7:45 pm.
Buzz! Buzz!
Buzz! Buzz!
Lying flat on his face, Todoroki heard his phone but couldn't bring himself to move. Not after his embarrassing outburst. He would ignore the call and wallow in self-pity. Or so he thought.
"Shoto!"
Instantly, he sat up.
"Your friend has been trying to reach you, you know."
"Friend?"
"He followed me on Instagram," she tossed him her phone.
"Hello?"
"No time to explain, Icy-Hot! Just come to my place! Trust me, this wasn't my idea."
"It wasn't your idea? Then whose was it?"
"Stop asking questions and get your ass over here before curfew!" Bakugo hung up.
Todoroki sighed in annoyance. "Of course, he hung up."
"If you need a ride, I'll take you," Fuyumi promised.
"Thank you, Sis," he smiled.
"Of course. Anything for little Shoto..." Fuyumi chuckled under her breath.
"What did you call me?" Todoroki asked, confused yet curious.
Looking at the death shrine in the living room, Fuyumi saw a picture of a red-haired boy beside Endeavor's photo and frowned.
"Just a joke I used to share with your brother a long time ago..."
~•~•~•~•~•~•~
BAM! WHAM! POW!
Letting off some steam, Shinso was punching the bag in his room without letup. He was still pissed about Bakugo as well as Present Mic who promised to get him takeout.
Punching it one last time, he brought it to a stop before grabbing his water and drinking to his heart's content.
Wiping the sweat off his face with a hand towel, he heard a notification coming from his phone and saw messages from Kaminari.
Messages from Charge:
(7:35 pm)
Bro! The craziest shit just happened. If you wanna find out, meet me at Bakugo's place. I know you hate him but trust me. It's for a good reason😅
(7:37)
Oh yeah, I know you hate his guts, but I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. So, please... If you can come, it'll be much appreciated. Also, there's food.
Reading that last message, Shinso scoffed in amusement. "Well, this outta be good."
~•~•~•~•~•~•~
Silence.
That's all there was in Bakugo's living room. After all, the last time they were together didn't go so well. Hence Hagakure cleared the air.
"Would anyone care for some water?"
Nodding a grunt, Todoroki sank into the couch.
"That would be much appreciated, Toru," Yaoyorozu answered.
"No thank you," Kaminari whispered.
"What? Is our water too good for you or something?" Bakugo scoffed.
"Sorry! Sure..." He forced a smile.
"I'll be a minute." Hagakure went into the kitchen.
"So... You have something to tell us about Mr. Aizawa?" Bakugo cut to the chase.
"I believe I do, don't I?" He chuckled to lighten the mood. Although Bakugo didn't look any less annoyed.
"What happened to Mr. Aizawa now?" Todoroki asked.
"We're getting to that," Yaoyorozu awkwardly clarified.
"Oh..." He blushed out of embarrassment.
"Look, what I overheard is gonna sound crazy but trust me... It's true," Kaminari explained as Hagakure arrived with the waters. Yaoyorozu thanked her silently as she took her glass.
"Tch! Trust you?!" Bakugo scoffed.
"How can I trust you when you haven't even told us about -" Hagakure instantly nudged his ribs.
"OW!" He growled under his breath.
"Come on! The least we can do is hear him out..." She whispered.
"Hear out the words of a liar? Why not?" He whispered under his breath.
"Continue," Hagakure assured when suddenly...
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"I wonder who could that be..." Bakugo glared at Kaminari who awkwardly grinned.
"Sorry. I felt he deserved to know..." He confessed before Bakugo opened the door.
"Shinso..." Bakugo begrudgingly greeted him.
"Uh... I would say it's nice to see you all but judging by the looks, I can see I wasn't invited, which must mean there's no food..." Shinso passed a death glare at Kaminari.
"Hehe..." He rubbed the back of his head.
"Come on in!" Hagakure kindly said while Bakugo grumpily closed the door behind him.
"Much appreciated," he forced a smile and claimed a chair in the kitchen.
"Now that we're all here, I better get right to the point then, huh?" Feeling a little hot, Kaminari glanced at Yaoyorozu who smiled reassuringly.
"Don't overthink it. Just tell them..." she whispered.
Kaminari inhaled and looked at them. All he had to do was tell them. Nothing serious.
