Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Japan used to be active at night.

Though the trains stopped running around midnight, plenty of clubs stayed open past then. Signs alone illuminated the streets with their bright, flashy lights. You could make out certain blocks in the darkness, even from above. An abundance of people stayed out late. True night owls didn’t return home until dawn. Something was always going on, and the hustle and bustle were like white noise—comfortable and welcoming.

Now, Japan was silent. The lights had been extinguished; they invited danger. Only those looking for a fight dared to go out for a night on the town. Homes and businesses? Empty. Most of their inhabitants had taken shelter on Hero Academy campuses. Those who hadn’t refused to rely on the heroes. They took matters into their own hands.

This, of course, made them perfect targets.

Every day brought more attacks, more destruction. Yet, in the same breath, it also brought more detained villains, more intel, a step in the right direction. For most arrests, it was obvious whom the credit went to—Endeavor, Hawks, and Best Jeanist were working their asses off trying to get a lead on All For One, and witnesses could easily I.D. them. They were the Top Three Pros, after all.

For others, it wasn’t as easy. Bystanders reported a shadow, a flash of sparks, large shapes in the sky. One moment a villain was there; the next, they weren’t. The idea of an unknown hero excited many people—who were they? Why did they choose to show up now? Was it just a Pro Hero taking on a new name or image to give people hope? Was it a civilian taking matters into their own hands? Whoever it was, whatever their motive, the public had given this mysterious person a nickname: Justice.

Every time Katherine saw that name on the web or heard it whispered around U.A., all she could do was scoff.

She might fess up if it meant people would stop calling her that.

She was hit by a wall of noise when she returned to the common room in the morning. The rest of the class had discovered Midoriya’s letters, no doubt—they were talking over each other, and she couldn’t tell whether they were arguing or not.

Shoto and Bakugo were the first to notice her presence; both instantly knew where she’d been. If the scrapes and bruises weren’t enough to clue them in, the crestfallen look on her face certainly was. Shoto tried to put a hand on her shoulder, but she sent him a warning look and continued to her dorm, tears still running down her cheeks.

For the first time in months, Katherine locked herself in her room, not Shoto’s. She slid down the door and pulled her knees to her chest, staring blankly at the floor. After her shockwave outburst on the roof, she’d gone from feeling too much to feeling nothing at all. She was exhausted—too tired to sob or fight or plan. Her eyes drifted closed, a single thought in her head.

How could he do this to me?

She knew she was in The Bridge before she even opened her eyes. Actually, she had expected it. Surely Nana or Shadow or someone was here to convince her not to hate Midoriya, that what he was doing was for the greater good.

She didn’t care. He’d lied to her. He’d left her. That was all that mattered.

Katherine picked her head up slightly, then raised it higher when she realized that instead of her birth father or grandmother, the second and third wielders were standing in front of her. They’d never spoken to her—scratch that, they’d never spoken, period—so it appeared One For All still had some surprises left for her. Slowly, she rose to her feet, crossing her arms.

If this is a pep talk, save it for later. I’m in no mood to listen.

“Tough shit,” the second user said. “The longer we let you wallow in self-pity, the harder it’ll be to get you back in action. We don’t have that kind of luxury right now.”

Well, you sound an awful lot like someone I know.

Katherine paused, then tilted her head.

You kinda look like him, too. Anyway, if this is about Izuku–

“It’s not,” the third interrupted. “It’s about your next move in this fight.”

What next move? If you haven’t noticed, I’ve spent the last six hours crying my eyes out and wishing I was dead. I haven’t thought about my next move.

“Exactly. That’s why we’re here.”

Oh, well, that’s fantastic. I’m glad somebody is making these important decisions about my life. It’s just, y’know, I thought that somebody would be me.

The second narrowed his eyes. “The dragon spirit is right. You’re incredibly frustrating.”

Yeah, One For All is my only redeeming quality. Just tell me what the plan is.

“You might be upset with Izuku, and rightfully so, but he was right about one thing,” the third told her. “All For One is only keeping tabs on his power and growth, not yours.”

…What? Why?

“He doesn’t view you as a threat. A wielder didn’t explicitly choose you, and you don’t carry any of our quirks. To him, you’re just like the other heroes—an issue, but not one he feels he has to deal with personally,” the second explained. “Put simply, he thinks Izuku is more powerful than you.”

Katherine’s jaw clenched.

Not a threat? Fucker. I’ll show him just how threatening I can be.

The third smirked. “Good to know we’re on the same page. That’s exactly what Yoichi wants you to do.”

“While Izuku’s out in the open being bait, we need you to work from the shadows and hit All For One where it hurts,” the second continued. “Since you’ve been training to be an underground hero, you have the necessary skillset for this mission. No one will be able to work undetected better than you. And about your last conversation with the other wielders—you said you weren’t worthy of One For All because of what you did to that doctor. Get over it. You’re living in our time now. When you get out there, it’s kill or be killed. Cut your losses and focus on surviving. Got it?”

Katherine stared at him, her eyes flickering away. The second’s gaze softened.

“C’mon, kid. Your mom will understand.”

Her wings ruffled. She took a breath and set her face.

I’ll do whatever it takes.

“Katherine? Katherine, please, open the door. You’ve been in there for hours.”

Her eyes opened with a shaky breath, and there was another knock. “Katherine, you’re worrying me. Just open the door; we can–”

She opened it before Shoto could knock again, still sniffling a little. Immediately, he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the forehead. “I know, Katherine,” he whispered. “We’ll get him back. It’s going to be okay.”

Katherine buried her face in his shoulder, but her eyes drifted elsewhere, landing on a duffel bag in the corner of their living room.

Maybe it was time to check in with some old friends.

…

“You must be out of your mind, Wings.”

Katherine snorted and sat on her desk. “And here I thought you guys would be used to that by now.”

As she’d thought, her junior high friends had been among the first to evacuate to U.A.’s campus. All of them lived nearby, after all, and Sukii had no chance of getting a flight back to I-Island with all the chaos going on. Speaking of Sukii, they crossed their arms, eyes narrowed at her. “This is a new level of insanity. After everything you’ve been through, don’t you want to lay low and let the Pros handle this?” they asked.

“Oh, yeah, ‘cause they’ve been doing such a great job handling things,” she muttered.

Kio glanced at the two nervously. “Sukii has a point, Katherine. This is dangerous, even for you. I don’t think it’s a good idea to do this yourself.”

“Sorry, Songbird, but I have to agree,” Sora added. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re stupid powerful and all, but these are serious villains. They’re hellbent on taking over the world! What if you get hurt or things get worse?”

Katherine paused, then sighed heavily. “Look, guys, I wish I could just lay low. But we have to face reality. Pro Heroes are resigning left and right. The Hero Commission is in total disarray. We don’t even know if we’ll be able to get help from international heroes with the way things are, and honestly, we don’t have time to wait for them. We can only take All For One down by hitting him hard and hitting him fast. I know I can do both of those things. I’m doing this with or without your help, but it’d be a lot safer if I had you three backing me from home base.”

Her friends looked at each other for a moment. She became worried when they didn’t say anything—truth be told, her plans really relied on each of their unique talents—but finally, Kio turned back to her. “What exactly did you have in mind? I don’t see how we can be much help.”

Katherine stood up and began pacing the abandoned classroom. “Endeavor, Hawks, and Jeanist are trying to lure All For One out by going after the villains he released from Tartarus and everywhere else. They’ll probably only go for confirmed locations to avoid wasting time, but by doing that, they might miss out on the real threats,” she mused. “Kio, Sora, your intel class is going to work with police and the professionals to fill in gaps in their ranks, right?”

“Uh, yeah, we are,” Sora replied.

“Whatever you two hear, I want to know about it first. I don’t care if it’s the most out-of-this-world shit you’ve ever heard; by the time the Pros get on it, All For One will have already packed up the League and moved them somewhere else. I won’t be as flashy with my investigation as them, and besides, he won’t be expecting a student to be keeping tabs on him. I’ll take that information and start to chip away at his numbers. With your mindreading and hacking skills combined, we should be able to create a significant dent in whatever he’s got planned.”

Sora blinked, then grinned. “Okay, you’ve won me over. I love secret missions.”

Katherine gave her a grateful smile, then looked at Kio expectantly. “Oh, well…as long as you promise to be responsible with the information we give you. I guess I’ll feel a little better if we’re the ones giving you objectives.”

“Aw yeah, Kio’s becoming a rebel!” Sora exclaimed, hugging her.

Sukii leaned against the podium and cleared their throat. “Uh, hi, I’m still here. Do I get a job or what?”

“You’re okay with this, too?” Kio asked them.

“I’m in the same boat as you. If we can’t stop Wings, we might as well join her. Or at least have some control over her vigilante spree.”

“Your job isn’t nearly as fun,” Katherine stated. “I need some changes made to my summer costume—nothing serious; I just want elbow-length sleeves and a higher neckline on the shirt, more pockets on my cargo pants, and for it to be fire-proofed. And…I was hoping you could whip something else up for me.”

She passed over a notebook. Sukii flipped to the tabbed page, their eyebrows raising at the sketch. “What is this, a miniature cassette player? Pretty sure you could buy one of those,” they joked.

“I know that. Kyoka’s got a bunch in her room. She’ll give me a spare if I ask, which I plan to do. I need you to modify it so I can play dragon calls off it at twice the normal volume. I’ve already recorded them for you on my phone.”

“Hm, interesting. Get me the thing and give me a few hours. Drop by the Development Lab before you leave tonight. I’ll have it ready.”

“What do you need dragon calls for?” Sora questioned.

Katherine turned to her and shrugged vaguely. “Oh, you know. Backup.”

Her eyes scanned her phone screen before she sighed and pocketed it, kicking her legs as they hung over the roof’s edge. The city was lifeless, and the sky was cloudy, blocking out any stars that might’ve twinkled down on her. Today marked one week since she began her mission.

One week since Midoriya abandoned her.

One week since everything fell apart.

Storm nudged his head against her back, pulling her out of her thoughts. Katherine turned and scratched his neck as he laid down next to her, purring. “Sorry, big guy. Slow night, huh?”

He rumbled in response, and she looked back over the horizon. The first night she went out, she’d brought Storm back to her using Sukii’s gadget. All it took was her mimicking the Fear Class Devil Wing’s summoning call and a little amplification, and he was with her in less than ten minutes.

However, he brought the Devil Wing with him.

Dealing with that took up a significant portion of the night.

Thanks to Storm’s speed, Katherine had already covered a sizable amount of the prefecture in a short period of time. From Musutafu to as far as Itō, she’d searched for All For One and the League of Villains, taking care of other escaped thugs she’d spotted from her vantage point on Storm. Sora and Kio hadn’t heard about anything especially important yet, so she was really just biding her time, waiting for a clue that could give her the upper hand.

Her phone buzzed, and she quickly tugged it out of her jacket, looking at the message.

Sora: Get to Yoshida, quick!!!

Big villains just popped up!! Might know something!!

Katherine’s heart rate quickened. She stood up and tugged her hood on, her eyes glowing red. “Storm, catch up! We’re heading to Yoshida!”

He picked his head up with an eager rumble as she stretched her wings and took off. They were already in Shimada, so it wouldn’t take long if they were quick about it.

Finally, some action. We spend too much time staring at the city. Or, at least, what’s left of it.

Let’s not get too excited. This one may not know anything, like the others.

Way to kill the mood. That’s my job.

“Settle down, you two. We need to let Katherine focus.”

That was Yoichi’s voice. Against her wishes, Katherine’s head was becoming increasingly crowded with every passing day. She had noticed a few differences between her Apex Spirit’s voices and the wielders’ that helped her manage things, though—Nightmare and Fallen’s voices were more internalized, as though they were her own. On the other hand, the wielders tended to sound like they were right next to her, outside her mindscape, like invisible ghosts. The albeit slight contrast made it easier to tell who was talking at any given time and kept her from going completely insane.

Katherine glanced behind her and saw Storm following, his wings flapping in time with hers. She grinned, then chirped at him. Immediately, he sped up and dove under her, and she grabbed tightly onto the handles of his harness. He gave a spirited roar and sped up, giving her no chance to settle on his back. She liked it this way; it was easier to get off of him when she wasn’t hooked in. That kind of autonomy was what she needed on nights such as this one.

They reached Yoshida in what felt like no time at all. However, when Katherine activated her night vision and looked down, she was disappointed to see a horde of Nomu terrorizing a neighborhood.

Well, Fallen, you get the trophy tonight. Again. I doubt we’ll get anything useful out of these guys.

I accept my victory with a heavy heart.

Oh, don’t lie. You look smug as hell right now.

Katherine rolled her eyes and patted Storm on the side. “Alright, big guy, you ready to take them on?”

He growled fiercely, and she took that as a yes. Carefully, she came up to a knee on his back. Then, with her hands braced, she activated One For All and pushed off, going in for a dive toward the Nomu. Her eyes narrowed as she switched her night vision off and tucked her wings in tighter.

At least this gives me something to do. Incoming…SPADE!

With a single hit, it was one Nomu down and five to go. As one charged toward her, Storm swooped down, snagged another in his claws, and then aimed for the open sky. Katherine grabbed the limbs of the Nomu she was handling and closed her fists, crushing its arms. She twisted her wrists as it screeched, tearing the arms off its torso. Then she hurled the dismembered arms at another approaching Nomu, knocking it off balance. In the distance, she heard a heavy and loud thud and crack as the pavement broke.

Storm had dropped the Nomu he was carrying, clearly.

She should bring him some high-quality salmon before they go out tomorrow night.

The Nomu with no arms screeched and rushed toward her again, its regenerative power starting to kick in. She growled back, mimicking one of Storm’s more aggressive calls, and used Club to punch a shield straight through its head, caving in its skull.

That Nomu finally fell to the ground, and while it wouldn’t get back up again, she still had two more to take care of. From above, two plasma blasts were fired, striking both remaining Nomu in the hearts. Storm landed next to Katherine and roared victoriously, proud of his work. “Yeah, good job,” she whispered, taking some fish jerky from a pouch on her utility belt. “Just keep it down, ‘kay?”

Despite her request, he noisily snarfed down the jerky. She scratched his neck for a moment, then whipped her head around as she heard a door slide open. She’d expected all the houses here to be evacuated.

But a boy no more than eight years old stood in the doorway of a home, staring at Katherine, Storm, and the defeated Nomu with wide eyes. Katherine stared back, then cleared her throat and patted Storm’s neck. “Time to go, big guy.”

“Hey—wait!” the boy yelled as she mounted the Black Death, running out to the gate separating his house from the street. “You’re a hero, right? Aren’t you? You stopped those monsters, so you’ve gotta be!”

Katherine hesitated for a moment. She met the boy’s gaze through the fence, then gave him a brief nod. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m a hero.”

The boy broke into a wide, gap-toothed grin. “I knew it! Momma! Momma, I told you the heroes hadn’t left us!” he called back to his house. “There’s one outside, come look, come see!”

She couldn’t help but smile gently at his excitement—at least somebody still thought heroes were awesome—but she was quickly reminded of how dangerous the world had become. Something rocketed toward her out of the darkness, and she barely ducked in time to avoid it. “Look, boys! There’s a hero out here!” came a mocking voice from ahead. “And here I thought tonight would be boring!”

Katherine looked up, her eyes narrowing. Four men were walking out of the shadows—and she recognized them from the wanted list Kio had forwarded to her. The one who had spoken was Grabby, quirk: Stretchy Hands. Sora had told her his power was basically, “You know those hands you sometimes get at parties, and you can sling ‘em at each other? Imagine if someone’s actual hands were like that. That’s Grabby’s quirk.”

The other three were no doubt his closest goons, Gluey, Greedy, and Gummy. Gluey had skin that secreted tree sap, Greedy had vacuum hands (kinda like Thirteen), and Gummy could manipulate the structure of gum. Together, they were a group of high-profile burglars called the Sticky Gang.

Gods, that was such a stupid name.

Katherine quickly dismounted Storm, activating One For All. “Kid, get inside, now!”

The boy at the gate looked excitedly between her and the gang of villains. “You must be the one they call Justice,” Grabby drawled. “We finally have the pleasure of coming face to face with you.”

Storm snarled at them, wrapping himself around her protectively. “I hate that that’s sticking,” she muttered. “Storm, you stay back. I can take these guys.”

Greedy cackled. “The hero wants a fight? I thought you were supposed to be the peacekeepers of our society!”

One of her red shields hit him in the face, throwing him backward. The other three goons looked at Katherine, who threw her hands up in exasperation. “Well? Are we doing this or not?”

“You’ll pay for that, hero scum!” Grabby yelled, swinging one of his Stretchy Hands toward her.

She teleported behind him, kicking him in the back of the head. “You guys are just terrible with names, you know that?” she said as he groaned in pain. “I mean, c’mon, get creative.”

A giant wad of chewing gum flew toward her, and she narrowly dodged it. Gummy blew another bubble and turned it into a spiked ball and chain, hurling it at her. Katherine blocked it with a shield dome, then used Diamond Shield Outburst to pop the bubble and shove Gummy away.

She turned when she heard footsteps approaching and saw Gluey rushing toward her, tree sap dripping from his entire body. “You’re going down, Justice!”

“Stop calling me that!” Katherine snapped back, throwing Shockwave of Hearts in his direction. The shockwave flung him against the brick of a nearby wall, which his tree sap instantly hardened to, trapping him. As he struggled to break free, she straightened up, wiping her hands off. “Really, guys, you should stick to heists. You’re great at stealing stuff, I’ll give you that, but combat is not your thing.”

A Stretchy Hand smacked her off her feet, and she rolled into the gatepost of another house. Storm bounded over to her as she coughed and picked herself up, rumbling worriedly. Grabby cackled, bringing his Stretchy Hand back to him. “Nice try! Maybe we’re a little better than you think!”

Katherine licked her lips and tasted blood on her tongue, glaring fiercely at him. “Come on, Justice!” the little boy shouted to her. “You can do it! I believe in you!”

Her heart jolted. She thought he had gone inside.

It jolted again when she saw Grabby’s eyes flicker over to the boy, and she knew exactly what was about to happen.

“Well, just to make sure you don’t pull anything else…guess I should take a hostage!”

Just like the last time, it happened too fast for her to process.

Katherine saw the Stretchy Hand reaching for the boy, but she teleported in front of Grabby. Her brain wanted to use Diamond Shield Outburst, but her body used a direct Club hit.

There was a flash of red and Grabby limply flew backward, eventually rolling to a stop and settling on the pavement. Katherine’s breath caught in her throat, and she teleported over to him, activating her healing powers as she knelt.

But there was nothing to be done. The Club attack had pretty much collapsed his chest. She inhaled shakily, then grimaced and wiped her eyes. Now wasn’t the time.

See, despite what the second and third wielders (whose names, she had learned, are Kudou and Bruce) had said, she’d been trying her best to avoid killing anybody. Sometimes, though, it got hard to judge the strength of her strikes, especially when she was fighting several opponents at once, not to mention that her emotions were a bit haywire right now. Every time Katherine left a body in her wake, her chest tightened—and it only filled her with more guilt, knowing that she couldn’t decide whether she was upset that she’d killed an opponent or upset that she’d left behind incriminating evidence.

She gathered herself, then made her way back to the boy, who’d opened the gate to his house and was running to meet her. “Woah, that was incredible! You’re super strong! I wish my quirk was as cool as yours!”

“I told you to go back inside,” she said quietly, taking her hood down. “Why didn’t you listen?”

“Oh…I’m sorry. I’ve just never seen a real hero fight,” he mumbled, twisting his hands in his shirt. “All my friends are staying at the Hero Academies—they get to see Pro Heroes every day.”

Katherine’s gaze softened, and she ruffled his hair. “Look, it’s okay right now because you didn’t get hurt. But next time, you’ve gotta listen when a Pro Hero tells you to do something, alright?”

“Yeah, okay.” The boy’s eyes widened. “Hey, wait a sec, you’re hurt!”

So she was. There was a gash on the side of her head from her tumble with the gatepost. She reached up to it and began healing it, a dull golden glow coming from her hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I’ve had worse,” she joked.

Storm came up behind her and nestled against her head, purring. The boy then turned to him, gasping. “Woah.”

Storm looked at him, seeming equally curious. Katherine glanced at the boy and smiled under her mask. “You wanna feed him?”

The boy nodded wordlessly. “Okay, but I need you to do a few things for me afterward. First, I need you to wake up your mom and get her to call the police. But when they get here, you can’t tell them about me,” she instructed, pulling a piece of fish jerky out and holding it up. “If they ask you about this, say it was too dark and you couldn’t see anything. Deal?”

“Deal!” the boy exclaimed, taking the fish jerky from her.

“Great. Hold your hand open, palm up.”

He did as she said, though his hand trembled slightly. Storm’s pupils dilated, and he purred gently, lowering his head and taking the jerky. The boy laughed, and Katherine smiled again. “Nice job. Now, go get your mom to call the police.”

“Right, yes, ma’am!”

The boy jogged back to his house, and Katherine patted Storm on the neck, standing up. When she turned to make sure the boy was okay, he waved and called out, “Thank you, Justice!”

She waved back, then pulled Storm along and out of sight.

There was one more thing to do before she headed back to the dorms.

…

They say no one can hear you scream in space.

Katherine didn’t know how true that was, but she knew people could still hear you scream when you were five thousand feet in the air.

Gummy nearly burst her eardrums when he finally regained consciousness and realized that was how high up they were. “Gods, shut the fuck up! You’re gonna wake the whole prefecture!” she scolded.

His head whipped around in her direction, where she was flying next to Storm, his mouth still hanging open. “Hi. Let me break this down for you—Storm's claws are the only things keeping you from plummeting to your death. He has a very strong grip, but I can change that. Also, you and Greedy have both been outfitted with state-of-the-art quirk-suppressing handcuffs,” she explained, gesturing at Greedy, who was still unconscious and strapped into Storm’s harness. “We have a little time before we reach the police station, and if you want to get there in one unbroken piece, you’ll have to answer my questions. First, who sent you? I have a hard time believing a group of experienced robbers would choose to hang around a middle-class suburban neighborhood when there’re so many banks waiting to be drained.”

“That’s none of your business, you little bitch,” Gummy spat.

Katherine shrugged. “Have it your way. Storm!”

The Black Death growled and released his grip. “Wait—no, no, NO!” Gummy screamed as he began his descent.

Katherine waited a moment, then nodded at Storm. “Okay, go get him.”

He dove and returned a few minutes later with Gummy, who was heaving, sweating, and thoroughly terrified. “Would you like to change your answer?” Katherine asked, not sparing him a glance.

“I-it happened two nights ago,” Gummy stammered. “The boss—the boss wanted to rob an uber-expensive jewelry store in the area, with diamonds and gold and shit, but when we got there, the goods were gone. The guy who broke us out of prison—he was waiting there instead.”

She turned to him, her eyes narrowing. “What’d he want?”

Gummy clammed up, but when she looked toward Storm again, he blurted out, “You! He wanted you!”

Katherine raised an eyebrow. Stuttering, Gummy continued. “He said—he said he’d give us whatever we wanted if we took care of a thorn in his side. He told the boss, ‘Find the one named Justice and strike her down.’ Said he’d lure you out; that we just had to finish the job.”

Most people, upon learning the most powerful villain in the world wanted them dead, would not feel pleased with themselves. Katherine, on the other hand, grinned under her mask.

She was catching his attention.

Excellent.

“You’re a dead kid once he finds you,” Gummy said, interrupting her thoughts. “He ain’t gonna stop just ‘cause you beat us up.”

She glanced at him before looking ahead again. “I have one more request. When the police question you, don’t tell them anything about me. You can give whatever excuse you want—too fast, too dark, I don’t care. If they find me out, and I learn you gave me up, Storm will come by for another all-expenses-paid flight, and this time, he won’t catch you when you fall. Are we clear?”

Gummy stared at her and gulped. “Yes…yes, ma’am.”

They reached the police headquarters not long after that. Storm set Gummy on the ground, and Katherine wrestled a disoriented Greedy to kneel next to him. Once that was done, she mounted Storm and cried out, “Help, please, someone help! There are villains out here!”

When she saw shadows at the door, she chirped to Storm, and they took off, perching on a nearby rooftop to ensure everything went well. The police officers tugged the two criminals into the building, shooting each other confused looks. Best Jeanist joined them, likely asking about what had happened. Katherine let out a breath, then chirped to Storm again.

“Alright, big guy. Let’s go home.”

Chapter Text

Shoto knew where Katherine went in the middle of the night.

The whole class knew.

Except maybe Midoriya, given he was no longer with them.

None of them had said anything to her. Some didn’t know what to say or how to say it. Most didn’t want to say anything because it might push her to leave like Midoriya had. However, almost all of them assumed the same thing—she was looking for Midoriya on her own.

Shoto knew this wasn’t the case at all, but he couldn’t blame them. Though Midoriya had revealed his possession of One For All in his letters to them, he had not revealed Katherine’s. No, Shoto knew the real reason Katherine was leaving while the rest of them slept. Bakugo knew, too, and he wasn’t as accepting of it.

She was out there to fight, to bleed, to defeat the threat on her own, and maybe—just maybe—to prove a point.

“She is so goddamn stupid,” Bakugo growled one night, pacing Shoto and Katherine’s shared dorm. “Someone has to say something.”

Shoto shook his head, leaning back on the couch. “We can’t. She’ll think it’s an ambush and end up more upset than she already is. We have to let her work this out on her own; she’ll come clean to somebody when she’s ready to talk.”

Bakugo glared at him, scowling. “We don’t have time for her to work it out, Icy-Hot. She’s out there every night with no support and no backup. At least Deku has some Pro Heroes in his corner; Bird Girl’s got jack-shit!”

“She’s strong enough on her own. And she has Storm,” Shoto pointed out, but Bakugo cut him off.

“Oh, who cares about the dumbass lizard? It might be a nice asset right now, but what if someone gets the jump on her when it’s not there? What if your brother does?”

“Don’t you think I’ve thought about that?” Shoto snapped finally, standing up. “You keep saying I’m being too passive. I want to talk some sense into her as much as you do. Well, guess what, Bakugo? We can’t, because Midoriya decided to leave us without a proper goodbye, and if Katherine assumes she’s about to lose one more person because you can’t keep your mouth shut and trust her—I don’t even want to think about what she might do to herself.”

Bakugo’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t retort. Shoto stared him down, then crossed his arms. “For now, we wait and support her from here. Contrary to what may be popular belief, I know Katherine. She is smart enough—even in the midst of a mental health crisis—to stay on the line, not cross it completely.”

“…Fine,” Bakugo huffed finally. “She’s your girlfriend.”

When Shoto saw Katherine the next morning, coming out of her bedroom like nothing was wrong (like she hadn’t been sleeping in his bed for almost eight months now), he was reminded of the conversation. Maybe he was being a little too passive. He didn’t want to ignore the issue altogether. As she began making her coffee, he came up behind her and hugged her, kissing her on the cheek. “Good morning, darling.”

She hummed in reply, lacing his fingers with hers. Shoto waited for something more, and when it didn’t come, he asked, “Is everything alright? You’ve been quiet lately.”

Katherine glanced at him, then turned around and cupped his face, managing a tired smile. “I’m fine, cariño. It’s just—well, you know.”

“Yeah,” he mumbled, resting his forehead on hers. “You can talk to me about it if you want. I’m right here if you ever need something, okay?”

She nodded, kissed him on the lips, and took his hand again. “I know, baby. C’mon, let’s go to breakfast. The others are probably already out there.”

Shoto’s eyes widened. She hadn’t wanted to go out to the common room since Midoriya left. Perhaps she’d been worried about confrontation from the others, but he could only guess. “Are you sure?”

“Mmhm. The dorm is starting to feel kinda cramped. Now hurry up, I’m hungry.”

The rest of the class was also pleasantly surprised by Katherine’s presence at group breakfast, though they tried to treat it like it was no big deal. She was still quiet, but less short and withdrawn than she had been lately, and Shoto had to refrain from shooting a smug look at Bakugo. It looked like he was right after all.

“Guys!” Kaminari shouted to them, rushing to the table. “Have you checked the news yet this morning?”

Iida turned to him as he took a bite of his pancakes. “I don’t believe anyone has. There’s a good update, I hope.”

“Check this out! Oh, hi, Katherine; nice to see you,” he said as he sat next to her, pulling the article up. “Here it is—two members of the Sticky Gang were dropped off at the nearby police headquarters last night, and the other two were found in a neighborhood in Yoshida.”

“Those are the burglar guys, right?” Mina asked, leaning forward. “Who took ‘em down?”

“The Pros say an anonymous citizen called something in, but everyone’s pretty sure it was Justice again. Whoever they are, they’ve really been racking up points. I’ve been keeping track, and they’ve rounded up more villains than the Pros.”

As the rest of their classmates chimed in with their own exclamations of surprise and intrigue, Shoto glanced at Katherine. She had her chin in her hand, but he could see a slight grin tugging at her lips, slightly hidden by her fingers.

Well. No wonder she was in such a good mood.

Bakugo was staring at her, too, and Shoto noticed his jaw tighten again. “I wonder who Justice could be,” Jiro mused, also shooting a glance in Katherine’s direction. “I mean, to get in and out of a situation that quickly without being detected, they’d have to be pretty stealthy.”

