There's a calm atmosphere surrounding the infirmary when Aizawa wakes up. Almost serene, he thinks. It's a jarring difference from the chaotic battleground he remembered passing out on.

Both his arms are in casts, practically glued to his sides. Unmovable.

Looking up, he sees Yamada. The Hero sits on the chair between his bed and another. His hair is a mess. Multiple strands sticking out of a messy bun. The hair-tie barely keeping the whole thing in place.

Looking to his left, he finds the prone body of one very hurt problem child. The slight rise and fall of the kid's chest is the only thing keeping him from going over there to check his pulse himself. Wanting some kind of reassurance that the kid was in fact, still alive and breathing.

Yamada seems to realize that he's awake, if the way his back straightens and he seems to perk up is of any indication.

"You gave me quite the scare back there, Zawa." His voice is quiet when he says that. The blonde looks just as tired as Aizawa feels, right now.

"How's the kid?" Aizawa asks instead. Not really knowing how to respond to the blend of both worry and relief, swimming in those radioactive green eyes.

"He was really beat up when we got there. I'm not really surprised though... That thing was too familiar for comfort." Yamada's gaze looks miles away for a second. It's the same stare he has when he thinks that Aizawa isn't looking. It's a look that speaks of unwanted memories and forgotten horrors rising to the surface. "Kirito's too selfless for his own good." He mutters quietly.

"Self-sacrificing idiot." Aizawa can't help but hiss under his breath. "You should have seen him Zashi. He took it on all by himself. The power he- I don't know what to make of it. He's been holding back."

"I know... I get the feeling that in a normal setting, Kirito will never fight with all his strengths again. The only time he will really give it his all, will be when a game isn't just a game anymore. When there's lives on the line, I mean. Still, trouble always seems to find that kid..."

Coughing brought them out of their hushed conversation. Both heads turning to look at the fluttering eyes next to them. The kid was finally waking up.

"Hey there, you're up! We were worried about you kid." Mic called out, trying to gain the groggy teen's attention.

The boy in question was currently grunting with the effort to straighten up. "Hey, hey! No moving for you! Recovery girl would kill us if you pulled some of the stitches out. You were too out of it for her to actually go through the complete healing process."

"Yashi" Izuku grits out, voice scratchy from all the screaming. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah, kid, they're all fine, the only injuries were you and 'Zawa over here. I believe a lot of that is thanks to you?" The voice hero says with a small smile. Pride welling up despite his disapproval at the kid's recklessness.

The door to the infirmary slides open, interrupting any conversation that would have taken hold.

The familiar face that greets them is a welcome presence.

"Tsukauchi-san, I'm guessing you're here to get our witness accounts?" Izuku can't help the smirk that forms on his features. He's always been relaxed around the detective. He's not sure if it's because of the man's natural soothing personality, or if it's an effect of his quirk. He doesn't mind it either way.

"Hello to you too kid. I'm glad to see that you're awake." The detective smirks back at him, shooting firm nods to the two heroes in the room. Having already met them on multiple occasions. "Aizawa-san, I hope you're feeling better." He gets a nod in response, but seems satisfied nonetheless. "Now, as you already guessed, I'm here for your testimonies. Recovery girl anticipated that you'd be up by now. However, she warned me not to push you, if you asked for more time."

"It's fine with me..." Izuku responds almost immediately, looking at Aizawa for approval.

"Better to get it over with now, I guess." Comes the gruff reply. The underground hero, too tried for any of this.

"Okay, so first; Witness accounts puts both of you at the central plaza during the whole thing. Some of the students saw you fighting with a villain. Said he might be the leader?"

"Shigaraki. He called his group, the league of villains. Said they were there to kill All Might." Aizawa is the first to talk. "When he didn't find him, he went after the students instead."

"The students that were up by the entrance said something along those lines too," Tsukauchi mutters while writing something down on his notebook. After a moment, he turns back to Izuku and Aizawa. "Anything else you can tell me about him?"

"He was there," Izuku speaks before he can actually stop himself. The panic he felt earlier that day, once again rising to the surface. A suffocating sense of dread pooling in his guts as he meets Yamada's eyes seriously. "He was in SAO. He recognized me."