"Sensei is leaving I-Island tomorrow night with Midnight and Present Mic to find Eri who is in Japan thanks to information from Hawks who isn't missing anymore and if we don't go, they probably won't come back! Ahhh!" Kaminari finally exhaled.
"Come again?" Shinso blurted out.
"Eri is alive and Mr. Aizawa is leaving tomorrow night to get her back!" Yaoyorozu repeated.
No words could describe how stunned they were. They were still deciding whether to believe it or not. But seeing as how they came all that way to tell them, they doubted it was a lie.
"Eri. Is. Alive?" Hagakure was in disbelief.
Hoping to see Bakugo's reaction, she became worried when she saw him staring into space.
"What time are they leaving?" Todoroki seriously asked.
"Midnight. Dock 15. I-Island port," Yaoyorozu explained.
"I see Hawks is giving them no time to think, which isn't surprising. But didn't he go missing?"
"He was! But now he needs Mr. Aizawa to collect Eri. Times are surely changing."
"And you're sure you heard right?" Hagakure asked.
"Kaminari wouldn't lie to me. I trust him. Besides... He went to find Mr. Aizawa on my behalf, so this happened by pure chance," she calmly explained.
"So... Eri is alive and Mr. Aizawa is getting her back. Fine! However, not to sound like an asshole, but what does this have to do with us?" Shinso asked.
"Well. You see..." Yaoyorozu began.
"We were thinking..." Kaminari added, tapping his foot anxiously.
"We should go with them!" They simultaneously said.
...
...
"Ha! Hehe. Haha! Hahahahaha!"
Hearing what sounded like quiet laughter, Yaoyorozu, and the others were disturbed to see Bakugo laughing under his breath. The fact he was like this was a bad sign.
"Katsuki... Is everything okay? You can talk to me," Hagakure whispered.
Slowly bringing his laughter to a stop, Bakugo breathed through his nose.
"Here we go," Shinso braced himself.
"Honestly... This is pathetic, Denki. Really. Coming here, telling us these lies! Incredible performance. I mean, you managed to fool Momo. Haha!" His additional laughter made their hair stand up.
"Jokes aside, though... Did you honestly think you could fool me?" He looked him in the eye.
Kaminari was speechless. He feared the slightest movement would trigger Bakugo and didn't know what to do. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Literally!
"What was your plan anyway? You were gonna sneak aboard this ship. Hop onto Japan without getting spotted! Then what? Get eaten by a dozen stragglers before you even get a head start? And even if by some damn miracle you survived, what makes you think you'd live long enough to get Eri?!" Bakugo raised his voice.
Yaoyorozu was about to speak but paused. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right.
"That's what I thought... You don't have a plan. And deep down, I bet you don't think she's alive. Japan is a death sentence for Christ's sake! The only reason you wanna go is to feel better about yourselves! Not because you care! So, why should I...?" He coldly said which broke them.
"Eri is dead along with everyone else! And believing in falsehoods isn't gonna bring them back. I mean, can't you see that?! WAKE UP!" He shouted.
This in turn triggered a tear from Yaoyorozu. As a result, small flames flickered from Todoroki's hair which Hagakure caught sight of.
"And you...! You dare to come into my home and try to brainwash us with these lies! Well... No more lies." He maliciously addressed Kaminari.
"Do it."
"Do what...?" He whispered.
"You know what. Tell me what happened to them!" Standing up, Hagakure, Todoroki, and Yaoyorozu followed suit. Anyhow he attacked, someone had to step in.
Besides, Hagakure couldn't afford to let the couch get blown to bits. His mother would be severely pissed.
They were vintage.
While everyone was on the edge of their seats, expecting Bakugo to attack at the slightest sign, Kaminari kept his cool, never once breaking eye contact.
As much as he was telling himself to run, as much as he wanted to shit his pants where he sat, he couldn't afford to buckle under Bakugo's pressure.
Not anymore.
"Fine. You wanna know the truth? Here it is." He stood up to Bakugo which surprised Yaoyorozu.
He was gonna do it.
"It all started after we left you guys to fight the Woman Nomu... Jiro was injured and Sero was helping me get her to the bus. Then..."
"Then what?" Bakugo sternly asked.
Kaminari sighed.
"Then... The bus just had to go and disappear..." He sighed at the memory.
\\ Kaminari Pov //
We were surrounded.
Dozens of zombies were in the parking lot and there was no sign of the bus, Present Mic, or Koda. So. We did what anyone would do and ran.