Momo nodded in agreement. “What I want to know is why the villains they’ve captured haven’t given them up. You’d think they’d leap at the chance to get back at the one who defeated them. But the details they give are just as vague as the ones from the witness accounts.”

“Who do you think it is, Katherine?” Bakugo questioned suddenly, still eyeing her.

The rest of the class went rigid. Katherine, however, calmly took a sip from the “Best Mom!” mug they had gotten her for her birthday. “It might be Midoriya. We have no idea what he’s up to these days. And what better way to draw All For One out than by taking down all his goons?”

Bakugo grimaced. The two glared at each other, daring the other to back off, until Iida finally cleared his throat. “Katherine, since you’ve joined us, would you like to help me with the dishes?”

“Gladly,” she responded coolly, though her eyes stayed fixed on Bakugo.

When she stood to take her plate to the kitchen, Shoto gave Bakugo a look. He scoffed back and stood as well, grumbling to himself. The rest of the class turned to Shoto, but he just cleared his throat and shoveled eggs into his mouth.

This was going to be harder than he thought.

…

That night, Shoto lay awake, staring at the ceiling. He hadn’t been sleeping well since Katherine began going out at night (for obvious reasons), but he usually managed to rest for a few hours. She never woke him up with her coming and going; he assumed part of the reason she’d moved back into her room was so she wouldn’t risk such a thing and be faced with an uncomfortable discussion. Tonight, however, his eyes refused to close. He’d turned in for the night hours ago, yet he couldn’t put his mind at ease.

He trusted Katherine—really, he did—but that couldn’t stop him from worrying about her.

Finally, at around one in the morning, Shoto threw the covers back and stood, stifling a yawn. If he couldn’t sleep, he might as well do something. Maybe a mug of hot chocolate would help him.

However, a noise from outside made him stop before he even reached the kitchen. He rushed back into his room and pulled the curtains open, certain he would see Katherine on the balcony.

Instead, his eyes landed on the Devil Wing—Glacier—pacing the yard in front of the dorm building. His brow furrowed, and before he had time to think about what he was doing, he was making his way down to the common room.

Honestly? Any distraction was better than no distraction.

Shoto quietly closed the front door behind him, but Glacier still heard him. She growled and stretched her wings, her pupils slit. “It’s okay, it’s just me,” he whispered to her, sitting down on the porch steps. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

She watched him cautiously, then relaxed and straightened up, her pupils dilating just slightly. “You’re here for Storm, aren’t you?” Shoto asked.

The Black Death was the only thing he could see her wanting, and though he wasn’t sure she could understand him, the way she looked at the moon almost longingly told him all he needed to know.

Shoto gave Glacier a soft smile and turned to it as well. “Yeah. I’m waiting for someone, too.”

She crooned quietly in response and began pacing again, sending out her echolocation call. After a moment, Shoto sighed and stood, walking over to her. “We might as well wait together, huh?”

Glacier turned and lightly growled to give him a warning. He stopped where he was and held his hands up. “It’s alright. I won’t get too close to you. I just thought, since last time…”

She eyed him warily before approaching him, a slight rumble in her throat. Shoto stayed still as she circled him, bumping her snout against his back and pawing at his legs. When she huffed in his face, Shoto coughed. “Ugh, your breath smells like fish,” he muttered. “How does Katherine deal with that?”

Once Glacier was done inspecting him, her wings unfurled, and she sat on her hind legs, purring. Her feathery ear appendages flicked as Shoto stared up at her, then glanced at his left hand. “The last time I tried this, we were interrupted,” he said slowly, reaching up to her snout. “If we hadn’t been, would you have let me? Because between you and me, I think we’re pretty similar.”

Glacier’s pupils dilated fully, and she leaned forward, sniffing his open palm. Then, a noise caught their attention, and in the light of the moon, Shoto could make out Storm’s silhouette by a balcony—probably dropping Katherine off before he headed back to Ground Omega. Glacier called to him, and Storm quickly turned and flew down, bounding toward her with excitement.

Shoto smiled at the Black Death’s enthusiasm before heading back to the porch. Glacier noticed his departure while Storm was nuzzling against her and cooed to Shoto, seeming confused. He looked back and shrugged. “Well, you have yours back. I have to check on my girl now. I’ll see you around. Maybe I’ll even get to do the hand-touch thing.”

Glacier crooned one more time, then took off, Storm following soon after. Shoto watched as the two dragons disappeared from his sight, then sighed and reached for the door to the common room.

“–can’t believe you. First, you pulled that stunt at breakfast, and now you’re waltzing around the dorms bloody and bruised like it’s no big deal.”

He paused. That was Bakugo’s voice.

“Katsuki? What are you doing up? And have you seen Shoto? He’s not in my dorm.”

And that was Katherine. She must’ve gone looking for him after Storm dropped her off.

Oh, this was not good.

Shoto pressed his ear to the door, listening to the exchange with bated breath. He was a bit worried that if he walked in right now, he’d be accosted, too. Besides, it was probably best that Bakugo got this hostility out of his system. If he played his cards right, maybe he could get through to her.

“Who cares about Icy-Hot? The real problem here is you and your fucking savior complex. You think you’re any better than Deku is, just because you come back in the mornings? At least he had the guts to be honest with us. You’re lying to everyone’s faces.”

“What? Hold on, Katsuki, I–”

“And the worst part is, we all know what you’re doing! We knew from the moment Deku left that you would get on a high horse and start going out there, too. Did you ever even stop to think about us? How do you think we feel about it, huh? How do you think your boyfriend feels?”

A pause. Shoto’s jaw clenched, and in his mind’s eye, he could picture Katherine’s fists doing the same.

“Don’t bring Shoto into this.”

“Why not? Am I tugging on your heartstrings? Or am I getting through to you, getting you to see that all you’re doing is making a huge mistake?”

“Katsuki, please don’t do this to me.”

“No, Katherine! Don’t do this to us! Todoroki says you can handle yourself just fine, but even he knows that all it takes is one screwup and you’re dead! Gone forever! We’ve already lost Deku—do you think anyone here could take losing you, too? What the hell would we do without our damn nerd and our Fearless Leader?”

Another pause, but this one was broken by a sudden intake of breath. Shoto cracked the door open just enough to peer through and catch a glimpse of the two.

Katherine was hugging Bakugo. He seemed shocked, but she didn’t move, eventually mumbling, “I know. I miss him, too.”

Bakugo blinked, then slowly hugged her back, burying his face in her shoulder. “Shut—shut the hell up. You don’t know what you’re talking about, Bird Girl.”

Shoto heard a suppressed, weary chuckle from Katherine. “Yeah, right. Of course.”

They stood there for a moment or two, but Bakugo finally pulled away, quickly wiping his eyes. “I’m sorry I’ve worried everyone,” Katherine apologized quietly. “I know that what I’m doing is selfish and reckless.”

“And idiotic,” he added.

“Let’s not go that far. If I could stop now, I would, but I can’t. In reality, I’ve only just started.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Midoriya said that I wasn’t on All For One’s radar. I thought he was just bluffing so I’d let him go, but it turns out he wasn’t. All For One doesn’t think I’m strong enough to pose a personal threat to him. But I think that’s finally starting to change. He sent the Sticky Gang after me.”

Even without seeing her face, Shoto knew she had that glimmer in her eyes, the one that excited him and scared him all at the same time.

“If I keep giving him hell, he’ll keep delivering his lackeys to me on a silver platter. And when I defeat all of them, he’ll finally realize he has two menaces to deal with. Unfortunately, by then, it’ll be too late for him to figure out another plan, ‘cause I’ll be ready to take him down.”

Now, most people, upon learning their significant other planned to steal the attention of the most powerful villain in the world in order to blindside him and/or be a little bit petty would not feel pleased with said significant other.

Shoto, on the other hand, felt a strange sort of pride knowing that the girl standing in the common room discussing her plans for victory and/or revenge was the girl he planned to marry.

Had he hit the jackpot, or what?

Chapter Text

Despite their school schedule being a bit of a mess (a.k.a. entirely nonexistent), Class 1-A wasn’t slacking on their training. Several of the remaining Pro Heroes have moved onto U.A.’s campus along with the civilians, and most were more than happy to keep the students busy. The Wild, Wild Pussycats were the most consistent out of these heroes, and given their history with the class, they were also the most helpful.

Katherine was always absent from the group training sessions. Sometimes it was because she was trying to catch up on lost sleep, but more often, she was training alone.

Her fist slammed into the punching bag, and she reveled in the sting of her flesh as her knuckles made contact. This method of training was almost like therapy for her. Each strike grounded her. She rarely wrapped her hands anymore; whenever she felt exhausted, the sting would wake her back up, and she’d get right back to her rhythm.

There were so many things she couldn’t do right now. She couldn’t bring Midoriya back by herself. She couldn’t take down All For One until he slipped up, which he wouldn’t do easily.

But she could fight. If there was anything she was capable of, it was fighting.

So, the cycle continued.

Once she was done with her warm-up, she rolled her shoulders back and activated One For All. The red sparks danced around her body, rippling with energy. Midoriya must’ve been making some progress with unlocking his other quirks lately—her power had been more lenient with her pushing boundaries since he’d left. Katherine turned back to the punching bag and shook her hands off, exhaling.

Okay. Time to put some power behind this.

She settled into her stance, then reeled back and struck the center with everything she had. The bag was sent flying across the room, breaking the chain that held it to the roof of Gym Gamma.

“Too much power there, kid,” Daigoro stated.

She rolled her eyes in response as she straightened up. “You wouldn’t be complaining if I was punching All For One.”

“Who wouldn’t be complaining?”

Katherine flinched and quickly spun around to the gym door. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Hawks. “None of your business. What are you doing here?”

He leaned against the wall with his usual cocky grin plastered across his face. Katherine usually didn’t mind that grin, even finding it annoyingly endearing at times. Right now, though, she just wanted to smack it off Hawks’s face. “What, am I not allowed to check in on my favorite protégé anymore?”

“No, you’re not,” she responded shortly, walking to the corner of the room and picking up a spare punching bag. “Don’t you have villains to catch? Or is Midoriya so desperate to do everything by himself that he’s pushing away the Top Pros now, too?”

“Is that why you haven’t been answering my calls? Hurt feelings?” he asked.

“Oh, get over yourself, Keigo. I’ve been busy.”

“Yeah. Busy serving justice, right? Or should I say being Justice?”

Katherine stopped in her tracks. Hawks finally looked serious, glaring at her sternly. Slowly, she turned to face him fully, dropping the punching bag. “Looks like someone needs to get his priorities straight. If my hero work is your most pressing issue right now, you must be at more of a loss than I thought.”

“Hero work, my ass,” he scoffed. “You’re a vigilante.”

“And whose fault is that?”

“If you’re insinuating–”

“I’m not insinuating anything; I’m saying it to your face. We both know all this could’ve been avoided if you hadn’t decided to bet on Midoriya instead of me,” Katherine shot back. “Have you forgotten that both of us wield One For All?”

Hawks grimaced. “All For One is only after Midoriya. Luring him out with one kid is risky enough. I don’t want to put you in danger when it isn’t necessary. What would your dads think if you got killed on a raid that we didn’t even need you for?”

“One, that would never happen, and I’m insulted that you think I’m that fragile. Two, Eraserhead gave me permission to fight. You were there. Just because he’s not back on duty yet doesn’t mean you can disregard whatever he says. Honestly, I don’t give a shit about what Hizashi thinks of me right now. I don’t give a shit about what you think, either. If your goal is to convince me to stop by berating me for doing a better job than you, I’ll save us both some time. The door’s right there.”

She started to grab the punching bag again, but Hawks asked something that made her freeze up. “Is it so wrong of me to try and protect you?”

When she didn’t reply, he continued, “Endeavor told me about the battle against Shigaraki. All of the students—you got pummeled and then some. Am I seriously the bad guy for trying to prevent that from happening again, especially to you?”

Katherine still didn’t speak, but her wings trembled. With every word he said, flashes of that night kept coming back into her head.

The loss.

The hurt.

And the stab of betrayal she’d felt in her chest when Midoriya’s green sparks illuminated vermillion wings. A betrayal that still ached like a fresh wound.

“You know what, Keigo? Yes, you are.”

“What?”

She looked at him, eyes narrowed and glowing red. “You heard me. You keep defending your actions, trying to play the victim when you know damn well that if you were going to betray everything I thought of you, you at least should’ve been honest from the start. I told you and Jeanist that I didn’t want to be safe, I wanted in, and you completely disregarded that. You disregarded me. You think you’re being my hero by doing all this, but you know what I see? I see a liar.”

Hawks’ expression didn’t change, but his wings ruffled slightly. Katherine held her ground for a moment more, then grabbed her water bottle and began walking toward the door. “And if there was anything you should’ve learned from what Endeavor told you, it’s that I won’t give up. Don’t try and stop me. It won’t end well.”

He was silent until she passed him. “You killed a member of the Sticky Gang.”

“And you killed Twice,” she replied coldly. “Maybe we should both lower our standards.”

Katherine stalked out of Gym Gamma without another word, tears pricking at the edge of her eyes. She had only gotten so far when she heard Endeavor yelling at her. “Ride!”

Of course. If this was an intervention, Hawks would’ve brought backup. There was no doubt in her mind that Endeavor and Best Jeanist had been eavesdropping.

She kept moving, her jaw tightly clenched. “Ride,” he shouted again, and she could hear his footsteps getting closer, “you need to listen to us.”

“No, I don’t!” Katherine snapped, whipping around to face him. “I don’t need to do anything you tell me!”

Endeavor stopped in his tracks, though he kept grimacing at her. Katherine stared stonily back, putting as much venom and bite as she could muster into her words. “I don’t care how good you think your intentions are. I’m not one of your kids, and I’m not your intern anymore—you don’t get to push me around. If you want me to stop fighting, then you’re just as bad as the villains. I chose this. By myself. If you’re not going to be any fucking help, stay out of my way.”

Then, she turned on her heel, broke into a run, and took flight, heading for the dorms.

When she landed, she wasn’t expecting anyone else to be back from their training sessions yet. However, Uraraka was the first thing she laid eyes on when she opened the door. “Oh—hey, Ochaco.”

“Katherine! Welcome back; we were starting to get worried about you,” Uraraka said with a smile.

“You were? Why? I expected everyone to still be training.”

“Well, we took a break for lunch. Some of them went back to it, but most of us are here. You…you do realize it’s almost 4:00, right?”

Katherine blinked, then nodded stiffly. “Right. Yeah. I’m gonna go eat something.”

She’d only taken a few steps when Uraraka spoke again. “Ah—Katherine, your hands!”

Katherine turned to her, then looked down at her bloodied knuckles. Now that she didn’t have the adrenaline running through her, they were starting to hurt even more. “They’re fine, don’t worry. I’ll heal them up after my shower.”

“At least let me disinfect them,” Uraraka requested, standing up from her spot on the couch. “Now’s not the best time to get sick.”

“Ochaco–”

“It’ll only take a few seconds, I promise.”

Katherine opened her mouth to argue, then decided against it. Uraraka could be as stubborn as Bakugo—as stubborn as Katherine herself—sometimes. “Fine.”

She followed Uraraka into the kitchen, where she was grabbing the common room’s first-aid kit. “Here it is. Huh, that’s weird, we’re running low on supplies,” Uraraka murmured.

Katherine felt a twinge of guilt. Thanks to her nightly activities, she’d run out of medical stuff in her room a few days earlier and raided the kit out in the common space for band-aids. Uraraka, of course, had no idea about this and simply shrugged, taking out the last pack of rubbing alcohol wipes. “I’ll ask Iida or Yaomomo if we can get Recovery Girl to restock it for us. Now, let me see your hands.”

Katherine leaned against the kitchen counter and held a hand out, her wings shifting awkwardly behind her. Uraraka was gentle as she dabbed away the drying blood, but Katherine’s hands still twitched when the rubbing alcohol entered her open abrasions. “You should really bandage your hands if you’re going to work on your strikes,” Uraraka mentioned finally. “Gunhead taught me that it protects the ligaments.”

“I know,” she responded, grimacing slightly, “but I don’t feel the sting as much when my hands are wrapped.”

Uraraka glanced at her, a slight grin on her face. “Right, right. Our invincible Fearless Leader doesn’t need to worry about little things like bruised knuckles.”

Katherine gave her a look back as she began healing her hands the rest of the way, and the wounds disappeared without much fuss. “I didn’t say that.”

Uraraka closed the first-aid kit and put it away while Katherine moved to the refrigerator and grabbed the leftovers from lunch that Shoto had set aside for her. “Thanks for cleaning my hands up,” she said, starting to walk away. “See you at dinner.”

“Wait, Katherine, one more thing.”

She turned to see Uraraka smiling gently at her. “I know we’re all worried about Deku, but I’m sure he’ll come back soon. And if he doesn’t, we’ll just have to go out there and find him ourselves, right?”

Katherine gazed at her, then nodded stiffly again. “Yeah. Right.”

With that, she continued to her dorm, starting on her sushi as she walked.

“Should we be more worried about Hawks?” Kudou asked. “He knows you’re Justice now. He could use that against you.”

He won’t. Keigo may be a lot of things right now, but he’s not an idiot. I’ve made it pretty obvious that I’m one bad move away from a total crisis. He cares too much to be the reason I finally lose it.

Besides, what does he get out of it? The public is all about Justice right now.

Okay, just so we’re clear, I’m NOT going to affiliate myself with that name outside of vigilante work.

You already have.

Shut up, Fallen.

…

“C’mon, big guy, get a move on! At this rate, I’ll beat you to Hamamatsu!”

Storm growled competitively and flapped harsher, pulling up next to Katherine with a huff. “Aw, don’t pout,” she teased, the red sparks of One For All disappearing. “You’re still the fastest Fear Class dragon.”

You know, it was almost funny. Everyone was so adamant that what she was doing was dangerous; that she was putting herself at risk for no reason. But as Katherine weaved underneath Storm and he shadowed her, she didn’t feel that was the case. Strictly speaking, almost 85% of her night was spent practicing flight commands with Storm, 10% was spent fighting lowlife thugs, and the other 5% was spent maybe dealing with more severe villains. It wasn’t the worst way to spend her nights.

“Alright, ready?” she asked, coming up on Storm’s other side. “Let’s try the recovery maneuver!”

He roared in response. Katherine climbed slightly, gaining altitude, before suddenly pulling her wings in and beginning to plummet. Moments later, she felt a paw grab her leg and hoist her into the air again, and she opened her eyes to see Storm giving her a very pleased look. “Yeah, that was great! Now drop me!”

He released her, and she quickly fell back into flight. This time, when she came up on his wing, she maneuvered herself over his back and grabbed the handles of his harness, pulling herself down. Once she was settled, she reached over his head with a piece of fish jerky. “Nice one, big guy. It’s a great night for flying, huh?”

He purred appreciatively, taking the jerky from her. Katherine sighed and leaned back, looking at the wispy clouds and stars above them. That was something in this “new world” that she didn’t mind—now that there were no more bright city lights, she could see the skies clearly without having to go as high up. They were passing over the Tenryu River now, and with the sounds of the water beneath them, she began to feel oddly at peace.

That sense of calm was swiftly shattered when something snatched her by the shoulders and lifted her off of Storm.

Her knee-jerk reaction was to start flapping her wings wildly as she twisted around and tried to get a good look at her assailant. The darkness made it hard to see their face, but she could discern a few things—their wingspan was about as big as hers, and given that the wingbeats were as heavy as Storm’s, they likely had leathery wings, not feathered ones.

“Let me go, you jackass!” she shouted, grabbing at the villain. Then a plasma blast rocketed past them, and Storm swooped up behind the attacker.

The villain jerked his head around, but he wasn’t able to react in time. Storm collided with both him and Katherine, separating them. As Katherine flapped her wings frantically, trying to recover, Storm caught her with his paws. Still, they were too close to the ground to get back in the air, and they fell into the river.

Storm cushioned most of the impact, but Katherine, not accustomed to being underwater, couldn’t get to the surface as quickly as him. Her wings thrashed behind her desperately and her mask suffocated her. The water stung her eyes as she blinked furiously, trying to swim upwards.

Storm snagged the hood of her jacket with his teeth and dragged her above the water. While she coughed violently and tore her mask off, he swam to the bank of the river. Storm nudged Katherine onto it before climbing out and shaking himself off like a wet dog. She lay for a while on the bank to catch her breath, then sat up, still heaving a bit. “Ugh. Thanks, Storm, I owe you one.”

He purred reassuringly and circled her, using a consistent, concentrated blast to singe the grass before lying down on it and wrapping himself around her. His body heat was welcome after the drop into the cold river, and she put a hand on his head as she turned her gaze to the sky, eyes narrowing.

We’re probably sheltered enough with the tree cover here, but I'm sure that villain will be back for us any minute.

“Do you think he was sent by All For One as well?” Nana questioned.

It’s possible. It kinda felt like the attack was targeted. I won’t know until I take him down, but I couldn’t get a good look at him, so I have no idea what I’m up against. I don’t want to go head-to-head against him if he has a power that could injure Storm.

“Is that all?” Shadow asked. “In that case, Aspen’s quirk would be good for this.”

Mamá’s quirk? Really?

“Sure! All you have to do is make a decoy projection of you and Storm to lead the bad guy off your trail. That’s what she did when we escaped the lab—except it was projections of us, obviously, not you and a dragon.”

Katherine hummed thoughtfully at her birthfather’s comment and looked at her hand. Carefully, she made accurate, to-scale projections of herself and Storm, tilting her head as they materialized.

Why is my hair so messy?

That’s what happens when you decide to hack a couple of inches off with kitchen scissors by yourself instead of asking for help.

Look, it was touching my neck in a weird way.

Storm picked his head up from her lap, his ear appendages twitching with interest. “Not too shabby, right?” Katherine joked. “Should I send them off?”

He rumbled in reply, and she took it as a yes. She gave her projections a five-minute head start, then chirped to Storm, who got up and stretched his wings, his paws shifting impatiently. Katherine swung a leg over and turned her Data Specs on, commanding, “Engage magnets.” With her gloves secured to the harness, she chirped to Storm again, and they took off.

As soon as they were in the air, she got a visual of the decoy projections, which were flying leisurely above the land. Katherine urged Storm higher—for this to work, the real duo would have to stay out of sight.

It didn’t take long for the winged villain to take notice of the decoys. Within five minutes, he was stalking the projections with no clue that a dozen feet above were his true targets. Katherine used the Data Specs to enhance, squinting at the villain. Instead of arms, he had leathery bat wings, as she’d suspected.

I recognize him from the wanted list, too—Yobayakawa Batto, or Mad Bat. According to the info Kio and Sora gave me, Iida’s older brother was the one who caught him and put him in jail. That means he’s fast in the air and on the ground.

“We’ll just have to be faster, right, big guy?” she said under her breath, patting Storm on the back.

He chuffed softly; his pupils slit. “Well, what are you waiting for? Go get ‘em.”

Storm drew his wings in and went for a dive, heading straight for Mad Bat. Just like the last time, they collided, but Storm got a firmer grip on Mad Bat’s wings and dipped his head to look at him, growling harshly. Katherine dipped her head, too, glaring at him. “Who sent you?”

Mad Bat flailed around, baring his teeth at her. “I don’t answer to you!”

“They always wanna play hardball,” she muttered. “Storm, fry him.”

Storm opened his maw and prepared to fire. “Wait, wait, wait!” Mad Bat shrieked. “I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”

“Excellent decision. Get on with it,” Katherine demanded, dipping her head over again.

“I got a letter this morning with a million yen in it. It said I could keep the money if I took out the hero Justice. Whoever sent it said they didn’t need proof. They’d know when the job was done.”

“How’d you find me?”

Mad Bat chuckled dryly. “The letter said I was looking for a girl with wings on a Black Death. I doubt there’s more than one of those out here. Don’t bother asking who sent it; I don’t have a clue.”

“That’s fine,” she responded, picking her head up and facing forward on Storm. “I know exactly who contacted you.”

There was a beat of silence, and then Mad Bat spoke again. “The letter said there’d be consequences if I failed. Or if I ignored the message and kept the money.”

Katherine paused. “There are consequences,” she replied finally. “You just got your ass kicked by a teenager, and now you’re going back to jail. But the fuckwad who sent that letter won’t get to you as long as you go quietly. I can make sure of that.”

As they flew above Hamamatsu, she spotted a police station, the only lit-up building in the whole town. “There we go. Ladies and gents, this is your captain speaking. We hope you’ve enjoyed your flight on Black Death Airlines. If you have any complaints about our service, please be sure to keep them to yourself.”

Storm swooped down and set Mad Bat on the ground, then landed behind him, shoving him toward the doors. Mad Bat scoffed but walked into the station with his hands—or rather, wings—up. Katherine gave Storm a satisfied chirp, but as she turned him around to take flight again, they both froze as they came face to face with Kamui Woods. “…Ride?” he asked hesitantly, eyeing both her and the dragon uneasily.

“Nope,” she blurted out, kicking Storm into gear. The Black Death growled and spread his wings, shooting into the sky. Katherine looked at the quickly fading ground beneath her and sighed.

“Great. Now two Pros know your secret identity,” Bruce muttered.

Again, not a big deal. What’s anyone going to do about it? I never even wanted a secret identity; that’s the public’s fault.

“What we should worry about is All For One,” Hikage interjected. “This is the second time someone has come after you on his orders. When we didn’t get any hits last night, I expected there to be more of a gap.”

“My brother is becoming agitated,” Yoichi mentioned. “Katherine, you must remember this attention is a double-edged sword. Sooner or later, he may send a truly formidable opponent after you.”

Yeah, I hope so. With U.A.’s improved defenses and Shigaraki out of commission for the time being, he’ll have to come after me out here, on my turf.

She grinned slightly, turning her gaze to the heavens again.

WildCard: Two. All For One: Zero. We’ll see who has the highest score at the end of things.

Chapter Text

Unfortunately, the next two nights passed without much incident. Katherine woke up, avoided people in the morning, set off for training around 10:00, didn’t get back until after 4:00, took a short and usually unhelpful nap to prepare for the night shift, and then waited until after everyone was asleep or busy to sneak out and grab Storm. But when she set out, the next nocturnal hours were filled with a lot of grabbing and going as they caught several villains—none of whom were sent by All For One.

It was around midnight on the second night (or technically the third morning) that Katherine landed Storm on a roof, dismounted, and promptly flopped to the ground, rolling onto her back with an exasperated groan. “Eight villains tonight and no lead,” she muttered as Storm lay down next to her, resting his head on her stomach. “Some luck we have, huh?”

He rumbled, and the sound tickled her a bit as it vibrated in her abdomen. She placed her hand on his head and sighed while staring at the clouds above.

Come on, the streets are chock-full of villains thanks to All For One. How hard can it be to find one that’s willing to beat my ass? I’ve pissed off plenty of people this year.

“Well, Dove, you’re not exactly an easy target,” Shadow pointed out. “The last two hits didn’t exactly work out for him.”

Katherine smiled a little under her mask. For all the voices in her head that drove her crazy, her birthfather’s pop-ins never did. As bittersweet as it was to only have one of her bio parents back, she couldn’t take the fact that she could talk to him again—in a sense—for granted.

Nah, guess not.

She lay there in silence, breathing in the cool night air until her phone pinged. She picked it up, then grimaced when she saw Hawks’s icon on her screen.

Hawks: I’m sorry for being confrontational. I should’ve handled that better.

Can we talk?

She put his contact on mute and went back to staring at the stars. After a moment, Shadow piped up again.

“I think you should try and be nicer to him.”

To who?

“You know who. Hawks.”

Katherine resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“Hold off on the eye-rolling,” Shadow reprimanded. “He was only doing what he thought was right. He did it to protect you.”

He lied to me and then tried to treat me like a criminal. I don’t care if he was trying to protect me. He should’ve known better.

“Well, what if he hadn’t lied? What would you have done if he told you about his intentions from the start?”

She sat up, displacing Storm’s head (he grumbled in protest) and pulling her knees to her chest.

I mean—I don’t know. I would’ve tried to convince him I could handle it, I guess. I’m stronger than he thinks.

“He thinks the world of you, Katherine.”

He still sees me as a kid.

“…You are a kid, Dove.”

No, not like that. He sees me as a normal kid. A kid that hasn’t been through what I’ve been through. One that can’t do what I can do.

“That’s not true.”

Yeah, it is! He still sees me as a wide-eyed twelve-year-old. The fact that he thinks I need to be protected says enough.

“He’s also been through a lot,” Shadow interrupted. “I think he’s just trying to save you some of the pain and heartbreak he’s had to face.”

How would you know?

“Well, Fallen and Nightmare have filled me in on all the important people in your life. They know more than they let on. Look, Dove, I know it’s never easy to be lied to, and it’s easier to say it’s never justified. But everybody lies. If you think your friend’s haircut is awful–”

Katherine snorted.

That’s not the same thing.

“Maybe not, but you get my point.”

Not really.

“Okay, let me try this approach, then. You don’t like how Hizashi only sees what’s right and wrong with no gray area, right?” Shadow asked.

I guess not.