Yashi's gaze hardens as he prompts Izuku to elaborate. "Was he on the front lines? Did you recognize him or-"

"No. He- He showed me. Right before the warp gate closed. He called me Kirito and showed me his arm." Taking in a deep breath, he continued. "He's one of the leaders of LAUGHING COFFIN. I'm sure of it. I'd recognize the insignia anywhere."

"LAUGHING COFFIN? That's the killing guild, if I remember correctly." Tsukauchi is writing faster now, his pen scratching at the paper with every line he writes. "I thought you said that most of them were gone?"

"They were all either killed or imprisoned in the raid. Although we never did find their leader." Yamada says, gaze fixed on something behind Izuku. Mind probably whirling with the implications.

"You mean to tell me that this villain, was a player killer in SAO and got out only to form a League of people? Basically forming a new band of villains just like him?" Aizawa for once, didn't sound so calm. A slight waver in his usual neutral tone.

"Tsukauchi, there's more. There was also the Nomu. I think they created it with one of the boss monsters in mind. His sword...I fought a Boss with a similar weapon before." Tsukauchi can see the seriousness in Izuku's eyes as he says this. "He was stronger this time though. It was an improved version, I think."

"Those bastards are trying to replicate the game in real life?" It's been a long time since he's heard Yashi this mad. It makes his nerves fray a little.

"We can't know anything for sure yet. However, if Shigaraki really is an SAO survivor. It will probably mean we, at least, have some information about him. Unless..." Tsukauchi seems to be lost in thought for a moment, his eyes widening a fraction.

"What is it?" Aizawa asks, frustration clear in his voice.

"Unless...He's one of the players that never got processed."

"What do you mean? Weren't all the players processed while we were still in the game?" Yamada asks, eyebrows rising in confusion.

"The analyses we got from the game-log showed more players alive by the end than the players who woke up and were registered. We assumed that some of them were internally or privately hospitalized. People with connections or as we can see. Villains apparently."

"So Shigaraki was probably being kept in an unknown facility." Kirito chimes in, thought process similar to those around him.

"It also means, that there may be other survivors that we don't know about." Tsukauchi finishes grimly. The detective's cellphone rings, breaking the heavy silence that fell on the group. "That's my cue. Thank you for your time. I'll get in touch if we find out anything more." With that, the man bids them goodbye. Leaving the room's occupants to bask in the new-found information.

____________________________

The world has a funny way of playing tricks on you. Izuku thinks.

The detective's words echo in his head. Mind whirling with unwanted thoughts and rising sadness.

Other survivors huh...

A small ray of hope just within his reach, but impossible to fully grasp.

Maybe he'd feel better if he hadn't known. Hadn't seen it with his own eyes.

The explosion of crystals. The grave marked with his name.

It's a cruel thing. To know that all this time Shinshi was just an hour away. His foster home, in the district right next to his own.

He remembers the first time he visited his grave. The moment he was cleared to move. He just needed to see it. Let go of that undying ray of hope.

Hope was a dangerous thing.

He spent the whole night there, that day. Sobbing painfully under the heavy rain. Clutching his heart as it threatened to give out. The grief and sorrow, too much for him to bear.

His mother was there too. Waiting for him in the car. Giving him the support he yearned for, but never asked for. The space she knew he needed.

Shinsou wasn't coming back. He had started to come to terms with that.

It was wrong. He knew it was. To wish it was someone else. To wish that somewhere out there. Shinsou was one of the unregistered players.

He'd give anything. He'd trade his life in a heartbeat.

Yet, he knew... He knew it was nothing but wishful thinking.

Shinsou would be mad at him for even consider it.

___________________________________

Recovery girl came by a little while later. Healing him with a parting kiss as she clears him to go home. Yashi offers to drive him home, but he declines. Wanting to clear his mind. Walking would help.

However, what he hadn't expected was the blonde waiting for him by the gates.

Bakugou's leaning against the exit door. Arms crossed over his chest as he looks ahead in disinterest. Although, in his defense, he does straighten up slightly when he spots him.

