Third person pov

The area all the passed students gathered in had enough food and water bottles to go around, as well as a few people administering first aid to those who needed it. Lillian felt both relieved and even more panicked than before. On one hand she'd managed to pass the first round. Amazing, stunning. Her best performance yet and they never doubted it for a second! Now they were onto whatever the second part was, and Lillian's non-existent confidence was shot. She wasn't sure how you shot something that wasn't there, but it had happened and she was suffering. All she could do to comfort herself was engorge herself with fresh dumplings alongside Momo. The girl had come in looking extremely tired and in desperate need of a meal. She and Lillian had braved the crowded buffet table together. 

Katsuki was stalking nearby like an angry panther, pacing back and forth whilst occasionally shooting Lillian glances to make sure she hadn't moved. Shoto had come by earlier with Kaminari to take her targets back for her, and he'd picked up Momo's as well. That one kid who'd made the tornado was staring at the half-and-half boy with as much venom as he could seem to muster for no particular reason at all. Lillian decided she'd make it an issue if it became one, but until then it would probably be fine to ignore it. She was terrified of the second part of this test, yes. But Shoto was a whole other ballpark. Anyone wanted to mess with him and try to mess with his fragile emotions? She'd fuck them up. She care if they were big and like, really, really scary. She wasn't going to stand for it.

Shoto was in a unique position. Lillian had stated this before, and she was going to say it again. The entire class was conscious of him and were just as careful as she was. They were all at least somewhat aware of the relationship Shoto and Izuku had. And if they weren't before Kamino, they'd been brought into the fold by now. Everyone was worried for him, and everyone was doing their best to accommodate and support him as he tried to come to terms with this betrayal. There wasn't much they could do to pull him out of this. Other than being there for him, all they could truly do was believe he'd be able to push through and make it out the other side. It was scary, and everyone was worried he'd crumble at any given moment. If anyone-- and Lillian meant anyone-- made it worse in any way... well, her fists were rated E for everyone.

"There are only a few spots remaining." Shoto noted from beside her. When had he gotten here? Had he just been watching her glower into the distance for the past three minutes? He'd understand if he knew her thought process. Not that she was going to tell him. Bringing the incident up could make things worse. "Not everyone from our class is here. There are still a few missing." 

"I noticed that too." Momo noted with a frown. Jiro came up beside her, a plate of cookies in her hand. She flushed slightly when their eyes looked to it, clearing her throat a bit. It's not like the concessions were just for those who had quirks relating to food and energy! 

"Yeah, I saw the same." Jiro agreed, taking a bite from one of her snacks. Lillian shoved a dumpling in her own mouth, scanning the room as she chewed. They were right. Most of their class was here, but there were a few key players missing that she hadn't realized hadn't made it through yet. It was actually quite concerning to see. Lillian knew it wasn't common for an entire class to pass all together, but she'd had her hopes up nonetheless. Being from UA put them at a disadvantage. Though many of her classmates were stronger than what held them back, she still worried that some of the other participants had gotten the better of them and used their known weaknesses to their advantage. Plenty of her classmates had stuck close to her and worked with her so they could all pass, but several had gone off on their own to prove themselves too.

"There's one from Shiketsu! Only two spots left!" Mera sounded more awake and a bit more excited now that they were finally almost done with the first round. He didn't seem like he wanted to be here. If he didn't enjoy his job, Lillian wondered why he was doing it in the first place. Shoto pursed his lips. He looked vaguely irritated that he couldn't play games on his phone. He gave Kaminari a sour look that the blonde awkwardly looked away from, sweat beading his brow. Lillian wondered if she'd witness a cold-blooded murder today. 

Lillian felt invigorated. Ish. Or maybe she was finally having an aneurysm. She still wasn't super sure she'd be able to pass, but she was trying to convince herself she'd make it through. She'd been really questioning lately whether or not she had what it took to be a hero. She knew a lot of her classmates had been too. To them, Izuku had been the epitome of heroism in their class. He was strong and caring, and willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of his classmates. To find out that was all a lie had been a punch in the gut for all who'd looked up to him, and it left them to ask themselves why they were here and what they were doing to better themselves. To be heroes and advance forward in this world to help others. 

There were a lot of things the freckled girl knew. She knew she wanted to help people in need, and that she'd do anything for her friends. She wanted to bring Neito back to life and defeat the League of villains. She wanted to take down the Yakuza. Her quirk was powerful and useful, and she knew this. Previously, she hadn't done it justice. She hadn't used it to its full extent. She still wasn't, she knew. There was so much more she could freeze, but something was holding her back. Maybe it was doubt or just plain fear. Whatever it was, that time at the USJ wasn't a fluke. She could feel it in her quirk and in herself. She knew her power better than anyone did, and she was just now beginning to realize what that truly meant. 