“That’s what you’re doing. You’re taking this very complex situation and simplifying it to right and wrong. And, c’mon, you’re lying to your entire class about this vigilante stuff.”

That’s not—well—I’m not saying I’m NOT going out at night.

“Dove, that’s omission. Pretty much the same thing.”

Katherine huffed and leaned back on Storm, looking at her hands. Dried blood stained her gloves, and her knuckles were probably bruised underneath them.

Uraraka had cleaned her hands so gently the other day.

What would she say if she saw them now? What they were being used for?

“Goddamnit, why does that all make sense?” she grumbled. “Okay, I get it. I’m not innocent in this, either. I’m still mad at Keigo.”

“You can be mad at him. Just don’t write him out of your life,” Shadow responded. “You haven’t disowned Hizashi yet, so there’s still hope for Hawks.”

I’m pretty sure Hizashi has disowned me.

Her phone buzzed again, and she dragged it out of her pocket, expecting something from Kio, Sora, or Sukii. Instead, a message from Eri appeared on her screen—the dads had gotten her a tablet so she could text all three of them during school hours if she needed something.

Eri: Are you awake?

Katherine’s eyes narrowed with concern, and she immediately texted back.

Katherine: Yeah, I’m up. Is everything ok?

Eri: I can’t sleep

I’m sorry

Katherine: You don’t need to apologize, enamorada.

Do you want me to call you?

Eri: Can you come see us?

I miss you

Her heart hurt a little as she typed the next message.

Katherine: I don’t think that’s a good idea.

Loud Dad won’t be happy if I sneak out of the dorms.

Eri: Mr. Hizashi is in the common room talking to Mr. Shota

I didn’t want to bother him

Katherine paused for a moment. That made things easier—and what was the worst-case scenario if she had to talk to Mic? Maybe they could have a civil conversation or something. A week had to have been enough for him to cool off.

Katherine: Alright. I’ll be there soon.

She pocketed her phone, then chirped to Storm and mounted him, setting course for U.A. “Looks like we’re turning in early tonight, big guy.”

He rumbled softly as they took off, the wind rushing past them. Katherine leaned forward, resting her arms on his back.

Hey, Papá?

“Yeah?”

She traced Storm’s scales, smiling softly to herself.

I think my dads would like you.

Shadow didn’t say anything at first, then replied:

“Thanks. I think I’d like them, too.”

They’d stuck fairly close to home base that night, so Katherine and Storm reached the teachers’ dorms in less than half an hour. She sent him off to Ground Omega, then teleported into the dorms, right in front of the door to Eri’s room. With a gentle knock, she gained access, and Eri hugged her tightly the moment she opened the door, sniffling quietly. “Hey, hey, enamorada,” Katherine whispered, closing the door behind her as she scooped Eri up. “Everything okay?”

She shook her head, tears in her eyes. “I—I had a bad dream. I got scared, and—and–”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Katherine assured her as she walked further into the room. “The world is a pretty scary place right now, isn’t it?”

Eri nodded, wiping her eyes. “I’m sorry. I wish I could be brave like you.”

Katherine gave her a gentle smile. “Aw, enamorada, I’m not that brave. I get scared all the time.”

“You do? Of what?”

“Well, the normal things. Losing the people I care about. Seeing them get hurt.” She paused, then brushed Eri’s hair back. “I even get scared of silly things, like spiders and thunderstorms. It’s okay to be scared, Eri. You just have to learn how to manage your fear.”

Eri leaned against her. The tears had stopped, but she still looked a bit downcast. “I don’t like being scared.”

“Yeah, I feel you.” Katherine kissed her on the forehead and grinned. “Do you want to try something that could make you feel better?”

Eri gave her a curious look and nodded. Katherine snapped her fingers and teleported them up to the roof, where the moon shone down on them in all her glory and the stars glimmered like old friends. “I know it seems bad right now, but there’s still some beauty in the world. When I’m scared, and it feels like no one can help me, I like to look at the stars.”

Eri turned to the sparkling night sky, her eyes widening. “Woah…there’s so many tonight,” she breathed. “Do you ever count them?”

Katherine giggled softly. “I used to when I was younger. Now I just appreciate them. They don’t make any of my problems go away, but they’re a pretty distraction,” she said quietly.

“They are pretty,” Eri agreed, reaching her hand up. “I wonder what a star feels like.”

“Probably warm. Like a big ball of light. If you ever went to visit one, you’d need sunscreen,” she teased, kissing Eri on the forehead again. “Let’s get you back to bed, alright?”

“Will you sing to me before you leave?”

“Of course, enamorada.”

Katherine teleported back into Eri’s room and waited until she was settled in bed to begin. “You ready?”

Eri yawned and pulled her blankets up. “I’ll take that as a yes,” she chuckled, ruffling her hair. “Good night, enamorada.”

“Mm…night,” Eri murmured sleepily.

Katherine smiled at her, then started to sing. “Why are there so many songs about rainbows, and what’s on the other side?”

“Rainbows are visions, but only illusions, and rainbows have nothing to hide…”

Eri hummed to the tune and rolled over as Katherine continued.

“What’s so amazing that keeps us stargazing, and what do we think we might see?”

“Someday we’ll find it; the rainbow connection…the lovers, the dreamers, and me.”

She waited a moment, but Eri didn’t say anything, and her soft breathing told Katherine she was fast asleep. “Huh. I should really ask someone about the science behind this,” she mumbled before leaning down and kissing Eri on the head.

Katherine was getting ready to teleport away when a thought struck her. The teachers’ common room had some first aid supplies she could stock up on. Mic had probably gone back to his room by now, and if not, she could sneak around him easily.

When she got out there, she saw she’d have to go with Plan B, as Mic was sitting on one of the couches and video chatting with Aizawa. No big deal. She just teleported directly into the kitchen and began silently searching for the first-aid kit. She was trying her best not to eavesdrop, then threw that caution into the wind when she heard Aizawa ask, “And how’s Katherine? She’s been spotty about answering my texts. Is she still doing okay with Midoriya being gone?”

Mic hesitated, then answered (unconvincingly), “Yeah, I think so. She hasn’t said anything about not being okay.”

Katherine rolled her eyes, and she could practically see Aizawa’s stern glare on the screen. “Don’t tell me you two still aren’t talking to each other.”

Another pause, this one being broken by a sigh. “Gods, Hizashi,” Aizawa muttered, “what exactly did you say to her for it to be this bad?”

Again, Mic didn’t respond at first. Katherine was about to resume her search for bandages when finally: “I asked her why she killed the doctor. And it was so stupid of me, now that I look back, because she was right—that shouldn’t have mattered right then. I was sick with worry about you two and Nem, but when I saw her—I don’t know; it just came out. Katherine’s so…so good and kind, Shota—why would she do something like that?”

Katherine felt her breath hitch.

“Garaki was the one behind the gene-splicing experiments. Somehow, he knew she was our kid,” Aizawa told him. “She told me he said something about Shirakumo, too. I don’t think what she did was thought out. It was just in the heat of the moment. She’s pretty upset with herself.”

Mic sighed and buried his head in his hands. “Oh, I’ve really fucked this up, haven’t I? No wonder she’s not speaking to me.”

Aizawa gave his husband a sympathetic look through the screen. “She just needs time. You two will make up eventually. Take it from the dad she’s usually mad at.”

“Thanks for that. I’ll try and have a conversation with her here soon. I wish Nem wasn’t…well, you know. Katherine could at least lean on her. How is Nem, by the way?”

“Still in the coma, but the doctors say things are looking a little better. They still have no idea when she’ll wake up, though.”

That was the last thing Katherine heard before she finally tore herself away from the conversation, teleporting into her dorm room. She let out the breath she’d been holding and blinked away any forming tears, making her way to her bathroom.

She didn’t need a first-aid kit, anyway.

Chapter Text

Mic did end up texting her the next day, but Katherine couldn’t bring herself to answer his messages. Instead, she tried to find what little comfort she could in her daily routine until dusk fell again. She and Storm stuck closer to home like last night, only going as far as Fuji on their escapade. Kio had texted her just before they set off, saying that the activity there was growing more rampant.

Katherine had barely set a course for the area when she saw someone walking by themselves along the street. When she went in closer with Storm, she realized it wasn’t a villain—it was a tall woman, likely with a heteromorph quirk, judging by her foxlike appearance. Katherine chirped to Storm, giving him the command to stay, then flew down to perch on a nearby light pole. It seemed like the less threatening approach. “Hey, are you lost?”

The woman yelped and backed away from her. “No, no! I’m not gonna hurt you!” Katherine assured her, pulling down her hood. “I’m not a villain, I promise.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” the woman sighed with relief. “Are you…with the Pro Heroes?”

“In a sense.” Katherine dropped from the light pole and approached the woman—she had to crane her head to make decent eye contact. “What can I do for you?”

“Um, I’m looking for U.A.”

“Well, you’re in luck. It’s only a few minutes away to the east. I could escort you there if you’d like.”

The woman gave her a small smile. “Are you sure? You look busy; I don’t want to be a burden.”

Katherine tugged her hood back up. “It’s alright, ma’am. Like I said, we don’t have far to go.”

So, even though it gave her a late start, she escorted the woman to the gates. Once they bid each other goodbye, Katherine flew back up to Storm, who’d followed from above. He grumbled at her, and she gave him a look back. “What? I’m pretty sure when Mamá said ‘mantén tu corazón,’ she wanted me to do that by helping people the normal way, too, not just by beating the shit out of super powerful villains.”

Storm huffed. “Whatever,” Katherine retorted. “I don’t think it’s that big a deal if we get there a little later than planned.”

It was. The moment they arrived, Katherine and Storm had their hands (or paws) full with wrestling villains. It was a good thing she’d dropped by the Development Lab and grabbed more quirk-suppressing cuffs before they left. At the moment, she was taking care of an especially tough opponent on the abandoned street—one she’d fought before.

Skullcrusher roared and threw a punch at her, three metal blades sticking out of his knuckles. “Filthy hero! Stay out of my way or I’ll destroy you!”

Katherine dodged his strike, then threw a shield at him, her hood falling as she jerked around. She had sent Storm off to deliver a couple of defeated goons to the police station they’d been making trips to just as Skullcrusher rounded the corner—an unlucky coincidence. But he didn’t seem dead-set on killing her yet, so she figured he wasn’t an All For One lackey. She still wished she had backup.

Why? It’s no big deal. You’ve fought this guy before, and you beat him.

That was different. I just needed him to yield back at The Golden Ibis. This time, I have to at least get him unconscious, which is nowhere near as easy. My match with him wasn’t exactly a cakewalk.

When Skullcrusher charged at her again, she activated her levitation and grabbed his fists with it, holding her ground as he pushed against her. Her red sparks pulsed, and in the vibrant glow, she saw his eyes widen. “Hey, I recognize your quirk! You cost me my title! You’re the Black Death!”

Katherine’s eyes narrowed at the idea that this fight was about to get even more difficult, but then she heard faint wingbeats in the distance. “Oh, yeah, this is awkward,” she said casually, gaze flickering back to Skullcrusher. “Nice to know the name stuck with you, though. Hey, do you wanna know where I got my inspiration from?”

“Why would I want to know that?” Skullcrusher snapped.

She activated One For All and made a shield, forcing a shockwave toward him. Just as Skullcrusher was stumbling backward, Storm swooped down and threw him to the ground, roaring ferociously. Skullcrusher made a choked noise, then went limp—he’d blacked out from the fear, Katherine assumed.

Storm turned and rumbled hopefully, his pupils dilating. “Good boy, Storm,” she praised, tossing him a piece of fish jerky. “You know, you might be one of my best teammates. Don’t tell my friends I said that.”

He purred and rubbed against her, as though he agreed. However, the affectionate gesture was overshadowed when he suddenly perked up and growled, his pupils slit again. “What is it?”

Storm’s eyes stayed fixed on a rooftop in the distance, and Katherine looked in that direction, her gaze landing on a figure that seemed to be watching them. She tilted her head and stared back curiously.

“You must be Justice.”

The voice that spoke was much closer than the figure, and Katherine and Storm whipped around to see somebody else standing over Skullcrusher’s unconscious body. She recognized him immediately, despite not having seen him since her internship with Endeavor—if the swords weren’t a dead giveaway, the mask was.

She was, once again, face to face with the Hero Killer: Stain.

Katherine’s eyes widened, and Storm gave a challenging roar as he moved in front of her protectively. Stain had a katana poised at Skullcrusher’s neck, ready to cut if either of them made a wrong move. “It’s a pleasure. I’ve been tailing you from afar for quite some time, but only just mustered the courage to show myself.”

She grimaced under her mask, feathers ruffling.

This is bad. His stealth must be on a new level if neither of us could pick up on his presence. Plus, he’s known to hold grudges, and I didn’t do myself any favors back in Hosu.

Perhaps he was sent by All For One. The other attacks could’ve been distractions so you wouldn’t find him out.

“Don’t engage immediately,” Hikage commanded. “I can tell he’s a dangerous opponent. See what you can get out of him before he attacks.”

Carefully, Katherine held her hands up and chirped to Storm, who reluctantly stood down and stepped behind her while still keeping a wary eye on Stain. “What do you want with me?” she asked.

“A conversation,” Stain stated, as though it were obvious. “You intrigue me.”

Katherine chuckled sarcastically. “Yeah, sure. Hero to Hero Killer. Look, this probably isn’t the best time to bring this up, but I’m a quarter of the reason you got caught. If All For One sent you, let’s just duke it out and get it over with. It’s been a long night.”

Stain glared at her, and the katana slipped closer to Skullcrusher’s neck. “I serve no master. I am here of my own volition.”

“Okay, I get it! Just…get your sword away from him, and we’ll have a civil conversation. No masters, no fight. And no stabbing anyone, especially unconscious people.”

Stain hesitated, then complied, sheathing his katana. Katherine exhaled quietly and glanced at Storm. “Think you can haul Skullcrusher to the station?”

He gave her a worried rumble. “Come on, I can take this guy,” she whispered. “I knocked him out with a pipe once; I can do it again.”

Storm huffed and relented, taking a trotting start before grabbing Skullcrusher with his front paws and shooting into the sky. Katherine looked back at Stain, lowering her hands. “Alright. Let’s talk. If you’re not working with All For One, why are you stalking me?”

“I heard whispers of a new crime fighter surfacing. One with an unconventional work ethic. Too brutal and unforgiving for a hero. Not sinful enough for a villain. They called this person Justice. I wanted to see the vigilante worthy of such a title for myself,” he explained, taking a few steps toward her. “Though, now that I have…you can’t be more than fifteen or sixteen years old.”

She shrugged and subtly shifted away from him, trying to keep as much space between them as possible without making it obvious. “Guilty as charged, I guess.”

Stain scoffed. “These sham heroes. They’re so pathetic that a student must pay for their shortcomings.”

“Hey, they didn’t put me up to this. I’m out here because I want to be out here. Everyone I know would prefer it if I wasn’t doing all this. They’ve made that painfully clear,” she muttered, crossing her arms.

“But judging by your work, you’re a valuable ally. Why wouldn’t they want your assistance?”

“Well, like you said, I’m brutal, unforgiving, scary, impulsive—there are worse words used to describe me, I’m sure. You get the gist. Sure, I’m no villain, but I’m definitely not a hero.”

Katherine saw his jaw tighten. Stain suddenly lurched toward her, and she activated One For All preemptively. “And who decided that? This wretched society? I’ve seen the kinds of monsters they call ‘heroes.’ Do not build your role on the hills of ignorant masses.”

Katherine held her ground, glaring at him. “Look dude, if you’ve been following me, you know that I’ve got blood on my hands.”

Stain unsheathed the katana. “Blood that you shed to protect others!”

“That doesn’t matter! If I kill, I’m not a hero, simple as that!” she shot back.

“Then why do you kill?” he questioned, lunging toward her again. She quickly dodged as he swung at her. “Why do you fight? You want to be a hero, after all, don’t you? Where you see a villain, I see an enigma waiting to be solved. I demand an answer!”

Katherine blocked him with a shield and shut her eyes. “I kill to protect my family!”

There was a hollow THRUM as Stain’s katana made contact with her shield. Katherine kept it steady while she continued through shaky breaths. It was the first time she’d truly admitted it to herself. “The bastard that started this whole mess took away my first family. I can’t—won’t let that happen again. So even if they never look at me the same—even if I’m shunned by everyone that I thought cared about me—as long as they’re safe when I end all this, I’ll be happy, even though I’ll never be whole again.”

There was silence, and then: “You said if.”

Katherine looked up at Stain and gave a single nod. “They don’t know, then,” he mused, not budging. “In that case, what gives you the authority to decide how this family of yours feels about your actions?”

She blinked, her brow furrowing. Stain lowered his katana, and in turn, she (albeit hesitantly) lowered her shield. “You are caught between a truth and a lie—either you are a hero, or you are not. Only you can decide for yourself which one is the truth and which is the lie. To start, confess your sins to this family you hold in such high regard,” Stain demanded, turning to leave. “If they are true heroes, they will not shun you. If you are a true hero, you will accept this, Justice.”

Katherine stared at him while he got further and further away, then called out, “It’s WildCard!”

He looked back at her as she removed her mask, the slightest grin on her face. “Justice is what the public calls me. My real hero name is WildCard.”

“WildCard,” Stain repeated slowly. “Intriguing. I leave you with a warning, WildCard. I am not the only one looking for Justice tonight.”

And just like that, he was gone. Katherine stared at the empty space where he had once stood, then looked around, bewildered.

Huh. Stealthy and fast. I wonder if he’s a Black Death enthusiast, too.

I can’t believe a villain just got through to you on something we’ve been trying to explain for almost two weeks.

I believe the estimate is closer to her entire life.

Katherine rolled her eyes, but as she was about to respond, someone from a distant alleyway screamed, “Help! Help me! A villain!”

Immediately, she dashed off in the direction of the cry. As she rounded the corner, she heard another exclamation. “Please, someone, help me!”

Katherine rounded the last corner, but no one was in the dark alley. Frowning, she turned on her Data Specs and activated the night vision to look around. “Hello?”

Her guard was up, but she was still shocked when one knife plunged into her lower back and another got lodged in her wing, causing her to gasp sharply.

“You know,” Toga whispered in her ear, “you really are too gullible for your own good.”

Chapter Text

Katherine tore herself away from Toga and ripped the knife from her skin, quickly activating her healing power. Her jacket and shirt had softened the blow to her lower back just slightly, but that wound needed to be taken care of now. Her wing wouldn’t bleed quite as much, so even though it grounded her, it just had to wait.

As she tapped the wound on her back and healed it, she tried to distract her assailant. “Same approach as Tokyo, huh? Guess I should’ve seen that coming.”

Toga scowled at her, wielding another knife. “I don’t do small talk anymore. I just wanna see you bleed.”

“Aw, but the small talk is my favorite part. And you’re so much better at it than your teammates.”

“Don’t try and flatter me, you–”

Katherine used Club to knock Toga off her feet before she could advance, then quickly scrambled up the roof access ladder, making a break for it. Toga was swift getting up, though. Just as Katherine reached over the side of the roof, another knife found itself in the back of her shin.

She cried out and kicked at Toga, making contact with her face. With some difficulty, she pulled herself onto the roof and called to Storm, hoping upon all hopes that he was on his way back. Toga wrapped an arm around her neck from behind, and Katherine elbowed her in the face, then turned around and shoved her with a shield.

Toga stumbled back, heading toward the edge of the roof. Katherine’s eyes widened, and she grabbed Toga’s cardigan with her levitation just as she began to fall, pulling her to safety.

Toga fell to her knees as Katherine’s levitation disappeared. The two were still for a moment, staring at each other. “…Why did you do that?” Toga asked, looking genuinely puzzled.

Katherine glanced at her hands. “I—I don’t know. It just happened.”

Toga blinked, then grimaced again. “You probably think you’re so high and mighty. Saving a pitiful villain like me, even though you hate my guts.”

“If I hated your guts, I would’ve let you fall,” Katherine blurted out.

Not the best response, she realized, as Toga took out another knife and swung it at her. Katherine made a shield, blocking each of Toga’s jabs until she finally knocked the knife out of her hands. “Stand down, Toga,” she said firmly. “I can hold out against you. You know that.”

Toga hummed, that crazy smile back on her face. “I do, but I have to wonder, Katherine—can you hold out against yourself?”

She tilted her head, and Toga held up a blood-soaked knife. “You dropped this.”

“Ay, coño–” Katherine cursed, but Toga licked the blood off before she could snatch it out of her hands, then kicked her back. She watched in a mix of horror and fascination as Toga’s appearance began to morph into her own until Katherine was staring at herself. It felt distorted, like she was staring at some sort of funhouse mirror instead. Or an evil clone. Which was technically more accurate.

“Cool, right?” Toga asked, smiling gleefully (she still had that psycho gleam in her eyes, and Katherine wondered if that was really what she looked like, or if that was Toga’s true character shining through). “I’ve always wondered what your quirk feels like. That amount of blood was only enough to keep this form for a few seconds, but that should be enough to beat you!”

“Wait, Toga, don’t!” Katherine shouted, but it was too late. Toga made an x-shape with her arms and pulled them down forcefully–

And nothing happened.

Toga tried again, and again, but One For All refused to activate. “What? Why won’t it work?”

Katherine took the opportunity and tackled her to the ground, grabbing her hands and pressing a knee to her chest.

I remember Uraraka mentioning something about Toga’s quirk after the fight. She can use their power when she drinks the blood of someone she loves now. If she can’t use One For All, that means one of two things—it has something to do with One For All’s transfer rules, or she doesn’t love me enough for it to work. Which, ow, but whatever.

“You’re lucky that nothing happened,” she scolded. “My power is dangerous! I still struggle to keep it in check! If it had activated, you might have imploded or something!”

The disguise began to melt away. The fleeting advance her blood had granted was disappearing, leaving Toga to stare at Katherine with her own eyes, filled with anger and jealousy. “Dangerous? You think your power is dangerous?” she snapped; bitterness in her words. “Your power is beautiful! It turns you into something beautiful! How dare you call it dangerous?”

Katherine flinched out of surprise, wings flapping. “I’ve been told I had a dangerous quirk since day one! No one wanted to be my friend because of it, and the people I fell in love with never loved me back! The best I could do was use my quirk to try and become them, and all that did was make things worse. You got everything thanks to your quirk. I got nothing,” Toga continued, letting her head fall as tears filled her eyes. “All I wanted was to be understood. And now you’re going to kill me for it, just like they killed Jin.”

Katherine stared at her, then looked up when she heard a familiar roar. Storm landed on the roof with a thud, ready to fight, but she chirped at him to stop him. Once he had halted, she looked back at Toga, who was still waiting for the finishing blow.

She sighed heavily. “I’m not gonna kill you, Himiko.”

Toga opened her eyes as Katherine stood up and limped over to Storm, tugging the knife in her leg out of the flesh. “You—you’re not?”

Storm nuzzled her worriedly, and she gave him a gentle pat on the head before turning to Toga, who was now sitting up. “I need you to tell All For One something for me. Dead people can’t exactly relay messages. Unless he has a séance quirk or something, which I guess isn’t that farfetched.”

“What is it?” Toga inquired suspiciously, watching as Katherine mounted Storm.

Katherine glanced at her and smirked.

“Nothing much. Just that…I am here.”

And with that, she and Storm took off. Once they were far enough away, Katherine sighed again. “I say we turn in for the night. How ‘bout you?”

The Black Death rumbled in agreement, and she smiled, leaning forward. “You have impeccable timing, you know that?”

He purred, and Katherine closed her eyes as she rested her head on his, the rumble and the wind lulling her to sleep.

…

When Shoto awoke in the morning, his bathroom light was on.

He stared at it curiously and got up to open the curtains. When he did, there were combat boots and little spots of blood on the balcony. His eyes narrowed, and as he turned his gaze to the floor of his room, there were more spots of blood—all leading to his bathroom.

It took him a moment to work up the courage, but eventually, he knocked on the closed door. There was no response, and he asked, “Katherine, my love, are you in there? Is everything okay?”

He heard Katherine audibly sigh, and she answered, “Yeah, it’s me. I’m out of stuff in my first-aid kit. I hope you don’t mind if I use yours.”

“That’s fine.” He paused, then added, “May I come in?”

“Oh—just give me a few minutes. I made a little bit of a mess while I was looking for things–”

“Katherine, I want to help.”

She went silent. Shoto waited a moment before leaning his head against the door. “Please. I don’t care about the mess. Just let me in.”

Another beat of silence, and then the lock clicked. He took that as his invitation and opened the door to see Katherine sitting on his bathroom counter with first-aid supplies strewn about around her. She had a few cuts and bruises on her face and hands, and Shoto immediately cupped the former, being as gentle as he could. “Oh, darling.”

She pulled away; her eyes firmly fixed on her swinging feet. Shoto gave her a sympathetic look and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ll get a washcloth, okay?”

Before he turned, he swore he saw her gaze soften. Shoto ran the washcloth under some water, then used his left hand to warm it up, and finally looked back at Katherine, reaching for her face again. “Look this way for me, please.”

She met him halfway, her nose scrunching up as he dabbed at the dried blood around her cuts. He watched her affectionately for a bit, then stated, “You must’ve had a productive night to have all these wounds.”

Katherine glanced at him and nodded stiffly. “Uh, yeah.”

“Do you want to tell me about it?”

At first, he doubted she would reply, but to his grateful surprise: “All For One sent Toga after me.”

Shoto hummed, trading the washcloth for some Pro Hero band-aids. “Did you win?”

A small giggle escaped her, and his heart swelled. He’d missed that beautiful laugh. “Uh, no, I didn’t,” Katherine admitted. “We fought to a standstill. Storm got me out of there before she could recover. I’ve already healed up most of the bigger stab wounds; that’s why these cuts are taking forever to heal.”

“Well, hopefully, All Might band-aids will help with that,” Shoto joked as he placed the last one on the bridge of her nose.

She giggled again, but her face fell after this one. His smile also faded, and he moved to stand in between Katherine’s legs, leaning into her slightly. “C’mon, Katherine. What’s wrong?”

Her eyes seemed to search his for answers, and she tilted her head. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

“I love you,” he answered simply. “Why wouldn’t I be nice to you?”

“No, Shoto—I lied to you. I’ve been lying to everyone.”

“Darling, everyone knows where you go at night. No one is mad at you for trying to–”

“Not that,” she said with tears in her eyes, almost exasperated. “I mean—I—I’m broken, Shoto.”

Shoto stared at her for a second, then caressed her cheek. “Katherine, that’s okay,” he murmured, touching his forehead to hers. “Broken or not, you’re mine. That won’t ever change, no matter what.”

Katherine took a shuddery breath—then leaned into him, a shaky sob escaping her. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her on the forehead. “I’ve got you, my love. You’re okay.”

Her wings shook as she pressed her face to his shoulder, an odd sense of relief washing over her.

But she had always trusted Shoto to love her unconditionally. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a more rational voice had been telling her that all along.

This was the first step. Arguably the easiest. Now she had to take the next one before the doubt crept in.

Katherine picked her head up and wiped her eyes, then swallowed thickly.

“I need to tell you guys something.”

…

For the next ten or so minutes, she paced the common room nervously while Shoto gathered the rest of Class 1-A at her request. She felt awfully nauseous, but at the same time, the pit that had been in her stomach since Midoriya left was beginning to disappear. She had changed after being patched up—per Shoto’s recommendation—and she tugged at the sleeves of his hoodie as more and more of their classmates filed into the room and sat on the couches in front of her.

When the final stragglers were finally out of their dorms, Shoto sat on the couch closest to Katherine and nodded at her encouragingly. She nodded back, took a breath, and began.

“Thank you all for gathering here on such short notice. I know lately I haven’t been the best friend or leader to you all. I want everyone to know that I take full responsibility for my actions, and the thing is…I need to come clean.”

Momo and Iida glanced at each other, and Kaminari whispered to Ojiro, “Why is she talking to us like she’s on death row?”

Jiro punched him in the shoulder as Katherine continued. “I know you guys will probably have questions, but I ask you to leave them until I’m finished. If I stop, I don’t know if I’ll have the nerve to keep going. And I know everyone is already aware of my coming and going at night, so I won’t address that, but again, I apologize for being so careless. I’m sure I worried everyone.”

A few more glances were thrown, but her classmates remained silent. “Okay. I guess that brings us to our first matter,” she murmured, her head rising slightly. “Izuku Midoriya was lying in his letters.”

That part came out in her Fearless Leader voice, and now everyone was truly listening. “He told us it was his responsibility to shoulder the burden of One For All alone, but that is entirely untrue. You see, from the moment we entered U.A., One For All became a burden we both share. My grandmother, Nana Shimura, was a previous wielder. Her blood runs in my veins. She passed part of the quirk to me biologically through my birthfather and gifted the rest to All Might. I know that doesn’t seem like much on its own, though it may explain the way I’ve been acting. The problem lies in the fact that I’m not her only grandchild. Tomura Shigaraki is her grandson, and that makes me his cousin.”

Several mouths opened, and Katherine held a hand up, silencing them. “I know what you’re going to say—it doesn’t matter that we’re related; he’s a terrible person and I’m nothing like him. I guess that’s as good a segway as any to my next confession.”

