Day 3: Despair

Todoroki Shouto

It was the middle of the night when someone knocked on his door feverishly.

Todoroki had trouble sleeping for the night. After feeling the agony Takasaki was going through right now, he felt nostalgic in a very bad way. He was plunged back to years ago, when his mother had poured the boiling water over his......

"Todoroki!" It was a muffled voice, but Todoroki could recognize Aizawa-sensei's raspy voice.

Todoroki opened the door, wondering what was going on, but the distressed look on his teacher's face made his stomach plummet. He dreaded what Aizawa-sensei would say next.

"Takasaki... is missing."

Todoroki felt his blood ran cold, even though he could generate heat to warm himself.

"Go down to the common area. Be quiet and don't wake the others," Aizawa-sensei said.

Todoroki followed his teacher, while half-formed thoughts chased through his mind. He didn't dare to think of the terrifying possibilities that might had happened to Takasaki.

The guilty remorse in his heart heightened to a peak.

If only he had...... if only he —

Todoroki's train of thoughts was disrupted by tiny sobs as he reached the common area. Iida, Midoriya and All Might were there...... Uraraka buried her face in her hands and wept.

"There's two possibilities," All Might cut straight to the essentials. His lined face grew older overnight. "Takasaki escaped, or... she was kidnapped."

Todoroki's fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white.

"But I thought the security measures are strict. There's no way anyone could enter," Iida said.

"The door has been bolted from the inside. The police guarding the ward had not seen anything abnormal," Aizawa-sensei added.

"The window was opened. If she was kidnapped, then......" All Might trailed off.

"She could have flown off," Midoriya spoke, an eerie calmness in his tone. "She......" he swallowed the rest of the words, but Todoroki knew what he wanted to say.

......she is going to do something stupid and reckless.

Todoroki's heart tightened in his chest, as though an invisible force had squeezed it.

Uraraka's sobs ebbed. She wiped her tears on her sleeves. "I fell asleep... I..."

All Might patted her. "No one blames you. If there are really villains, you could have gotten hurt."

Todoroki wanted to consider the better possibility of the two. He wanted to convince himself that Takasaki willingly left the hospital, rather than being kidnapped. However, he knew her so well to understand that neither possibility sounded better than the other. He knew if Takasaki left on her own, she would be doing something stupid and reckless, and her definition of something stupid and reckless was also tightly related to 'suicidal'.

The prospect of seeing her cold, lifeless body was the most dreadful thing Todoroki could ever think of.

"Anyhow, the news of her disappearance must not spread. The rest of the classmates mustn't know. Takasaki is still sick in the hospital as a result of severe food poisoning and shall not return until......" Aizawa-sensei didn't give a definite date, for he too didn't know when.

"We will do our best to find her. In the meantime," All Might said and glanced at Midoriya briefly. "Don't do anything stupid."

Aizawa-sensei ordered the four of them to return to bed and wait for news from the police. It only made Todoroki anxious and restless. When the two adults left, the four of them did not return to their rooms.

The shock hung in the common area, and after a few minutes of gloomy silence, Uraraka was the first to speak.

"You all know Eria, that idiot, is going to do something reckless right?"

Neither replied her, but they silently agreed.

"She's going to look for the villains responsible," Midoriya said. "If I were her, that's the best option to protect her family."

"It's suicidal," Iida commented. He clenched his fists, and Todoroki could tell from the remorseful expression on Iida's face that he was promptly reminded of his encounter with Stain. "We need to stop her."

"We don't know where she is."

"Could we track her down? We could hack into her phone and......"

"And what? Bring her back?" Todoroki stated harshly. All heads turned to look at him. "You know she won't back down. She's stubborn, reckless...... selfish, stupid brat who's just takes things for granted, thinking she would be fine by herself..."

His three friends looked at him, eyes glinting with concern. They knew Todoroki wasn't speaking about Takasaki anymore.

"Todoroki, it's not your fault," Midoriya said.

"If I had never left her alone, she wouldn't have to face her mother alone. If I stayed by her side, she wouldn't think stupidly and......" Todoroki said angrily.

......If I had insisted to go back to her house with her, she wouldn't......

