／(･ × ･)＼

Chapter 14 - The Aftermath

The class watched her foot slam into the side of the frightened man's skull. A brutal crack rang out as his head was kicked into the side of the wall, Kichi's head lulled to the side as he now lay unconscious on the floor. 

Y/n weakly stood to her feet, she caught herself against the side of the table of panels. Glancing over all the buttons she clicked into one labeled 'Restrain Release'. With the push of a button, each of her classmate's shackles and cuffs clicked open.

Some student's brought together their wrists to comfort the strained joints, the same couldn't be said for Mina and Bakugo. Mina leaped from her seat pushing past students and going to her friend's side, Bakugo had meanwhile been fast enough to catch the winged girl before she collided with the floor.

He knelt below her and slowly lower her onto his lap. "OI FEATHER HEAD WAKE UP!" he yelled shaking the girl's shoulder. Mina slid over placing a hand on her neck checking her pulse "I can't feel a heartbeat! Aizawa" She looked up for guidance from her teacher. 

At that moment the doors to the room burst open as police and heroes spilled in. Within moments Y/n was taken by medics while Mic came over to Aizawa. "What happened Shota?" He questioned. "We got ambushed on campus, Y/n apparently had been going to fighting rings this last week... They were able to capture her last night" Aizawa had a grim look on his face. Mic placed a sympathetic hand on his partner's shoulder.

The class was escorted out of the building which detectives found out was a secret hideout of the fighting ring used to bring unwilling victims to and make them compliant with the fighting rings rules. Finally, Aizawa had the last pieces to his case and the last 2 suspects in custody but at what cost?

Well, 1 suspect and a corpse.

Mina watched Y/n get rolled away into an ambulance, she looked on with tears streaming down her face. "She'll be ok... Right?" Jirou whispered looking at Momo for support. No one was certain what was going to happen next. The things they thought they knew were far deeper than they could've imagined and their dear classmate, the girl who rolled in the grass and indulged in caramel treat, was a killer. 

Eventually, everyone made it back to the dorms it was the end of the day. The day was full of police interrogations and everyone was exhausted. Students hobbled into the dorms, some sat on the couch quietly, some went to cook dinner and others made their way back to their room. 

"I can't believe it" Sero mumbled "Yeah! She lied to us! She's just a filthy villain!" Mineta yelled, Mina shot a horrified look at the boy "How could you say that! she's our classmate!" "Oh common! She was put here for pity! They probably thought she was some sad girl who had a strong quirk! Who would put a monster like that in our class!?" He cried.

"SHUT UP! SHE DEFENDED US!" Mina shrieked cupping her ears, it was all getting too much for her "I don't know about you but I hope she doesn't come back" He spat. Suddenly the small purple boy was pinned against a wall. Bakugo held his shirt as he pressed him into the wall. 

"Say that again you filthy nobody!" He yelled "Hey man common! I'm just saying what we all think!" He laughs gesturing to the group of anxious students. No one corrected him. Everyone had swirling uneasy feelings about their classmate.

Bakugo dropped the boy on his ass before storming upstairs. Kirishima, Sero, Kaminari, and Jirou were all at Mina's side as they all comforted the sobbing girl. Everyone thought about the girl with a blank stare, who spoke her mind, who didn't know a lot, who hated tuna and loved caramel. 

Days went by and the tension within the class hadn't settled. Most people were still on Y/n's side but everyone felt a little nervous to have her in their class again. Mineta was the biggest advocate to kick her out but he was always shut up.

Mina asked Aizawa every day how she was going. Finally, after 4 weeks, Aizawa told the student's Y/n was well enough to have visitors. Mina was obviously the first one to ask to see her. Jirou, Bakugo, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero were the small group who decided to see the girl. They all carried flowers and caramel treats from other classmates in hopes the gifts will help Y/n feel better.

They walked through the buzzing halls of the hospital hallways as white lights glared above them. The nurse led them to a door and pushed it open "She's still very tired so please no loud noises" She advised letting the group in. The sight was worst than they expected. Her wings were bandaged and wrapped, her body lay limply in the bed, padding and wrapped around her face, down her stomach, around her legs, and around her arms. 

She had been left to those men for hours and no one really knew what had gone on for that time. Maybe Y/n didn't know either. Her eyes lulled open peering up at the people entering her room.

"Hey bestie" Mina smiled softly, Y/n eyes were blurry as she took in who was talking. The group could see the girl begin to realize who was in the room, her wings weakly flutter in excitement as she tried pushing herself up.

"Mina" she croaked out, a smile flickered on her lips before she peered at the array of flowers and gifts the others carried. "What's this?" She asked tilting her head. "Well not everyone could come so we brought gifts" Kirishima explained placing items in her lap. 

Her bandaged fingers fiddled with the different items before quickly ripping open the familiar baggy of caramel fudge. "hehe Sato said you might like that" Sero smiled.

The girl attempted to eat the piece but they could see she couldn't eat solid foods comfortably yet due to the manage to her jaw. A sad look appeared on her face as she realized she couldn't enjoy her favorite treat.

