Third person pov

"Will you be okay?" Hitoshi asked. He and Lillian had watched some Tik Tok cringe compilations before the girl decided that she needed to get home to her worried parents. She'd finally calmed down enough to walk with her friend around the corner and to her house. Hitoshi couldn't help but notice that her hands were shaking. He put a hand on her shoulder and offered her a smile.

"Y-Yeah, thanks." She mumbled, and them seemed to realize something. "A-Ah, your hoodie!" 

"Keep it." He shrugged as she began to pull it off. It was big on her, but Hitoshi had a feeling she liked over sized clothing. He always saw her tugging down the sleeves of her blazer as though to hide her hands. Besides, he had loads of other hoodies at home. Sparing one for a little while wasn't going to hurt. He didn't doubt Lillian would be returning it the second she saw him again. Plus, it gave her an excuse to come over to his house, didn't it?

"B-But-" He cut Lillian off.

"You can give it back later, if you really want to. I have others." His lips twitched up. "Don't worry about it."

Lillian hesitated, but nodded, eyes moving back to her front door. She let out a shuddering breath of air. She knew Mr. Shinso had called her parents, but she could shake the thought of them rejecting her and her quirk. Her whole family was quirkless. She knew there was no way she was adopted, either, so that couldn't be it. A quirk had just... finally decided to manifest in their bloodline, she supposed.

She took one last glance at Hitoshi, murmuring yet another thank you. He gave a simple nod, crossing his arms over his chest as she shuffled up to the door. She could hear blood rushing past her ears, and the breaths she took seemed shorter and choppier. She bit her lip and blinked back a wave of tears. She'd be okay. Her parents wouldn't be mad, and it would all be fine. In fact, things would be so fine she'd forget they were ever no-fine. Totally.

She took another glance back at Hitoshi. He gave a brief thumbs up and an encouraging jerk of the head, as if telling her to go forward. She turned back around and prepared herself for the worst. If she got kicked out, it was okay! Sh... it would be fine, right? A-And if they hated her, she could figure i-it out, right? And... And they couldn't stay mad forever if that was the case. Nobody... N-Nobody could stay mad at their own daughter forever.

Right?

She took a deep breath and held it, knocking softly on the door. Her hands curled into tight fists. She wondered how bad her frame was quivering right now. She just wanted to freeze and tip right over, and never move again. Maybe she'd cry some while wasting away on the floor. Crying actually didn't sound too bad right now! Maybe she could just find a corner to curl up in. That would be nice, wouldn't it? Her existence wasn't too pertinent. Everything would be better if she just-

The door flew open so fast Lillian almost tipped backwards in surprise. Her wide blue eyes met two teary ones nearly identical to her own, and her mother choked out a loud sob, throwing her arms around the girl with a wail. Her father came rushing around the corner, letting out a gasp when he saw his daughter standing there, alive and okay. He let his tears fall as he rushed to join the embrace. Lillian was already crying.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry I-I didn't te-tell you. I-I'm sorry, p-please don't hate me." Lillian blurted out before she could stop herself, her fingers curling desperately into her mother's shirt as the woman gulped down heavy breaths of air. She could feel her dad's body shaking as he tried to hold in his tears. She didn't have to look to know Hitoshi had taken his leave. She made a mental not to profusely thank the boy later. He'd helped her more than he'd ever know.

June and Hisato Faust had never felt such relief. They'd both been home together, eating lunch with one another when their phones blared. The siren-like noise had startled them both, and them'd immediately assumed it was some sort of amber alert, or maybe a severe thunderstorm warning of some sort, despite the lack of rain around these parts. But no... no, it had been so much worse.

Hisato had rushed to turn on the TV immediately, but all June could do was stare in horror at her phone.

"Dear Parents and Guardians, we regret to inform you that your child has been involved in an attack. Villains broke into UA's Unforeseen Simulation Joint at 11:00 AM this morning. Please keep your phones on for further notifications." 

Your child has been involved with an attack.

She'd never felt so sick to her stomach before, or so dizzy. She rushed after her husband, who was standing rigidly in front of the couch, the remote clasped in his shaking hand. She immediately saw why. The news was broadcasting straight from the site the attack had taken place at.

"We're here, live, at UA's Unforeseen Simulation Joint, also known as the USJ. Here we see heroes and police flooding the area in search of any remaining villains. We don't have a lot of information yet, but we- what's that?! Someone's coming out!"

The camera jerked as a tall boy with six arms came bounding out, eyes wide in panic. He held a man June and Hisato had only ever seen in photos. Shota Aizawa, Lillian's homeroom teacher. She spoke highly of the man, just as she did everyone else, but she seemed to especially idolize her teachers. Present Mic and Eraserhead the most. June and Hisato both let out horrified gasps at the sight.

They were horrified. The man was covered in blood, and looked... paralyzed. His body was completely rigid and didn't move at all. They watched paramedics rush to meet him. The camera zoomed. "I think that's their teacher." The reporter said lowly. Her voice rose again in volume, the camera shifting once more. "Look, more students are filtering out!"