......If I insisted to stay in the ward, I could stop her from leaving......

......If I was smart enough, I should have known what she would do......

Todoroki should have learned the lesson from years ago, when he was left alone with the pain aching over his left eye, while his mother was sent to the hospital. The pain he had gone through when his mother poured the boiling water... the helplessness when he realised it was his fault that caused his mother to become what she was... the weakness he felt when he couldn't do anything to protect his mother...

It was the same thing all over again, only this time, it happened to his best friend.

He knew how Iida had felt when his brother was attacked by Stain. He knew Iida would have decided on vengeance...... but why couldn't he predict the same thing with Takasaki?

Todoroki resented himself for his stupidity and ignorance.

I should have helped Takasaki to go through all these pain and agony, when no one helped me in the past...

I should have... when I had even promised to stay by her side, to protect her......

...what kind of a friend am I?

Iida touched Todoroki's shoulders. "No one should blame themselves. We should all just calm down and let the adults handle this. There is nothing we can do. I know it sounds harsh but...... I think this is the best option now."

Midoriya opened his mouth to retort but said nothing in the end. Todoroki remembered the last time he and Kirishima suggested to rescue Bakugou and Takasaki. It felt like ages ago, but the memory was imprinted clearly in his mind.

They were lucky, too lucky, to have escaped unscathed that time. One misstep, and all of them would come back as corpses.

Finally, the four of them decided to end the discussion and go to sleep, while praying that Takasaki would return in the morning, and Todoroki would be able to borrow the third book of Harry Potter, and see that bright smile of hers like nothing had happened......

***

For the next two days, Todoroki was anxious and worried. He couldn't eat well, sleep well, think straight...... all his thoughts kept straying to Takasaki. He wanted to know her whereabouts, her wellbeing...... but there had been no news since Aizawa-sensei informed them her disappearance.

I want to find her. I want to help her.

But in reality, there was nothing Todoroki could do. The security measures around U.A. has tightened: no one could leave without a teacher's permission. And it was not Todoroki's specialty to make up reasonable lies to fool his shrewd teachers, not after the time when Todoroki and a few went to rescue Bakugou and Takasaki without permission.

Todoroki tried messaging Takasaki. Nearly every minute he would check his phone, hoping she would reply, but nothing. False hopes made him feel even more anxious as he kept imagining his phone vibrating in his pocket, though it never really did in the first place.

'Where are you?'

'I'm worried.'

'Please tell me where you are.'

'Please stay safe.'

'Please come back...'

......to me.

He didn't type the last two words. It would break his heart even more if she refused to respond to that.

Since he saw her at the hospital, Todoroki felt peculiar of how he felt about Takasaki recently. He had always seen her as his best friend, whom he shared his thoughts and feelings all the time without holding back. But ever since the weird incident that happened to them in his room, he started to see her in a new light.

He didn't just want to share his thoughts with Takasaki. He wanted to stay by her side, to protect her, to take care of her......

......to see her smile as often as I can.

These feelings amplified painstakingly during her absence, like a hollow void had been dug open in Todoroki's heart.

Todoroki looked down at his right palm. The warmth of Takasaki's cheek persistently lingered, even though it was always colder than the surroundings due to his ice quirk. It was a sweet, comforting kind of warmth that seemed to melt his ice so easily, just like how her presence melted his ice-cold heart and turned him into who he was now.

He started to yearn for that warmth, for it made him feel safe and strong...... it was like a magnet, attracting him, pulling him close to the girl, and even made him to call her by her first name – something that he never did to his friends before. Her first name, Eria, rolled off his tongue so easily that it felt nice to call her by that.

But that warmth, her name, her smile, her face...... his best friend was no longer here with him anymore, and she might not return......

Am I not going to see you again?

Todoroki's heart ached just as bad as the time his mother was separated from him.

No, it was worse, because he could still see his mother now in the hospital whenever he likes, but he would probably no longer see his best friend again.

***

Day 4: Decision

Uraraka Ochako

It was my fault.

Uraraka Ochako blamed herself. She blamed her incompetence, her stupidity for believing that Eria would simply not try to do something stupid.

She should have known, when Eria nearly killed herself with her trainings previously, that Eria would pull the same stunt again: she would sacrifice her own life to protect her family.

