On his way back to U.A., Naoki took a small detour. He wanted to grab a sweet snack for himself and Toshinori for the coming night. Thanks to Recovery Girl, he was almost completely back to functional, the only thing not there was his sleep. So in that sense, he was stalling having to go to sleep.

Recovery Girl was astounded how he'd not only been awake through the ordeal of the day, but surgery, and was still kicking after she used her Quirk on him... His sole reply was, 'That just goes to show how much I hate sleeping...'

As he walked to the convenience store nearest Izuku's house, and U.A.'s campus, he pulled out his small leather pouch that held chapstick, a debit card his dad set up for him, headphones, and while in surgery, his ring. He used the chapstick, hooked the headphones to his phone, playing the song that had been playing last, and put the ring back on his finger. Lastly, he turned the volume up, loud as he could stand. Innocent Sorrow by: Abingdon Boy School was the song, and Naoki softly mumbled along, still trying to get the lyrics down.

With soundproofing headphones, he didn't catch much, but normally, that wouldn't be a problem... normally...

Walking around with one arm in a sling, and most of his visible body in bandages, as well as his head, wasn't as normal to most people, but Naoki was beyond used to it. He was also in loose, baggy gym shorts and only a hoodie tied around his neck by the sleeves, over his white tee-shirt, and socks and sandals... All of which could be seen as atypical, but again, not unordinary for Naoki.

It was getting warmer and warmer as days came and went.

He stopped at the convenience store, greeting the clerk who was visibly shocked, knowing and having seen Naoki frequently.

"You alright, there, kiddo? You look a little more rough than usual." The usual over-nights attendant- Yasumitsu Kirikara- asked, his normal joking tone subtly hidden, but never fully suppressed.

"Ah- Yeah. I'll be back to normal by morning. Just had a rough day. How about you, Yasuki-san? You just get here?" Naoki asked in return, heading for the freezer section.

"Sit your injured ass down. I'll get your usual. Jeeze you kids these days. I'm not that much older, but dang... you sure know how to make me feel that way.

And yeah. I'll be stuck here all damn night. But I'm good. I'd rather work overnights, then make one of the younger kids do it, or the girls. Been a few more attempts at robbing, but the manager hopes having Tsukimune and I do overnights will have that nipped quick. Hells, I really wouldn't want to piss that guy off. Here we are. Last ones. You want the little ale cans, and the larger root beer cans, right? Oh- no eyepatch today? We don't match now..." He teased.

"No, not with my new school. And yeah, smaller ginger ale, bigger root beer. Did you get the Sorbet? I'm going to enjoy that from the gurney! But yeah, Tsuki and you on nights... That's a little intimidating... You've got that eye, and your other background, but... Tsuki..." Naoki stopped for a second as a group of young men came in, seeing Yasuki tense up, eyeing them as they began making a mess and a ruckus.

"Hey, I'm going to grab the Sorbet. Can you look for that ring?" Yasuki asked, giving Naoki a heads up, that these were a few of the troublemakers, and for him to call the cops once he had a chance.

"Yeah. I think it went down this way. Probably in this bin of candy." Naoki sifted through the candy, awaiting Yasuki's return and reaching under the counter while he dug through it, tapping the switch that would alert police of a robbery. Yasuki and Tsuki had put a few throughout the store, and Naoki had helped install them, his thinner build useful for the small spaces for wiring.

"Alright, here you are, Yagi-chan~ That will be the usual of 780￥. Get better alright, and stop being so reckless." Yasumitsu teased, his normal farewell, knowing Yagi was his adoptive father's last name. "Here's your card back. Have a good night, walk safe and don't eat or drink all of that tonight..."

"I won't, I'll be stuck on a gurney. Wasn't lying about that one... I snuck out to come get it, so I really do need to go... Oh, no such luck. Couldn't find the ring. Sorry... See you later, Yasuki-san~" Naoki did a wave with two fingers as he left.