"About damn time, nerd." He huffs, arms dropping at his sides. "The other extras wanted to talk to you too, but I told them to go home." He informs gruffly.

"Who-"

"Your friends obviously." The teen promptly cuts him off. "Who else."

"Why are you here, though?" He inquires cautiously. Not really knowing what to make out of this.

"The old hag wanted me to bring you back to our place for dinner. Says auntie is already there, waiting for you." The last bit is muttered. Making Izuku pause in confusion.

"Auntie?" He asks casually, not wanting to provoke this odd, calm version of his childhood friend.

Bakugou seems to realize his slip-up, eyes widening before he turns around with a huff. Briskly walking away. Izuku follows without prompt.

"Hey, wait! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to judge or anything..." He calls out, appreciating the way the blonde seems to slow down. Izuku catches up with a small jog, easily falling into step with the teen. "I know your family took care of my mom while I was uh- gone. Mom told me that she used to come by whenever she needed a change of pace. I- I'm grateful." He continues quietly.

He noticed the small changes in their lifestyle. His mom gets more frequent calls from Bakugou's mom these days. He even asked her about it once.

She sat him down that day, explaining that she had needed support and the Bakugou's had stepped up swiftly. Keeping her company and welcoming her into their home whenever she needed it.

They'd been there for her when he wasn't. It meant everything to him.

"Whatever, Auntie Inko is a Bad-ass." The reply makes him smile. The first real smile he's given Bakugou without actively trying. It's a small, soft thing. But it's a smile nonetheless.

"That, she is." The rest of the walk there goes without a hitch. Both of them content with the comfortable silence that has settled around them.

________________________________

The sun is setting when they arrive. The orange sheen in the sky getting darker and darker with each passing second. Bakugou's house is just the way he remembers it, down to the broken swing set on the side of the yard. He's not really surprised that he still recalls the days he spent here when he was just a toddler. Bakugou had been his best friend since they could both walk. It was kind of a given for most of his childhood memories to surround this place.

They knock on the door only for it to open half a second later.

They've been waiting for them it seems. The moment he's inside, he's accosted by a flurry of hugs and kisses. His mother's teary eyes stare back at him. Worry and fear filling those green orbs to the brim. A testament to the things he's put and still is putting his mother through. Even now.

He answers the questions, automatic responses of "I'm okay!" "No, really mom, I'm fine!" and "Yes, I'll be more careful, I promise." Spilling from his mouths. Knowing his mother must have been going crazy with worry over him.

Seeing aunt Mitsuki and uncle Masaru again for the first time goes just how you'd expect. Mitsuki squeezes the life out of him in a crushing bear hug. The woman is still a carbon copy of her son. All sharp edges and sly grins. However, he sees the care and worry in her eyes too.

Masaru, on the other hand, is as calm as he remembers him. The man shakes his hand firmly with a warm smile adorning his face. The motion is accompanied by a friendly pat to the shoulder to boost.

Later, dinner goes in a similar fashion.

The Bakugous are as lively as he recalls them to be. Mitsuki and Kacchan argue about one thing or another, throughout the whole meal. Izuku's mom acting as a peace-keeper between the two. Chiming in counter-arguments and mediating between them when needed. Masaru just watches on, an exasperated smile on his face.

Their interaction speaks of years of familiarity. They're all comfortable with each other. Their interaction looks so domestic and homely. It makes him feel like an outsider looking in. A stranger intruding on something without meaning to.

He mentally berates himself for the tiny pang of jealousy it brings out in him.

He's happy for her. Truly. He's glad that despite everything. She managed to find people to fill in the void he left behind. People to care and be cared for.

It brings warmth to his heart. Even some relief and comfort. Knowing that despite everything, his mother wasn't always alone.

He tunes back into the conversation only to find that they're actually talking about him. The four-year-old him, to be more precise.

They laugh and tease him relentlessly.

He notices the way Mitsuki tries to include him in their conversations. The way Katsuki doesn't look as angry as he usually does.

He takes the offered olive branch and pulls. Happy for the smile on his mother's face that he gets in return.