She looked up to gauge reactions. There was confusion, disbelief, and sympathy, but overall, no sign of disapproval.

She was sure that was about to change.

“You may have heard that the doctor who created the Nomu was never brought in. The Pro Heroes assumed he died when Shigaraki decayed the hospital. This is…also not true.”

Katherine sent one more cautionary glance at Shoto before dropping the bomb.

“I killed Daruma Ujiko, also known as Kyudai Garaki.”

The silence that followed was almost unbearable. She couldn’t bring herself to look at her friends’ expressions, so instead, she lowered her head, her grip on the hoodie’s sleeves tightening. “I have no excuses. It wasn’t in self-defense; it was purely out of anger, and I was only near him in the first place because I wanted revenge. And I wish I could say that I’ve stopped, but I haven’t. It doesn’t matter that they were villains; they were still people. Their blood will always be on my hands, and I can’t bear to spend another day deceiving you and pretending that I’m as good as all of you think I am.”

Katherine inhaled sharply, but no one spoke. “I understand that all of this may make you look at me differently. Please, if any of you feel uncomfortable—just tell me to leave. I get it,” she said, though her voice broke. “I couldn’t blame you.”

She had never heard this much silence in her life. It was horrible; it closed in on her, causing her throat to tighten when she tried to add something else and whimpered instead. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks, and she didn’t look up. She couldn’t.

Not until she heard shifting from the couch directly in front of her.

When she saw Uraraka approaching her with purpose, Katherine couldn’t help but brace for the worst.

However, all that she got was a gentle embrace.

Her eyes widened and her wings trembled, but Uraraka just hugged her tighter. “Please don’t leave, Katherine.”

Upon hearing those words, the floodgates opened. It started with a choked hiccup, then a muffled cry, until eventually, Katherine was clinging to Uraraka, openly sobbing.

Shoto was the next to stand, whispering words of comfort to her. Bakugo ended up behind her, lowering her to the ground when he saw her legs start to give out from all the sheer emotion she was feeling. Jiro and Momo were on her right and left, each holding onto one of her hands. Everyone else started to fill in the gaps, and voices began to blend till Katherine could only tell who was closest to her.

It was as relieving as it was overwhelming.

She had been so prepared for them to shout and scream at her; she was expecting to be abandoned because when she’s at her lowest, someone always leaves.

But Class 1-A stayed. No, they held her as incoherent apologies spilled out between her sobs.

She had no idea how long she cried for. Just that when she could finally breathe properly and speak a little more clearly, they were all still there, and that was almost enough to send her into another crying fit. Uraraka reached up to wipe the tears from her face, and Katherine inhaled shakily, giving her a small smile.

“Thank you.”

It was quiet, almost inaudible, but Uraraka smiled back, her eyes shining with her own unshed tears. In fact, as Katherine looked around, she realized she hadn’t been the only person crying. Momo, for example, was blinking furiously as she stood from her spot and cleared her throat. “I’ll—I’ll go get you a glass of water, Katherine.”

Shoto leaned over and kissed Katherine on the cheek. “Good job.”

She turned to him, a little more light in her eyes. “Shoto, if you’re going to console me with–”

“Oh, hush,” he retorted, kissing her on the lips.

A couple of their classmates laughed, and Kaminari even added, “I think that’s the first time Bakugo hasn’t made a grossed-out face when you two get all lovey-dovey.”

Bakugo rolled his eyes, though Katherine felt his grip on her soften. “There’s a time and a place, Dunce Face. But what the hell did you mean, ‘no excuse?’” he asked, giving her a stern look. “The asshole doctor killed your birth parents. I’d say that’s a damn good excuse.”

“He what?!” Mina shouted, popping up behind Kirishima. “I’m with Bakugo! Fuck that guy! I’m glad he’s dead!”

“Oh my gods, Mina!” Jiro exclaimed, laughing nervously with a glance at Katherine. “You can’t just say that!”

“Too bad, I just did! Fuck that doctor guy!”

“Yeah, fuck that doctor guy!” Sero agreed, pumping his fist in the air. “All together now!”

“Okay, full disclosure,” Katherine raised her voice before the chant could continue, “All For One killed my birth parents. The doctor just experimented on them.”

“And you,” Bakugo muttered, just loud enough for the others to hear.

“If that’s the case, can we kill All For One next?” Tsuyu inquired.

Jiro turned to her. “Tsu!”

“I don’t like people who make my friends cry, kero.”

“Iida, you’re going to say something about this, right?” Ojiro whispered to him.

Shoto looked Iida dead in the eyes and mouthed, “Hero Killer.”

“…Well, I don’t condone murder, but it is also my responsibility as class representative to protect you all, so…only if it becomes absolutely necessary,” he stated. “It is for the greater good, after all.”

“I’d say it’s already absolutely necessary,” Bakugo states.

Katherine watched as her friends began talking amongst each other—Jiro filled Momo in on why they were discussing murder, Koda (who had retreated to his room at the beginning of the conversation) appeared and placed his pet bunny in Katherine’s lap, and Mina and Kaminari began a “Murder! Murder!” chant that Shoji and Hagakure joined in on (one reluctantly and one enthusiastically)—and found herself overcome with emotions again, though these were much happier than before.

Jiro was the first to notice she was crying again, and though she tried not to bring attention to it, it wasn’t long before the rest of the class saw, too. “Sorry, sorry, too soon?” Kirishima apologized, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“No, no, I’m not upset anymore,” Katherine told him, wiping her eyes. When she looked up again, she was beaming.

“I love you guys so much.”

They all stared at her for a moment, then replied with an almost unified exclamation. “Aw, we love you, too, Fearless Leader!”

She laughed, and everything began to dissolve into wonderful chaos. Eventually, though, Tokoyami asked the question: “So, what now?”

Katherine paused, then looked at Uraraka. Instantly, she knew they had the same thought.

“We’re going after Midoriya. And this time, we’re going to do it together.”

Chapter Text

“So, the first question is, who’s Midoriya working with?”

Once things calmed down, most of the class moved back to sitting on the couches while Shoto, Bakugo, Tokoyami, and Katherine stood at the front of the room. “It’s only our best guess, but chances are he’s with Endeavor and the others,” Shoto suggested.

“Just a guess? You haven’t confirmed it with your mentors?” Iida asked.

Tokoyami shook his head. “We’ve tried unceasingly, but to no end. Hawks won’t answer his phone.”

Bakugo grimaced. “Same with Denim Head.”

“And my father,” Shoto agreed. “I can only assume they’re keeping secrets from us.”

“No need to assume,” Katherine piped up, and everyone turned to her. “I saw them when I went after Midoriya the first night. But I’m sure they’re not the only–”

She paused, then yawned, rubbing her face. “Ugh, sorry. I’m sure they’re not the only ones keeping an eye on him.”

“Are you okay? Maybe you should go take a nap or something,” Kirishima proposed.

Tsuyu nodded in agreement. “It’s been a pretty exhausting morning for you.”

Katherine shook her head, despite feeling totally drained. “I’m fine. This is more important than–”

Another yawn interrupted her. Momo and Iida gave Shoto a look, so he stepped in. “Katherine, at least go sit down. We’ll talk about your sporadic sleeping schedule later.”

She muttered under her breath, “What are you, my dad?” but complied and sat between Mina and Sato, the former of whom wrapped a comforting arm around her.

“Katherine’s right, though. I think we should keep in mind that All Might’s still M.I.A., or so it seems,” Jiro added.

Ojiro nodded. “Yeah. Given the state of things, it’s hard to get any information on what’s going on. Our whole school year has been put on pause, and if we’re not cooped up here, we’re only helping out with local security. We’re really out of the loop.”

“Denim Head and the Spoonbill met Deku back at the hospital,” Bakugo mentioned. “All Might was there, too. With the new defenses, Deku couldn’t have left campus without some help—and All Might has a teacher’s clearance. There’s no doubt they’re partners in crime.”

“Then he’s still with an adult. That should reassure us, oui?” Aoyama questioned.

“Yeah, but the only news we’re hearing is about the Top Three team-up—and all the things that Katherine’s been up to,” Kaminari replied. “We haven’t heard a peep about All Might or Midoriya.”

“Exactly.” Bakugo looked at his hands, his fists clenching. “Compared to the others, I know Deku and All Might better than anyone. This is the worst scenario I can think of for both of them.”

Kirishima frowned. “Damn. How’re we supposed to get in touch with them?”

Uraraka looked around the room, then stood from her spot next to Tsuyu. “Endeavor’s a U.A. graduate, right?”

Shoto made eye contact with her, and she set her face.

“I say we force the issue.”

He blinked in surprise but nodded. “Agreed. Our first step is talking to Principal Nezu, then.”

“Uh, guys, we should probably put a pin in that,” Mina spoke up.

The others turned to her, and she giggled awkwardly, gesturing to the fast-asleep Katherine leaning on her. “Our direct line to Nezu is getting some well-deserved shuteye.”

“Aw, look at her!” Hagakure gushed.

“Well, it’s no wonder she’s tired,” Shoji said. “Being out all night, every night must have been a lot to handle.”

Iida pushed his glasses up. “We should let her rest. We can reconvene and discuss our next move when she wakes up. For now, would anyone like breakfast?”

Katherine made a sort of trilling noise as she shifted in her sleep, prompting the rest of the class to laugh quietly. “Huh, she’s even hungry when she’s asleep,” Sero mused, making his way to the kitchen.

“That’s Katherine for you,” Kaminari chuckled. “She always has something on her mind.”

The smell of cooking food woke Katherine up quickly, especially since Bakugo had tried his hand at making Aizawa’s chicken teriyaki. As they ate, Class 1-A filled her in on their decision and discussed their options. After all, Nezu might have a hand in all this, too. They’d need a strong approach to bring him over to their side of things.

“If that’s the case, Todoroki, Bakugo, and Tokoyami should be the ones that talk to him,” Kirishima noted. “I mean, we’re going after Endeavor, and he’s working with Bakugo and Tokoyami’s teachers. Principal Nezu will take it more seriously if it comes from them.”

“Yeah, Kiri is right,” Katherine agreed. “And it’s better to go to him than All Might. Endeavor’s a mostly impartial party. All Might means well, but he would probably tell Midoriya about our plans, and then who knows what they might do.”

Bakugo grumbled and leaned back. “What if Endeavor doesn’t listen to us? He ain’t exactly Mr. Warm and Fuzzy. Who’s to say he’ll give a shit?”

“If he doesn’t, we’ll just go to Plan B and find Midoriya ourselves,” Katherine stated casually, standing up with her plate. “I’m not afraid to break a few more rules. Besides, I’ve got friends who are willing to help. While the boys are talking to Nezu, I’ll go see if they can get a lead on him. By the way, Katsuki, you forgot to add cinnamon to the sauce.”

“Who the hell adds cinnamon to teriyaki sauce?” he snapped as he glared at her.

“My dad. That’s what makes his chicken teriyaki so good.”

“Oh, fuck off, Bird Girl. There’s no way it makes that much of a difference.”

“It does!”

“Does not!”

One chicken teriyaki-related argument later, Katherine was briskly making her way through the halls of U.A., ignoring the glances thrown in her direction as she did so. She hadn’t been down at the school in what felt like ages, so she couldn’t blame the faculty for being curious or concerned about her, but she had an objective, and no matter how well-meaning the interruption could be, she wouldn’t let it get in her way.

When she opened the door to the Development Studio, Sora and Kio were already waiting for her. “Where’s Sukii?”

“Hi, Katherine, nice to see you, too,” Sora said dryly.

“Hey, you’d expect the inventor to be in their inventor lab,” Katherine replied, hugging her and Kio. “Any news on All For One?”

Kio nodded as she pulled away. “For once, yeah! Get this—last night, the Top Three Pros managed to capture Lady Nagant and Overhaul. Sora bumped into Detective Tsukauchi this morning and picked up that Nagant was working with All For One to find the guy you told us about: Izuku Midoriya, right?”

Her eyes widened. “That’s him. Anything else?”

“Well, I also managed to get ‘Haibori Woods,’ but I don’t have any context for that,” Sora mentioned. “I figured if I stuck around clinging to the detective’s arm for too long it’d look suspicious.”

“It’s something to go off of, at least. Nice work, both of you.”

“It was all Sora, really,” Kio admitted.

Sora nudged her playfully. “C’mon, it’s not like you haven’t contributed. You were the one that hacked into the dispatch in the first place.”

“Gods, I leave for two seconds and you guys start flirting. Get a room.”

The three girls turned to see Sukii standing in the doorway with a soda can and a lunch bag. “We weren’t flirting!” Kio spluttered as she blushed slightly.

“We weren’t?” Sora asked, puzzled.

Sukii rolled their eyes and turned their attention to Katherine. “I’m guessing you’re here to give me more work.”

“Only if you can handle it,” she joked.

“Well, luckily for you, I finally worked the bugs out of Sir Nighteye’s new arm, so I’m free,” they replied, moving over to their workspace. “Of course, I’ll probably have to start on a new leg for Eraserhead soon, and prosthetics for Mirko—neither of which will be as nice ‘cause I’m pressed for time. At least I have blueprints now, so I won’t be figuring it out as I go along…anyway, what do you need, Wings?”

“Don’t worry, it’s simple. I need coms for my class and Storm.”

Sora snorted. “I get the first batch, but what does the dragon need a com for?”

“We got separated last night while dealing with some villains. It got me thinking—maybe it’d be good to have a long-range communication system, especially if something comes up while we’re in two different places,” Katherine reasoned.

Sukii rolled to another area of the lab in their swivel chair as they took a sip of their soda. “The coms are easy enough to get. Storm doesn’t really have an ear cavity, so you’d probably have better luck with one of those communication devices that go behind the ear as opposed to an earpiece. You know what I’m talking about, right?”

“Uh, sure, yeah. How soon can you have them to me?”

They grabbed a small case off a nearby desk and tossed it to Katherine, who swiftly caught it. “You can give those to your classmates. I’ve been saving them in case the Pros needed them, but if you snooze, you lose. Storm’s will be a little harder to find since it’s not standard and I’ll need to modify it given his size, but I should have it within the next few days.”

“What’s this about, Katherine?” Kio questioned. “I thought all the advantages you had against the villains relied on working alone.”

“The mission has changed. Even if I draw All For One out, I can’t defeat him by myself. I’ve filled in Class 1-A on everything I’ve found out, but before we move forward, we need to get Midoriya back,” Katherine declared. “Shoto and two other classmates are talking to Nezu right now to get him to help us. If we can’t get through to him—well, you could say I’m getting a head start.”

Sora grinned and crossed her arms. “I get it. How can we help?”

“I know for sure that Midoriya’s working with Endeavor, Jeanist, and Hawks. That means wherever the Top Three Pros go, he’s probably in the area, too. If you two could give me updates on their locations, we could figure out a trend, or predict their next movements.”

“Sounds easy enough. We’ll keep sending you whatever we can scrape together on All For One, too,” Kio promised.

Katherine smiled at them. “Thanks, babes. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Well, you’d be fresh out of resources, that’s for sure,” Sukii piped up, rolling back over. “I’m gonna go talk to Power Loader and see how long it’ll be till I can get Storm’s com to you.”

“Right, we should get back to work before someone gets suspicious,” Sora agreed. “We’ll see you guys later.”

“Yeah, later!” Kio added, waving as she and Sora exited the room.

Sukii and Katherine weren’t far behind, and when Katherine walked out of the Development Lab, she spotted Shoto, Bakugo, and Tokoyami coming around the far corner. “Oh, there you guys are.”

Sukii glanced at her and smiled, punching her gently in the shoulder. “I’ll text you when I’ve got the com, ‘kay, Wings?”

“Yeah, thanks a bunch, Sukii. I owe you one.”

“More like three.”

Katherine snorted and nudged them back before turning and catching up with the three boys. “So? How’d it go?” she asked eagerly.

“Principal Nezu said he’d arrange things,” Tokoyami told her. “I think there’s hope for us yet.”

“That’s great! Sukii just gave me coms for the whole class, and Sora and Kio agreed to keep an eye on the Pros’ movements for a while. That way, if Endeavor doesn’t give Midoriya up, we’ll already have something to go off of.”

“Good idea. He can be stubborn at times, so perhaps it’s better this way,” Shoto mused.

“Contingency plans, boys. They’re important. Let’s get back to the dorms and fill everyone in on what we’ve been up to.”

“You’re awfully chipper compared to the total mess you were this morning,” Bakugo said.

“I didn’t know if you guys still loved me this morning,” Katherine pointed out, shrugging. “Of course I’m happy that I can get away with murder.”

Shoto rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. “Just don’t make a habit out of it, alright?”

“Oh, fine. No promises.”

Tokoyami chuckled as they turned a corner, only to be met with a few Class 1-B students—Kendo, Monoma, Tetsutetsu, Komori, and Awase. Both sets of students stopped when they saw each other, and Katherine noticed how Bakugo and Shoto shifted in front of her when they spotted Monoma, though she didn’t say anything about it. Instead, she was more focused on how awkward Monoma looked at the moment. “Hey, Class A. What are you guys up to?” Tetsutetsu questioned.

“You know, the usual. Ruining people’s lives and whatnot.” Katherine glanced at Shoto and Bakugo (still guarding her from Monoma) and scoffed, using her shields to move them aside. “Really, you two, this isn’t a standoff.”

Kendo, too, nudged Monoma forward. “Didn’t you want to say something to Katherine, Neito?”

He opened his mouth to make a rebuttal, but Kendo fixed him with a stern glare. Grumbling something under his breath, Monoma turned back to Katherine. “I’m sorry for blaming you for the villain attacks. I wasn’t being serious about it.”

“That didn’t feel very sincere,” Tokoyami said to her under his breath.

“I’ll take what I can get from Monoma,” she muttered back before addressing him. “Your apology is accepted. Though you were right, it is partly my fault all this is happening.”

Komori gave her a sympathetic look. “Ride, we’re sure you did the best you could. You shouldn’t–”

“No, I mean All For One literally just wants me dead. It’s a whole thing.”

Shoto cleared his throat and grabbed her hand. “We should be going. The rest of the class is expecting us.”

Once they were out of earshot, Bakugo shoved her into Shoto. “The hell was that about? Even if it is technically your fault, why’d you admit it?”

Shoto gave him a look, but Katherine smirked slyly. “It’ll make Monoma feel guiltier about everything he said to me. He deserves it after being such a dick.”

“Whatever. Hand over the coms, will you?”

She did, and Bakugo opened the case to look over them. “They look high quality. You sure they’ll get the job done?” he asked.

“Sukii’s never steered me wrong. If they’re anything like my Data Specs, they’ll be proofed against interference and shouldn’t have any trouble dealing with long-range communications,” she stated. “I guess I’ll be able to put that to the test tonight.”

Shoto turned to her, an eyebrow raised. “You’re still going out?”

“Calm down, it’s not for Justice reasons. Kio and Sora mentioned a location that I think I should check out. And, just to prove I’m not delving back into bad habits already...”

Katherine pointed at Shoto and Bakugo.

“...I want you two to come with me.”

...

“So, is sneaking out of the dorms normal for you guys, or...?”

Katherine rolled her eyes, even though Bakugo couldn’t see her face. “Shoto’s only tagged along a few times, but yes, Katsuki, I’m a juvenile delinquent. I thought you knew that.”

“Hmph. Figures,” he grumbled, ducking tree branches while Katherine and Shoto led the way to Storm’s hideout. “You’re lucky no one’s caught you yet.”

“It’s not luck. It’s skill,” she corrected.

“Yeah, right. It’s pure dumb luck.”

“Where are we going, anyway, Katherine?” Shoto interjected.

Bakugo griped about being interrupted, but Katherine ignored him and answered, “Haibori Woods. Sora said she overheard something about it while listening in on some news about the Top Three Pros with her mind-reading. It might give us a lead on Midoriya.”

“Right.” Shoto paused, then leaned over to her. “Are you sure Storm will be okay with Bakugo? He’s—well, you know.”

“Don’t gossip about me to my face, Icy-Hot!” Bakugo snapped.

Katherine shushed him as her red aura illuminated the ivy curtain. “I guess we’ll just have to see.”

She walked through first, and the two boys followed behind her. Storm immediately bounded over, waking a napping Glacier, who yawned and stretched gracefully. “Hey, big guy, what’s up?” Katherine greeted, tossing Storm a piece of fish jerky.

Glacier eyed her approvingly for a moment, but when Katherine looked at her, she abruptly turned away and padded toward Shoto with a gentle croon. “Hey. Nice to see you again, too,” he replied, holding his hands up.

Bakugo watched the two dragons with what Katherine would dare say was interest, though she knew he would never admit it. “You both have dragons? Really?”

Glacier and Storm then set their sights on him, the former approaching him with purpose and the latter falling behind her. Bakugo started to step back but stopped when Katherine told him, “Hold your ground. They’ll respect you more.”

“Why do I need their approval?” he hissed. However, he followed her instruction, and when Glacier was done examining him, she rumbled and returned to Shoto. Storm, on the other hand, lowered his head. Bakugo glanced at Katherine and Shoto, both of whom whispered, “Hold your hand out!”

He looked at them like they were crazy yet complied. Storm only left his snout on Bakugo’s palm for a few seconds, but it was enough to show that he was alright with the newcomer. “Great! Welcome to the pack! We should get a move on,” Katherine commanded, turning to Shoto. “Would you mind being on Storm without me? We can use the coms to talk while we’re in the air. No offense, but you and Katsuki aren’t the greatest fliers out of the four of us.”

“Offense taken,” Bakugo shot back, but Shoto looked at Storm with a thoughtful gaze. “He’ll still be following your commands, right?”

She nodded and he smiled at her. “Then of course. Anything for you.”

Katherine smiled softly back while Bakugo made a hacking noise. “You two are disgusting. We’re wasting moonlight.”

“Right. Gear up, boys, we’ve got shit to do!”

Once Shoto and Bakugo were secured to the harness, Katherine chirped to Storm, who stepped up next to her. “Katsuki, you might want to hold on to Shoto.”

“It’ll be a cold day in hell before I ever do that.”

Shoto shrugged as he grabbed the handles of Storm’s harness. “Suit yourself.”

Katherine grinned under her mask, then chirped again, and she and Storm shot into the sky. When they evened out, she spared a glance at Bakugo—who was clutching Shoto. “Man, is hell chillier than usual, or is it just me?” she joked.

“Shut—the fuck—up,” he rasped into the com as his grip visibly tightened. “This is not what I signed up for.”

Shoto nodded, his gaze fixed firmly on his hands. “You’ll get used to it. I think.”

Katherine giggled and turned her Data Specs on, setting a course for the Haibori Woods. When she did so, her motion trackers alerted her to a large presence behind her. She turned to see Glacier following them. “Would you look at that? I guess your dragon is tagging along this time, Shoto.”

The Devil Wing pulled up next to Storm with an intrigued rumble, and he responded in kind, looking excited. “Huh. Why do you think she’s coming with us?” Shoto asked.

“Curiosity, probably. I’ve never brought you along before. Plus, she definitely likes you more than me,” Katherine replied. “Maybe she just wants to learn more about you.”

“What kind of dragon is that, anyway?” Bakugo inquired.

Katherine beamed under her mask. “She’s a Devil Wing. Cool, right?”

He gave her a look. “Devil Wings don’t exist, Bird Girl.”

“Be sure to tell her that,” Shoto said, gesturing to Glacier.

Storm fell into a quick but comfortable pace, as though he knew his two riders were unaccustomed to flight. Katherine, however, only spent about twenty minutes by his side before comming Shoto and Bakugo. “Mind if I pull ahead? I’ll make sure Storm stays where he is.”

“Go ahead,” Shoto answered. “I think we’re doing pretty well right now.”

She gave him a thumbs-up, then chirped to Storm before she activated One For All and shot skyward. After gaining some altitude, she let One For All fade and flipped over, letting herself fall quite a ways before righting herself again. When she looked back, she could still see her boys, but Glacier was nowhere to be seen.

Katherine’s eyes narrowed with confusion. Then, she heard heavier wingbeats from below and turned just in time to see Glacier pull up on her left. “Oh, hi there. What’s up?”

Glacier roared playfully to her; her pupils slightly dilated. Shoto watched Katherine flit around her, weaving above and underneath Glacier’s large wings, and smiled fondly to himself. Behind him, Bakugo huffed. “Didn’t take you for a dragon guy.”

“I wasn’t at first. But Katherine knows what she’s talking about,” he stated, resting a hand on Storm’s back. The Black Death glanced up at him and purred appreciatively. “If you treat them with respect, they’ll return the gesture. And you have to admit, flying is pretty great once you’ve got the hang of it.”

“She ever tell you how she did it?” Bakugo asked.

“She says it’s all about connection. It takes patience, but eventually, the bond forms. It’s not something you can force, just like any other relationship.” Shoto looked back at him with a curious expression. “Why? Do you want one?”

“The more firepower we have, the better. A few Dark Hellfires on our side wouldn’t exactly hurt.”

Shoto gave him a small grin, then turned to face forward when Katherine commed them. “Heads up, boys, we’re flying over the Haibori Woods now. Keep an eye out for anything that looks like it doesn’t belong.”

“Got it,” he replied. “We’ll try our best.”

Katherine took her hand away from her earpiece as she shadowed Glacier and switched on her night vision. Storm gave a scouting roar, which she returned, signaling for him to come closer.

There’s a lot of space for us to cover out here. Even if we split up, we probably won’t reach the edge of the woods anytime soon. If I went higher and left the boys down here with Glacier, maybe we’d have better luck.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Glacier sent out her echolocation call, piercing the otherwise silent night. “The hell was that?” Bakugo questioned as Storm pulled up next to them.

“She’s echolocating,” Shoto explained. “I think she’s trying to help.”

Glacier made the call again. After a moment, her feathered ear appendages flicked. Storm perked up at the sight and rumbled encouragingly. Glacier responded with a light growl before suddenly going into a dive. “Hold on!” Katherine called to the boys as Storm followed, and she too quickly fell in line.

Shoto leaned forward, his grip on the handles tightening. While the wind whipped through his hair, they skimmed the treetops, flying much faster than before. “Glacier’s locked onto something!” Katherine told him through the coms. “Keep it up! You’re doing great!”

Bakugo squinted and blinked furiously as he tried to keep his eyes from drying out. “Where is she taking us?”

“Looks like there’s a clearing up ahead. I’ll go take a look at it.”

Katherine seemed to disappear from their sight when she dove into the clearing, but no sooner had she landed than the dragons caught up. Shoto’s eyes widened as he spotted the charred remains of some sort of building.

Storm touched down next to where Katherine was inspecting the structure, purring gently. She gave him a piece of fish jerky while Shoto and Bakugo dismounted, then turned her attention to them. “Wanna bet the League was using this at one point?”

“Looks like they destroyed it to cover their tracks,” Bakugo mused, wiping some of the remaining ash off with his hand. “That or your crazy brother took care of it, Icy-Hot.”

Shoto shook his head. “If it had been Toya, there wouldn’t be anything left. Judging by the damage, it was probably an explosion. All For One must’ve felt the Pros were getting too close to this location.”

Katherine hummed and whipped her head around when she heard rustling. Glacier was climbing over the wreckage and into what used to be the structure's interior. “Hey, be careful in there. It’s probably not stable.”

Storm clambered over the fallen beams behind her, eyes wide with interest. “Really?” Katherine murmured before gesturing to the boys. “Alright, let’s see what they’re after.”

The trio followed the dragons but quickly came to a halt as Glacier jerked her head to the right, feathered tufts twitching again. It was then that Katherine heard it—a buzzing sound, like a tape being rewound over and over again. She held a hand up to stop Shoto and Bakugo and tracked down the source of the noise. She found a small, flat disk after brushing aside some of the rubble. It was cracked, and the wires were exposed, but there was no doubt in her mind that it could be made functional again. She turned to the boys, who were eyeing it with the same curiosity she was.

“So. Shall we call it a night?”

Chapter Text

“Did you enjoy your Q&A session with Lady Nagant, Izuku Midoriya? Because if you’re seeing this message, that must’ve been what happened.”

“You see, I love predicting and reading people. And a boy like you could never outright abandon someone like her, yes?”

“I didn’t force her, you know. She acted of her own free will. But those poor souls who stumble on the road of life are often labeled villains.”

“People go on and on about quirks, preaching the merits of individualism, but our society is a regimented one, under tight control. One where the wrong sort of individuality gets you ostracized. Purged. Democracy and socialism? They don’t matter. There are no exceptions because the root of all this predates the concept of human society altogether. It’s the principle that governs all social organisms.”

“The path you’ve chosen is a thorny one. Every battle grinds away at your soul with no end in sight.”

“Can you guess who was on my mind the entire time I was in prison?”

“You.”

“All Might no longer interests me. I’ve moved on from that great useless oaf.”

“Now...it’s your turn!”

The video glitched and froze there, leaving the image of All For One to leer menacingly at Class 1-A. Katherine grimaced and nodded to Sukii, who deactivated the hologram.

After finding the mysterious disk the prior night, Katherine, Shoto, and Bakugo had made an impromptu visit to the Development Lab, where Hatsume was more than happy to help Sukii repair it without asking too many questions. Once they’d gotten it working, Katherine brought it back to Heights Alliance, and—well, things unfolded from there.