By the time we got back inside and Sero taped the doors shut, somehow, zombies were in the store. We figured they came from a back room or something after hearing the noise.
As a result, we split up.
Since Jiro couldn't hear well from her injuries, she went with me while Sero took it upon himself to buy us time so we could find you guys. Sadly, the zombies from outside broke through and started to flood the store.
He held them off for as long as he could but a zombie with some kind of vine quirk tripped him up, so we went back to help him. The zombies were overwhelming, so I tried to save us by electrocuting the zombies.
But I couldn't.
Why?
Because. Jiro. Wouldn't. Let. Me.
We didn't know if my quirk would work on the zombies so she told me to save myself. I don't know why but my body moved on its own, and so, I ran outside. The last thing I saw was zombies surrounding them. After that, I ran into you guys.
\\ Presently //
"They sacrificed themselves for me... And I couldn't even return the favor." Kaminari finished with a sigh while Yaoyorozu comforted him while the others remained speechless. Bakugo, on the other hand, not so much.
"Bullshit."
"What?"
"That story makes no sense! How the hell can Sero lose to a bunch of slow-ass zombies?! And if Jiro was hurt, how could she help?!"
"You can't be serious? I told you the truth and you still don't believe me," he chuckled hysterically. Meanwhile, Yaoyorozu tried to remain neutral.
"Now, why would I believe the words of a liar? A murderer...!"
"A murderer!!!" Yaoyorozu suddenly laughed, scaring the hell out of them.
"Y-You think that Kaminari is the murderer? Coming from the person that left Midoriya and Uraraka to die."
"Leave them out of this!" He growled.
"Why should I? It's the truth, is it not? Or would you rather throw all of your mistakes on Kaminari to make yourself seem less of an asshole?!"
Bakugo was shot down.
He didn't know why but her words sounded similar to Aizawa's words.
"...So, please... Don't take my mistakes and throw them on Kaminari..."
Was that what he was doing this whole time?
"Well! Do you?!" She added, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Because it sure seems that way! Especially after what you almost made him do!"
"NO!" Kaminari gasped. It was only after she saw his worried face that she realized why he reacted like that.
"What the hell does that mean? What did he do?" Bakugo asked with genuine concern. Shinso looked at Kaminari with the same question on his mind.
Kaminari shook his head at her. He didn't want them to find out.
"Nothing..." She grumbled.
"No. Tell me! If it's so important to bitch about, then I need to know!" He violently grabbed her arm.
"I said nothing! Now, back off!!!"
Suddenly, Todoroki pushed Bakugo away from her and almost made him trip. To say this surprised him was an understatement.
"Back... Off...!" Todoroki threatened.
Bakugo scoffed before proceeding to fix his shirt. "And the boyfriend comes to the rescue... Of course. I should murder you and that pathetic traitor right here!"
"Wanna bet?"
Looking over his shoulder, Bakugo saw Shinso and reassessed his situation. Shinso might not have had a quirk like his but that wouldn't stop him from defending his friends. Especially when he was still pissed at Bakugo for attacking Kaminari and bringing up his father.
Simultaneously, Hagakure was at a loss for words. Everyone was against Bakugo and for good reason. He was letting his emotions get the better of him and things were getting out of hand.
She had to do something.
"Aren't you gonna answer me, Bakugo?" Shinso asked with sass.
Silence.
"What? Too afraid to respond?" He continued to taunt him.
Bakugo bit down on his teeth. Oh, how he wanted to cuss him out.
"Shinso..." Hagakure addressed him in an exhausted tone.
"Yeah?"
"Please. For my sake, don't brainwash him."
"No need to worry. I only use it as a last resort," he assured.
Although Bakugo doubted that judging by the smirk on his face.
"Honestly, I think you should..."
"What did you say, Icy-Hot?!"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!!!"
Suddenly, Hagakure threw her hands, nearly blinding everyone in the room. Simultaneously, all the lights in the room flickered briefly. Everyone was amazingly terrified by the time she calmed down and wondered what the heck was going on; especially Bakugo.
"What the hell was that?!" Kaminari freaked out.
"How did you -?" Bakugo began.
"Go to your room! You're out of hand! Now go! Or I will throw you in there myself!"
"But?"
"NOW!!!"
SLAM!
Panting against the door, Hagakure regained her composure. Shouting at Bakugo was the hardest thing she had to do but it had to be done. If not for the others then for him.
