Third person pov

When All Might laid their teacher down and told them to take care of them, they hadn't known what to do.

He was bloody and broken from protecting them, completely knocked out of consciousness. Their class president had gone to the school to get help, leaving them to sit despondently and wait. Ochako was sitting down on the ground next to him, fingers carefully placed on his neck right where his pulse was. She was crying and shaking, feeling the horrifyingly faint pulse of their homeroom teacher. He'd only been residing over them for one day, and yet he'd almost died protecting them. He might still die. 

"What is that, ribbit?" Tsuyu's expression managed to remain calm, but there was a tremor in her voice that gave away her fear. They were all scared, and all wondering what to do. They wanted to get out of the USJ, but the prospect of moving their teacher was terrifying. What if they hurt him more? What if his heart stopped beating, and they didn't realize? They were paralyzed, sitting right by the USJ's entrance, which was still cracked open from when All Might had entered. The man was fighting for them now, aided by a few of their classmates who seemed stronger than the rest. More up to par with the threat they were facing. 

"What do you mean, Tsuyu?" Shoji asked, a little afraid of the answer. Tsu pointed to their teacher's capture weapon, and a few more of them leaned forward curiously. They could see now what she was talking about. Now that the sky had darkened and the rain had begun to pelt down, it was a lot easier to see the faint golden glow escaping from beneath the folds of his capture gear. The frog-quirk user felt a little drawn to it, unable to take her eyes off the unnatural light coming from within their teacher's weapon. It sung out to her in a language she didn't understand, but wished she could.

"Do you think it's the work of a villain?" Mina asked shakily, her shoulders tense. Thirteen was laid out nearby, also unconscious. They'd deduced that the damage wasn't as bad as it looked, but they couldn't be sure whether or not their spine had been damaged. Instead, they settled for leaving the Space Hero there. They had a pulse and had assured them that they were okay before falling unconscious. Not horribly reassuring, but it was better than nothing at all.

"No." Tsu answered before she could even process what she was saying, still staring. "It isn't."

Before anyone could say anything else, one of the USJ's massive doors slammed open. They all turned, expecting to see heroes. Their hearts dropped when they realized that wasn't the case. Save for Tsuyu's. She could not for the life figure out why, but she felt suddenly comforted at the sight of the shadowy figure hunched over in the entryway to the dome. Lighting flashed, and the thunder appeared to shake the entire structure and rattle the many glass windows as the individual stumbled forward.

"It's a villain! We're going to die!" Mineta shrieked. Tsuyu's tongue lashed out and smacked him in the back of the head, sending him face-planting right into the concrete. 

"O-Oh, no. Oh no." The man seemed distressed. As he got closer, they could see he wasn't really... well, dressed as a villain, per say. He was in oversized black swim trunks that pinched around his waist, and wore a jacket to big for him that wasn't zipped up. He had no shirt on under it. It looked as though he'd just come from the beach. Or it would've, if not for the tears streaking down his cheeks. He was drenched, but even they could tell he'd been crying. His chest heaved. How far had he run? Tsuyu backed up as he stumbled towards their teacher.

"W-Wait, shouldn't we stop him?" Sero asked, scratching the back of his neck. Tsuyu once again found herself responding without thinking. She shook her head, eyes trained on the man. His hair was dark, fading into seagreen. His eyes were big and watery, blue like the ocean's waves, but with swirls of pale emerald that reminded her of sea glass, or the surface of a shining lake. She felt... drawn towards him for no real reason at all, and like she could trust him. She was usually one to go with her gut. 

The man fell hard to his knees in front of their teacher, shaking horribly as his hands raised to cover his mouth. They all shared uncomfortable looks as the man cried. Did he know their teacher? Why was he sobbing? They had no idea what to do or what to say. Were they supposed to do something? Ask him if he was okay? Somehow, it seemed inappropriate. Tsuyu, the bluntest of them all, wasn't saying a word. She seemed to be the most put together out of all of them, and yet she wasn't speaking. Only watching, her focus unwavering.

The man took a few deep breaths, muttering to himself and raising a hand. Their heads shot up as a whizzing sound filled the air, their eyes going wide as a mass of water from the shipwreck zone raced towards them. Tsuyu was the only one who didn't scramble away as it came forth, coming to a dizzing halt right above their teacher's prone form. The man continued to shake and cry, bringing his hands up to the suspended water. Some of it broke away and coated his hands.

They watched with muted awe as the water encasing his hands in a thin veil began to glow, his eyes doing the same. He murmured something to their teacher none of them could catch, hovering his hands right above him and biting at his lip to try and keep his sobs in. There was a crystal hanging around his neck, and it seemed to hum as the man used what they assumed was his quirk. Ochako found herself taking a small step forward, her eyes going wide as dinner plates as the bruising on their teacher's arms began to fade.

There were several sickening cracks that Aizawa did not react to as his arm fixed itself. Mina's jaw dropped, and she looked to Sero as though he'd know what to do. He was just as helpless as she was, and Shoji was no better, staring down with rounded eyes. Even Recovery Girl's quirk couldn't do this. Healing quirks were rare and cherished in society because of how needed they were. The medical field thrived off people with the ability to assess damage with a single look, take x-rays with their eyes alone, and most of all, heal wounds. But most healing quirks were minor. This...