Iida crossed his arms. “If that’s the kind of message All For One is sending, it’s no wonder Midoriya is staying as far away from us as possible.”

“He’s baiting him,” Bakugo growled, his fists clenching. “It’s so damn obvious. How can Deku take any of that seriously?”

“He’s the subject of interest; of course, he’s going to be wary,” Momo told him. “Our task may be more difficult than we thought.”

Katherine stood and rolled the sleeves of her uniform blouse up. “All For One may have gotten into Midoriya’s head, but he can’t keep us away for long. We need to show him that we don’t need his protection. Given our skills, that should be easy enough, right?”

The rest of Class 1-A watched her, and Kirishima grinned, punching his open palm. “Hell yeah! We’re not rookies anymore!”

“A demonstration of our combined power. Yes, that may be the best option for us,” Tokoyami mused.

“We’ll give it our all,” Uraraka promised, also standing.

Katherine smiled at her, then turned as Shoto cleared his throat. “I hate to interrupt, but I thought you should know...”

He held his phone up, and a message was on his screen.

“...Principal Nezu is summoning us.”

Katherine’s eyes lit up. She looked at the others, and they seemed to share her determination.

“Alright. Let’s move.”

As her classmates started to file out of the common room, Sukii took Katherine’s arm and pulled her aside. “Wings, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what is it?” she asked.

They looked down at the disk in their hands, then back at her. “Look, I don’t want to pry, but this All For One stuff feels way more personal than just you and the Midoriya guy having the same quirk. Is there anything I should know? Or something you want to tell me?”

Katherine blinked, then smiled reassuringly at them. “It’ll come out when it’s ready. Just don’t worry. I can handle whatever gets thrown my way.”

“Gods, you’re so cryptic,” Sukii muttered. “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make you a little cooler, though. Catch up with your other friends; I’ll take this back to the lab and see if your com for Storm is in yet.”

“Aw, you’re the best, Sukii.”

“Damn right, I am.”

With that, she waved to Sukii and regrouped with everyone else. It didn’t take Class 1-A much time at all to reach Nezu’s office—Katherine guessed that their speed could be attributed to their resolve. When they reached the office doors, she paused for a moment and looked back at them all, asking a silent question.

They responded with a unanimous nod, and so, she pushed the doors open.

Endeavor was standing in front of Nezu’s desk. He turned as the class filed in, eyeing them all, then looked back at Nezu. “I see. So, this was all a set-up?”

“I heard the children out and determined that this meeting was warranted,” Nezu corrected. “I’m always open to change based on the facts.”

“That’s a not-so-subtle sign to behave,” Hikage told Katherine.

Yeah, thanks for the heads-up.

It was probably for the best that she stood down, at least in the beginning. She glanced at Shoto, who narrowed his eyes at his father. “Why have you been ignoring me? I thought we were going to stop Toya together.”

“...Shoto. Your willingness alone means the world to me,” Endeavor began.

“Well, it doesn’t mean much to me without action,” Shoto shot back. “Why is Midoriya the only one with a free pass? You’re letting him and All Might operate together, aren’t you?”

Endeavor didn’t respond, but his expression was all the confirmation they needed. “Thought so,” Bakugo huffed, stepping forward. “In any other situation, it would’ve been the best call. But you don’t know Deku like we do.”

Katherine gazed at him, her wings flapping slightly. “He’s screwed up in the head. He doesn’t take himself into account, ever. Just says shit like, ‘I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.’ All Might became the Symbol of Peace with the same mindset, so all he’s going to do is enable him.”

Bakugo looked up, fight in his eyes. “Listen, you can’t leave those two alone with each other. It won’t work out the way they think it will.”

Katherine looked at him for a moment more, then nodded in agreement and directed her attention toward Endeavor. “Endeavor, we saw the message All For One left for him.”

He turned to her. “That video—it changed the way you saw everything, right? This isn’t about Midoriya protecting U.A. anymore. It’s a suicide mission, and All For One knows it as well as we do,” she stated. “He’s trying to keep Midoriya away from us because he knows we have strength in numbers. And eventually, Midoriya is going to leave you in the dust, too.”

Endeavor stared at Class 1-A before slowly taking his phone out of his back pocket. Katherine perked up, and Sero pointed at it. “Hey, does that thing have GPS tracking?”

He didn’t reply. Instead, he tossed the phone toward them, and several classmates surged forward to try and catch it. “Mind if we borrow this, sir?” Sero asked as he caught it. “It’s only by chance that I wound up in the same class as Midoriya, but still! We can’t let him do this to himself!”

Koda helped him up. “I feel the same way. We’ve only spent a year together. But that’s plenty.”

“He never opened up to us about One For All, and yet he expected those letters to put us at ease. It came as a shock to us,” Iida admitted, “but we of Class A intend to find him, follow him, and work alongside him. No matter how great the burden may be, Midoriya is our friend. And we can’t be expected to go into the future smiling when we know he’s walking this thorny path alone.”

“This whole scheme is dangerous,” Endeavor warned. “Law and order are things of the past. Even you kids would be–”

“If it’s so bad out there, let me lead them,” Katherine interrupted. “I’ve been running my operation for two weeks now with no backup from the Pros, and I’m still kicking. I have full faith that every student in this room can hold their own against what’s in store.”

“It’s not just the outside circumstances. Civilians came to U.A. seeking protection. Bringing Deku back here could wreck what little faith they have left in us.”

She frowned. Endeavor was right about that, and though it would be easy to throw up her hands and go, “Fuck them! They can leave if they have a problem with it! They’re not the ones dealing with this mess!”, this was a situation that required diplomacy. Unfortunately, since everything went to shit, she’d found herself in short supply of what was once considered a great skill.

Thankfully, Nezu was diplomatic enough for both of them. “If I may chime in?”

Katherine and Endeavor turned to him. “Given that Midoriya wished to leave U.A. and taking into account the villains that pursued him, I authorized the team-up,” he stated. “However, he is free to return to us at any time.”

“What? Really?” Kaminari asked.

“From the moment a student is accepted into this school, they fall under our protection, even past graduation. After all, All Might attended U.A. as well.” Nezu smiled at Class 1-A. “Go on. Do what you must to bring them back to us. Leave the civilians to me.”

Katherine’s eyes sparkled with admiration, and she bowed to him. “Yes, sir.” She hesitated, then glanced at Endeavor and nodded to him as well. “Thank you.”

With that, Class 1-A exited the office. When they’d gained some distance, Sero handed Endeavor’s phone to Katherine. “Well, Fearless Leader, what’s our next move?”

She looked at the blinking dot on the screen—Midoriya. Her feathers ruffled. If she had it her way, they’d gear up and go get him right now.

But he would expect that from her. If they wanted a chance against him, they needed a solid plan.

...

Sukii grumbled about Katherine harassing them twice in one day, but they let Class 1-A into the Development Lab regardless. Kio and Sora joined them soon after, and once they were all gathered, Katherine clapped her hands together. “Alright. Let’s start with what we know. From how my strength has been growing since Midoriya left, I can assume he’s unlocked two or three more quirks out of the seven he has. Keeping that in mind, I think the best option for us is developing teams that move in waves depending on which power he leads with. That way, we don’t all waste our stamina at once, but we’re not getting caught in one-on-one endurance fights, either.”

“That seems like the reasonable approach,” Iida agreed. “All we need to know is what we’re up against.”

“Well, Midoriya took the official notebook All Might made for us, but thankfully, the wielders briefed me on everything in their arsenal while we were walking over here,” she replied, turning to sketch on the whiteboard Sukii had graciously rolled out for her. “Now, obviously Midoriya’s super-fast and strong–”

“Wait, wait, hold it,” Kio interjected, waving her hands, “you can talk to them?”

“She sure can,” Sora answered. “Believe me, I’m hearing way more voices in her head than I used to.”

“Welcome to the club,” Katherine muttered as she went back to the whiteboard. “Anyways, strength and speed alone will be easy to counter for all of us. The first quirk that’ll give us trouble is En’s Smokescreen. It’s exactly what it sounds like, and since it’ll make it hard to see, I’m thinking we should pit our recon heroes against it. Anyone who can go in from above would be a good option, too. They could track Midoriya’s movements from there.”

“So, that group would be me, you, Shoji, Uraraka, Bakugo, and Tokoyami,” Jiro listed.

“Exactly. And I’m not saying we have to stick to these teams or anything. Each of us can fight against more of his powers,” Katherine noted as she wrote down names. “I’m just trying to give us an idea of what we’re up against.”

The door to the Development Lab suddenly slid open, and everyone in the room whipped their heads around. Hawks stepped inside with his hands up, followed by Endeavor and Jeanist. “We come in peace. Endeavor told us what was up.”

Katherine pursed her lips in annoyance and turned back to the board. “That’s no excuse for interrupting. I appreciate you three narrowing down our search, but I can handle the operation from here.”

Class 1-A glanced at each other nervously while Sukii sidled over to her. “Wings, I get that you’re still pissed off about things, but it’s better to have the Top Three Pros on your side in this situation, don’t you think?” they suggested.

“Remember what I said about being nicer to Hawks, Dove,” Shadow reminded her.

The marker squeaked harshly against the whiteboard, masking Katherine’s grumbling. Finally, she pointed at the three Pros. “Fine. You three can stay in the back. But you have to be quiet and save your questions for the end.”

Hawks yielded. “Fair enough”.

Katherine waited until the Pros were settled, then continued. “Moving on, the next thing we should look out for is Fa Jin, Bruce’s quirk. From what I understand, it lets Midoriya build up kinetic energy and then release it in one big outburst,” she explained. “Anyone who can take a blunt force attack would be good for dealing with that—so, Eijiro, obviously—and someone who could nullify the blow—Shoto, your ice would be helpful there, and we could utilize Dark Shadow again, too.”

“Then we have Blackwhip from Daigoro, but we’re all pretty accustomed to that one. Hanta, you helped Midoriya train with it, right? I think putting you and Tsu against that would be fine. Of course, there’s Nana’s quirk, Float, but again, anyone who can go from above can fight that easily.”

“What about Danger Sense?” Bakugo inquired. “It’ll be hard to get around, and we’re kidding ourselves if we think we can win when Deku will see every move coming.”

Katherine shook her head. “Actually, it shouldn’t be much trouble at all. It isn’t like Foresight. Hikage says that Danger Sense is triggered by malicious intentions. We’re not trying to hurt anyone, so I doubt it’ll come into play.”

Shoji leaned back and crossed his arms. “You said there were seven powers. So far, we’ve only listed five.”

“Yeah, that’s ‘cause one of the seven is just the original transfer power and Kudo never chimed into the Q&A. I assume that means Midoriya hasn’t unlocked his quirk yet, but I don’t know. All I was able to get out of him was that it’s called Gearshift. He’s not the chattiest guy,” she said, turning back to the whiteboard.

“That hasn’t stopped you before,” Shoto pointed out.

Katherine gave him a look, biting back a grin. “It’s a little harder to pester dead people, cariño.” She stepped away from the whiteboard and gestured to the columns she’d made. “So, we have specific counters for the quirks. Anyone else have any ideas?”

Sora briefly side-eyed the Pros before raising her hand. “Well, you’re gonna use your secret weapon, right?”

Katherine raised an eyebrow. “You know—the—Kio, you tell her,” Sora muttered as she elbowed her.

Kio gave her a confused look, then seemed to understand. “Ah, right. Ella está preguntando por la Peste Negro,” she told Katherine.

“You mean Storm?” Katherine asked, and Sora looked very put out at that. “Yeah, probably. I cover more ground with him, and he could keep Midoriya from getting away.”

“Who’s Storm?” Kaminari inquired.

“My dragon.”

“Your what?!”

She waved him off as she wrote Storm’s name on the whiteboard. “Taking that into account, it might be good if we had a few different groups coming from several directions, depending on where we eventually corner Midoriya. Storm and I can keep watch from above—but we’d need the rest to come from north, south, east, and west. Any volunteers to front the groups?”

Iida, Momo, Uraraka, Bakugo, and Shoto all raised their hands. “Okay, good. Four of you can lead, and I’ll take the fifth with me. Shoto, Katsuki, that’s between you two since you’ve already been on Storm. Rock-paper-scissors for it or something.”

“You guys have WHAT?!” Kaminari exclaimed incredulously while Ojiro raised his hand. “Katherine, can I add something?”

“Sure, shoot.”

“Even with teams moving in waves, we’re still risking an endurance battle,” he noted. “Maybe we could use something else—like a sleeping gas or something? That way if things aren’t looking great, we can just knock Midoriya out without hurting him.”

Katherine nodded thoughtfully and looked at Sukii. They gave her a look back. “I’m an engineer, Wings, not a chemist.”

“Boo. Got any recommendations?”

“If I may chime in,” a voice from behind the whiteboard spoke up, and Hatsume rolled into view in a swivel chair, “my babies might be able to help you with that!”

“How long have you been here?” Iida questioned.

“The whole time!” She brandished a piece of paper and skipped over to Sukii. “A classmate and I are collaborating on an invention to give the police an edge on the bad guys. Maybe you guys could use it, too!”

Katherine peered over Sukii’s shoulder at the blueprints. They detailed a machine that seemed designed to restrain and incapacitate formidable opponents. However, it was also large and bulky—not exactly covert. “This looks great, Hatsume, but how the hell are we supposed to transport it?”

She shrugged and rolled back to her workspace. “Storm’s pretty strong, isn’t he? He could carry it for you,” Sukii pointed out.

“Right. Well, I hope you have a good speech prepared, ‘cause I’m not gonna be the one to persuade him.”

Momo approached and looked over the blueprint. “If transportation is the only issue, I could make the machine on-site. I’m capable of creating most of these materials, and I’m sure with proper instructions, I’d be able to put it together.”

“If you say so.” Sukii handed over the prints, then leaned over to Katherine while Momo returned to her spot. “That’s not an easy project. Will she be able to handle it?”

“If Yaomomo thinks she’s got it, I trust her,” Katherine responded before turning to the rest of the class. “Okay, any other questions, comments, or concerns before we close this out?”

Mina raised her hand. “Why did Todoroki and Bakugo get to know about your dragon before the rest of us?”

“That’s not really relevant to the mission.”

“Answer the question, Katherine.”

Katherine sighed reluctantly. “Well, Shoto was with me when I found Storm, and I didn’t tell Katsuki about him, so you’ll have to ask Shoto about that. Any other questions?”

“Knowing you, I probably don’t wanna know...but what kind of dragon is it?” Sero inquired.

She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from smirking, especially because Hawks looked like he was about to pass out. “He’s a Black Death.”

“Yup. Sorry I asked.”

Jiro, too, raised her hand. “Permission to call bullshit?”

“Granted.”

“Black Deaths are the most dangerous dragons in Japan. I get that you probably don’t care about that, but why the hell did you let her get anywhere near one?” she asked, pointing at Shoto.

“She made a very compelling argument,” he said, straight-faced.

Katherine stifled a chuckle, then looked over as Sukii tapped her on the shoulder. “Hey, just so you know, I do have other things that need to get done today, so you might wanna wrap this up.”

“Yeah, got it. We can talk about this in more detail at the dorms,” she addressed Class 1-A. “Let’s get out of Sukii and Hatsume’s way.”

However, as her classmates complied and started putting chairs away, she turned to Sukii and pouted. “What could be more important than me?”

They gave her a look and punched her lightly in the shoulder. “U.A.’s defense system, duh. Speaking of which, if your friend is being targeted by the villains, how do you think the civilians are gonna react to him taking shelter here?” they asked.

Katherine shrugged dismissively. “Nezu said he’d take care of it. Besides, I’m as much a beacon of destruction as Midoriya is, and All For One hasn’t come knocking on U.A.’s door yet.”

“If he does, we’ll be ready,” Shoto added as he walked over, kissing Katherine on the side of the head. “For now, though, we have to focus on Midoriya.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, All For One’s not getting to anybody anytime soon,” Sukii assured the two. “I’m sure you two have seen the enormous walls, but the fact that the whole campus can go underground at a moment’s notice is pretty neat, too. We’ve got the upper hand on that end.”

“Thanks for putting that in words I could understand,” Katherine joked, giggling as Sukii rolled their eyes at her.

“Katherine.”

The three stopped and turned to Hawks. Endeavor and Jeanist had already left, but Katherine got the sneaking suspicion they hadn’t gone far. Hawks gestured to the door with his head. “Can I borrow you for a sec?”

Despite herself, she nodded, squeezing Shoto’s hand before following Hawks out of the room. Her eyes quickly landed on Endeavor and Jeanist down the hall, clearly trying to act like they weren’t going to be listening in.

The door to the Development Lab closed behind her, and Hawks turned around, some semblance of apology in his gaze. “Look, I’ve been thinking about our last conversation. You were right. I shouldn’t have lied to you, and I can see that the fact I did so without difficulty made you rightfully upset with me. I’m sorry I kept you in the dark. But I promise, I had nothing but good intentions,” he swore. “I know I won’t be able to make it up to you easily, so for the time being, can you at least accept that I was only doing what I thought was right, and we can put all this behind us?”

Katherine narrowed her eyes slightly. Well, he had finally pulled his head out of his ass, at least. But there was only one way to see if this apology would stick.

“I have conditions,” she said slowly, “and I expect them to be followed.”

Hawks looked a little caught off-guard by that. However, he simply gave a resigned sigh. “Alright. What are they?”

“First, whatever exceptions you’ve been letting Midoriya operate under are immediately applied to the rest of Class 1-A. Second, Kio Fujimori and Sora Nakano are made aware of all the information you have on All For One so far. I’m sure they’ve already relayed it to me, but it gives Kio less work to do in the future. Finally, I want Class 1-A to be in the know about any new strategies you decide to start, especially the final game plan when it comes to defeating All For One.”

Truthfully, she didn’t think her requests were that outlandish given all the shit she’d been doing as Justice, but Hawks didn’t agree. “What? Katherine, those aren’t conditions, they’re breaches of policy.”

“I’m sure sending forty teenagers into a warzone was a breach of policy, too, but you don’t see any of us complaining,” Katherine retorted. “Also, what policy? The Hero Commission—well, what’s left of it—hasn’t complained once about all the rules Midoriya’s been breaking. For the way things are right now, I’m being perfectly reasonable.”

“Look, I’m sure you’ve been enjoying working alone, but you’re not in charge around here,” he argued.

“Well, maybe I should be! I just ran a whole meeting by myself, with no overseeing authority, and you don’t have any objections to my strategy. Everything I said was solid, wasn’t it?”

Hawks glared at her but didn’t retort—because, she realized, he knew she was right. Her plan was concrete; it was going to work one way or another—and then, she got a better idea.

“Fine, let’s do this. If I can prove that I deserve all the things I asked for through this mission, you have to accept my previous conditions,” Katherine declared.

Hawks raised an eyebrow. “You mean if you get Midoriya back to U.A.?”

She nodded and held her hand out, encouraging him to shake on it.

So, he did. “Fine. But that means we’re not gonna help you.”

“I don’t need or want your help,” she said bluntly. “I just need my class. And my dragon.”

“Yeah. When did that happen? Do your dads know?”

“That’s on a need-to-know basis.”

With that, Katherine knocked on the Development Lab door, called out, “Shoto, we’re leaving,” and the two went to catch up with their classmates. Hawks watched them walk away as Jeanist and Endeavor came up on either side of him. “She just played you like a fiddle,” Jeanist remarked. “Even if the combat tactics don’t work, every student in Class 1-A has an emotional tie to Midoriya. She knows for a fact that they’ll get through to him somehow.”

Hawks smiled slightly. “Yeah, maybe she did. But maybe I let her.”

Endeavor looked at him. “Why would you do that?”

“Think about it. Midoriya and Katherine know All For One better than any of us. Those two are smart and powerful enough on their own. Put them together? Yikes. Besides that, Katherine’s a natural-born leader. She’s ruthless, but it’s out of love. In the end, we’re the ones that need her, not the other way around.” He paused. “All I’m saying is, would it be that bad if we gave her control of the situation?”

Endeavor turned to watch as Katherine and Shoto disappeared around the corner.

“I suppose we’ll just have to see.”

Chapter Text

Katherine’s eyes narrowed at the pelting rain falling from grey clouds. It would certainly be a hindrance for everyone—the weather might slow Midoriya down, but it’d do the same for Class 1-A. She wished the storm had held off for a little while.

“Katherine?”

She turned around as Uraraka put a hand on her shoulder. “We’ve got this,” she promised. “You don’t need to worry.”

Katherine blinked, then smiled and nodded as she put her mask on. The rest of the class stood in front of her, suited up in their hero costumes and awaiting instruction. “Midoriya has been in Kamino’s general vicinity since 4:00 a.m. this morning,” she announced. “Given his proximity to U.A., he shouldn’t be too difficult to reach. Group leaders, you each have a copy of the tracking software provided by Creati. Use it to find our target. Katsuki and I will go from above with Storm. If Midoriya suddenly changes directions, we can stay on his tail. Any questions?”

The others shook their heads, with Kaminari and Kirishima chorusing, “No, ma’am!”

“Good.” Katherine looked at Uraraka, Iida, Momo, and Shoto. “You four ready for this?”

“Of course,” Iida answered. “You can count on us, Katherine.”

She then turned to Bakugo, who was impatiently standing by a curious Storm. “All this talking is taking forever! Let’s go already!”

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Katherine addressed Nezu—he was helping the class get through the U.A. barrier without setting off any alarms. “Thanks for all your help, Nezu.”

“No need. I am simply doing my duty,” he responded cheerfully.

“Well, thanks anyway. Let’s do this, you guys!”

Katherine jogged over to Storm while the gates began to open. She pulled something out of her jacket pocket—an adhesive patch that looked like a circular band-aid. “What’s that?” Bakugo asked.

“Storm’s com. It’s new tech,” she told him as she moved Storm’s ear appendages away from his neck. “Sukii said she got it shipped in just before the borders closed.”

“From where?”

“Later, Katsuki.” Katherine placed the patch behind the ear appendages and synced it to her Data Specs. “Testing, testing. Can you hear me, big guy?”

The Black Death perked up, rumbling with interest. “Excellent. Time to go.”

She mounted, then fastened Bakugo in on either side of her before chirping to Storm, who instantly took off. Bakugo’s grip on her tightened but he seemed to relax when they settled on the wind. “Here, you hold this,” Katherine instructed, handing him the tracking device. “We’re gonna be going as fast as you can handle, so don’t expect this to be like last time.”

“I’ll be fine,” he snapped. “I’m not some kind of loser, Bird Girl.”

“I know you’re not. But Storm’s top speed is nothing to sneeze at. The books say a Black Death isn’t much faster than a commercial airplane, but believe me—he’s as quick as a fighter jet. I’m gonna have to let the experts know they’re off by a few hundred miles once this is all over. The point is our bodies can’t handle that speed when we’re out in the open like this.”

Bakugo gave her a look. “Then how the hell do you know that his top speed is wrong?”

“I found a loophole. When I activate One For All, my body handles all that force way better.” Katherine glanced at him and grinned under her mask. “That’s our secret to success. Don’t worry; we’ll dial it back for now.”

“Jeez, thanks,” he grumbled sarcastically, shifting forward. “Go northeast.”

She leaned forward and gently nudged Storm’s head in that direction. As he banked, Bakugo’s grip tightened again. Katherine smiled to herself but didn’t say anything, instead reaching up to shield her eyes from the rain. The two didn’t speak for most of the flight, both lost in their thoughts of how to handle the impending confrontation—it was only as they entered Yokohama City that Bakugo said, “We’re getting close. His tracker is still moving east.”

Katherine nodded and commed the other team leaders. “Our tracker says he’s eastward bound. Are you guys in position?” she asked.

She got various responses, all stating that yes, they were ready. “Great. Katsuki and I are moving in. We’ll try and keep him where he is.”

“You sure this is gonna work?” Bakugo questioned when she took her hand away from her com.

Katherine turned to him. There wasn’t any doubt in his expression, nor was there egotism. It seemed it was mostly anticipation, and maybe a tinge of apprehension. “Look, if there’s anyone who can get through to Izuku, it’s you,” she stated. “We’re getting him back, one way or another. Now hold on.”

Storm was already poised to dive, so when Katherine chirped to him, their descent was swift. The rain bombarded them, sharp and cold and biting. Katherine activated her Data Specs to see better, and on the distant ground, she spotted green sparks.

“Katsuki, I’ve got a visual! He’s right below us!”

There was a break in the rain as she noticed a mob rushing toward the green sparks. Grimacing, she zoomed in, locking onto a villain in the middle of it. “Shit, Dictator is after him. We’ll need to take care of that before–”

“Get me close to the bastard,” Bakugo demanded, and Katherine heard the spring clips release. “I’ll take care of him.”

“You sure?”

“I said get me in there, damnit!”

She gave him a look but guided Storm lower. “A please would be appreciated...”

Bakugo waited until they’d circled, then pushed off of Storm and began his descent toward Dictator. Katherine stuck close in case he needed a quick save, watching as he hit Dictator with a direct A.P. Shot. She heard “He’s here, guys,” over the com and patted Storm on the back. “I’m going down there, boy. Stick around, alright?”

Storm rumbled in acknowledgment, and with that, she was off. Katherine landed next to Bakugo, One For All already crackling around her. In the scuffle with Dictator, Midoriya’s hood and mask had been tugged off, and she had to admit—he looked like a wreck. It reminded her that, no matter how royally pissed off she was about him leaving, her heart would continue to pang for him.

The rest of the class arrived on the scene soon after. Momo and Shoto immediately moved to finish restraining Dictator, with the former giving Bakugo a thumbs up. “Prison escapee secured. Splendid work, Bakugo!”

“That’s Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight to you!” he griped.

“Right; my apologies!”

Midoriya watched the civilians scatter, then turned to the class. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse and fatigued. “Everyone...but...why?”

Uraraka stepped up next to Katherine. “We’re worried about you.”

“But I’m fine,” he countered, putting his hood and mask back on as he stood. “So don’t worry. And get away from me.”

Bakugo gave a barking laugh and clapped mockingly. “Wow, real inspiring! All hail the mighty inheritor of One For All! He’s really showing us up! You can say you’re fine all you want. But be honest with us—are you still smiling, Deku?”

Katherine’s eyes narrowed as they awaited his answer. Midoriya paused. “Those smiles. Everyone’s peace of mind. Those are the reasons I have to keep going.”

He looked up at them, activating One For All. His green sparks swiftly matched the frequency of Katherine’s. “That’s why you all need to get out of my way!”

As she had assumed, he led with Smokescreen, engulfing them in a cloud of light purple. “Do your worst, you busted-ass All Might wannabe!” Bakugo yelled, charging in.

“We knew he would be the same as ever,” Iida said. “Hold your ground, everyone!”

“Right!” Uraraka agreed.

Bakugo used an explosion to clear the smoke, giving them a visual again. “Don’t wanna chat, huh? You just gonna sneak off again? Now that you’re an all-powerful bigshot, we must look like a bunch of NPCs, huh?”

Midoriya turned to him, distracted just long enough for Koda to send a swarm of birds toward him, hindering his escape. “Katherine, I need a boost!” Sero called to her as he rushed into the scene. “He’ll probably try and use Blackwhip to get away!”

“Yeah, got it!” She grabbed him with her levitation and hurled him at Midoriya. Sure enough, Blackwhip latched onto the corner of a nearby building in the next moment, and Sero grabbed the shadowy tendrils with his tape before Midoriya could swing away. Katherine wanted to join him up there, but she was still in charge of this mission, and that gave her other responsibilities. “Eijiro, Toru, Yuga, call Endeavor and get Dictator to him. I’m counting on you guys.”

“We’ve got this, Fearless Leader!” Kirishima replied as he began chipping the fallen villain out of Shoto’s ice.

Hagakure and Aoyama moved to help him, and Katherine’s com came to life. “We have Midoriya in the machine,” Momo told her. “Standby—he’s still putting up a fight.”

“Got it. Nice work, Yaomomo.”

She brought her hand away from her com and turned to the nearest building, watching Tokoyami use Dark Shadow to carry himself, Kaminari, and Shoji through the hole in the side of it. Uraraka noticed, giving her a sympathetic smile. “You haven’t talked to him, right?”

Katherine nodded. “There’s so much I need to say. But at the same time, it hurts to even look at him,” she admitted. “I still don’t get it. How could he leave me—us—behind? After everything we’ve been through?”

“Did you ever read the letter he left you?”

She glanced at Uraraka and slowly shook her head. She’d actually used the letter for target practice with Storm during their very first vigilante mission together—not the most mature move, she realized now, but she was in a very fragile state of mind at the time, and it did make her feel better. “I think you should. It’s probably different from the ones he left the rest of us,” Uraraka noted, looking back at the building. “Besides, Deku won’t give up easily. I’m sure we’ll both have a chance to say everything we want to him.”

As if on cue, an explosion came from the other side of the building. Midoriya rocketed through it, blowing out all the windows. “Hatsume’s machine didn’t work. Shoto, block him!” Katherine commanded.

“On it! Asui, come with me!”

Tsuyu hopped after him, calling to Katherine, “Kero, we’ll need you here soon, Fearless Leader.”

“I know. Katsuki, Tenya, you know what to do!” she yelled, dashing after the other two. “Ochaco, let’s move!”