"Sorry about that. My quirk sometimes acts up when I'm angry. As for Bakugo, I apologize on his behalf. He's been going through a lot... Even so... I think I speak for everyone when I say none of us want to fight. Especially Bakugo," she explained.
No arguments there.
No one wanted to fight. Not even Bakugo who was against the door, pulling at his hair. After everything they went through, how could they?
"We understand, Toru... We're all facing our own demons. Honestly, that's why I try to keep the peace with everyone. Unlike tonight where I failed miserably..." Yaoyorozu sighed.
"No!" Todoroki interrupted.
"You're doing your part, Yaoyorozu. If anyone has failed here, it's me. I allowed my emotions to get the better of me and I apologize for that."
"Are we still talking about Bakugo here...?" Shinso asked.
"I doubt it," Kaminari responded.
"Todoroki-san, it's fine! That's all in the past now!" She assured.
"No! Even if that was the case, I should've never snapped at you. I promise I'll never snap at you again. Even if someone does mention him."
"Wait. You snapped at Yao-Momo! When?!" Hagakure was so confused.
"At our date." It hurt her to say.
"You guys went on a date?!" Kaminari gasped.
"After school. Can we please move on now?!" She begged, blushing in embarrassment.
"Right. We are getting off track," Hagakure realized.
"So, how are we gonna handle this?" Kaminari asked out of the blue.
"Handle this? Not to offend you in any way, Denki, but what do you mean by 'handle this?'" Hagakure questioned.
"You know! Are we going to help Sensei or not?" He explained.
"That depends if we can. If we do this, you do realize we'll be breaking the law right? It's like Asui said... We'll be no better than villains..."
The room went silent after Todoroki brought up Asui's words from long ago. Although it was sad to say, he was right. What Aizawa and the others were doing was illegal. If they joined the mission, they'd be accomplices.
"I know that... But this is a second chance to make things right!"
"Right, for who? You? Look, I know you feel shitty about what happened to Jiro and Sero but this is an entirely different situation! I mean, honestly...! Is putting yourself in danger gonna change any of that?" Hagakure asked.
"Well... No. But it can sure as hell make up for it."
"Amen to that..." Shinso whispered as the room fell silent.
"Switching topic but we're not turning Mr. Aizawa to the authorities, right? I mean, let's be real... We don't have the guts..." Yaoyorozu curled into a ball.
"You got me there. I don't even think I could do that..." Hagakure agreed.
"Either way, I doubt anyone could talk him out of it," Shinso added.
"So, if we're not doing any of that, what do we do?! We have to decide quickly because the boat leaves tomorrow! Literally!" Kaminari said.
"I mean... Do we do it? Do we help Mr. Aizawa?" Todoroki broke the silence.
That was the elephant in the room. A question so troublesome it made them torn. Honestly, what could they do? Break the law? End up fugitives? End up dead?!
As heroic as Kaminari sounded, he was delusional. Good intentions don't always mean good outcomes. The Beta Protocol was an example of that.
Still.
Deep down, nobody wanted Aizawa to go alone. Not even Midnight or Present Mic. Bakugo was right. Japan was a death sentence and none of them wanted them to die. They were too important, especially Aizawa. But would going prevent their demise?
"Tonight's been a long night, guys..." Hagakure tiredly sighed. "Ms. Mitsuki is gonna be home shortly and truthfully, this isn't a discussion that can be decided in one night. Besides, I don't wanna leave Bakugo out of this. So, please... Let's sleep on it."
"But!"
"I SAID... Let's sleep on it."
Kaminari wanted to say more but stopped when he saw Yaoyorozu's tired expression. Not to mention it was almost 9:00 p.m. She was right. It was time to go home and rest.
"Fine... Let's sleep on it," he reluctantly agreed.
"Sleep on what?"
"Ms. Mitsuki!" Hagakure jumped followed by everyone else.
"Yes?" She responded, shutting the door behind her. "Where's Katsuki?"
"He's... In his room right now. I don't think he wants to talk to anyone."
"Oh really? Why? What happened?"
"He just felt a little tired is all."
"Uh-huh. And what the heck is going on here exactly? You do realize curfew is about to start right? You're lucky the authorities changed it from 6 to 9." She looked at her watch.
"Sorry, ma'am. We didn't realize it was that late. We just wanted to time to talk about stuff," Todoroki bowed respectively.