The rest of the dinner goes by in a flash. He hasn't felt this relaxed in a while.

By the end, he feels that maybe, he doesn't have to be an outsider in this.

_____________________________

After dinner, Aunt Mitsuki urges them to go hang out upstairs. Effectively getting Bakugou to drag him up to his room.

Bakugou takes a seat on the floor, near the edge of his bed. While Izuku sits on the desk chair. His eyes taking the time to look around the room. Trying to find anything to alleviate the awkward silence that has settled between them.

His eyes land on something that makes him pause. A framed picture sits on the edge of Bakugou's desk.

Cautiously, he takes it into his grasp. Holding the picture a little closer and inspecting it for a moment.

It's an old picture. The cracks and splits on the edges are visible even inside the frame. He looks at it and a five-year-old version of himself stares back at him. It's a picture of Kacchan and him on their first trip to the forest. They have matching grins, Kacchan's arm is wrapped around his shoulder, a peace sign formed on his other hand. They both look so happy. Smiles care-free as they gaze at the camera.

"Look Deku- Izuku..." Bakugou's voice brings him out of his musing, interrupting the stillness. "There's something I've been meaning to say to you." He starts slowly. Too calm for the fiery teen he's used to. "I'm only going to say this once though, so you better fucking listen." And there it is.

Izuku nods his head once, seriously. Giving the teen his undivided attention and prompting him to proceed.

Bakugou lets out a long breath, as if bracing himself for something. "I'm sorry." He says finally. "I'm sorry for what I said that day. I'm sorry for all those years. All the hell I put you through." Red eyes meet his gaze with unyielding sincerity.

"Bakugou, it's been years... I don't blame you for-"

"Damnit just- Just listen." Taking the time to reign in his anger, he continues in a quieter voice. A testament to just how much he changed. "You should blame me. It took me a year to realize how much of an asshole I've been to you all these years. It took me a whole fucking year to gather enough courage to actually go to the hospital and see it with my own eyes. See how much of an idiot I've been." There's tears gathering in the corner of the blonde's eyes now. "At first I was just waiting for you to die. Like the rest of them." He huffed out a humorless laugh. Self- deprecation dripping from every syllable as he continued. "Hundreds of people, no, thousands. Every day for two fucking years." He swipes a hand through his hair in frustration. "Because why would you survive when you were the weakest person I knew? How could you, quirkless Deku, survive that death game when many older and stronger people were being killed because of it? It took me a whole year to realize how fucking wrong I was. You weren't the weak one. You're the strongest person I know and I've been doing nothing but bringing you down ever since we were four." He could see the way the boy's breath seems to come out faster. Frantic. "You survived that game. Hell, you even beat it and saved everyone. Becoming some sort of superhuman samurai. And yet, here I am, the same old asshole who tormented you for years."

The silence stretches between them. Bakugou taking the time to gather his wits. Quelling the panting breath that's been plaguing his chest. His eyes are trained on the ground, not meeting his gaze anymore.

"Baku- Kacchan. I think you've changed more than you realize." It's a quiet statement. Almost too soft for even himself. He thinks that the boy in front of him deserves that much from him. Deserves a show of some real emotions. "For one, the Bakugou I knew would never apologize. He'd blow my head off for even implying that he was. The old you wouldn't have defended me to our classmates or even tried to interfere in anything that was remotely in relation to me." This gets the blondes attention, red eyes meeting green ones with an intensity that's never been clearer before. "Don't get me wrong though, you're still the same brash, foul-mouthed brat I've known my whole life." He jokes, raising his hands in mock surrender when he sees the blond narrow his eyes. "But you've matured and grown so much more than I ever expected you to..." Mustering a bright smile, he finally says something he never thought he'd be saying to the explosive teen. "I'm proud of you Kacchan."

There's a smile forming on the blonde's face but it's gone just as fast as it appears. The fiery teen huffing in mock annoyance, grumbling a quick "Whatever nerd" Under his breath.

They spend the rest of the night playing card games and discussing random heroes that Izuku missed out on in the last couple of years.