"I-It's okay. Y-You'll be okay." The man hiccuped. The wound on his head sealed up, and his other arm twisted back into the correct position. Mina gasped slightly, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth as their teacher took in a deep, wheezing breath of air. It sounded rough, but not strained or shallow. The young man who'd ran through the rain hiccuped slightly, bringing his hands up shakily to wipe his eyes. They stared at him, opening and closing their mouths in shock. 

The doors slammed open and the teachers flooded in. The man panicked, his hand reaching out and grabbing their teacher's tightly. Present Mic's eyes flew to him and the prone form of his coworker and long time friend, a deafening shout ringing out across the USJ from him. The man flinched, scooting as close to Aizawa as he could get while on his knees. Tsuyu felt unable to pry her eyes away from him as she was urged to her feet, ushered towards the exit of the USJ. Red and blue lights flashed outside. Police officers and medical personal swarmed the area.

"Th-That man!" Ochako managed to blurt out as she was led outside. Several of her teachers turned to look at her. "That man-- he healed Aizawa-sense! D-Don't arrest him."

"Did he, now?" Nezu cocked his head curiously. The man sitting in front of Aizawa seemed to be crying, his head dipped down low as a large bubble of water swam around his head. The water seemed almost alive in its movements-- like a circling dog guarding its owner. Present Mic and Midnight both were hesitant in their approach. They'd heard what Uraraka had to say, but were still suspicious. They didn't recognize this man. They shared a look, both thinking the same thing.

Vacation.

"Hey!" Mic took the cheery approach, drawing the man's attention. His eyes were red-rimmed, slanted beautifully. His irises were a stunning mixture of blue and seagreen, and they seemed terrified. Though, upon examining Mic, he seemed almost to slouch slightly. Something like recognition sparked in his eyes. It wasn't much, but it was a start. It was better than nothing at all. "I'm Hizashi Yamada, and this is my friend, Nemuri Kayama. We're friend's of Shota's."

The man gulped, glancing between them nervously. He had a tight grip on Aizawa's hand, and didn't seem to have plans of letting go. There was a lot of blood surrounding the underground hero, but he didn't look hurt despite that. It appeared this man-- whoever he was-- really had healed him.

"H... H-He's mentioned y-you both before." The man spoke, his voice small and hesitant. It was rough from all his crying. He flinched at the sound of it, his shoulders shaking. Atlantis didn't know what to do or what to say. There were so many... so many people here. But he couldn't stay here forever, and neither could Shota. He'd mentioned both his friends before, telling Atlantis all about their time at UA together. "He... H-He showed m-me pictures..."

Mic was a little surprised at that. Midnight was too, but she hid it a lot better and instead donned a calm smile. Whoever this man was, he was clearly terrified. He also seemed to care for or at least know Aizawa, who was still unresponsive. Rain pattered overhead. It had let up ever so slightly, but was still persistent enough to be considered a heavy downpour. Looking at the water dancing around this man and Shota, Hizashi and Nemuri both had to wonder if it was somehow his doing.

"That's awesome!" Nemuri exclaimed softly, taking a small step forward. "It's a pleasure to meet you. We really need to move Shota to a different location. It's not safe or healthy for him to stay here in this state. Would you like to come as well?"

The man stared at Nemuri for a moment, rolling it over in his head. She hadn't suggested they move Aizawa: she'd said they were going to. But she'd offered to let him come too. She was firm, but kind with it. Hizashi was impressed. She always had been good with calming those in a panic down. Maybe it was due to her quirk, which allowed her to release a gas that put people to sleep if it was potent enough.

"...O-Okay. Y-Yes, okay." The man shook his head, and the ball of water fell to the ground. Nezu watched with a great amount of interest as Mic and Midnight advanced carefully towards them, all smiles and comforting words. "I...I-I'm Atlantis."

"That's a rather peculiar name." Nezu noted amusedly, watching the man jump. Mic felt for Shota's pulse, despite being able to see the rise and fall of his chest. Sure enough, it was there. It was just as steady and strong as it should've been. The blood was... concerning. "Our students are claiming you healed Eraserhead here! Is that true?"

Atlantis nodded rapidly, eyes wide. Mic waved a few paramedics over, and they came rushing forth with a stretcher. Atlantis curled in on himself, eyes wide and panicked. He didn't like this. He didn't like this one single bit! There were so many people. Was he doing this right? Would Shota be upset when he woke up? What if they got separated? Atlantis didn't know enough about the human world to navigate here on his own. He was pretty sure he'd almost died on three separate occasions on the way over alone. Quite possibly more than that, considering how limited his knowledge was on the dangers of this world.

"No matter. This is something we can discuss later, over tea!" Nezu clapped his paws together cheerfully. Atlantis wanted to ask what tea was, but kept the question to himself. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you later, Atlantis. Tell Aizawa to bring you to Nezu, the principal, after he's all settled!"