"Yes. We apologize, Mrs. Bakugo," Yaoyorozu added.
"Whatever. Since it's so late, I'll have to drop your asses home. What were your names again? Icy-Cold and Shinso?" Mitsuki proceeded to put her purse on the kitchen counter.
"Icy-Hot," Todoroki corrected.
"That would be appreciated, Mrs. Bakugo. Thank you," Shinso bowed.
"Yeah, yeah! Enough talk! Let's go!" She walked out while they stayed by the door.
"We'll meet back here first thing tomorrow," Hagakure told them.
"Understood."
She closed the door and Todoroki went to the elevator, compelling Yaoyorozu to follow.
"Todoroki-San, wait!"
"So... What did Bakugo make you do?" Shinso suddenly asked.
"Huh? Oh! Nothing. He just made me flustered is all," he awkwardly smiled.
"You know... As much as I hate Bakugo's guts, I have to admit he's right about one thing."
"About what?"
"You are a terrible liar," he patted him on the shoulder and left him with his thoughts.
"Todoroki!" By the time she reached him, he was already in the elevator.
"What now, girl? Can't you see we're in a hurry?!" Mitsuki pointed out as Shinso joined them.
"Sorry. I just wanted to thank my friend," she explained.
"Yaoyorozu," Todoroki addressed her. "Thank you... For forgiving me..." He smiled before disappearing behind the elevator doors.
"Don't mention it..." She whispered to herself.
~•~•~•~•~•~•~
Driving with Mitsuki was many things but subtlety wasn't one of them. If she had questions, she would ask them. Shinso knew better than anyone.
"So, what was so important for you to hang out this late, huh?! Kind of stupid if you ask me."
"It was last last-minute get-together. Believe me..." Shinso brushed it off followed by Todoroki.
"If you say so," she shrugged.
Driving up a hill, Shinso and Todoroki were given a good view of downtown I-Island before disappearing behind the treeline. Before long, Todoroki told her to turn into a gated neighborhood with nice houses.
Eventually, Todoroki directed her to an old-fashioned Japanese-style house with a pond and wooden bridge out front. By the time they stopped, she and Shinso were already admiring it.
"This is it."
"This is your house?! Damn, kid! I knew you were rich but not this rich," Mitsuki chuckled.
"Can I go now?"
Slam!
Vroom!
"You're welcome by the way!" Mitsuki yelled out the window, speeding off.
"Thanks..." Todoroki coughed as the dust flew away.
He unlocked the door, took off his shoes, and quietly entered his home. The lights were off so he assumed the others were sleeping. Sadly, for him, that wasn't the case.
"Shoto." Suddenly, scaring the daylight out of him, the lamp in the living room turned on, revealing Rei.
"Mom? I thought you were in bed." He shielded his eyes briefly.
"I was... But I couldn't sleep until you came home," she genuinely said.
"Oh."
"So. How did the get-together go?"
"It went... Swell." He hesitated as if he had more to say.
"And how are you? I heard that you weren't in good spirits after your date. Did something go wrong?"
"It wasn't a date! We were just hanging out," he corrected, sighing in embarrassment.
"And no... Nothing went wrong... I was just tired by the time I got back," he lied, avoiding her eyes.
"You do tend to be moody after eating," she contemplated which Todoroki was relieved to hear.
"I'm glad we talked. But I should probably head off to bed..." He proceeded to leave.
"Then, of course, there's your father..."
Immediately, Todoroki stopped, allowing the sound of the clock to fill the room. Questions quickly flooded his mind and he wanted to know why. Why would she bring him up?
Unless...
"You don't have to explain yourself. A coworker of Fuyumi's saw it all and told me about it..."
Was this for real?
Was she picking his mouth?
No.
She would never do that. She was telling the truth. There were dozens of witnesses on the street.
"Fine... I admit it! I screwed up. But she forgave me! Even though I don't deserve it. Because that's just who Yaoyorozu is! She's smart, kind, and understanding! And I'd never do it again... I'm not HIM!"
Rei looked at him wholeheartedly. That was the first time he mentioned Endeavor in a long time and the guilt was showing on his face clear as day. Todoroki quickly realized this and turned away.
"Sorry... I didn't mean to say that..."
Rei approached him and gently turned his chin toward her. Regardless, he refused to look due to the tear on his scar. She brushed it aside, never once afraid to look at it.
Unlike in the past.