So... yes. She did want to be a hero for the right reasons. And if she kept trying, she was pretty sure she could. That meant she had to pass this test, though. She couldn't let her friends down. They had a plan. They were going to go x-games mode. Lillian was ready! Neito and Hitoshi had been hyping her up hardcore. Eri was even composing a diss track for Chisaki. Apparently it was part of Chad's "thirty-step therapy plan" to get her over her fear of him and over her PTSD. It was surprisingly effective, if not extremely weird. 

"The last students passed! Every spot is now filled! One hundred students will advance!" Mera's voice exploded through the speakers alongside a shrill alarm that signaled the closing of the test. "The end is finally here! Wah-hoo!" 

Their class exploded with excitement when they saw that the last two to pass were members of 1-A. Kirishima and Kaminari both whooped for joy, throwing their fists in the air. Even Ochako was able to beam at the results, Sero and Tsuyu doing the same. It was the first time Lillian had seen them all so happy since what had happened, and she couldn't help but smile too. Shoto looked fond as well, his lips curved up ever so slightly. He looked a little less sad, Lillian thought. She reached over and grabbed his hand in hers, drawing his attention to her. She smiled, squeezing his hand comfortingly. He squeezed back, the weight behind his eyes lighter than it had been before.

Those who failed were forced to withdraw from the licensing exam. They all were either retrieved or made their way towards the exit where they'd either be dismissed to watch in the stands or treated by the medical staff. They worked quickly and efficiently to get the field cleared. Lillian glanced away from the massive screen as Katsuki came to stand beside her. He looked smug to see that all of UA had passed despite everyone else technically having the upper hand. Lillian bumped her shoulder against him, gazing cheerfully up at him. He grinned ferociously in return, bumping her back. 

"Oh, right." Mera's voice echoed, and then the explanation of what would be happening next began. It started off strong with them blowing up and absolutely demolishing all the areas, creating a massive disaster zone that made Lillian's heart sink into the depths of her stomach. Everyone else was either silent or whispering out their words of shock as they watched buildings topple and mountains crumble dangerously. As predicted, this part of the exam was going to focus almost solely on rescue. This was the only round left in the exam, and they'd be saving the 'bystanders' caught in the chaos happening out there. All of them were actors, pre-dressed with fake blood and tattered clothing to make it feel more authentic.

Lillian's brushes with rescue in the real world were few and far between. There was the USJ, but they weren't going to talk about that. That was also that one time during her internship when her and Mic had happened across the collapsing building. That had been short and resolved quickly, Lillian was happy to say. Besides the point! They were about to get thrown into a literal hell scape and forced to work with these people they didn't know. Which yeah, that made a lot of sense. As heroes, they'd surely have to work with others they weren't acquainted with. That was fine! Or it would be if half the kids here didn't have a vendetta against her and her class for being as cool as they were! Lillian was just going to have to assume that that 1-A was going to be somewhat on their own. 

The exam was centered around retrieving the actors and keeping them safe whilst escorting them to the safe zone where they could be "treated". A point system was in place to keep track of who was doing the best. That was going to make this more aggressive than it needed to be. People were going to be racing to get to the victims as fast as possible in order to pass. Lillian bit the inside of her cheek. What if she couldn't do enough? What if she didn't pass and let her friends down? The idea made her feel ill. She wanted to succeed. They were going to work together to get rid of the Yakuza, and that meant all of them passing. 

Lillian felt a shiver go down her spine as the preparation of the course was completed. She felt the blood drain from her face, and Katsuki clicked his tongue in annoyance. Looking at the high-rise, city type area of the arena, it looked terrifyingly similar to Kamino ward. Crumbled buildings and sparse fires. Injured individuals scattered about, the camera panning over them. It looked almost as though it had been based on the recent tragedy, resembling an image that had been burned into Lillian's mind for the rest of her life. Her eyes darted to Shoto and Kaminari. The latter of which was uncharacteristically silent, and Shoto looked grim. Lillian turned to look at it again. Awase's face and voice flashed through her mind. She clenched her teeth.

He'd wanted to be a hero too. Has was a hero. She'd wrung Neito for information about him afterwards. She was horrified by how little she knew about him. He had sacrificed his life for hers despite knowing virtually nothing about her. They weren't acquainted-- not even in the same class. But he hadn't thought twice about jumping in front of that bullet for her. He was the only reason she was here today. If not for him, Izuku would've completed what he set out to do. Lillian felt desolate and empty when she thought about him. Angry at herself for not knowing about Izuku and not noticing. Not freezing him in time to stop what was happening. Awase had been there before she could process, and then he was crumpling to the ground.