A few steps out the door, Naoki pulled out his phone and headphones, turning around the corner of the store in case something happened. He dialed his dad's number, aiming to let him know what was up, but his phone was not having a lucky day.

With a surge of sparks and puff of smoke, his phone was fried.

Naoki spun, seeing a pair of glowing yellow eyes coming from deeper in the alleyway.

"Never woulda thought they had a little rat to tattle on us. Good thing I'm keepin' watch. Now, why did they let you outta there like that?" A sweaty and grimy hand grabbed Naoki's good right one, pinning it above him, as the other dingy limb grabbed Naoki's neck, pushing on blood vessels rather than crushing the esophagus.

"This'll be easy, you're all fucked up. And ya ain't got a ounce a meat on ya... You're all skin'n'bones..."

Naoki glared, his face showing complete unamusement and boredom in combination with the glare.

After the Villains today, this guy wasn't difficult by any means- even in the state Naoki was in and without a Quirk.

So long as he doesn't call any of his pals out, this will be over shortly.

"You're going to pay for my phone. And you're going to release me, but whether it's the nice way- willingly- or the harsh way- by force- is up to you." Naoki threatened.

"HAH! You really think-" Naoki drove his good leg, knee first, into the man's groin with all the force he could, and he could smell the blood from it, even before it soiled the man's pants. He dropped to his knees, releasing Naoki, who jumped over the punk, with no need for Ricochet, and pulled out the guy's wallet.

"What kind of idiot carries his wallet, with money and an ID when robbing a place? I'll keep the ID, evidence for the robbery I already called in." Naoki spat out, as sirens echoed in the background, approaching.

"Hey! Calen! There's cops! We gotta- Calen!" One of the thugs from in the store spoke out, the others trailing behind him. "You! You're that brat who was inside!"

'Calen' yelled out, angrily, "Grab him and make him pay!"

"The cops though..." One of the others whined.

"Listen to Calen. Grab him and we can finish it elsewhere!" Another yelled.

Well, shiete... Naoki knew, one-on-one, he'd be fine. But injured, recovering, exhausted, and unable to use his Quirk from over-exerting it was a different story entirely. Naoki was well aware of how fucked he was. Even more so as they successfully captured him and took off, but Naoki left his wallet there, as well as Calen's. Since the police were on their way, they'd find it.

。。。

A good five blocks later, Naoki was shoved to the ground, picked up again and thrown into a wall, then grabbed by his collar again, held up to the main assailant's face as he was then verbally assaulted.

"You think you're tough shit, huh? We'll see how tough you act! I'll make you cry for your mommy you little-"

"What mother? Don't have one. Don't have a dad either. No family! No memories beyond a few years! No last name! So, tell me~ What can you possibly take from me?! Huh!?" Naoki snapped. He wasn't 'Anti-Nao', not yet, but the face close to his own looked shocked when his eye colour changed.

"The fuck? What the hell is wrong with your eye? That's sick." One insulted.

"Oh, so you are a talker, you like to talk back, you must think this is funny too, then?" The one holding Naoki spat.

"Maybe I do. Talking back and insulting pigs like you back makes this a hell of a lot more fun, for me, and less fun for you!" Naoki smirked.

With a brute's force, the man clasping Naoki plowed him backward into the wall, and after a few seconds of holding the now disoriented raven in place, he released Naoki, stepping back as Naoki tried to keep conscious and standing.

But an enraged, Quirk-hardened fist came for Naoki's head in short order. First hit struck its mark, making Naoki's ears ring and his dizziness spike and grow. He could hear words spoken, but couldn't make out what was said with his ears ringing and vision spinning and head all kinds of fuzzy.

As the guy made for a second hit, though, his fist was stopped.

All Naoki caught before falling forward onto the new arrival was a glowing turquoise, and...

All he felt was a soothing, comforting warmth, scented of burning sage. 

***REWRITTEN VERSION***