"I'm sorry too... Shoto... I shouldn't have put you on the spot. I've hurt you enough as it is..." She calmly said. He touched his scar at hearing this.
"I'm just worried about you. You're in pain... And if that pain isn't controlled, it will hurt the people you love. It has hurt the people you love..."
Todoroki finally acknowledged her.
In the past, he was afraid to look at her. But at that moment, for the first time in a long time, he felt something he hadn't felt in a long time:
Peace.
"I don't want you to blame yourself for what happened to your peers and teachers... Or your father..." She began while he remained silent.
"Instead... I need you to pull yourself together and do what's necessary to set matters straight... If not for yourself then at least for her... And no matter what happens... I promise... I'll always be there for you, Shoto..."
Wow.
Never did he expect the conversation to end up like this. And his mother... He couldn't recognize her. The words she spoke, the gracefulness in her voice, it was like she was a different person.
"Well... I apologize if I inconvenienced your night. I just had to get that off my mind... I'll let you go now..." Brushing the wrinkles out of his shirt, she kissed him on the forehead and went to her room. But before she left him with her thoughts, she stopped in the hallway and glimpsed at him.
"Oh. And Shoto..."
He didn't hesitate to listen.
"Between you and I... That fact that Yaoyorozu forgave you quickly, further grounds my approval of her..." She smiled before leaving him be.
Blushing from the blessing she gave, Todoroki smiled. "Thanks... Mom..."
~•~•~•~•~•~•~
Once Mitsuki dropped off Shinso, he entered the house, assuming Mic was asleep since the house was dark. He hung up his keys and took off his jacket when the light turned on.
"And where did you go, young man?"
"Uncle Mic... I could ask the same thing about you. I see you brought the takeout you promised." Shinso eyed the bag of food in the kitchen.
"I got stuck in traffic. No big deal. Also, before I forget, I gotta run some errands with Aizawa in the morning, so don't be surprised if I'm gone when you wake up," he walked to the stairs.
"Understood," Shinso nodded, digging into the food.
Honestly, he could care less about Mic leaving early. It further proved what Kaminari had previously said. They were probably going to find heroes for their mission. Besides, it would give him time to go to Bakugo's place.
"Now. Your turn. Where did you go?" Mic stopped at the foot of the stairs and raised his voice.
"I was by Bakugo's place," he made sure not to mention Kaminari.
Anyhow he mentioned him, and Mic would immediately figure out he told them.
"Bakugo? Don't you hate each other?"
"We still do. But he owed me money so I went to get it. That's all," he shrugged.
Mic looked at him strangely but didn't suspect a lie. Still, he sensed there was more to the story.
"Listen, kid... I know we're not close but... Try to stay out of trouble, alright? The last thing I want is for you to get hurt."
"Understood..." He barely looked over his shoulder as he dug into his burger.
With that, Mic sighed tiredly and disappeared upstairs, calling it a night.
~•~•~•~•~•~•~
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Bakugo?" Hagakure said on the other side of the door. Sadly, though, Bakugo could care less to open it, so she took the initiative and entered.
"Do you have a minute?" She asked, noticing him beneath the sheets.
Silence.
Sighing, she went to his bedside and sat down. She didn't want to annoy him any further but after what he did, the least he could do was listen.
"Look, I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. Things were getting heated and I had to do something. Besides, if I didn't, Todoroki and Shinso would've probably ganged up on you. Although, I think we can both agree that tonight, you were being quite the asshole. Sorry but not sorry," she finished with a nervous laugh to lighten the mood.
Still no response.
"Very well... If that's what you want then fine. I'll go. You can hate me and ignore me all you want but know this... I still have your back. Regardless of whatever happens next..."
Assuming his silence was a sign for her to leave, Hagakure patted his foot and went for the door. However, he quietly mumbled something before she even got one foot out of the door.
"Huh?" She turned around.
"I said that I don't hate you..." He quickly replied which was a surprise.
"Look... I was an asshole. I admit that. Dunce-Face brought up Eri and I got pissed off. I just couldn't take the lies anymore..." He briefly glimpsed at her before lying on his pillow again.
"So... Do you think he's lying?"
"To be quite frank... I don't think so. I mean... The fact he came here after I dreamt of Eri can't be a coincidence. It's almost like a confirmation. And I think that's what scares me the most..." He trembled at the thought.
"Believe me, I know what you mean. The details he described were too precise. Not even Yaoyorozu could come up with that. It makes me wonder if this mission is true."