It was hard to remain calm, when everyone else went through their daily lives as usual, not having an inkling of what happened to Eria.

"The food poisoning must be severe, huh?" Kaminari said. "Eria must have ate something bad."

"Ochako said it was bad seafood," Tsuyu said.

"Someone must be agitated," Sero sneered and exchanged mischievous looks with Ashido. They snickered at their target: Bakugou Katsuki, who had been restless these few days without Eria's presence.

"SHUT UP!" Bakugou bellowed, but they only laughed.

Agitated, Ochako restrained herself from telling her classmates the truth. Midoriya, somehow, had sensed her distress, came to her aid.

"Please calm down," he crooned, but flustered when Ochako's tears were brimming.

"I can't... I..." Ochako sobbed.

......I want to do something. I want to help her. I want to find her.

Stop crying! Now's not the time to cry!

Ochako slapped her cheeks loudly, causing Midoriya to jump. The searing pain in her cheeks calmed her down.

"Half-and-Half!"

Todoroki spun on the spot when Bakugou called him. Unlike Ochako, Todoroki remained calm and impassive, but she knew he was just as agitated as she was.

"Where is she?" Bakugou asked, glowering at Todoroki.

"In the hospital. Food poisoning," Todoroki replied calmly.

"What kind of food poisoning that requires her to be in the hospital for days?"

"Bad seafood," Todoroki replied.

Bakugou was certainly unpleased by the answer he got. He looked more irked than before.

Ochako stopped looking at the duo. It took her a long time to ponder on her options, but she knew what she must do. It was something she had not done the last time, and this time, she was determined to do it.

As Eria's best friend, I must help her. I must protect her.

No one is going to stop me. Not even if I'm going to get expelled.

"Deku, let's find her. Let's find Eria."

Midoriya widened his eyes in surprise, as though he had not expected it from her. But immediately, the look of shock was replaced by comprehension.

"Uraraka, I know but..."

"You've thought of it too, right? I know Iida must have too... Todoroki too... but... I don't want it to be just an idea in my mind! I want to take action! Now! She's in grave danger! No matter how strong she is, she needs help! We're her friends! We can't leave her alone!" Ochako said agitatedly. Her hands trembled and she clutched them together, as she plead for Midoriya's agreement.

"Please!"

Midoriya furrowed his brows. "But..."

Ochako abruptly held his hands in hers. "Please. Or Eria... Eria might..."

An irritated voice startled them.

"What would that idiot might end up as?" Bakugou asked harshly as he shot them the most intense glare ever. "Dead?"

Ochako and Midoriya's face instantly blanched. Neither of them was particularly good at lying, especially towards someone as keen and shrewd like Bakugou.

"We were just wondering why kind of food would soothe Eria's bad stomach, that's all!" Ochako said.

But Bakugou wasn't buying it. "What exactly happened to her......" he turned to Midoriya this time. "...stupid Deku?"

Midoriya visibly stiffened. "Kacchan, we......she's — "

"She's fine," Todoroki hissed irritably as he appeared. He looked irked.

Bakugou grabbed Todoroki by the collar of his shirt. "You idiots are hiding something. It's so obvious. Tell me!"

Todoroki pushed away Bakugou's hand. "And why do you care? You're not that close to her."

Tensions soared high. The entire atmosphere froze as though Todoroki had unleashed his ice quirk. Eria's disappearance had made her close friends agitated, including Bakugou. Their emotions were way beyond frustration: they were literally helpless and useless. And it was only a matter of time before one of them fights the other just to vent their agitation.

"ENOUGH!" Iida bellowed as he approached the four of them. He stood between Bakugou and Todoroki, who were still glaring daggers at each other. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Bakugou's palms were sparking dangerously while Todoroki's right arm was emanating a frosty mist.

"Kacchan, stop!" Midoriya warned.

Ochako's knuckles were white as she clenched her fists. She had enough.

"WILL YOU ALL STOP IT?!" Ochako shouted angrily, then she touched all her classmates, activating her quirk. They floated into the air.

"Uraraka?!"

"Round Face, let me down!"