"Don't worry babes you can have all the caramel fudge back in class when you're better!" Mina smiled holding her friend's hands. She looked up at the group "How is everyone? Safe?" "Yes everyone's safe, you were the only one hurt" Kirishima laughed.

"No, you had a bloody nose" She corrected "And you too" Looking at Mina "And your head" "Stop worrying idiot we've gone through a lot worst than stupid nose bleeds" Bakugo crossed his arms. 

"He's right, everyone's ok just a little... rattled, from what happened" Mina looked into her friend's eyes. Y/n was now back to blankly staring out the window of her room. "I'm sorry... I scared them didn't I?" she asked not looking at the group "A little but I'm sure once you explain why, they'll be ok!" 

"Explain?" She looked confused "Yes! you're still in the class! What you did was super heroic!" "Killing?" The word shot into everyone's chest like a bullet "I mean you were defending yourself!" Mina tried to reason "No... I wanted to make him hurt. And I don't want you to be hurt" She squeezed her friend's hand.

"well once you're better we can talk to the class! everyone just wants you to get better!" The group chatted shortly before they had to go. The conversation was tense but everyone felt relieved that their classmate was ok.

They all gave their goodbyes as they left and once again Y/n was alone. 

She knows she'll never be accepted by her peers. She felt stupid to think that they'd ever care for her once they found out about them. Being in that class she quickly learned that none of them lived lives as torturous as hers. She was embarrassed. She was ashamed. But why did she still want to be with them? Something in her heart yearned to be with them, she realized that all that classwork and training made her happy.

Not the kind of happy the fighting ring made her. That was for survival, the bliss of knowing she lasted another fight, another day. The class felt too easy but maybe that's what she deserved... a break.

There was no need for police to question her on what happened aside from those few hours she was left alone. She couldn't remember any of it. The best healers in Japan came and worked their magic on her wings and jaw. After a couple of weeks they were able to function like normal though deep matching scars marked the middle of her wings. 

With all the assistance of medical professionals, she was flying in controlled environments. They advised her nothing strenuous but miraculously thanks to the high-tech capabilities of quirk-made medicine she would be back to training in a week or so.

By now she had been in the hospital for a month and a half. Her classmates popped in every couple of days but it was always the Bakugo squad and no one else. One day Aizawa come to check on her.

His baggy eyes and shagged hair seemed more disheveled than usual. He sat down in a chair beside her bed and took a deep breath. "I'd like you to talk to the class... They need an explanation" he began "They're scared... You killed a man more brutally than probably most of them had seen... You're lucky you still have a lot of the class on your side" Y/n stared out the window blankly as he spoke.

"You killed him but you had a reason. Heros have to kill sometimes Y/n it's ok... The class has no understanding of your history. Maybe if you took the time to explain it to them they'll understand why you had to" "I didn't have to... I could've let him live" She interrupted.

"I was so angry... It hurt so bad... It burned" She clutched at her chest leaning over letting tears stream down her cheeks onto the blanket over her knees. "It was bad this time... It burned... I'm burning... I'm so scared" She whimpered. Her fingers began to burn thinking about the pain she was dealt all her life.

"I just want my freedom... He's right! I'm just a killer... I can't stop it Aizawa... My chest" She yelped feeling the burning travel through her lungs, pumping her heart with charcoal. She let her tears stream as she heaved a shuddered gasp of air.

Aizawa placed a gentle hand on her shoulder as she sobbed. "You've hurt for long enough Y/n... We want to help. I will help. You'll be a hero just as great as your classmates... I just need you to be strong just for a little longer" His voice sounded slightly broken, having to beg a young hopeless girl to fight a little longer.

He placed a file in her lap "These are photos of your time in the fighting ring. You don't need to look at them but do I have permission to show the class?" He asked. She looked at the folder and slowly opened it flicking through the pictures.

Images of her room, the weapons she'd get beaten with, images of her being restrained, her hurting people. It was gruesome. "They deserve to see... They need to know" She sighed shutting the folder.

Aizawa handed her a tissue and she sloppily wiped the tears from her cheeks. Aizawa soon left letting Y/n think of what she'd say to her classmates.

------------------- Days Later -------------------

Class 3A stood around the common room mingling "Why did Aizawa tell us to gather here again?" "Not sure probably some class announcement" Sero shrugged. The class turned hearing the doors to the dorm push open. 

Aizawa held the door as a meek-looking girl strode in. Her hair was for once nicely brushed and tucked behind her ear. One big bandage sat taped under her jaw as she looked anywhere but her friends fiddlling with the bandages around her arms and wings. 

"Y/n" Mina whispered into the air. Aizawa leads her to the dining table giving the class a stern look. "What's she doing here?" Mineta snarled. "She's here to explain some things to you all" Aizawa shot Mineta a look that quickly shut the boy up.

Y/n stepped forwards still looking at the ground.

"I'm sorry... I probably scared a lot of you... You should be scared you have every right to be" she began. The class stood in front of her all patiently listening to her speak. They wanted a reason to trust her, they all adored her and they desperately wanted her to explain herself.

And so taking a deep breath she did...