"And that's another thing. If Aizawa and the others are leaving, then they're gonna be in real danger. I just don't know what we can do about it..."
"So... Why get mad at the others? Was it because of Kaminari's confession?"
Bakugo couldn't respond because he had to wipe away a tear as he thought about the Bakusquad. As mad as he was at Kaminari, he wasn't mad about that. It was something far more embarrassing that sprouted a long time ago at the Christmas party.
"I was mad because... For a brief moment... Hearing them even consider going... I thought I was going to lose you guys too..." He sniffled, thinking about everyone they lost.
Hagakure eyes quickly dilated upon hearing this. The fact he was scared to lose them made her realize how important they were to him. Even if he was being an asshole for it.
"I see..."
Bakugo cleaned his face and sat up straight. The time to cry had passed. Now... It was time to get real.
"Icy-Hot is right. If we do this... We'll be no better than villains. Tsu knew better than anyone..." Hagakure frowned at the mention of her.
"Still... Something is telling me that if I... I mean... If we don't consider going on this operation, something bad is going to happen to Mr. Aizawa..."
"So... What do we do?" She asked.
"For now... Stay put. We don't want to rush into things without the proper information. The last thing I want is to end up in Japan with no way back."
"You got me there. The last time we were there, we barely made it out alive. I mean, my quirk alone wasn't much help against the undead. I feel like I would only get in your way again..." She awkwardly explained.
"Now that you mention it... What the hell happened to your quirk earlier?" He blurted out.
Crap.
She forgot about that.
How could she explain it?
"To be real with you, my quirk has been acting strange lately. Particularly after you got suspended."
"So, is it stress?"
"It must be. Otherwise, what else?"
"A quirk awakening maybe," he joked.
"Ha, ha. Very funny," she quipped.
"Well, regardless of what happens tomorrow... If you make a decision and think it's the right call... I'll follow you... Besides... Ojiro wouldn't let you guys go alone. Not by a long shot..." She sighed which he empathized with.
"I have to say, though... This was a nice talk. It helped clear the air." She sincerely said.
"Well... As I said before, we'll sleep on it and find out more tomorrow. So, good night. Naked boy..." She teasingly giggled before closing the door.
Bakugo laughed. "Right back at you, Invisible Chick."
Hearing what sounded like drizzling outside, Bakugo stood by the window and watched the rain hit the glass. Seeing a few stars behind the curtain of the clouds, he sighed heavily when a deep realization came to him.
What if this was real?
Was seeing Eri again possible? But at what cost? What if Hawks was lying or what if it wasn't even Hawks? What if this was too good to be true?
His mind was juggling questions all at once and he didn't know how to stop the chatter in his skull. It made him wonder: if he couldn't handle a headache, how could he help Aizawa rescue Eri?
Then it hit him...
He wanted to save Eri.
But why?
Why save a girl whom he hardly knew? A girl by all accounts was deceased. Was it because he left them...? Because he left Deku and Round Face to die? The same way they left her...?
If that was the case then he was a hypocrite for telling the others they were doing this out of guilt and he wasn't wrong. All of them had a reason for the way they felt.
For Shinso, it was leaving his father. For Yaoyorozu and Kaminari, it was Jiro. As for Todoroki, it was for not stopping his father.
All of them were guilty.
So, what would saving Eri change?
"Is that what you're recommending me to do? To find purpose?" Bakugo asked his therapist.
"Correct... But also something to hope for... For me, it was seeing the elderly folks smile every day."
Somehow, some way, he remembered what his therapist had said and it light bulb went on immediately.
This wasn't to say he had no doubts, though. There were plenty of reasons to question everything Kaminari said. After all, it was like he said...
"Eri is dead along with everyone else on that God-forsaken island! And believing in falsehoods isn't gonna change the past. I mean, can't you see that?! WAKE UP!"
That being said, that wasn't half the story. They still needed Aizawa's side of it. Even so, there were plenty of reasons to do the opposite considering the reason behind it.
Eri.
"Trick... Or... Treat?"
Yes.
Since they met her, all of them had attached themselves to Eri. She was Aizawa's child. And this made her everyone's little sister. If there was the slightest chance to rescue her, shouldn't they consider it?
Shinso.
As he lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, what did he have to lose?
Sure, he met her once but... If he had the chance to save his father, he would do it. As for Aizawa... Didn't he deserve to save his daughter too?