"No one is coming down unless you all calm down!" Ochako shouted at her friends. "If all of you can't work together peacefully, we won't be able to save her! Do you want to see her dead?!"

The floating four exchanged nervous looks. Midoriya had bumped into the tall ceiling while Iida struggled to keep his spectacles onto the bridge of his nose. Todoroki clucked angrily and Bakugou gnawed his teeth together, pulling a ridiculous face.

"Well?!" Ochako asked.

"Fine..." the four muttered unwillingly.

Puffing her red cheeks, Ochako released her quirk and the four toppled onto each other, Midoriya being the top while Bakugou was nearly crushed at the bottom. They pulled themselves up hurriedly.

"Why me and Iida too, Uraraka?" Midoriya winced when Ochako shot him a contemptuous glare. "We weren't fighting."

"I'm just trying to make a point!" Ochako huffed, and Iida nodded in agreement without retorting her.

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on?" Bakugou asked irritably.

The remaining four exchanged looks and Iida took the liberty to explain everything to him.

"Idiot," was Bakugou's rare, short reply, instead of an angry outburst. He said nothing next and scrunched his face in contemplation.

"Uraraka, Aizawa-sensei and All Might specifically said we are not allowed to — " Iida said.

"I know! But I don't want to just wait for news! I want to take action! I didn't save her before, so I'm going to save her now! She's my best friend!" Ochako roared then looked at all the boys one by one. "Isn't she your friend as well?!"

The boys were silent. Neither of them could retort her.

"She's gonna get herself killed. I'm sure of it! If the villains didn't take her, they will find her! Or she will find them first! Either way, she's a goner!" Ochako continued on, spilling out all the reasons to persuade her friends.

The boys exchanged tense looks.

"I think we should talk during lunch. If we're late for class, Aizawa-sensei will know what's up," Midoriya said, hinting that he was in support of Ochako's plan.

A smile blossomed on Ochako's face. Thank you.

"Midoriya!" Iida gasped. "Don't you dare......"

"He said we'll talk. We're not doing anything," Bakugou said as he walked away. "... yet."

Bakugou, thank you. Ochako thought.

Iida slapped his forehead and gave a long, remorseful sigh. "If you're doing things other than 'talk', I'll stop you."

"Whatever, Four Eyes."

Midoriya flashed a sheepish smile at Ochako, and a blush appeared on her face. "Let's go then," he said.

Ochako nodded gratefully.

"Thank you, Uraraka."

Ochako turned around. Todoroki stared at her, gratefulness glinting in his eyes.

"Thank you for taking the first step, when no one else dared to," Todoroki said.

It brought tears to Ochako's eyes, but she held them back and smiled, as though she finally saw a bright ray of hope.

"You're welcome, Todoroki."

***

As planned, the usual four plus Bakugou sat together during lunch, murmuring quietly about the Eria's rescue plan. The unusual scene drew attention from Bakugou's Bakusquad (Sero, Kaminari, Ashido and Kirishima).

Iida was the most reluctant one to join in the discussion. He sat at the edge of the table, ignoring his friends' discussion, as he firmly objected the 'ridiculous' plan. But, Ochako kept catching him glancing at them and knew he couldn't resist the idea too.

In the end, Iida finally joined the discussion by putting down the biggest flaw in the plan.

"There is no way you can leave the campus without permission, and it's not like you have extremely reasonable reasons to persuade the teachers," Iida said, then resumed eating his food quietly.

"If we have a warping quirk, things would be easy," Midoriya muttered sullenly.

"Can't we just walk straight out of the campus?" Bakugou said.

"You know that's not possible," Todoroki calmly replied.

Bakugou gritted his teeth and shot a contemptuous glare at him.

"But how are we going to find her? She won't pick up any of our calls," Ochako said.

"We can hack into her phone? But that requires a special skillset, which I believe it would be hard to master in such short notice. Maybe we could find someone who is good at hacking, but who among our friends know how to do that? I think no one in our class knows, maybe the next class. Or maybe the Support Department... but I don't really know anyone there..." Midoriya muttered to himself all at once, making Bakugou roll his eyes in disgust.

"The point, Deku?!" Bakugou hissed.

"The point is, your plan is totally flawed and it won't work since you lack information," Iida interjected.