He wanted to become a hero more than anything, Neito said. He'd trained long and hard to get into UA. He supported his classmates and volunteered with various charities on the weekends, and he was a bit of a memer himself. He was nice to everyone he came across and always willing to lend a helping hand. He had what anyone would want to see in an up and coming hero. Selflessness and strength. Bravery and determination. Those things had all been wiped out the moment that trigger was pulled. Lillian pressed her lips together, her eyes stinging.

She wasn't going to let his sacrifice go to waste. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Toshinori had assumed he knew what freedom felt like. He was free, wasn't he? Perhaps not as much as he'd initially thought. He was an adult, and he could go and do essentially whatever he wanted within the confines of the law. That's how most people lived, and it was a respectable and normal sort of thing. However, Toshinori was a man saddled with many responsibilities. This had always been fine with him. He knew he'd signed up to the be Symbol of Peace. Being a hero was the best decision he'd ever made. He'd worked hard to bring hope with his smile and to save as many lives as he could. That, at the very least, was something he'd done right. There was a lot of pressure that came with being on the top, though. He was busy all the time, and no matter what was happening, something always seemed to demand his attention.

But not right now. Right now he was in a truck, his injured leg crudely bandaged. The windows were rolled down, allowing the smell of saltwater to fill the cab as they drove along the ocean. Music blared from the speakers, loud and full of energy. There wasn't anyone he had to save right now. Nothing he had to do. There were several things he could worry about, but he couldn't bring himself to at the moment. Something about Chad nulled that concern in him. The man was simply too carefree. The entire situation was far too absurd, and Toshinori found himself stunned into a sense of tranquility. There was a feeling in his chest he'd never felt before. For the first time in his entire career as a hero, he felt he'd truly managed to get away.

"This is so fucking wild, bro! I can't believe we lost them!" Chad laughed, looking in the rearview mirror for any signs of the SUVs that had been after them before. Toshinori smiled despite himself. Chad was quite the character, but the older blonde was coming to see just how earnest and true he was. He was a good person that was worthy of One For All. It radiated from him potently. If Toshinori closed his eyes, he felt almost as though he could hear it singing from within the man. It was odd and new, but far from bad. Toshinori felt morose. Izuku Midoriya could've been amazing. Toshinori had truly failed him. 

Chad glanced at All Might. They were going to have to change vehicles soon. He had no doubt this one was being tracked, even if they'd managed to weave away from their previous pursuers. They'd be back on their trail in no time flat. His new crippled amigo was kind of fucked up, not going to lie. Mans was clearly going through it. He'd trained Izuku, right? Had to be a huge sucker punch to the gut to know he was a green-beaned traitor. Not very cash money of him at all. Chad had to do something to lift his new bros spirits. You see, they were obviously quite bonded now. They had not only the quirk shit, but they'd also been kidnapped together. A double whammy if you asked Chad. Not that anyone ever asked. Why ask questions when you can just do shit like a badass? Exactly his point.

"Bro, listen." Chad said, drawing the blonde's attention as he skidded off into the parking lot of a shady gas station. Plenty of cars to steal in his opinion. Not that he was going to tell this piece of chalk that. He didn't want to freak the man out even more. "I know what Izuku did was a dick move. That shit hurt all of us. It probably feels like it's all your fault and all that, but I promise it's not. Shit happens. Sometimes there isn't an explanation. We'll get to the bottom of it, even if I've got to wring his scrawny little neck. For now we've just got to chill out and get away from these Yakuza fucks. Figure out where we are, too. So don't worry about it, bro. I've got us covered."

Toshinori gave a vague smile as the truck was put in park. Chad's words were not super clear, but he got the gist of what Chad was trying to say. He was right, too. Toshinori couldn't keep blaming himself. He was digging himself into a hole he wasn't going to be able to get out of at this rate. He smiled a bit as Chad shut the car off. There was an odd cracking sound that made Toshinori's gaze drop. He paled when he saw Chad's foot, twisted at an odd angle and completely limp. Chad looked down at it in surprise as though he'd forgotten it was injured in the first place.

"Oh." The man blinked at it. "That sucks. I forgot about that."

Before Toshinori could voice any of his concerns, Chad was already opening the door and hopping on one foot out onto the concrete. This prompted the ex-pro to scramble after him, fumbling with the door handle before he finally managed to push it open. His leg still felt raw and tender, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been when it was fresh. He still didn't put any weight on it. His only good leg wobbled precariously. He leaned against the truck, feeling out of breath and rather pathetic. He heard Chad approaching and turned to look at him, expecting to see his face. Instead he was met with the sight of Chad's Hello Kitty belt buckle. He looked down.