Shoto’s Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall intercepted Midoriya’s path, trapping him in the ice. Tsuyu leaped onto the wall of a nearby building while Katherine and Uraraka stuck close. The two of them stayed out of Midoriya’s line of sight. “Midoriya!” Tsuyu shouted, grabbing his attention. “I’m not weeping and moping around anymore, because you matter to me! You’re my friend, and when we’re scared, we tremble together. When times are tough, we cry together. If you’re dead set on being some kind of comic book hero, let Class A live that fantasy with you!”

Blackwhip suddenly wrapped around the pillar of ice. “He’s still trying to break free,” Katherine said, turning to Uraraka. “Ready?”

“You know it,” she replied.

“Tsu?”

“Always, kero.”

Tsuyu grabbed Katherine’s waist with her tongue, and Uraraka made her weightless with Zero Gravity. Just as Midoriya escaped his icy prison, Katherine activated One For All. “Now!”

The next thing she knew, she was being swung toward Midoriya. The moment they collided, she felt Tsuyu’s tongue let her go.

Here goes nothing!

Katherine turned her gaze to the open sky and teleported as high as she could before the oxygen got too thin. Midoriya was struggling against her, writhing in her grip. He got one hand free and whacked her in the face while the other tried to tie down her wings with Blackwhip. “Stop it! Let me go!”

She headbutted him back. “You know, you’re being a real fucking asshole about all this!”

Well, that got him to stop. Midoriya finally looked at her—he’d lost his hood and mask again, so she was able to stare straight into his tear-filled eyes, and he was able to stare into hers. “You know what happened to the last person that left me hanging? I tried to tear his head off,” Katherine continued, her voice bitter. “Hell, I’m still trying. And yet here I am, dragging my happy ass out in the rain to save you for committing the same crime!”

“I didn’t ask you to do that!” he shot back, trying to push away again.

“That’s the point, you dick!” Katherine felt the wind begin to rush past them—Uraraka had deactivated Zero Gravity. She didn’t have much time left. “I’m out here for the same reason as the rest of Class 1-A! I care about you. Maybe more than you care about me, because I never would’ve done this to you.”

He looked at her again, hurt prevalent in his expression. Her voice caught in her throat, but she pushed on. “Face it, Deku. Like it or not, I’m still your partner in all things One For All. We need each other to win this! So, stop being such a stubborn jerk and come home already!”

“Why don’t you understand?” Midoriya cried out. “I CAN’T!”

He hit her with Air Force, finally breaking her grip on him. Katherine was sent hurtling toward the ground, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to recover in time. She whistled sharply, then closed her eyes and tucked her wings in, hoping Storm would be able to catch her.

Two paws clutched her arms and hoisted her back into the air. Storm dipped his head down to look at her, purring pridefully. “Yeah, yeah, good boy. Set me on the ground, will you?”

He complied and swooped down. Once Katherine could feel her feet dragging against the pavement, she chirped to him, and he released her. As she stumbled to a halt, she heard Hagakure shouting to her. “Hey, Fearless Leader!”

Katherine looked up to see her, Kirishima, and Endeavor rushing toward her. “You okay? We saw Midoriya blow you out of the sky!” Hagakure asked worriedly.

“I feel like I got hit by a truck, but otherwise, I’m good. Storm caught me before I hit the pavement,” she assured them while the Black Death continued to circle overhead.

Her com beeped, signaling an incoming message. “Katherine, we have everything in position,” Iida said. “Permission to move forward?”

“Granted. I’ll be there in a sec.”

“What’s happening?” Endeavor questioned.

“The final phase,” Katherine replied, watching as an ice ramp appeared in the distance, towering above the other buildings. “Eijiro, let’s go. I’ll need you to catch them. Toru, grab Yuga and catch up.”

“Right! I’m on it!”

As the two dashed back to the epicenter of the action, Katherine heard a cluster of explosions and the rush of flames. “Bakugo and Todoroki are making their move!” Kirishima shouted; his gaze locked onto Midoriya. “You think Iida is gonna make it?”

“With Zero Gravity on his side, there’s no reason for him to miss!” Katherine yelled back.

C’mon, everyone. I know we’re breaking down his walls. We just need one more move—one more chance!

Iida was launched off the ramp and straight at Midoriya, grabbing his hand. Katherine waited for him to fight, to pull away—but this time, he didn’t.

“I think we’ve got him!” she said into her com, directing the message at the rest of the class. “Ochaco, release! Eijiro’s in position!”

“I’ll need your quirk for a safety net, Katherine!” he added as he passed her.

She nodded and teleported behind him, making a few shields. When Kirishima caught the other two boys and was sent backward by the force, she pushed the shields toward them, stopping their momentum. “Midoriya! Y’know, a while back, this one story really threw me for a loop!” Kirishima exclaimed. “Some kid my age dashed into danger to save his pal. That had to be you, right?”

Midoriya coughed but didn’t deny it. “That didn’t have squat to do with special powers, did it? What you did back then—it’s the same kind of action we’re taking for you now!”

The rest of the class swiftly caught up, rushing to them. Mina was among those at the forefront, and as she caught her breath, she pleaded, “I can’t stand the thought of losing anyone else, Midoriya. Got that? So, won’t you stick with us? We’ve got classes to go to...and other stuff.”

Midoriya pulled away and stood. Katherine, Kirishima, and Iida took preemptive steps forward to stop him from escaping. “I’d—I’d like that,” he admitted wearily. “But the people at U.A. and all of you...I don’t want to make trouble for anyone else. Things can’t go back to how they used to be. You must know that.”

Bakugo eyed him from further back in the group, then looked up and made eye contact with Katherine. She nodded encouragingly.

“…Hey. Do you remember what I said when Shigaraki made Swiss cheese outta me?” he asked, moving toward Midoriya.

He glanced at Bakugo. “No. I don’t.”

“Thought so. I told you to stop trying to win this on your own. But I had more I wanted to tell you.” Bakugo paused, then took a breath. “I needed to tell you I got stabbed because my body moved on its own.”

Midoriya raised his head a little more. “I always looked down on you ‘cause you were quirkless. You were supposed to be beneath me, but I kept feeling like you were above me instead. I hated it. I couldn’t bear to look at you. I couldn’t accept you the way you were. So, I kept you at arm’s length, and I was horrible to you.”

Katherine’s wings flapped gently behind her, her gaze softening. “I tried to act all superior by rejecting you, but I kept losing that fight, too,” Bakugo continued. “Since we got into U.A., nothing’s worked out how I thought it would. Instead, everything’s forced me to understand your strengths and my weaknesses. Now, I don’t expect this to change a thing between us, but I’ve gotta speak my truth.”

And though the rain kept falling, it felt like the world stopped, just for that moment.

“Izuku, I’m sorry for everything.”

Midoriya seemed to finally untense, his gaze still locked on Bakugo. “There’s nothing wrong with the path you’ve been walking down since inheriting One For All and following All Might’s lead. But you’re barely standing now. And all those ideals won’t be enough to get over the wall you’re facing. That’s why we’re here. To step in when you can’t handle it all on your own. If we want to live up to all those standards and surpass All Might, then we’ve gotta save you, and the civilians at U.A., and the people on the streets. Saving people is how we win.”

“...I said you all couldn’t keep up with me,” Midoriya hiccupped, his shoulders shaking. “I’m sorry I said something so awful!”

He tried to move forward but collapsed, and Bakugo caught him. “We get it.”

The rest of the class looked at each other, sporting similar looks of relief. Katherine let out a breath.

Finally. It’s over.

Not yet. There are still hurdles we must face before the civilians at U.A. accept him.

She grimaced. Fallen had a point. No matter how much Nezu reassured those who’d moved onto the grounds, resistance was more than likely.

But for now, she put that out of her mind. It was time for them to go home.

Chapter Text

Midoriya didn’t stir until they were a few miles away from U.A. Katherine felt him jolt behind her and grabbed his costume with her levitation, preventing him from sliding off Storm. “Careful. It’s a pretty far drop from up here.”

“Where are the others?” he blurted out, clutching around her waist.

Her feathers bristled at the touch, and Midoriya seemed to notice because she felt his hands move to her sides rather quickly. “They’re on the ground with the Pros,” she said shortly. “We’re up here in case you start getting any ideas. Cars are expensive, you know. And easier to get away from.”

She heard him swallow thickly. “Right.”

A deafening silence fell between them. The falling rain created a blanket of white noise that threatened to encompass everything they knew until Katherine quietly spoke again. “Why’d you do it?”

Midoriya tensed. “I put everything in my letter to you.”

“I didn’t read the letter. I fed it to Storm.”

The Black Death rumbled as if he was advocating for her. “Oh,” Midoriya uttered, sounding a bit dejected. (Well, what did he think she was going to do? Frame it?) “Okay.”

A pause. Katherine waited for him to speak again, then half-turned so she could make eye contact with him as she glared. Finally, he sighed. “I just wanted—you’ve been through so much already, Katherine. I knew this was going to weigh on you. When the wielders told me All For One’s focus was on me now, I thought it was my chance to give you a break. I only wanted you to be safe.”

Safe. Huh.

How ironic that such a noble sentiment could make her feel so sick.

“Well, that wasn’t your choice to make, was it?” Katherine muttered, turning back around. “Did you ever think that maybe I wanted this power, too? That I wasn’t just some anomaly inside an anomaly? I’ve already spent most of my life trying to prove to myself that I could deal with One For All, prophecies and all. I won’t waste any more time trying to prove it to anyone else, especially not you.”

Midoriya went quiet again. When it became clear he wasn’t going to respond, Katherine just scoffed and leaned forward, directing Storm lower. “Great talk. So glad we’re on the same page.”

Through the clouds, she spotted the U.A. barrier. A wave of relief rushed through her body just as Storm’s ear appendages flicked up. He growled lowly; his pupils slit. “What’s up, big guy?” she asked.

Midoriya perked up. When they got closer, Katherine began hearing it, too—yelling. Her heartbeat quickened, but she only narrowed her eyes and chirped to Storm. “Hold on.”

Storm dove and pulled up again just as they cleared the barrier. Katherine looked down, preparing to give the command to fire, but there were no villains. It was a mob of civilians gathered at the gates, holding protest signs and umbrellas.

She groaned and tapped Storm on the neck. “False alarm, it’s just a bunch of assholes. I’ve gotta com the class.”

Her com beeped first, however. “Hey, Katherine, what’s with all the people? I thought Principal Nezu said he was gonna talk to everyone,” Kaminari said.

“Yeah, I know. Storm and I will be at the gates in a sec,” she told him. “Hang tight.”

True to her word, she and Midoriya landed not a minute later. Uraraka and Iida rushed to help him while Shoto and Bakugo approached Katherine as she was directing Storm away. “Alright, what now?” Bakugo questioned. “I say we blow ‘em to hell.”

“Believe me, nothing would make me happier,” Katherine grumbled. “But that’ll only escalate the situation.”

Shoto huffed, eyeing the closed gate doors. They seemed miniscule compared to the actual barrier. “Maybe we should let the Pros take care of this part. We could try to force our way through without hurting anybody.”

“Like a protection circle or something?” Hagakure inquired. “Sounds fun!”

Midoriya listened to them exchanging ideas and hung his head. “This is why I didn’t want to come back,” he mumbled. “I’m just making problems for the rest of you.”

Katherine stared at him for a moment. She found she couldn’t help the way her chest tightened. She turned to the gates with newfound resilience. “Alright, Class A, here’s the plan. We’re gonna go in there, and if anybody has a problem with it, we’ll take care of them.”

“In what sense?” Kirishima asked hesitantly.

“The civil sense, unfortunately,” Katherine stated, though she said that last bit mostly to herself. “We’ve come this far, haven’t we? We’re not gonna let some unhappy faces push us back.”

“Right,” Uraraka agreed. “We’ll find a way to calm them down.”

“That’s the spirit. C’mon, guys.”

The gates screeched open, revealing the class to the mob. Katherine saw that Mic had set up a perimeter so the civilians couldn’t get close to the entrance and felt a tinge of appreciation—she also wondered if Hawks had told him anything about her involvement in this whole thing. The civilians continued to yell, and though Mic and Thirteen were trying to keep the peace, their words still reached the class.

“Don’t let that boy take one more step into U.A.!”

“Shigaraki was targeting some kid, and he’s the one, isn’t he?”

“Why’s it gotta be U.A., huh? Let him hide someplace else!”

Midoriya took a step back, but Uraraka grabbed his hand and smiled reassuringly. Katherine narrowed her eyes at the crowd, then glanced back at the class, jerking her head toward the mob. They trudged forward, trying to ignore the harsh comments thrown at them, but they came in barrages from all sides.

“Keep him out!”

“Get lost, kid!”

“Having One For All makes him a Nomu, right? And we’re supposed to just let him hide here?!”

Katherine gave the person who made the Nomu comment a fierce scowl, and Shoto put a hand on her shoulder. Sero looked around uneasily as the class approached the perimeter. “They don’t seem convinced.”

“Some of them were more understanding earlier,” Thirteen mentioned, “but not all of their doubts could be appeased.”

“Let’s keep calm, folks!” Mic shouted through a megaphone.

Katherine grimaced as the throngs of people refused to shut the fuck up. Her stint as Justice had forced her to grow thicker skin, but she doubted she could same for Midoriya in his state. In the corner of her eye, she noticed Uraraka watching her. She could tell they had the same idea.

However, just as the two girls stepped forward to intervene, an unseen force pulled them back, and Katherine frowned when she noticed one of Hawks’ feathers tugging on the hood of her jacket. She realized why he’d stopped them in the next moment—Jeanist was swiftly coming toward them, and he put a hand on Mic’s shoulder. “This may be a difficult argument to hear from schoolteachers. Allow me to step in.”

“Best Jeanist!” one of the civilians closer to the perimeter shouted. “We’re only here because we trusted you!”

“Indeed. As Principal Nezu has explained, U.A. is currently the safest place to be, and as always, your safety is our top priority. At first, we tried to take the fight to the enemy. We used Izuku Midoriya as bait in hopes that we would draw the villains out. However, our search grid wasn’t wide enough, and the operation was met with limited success.”

Katherine pursed her lips, her feathers ruffling.

I have a bad feeling about this. Telling all these people that we failed twice will only make them angrier.

“Agreed,” En responded. “Don’t let your guard down.”

“And be prepared to take action,” Hikage added.

As the fourth and sixth wielders gave her advice, Jeanist continued. “I understand why you do not willingly welcome this omen of unease, but please, allow him to rest his weary body in this secure stronghold so that when needed, he can once again join the battle in peak condition!”

The shouting stopped for a moment. “Looks like they’ve finally called it quits,” Sato remarked hopefully.

Katherine’s stomach twisted. This kind of silence wasn’t promising. It was like letting the water settle before a tidal wave crashed over and engulfed everything and everyone.

“…You losers failed and let Japan turn into a lawless wasteland,” another civilian began slowly. “Now, you failed again…and you just want us to pay the price for more of your mistakes?”

The mob surged forward, threatening to cross the perimeter.

“NO WAY!”

Midoriya stumbled backward, his breath catching in his throat.

“SOME HEROES YOU ARE!”

Katherine could feel it, too. This wasn’t just anger anymore. It was pure malice.

“GIVE US A BREAK!”

Mic sighed and lowered the arm holding the megaphone. Uraraka grabbed Katherine’s shoulder and shook it, gesturing at him.

“ALL WE WANT IS A SAFE PLACE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT!”

Katherine acted quickly, dropping to one knee as she activated One For All. While she made a foothold with her hands, Uraraka dashed past Mic and snatched the megaphone. Then, with a single, fluid move, she stepped into Katherine’s hands, and Katherine launched her above the crowd.

Zero Gravity took Uraraka further, to the roof of the school. Katherine stood and watched as she landed, steadied herself, and then turned to the enormous crowds on the ground. “Listen to us!” she shouted; her voice amplified through the megaphone. “Izuku Midoriya has a special power in him!”

The yelling ceased again, but someone else responded, “Yeah? So what? If he wants a break, he can go somewhere else!”

“You don’t get it! He left in the first place because he didn’t want to make trouble for the rest of us!” Uraraka told them. “Class 1-A—we were the ones who brought him back here! That power of his—it’s a power that exists to beat All For One! That’s why they’re after him! That’s why he decided to leave! He left and went through who knows what out there!”

Katherine took off her mask as Uraraka went on. “You’re looking at a guy who could be attacked at any second, but he continues to move forward anyway. More than anyone, he wishes he could fix everything. Take a really good look at him, please!”

Slowly, the civilians turned. Katherine stepped to the side, moving Mic with her so Midoriya was in clear view. Words started to circle them again, but they weren’t as stinging this time: “He’s looking ragged, huh?” and “Kinda weak and worn out…”

Still, there were protests. “You want us to look at him?” came a voice. “Don’t tell me that we should be covered in filth, too!”

If Uraraka was growing frustrated, Katherine commended her for not showing it. “No! Heroes are the only ones coated in that filth! So give us a moment to rest and wash away the grime!”

The rest of Class 1-A gazed at her in awe. “Wow, Ochaco’s really stepped up,” Tsuyu commented.

Katherine felt the slightest smile tug at her lips, her eyes shining with pride.

“If you want me to stand here and reassure you, then I’m sorry! I can’t do that! We’re all gripped by the same fear and unease! We’re all neighbors here—including Izuku! Please, lend him your strength, so we have a shot at smiling together in the future! Find it in your hearts to let him rest and recover here with all of us!”

“Yeah, but–” the same voice began again, but Uraraka drowned him out. “He’s trying to take on all the responsibilities that come with his power by himself, but he’s just a regular high school kid! And this place…this place is his Hero Academy! Please, please let him stay here!” she shouted, her voice breaking.

Behind Katherine, Midoriya fell to the ground, overwhelmed with emotion. Mic and Jeanist moved to help him, but she held them back—she’d seen movement in the crowd a moment before.

Sure enough, Kota and Eri broke past the perimeter, followed by a tall woman that Katherine also recognized—the woman she’d escorted to U.A. before her run-in with the Hero Killer in Fuji. As both they ran to Midoriya’s aid, Katherine let her arms fall and turned to where Uraraka was still standing on the roof, megaphone in hand.

She should apologize to Uraraka and the others. All this time, she thought she was the only person All For One misjudged, but all of them…they were forces to be reckoned with in their own rights.

The crowd seemed to settle and even parted some for the class. But as the tall woman set Midoriya back on his feet, a young man spoke up. “There are rumors of two people—both have multiple quirks, and they work in the shadows. People say they’re either agents of the villains or true heroes,” he said, addressing Midoriya. “One of ‘em is Justice, so you’ve gotta be the other. If all this is true, then tell us—if we let you rest here, will we get back to our old lives eventually?”

Midoriya paused and looked around. “Everyone…they’re all in this together with me, so…yes. We’ll bring it all back,” he declared. “We promise.”

Katherine stared at him, feeling a mix of emotions that she couldn’t explain.

“Hey.”

She was taken out of her thoughts when Mic spoke to her. When she turned to him, she could tell he was nervous, but he pressed forward anyway. “Are you…are you doing okay?” he asked hesitantly.

Katherine blinked, then awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck. “Uh, no, not really.”

Mic nodded stiffly before looking back at the crowd. “But thanks for asking,” she continued, giving him a small smile.

Katherine put a hand on his shoulder before moving toward the back of her group and letting out a breath.

It looks like that’s taken care of. Now we just have to deal with All For One.

She noticed that Shoto perked up as she approached him, Endeavor, and Hawks. They had all stuck closer to the back of the group. “You good?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m good. You?”

He nodded. Katherine gave him a tired smile, then glanced at Hawks and Endeavor expectantly. “Alright, you won,” Hawks relented, holding his hands up. “Consider yourself part of the team. Just don’t rub it in.”

“Be honest—did you ever doubt me?” she questioned, the hint of a friendly gleam in her eyes.

Hawks dropped his hands, grinning slightly. “I know better than to doubt you.”

Katherine smirked back and turned to face the others, who were looking at her for instruction.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s grab Ochaco and get out of the rain.”

…

Katherine’s fist slammed into the punching bag that she’d set up in the common room, her eyes narrowed with concentration. It was well past 10:00—the rest of the class was already in bed. But she couldn’t sleep. She’d be surprised if she ever slept a full eight hours again.

Kirishima had been really confused when she’d knocked on his door asking for his spare punching bag. “You could use the one that’s already up in my room; I don’t mind sleeping on the couch for a few hours,” he’d said, but she’d politely refused. She had no idea how long she’d be at it. Probably until her knuckles were red and raw and her blood was staining the bag. That, or until Shoto finally realized she was gone and came out to drag her back to their dorm himself.

He was who she expected to see when she sensed movement behind her. Instead, she came face to face with Midoriya. Her face dropped, and she went back to her strikes. “You should be sleeping.”

He opened his mouth, likely to turn the point on her, then closed it. “I couldn’t sleep until I apologized to you.”

Katherine paused. She half-turned, eyeing him curiously. Midoriya held her gaze, his arms crossed in front of him, as though he were holding himself. “I made you a promise, and then I broke it. I was wrong. And I don’t know how to make it up to you. So please, tell me how I can show you I’m really, truly sorry.”

She looked at him blankly. How was she supposed to respond to that? Where did she go from here? Did she want anything from him? She wasn’t expecting to be faced with an apology this soon after the fact, especially not one like this.

“…I want to be able to trust you again,” Katherine said quietly. “You figure it out from there.”

Midoriya didn’t say anything; he just nodded, lowering his gaze. “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he mumbled.

“But you did,” she stated as she passed him. “And now you have to deal with it.”

Midoriya tensed, then sighed. “Goodnight, Katherine.”

Katherine paused and looked back. “Goodnight, Midoriya.”

With that, she continued making her way back to her dorm room, healing her left hand as she walked. When she got to her door, it opened on its own and revealed Shoto on the other side. “Oh. Hey. I was about to come and find you.”

“Ah—sorry, I couldn’t sleep. I had to go punch something,” Katherine explained.

Shoto gave her a bewildered look before dropping his gaze to her hands. He took the right one, still bleeding from the knuckles, and his expression grew concerned. “You’re not wrapping your hands?” he asked.

“Well, no. I like the sting.”

His brow furrowed further but he didn’t say anything more, leading her into their dorm room. “C’mon. You need to sleep.”

Katherine smiled softly at him as she healed her other hand. She must’ve been more tired than she realized, because the moment she was secure in Shoto’s arms, her eyes drooped and she drifted off.

Then, her eyes opened again, and she was faced with the same throne room she’d seen after the first battle against the Paranormal Liberation Front. This time, Nightmare and Fallen were seated with the wielders. Katherine sighed, trying not to look annoyed.

Yeah, I know, I’ve gotta forgive him at some point. I’m working on it, okay?

“That’s not what this is about,” Nightmare told her, “but good on you for being self-aware.”

Oh. Then why am I here?

“To discuss the next phase of your mission,” Bruce answered.

“You and Izuku played your individual parts excellently,” Nana clarified. “Now that you’ve been reunited, your objectives have changed.”

Katherine blinked, puzzled. Shadow must’ve noticed her expression because his wings ruffled as he piped up. “We should get to the point. All these dramatics are wasting our already limited time.”

“Indeed. Katherine, as you know, your goal as Justice was to antagonize All For One,” En said.

I thought we all agreed we wouldn’t use that name outside of the vigilante spree.

“The point is you did wonderfully. All For One saw you as enough of a threat to send one of Shigaraki’s inner circle after you when they should have been preparing for their next move,” Fallen stated.

Yoichi nodded. “Now that my brother has been set on edge, he may start analyzing some other potential threats to his reign as the Demon Lord. But right now, we must bring the focus closer to home.”

Katherine tilted her head as Yoichi clasped his hands together.

“Tomura Shigaraki’s body will be healed and completed in three days.”

Her mouth went dry.

What? That can’t be possible. All of Ujiko’s research was either destroyed or confiscated; how could he have recovered so soon? And if you knew he would, why have I been fucking around for the last two weeks instead of making some actual headway?

Yoichi held up a hand to quiet her. “You don’t need to worry, Katherine.”

Uh, I think we all need to be way more worried than we are.

“But don’t you see? Now that All For One has grown agitated, he may choose to make his move sooner, before Shigaraki’s body is ready,” Hikage stated.

Wouldn’t that be even worse? Even with U.A.’s defenses being as great as they are, three days is nowhere near enough time to mount the proper force we need to defeat Tenko or All For One.

Daigoro shook his head. “You don’t have to worry about that yet. He won’t be coming after U.A.”

Katherine stopped pacing and turned to him, raising an eyebrow.

How do you guys know that?

Nightmare shrugged. “It’s a hunch. You’ll hear more about the situation tomorrow morning. But we wanted you to be ahead of the game, in a sense—if we’re wrong, and it doesn’t play out how we think it might, you’ll need to start kicking things into gear yourself.”

Katherine’s brow furrowed. She still didn’t exactly understand what this was about, but she got the gist—something was going to happen tomorrow, the wielders thought All For One would put Shigaraki on the playing field, and if he didn’t, they were fucked.

Okay. Fine. I can do that. But, y’know, it’d be great if you guys actually told me what’s going on for once.

She squinted as the sun hit her directly in the eyes through Shoto’s curtains.

Jerks.

Chapter Text

“Why did the Spoonbill call us down here again?” Bakugo complained, propping his feet up on his desk. “It’s too damn early for this. It’s not like any of us slept last night.”

They’d been waiting in the 1-A classroom for at least ten minutes. Katherine checked the time on her phone. It was already 9:00, and the Top Three Pros were still nowhere to be seen. Hawks had been very specific about their meeting time—where could he be?

When she didn’t respond to Bakugo, Shoto answered for her. “Technically, he only invited her. We’re just tagging along.”

“Shut up, Icy-Hot! I’m not some B-Squad sidekick!”

“Well, Hawks said it was important, but apparently not important enough to be on time,” Katherine interrupted, turning to the boys. “I mean, really, we have things to do, too. You’d expect them to be a little more–”

She cut herself off as the door opened. But instead of Hawks, Jeanist, and Endeavor, Detective Tsukauchi and Sir Nighteye walked in. The three teens perked up with interest. “Sorry we’re late,” Tsukauchi apologized. “This was a short notice request. We’ll be filling in for the Top Three.”

Bakugo huffed. “Great. They cut into breakfast, and now they can’t even be bothered to show up.”

Katherine gave him a stern glare before looking back at the detective and Sir Nighteye. “Long time no see. I guess Sukii finally gave you a hand, sir.”

Sir Nighteye adjusted his glasses with his new prosthetic arm. “Very funny, Ride.”

“I try.”

“Shifting back to business,” Shoto interjected, “why wasn’t Hawks able to make it? He’s the one who called Katherine.”

“Star and Stripe is on her way with her entourage. They’re predicted to touch down earlier than expected, so the Top Three are on their way to meet her,” Tsukauchi explained. “Hawks asked us to fill in when he got the updated ETA a few minutes ago.”

Bakugo pushed off the desk with his feet and let his chair fall forward. “Hold it. America’s Number One Pro is here, and we’re just hearing about it?”

Katherine, on the other hand, sighed quietly with relief. At least now she knew what everyone was being so cryptic about last night in The Bridge.

Star and Stripe—she’s Number One in the States for a reason. I’ve only heard a little about her quirk, but the gist is she can change the way things work, including the laws of nature. She’ll be hard to beat if she’s got a solid approach. If All For One’s gonna make a preemptive move against anyone, it’s her.

“See? She would’ve figured it out on her own,” Daigoro said to the others.

It’s always good to be prepared.

No comment.

“I don’t think you have to say ‘no comment,’ Nightmare,” Shadow pointed out. “You could just not say anything.”

For the record, Papá’s right, but also, everyone shut up.

“I thought we were having trouble getting international help,” Shoto stated. “Why did the American government suddenly change their minds?”

“They didn’t.”

They all turned to see All Might standing by the door. He looked more tired than usual, but all in all, he was in good shape. “As far as we’re aware, the U.S. isn’t sending any further aid,” he told them. “But Cassie and I have met on more than one occasion. I imagine the decision to help was her own.”

“You’re saying she just up and left?” Bakugo questioned.

Katherine grinned. “I’d call it bypassing the red tape.”

“Of course you would; you’d probably do the same thing.”

“Anyways,” Sir Nighteye began, “now that your class is part of the operation, Hawks thought it’d only be fair to let you know so you can start planning accordingly. At least, that’s how he explained it to us.”

“Right. We’ll get that back to the class. Any idea when she’ll be here?” Katherine asked. “We can bring her into the loop on One For All.”

Tsukauchi looked at his clipboard. “The last transmission said they were about sixty kilometers from the coast. I’m sure they’ve gotten closer since then. I’d estimate they’ll arrive in the next hour or so.”

She nodded and smiled at him. “I’ll ask Kio and Sora to keep me updated. Thanks for the report.”

“Finally, we can get out of here,” Bakugo groaned, making a beeline for the door.

However, as they exited, All Might spoke up again. “Wait, you three.”

They turned to him as he followed them into the hall. He hesitated at first, seemingly mulling over the words he was about to say. “I’m grateful to you for what you did for Young Midoriya. And I’m sorry for any hurt or stress I might’ve caused through my actions—especially you two, Young Katherine and Young Bakugo,” All Might apologized. “I can’t imagine how worried you’ve been.”