"That doesn't mean we're going to give up!" Ochako said, trying to boost her friends' morale. "There must be a way!"

"Let's just sneak out after school and we'll think of what to do after that," Todoroki said. "We should go. Lunch's over."

The five returned to class after lunch. Neither of them could focus in class as their minds were too occupied with the flawed plan to find Eria. Ochako tried to think of ways to solve the biggest flaw in the plan but it seemed fruitless.

Maybe we would solve it along the way, Ochako thought, hoping their teachers would miraculously let them leave the campus.

When the painfully long school hours finally ended that afternoon, the group of five returned to the dormitory faster than anyone.

"Pack light. We'll leave in 20 minutes," Todoroki said firmly.

Iida wanted to object but his face was contorted in pain, as his conscience battled against reason.

"Iida, it's okay if it's hard for you. You don't have to force yourself to join," Ochako said gently.

Iida sighed. "But...... I know exactly how it feels in Takasaki's shoes. I was too blinded with vengeance and faced Stain alone stupidly. If Todoroki, Takasaki and Midoriya had not arrive in time, I would have died. If Takasaki is really going to the villains for revenge, she wouldn't survive. She would need us. And I can't...... I can't just stand by and let her..." He swallowed the last ominous word.

"Iida...you're a good friend. Eria would understand if you don't follow us," Ochako said, patting him approvingly.

Iida looked contradicted. He took in a deep breath to calm himself and clear his mind.

"Let's do it then."

Ochako smiled brightly. "Thanks."

Iida sighed but still returned her smile.

"Stop whining and get going," Bakugou grunted as he walked past them.

Iida and Ochako exchanged looks and was about to head straight to their rooms when Todoroki stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes glued to the screen of his phone. His hand trembled and clenched tightly to his phone, as though he wanted to crush it.

"Todoroki?" Ochako called, feeling worried.

"Is something wrong?" Iida asked.

Todoroki said nothing and showed his friends his phone. They peered at the phone, and the same wave of shock washed over them, rendering them speechless. It was a brief message from someone they didn't know.

'I saw Takasaki.'

Ochako didn't know how should she feel after seeing the message: she was jubilant that Eria was sighted, but an ominous feeling struck her and made her blood ran cold. Who sent this? What does he want? Is he friend or foe?

"It's from...... an old classmate I've recently reconciled during a mixer Kaminari invited me to," Todoroki replied, knowing what his friends would ask. "Her name is Sakamoto Miori. We exchanged phone numbers and...... this is the first time we've talked."

It took tremendous effort to comprehend the complicated situation. There were so many important questions Ochako should have asked first, but the first question she blurted out was, "Where is she? Ask her where did she see Eria."

Iida's solemn look stated he was thinking the complete opposite. "It's a trap. From the villains. We need to be careful."

"Iida!" Ochako wanted to refute but somehow, she knew Iida was right.

It could be a trap, set by the villains who wanted Eria dead.

Todoroki continued to peer at his phone, looking impassive. His fingers lingered over the virtual keyboard, indecisive of what he should type.

Then, more messages came in.

'It took me a very long time to ask you this but...'

'I just have to know...'

'You and Takasaki...'

'I saw her at Kabukicho, coming out from one of the love hotels...'

'And she told me you and her were......'

The three were silent at first, then they simultaneously said the same words.

"She's at Kabukicho."

After moments of tense silence, Iida spoke. "This has to be a trap. This girl suddenly contacts you out of nowhere and tells you where Takasaki is? Too much of a coincidence."

"I don't know Iida, but this has been our only clue. It might be true," Ochako said, though she too found it hard to believe.

"But –"

"I am still going there," Todoroki said, pocketing his phone. "I have to find her. I don't care if it's a trap. I promised her I would be there for her. I don't want to break my promise."

"Todoroki, wait!" Iida called after Todoroki, who was heading straight for the dormitory entrance.

"If you don't want to come, I understand. I can do this alone," Todoroki said firmly. Ochako knew he was driven mad by the lack of information. Because now there was a lifeline thrown to him in the middle of the vast ocean, Todoroki would definitely hold onto it and never let go, no matter the costs.

