It was almost one o'clock in the morning, yet Eijiro Kirishima had yet to go to bed. He'd struggled with anxiety long enough that sleepless nights had become a familiarity to him. The quiet, however, was a foreign feeling. Usually he was kept awake by nagging doubts and overlapped voices that had his mind racing. But tonight, there were no voices, no intrusive thoughts. Tonight, there was only silence.

After his shower, Kirshima had pressed his forehead against his heavy bag and fell into a rhythm of throwing listless punches. As his knuckles grazed the bag, he couldn't help but wonder how Bakugou and Midorya did it. How they were always so assured of their victory. Confidence and optimism only go so far.

Placing his palm on the heavy bag, he let loose a sigh and turned toward his desk to look at his phone. The light from the screen caught him off guard and he squinted painfully, quickly looking away. Dimming the brightness, he saw the clock read '1:01 AM'. He realized with surprise that three hours had passed, and that somehow, he hadn't even noticed.

Unlocking his phone, he scrolled through his texts and emails to check for new messages, even though there had been no new updates on his lock screen. Growling in frustration, Kirishima tossed his phone back on his desk and turned once again to the heavy bag. He knew it had only been two days, but with the number of heroes working the case, he genuinely thought they'd have more news by now.

He was about to hit his head against his punching bag again when his phone buzzed. He nearly tripped over his feet as he dived for his phone. His heart started pounding when he saw the notification icon on his screen.

Fat Gum: 1 New Message

There was a location, a time, and two words: Be ready.

Throwing open his door, he raced quietly for the elevator. They'd all agreed earlier to meet up if they got any news. Waiting for the others at the east windows, it wasn't long before Uraraka and Tsu stepped off the girl's elevator, followed shortly by Midorya.

"All right. You too?" Kirishima asked as they ran up to him.

"We got it." Tsu said as Uraraka nodded resolutely.

Midorya looked down at the message again with a steely look in his eyes. "It's happening." His grip on his phone unconsciously tightened and his free hand clenched into a fist.

"Don't worry, Deku." Uraraka placed a comforting hand on Midorya's shoulder. "We'll save Eri this time. I know we will."

"That's right." Tsu croaked. "Remember what Sir Nighteye said? Rescuing Eri is the mission's top priority."

"Yeah, the police and the pros aren't gonna rest until she's safe!" Kirishima made a fist and held it up encouragingly. "And neither are we!"

"Thanks guys." Midorya smiled. Looking at the three people surrounding him, he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The guilt of not being able to save Eri when he'd had the chance had been eating away at him ever since, and her safety felt like a responsibility he had to carry on his own. But his friends were right. He wasn't the only one who wanted to save her.

"Relax man, we've got your back." Kirishima punched him in the shoulder. "Besides, there are over two dozen pros on the case. We've got nothing to worry about."

"If that's what you really think, you'd be better off staying behind."

The four of them turned to see (L/N) approaching from the door that led to the basement.

"That kind of mindset is what gets people killed." He said as he came to a stop a short distance away from them.

"(L/N)." Midorya took a step back to create an opening for him to join them. "You got the call, too?"

(L/N) nodded but didn't move. "I didn't think I'd have to explain that to you." He said to Kirishima. "Not after Esuha. The girl may be the one that needs saving, but the enemy also needs her alive to continue their operations. Make no mistake, the heroes will be in the most danger during all of this. Not that that's anything new, heroes are always fighting on unequal terms. But this time they'll also be making up for our inexperience. The least you could do is take this seriously."

"I wasn't being unserious." Kirishima said defensively. "I was just trying to lighten the mood a bit, is all."

"Some things have weight for a reason." (L/N) turned and started to walk away. "Keep that in mind next time you think about turning this into a game."

"Hey man!" Kirishima growled at the condescending tone in (L/N)'s voice and grabbed his shoulder. "I don't know what your deal is, but I've just about had it with your crap."