Someone rushed up to the camera, crossing past it and whispering to the reporter. But the Faust's were focused on that, no. They stared in horror as a girl clad in green as well as a brunette hauled what seemed to be a fellow student from the USJ. Only it wasn't just any students. 

No, it was Lillian. Their Lillian. Their baby.

She was pale, blood dribbled from between her lips. She looked like she was in so much pain, her legs soaked in blood, as well as the sleeves of her hero costume. Sweat was pouring down her in waves, and her body shivered so violently that it was clear she'd only collapse if her classmates let go of her. Her gaze was hazy, but steeled. It was focused on her teacher adamantly. She did not waver, or turn towards the reporters.

"I see." The reporter murmured as the paramedics rushed to meet the girls. The woman cleared her throat. Hisato and June were shaking. "Our sources say the freckled student there is none other than Lillian Faust. Placing third in the entrance exams, she has the uncanny ability to freeze everything in her line of sight. As we speak, her power is the only thing keeping 1-A's homeroom teacher, Shota Aizawa, from succumbing to his injuries."

A sob broke past June's throat as Lillian was carried and set on the same gurney as Aizawa. Hisato had to watch as his baby girl leaned over the side and coughed up a puddle of blood. He had to watch her cry out and wipe her mouth on her already-blood sleeve before shakily turning back to stare at her teacher. The fact that she had a quirk had startled them, but they'd moved on from that as soon as they heard it. Their daughter... Their daughter...

But now she was here. She was okay. She was clean, her hair brushed, and her clothing fresh. She wasn't hurt, and she was home. Their poor baby had fought for her own life before being forced to hold another in her own. She had to... what was her quirk? She had to freeze a man she idolized to keep him from succumbing to his injuries, and afterwards, she'd been too afraid to come home. She'd been too afraid to face them, because she'd been afraid to tell them of her quirk. 

They felt like they'd failed her in every imaginable way.

"Honey, we could never hate you." Hisato croaked out, pulling back and smiling tearfully down at the girl. "We love you, Lillian. We love you so, so much." 

Lillian choked out another sob, wrapping her arms around her father's middle. The pressure she'd felt was washed away, and the fear of being denied by them finally dropped off of her. It had been so simple to get rid of it. All she had to do was come here, and just like that, it was over. They were still her parents, and they still loved her. It was all okay.

"A-And we are so, so proud of you." Her mother said shakily, putting a hand on her back. "We're sorry if we made you feel too afraid to let us know about your quirk, honey. B-But just know that we are honored to have such an amazing daughter. You are a blessing, with or without your quirk." 

They all gravitated inside at some point, and they just... sat together on the couch. Lillian cried some more, the emotions she'd managed to keep pent up flooding out. And she blubbered about how she'd been so scared, though she didn't dare go into detail about what had happened in the USJ. She wailed about how she was so glad her friends were okay, and her teacher. 

In turn, they told her how proud they were. They praised her, and admired her quirk rather than shunning it. They gave her reassurance and expressed their love the best they could with their words. Lillian had never felt so warm and safe in her entire life. The assurance and solace she felt was so immense she couldn't help but smile and relax. She was home, and just as Hitoshi had said, it was all perfectly fine. 

They settled down, all sitting on the couch together. They talked, and Lillian elaborated a little on her quirk, though meekly. The starry-eyed looks her parents got as she hesitantly gave the gist of it made her immediately want to list all the downsides to the power, but she refrained. Instead she smiled and tried to keep herself from getting too flustered. She felt embarrassed, not by her quirk really, but just... by the awe it elicited. She knew her quirk was amazing, but she felt like she didn't live up to it. And just twenty-four hours ago, she would have said she didn't deserve it.

That had changed. After holding Mr. Aizawa in a frozen state, and after that... that pain that twisted its way up from the deepest pit of her stomach and spread to her chest and lungs... she felt like she'd earned it. And she was going to try her hardest to become the absolute best hero she could be. If not for herself, then for all the people the quirk she'd been gifted with could save. Because she'd done it. Through the pain, she'd somehow managed to save someone, and she was... she was glad.

Around 6:00 PM there was a knock on the door. Hisato rushed to answer it, a smile stretched widely across his face. Lillian and her mother both peered curiously after the man, leaning forward to try and get a glimpse of who it was. They'd just ordered pizza not all that long ago, and were planning to stay up and watch a movie or two before heading to bed. Lillian was glad. She was tired, but she wanted to stay up and spend time with her parents.

"Lillian, your English teacher is here to see you." Hisato called back into the house, and she heard the door shut. She felt her back stiffen, her eyes going wide. Present Mic was her English teacher. As in her favorite hero ever. She'd just about passed out when he walked in the classroom proclaiming loudly that it was going to be a great year full of fun and a 'lot of new curse words to annoy people with'. Now he was in her house?!

Present Mic walked in, but he wasn't... well, he wasn't in costume. His golden hair was pulled back into a bun, and his eyes had heavy bags under them. A pair of prescription glasses sat in place of his shades, and he wore civilian clothing. He grinned tiredly when he saw Lillian. While it wasn't as bright as usual, it was still genuine.