Iida tugged on Todoroki's arm and pulled him to a halt. "We're in this together, aren't we? With Uraraka, Midoriya and Bakugou. No one is going anywhere without anyone."

Todoroki's cold eyes bored into Iida's firm orbs. Ochako was afraid she might have to levitate them to ease the tension again, but thankfully Todoroki sighed in defeat.

"Sorry. I was just agitated. I'll stay calm," Todoroki said. Iida let go of his friend and lit up a small smile.

They gathered by a table, far away from the rest of the class and had Midoriya and Bakugou to join them. Iida told them about the messages Todoroki received. Neither Bakugou nor Midoriya looked pleased to hear that.

"Iida's right. It could be a trap," Midoriya said, scrunching his eyebrows together as he brainstormed.

Bakugou clicked his tongue and cursed under his breath. "It's better than none. Trap or not, that idiot must be around there somewhere. It's either we find her first, or the villains find us first, then lure her to us. When we find her, we kick the villains' asses and leave."

"We're not supposed to fight the villains," Iida stated matter-of-factly.

"We will end up fighting them anyway," Bakugou said, rolling his eyes. "Stop whining and get moving before the teachers realise we're gone. We're wasting too much time." Bakugou rose from his seat, followed by Todoroki. Iida and Midoriya were still hesitant, pondering on safer alternatives.

"Round Face, say something," Bakugou's gruff voice made Ochako jumped slightly. "You're in or not?"

Four pairs of eyes bored at Ochako. She clenched her fists and bravely said, "Let's go."

Iida sighed but said nothing. Midoriya nodded at Ochako with a smile; it reaffirmed Ochako's stand and emboldened her more than ever, knowing that with Midoriya by her side, everything would be alright.

Everything will be alright.

We'll find Eria and all of us will come back safely —

"Iida, Uraraka, Todoroki and Midoriya. I need to see you now." Aizawa-sensei's loud voice resonated in the common hall, and it felt like an ominous foreboding for the group of five.

Ochako's heart thrashed in her ribcage. Shit! Does he know what we are going to do?

Iida quickly shot a look at Ochako, asking her to stay calm.

Calm down. There's no way he would know –

But Aizawa-sensei's stern glare made her shiver. His piercing eyes penetrated through her, as though he knew what they were up to.

SHIT!

"Scarlet Autumna wants to talk to you," Aizawa-sensei said.

Ochako silently let out a tiny gasp of relief. He doesn't know... he doesn't know... She released her clenched fists and wiped the sweat off her forehead.

The mentioned four obediently walked to their teacher, while Bakugou remained by the table. He watched them intently, trying to pick up the conversation between them.

A beautiful red-haired woman limped into the dormitory and everyone froze in their actions, eyes glued to the mysterious guest. Some of them were gawping with their mouths left hanging, while Mineta was jumping around feverishly.

"Back to your stuff. This is none of your business," Aizawa-sensei roared at the rest of the students as a wave of muttering crashed the room, and they quickly returned to what they were doing.

Even though she was pale and looked frailed, Scarlet Autumna was the most beautiful woman Ochako had ever laid eyes upon. The six of them sat by the couch while the rest of the students peeked at them, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"If I catch anyone of you eavesdropping, I'll give you detention. Do you hear me? Jirou, Shouji." Aizawa-sensei announced loudly. Jirou and Shouji visibly stiffened and retreated as far away as they could.

Bakugou remained seated at his table, pretending to be scrolling his phone.

"Scarlet, you may begin," Aizawa-sensei said.

Scarlet nodded weakly, and Ochako thought a breeze could easily blow her away. She looked so frail, with the bandages in her arm and her leg.

"I know about Eria... and I'm so worried. I don't know whether Eria left on her own or she was kidnapped... Either way, it's a very critical situation, considering what happened to Hana..." Scarlet fumbled for something in her pocket. It was a tiny glass flask filled with transparent liquid. "This is a quirk-strengthening drug, like the ones I had explained during the Shie Hassaikai meeting."

Midoriya and Ochako exchanged tense looks.