Atlantis could only nod again, eyes wide. He refused to let go of Aizawa even as they began to carry him towards one of their medical tents where many of the students were being tended to and picked up by parents. Hizashi and Nemuri whispered in hushed tones, trying to figure out who Atlantis was and how he knew Shota. They'd both come to the conclusion that this had to be someone Aizawa bet over Vacation. The swim trunks Atlantis was wearing told them it had to have been at the beach.

Recovery Girl awed over Shota's healed wounds, singing praises to Atlantis as she examined him and displaying her bewilderment passionately. Never had she seen a healing quirk this extensive. Atlantis didn't seem all that tired from healing him! It hadn't appeared to take any told on Shota's body either. Not in the way Recovery Girl's would've. It needed energy from the user to work. Based on the freshly healed wounds she was seeing and on the descriptions of his injuries from other students, this would've taken several healing sessions from her quirk. 

Atlantis sat wrapped in a blanket by his bedside, still crying a little. Hizashi and Nemuri sat on the other side of Aizawa's bed, staring at him intently with their lips pressed together. They had so many things to ask. It just seemed wrong to shoot them all out in a moment like this. With the dreary rain and Atlantis' tears and sad expression, trying to say anything didn't seem appropriate. Besides, Atlantis seemed so intently focused on Shota, it didn't seem like he'd even hear them.

Truth be told, Atlantis felt like he could barely breathe as he sat there. He was so tense, he thought his lungs might stop working. Hizashi and Nemuri seemed just as nice as Shota had told him they were. He'd claimed Atlantis would love them, telling him about all the fun things they'd done in the past. If Shota was so fond of them, Atlantis wanted to be too! He just... couldn't find it in himself to even look at them. 

So, they sat there in silence, waiting for Shota to wake up. It was only a matter of time. Atlantis was afraid. Would he face rejection? What if Shota didn't really want him to have legs, or was upset that he'd come here? He knew Shota wasn't like that, but he couldn't help but have every possible doubt there was to have! He had legs now, after all! All their talk prior to now had been hypothetical. When it became a reality, would Shota back away? Would he not like him anymore? Atlantis' throat felt tight at the thought.

Recovery Girl bustled through a few more times to check up on things, nodding to herself in a satisfying manner. She always gave Atlantis a pat on the knee, eyes sharp. She'd been on the lookout for someone to succeed her at UA, and everyone knew it. There simply wasn't someone with a healing quirk as extensive as hers out there. Not one willing to work at UA with fledging heroes, that was. Not until maybe now. Atlantis' power truly seemed to be something to behold.

A few more minutes ticked by, and Atlantis felt his chest start to loosen. The rain outside softened to a soft patter. The lights from the police cars were still bright, but the tent did good to block them out. He risked a glance up at Mic and Midnight, who were still gazing at him. Hizashi seemed to jump when he realized his attention had shifted, offering a bright smile and a wave despite being just across the bed. Nemuri smiled kindly as well, swatting at her blonde friend and his idiotic exuberance. Atlantis tried smiling a small smile as well, nervously averting his eyes back to Shota. His hand felt warmer than before. He looked better, wiped free of any blood and put into fresh clothing.

"So, a healing quirk!" Mic burst out, causing Atlantis to jump slightly. Midnight shot him a dirty look. Atlantis flushed slightly, feeling clammy. 

"U-Um... s-sort of." Atlantis said, his voice a whisper. "I can... d-do things with water."

"That's amazing. It must be a versatile quirk to have." Nemuri praised, causing Atlantis' cheeks to flush. They seemed nice. They were people just like Shota. If Atlantis could befriend Shota, he could surely befriend Hizashi and Nemuri as well! It was just... different. There was no ocean here. He was in their territory. They were not in his.

"I... I suppose so." Atlantis said softly. His gaze returned to Shota's face. His eyes lit up when his eyelids fluttered, his nose scrunching slightly. Hizashi sucked in a sharp breath of air, and Nemuri leaned forward as the man blinked a few times, squinting against the light of the medical tent. Atlantis scooted closer, hand tightening around Shota's as fresh tears pricked his eyes. Without meaning to, he let out a sniffle.

"Shotaaa." Mic sung softly. "About time you woke up. Come on; get up."

"Shut up, Hizashi." Shota groaned, head lolling to the side. His eyes came to rest on Atlantis' face, and he gave a exhausted, lazy smile that showed he wasn't quite there. Atlantis gave a hesitant one back, hiccuping and wiping at his cheeks. "Atlantis, why're you crying?"

"Y-You're alive." Atlantis gave a teary smile. Aizawa blinked at him a few times, his smile fading slightly as Atlantis continued to wipe at his eyes, trying-- and failing-- to stop his tears. Slowly, he glanced over at the confused Hizashi and Nemuri. His eyes grew impossibly wide, his gaze snapping back to Atlantis. The merman choked out another sob. "Sh-Shota, I'm s-so sorry-"

Aizawa bolted out of bed. At first, he thought this had been a dream. Now...

He knew it wasn't.