“All Might, it’s fine, really,” Katherine assured him. “Midoriya’s actions were his own. Ms. Inko told me that you wanted him to stay at U.A. at first.”

“Still, I’ve been a poor mentor. Not just to him, but to you as well. If Shimura or Gran Torino could see me now…”

Her gaze softened, and she cut him off with a hug. “Well, I can’t speak for Gran Torino, but Nana thinks you’re doing just fine. She does say your hair has gotten messier, though.”

All Might paused, then hugged her back. “Thank you, Young Katherine.”

When Katherine pulled away, she and All Might looked at Bakugo, who scoffed. “I ain’t hugging you, old man.”

All Might simply smiled. “Fair enough, Young Bakugo.”

Shoto cleared his throat, and with that, the trio made their way out of the school. The walk was quiet for the most part, except when Katherine stopped to say good morning to Mic and ask about Aizawa and Midnight. As she trotted ahead down the front steps, Bakugo asked her, “Remind me why we didn’t bring Izuku with us?”

Katherine turned to give him a look, but Shoto beat her to the punch. “Bakugo, quit it.”

“You two are gonna have to work through things eventually, Bird Girl,” he continued, ignoring Shoto. “You can’t be mad at him forever.”

“I know that, Katsuki,” she muttered. “I’m working on it. But may I remind you, I’m not the one who left without saying goodbye.”

Bakugo opened his mouth to argue his point, but Katherine’s phone rang, interrupting him. “You have stolen my heart, oh yeah–”

She answered quickly, grateful for the distraction. “Kio, hey, what’s up?”

“Katherine! Star and Stripe! She’s–”

“Oh, we know. All Might just gave us the scoop,” Katherine told her, bringing the phone away from her ear. “Jeez, I didn’t know you liked the American Pros so much.”

“No!” Kio continued shouting. “That’s not—he’s there! He just appeared on our radar!”

“Kio, what the hell are you talking about?”

Katherine heard Sora’s voice in the background, then shuffling, until finally: “Sorry, Kio’s freaking out. Shigaraki just intercepted the air escort from America.”

That was all she needed to hear. Without explanation, she teleported directly into the common room, kicking her shoes off and undoing her tie. “Where? I’m on my way.”

“On your way? To what?” Sero questioned, leaning over the back of the couch.

“Shigaraki’s shown himself,” Katherine replied, not sparing a glance. “I’m going out there—see if you guys can get a hold of the Top Three.”

“I’m coming with you.”

Katherine turned to see Midoriya holding a plate of food, a determined expression on his face. As she ignored the twinge of frustration in her head, she said, “Sora, hold for a moment.”

She muted herself and looked back at him. “No, you’re not.”

“Katherine–”

“End of discussion, Midoriya,” she stated through gritted teeth.

He was persistent as ever, though, following her as she hurried to her dorm room to grab her costume. “Katherine, c’mon! This is what we’ve been waiting for! I can’t just sit here and do nothing!”

“Tough shit. You’re staying.”

“Look, you want to be able to trust me again, right? I’ll prove it on this mission!” Midoriya promised, stepping in front of her when they reached the door. “Please, Katherine. We’re supposed to be partners in all things One For All, right?”

She couldn’t help it. A stream of white-hot fury burned through her at his hypocrisy. It was no doubt visible, as Midoriya backed off as soon as he said it. “Right,” Katherine said bitterly. “Because that mattered so much the night you left.”

His eyes widened, but Katherine didn’t give him a chance to respond. She pushed past him into her room. The moment her door shut, she unmuted herself and put Sora on speakerphone. “Okay, let’s get this done. I need coordinates.”

“I’m sending them to your Data Specs right now,” Sora declared.

“Great. Any idea what model the planes are?” she asked, pulling her shirt over her head.

“Uh, one sec.”

Katherine waited, pushing her wings through the slits in her jacket. “Got it. They’re X-66s.”

“Put me on speaker. Kio, can you hack one of those?”

Another pause, and then: “Huh?”

“I need you to hack their communications system. If we don’t tell them backup is on the way, they might shoot Storm and me out of the sky,” Katherine reasoned. “Can you get them the message?”

“Well, I mean—oh, I’m going to get in so much trouble,” Kio mumbled. “Yeah, I can do that.”

“Thanks, babes, you guys are the best. I’m heading out now.”

Katherine teleported back out to the common room and grabbed her combat boots, giving Mina a thumbs-up as she called out, “Good luck, Fearless Leader!” But when she came out on the front porch, Midoriya was waiting there for her—geared up in his worn costume and ready to go.

She grimaced and started to tell him to go back inside, but he cut her off. “We don’t have time to argue. Let’s just move.”

Well, she’ll give him points for persistence. She glared at him all the same as she snatched Storm’s harness from the porch. “Fine. But this isn’t making you look better in my book.” Katherine pressed her com and whistled. “Storm, meet me at Heights Alliance, and move it!”

It hadn’t even been a minute when she saw a black shape tearing toward them in the air. Storm landed with a mighty thud and trotted toward her, rumbling eagerly. Katherine hooked him up, mounted, and turned to Midoriya, who was staring at Storm in astonishment. “Are you coming or not?”

He closed his mouth and nodded, mounting behind her. Once he was hooked to the harness, Katherine patted Storm on the side. “Top speed, big guy, and don’t hold back!”

He roared, spreading his large wings and shooting into the sky. When Katherine activated her Data Specs, the destination was already blinking on her screen. “Midoriya, keep One For All at a constant.”

“Why?” he asked, the question almost getting lost in the wind.

“Just do it!”

Storm climbed higher and higher; his eyes narrowed in concentration. When they broke past the clouds and could go no further, Katherine nudged his head in the direction of the coast. He roared again—and then they dove.

Midoriya made some sort of strangled noise, holding onto Katherine as tightly as he could. This time, she let him and leaned forward so the descent wasn’t so rough. “Activate hands-free communication!”

Her Data Specs complied, and she commanded, “Call Sora Nakano!”

She picked up almost immediately. “Are you in the air already? I think you just showed up on the radar, but you’re moving really fast.”

“Yeah, it’s us. How’s Kio doing?”

Back on the ground, in a gym that had become a makeshift communications headquarters, Sora looked over at her friend. Kio was hunched over her computer, typing furiously, her brows furrowed. “Uh, she’s hard at work.”

“Does she know how long until she can send a message?”

“Lemme ask.” Sora muted Katherine. “Hey, Kio, Katherine wants to know–”

“Got it!” she exclaimed, pressing her headpiece mic and switching languages as she spoke to her new contact. “Bravo Leader! Come in, Bravo Leader!”

Sora unmuted her phone. “Kio’s got it. Stay on the line, alright?”

“Give me a sec. Hawks is calling.”

“Yeesh. Good luck.”

Sora hung up, listening as Kio continued talking with a pilot in Star and Stripe’s entourage. “Yes, sir! My name is Kio Fujimori, and I’m a counterintelligence student working with the professionals at U.A.”

“Don’t tell them that! They’re not gonna take you seriously!” Sora hissed.

Kio covered the mic and gave her a look. “I’m already in enough trouble hacking foreign government property; I’m not going to lie to foreign government officials on top of it!”

“Uh, hello?” she heard through the headpiece. “Kid, you still there?”

“Yes, sir! We’ve just dispatched backup. They should be there any minute.” She covered the mic again. “What’s Katherine’s ETA?”

“Uh…” Sora tried calling her.

Katherine picked up on the third ring, answering with an annoyed tone. “Sora!”

“Sorry, sorry! What’s your ETA?”

“Five minutes! Let ME call YOU back this time, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I will! Five minutes, Kio.”

Kio turned back to her computer, clicking on the radar window. “She should be there in five minutes, sir. Hold out until then.”

“Wait, ‘she?’” the pilot repeated. “I thought you were sending one of the Top Three.”

“…One moment.” Kio removed the headpiece, looking at Sora nervously. “He thinks we’re sending one of the Top Three!”

Sora shrugged as her phone started ringing again. This time, she put it on speakerphone as soon as she answered. “Katherine, that you?”

“Sure is. Hawks is pissed that we’re out here, but he’s letting us go ahead because he and the other two won’t get to Star and Stripe in time.”

Kio nodded and put the headpiece back on. “They won’t get there in time. We’re sending you the fastest backup we have.”

“Uh-huh,” the Bravo Leader replied unsurely. “And just who is this backup?”

“Her name is WildCard. I’m working on linking her com to your system,” she stated, typing on her computer again. “Just keep an eye out for a dragon.”

“A dragon? What are you–”

“Coms are linked! Katherine, do you read me? I’ve got you on the same line as the Bravo Leader.”

Meanwhile, in the air, Katherine pulled up on Storm’s harness. “I read you loud and clear, Kio. I’ve got a visual on Shigaraki and Star right now.”

“Wait, where?” a voice she didn’t recognize asked. “I don’t see anyone else up here.”

“You’re about to,” she responded, eyeing the cloud cover they were getting ready to breach. “Make sure Star stays clear of the blast.”

Storm growled in preparation. As they plunged through the clouds, he shot two plasma blasts at Shigaraki’s back. Katherine saw a tall, muscular woman with blonde hair move away from him before Storm dove again, evading the retaliating attack. An explosion rang out as they surfaced, skimming the clouds and dodging the X-66s.

Storm did a barrel roll and shot another plasma blast at Shigaraki, then dove for cover. Katherine felt Midoriya’s face press into her wings as they dodged lasers and high-power bursts of air, flipping upside down and weaving in every direction. When they next broke through the clouds, they were behind Shigaraki again. He turned a half-second too late as Storm hit him directly with another concentrated plasma blast. They fell back through the clouds before he could react, moving to regroup with the X-66s.

“What the fuck?!” Katherine heard the Bravo Leader on her com curse. “Who the hell are you guys?”

Storm settled next to one of the X-66s, rumbling at it curiously. “My name is WildCard, the dragon is Storm, and the sick-looking kid behind me is Deku,” she listed. “We’re your backup.”

The muscular woman landed on top of the X-66. “Well, that’s one way to send backup,” she joked.

“Star and Stripe. Nice to finally meet you,” Katherine responded. “What are our orders?”

“Keep Shigaraki—or whoever he is—away while we figure out our next move,” Star instructed. “I have to change my approach. Hey, aren’t you two a little young to be Pros?”

Katherine grinned under her mask. “You’ll have to decide that for yourself.”

She chirped to Storm, who roared spiritedly and banked in Shigaraki’s direction. He had landed on the back of a flying Nomu after their attack, and Katherine could see him sneer as they approached. “We have to be careful!” Midoriya shouted over the wind. “We don’t know how powerful he’s grown since our last fight!”

“No shit,” she replied, coming up to a knee. “First, we need to get rid of that Nomu.”

He nodded. “I’ll use Blackwhip to separate them. You’re better than I am in the air, so you should beat him down.”

Katherine glanced back at him. For a moment, it was just like old times—they were strategizing together again; utilizing each other’s skills. But staring at him for too long made her heart hurt, and she looked away again. “Sure. Don’t worry about flying. Storm can handle himself.”

The Black Death rumbled in agreement, just as Shigaraki aimed another blast at them. Katherine dove off as Storm evaded, using One For All as a boost to launch herself at Shigaraki. Midoriya grabbed the flying Nomu with Blackwhip as Storm banked past, disappearing beneath the cloud cover again. Before Shigaraki could begin freefalling, Katherine grabbed him with her levitation, keeping him at a distance as she began to climb. Shigaraki didn’t seem surprised by her presence, nor did he appear nervous—he simply leered at her. “Did you miss me, cousin dearest?” he taunted.

There was something colder in his voice, something crueler, clearly a result of All For One’s influence. Katherine let go of him but kept her levitation active, making a shield.

“Not in the slightest.”

Just as she made the shockwave, Shigaraki used one of his newer powers—no doubt provided by his master—to release a blast of air pressure. It hit her point-blank, but since she was already halfway through with Shockwave of Hearts, all it did was send them both rocketing in different directions. Shigaraki was sent hurtling toward the ground while Katherine was launched further into the sky.

Her wings flailed about as she tore through the air, too fast to stop but too disoriented to get her bearings. As she blindly tried to right herself, she felt something wrap around her waist, tugging her along. Finally, the world stopped tumbling, and she looked up. Midoriya caught her eye, smiling with relief. “Don’t worry!” he called to her. “I’ve got you!”

Katherine glanced down—he’d grabbed her with Blackwhip. “The Nomu?” she asked.

“I threw it as far as I could. It might come back, though.”

She nodded as he hoisted her up. Katherine grabbed the handles of Storm’s harness, pulling herself onto his back. “You alright?” Midoriya questioned.

“Queasy,” she replied. “Other than that, I’m good. Let’s regroup with Star.”

He smiled at her again, then tensed. “Bank left!”

“What?”

“Left! Bank left!”

Katherine tilted her head at him but swerved, directing Storm downward. “What’s your deal?”

“I don’t know,” Midoriya admitted, holding his head. “But for some reason, Danger Sense activated. It’s like there’s something here all of a sudden—something we can’t see.”

Her brow furrowed as they fell into pace next to Star and the Bravo Leader again. Star pulled back and threw a punch as Shigaraki came into view, and an invisible but ferociously mighty force knocked him through the air. Midoriya’s jaw dropped, and Katherine whistled lowly. “Holy shit.”

Star looked at them and grinned. “Not bad, right? Wait till you see this!”

She clapped her hands, sending Shigaraki even further and piercing through his body. No normal person would have survived, but he still had his super-regeneration on his side. Katherine wondered, though, how much that power could take before his body finally broke down.

“We’ve called in a favor,” Star told her and Midoriya. “Now we’ve just got to brute force things until it gets here.”

“How can we help?” Midoriya asked.

“For now, just hang back. This Shigaraki guy is a tough nut to crack, and we don’t need anyone else getting hurt today.” She reached up to her own com. “Boys! Gimme a taste of those lasers!”

The pilots obeyed, sending beams of lasers toward Shigaraki. “The lasers combine into one!” Star ordered, and like magic, they did. She held her fist out and seemingly closed it around the giant laser beam, holding it firmly. Her arms raised above her head—then thrust the laser beam into Shigaraki, making the water below them heave and swell. It completely encased him.

“A nonstop blast of the max laser will burn him away to nothing, yeah?” the Bravo Leader asked.

“I doubt it. This is just keeping him pinned down until Tiamat gets here,” Star responded. “If this were enough, Endeavor could’ve finished the job.”

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Midoriya piped up, “what exactly is Tiamat?”

Star jolted with surprise like she’d forgotten the two teens were there. “Shit, right—they’re hypersonic thermonuclear missiles. I need you kids to get out of here; you won’t be safe once they arrive.”

Katherine’s eyes narrowed. “But what if it doesn’t work? Shigaraki and All For One are both crafty. If they chose to risk this fight, it means they have a plan they’re confident in.”

“We’ll get out of range,” Midoriya promised, “but at least let us stay nearby!”

Star stared at them, then huffed. “Well, you two have guts, I’ll give you that. Just get as high in the air as you can, alright?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Katherine replied. “You heard her, big guy, let’s move!”

Storm rumbled in acknowledgment as he swooped up. He climbed until he could go no higher, eventually stopping to hover in place, a low growl emanating from his throat. Katherine reached over and tossed him a piece of fish jerky, patting him on the back. “Good job, Storm. Hang tight.”

“I can see the missiles,” Midoriya commented, squinting at fast-approaching dots in the distance. “Do you think this’ll work?”

“Like I said, Tenko and All For One are crafty. They either know it’s coming, or they’ve planned for a similar scenario. That’s what screwed us over last time,” she reminded him.

They watched in apprehensive silence as the thundering roar of the missiles finally got close enough to fill their ears. Star released the laser beam, but before Shigaraki could make any headway, the pilots refocused the separated lasers on him. Star managed to tap one of the missiles, and Tiamat’s course was suddenly redirected.

Midoriya’s grip on Katherine tightened, and without even thinking, she put one of her hands on his.

Star hurled the missiles toward the stunned Shigaraki. In an instant, there was a blinding flash of light, and then a resounding explosion that rattled Katherine’s bones. She understood now why Star had wanted her and Midoriya out of the way—even Storm wouldn’t have been able to evade the supermassive blow without warning. Maybe this could be what did Shigaraki in.

“Should–” Midoriya gulped, trying to find his voice. “Should we get down there?”

Katherine nodded, and only noticed she was still shaking when she looked down at her hands, clutched tightly on Storm’s harness. But as they banked, flying toward the formation of X-66s, her heart dropped into her stomach. “Midoriya,” she said quietly, “how far did you throw that Nomu again?”

He peered over her shoulder, his jaw tightening. “You’re kidding.”

The burned and ragged Nomu was exactly where the X-66s had been firing their lasers. Katherine’s eyes widened as the Nomu’s remains began to glow brightly. “Shit! Storm, evade!”

The Black Death dove just before the flying Nomu detonated, throwing some of the X-66s off course. “I see Shigaraki! He’s using the jets to get to Star and Stripe!” Midoriya told her. “We’ve got to stop him!”

“He’s too fast!” Katherine yelled, urging Storm to fly as quickly as he could. “If we were higher up, we could dive, but–”

Midoriya cut her off. “What if Star destroys one of the jets when he’s on them?”

“She won’t. We both know she won’t.”

He nodded solemnly. It looked like this was yet another fight that they weren’t going to win.

 Then Midoriya’s expression changed to something that Katherine couldn’t quite place. “Katherine, can you trust me right now?”

“What? Midoriya–”

“I have an idea! It’s crazy, but I need you to give it a chance! And then—then you can go back to hating me, but just for a minute, trust me!”

She felt like somebody had just drenched her in ice-cold water. Quickly, Katherine turned to face him, the distant resentment in her eyes completely disappearing. “What do you mean–? Izuku, I don’t—I never–”

He blinked, surprise clear on his face. Katherine opened her mouth to continue, then shook her head. “Ugh, we don’t have time for this! What do I do?”

“Just fly to Star and Stripe, as fast as you can!”

She was off before he’d finished his sentence.

Chapter Text

Katherine squinted through her Data Specs at Shigaraki, who was approaching Star as swiftly as she was. She flapped as hard as she could, and One For All crackled brightly around her body, but the race was still neck-in-neck. Her eyes narrowed, her jaw clenched beneath her mask.

Damnit! I just don’t have altitude I need to match his speed! What’s Izuku’s plan, anyway?

Suddenly, an unseen force came at her from the back, propelling her even faster toward Star. Katherine knew what it was the moment it hit her—Midoriya had used it on her recently, after all.

Air Force, huh? Good to know he’s the same as always.

But even with One For All’s power and the boost combined, she knew she couldn’t reach Star and Stripe.

She could, however, reach Shigaraki.

And as he swiped for Star’s face, Katherine grabbed him by the back of the neck, tearing him away from her.

Once they’d gained some distance, Katherine released him, made a shield with her foot, and kicked him with as much power as she could toward the water. She might’ve blown a hole in his chest, but she didn’t have time to watch as she backflipped, turning to Star. “Star! Are you okay?”

To her horror, Star began plummeting through the air. “I’ve got her!” Midoriya shouted as he and Storm passed her and dove after the American Pro.

While Katherine was watching them, Shigaraki appeared again on the back of another X-66. “You thought that was the end of it? You’re more naive than I realized,” he chastised.

Katherine turned to him as he smirked at her. Shigaraki held up one of his hands, brandishing the hole in the palm of it. “It may not have been enough to decay her, but New Order is mine. The U.S.A. lost this roll of the dice, and so have you, #213!”

She grimaced and made two shields, preparing for a fight.

Fuck! This is bad!

“New Order!” Shigaraki commanded, raising his hand higher. “The air is–”

Then, in an instant, his skin began to swell. It blistered and erupted as if he were exploding from the inside. Katherine backed away to avoid the viscera and blood. “He’s…”

“…bursting apart?” the Bravo Leader finished, sounding just as confused as she was. “Hang on, maybe…”

Katherine directed her gaze downward, where Midoriya had just caught Star with Blackwhip.

She knew we wouldn’t get to her in time. Whatever rule she made before Tenko stole New Order, it must be rebelling against the other quirks All For One stocked up.

“Direct those lasers at Shigaraki!” she commanded, going in for a dive. “I’ll help Deku with Star!”

Midoriya and Storm were already swooping up to meet her. “Is she–?” Katherine began.

“I think she’s okay,” he replied. “She’s breathing, at least. I remember All Might telling me that most people who get their quirks stolen are dazed for a little while.”

Katherine sighed with relief, then looked up at where the pilots were attacking Shigaraki with everything they had. “Start heading back to the mainland. I’ll catch up when we can’t put any more dents in Tenko. For now, Star needs medical attention, asap.”

She waited for Midoriya to argue, but he didn’t. “Got it. I’ll meet you back there.”

“Wait, seriously?” she interrupted before he and Storm could fly off. “You’re not gonna fight me on it?”

“You said you didn’t want to be safe,” he reminded her with a shrug. “If I’m going to get your trust back, it makes sense that I should start by respecting that, right?”

Katherine stared at him, feeling a mix of confusion and gratitude that she didn’t know how to express. Luckily, there was a commotion from above that gave her no chance to respond—she simply nodded at him, then flew upward.

Shigaraki was trying to get away from the X-66s as quickly as he could with the damage he was suffering. He had a pair of wings now, like the Nomu he’d been flying on. He must’ve stolen that quirk before the Nomu was destroyed. Katherine came up between two of the X-66s, her eyes narrowed.

Let’s go, One For All. Give me one last push!

A red aura appeared on the tips of her wings as she shot toward Shigaraki, pulling her fist back in preparation to strike. But he saw her coming and somehow raced away even faster. The sudden force from both bursts of acceleration rebounded and threw Katherine back. She felt her head slam into something solid before she could right herself.

As her vision grew dark and spotty, she wondered what exactly she’d hit—it was most likely one of the planes, but what part? The edge of a wing? Maybe the cockpit?

The last thing she felt before completely losing consciousness was something snagging her around the waist.

…

“Hey, Dove, up and at ‘em.”

Katherine’s eyes flew open. She grumbled as she sat up and rubbed the back of her head—even in The Bridge, the pain lingered dully.

Shadow sat back on his knees, looking relieved. “Oh, good. You were taking a while to come to. I got worried.”

She slowly looked around, then huffed.

Papá, am I dead?

“What? No, of course not! Why would you think that?” he asked.

Well, I got knocked out in the air above open ocean, so I probably died when I hit the water’s surface, and even if I didn’t, I’m still unconscious and currently drowning.

“Dove, you never made it to the water. Izuku caught you.”

Katherine paused, then tilted her head.

He did? But I sent him away.

Shadow smiled at her. “Well, he didn’t get very far. Did you think he’d just let you fall?”

She shrugged and fiddled with her necklace, her wings flapping absentmindedly.

Why did you bring me here, Papá?

“Does there have to be a reason? Other than wanting to see my daughter?”

No. I was just wondering.

“No ulterior motives here, Dove.” Shadow tilted his head back at her. “Is there something on your mind?”

…I don’t know what to do about Izuku.

“What do you mean?”

Katherine pulled her knees to her chest.

I know that I need to forgive him so we can focus on defeating Tenko and All For One, and sometimes it feels like we’re right in sync again. But then I remember that night, and how we fought, and how I was so upset that I exploded—literally, in a way. I want to trust him again; I just don’t know how I’m supposed to get past all of that.

Shadow listened intently, then smiled softly at her and nudged her with his wing. “Well, Dove, here’s the way I see it: sometimes, good people will do bad things for the right reasons. It’s just the way the world works. But I don’t think that bad people do good things for the right reasons, y’know? And Izuku’s a good person, right?”

Katherine nodded slowly as she shifted closer to him, leaning against his shoulder. “Then you know what to do,” he promised as he wrapped his wing around her. “Just be open with him, okay?”

I must get my temper from Mamá, huh?

Shadow chuckled nervously. “Yeah, I can’t answer that. The abyss has ears.”

Katherine giggled quietly, her eyes closing again.

Thanks, Papá.

When Katherine next opened her eyes, she was staring at the all-too-familiar blank ceiling of a hospital room. She sat up with a huff, catching Midoriya’s attention—he was in the chair next to her bed. “Oh, you’re awake. That was quick.”

“They took me to a hospital?” Katherine griped, reaching for the back of her head. There was dried blood in her hair, but otherwise, she felt perfectly fine.

“Uh, well, the pilots didn’t know about your healing power,” Midoriya said with an apologetic smile. “I tried to talk them out of it, but then we met up with Hawks, Endeavor, and Best Jeanist. After they showed up, I knew it was a lost cause.”

Katherine nodded. “How’s Star and Stripe?”

“Doing good, last I heard.”

“What’d you do with Storm?”

“He flew off after the ambulances showed up,” he told her. “He was kinda testy about the whole thing, though. I don’t think he wanted to leave.”

“He knew I was injured,” she explained. “I’ll have to pay him a visit so he knows I’m okay. Once I can get the hell out of here. Where is here, anyway?”

“Central Hospital. The same place we went after the fight in Jaku City.”

Katherine huffed again and kicked the sheets covering her off the bed. “Joy. At least they didn’t put me in one of those dumb hospital robes.”

Midoriya chuckled. “Glad to have you back.”

She glanced at him before looking down at her hands. “Good to be back.”

The two were quiet for a moment, but Katherine realized that she couldn’t keep her gaze from sliding to him. Midoriya kept glancing at her, too, but it was obvious that he didn’t want to be the one to start the conversation.

Well, I guess sooner is better than later.

Katherine cleared her throat, and Midoriya turned to her as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. “I’m sorry I called you a fucking asshole,” she apologized. “And a dick. And all those other things.”

“I think you only called me one other thing,” he noted.

“Yeah, to your face.”

“Oh.” Midoriya turned back to his hands. “I’m sorry I hit you in the face. And for throwing you into that air conditioning unit. And for not coming back to check on you when you made that shockwave.”

Katherine quickly raised her head. “You saw that?”

“Of course, I did. It was huge, and I wasn’t that far away. It almost knocked us over,” he confessed. He hesitated, then sounded bitter with himself. “I should’ve dropped the whole thing then and there. If you were so upset that it caused One For All to go haywire, then I can’t imagine how hurt you’ve been this whole time. There was still time to fix it back then.”

Midoriya went silent, his eyes narrowed in concentration. Katherine gazed at him, no words coming to her aid until she remembered what he’d said earlier. “I…I don’t hate you, Izuku,” she said quietly.

He perked up. “You don’t?”

Katherine shook her head. “I was angry at you for leaving, and I was heartbroken because I thought I’d just lost one of my best friends. But I couldn't–” Her voice broke, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. “I can’t hate you, ‘Zuku. Believe me, I tried my hardest. Didn’t work.”

Midoriya stared at her, his eyes welling up with tears. “I don’t hate you, either,” he choked out.

Katherine smiled at him, blinking her own tears away. She scooted to the side of the bed and put out her hand, beckoning to him. “Partners in all things One For All forever?”

“Yes!” he sobbed, hugging her tightly. She was slightly caught off-guard by his swiftness, but adjusted without issue, rubbing his trembling shoulders reassuringly. It was an awkward position, since she was sitting on the bed and he was pretty much hunched over her, but she didn’t care. It felt so good to hold him again.

When he finally pulled away, he wiped his face furiously. “Sorry, I just—I’m really happy you still want to be friends.”

Katherine laughed. “I missed you, believe it or not.”

Midoriya nodded, smiling at her shakily. “I missed you, too.”

They were abruptly interrupted by the door swinging open, and Shoto and Bakugo rushed in. Katherine spotted Mic and All Might behind them before turning to Shoto, who pretty much yanked her into his embrace. “Ack, Shoto!”

“Don’t ‘Shoto’ me!” he scolded, kissing her on the forehead. “I thought you said you’d stop running off without explanation.”

“No, I implied that I’d stop running off on my own,” Katherine corrected, cupping his face. “I said nothing about stopping altogether.”

Bakugo snorted, then looked between her and Midoriya expectantly. “Well? Have you two idiots made up yet?”

“Oh, shut up and get in here, Explosion Jerk.”

Midoriya tugged Bakugo down by his sleeve, and he and Katherine hugged him, to his annoyance. “Ugh! Get off me; I don’t want any part of this mushy bullshit!” he griped, pulling away.

Shoto smiled slightly, and Katherine giggled, too, before turning her attention to Mic. “I’m alright, I promise,” she stated before he could even open his mouth. “I just have a headache.”

“Are you sure? I brought you some snacks, but if you’re feeling better–” he began.

“I didn’t say I wasn’t hungry. Hand ‘em over.”

Mic grinned and tossed her a bag of chips, which Katherine eagerly tore into. She was a third of the way through the bag when she finally offered some of the chips to her boys—Midoriya and Shoto declined, but Bakugo shoved his hand into the bag. “We were talking with Endeavor, Hawks, and Best Jeanist before we came to check up on you two,” All Might told Katherine and Midoriya. “It sounds like All For One’s gamble didn’t play out like he’d hoped.”

