I'm sorry if I made you feel that way. You're safe here, I promise. I was just a little surprised, that's all. Please don't worry about it. You did nothing wrong. It's not your fault, so please don't apologize." 

She seemed to realize something, as after I had said those words, she began to calm down, taking deep breaths and making an attempt to steady her heartrate. Once she was alright, I extended a hand, giving her the opportunity to extend hers, if she felt safe enough to. Eri glanced at my outstretched limb, considered it for a moment, but reached her fingers out to meet mine. I smiled.

"Eri." I took her small hand, rubbing my thumb against the top of her calloused palm. "Everything's gonna be okay now. You're safe here." 

As I continued, she looked at me with innocent eyes that had seemingly seen everything. Her maroon irises shone underneath the bright rays of sunlight, glimmering like fresh rubies that had been stone cut, but with hints of poison beneath the surface. 

Her gaze told a story of its own. There, I could see a web of lies that manifested to become her mantra, her conscience, her beliefs. Her inner system was polluted with the tales of a madman, of an oppressor and abuser. The way her pupils shook when she spoke, the way her lips trembled when faced with something new, something unprecedented and unfamiliar. 

She had never known kindness. She was scared of it. This childish innocence, one that was shaped to be holy and pure, was tainted with the markings of evil. 

Eri was the angel's scripture spoken with a Devil's tongue.

One could not dwell on the metaphysical and philosophical for too long, however.

Three knocks at the door signaled that Midoriya and I had to take our leave for the day. I gave Eri's hand one final squeeze before letting go and heading towards the exit. As I tore myself away from Eri, the thoughts that surfaced before came up again, more furiously than the last time, enraged that they'd been suppressed for the purpose of showing meager compassion. 

I couldn't look at the green-haired student in the eyes as I walked out of the room, brushing past him in a silent fury, an indirect retribution for the injustice I had uncovered.

Outside, All Might was standing with Aizawa, conversing with each other as they stepped away from the post that was now covered by one of the resident nurses of the hospital. I turned a corner, and headed straight towards them. 

I could only see red as inescapable emotions boiled up inside me. As they ceased their conversation and looked at me, I spoke.

"We need to talk," I said, a ferocity engrained in every word that came out of my mouth, "We need to talk in private." There was an inherent terror behind their seemingly caring and calculated demeanors, but they agreed. I figured it was only because they knew that I had discovered the dirty secret they'd been trying to conceal. 

We were soon in an open, secluded space, one that was far away from any of the patients' rooms. My limbs were trembling as I moved to face the figures that stood, awaiting my response. 

I turned to Midoriya, shivers running through my body, catastrophically exploding my nerves, making my heart race at a rate that I never thought possible. A fire burned deep within my core, one that shook my soul and lighted my skin ablaze, a furious red tinting the surface of my face and fingers. My hand shook as I pointed to the three men in front of me, a disbelieving, maniacal smile slapped onto my features -- the only way that I could cope with the reality of the situation. 

From what I heard from Eri, while I was being held captive in the cell next to hers, heroes were actively working to rescue her from the Shie Hassaikai. Only after they had rescued her, had they even thought of saving me.

I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to believe the blatant truth that some hand of Fate had laid out for me. Laughing as I managed to stammer out the impossible, I felt my eyes sting and my vision cloud with tears. 

"I was second priority?"