Chad craned his head awkwardly, grinning up at him. The sunglasses he'd taken from the truck slid threateningly, prompting Chad to jerk awkwardly to get them to stay back on. Walking on his hands was an... odd solution to the issue, but one that made sense despite its absurdity. Toshinori stared with wide eyes as the man gazed up at him. How was he so balanced? Was his arm strength really that good? He wasn't trembling in the slightest. In his prime, Toshinori probably would've been able to do that too. Not that he ever would've thought of doing something so... so weird. 

"You're an odd one, young man." Toshinori sighed. Chad grinned.

"Thanks, homebody." Chad said, as though it was a compliment. His eyes flew to the dumpster on the side of the gas station, his eyes lighting up. Toshinori watched Chad rush towards it. How... How was he so fast? Had he done this before? Chad didn't seem to find this out of the ordinary at all, turning to look back at Toshinori. "Look at all this scrap wood they dumped here, bro! I can totally make a splint!" 

Toshinori could only nod dumbly. He wondered why he still bothered to be surprised. He watched Chad lower himself with his arms before he vaulted himself upwards as hard as he could. The man flipped haphazardly, landing flat on his butt and managed to hold his injured leg up so it didn't bang against the concrete. His limp foot made a weird crunching sound as it flopped. Chad laughed like it had tickled. Toshinori continued to stare. Yes. Chad was an odd one indeed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Toshinori had been spotted on the back of a truck way further away than Tsukauchi would've assumed he'd be. How the Yakuza managed to get them that far away that fast was beyond him. He bit the inside of his cheek. He'd been patched up by Recovery Girl and was now gazing down at a map whilst Dabi frantically flipped through twitter in an attempt to find anymore "Small Might" sightings. It was clear Chad had sprung them from their confines. Reports said the pair had burst from what appeared to be a metal box on the back of a fairly-sized truck. All Might and a 'weird looking dude with messy hair and a fucked up foot', from what they'd found. It wasn't much to go off, but they at least knew they'd gotten away.

"Why haven't they contacted us yet?" Dabi griped, slamming his phone down on the table. Tsukauchi glanced up at the man. He was seething with concern, his fingers drumming on the table impatiently. He didn't like this. Chad getting taken was out of character. As completely out there as the guy was, he was still human. He'd obviously fucked up his foot beyond repair. Dabi doubted Chad was very concerned about that fact, but that didn't mean Dabi wasn't. Fucking... he acted like he was immortal sometimes. It scared the shit out of the scarred man. 

Tsukauchi blew out a breath of air, straightening. 

"I'm sure they're still being chased. The truck they took probably has a tracker in it. They'll be switching vehicles soon. I doubt they knew where they are, either." Tsukauchi deduced thoughtfully. Dabi grimaced. "Their first priority probably isn't making contact but rather getting away. I'm going to assume they're going to try and patch up their injuries before anything else too. All Might's leg was cut open last I saw him, and Chad had a broken ankle." 

"Fuck." Dabi grunted, running a hand through his hair in a stressed manner. His fingers ripped at tangles he hadn't brushed out but he didn't give a shit. He'd never been this worried for Chad before. He was in genuine danger, and Dabi didn't know what the fuck to do. Did he even have any suitable weapons? If a bunch of people with gnarly quirks and guns came at him, did that really matter? Chad was immobilized right now. That was a bad thing. "Chad can hardly walk. He's going to act like it doesn't hurt, but even he knows his limits. That's why he's running and hasn't taken the time to call us. He's got to be frantic as fuck. I don't blame him, either. He's quirkless and stuck protecting the number one fuck wad. He doesn't have any of the weapons he's used to either."

Tsukauchi sucked in a breath of air. He'd seen the posts about the metal box, and he knew what that meant. All Might had lost the last sparks of his quirk. If they had burst from that box, it wasn't Toshinori's doing. That meant One For All had awakened in Chad. Izuku really had given it to him. Looking at Chad's distressed husband, he wondered if he should mention it. He was going to find out eventually, whether it be from some twitter post or from Chad himself. They were both following this case together, too. Dabi wasn't a bad man. He deserved to know, right? 

Dabi narrowed his eyes at Tsukauchi as the man averted his gaze in the most suspicious manner possibly, clearing his throat. The scarred man stared for a moment, sliding his phone off the table. What did he know that he wasn't saying? If it was about Chad, Dabi wanted to know. Eri was with Neito and Vlad right now all but breaking down because he'd been taken, and Dabi was on the verge of doing the same. He wanted Chad back here safe. 

"So... about that quirklessness thing..." Tsukauchi trailed off before Dabi could interrogate him. Dabi felt himself blanch as the man sheepishly looked up, appearing as though he didn't know how to approach this topic. Dabi's heart dropped. He didn't know where this was leading to, but... fuck. If it was pertaining to Chad it couldn't be good.

"Tell me everything." Dabi insisted firmly. Tsukauchi winced, and then proceeded to do just that.