"M-Mr. Mic?" She stuttered hesitantly. He looked horrible. She knew he and Mr. Aizawa had gone to UA together, and were good friends, so it made sense that he'd be concerned and sleepless with worry. She'd wondered if he'd slept since she last saw him as she was loaded into the back of an ambulance with her homeroom teacher. She could still remember the look on his face as the vehicle's doors shut.

"Hey, kiddo." He shuffled closer to where she sat on the couch, dropping down onto one knee so he was closer to eye-level with her. He produced a backpack she hadn't realized was slung over his shoulder. "Your classmates gathered up all your stuff and put it in here, and I thought I'd bring it to you. They made sure your phone was in there."

"A-Ah, thank you! Y-You didn't h-have to come all the w-way here." She assured. Truth be told, she was sort of freaking out, but she also felt really... well, worried. English was her favorite subject, half because she could already speak the language pretty well, and half because Present Mic was her teacher. She really looked up to him and the other UA teachers and faculty, so seeing him look so ragged was concerning. 

"It was no issue, listener." His grin was a little brighter now. "I also came here to say thank you."

"F-For what?" Was Lillian's immediate response. Mic raised an eyebrow, and it clicked in her head. She was sure she looked a little horrified as the realization dawned on her. "I-I wasn't going t-to let Mr. Aizawa d-die." 

He chuckled a little in response. "I know, but I... I saw you, before you were loaded up with him. You weren't looking to hot, kiddo." He said. Her parents were silent, watching on quietly as the tired hero thanked their daughter. "I also wanted to let you know Shota woke up."

Lillian's eyes widened. Mic continued, grinning at her. He looked a little perkier now. "He'll be in casts a while, but he's going to be just fine thanks to you. You were the first thing he asked about when he woke up. He wanted to know why he had a few brief-second memories of you crying, and if you were alright..." His grin faded a little. Lillian brought her hand up to her mouth, tears filling her eyes.

"H-He woke up?" She sputtered. Mic grinned.

"He wouldn't be alive now if not for you, kiddo. I couldn't not say thank you for that. You saved a life." The blonde man grinned. Lillian tried not to scream. Mr. Aizawa was awake, and definitely, definitely okay! His memories were in tact, and he... he'd woken up. And now, her favorite hero was here praising her for saving someone. Telling her that she'd done a good job. 

"I-I-" Lillian wiped at her tears, looking down. She sniffled. "Th-Thank you." 

 Mic felt his smile soften a little. Lillian hadn't been his student long, but she was already top of his class. She didn't really talk, or make eye contact, or raise her hand, but she was a good kid. He'd thought at first her shy and timid nature would hinder and possibly prevent her from excelling in the hero course. He'd brought his concerns to Aizawa, but the man was sure she'd be fine. He could see why now. Lillian was someone who pulled through when it counted most.

Mic opened his arms, and Lillian hesitated, but eventually let herself lean forward to hug him. The voice hero felt her body shake, and he heard her laugh a breathless sort of laugh that told him she was relieved. "You did good, little listener." He assured her quietly. 

She pulled back after a moment, giving him a thank you, a flustered apology, and a timid smile. He gave a grin back, ruffling her hair as he stood up. Hisato moved to open the door for him while June leaned over to hug her daughter, who immediately buried her burning face with in her hands as she began to sputter and panic. Mic almost turned back to assure her that it was fine, she hadn't embarrassed herself, no, she smelled fine, he didn't mind her crying, and that her voice wasn't annoying in the least, but he stopped himself.

"Thank you." Hisato said in a low tone, a smile on his face as he opened the door for Mic. "I think she needed to hear that, and... you're her favorite hero. I think you taking the time to come here is going to help her a lot as she fights to move past this."

Hizashi was surprised. "I'm her favorite?" He felt flattered. He was admired, but he wasn't one of the top heroes or anything like that. He had a daily radio show he broadcasted out to the world, and it ranked thirty out of all of them in Japan. It wasn't a bad number considering how many there were, but it also meant he wasn't super popular like maybe All Might or Hawks.

"She admires your confidence. She's been listening to your radio show since she was... nine, I believe." The man laughed, grinning. "When she found out you were her English teacher, she just about lost it." 

Mic felt himself grin, his heavy heart feeling a little lighter. He was going to be eternally grateful to that girl for saving his best friend, he knew, and learning that she admired him that much warmed him up on the inside.

"I had no idea. She's pretty quiet in class." He chuckled a little, his cheeks a little pink. He felt completely drained. Like he'd just been... sapped. He hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours, and it showed. "Tell the little listener I look forward to seeing her in class soon!"

"Will do, Present Mic. Thank you for your time." Hisato smiled, giving a small bow before closing the door. The man then rushed back to his wife and daughter to try and calm Lillian down. The girl was mortified by her reaction, as she usually was, and was panicking over it. Though, through her hyperventilating and self-questioning, there was one thing that stuck out and reassured both parents that their daughter was going to be just fine.

She was smiling.

~

Happy New Year, folks. Let's try to make this one slightly less hellish than 2018, shall we?