"Freak!"

"Monster!"

"Leave already!"

"Monsters should just die!"

"You'll never become a hero with that quirk!"

Their words still echoed in her head, even as she lay completely still, beaten to a bruised and bloody mess. Her once neatly braided silver hair undone and sprawled around her like a dented halo.

Her growing wings were cut from the many jagged rocks her peers threw at them, one of them bent at an odd angle while the other limply covered her curled up figure. Her large silver tail tucked tightly between her legs, securing the torn skirt against her.

A sharp gasp startled the injured girl, making her instinctively curl further into herself. "Sho! Toshi! Nemu!" a loud voice called.

The girl involuntarily whimpered, at this point, all she wanted to do was die like her classmates had told her too.

She felt someone touch her and instantly put distance between herself and the stranger. Her tail stayed between her legs as her wings painfully stretched out, her crimson eyes glowing as she tried to appear more threatening to the new arrivals.

Four of her classmates stood a couple yards away.. well three of them stood, the other had been knelt down where she had been laying.

The dragon girl warily eyed them. Three boys and one girl, all four from her class... What were they're names again?

Her head hurt too much to try and recall them.

"Hey.. it's okay.." the girl spoke softly, a drastic change from the excessive behavior the dragon girl had witnessed since the beginning of the year. "We're not gonna hurt you.." she assured softly, "We just wanna help."

The darker haired girl stepped forwards slowly, earning a little growl from the lighter haired girl. She rose her hands and slowed her pace, then pointed to the ground, "Hey.. what's that?"

The dragon girl's brows furrowed, confusion quickly replacing her apprehension as she looked down, startled.

The darker haired girl took the opportunity and closed the distance between them, she hugged the smaller H.I.T.(hero in training) gently, pulling the smaller girl onto her lap, "See? It's okay.. I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you.. okay?"

The dragon girl froze, before her chubby face scrunched up, fat tears rolling down her bloodied cheeks while sobs began to shake her small figure.

She clung onto the darker haired H.I.T., whimpering and sobbing hysterically. "It's okay, I've gotcha." she cooed softly, gently brushing the smaller girl's hair with her fingers.

"Nemuri.. we should get her to Recovery Girl." one of the boys spoke up, earning a nod from their female friend who hummed softly, adjusting the dragon girl before picking her up like a parent would a sleeping child.

"Come on."

*************

"Oh goodness." Recovery girl gasped upon seeing Nemuri, Yamada, Shota, and Toshinori walking in with an injured and unconscious classmate.

"Lay her down and tell me what happened." the nurse ordered, receiving a 'yes ma'am' from the other female student. "Yamada found her behind the school." Nemuri stated gently, "She was really shaken up and wouldn't let any of us near her."

"Nemu managed to get close to her and calm her down." Yamada added, Recovery girl nodded, using her quirk to heal the student.

The other four watched as the cuts and bruises began to fade, the more serious ones leaving only scars while the others vanished completely.

"Poor thing.." the nurse sighed, then turned to the other students, "Keep an eye on her won't you. I need to speak with the principal."

"Of course." Yamada agreed quickly, Nemuri, Shota, and Toshinori nodding silently.

Recovery girl smiled, glanced at the sleeping H.I.T., then left.

"Do you think villain's attacked her?" Yamada spoke softly, "Not the villain's we're used to." Shota muttered, "They can't get on school grounds.. other students did this." the loud blond frowned, his gaze landing on the small figure curled up on the bed.

Toshinori practically growled, "That's not what heroes do." "Then they'll never be true heroes." Nemuri stated, "And we'll just have to show them that."

The injured girl suddenly began to twitch, whimpers and soft cries leaving her lips as she covered her head with her hands, wings wrapping around her tiny being.

Nemuri pulled the girl onto her lap like before, running her hands through her silky white tresses, whispering reassuring things to the waking dragon. Yamada began grabbing pillows, mattresses and blankets with the help of Toshinori.

Shota was helping Nemuri calm their classmate, rubbing her back between the bases of her wings gently. "It's okay, little blossom. You're safe." Nemuri whispered, lightly rocking the small girl.

"No one's gonna hurt you." Shota chimed softly, her crimson doe eyes met his dark hues. "W-why.. a-are yo-you being n-n-nice to me?" she stuttered feverishly, fear pooled in her red orbs, he smiled warmly despite his usual cold and lazy persona.

"You're our classmate, little blossom." Nemuri said softly, "And if you'd let us, we'd like to be your friend."

They didn't think it was possible, but she curled further into herself, "Why?" she whispered, "I-I'm a monster.."

A loud bang startled the three, earning a yelp from the dragon girl who accidentally shifted and darted under a bed before anyone could blink.

"Yamada.. what the hell?" Toshinori huffed, resisting the urge to yell at the other blonde.

Yamada promptly ignored him, going straight for the small dragon, he plopped down in front of her and met her blood eyes with his green ones.

"You're not a monster damn it. You're a smart girl with an amazing quirk. Everyone's afraid of you because you have the potential to become the best hero in history! They're afraid because they know they can't ever get on your level!"

"Now, I'm Hizashi Yamada." he grinned, "Wanna be friends?"

She timidly looked from Yamada to Toshinori, then Nemuri and Shota. All four of them smiling warmly at her.

She cautiously shifted back to her hybrid form, "I.. I'm Mitsuko A-Akatsuki.." she stammered quietly, her doe red eyes cautiously meeting Yamada's before she threw her small arms around him in a tight hug.

He smiled and returned the embrace, rubbing her back gently as she shook, her face buried in his shoulder as she cried.

She wasn't a monster.. and she wasn't alone anymore either.

*************

When Recovery Girl returned the first thing she noticed was all her bedding was missing. Anger began to grow, until her gaze settled on the five H.I.T.'s fast asleep in the pillow fortress.

She smiled fondly as her gaze landed on Mitsuko curled up between Nemuri and Yamada, her small figure laying on her belly on Shota. Toshinori was laying beside Nemuri while Mitsuko's wings were stretched over the five of them.

Chuckling softly, the nurse took one of the large blankets, covering them up before turning the lights off.

"Sweet dreams, little ones."