(L/N) came to a sudden stop. There were a few seconds pause and the next thing Kirishima knew he was staggering backwards, pushed hard in the chest by an invisible force while (L/N) continued walking away.

"That's it!" Kirishima angrily started toward (L/N).

"Kirishima, wait!" Midorya jumped between them and held his friend back.

"You know what? I'm done stickin' up for you!" Kirishima shouted around Midorya's body. "Ever since the USJ I've been tellin' people they were wrong about you, that you're not some nut job without a heart. That's what everyone thinks about you, you know. Especially since you hurt Yaoyorozu."

The air seemed to leave the room, and everyone froze. Uraraka and Tsu looked nervously toward (L/N) who had come to a sudden stop, his hands clenched into tight fists.

"That was an accident." He whispered over his shoulder.

"Yeah, that's what I said too." Kirishima scoffed. "But honestly, I don't even know if I believe that anymore."

Midorya slowly lowered his hands as Kirishima stopped fighting against him, instead joining the others as they watched and waited for (L/N)'s response.

"I didn't mean to offend you." He said quietly. "I just... I don't understand... how you can all fight the way you do. I don't know what it's like to believe in something so fiercely. But... I do know what it's like to be the reason someone gets hurt." He said sadly. "And that feeling... it doesn't go away."

A small wisp of light trailed from his blindfold and drifted into the air, briefly illuminating the dark room before it disappeared, leaving the five of them in darkness.

"When the time comes, I'll make sure nothing happens to any of you. I swear."

[My Hero Academia]

"Now, then. Let's begin."

Sir Nighteye stood at the front of the large room and addressed the assembled heroes.

"Until now, we've worked slowly and discretely. This has allowed us to gather intelligence on the Shie Hassaikai without alerting them. However, we're likely to draw attention once we start coordinating our assault with the police. We can expect the enemy to become aware of our movements at that time, assuming they aren't already. Because of this likelihood, from this point on we will be trading discretion in favor of efficiency."

A series of small movements rippled through the room at Sir Nighteye's words. Midorya looked around the room, noticing a change in the tone and atmosphere that was almost tangible. Weight and stances shifted as the heroes straightened their backs, minds and bodies alert and attentive.

"Our goal is to strike before the enemy has the chance to mount an organized defense. That being said, we can still expect to be met with sizeable resistance at the front gates. Given what we know about the Hassaikai's operations, their goal will not be to stop us, but more likely to stall us while Chisaki escapes with the girl. For that reason, we will be splitting into two teams.

"The initial engagement will be left to an assault unit comprised of Ryukyu's team and the police. Those of you whose quirks are better suited for open spaces will be joining them. At the same time, a smaller infiltration team consisting of the Nighteye and Fat Gum Agencies will break through and penetrate the heart of the stronghold."

"Now hold up." Rock Lock interjected. "Our main objectives are to arrest Chisaki and rescue this Eri girl, right? So what's the point of this raid when Djinn over here could just wish Eri away from Chisaki and put him behind bars? Seems like a waste of time if you ask me."

"Unfortunately, my quirk has its limitations." Djinn said in her soft voice. "While we may all want for the young girl's safety, the wishes I grant must meet certain conditions, chiefly among them, all parties involved must genuinely want for the wish to come true."

"What are you sayin', that this Eri kid doesn't want our help?"

"More likely the girl's spirit has been crushed," Sir Nighteye adjusted his glasses, "and that the punishment for resisting is crueler than compliance. We already suspect Chisaki of torturing the girl physically, it isn't difficult to assume she's suffered forms of psychological torture as well. Depending on the extent, it's possible that even the thought of defying Chisaki is enough to paralyze her. That's why it is imperative we rescue her, to save her from any further suffering at the Hassaikai's hands."

Rock Lock crossed his arms but didn't press the issue. Though he still looked unhappy, he seemed to accept Djinn and Sir Nighteye's explanation.