"The blood test the hospital did on Hana found some very disturbing results. The similar contents of a quirk-strengthening drug were found in her bloodstream. But it was much more potent than this one in this flask," Scarlet said. "The contents were more concentrated. It could potentially strengthen the user's quirk to threefold, or more. However, I suspect it carries severe repercussions, such as... losing one's sanity and cause them to go into a blood frenzy. Just like what happened to Hana..."

Ochako clenched her fists. This was bad news. If the villains were related to Shie Hassaikai, and they got their hands on Eria...

She could imagine the worst happening: her friend turning into a raging demon, rampaging in the city, killing all the innocents......

"Why are you telling us this?" Todoroki abruptly spoke. He looked impassive, but Ochako saw his hands were slightly trembling.

Aizawa-sensei sighed. "The heroes and the police had searched around the city. They still haven't discovered Takasaki yet. If you possess any information on her whereabouts, you should tell us right now. I don't want you to repeat the mistake you have done in Kamino Ward." He glared at his students fiercely.

Shit. So he does know something......

"She was kidnapped. She wouldn't leave on her own accord. So we don't know anything on her. There's nothing we can do but wait for good news," Midoriya said, lying as smoothly as he could. He stared determinedly into his teacher's piercing glare while trying hard not to quiver.

Aizawa-sensei continued to eye him suspiciously.

"Sensei, please trust us. We don't know anything on Takasaki. If we know, we would have told you. She wouldn't return any of our messages or our calls," Iida said, backing up his friend.

Ochako's eyes flitted from Midoriya to Iida. Should I say something? Should I not?

"We are not that dumb to repeat the same mistake twice," Todoroki said impertinently.

Aizawa-sensei's icy cold glare continued to pierce through his students. But after a while, he sighed. "I believe you're not that stupid to repeat the same mistake twice."

Thank you... sorry, sensei... Ochako thought.

Abruptly, a loud explosion resonated in the whole dormitory, and the ground quaked as though an earthquake erupted. Everyone in the dormitory jolted with a shock.

"Stay where you are," Aizawa-sensei ordered and he rushed outside to check the commotion.

The students obeyed the instruction but they peeked out of the window. At a very far location from the dormitory, a thick trail of grey smoke billowed in the air.

"That's USJ," said Kaminari.

"Was that an explosion?" Ashido asked.

A few of them shrugged. But the fear on their faces were apparent.

Ochako took advantage of the commotion and dragged her friends away. "What should we do now?" she whispered.

"We're going with the plan," Todoroki said.

"Aizawa-sensei knows. He's suspecting us," Iida said while he looked over his shoulder.

"We did tell the truth. Sort of......" Midoriya said sheepishly.

"Quit your whining and move," Bakugou huffed as he joined them. "We don't have much time left idling, idiots."

Todoroki, Midoriya, Iida and Ochako exchanged looks. "Let's go then."

"Hey! Look who's outside!"

"Isn't it......"

"But she looks different......"

"We have seen her with her white hair. It's no different."

The loud babble of talk abruptly erupted in the common hall, drawing the attention of the group of five. They rushed out to the entrance of the dormitory, shouldering past their classmates to get a better look.

The figure flapped its wings as it landed far from the dormitory. Its legs staggered as it walked towards the dormitory slowly, eyes downcast. But its wild, snow white mane was unmistakable.

It was Takasaki Eria.

"Eria! You're feeling better?" Kirishima asked as he stepped forward.

But she didn't reply. She continued walking towards her classmates, like a lifeless puppet.

Ochako knew at that instant something went horribly wrong. She was not like the cheerful Eria she had known. There was an ominous aura enveloping the staggering girl.

"Kirishima, wait!" Todoroki and Bakugou shouted simultaneously.

Kirishima turned around, looking at the two curiously. By that time, Eria was only a few feet from Kirishima and she finally looked up.

Ochako's insides plummeted like freefall.

Eria's eyes were the disgusting shade of blood red.

With her sharp talons readied, Eria launched herself at Kirishima, aiming for a kill.

***
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I feel Ochako is a very important character but very underappreciated in the series, so I had to give her the spotlight this time. I think this story should not just focus on Eria and Shouto, but also the people around her, especially her best friends, so they deserve some decent character development :) i hope you like it!!!

Don't forget to vote! Bye!