The king is talking with the advisors. You're not sure what they're going to say. How will they handle this? You don't want to think about it.
You've focused your mind on helping the injured, since some of the maids need assistance. You seek out Neena, who you haven't seen in a long time.
She welcomes you with open arms. "You have no idea how nice it is to have some extra help, especially in times like these."
You smile. "I'm glad to help."
Neena sighs, looking you up and down. "Hon, don't take this the wrong way, but you should probably change."
You look down at your clothes. Your tight dress is covered in ash and is, if even possible, even more uncomfortable than before.
You blush in embarrassment. "You're right."
Neena turns around, leading you to a pile of things salvaged from the fire. Boxes are piled on each other, and clothes, rags, and medical supplies are nearby.
"Thankfully," Neena starts, "the S.O.B. was able to get some things before they burned. I also heard that the Commander sent a team to get supplies from the southern territory."
"What's sob?" You ask.
"No, it's S.O.B.," Neena laughs, handing you some clothes, "it's what we call the Smother them Out Brigade."
"Thank you," you say as you take the clothes, "but how come I've never heard of them?"
"They're sort of a Todoroki palace secret," the maid explains, "some of the most elite guards, trained to smother from the shadows. Of course they mainly focus on putting out fires and such, for occasions like this. You'd be surprised how much the Kingdom of Flame catches on fire."
"Smother from the shadows?" You smile. "Like spies?"
"Like spies," she winks. "Now you should probably put those clothes on before you wake the dead."
At first you're confused, but when you look around, all of the injured soldiers have stopped treating their wounds and are looking at you. You blush, hurrying out to change.
◆
The clothes are baggy and similar to a commoner's, and they remind you of the time you did yoga with Shoto in the courtyard.
It feels like it happened a million years ago.
You sigh, heading over to Neena once again. She smiles, pleased with your appearance. "That's much better! Now let's stitch up these poor fellas."
She leads you to a soldier sitting on a mat, and he immediately smiles at the sight of her.
"Hello there, Kenji," Neena smiles, setting down a bowl of water beside him, "now, please take off your shirt and show me the worst of it."
You suppress a blush at her words, and wonder how she could be so unaffected. Then you remember her relationship with Mayra, and instead turn your focus to the guard before you.
You cringe at the sight of the gash on his stomach, but Neena doesn't bat an eye. "Oh, dear. Thankfully it's not deep or you'd probably be dead right about now."
You watch as Neena carefully wipes the dried blood with a wet rag, and you suddenly understand why she's so popular. Her smile could light up the darkest of days.
"Could you fetch me some bandages?" Neena asks you, putting pressure on the wound.
You nod, glad to finally be of use. You leave the tent, heading behind it to the pile of items from the palace.
You sift through the clothes, food, and tons of other items until you find what you're looking for. You grab the bandages, and right before you get up to leave, you hear a groan.
You're near the area were Izuku broke a tree a few days ago, which is out of sight from everyone. You jerk your head up, preparing to defend yourself in whatever way possible.
Your heart starts to beat erratically when you hear a voice. It's strained; most definitely in pain.
"Help."
You flick your eyes around until they land on a figure limping towards you.
Your heart drops. "H-Hiro?"
He's covered in what seems to be ash and probably blood, and his ankle looks twisted at a strange angle. He's dragging a body behind him, but you pay no attention to it.
Instead, you look at your brother's face.
His once dark eyes are a ghostly white, as if glazed over. Red veins crawl over the surface and his pupil is barely visible.
Before you get a chance to move, Hiro falls to the ground.
◆
Hiro's in the medical tent, and you're sticking by his side.
His eyes are closed and he's mumbling to himself, as if he's having a nightmare.
"It burns," he whispers, "it burns."
Neena flushed out his eyes and treated his wounds before laying him down.
"Burned corneas," she had told you, "and a twisted up ankle. It's not looking good for him, but he won't die."
You sigh, putting your head in your hands. He's alive. He's alive.
You suddenly remember the body he dragged behind him. It's face was so mangled it was unidentifiable, but Hiro seemed insistent on taking it. It was moved to a separate tent for identification.
He's always been one to self sacrifice. He's a hero, hence his given name. You remember how you used to play with him as a kid, and he would save you from all sorts of disasters.
You hold your brother's hand gently. Your hero.
He clasps his hand around yours, and you tear up at the gesture. "Get some rest," you tell him, "you have to get well, okay?"
Hiro ignores your comment, and you wonder if he even heard you at all. "T . . . Takahashi . . ."
You suck in a breath. Takahashi.
"He ran into the hall before the fire started," you explain to your brother, "I haven't seen him, but I'm sure he's okay."
"N-no." Hiro says weakly, "No. Not okay. He was . . .He was in the fi-"
Hiro coughs, but he doesn't have to finish his sentence. It hits you.
It hits you harder than anything has ever hit you in your life. The body Hiro was dragging.
It was Takahashi.