"Moving on," Sir Nighteye continued from where he was interrupted, "The Watcher will provide us with eyes on the enemy and keep us informed of their plans and movements. Cortex will oversee coordination and communication, and Cloudburst and Djinn will join Ryukyu squad in apprehending as many members of the Shie Hassaikai as possible. This leaves Lionheart and (L/N) to join the infiltration team."

"Wouldn't it make more sense for (L/N) to join the assault team?" Cloudburst raised her hand. "His quirk is ideally suited for subduing large groups."

"It is probable the Hassakai's stronghold has a number of escape routes to be used during assaults exactly like the one's we're planning. Once the fighting begins, Chisaki will no doubt attempt to flee with the girl utilizing one of these passages. Unfortunately, my Foresight only allowed me to see a mere fraction of the Hassakai's hideout. The rest remains an unknown variable." Nighteye removed his glasses and cleaned them with his pocket square. "The sensory abilities (L/N) possesses will be an invaluable asset in countering this variable. It will only be a matter of time before we are forced to diverge from the foreseen path. We'll be lost in a maze once that happens and will have to rely on (L/N) to guide us to Chisaki.

"On top of this, Chisaki is sure to surround himself with his strongest lieutenants, and though he may be just a student, (L/N)'s quirk is the most powerful and versatile of anyone here. Put simply, he is our ace in the hole."

Cloudburst nudged (L/N) in the side of the arm with her elbow and Lionheart smacked him on the shoulder with a tooth bearing grin. Rock Lock however, looked sideways at (L/N) and scoffed.

"I'm not sure I like the idea of so much of this operation ridin' on some kid." He grumbled. "So I'll say this again, why are there a bunch of children involved in something this big?"

While no one else said anything, more than a few pros looked at the students with doubt, indicating they shared in Rock Lock's skepticism.

"Please, you can hardly call them 'children' anymore." Ryukyu spoke up. "Every one of them has already proven themselves capable in the field."

"Purse snatchers and drug dealers are one thing." Rock Lock flicked his wrist dismissively. "Now I'm not against the third years bein' here, but as for the newbies, well, there's a time and a place, and this ain't it. Something this important should be left to the heroes."

There came a murmur of assent and a few people nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I believe you are correct." Sir Nighteye peered over his spectacles at the UA first years. "So perhaps it's time we start addressing them properly. Young heroes, please introduce yourselves."

Uraraka almost jumped in surprise and felt her face flush in embarrassment as she felt everyone's eyes on her. Tsu croaked nervously and Kirishima looked back at the heroes with a puzzled look on his face, not understanding what Sir Nighteye was saying.

"Yeah, that's right!" Fat Gum pushed Kirishima to the front of the room. "Go on and tell everyone who you are!"

"M-Me?" Kirishima stammered, hoping no one noticed the way his voice almost cracked.

"Yeah, you!" Fat Gum cheered. "Tell everyone the name of the hero that saved all those people in Esuha!"

"Uh, y-yeah. Yeah!" Kirishima said, emboldened by his mentor's words. "I'm the Sturdy Hero! Name's Red Riot!"

"M-My name is Izuku Midorya, but you can all call me Deku." Midorya said with a deep bow.

Uraraka and Tsu looked at each other and nodded.

"I'm Uravity!"

"And you can call me Froppy. Pleased to meet you."

"Red Riot, Deku, Uravity, and Froppy." Bubble Girl repeated. "So that just leaves..."

Everyone looked expectantly at (L/N), waiting for him to introduce himself, but he remained silent.

"Sorry," Cloudburst laughed and rubbed the back of her head, "he's just a little shy. His name is-"

A hand placed itself on her shoulder and she turned to see (L/N) standing just behind her. With a smile and an assuring nod, she fell quiet and let him speak.

The silence in the room was deafening. He could feel their eyes on him, smothering him in their expectations as they waited for him to say something. As he opened his mouth to speak, he couldn't help but find the whole notion of heroes still to be ridiculous, and he knew that part of him always would. But now there was another part of him, the part that she had given to him along with her name. Through the deafening silence, it spoke to him. And he spoke back.

"Beacon."