Kaminari.
Lighting his suicide note on fire from the cold balcony, what did he have to lose? His mom was overseas and he never met his dad.
He needed to do this.
He owed it to the others to make things right... Especially Jiro and Sero. After all, they sacrificed themselves for him.
Feeling the heat of the flame reach his fingers, he dropped the letter and watched it burn away. Instantly, he felt a burden lift off his shoulders because now he was free.
Yaoyorozu.
Like Kaminari, she left Jiro. Although it wasn't her fault, she could've done something different. That was why she couldn't say anything to Bakugo when he said what he did.
"...And deep down, I bet you don't think she's alive... The only reason you wanna go is to feel better about yourselves! Not because you care! So, why should I...?"
He was right. She did feel guilty. But shouldn't that encourage her more so?
Instead of using that as an excuse to wallow in self-pity, why not channel that regret to do something good?
Currently, flipping through old albums of the class, she couldn't help but tear up at the sight of the others. How happy they looked.
But even though they were gone that didn't mean their spirits were too. She didn't look at those photos to feel sorry for herself. Instead, she did it to remind herself of one thing:
To never abandon anyone else ever again. Even if it put her in harm's way. And right now... Somewhere in Japan... Eri needed saving.
Wiping away a tear, she took one last look at a group photo of Class 1A and Eri during the school festival and remembered the smiles they shared that day, especially from Eri who specifically smiled because of Jiro after she performed her concert.
She might not have been able to save her friend who was practically like a sister but that didn't mean Eri had to end up the same way. Not at all.
And last but not least...
Todoroki.
Like Bakugo, he didn't know Eri well. But she was precious to Midoriya. A friend he missed dearly. A friend who was injured by:
Endeavor.
Every time someone mentioned him, he felt like that helpless boy again. Frozen and unable to help his friends he watched from afar.
If he had done what was necessary back then, maybe Kirishima, Ashido, and Sato wouldn't have died. Maybe he wouldn't have hurt Yaoyorozu.
He knew Endeavor was still out there somewhere, roaming Japan scot-free regardless of the lives he stole. It made him realize that if they stayed, Aizawa would be at risk:
At risk of Endeavor.
He couldn't stay. He couldn't allow his father to take more lives. If the others were going then he was going too.
It was like his mother said:
"...pull yourself together and do what's necessary to set matters straight... If not for yourself then at least for her..."
Yes.
He had to set matters straight.
He had to face his father again.
For Eri.
Approaching the shrine in his living room as it drizzled outside, Todoroki glanced at a picture of his older brother, Toya, another victim of his father, and meditated.
Too many people had suffered because he couldn't stop Endeavor. But not anymore. He would make damn sure that this time around... He would do whatever was necessary to save lives.
Even if it meant killing him.
He looked at Endeavor's photo, a man he used to hate until the moment of his death, leaving an empty hole in his heart, he decided that the best way to set matters straight was to do what was necessary for him and his friends and put his dear old dad to rest.
In other words, taking him out of his misery for everyone else's sake. Whenever that moment came.
"Forgive me. Dad." He whispered before slamming the photo down.
Slam!
In the end, it all came back to Bakugo's question. What would saving her change? And sadly...
Nothing.
Saving Eri wouldn't change the past. But... It would change the future.
Her future.
If Eri died, all the trouble Midoriya and Aizawa went through to save her would've been for nothing and this would mean his death would be in vain. All of their deaths. Not just Midoriya. Uraraka, Tsu, and Kirishima. They were all there that day when they saved her.
He couldn't let their sacrifices be in vain. He had to save Eri. That was his purpose. All of them! They had to save her. They had to!
No matter the risk.
No matter the obstacles.
No matter the consequences.
Instantly, Bakugo scrambled to get out his phone and proceeded to message somebody. He didn't have time to explain but he would ensure the message was clear.
Messages to Rapunzel:
Lord Explosion Murder: Change of plans, Melissa. I'm going to need those gauntlets before midnight tomorrow.
...
...
Message sent.
Once he saw that, he put his phone away and prayed for the best. Besides, he was counting on Melissa to fix his gauntlets and if they were going to Japan, he would need them greatly.
They were going to save Eri. Even if they had to become vigilantes. Because if losing the others taught them anything, it was this:
A hero saves lives.
This was their chance to save her together. And at the end of the day the only way to save her...
Was to win.