“Icy-Hot nearly popped a blood vessel,” Bakugo interrupted, stuffing more chips into his mouth. “He thought we were taking too long.”

Shoto gave him a look. “You say that like you weren’t complaining, too.”

“Aw, Katsuki cares about us,” Katherine teased.

Bakugo glared at her as Midoriya piped up. “Is the rest of the class okay?”

“They were worried when we heard, but they’re fine now. If the hospital was allowing more visitors, they probably would’ve come with us,” Shoto noted.

Katherine grumbled under her breath, “…didn’t even need to go…”

“Don’t be like that,” Mic chided, giving her a look. “Head wounds are serious, kiddo, even if you have healing powers.”

“It stopped bleeding by the time we reached the mainland,” she complained but got no further than that as the door opened again.

A doctor stepped inside, smiling at Katherine and Midoriya. “Ms. Ride, good to see you’re awake.”

“Thank you. How’s Star and Stripe?”

“Other than the loss of her quirk, she’s in excellent shape,” the doctor told her. “She’d like to speak with you and Mr. Midoriya—if you’re up for it. One of her pilots is standing by to escort you to her room.” The doctor then turned to Mic and nodded at him. “If you’re alright with that, Present Mic, I can start getting the discharge paperwork ready.”

Mic sent a concerned glance toward Katherine, but she gestured with her head at the doctor, encouraging him to go. “Yeah, that sounds good. Just meet us in the lobby, okay, you two?”

“Yes, sir,” Midoriya replied.

The doctor led Mic and All Might out of the room. The four teenagers followed them, and Katherine noticed Star’s Bravo Leader leaning against the opposite wall. Bakugo gave Katherine and Midoriya a stiff nod before going after Mic and All Might, but Shoto lingered, kissing Katherine on the cheek before catching up with Bakugo.

The Bravo Leader looked the two up and down before grinning to himself. “You two looked a lot smaller on that monster of a dragon,” he commented.

Midoriya chuckled nervously, and Katherine cracked a smile as the pilot held his hand out. “I’m Ethan Drive, Star’s lead pilot.”

“Katherine Ride,” she responded, shaking his hand. “WildCard on duty.”

“My name is Izuku Midoriya,” Midoriya added. "Hero Name: Deku.”

“Nice to meet you kids. Shall we get a move on?”

“Yes, sir.”

As they began walking to Star’s room, Katherine apologized for hacking their transmissions. “We needed to get a message to you guys quickly so you wouldn’t shoot Storm out of the sky,” she explained. “That’s why I put Kio up to it. I hope it didn’t mess up any of your stuff.”

“Nah, it just caught me off guard. Believe it or not, I usually don’t have to deal with teenagers hacking me,” Ethan joked. “Guess I’ll have to talk to diagnostics about that.”

Katherine hummed thoughtfully. “If it counts for anything, I’m sure she’d be willing to show you how she did it.”

“Our Support Course is pretty skilled, too,” Midoriya stated. “They’ll definitely want to help you out.”

“Thanks, you two, but let’s take things one step at a time. Speaking of which…” Ethan trailed off as he opened the door to one of the rooms. “Hey, Star, I’ve got the kids.”

Katherine and Midoriya entered behind him, and Star pushed herself up with a groan. “Ugh, good. Gives me something to do in this place.”

Katherine grinned appreciatively. America’s Number One Pro was growing on her, she had to admit. “It’s nice to meet you officially, ma’am,” Midoriya greeted, bowing. “I’m–”

“Izuku Midoriya, and you’re Katherine Ride,” Star finished, pointing at Katherine. “All Might’s protégés, right? He’s told me all about you two.”

Midoriya shut his mouth, looking surprised. “He has?”

“We exchanged numbers after the International Heroes Summit a few years back,” she explained. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised it was you two who rushed to help, given the stories he sends me. You kids have gotten up to some crazy shit.”

“We have a complaint box,” Katherine joked.

Star snorted, waving a hand. “I’m not complaining, believe me. If it weren’t for you two, I might’ve ended up worse. At least I’m still breathing.”

“You still managed to bring Shigaraki down a notch,” Ethan assured her. “Whatever you did to him with New Order was brutal.”

“Right. Because of you, we have more time to plan our next move,” Katherine agreed. “Once we can estimate how far New Order set All For One back, we can start gathering our forces.”

“We’ll have to reach out to the other Hero Academies and start pitting our assets together if we want any chance,” Midoriya muttered. “Even though you’re alive, All For One still stole New Order, which might make the other countries even more wary of sending aid to us.”

Katherine nodded. “Yeah. Unless our governments can cooperate enough to put out some sort of statement that everything’s somewhat okay, we’re pretty much cut off from any more outside help. We should start working with what we’ve got, and then if we end up getting more assistance, we can piece people in.”

“Do you two do this often?” Ethan interrupted.

Star chuckled as they both looked up, broken from the trance of their planning session. “Oh—sorry, we’re kinda used to handling this on our own,” Midoriya apologized. “We took on a lot of responsibility during the battle in Jaku City, so it’s become a habit. It’s why Endeavor, Best Jeanist, and Hawks started giving us more leeway.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow, seemingly confused. He and Star shared an interesting glance, one that prompted Katherine to ask, “What is it?”

“You two fought against the Paranormal Liberation Army in Jaku?” Star questioned.

Katherine simply blinked, though her stomach was rapidly becoming a sinkhole. “Yeah. I’m sure one of us has the scars to prove it. All our classmates participated. So did the other Hero Course students from U.A.”

Star looked increasingly puzzled. “I read the report on that battle before we set off. It didn’t say anything about students being on site, let alone fighting the villains on their own.”

Well, there it was. The nail in the coffin. Katherine’s fists clenched, and she put them behind her back before anyone could point out the red sparks around them. “Unfortunately, with the Hero Commission’s track record, that doesn’t surprise me. I can assure you that Izuku and I aren’t crazy, and we were most definitely involved. Why they didn’t mention that in the report, I can’t say. But our Top Three Pros are still here, and so is All Might—we could send them along for you. They’ll probably be able to clear things up.”

“Yeah, that’d be great. You kids probably need to get back to U.A., anyway, right?” Ethan asked.

Midoriya smiled awkwardly. “Uh, yup, I guess.”

“In that case, we won’t keep you,” Star said with a smile. “Good work out there. We’ll see you around, hopefully.”

Katherine smiled back, bowed to her and Ethan, then grabbed Midoriya’s wrist and began the hasty walk to the lobby. He was quiet for a moment, then mumbled, “Your eyes are red.”

“I’m aware,” she stated through gritted teeth. “Did you know?”

“No. Did you?”

“Obviously not.” Katherine paused and ran her hands back through her hair, sighing heavily. The red aura around her eyes faded as she tried to collect herself.

Okay. Hold it together. Getting angry won’t fix this. Wait until you’ve got the class again and go from there.

Midoriya eyed her worriedly. “Katherine?”

“I’m working on it,” she said, deadly calm, bringing her hands down. “Let’s get the hell out of here. I’ll think more clearly when I’m not so on edge.”

Thankfully, the lobby wasn’t far. As she thought, the Top Three Pros were still lingering, and Katherine nodded to them (albeit rigidly) as she turned to All Might. “Star wants to talk to you guys. We’ll see you back at U.A.”

“Got it. Thank you, Young Katherine.”

Shoto stood as soon as he saw her, and she could tell from the look on his face that he already knew something was off. When she kissed him, she whispered, “Más tarde, cariño,” before turning to Mic. “Alright, let’s blow this joint. I have kids to get back to.”

He laughed. While they walked out to the car, Katherine shot a text to Kio.

Katherine: I need the mission report on Jaku and Gunga.

Call me when you get it. I’ll need copies.

Chapter Text

“This is such bullshit!”

Katherine looked up from the printed report in her hands as Kirishima crumpled his copy into a ball. “How could they strip us from the record like that?” he asked indignantly. “We did so much during that fight! Almost more than the Pros!”

“Definitely more than some of the Pros,” Sero corrected. “We took out Gigantomachia, Katherine and Midoriya fought Shigaraki off—shit, Todoroki had to fight his own brother! And they gave all that credit to the adults?”

Shoto grimaced. “It’s an unpleasant revelation. If Star and Stripe hadn’t told us–”

“Everyone, we need to be rational about this,” Momo interrupted, though her hands were shaking, crinkling the paper. “The Hero Commission must’ve had a reason to hide our involvement, no matter how much we dislike it. Right, Iida?”

Iida stared at his copy of the report, flinching when Momo called his name again. “Iida! There must be a good reason for all of this, correct?”

“Ah—yes, I’m sure there is,” he said quickly as he reexamined the paper. “The most likely explanation is public relations. I’m sure our parents wouldn’t be happy if they knew just how much of the fight we carried on our shoulders–”

“But most of them already know,” Jiro pointed out. “We told them. They’re not gonna believe a dumb piece of paper over us.”

Iida blinked. “Yes. You’re quite right. Then perhaps it is more for the sake of the general public, or the foreign countries that could send us aid. I’m sure they want faith in our Pros to be indisputable, so they removed us to make our in-service heroes look more impressive. Then again, maybe it was for our safety.”

“Even if it was because of all that, any of those warm fuzzy feelings would disappear the moment we were put back on the playing field,” Kaminari refuted. “And it’s like Jiro said, did they expect us not to talk?”

“I don’t know!” Iida snapped, surprising them all. “I don’t know why the Hero Commission did this, but if I’m certain of anything, no one told us because they knew we’d react like this!”

Midoriya stepped into the middle of the room, holding his hands up. “Guys, enough. I know we’re all upset, but directing that frustration at each other won’t do us any good.”

“Izuku’s right.”

The rest of Class 1-A turned to Katherine as she pushed off the wall she’d been leaning against, walking more into the common room. “The report’s been written and published. We can’t change that,” she stated calmly, though her eyes had that familiar gleam in them. “Something we can do, though, is prevent it from happening again.”

“How would we do that, kero?” Tsuyu questioned.

“By taking matters into our own hands,” Uraraka mumbled, mostly to herself. The others heard it, however, and she swiftly added as everyone turned to her, “Well, that’s kinda Katherine’s thing, isn’t it?”

Tokoyami nodded and looked back at Katherine. “It’s a nice thought, but even with as much as we’ve grown, we can’t defeat All For One’s forces by ourselves.”

“I never said we’d be doing it alone. But think about it—we can’t wait for Endeavor, Best Jeanist, and Hawks to get their footing again. Star only bought us so much time. If we let them pull us into things, it’ll just end up the same as it always has,” she reasoned. “We need to move first to get any control at all over the situation.”

“The Pros won’t react kindly to that,” Ojiro warned.

Katherine couldn’t help but grin slyly. “They’ll just have to deal with it, then, won’t they?”

“I’m with Bird Girl,” Bakugo declared abruptly. “She and Izuku are the ones with destiny on their side. If anyone’s gonna bring All For One down, it’s them.”

“Yeah,” Uraraka agreed, smiling at the two. “We’ll follow you guys wherever you want us to go. Just say the word.”

Katherine smiled back. However, as the rest of the class began jumping in with their own encouragements, the movement of someone turning the corner caught her eye.

Aoyama?

“Hey, take five, everyone,” she instructed before making her way over to the hallway’s entrance. “Yuga.”

Aoyama recoiled harshly, making her wings twitch with surprise. “Uh—yes, Katherine?”

“Cool it; I’m not gonna end you or anything,” Katherine joked, putting a hand on his shoulder. He laughed, but there was no humor in it. “You just look down. Everything okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine,” he answered, but he avoided her gaze.

Katherine tilted her head, eyeing him with concern. “Are you sure? I know all of this is pretty much the worst, but we’re not done for yet. We’ve got each other, and that’s better than nothing, isn’t it?”

Aoyama paused, then nodded. “Of course, it is. I’m sorry, I’m just…not feeling well. I think I’ll go take a nap.”

As he left, her eyes narrowed with confusion. Aoyama had been oddly quiet lately, but she’d chalked that up to concern over the situation they found themselves in. This, however, seemed different—and it only worried her more.

She had half a mind to go after him, but then the door to the common room opened. Class 1-A turned as All Might and Mic hastily entered, and Katherine tilted her head again as she dipped back in. “All Might, you’re back already?”

“Cassie told me about the report,” he blurted out.

Kaminari looked at him, bewildered. “Cassie?”

“Star and Stripe,” Shoto explained as All Might continued. “None of us had any idea—you kids did so much for us during the battle—if I had known–”

“Woah, okay, calm down,” Katherine interrupted quickly. “I’m not going scorched earth on anyone yet; there’s no need to be frantic.”

He paused, then cleared his throat. “Ah. Well—good.”

“He called me on his drive back. I was the one who thought you were gonna go scorched earth,” Mic clarified, perhaps to shift some of the blame.

Katherine shrugged. “A fair assumption, given my recent behavior. But I’ve matured. We’re past that now.”

“She wants to be in charge of the mission so it can’t happen again,” Sero interjected.

All Might and Mic stared at him, then glanced at Katherine, who just gave Sero a look. “Hanta.”

“Yeah?”

“I know where you sleep.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Wait, hold on a moment,” All Might began, holding a hand up. “What do you mean by ‘in charge?’”

Katherine sighed and turned back to him. “Every time we’ve been in battle, we’ve been acting under the orders of other people. That’s made it harder for Izuku and me to play our roles. I know it might be a little easier now that most people know about One For All, but this report incident made me realize that the only way we’re ever going to ensure that we’re exactly where we need to be when we take down All For One and Shigaraki is if we have control over the mission.”

“All Might, think about it—you and the other wielders have always had more autonomy because you mastered One For All as adults,” Midoriya added. “And you, especially, had more freedom as the Symbol of Peace. We have that extra hurdle because we’re teenagers. But if we were given the same liberties as the Pros in charge–”

“I understand where you two are coming from, but you’ve got to remember that it’s not just All For One and Shigaraki we’re worried about,” All Might stated. “We still have to deal with Dabi, Toga, Spinner, the six remaining High-End Nomu, the remnants of the Paranormal Liberation Front—not to mention the escaped convicts still roaming the streets. All For One will call on them when he makes his move.”

“But it won’t just be us,” Katherine argued, gesturing at the rest of Class 1-A. “We have our friends, and we have the rest of the Pro Heroes—I don’t want to do this alone anymore, All Might; I just want to lead them. And it’ll be a lot easier to convince everyone else if I have someone on the second party supporting me from the start.”

All Might hesitated before looking at Mic for his opinion. Mic gazed at Katherine for a moment, then asked, “Are you sure this is what you want?”

She nodded determinedly.

“…Let’s hear your plan, kiddo.”

Katherine brightened, then stopped almost immediately. “Oh, well, we didn’t get that far. A lot of my day was thrown off by the whole Star and Stripe thing–”

“Now that you mention it, though, we could use your strategy from when we saved Midoriya, kero,” Tsuyu mentioned.

Kaminari nodded. “Oh, yeah! Where we move in waves instead of as one big team!”

“But there are still so many forces,” Shoji pointed out. “Are we saying that we just go after all of them at once?”

“That was our downfall in Jaku and Gunga, I believe,” Momo mumbled. “We split our forces in two and went after a large force that had been gathered in one place. But if we were to split the villains up as well–”

“–we could section people off into groups specifically created to defeat that particular villain!” Midoriya finished excitedly. “Hold on! Let me get my notes!”

“We’ll need to step up our training,” Tokoyami declared, “and put the finishing touches on our new moves.”

Shoto looked down at his hands, eyes narrowed in concentration. “Right.”

As her friends continued speaking amongst themselves, Katherine turned back to All Might and Mic. “Give me until tomorrow. I’m sure we can work something out by then.”

“It sounds like you already have a good start,” All Might said with a smile. “I have faith in you, Young Katherine.”

She smiled back. “Thanks, All Might.”

All Might placed a hand on her shoulder, then moved to speak with Midoriya, who’d just returned with his notes. Once he was out of earshot, Katherine turned to Mic, noticing he still looked concerned. “Dad, I can do this,” she swore. “I know I can. It’s reckless and unconventional, but if there’s any bright side to this arguably insane idea, it’s that we have the element of surprise. All For One won’t expect the Pros to hand over control to me of all people.”

Mic just smiled at her—a melancholy smile, as though he still wasn’t sure how to feel—and hugged her tightly, surprising her. “Shota and Nemuri would be proud of you, Katherine.”

Her eyes widened, but she hugged him back. “Thanks, Dad.”

They pulled away just in time to see Midoriya approaching. “All Might just gave me all the data they could get from the X-66s. I think we should get out and train so we can start putting together possible teams,” he suggested.

“Sounds good. Class A, let’s head to the yard! We can talk more about planning while we’re working on powering up.”

“Yes, ma’am!” they chorused.

…

Katherine grunted as she fended off Dark Shadow with a shield, then glanced at Midoriya while he sparred with Bakugo. “New Order set him back a week? That’s better than I’d hoped for.”

“Yeah, and it destroyed a ton of Shigaraki’s quirks, too!” Midoriya yelled back, dodging an A.P. Blast. “We’re not sure what specifically he lost, but at least we’re at less of a risk now.”

“Stop chit-chatting and focus, you idiots!” Bakugo griped, hurling a cluster of explosions at Midoriya. “You won’t be able to talk like this when you’re fighting All For One!”

Tokoyami took the distraction as an opportunity to advance with his Piercing Twilight Claws move. Though Katherine tried to use Diamond Shield Outburst to dissuade Dark Shadow, he pressed forward, refusing to let the light and energy push him back. Given she was still tired from the earlier fight, she couldn’t react in time, and the Piercing Twilight Claws smacked her away.

Katherine groaned as she rolled to a stop outside of the makeshift ring, not even making an effort to stand. “I yield. Fearless Leader is tired. She needs a breather.”

Mina laughed as she knelt next to her. “Well, I’ve got something to wake you up. Guess who’s trending?”

“Who?” she questioned, sitting up slightly. Her brows furrowed when Mina held out her phone, and on the screen, she saw herself and Midoriya advancing toward Shigaraki as they had that morning. “Mina, what is this?”

“The footage from the fight! It’s all over the news in America. I guess their government must’ve released it.”

“The people were likely worried about Star and Stripe,” Iida mused. “The officials there are using this as a way to show that she’s safe.”

“And the news is using it to get their ratings up,” Jiro snorted.

Katherine grimaced. “Please tell me there’s not a clip of me smashing headfirst into one of the fighter jets.”

“Uh…” Mina scrolled forward through the recording and gave her an apologetic look.

“Great. That’s mortifying.”

Midoriya landed next to them, opened his mouth to add something, and just as quickly leaped away when Bakugo came at him with another cluster of explosions. Katherine stood and tilted her head curiously. “Katsuki, how’re you doing that? I know you used that move when we went up against Shigaraki as a group, but I don’t remember it looking so tidy.”

Bakugo finally stopped and gave Midoriya a chance to catch his breath as he responded, “It’s anything but. I’m saving up beads of sweat for a barrage of explosions all at once. It gives a big upgrade to all my other moves. Takes a while to heat up enough, though.”

“Hence the winter costume,” Midoriya chimed in before avoiding the next blast.

“Overheating drains me, but it’s the choice I’ve gotta make.” Bakugo paused and gave her a look. “Of course, you’d know all that if you hadn’t been so busy being Little Miss Pain in the Ass the last few weeks.”

She flipped him off as Midoriya stated, “Looks like you’re trying something new, too, Todoroki.”

Shoto had his hands in front of his face, his fingers laced together. Steam gathered around him, hot and cold air blowing his hair out of his intensely focused face. “I’m still figuring it out,” he commented, losing his momentum shortly after. Katherine watched as he coughed, his hair falling back in his face.

Fluffy.

Katherine, focus.

Oh, I’m focused.

She teleported over to Shoto and ran a hand back through his hair. “So, what’s this new move for?”

“I can utilize my left side just as well as my right now,” he answered, still looking at his hands. “The next step is putting them together; creating a body that even Toya’s flames can’t burn.”

Katherine hummed with interest, continuing to brush Shoto’s hair back with her hand. He turned to her with an eyebrow raised. “You just came over here to play with my hair, didn’t you?”

“What? No; that’s absurd. I’m interested in your progress,” she refuted.

“Uh-huh, sure.”

Katherine smiled at him and looked over as Kaminari called to her from the porch. “Yo, Fearless Leader!”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“You guys keep talking about this mission like it’s gonna be an all-out war,” he said as she walked over, “but aren’t the two big bads on the ropes right now? Plus, we’ve got Gigantomachia down and snoozing, so won’t we be able to make quick work of everyone else?”

“There’re three reasons why that ain’t the case,” Bakugo butted in, taking a sip from his water bottle.

“Three whole reasons?” Kaminari muttered as Bakugo continued. “First off—finding them at all is unlikely. The Pros found the Nomu hangar in the hospital, Shigaraki’s hideout in the woods, and all those secret labs, but those were handed to us by someone on the inside. No one’s ever managed to track down All For One himself. Old Nutsack Face is the world champ at hide-and-seek.”

Katherine snorted, and some of the other One For All wielders found the nickname hilarious, too. “Reason two,” Momo began, “is that Shigaraki’s body wasn’t even complete when we were defeated before, while our forces have thinned to half their former numbers.”

“And third, they’re the ones with their fingers on the trigger,” Bakugo finished. “Even though Shigaraki lost a shit-ton of quirks against Star and Stripe, they still have the power to make the opening move. That’s why Bird Girl isn’t having us go completely A.W.O.L.—sheer numbers will give us a fighting chance.”

Katherine shot him a look but didn’t get a chance to respond as Midoriya added, “If anything, we can choose how we enter the fight, hopefully in a way that steers it in our favor. I’d better rejoin the search as soon as possible.”

Iida gently chopped him on the head. “Don’t you mean we’d better?”

Midoriya gave him an apologetic smile, then stood. “Right, we. On that note, d’you think I could go for a quick walk?”

“I don’t see why not. Relations between the Hero Course and the evacuees have grown warmer since Uraraka’s stirring speech.”

Katherine caught Uraraka’s gaze and smiled brightly at her, causing her to blush and look away. “Hey, ‘Zuku, mind if I join you? I need to check on Storm.”

“Yeah, sure.”

And so, the two set off into the woods. As they walked, they talked about power growth and new moves—Katherine needed to play catch-up since they had been separated. “I’ve been getting faster. With Fa Jin, I can mimic 100% of One For All’s power without any backlash,” Midoriya explained. “I wonder if maybe you could do something similar—build up energy with your strength enhancement or levitation and then release it in a huge shockwave.”

Katherine hummed thoughtfully. “I don’t know how I’d build it up, though. When I made that shockwave the night you left, it was because I was distraught, not because I’d been bottling up my power. If I’m being honest, I think I’ve hit my limit on Ultimate Moves. Now I just have to strengthen every one of them until I can’t level up anymore.”

Midoriya nodded. “Levitation is especially important, then. It’ll break down Shigaraki’s regeneration quickly.”

She glanced at him before looking at the ground. “I’m not going to fight Tenko.”

It took a moment, but Midoriya stopped in his tracks, staring at her. “Really? I thought—he’s your cousin, so—I mean, I don’t want to assume, but–”

“You said you wanted to save him, remember?” Katherine reminded him, picking her head back up. “There won’t be anything left to save if I get to him first.”

“…I thought you didn’t want me to save him,” Midoriya stated hesitantly, looking confused.

She bit at the inside of her cheek and looked down at her necklace. It was true—she wanted nothing more than to see Shigaraki suffer for everything he’d put her through. But she’d seen that little boy, too. She couldn’t deny that there was something more to his and All For One’s relationship, something darker. What kind of hero was she if she didn’t at least try to help?

There’s only one way to make both of us happy, so here’s hoping I’m not dooming all of humanity.

“You get one chance,” Katherine told him as she met his eyes again. “But Izuku, if he rejects you, you need to swear to me that you’ll tear him apart. I stand by what I said before—I will not let him hurt anybody else the way he hurt me. Don’t give him a chance to.”

Midoriya looked surprised, but he set his face and held his hand out. “I won’t.”

“One chance,” she repeated, taking his hand.

“One chance,” he agreed, and the two shook on it.

Katherine sighed quietly, glad that that was finally taken care of. “Alright, good. I’m gonna go check on the dragons. I’ll meet you back at Heights Alliance.”

“Dragons—there’s two?!”

“Oh, yeah, you should ask Shoto all about it. See ya.”

She snapped her fingers and teleported just outside of the ivy curtain, then stepped through. “Storm, I’m back!”

The Black Death bounded over to her, rumbling worriedly. “Hey! Hey, big guy, I’m okay, I promise,” Katherine cooed as she scratched his neck. “Oh, were you worried about me? I’m touched, seriously.”

Glacier stood from her sleeping corner and padded over to see what all the commotion was. Storm respectfully took a step back so she could examine Katherine for herself. All it took was a quick look up and down, and Glacier crooned approvingly before going back to her napping spot. “I think your queen is finally getting used to me,” Katherine whispered excitedly to Storm, who chuffed in reply.

She had only planned to stay for a moment, but Storm trotted away, grabbed a large branch, and presented it to her, purring eagerly. “Oh, okay. One game of tug-of-war, but then I have to get back to training.”

His tail swayed happily as she took hold of the branch. “One, two, three!” Katherine exclaimed, digging her heels into the ground.

Storm growled playfully and pulled back, but Katherine held fast. She took a step back, yelping as Storm tugged her forward again. At first, it seemed they were locked in a standstill, until Storm sat back on his hind legs, taking Katherine’s feet off the ground. She dangled there for a moment, then gave him a look. “I still don’t think this is very fair.”

Chortling, Storm set her back down and dropped the branch before moving to nuzzle against her. Katherine grinned as she scratched him behind his ear appendages, avoiding the com she’d placed there. “You know, Storm, if Shoto’s bonding with Glacier, it’d be great if they were together when shit finally goes down,” she rambled, looking at the Devil Wing again. “I mean, you’re the ideal backup. You’re long-range and close-range fighters, you can fly—I’d like to have you on-site, but Shoto and Glacier haven’t worked out a communications system, so they wouldn’t be able to cooperate unless–”

Katherine stopped abruptly.

Unless he had the cassette player Sukii upgraded for her.

“Storm, it’s been lovely chatting with you, but I have to go,” she said quickly, kissing him on the snout. “I’ve got a mission to plan!”

The Black Death gave a puzzled rumble but let her go. Katherine was so excited to tell Shoto about her idea that she completely forgot she could teleport until she had run almost to the edge of the woods—and then, as she prepared to snap her fingers, she heard a commotion coming from nearby.

Immediately, she jumped to the worst-case scenario and sprinted in the direction of the noise, screeching to a halt and activating One For All when she saw Midoriya and Hagakure standing together. “Hey! Are you guys okay? I heard–”

Katherine froze.

Midoriya was restraining Aoyama and two adults—a man and a woman, Aoyama’s parents—with Blackwhip. Tears were streaming down Aoyama’s face, and he couldn’t meet her eyes. Katherine surveyed the situation, then swallowed dryly, her fists clenching.

“What the hell is going on here?”

Chapter Text

Name: Storm

Species: Black Death

Class: Fear Class

Subclass: Terrestrial

Height: Six feet tall

Length (From Head to Tail): Sixteen feet

Wingspan: Forty feet

Eye Color: Cloud grey

Primary Color: Obsidian black

Marking Colors: No discernable markings

Top Soaring Speed: Seventy-five miles per hour

Top Diving Speed: Two-hundred-fifty miles per hour Almost a thousand miles per hour in special circumstances.

Fun Facts!

Black Deaths are solitary yet naturally curious animals.

Younger Black Deaths typically stay with their mother and father for a year.

The Black Death’s diet consists mostly of fish. Storm seems to prefer salmon.

Despite their diet calling for fish, Black Deaths reside in heavily wooded areas. The less populated an area is, the more Black Deaths are likely to reside there.

The Black Death is famous for its swift dive-bomb attacks. They are mostly used to hunt, though Storm isn’t afraid to dive-bomb some villains when it’s needed.

The Black Death’s incredible aerodynamic abilities are thanks to two parts of its anatomy—its sleek body and its tail fins. The tail fins are especially useful when making tight turns.

The Black Death uses concentrated shots of firepower, commonly referred to as “plasma blasts,” instead of spurts or bursts of flame.

Storm has a tear in the largest of his right ear appendages. I initially thought it was from a fight with another dragon, but after closer inspection, it appears to be from dragon poachers. Must make a note to research poaching statistics and maybe get Kio to look for similar job requests on her dark web message boards. (For personal reasons. Definitely not violent ones.)

Name: Glacier

Species: Devil Wing

Class: Fear Class

Subclass: Terrestrial

Height: About six-foot-five (she’s a bit taller than Storm)

Length (From Head to Tail): About thirty feet

Wingspan: About fifty-two feet

Eye Color: Cerulean

Primary Color: Off-white

Marking Colors: Light grey

Top Soaring Speed: Estimated about seventy miles per hour

Top Diving Speed: Estimated about two-hundred miles per hour (Glacier is larger, so she’s not quite as fast as Storm)

Fun Facts!

Glacier is part of an elite species/subclass of dragons called Devil Wings. Before we found her, Devil Wings were considered myths. The researchers at Dragon’s Den are gonna have a field day if they ever find out she’s real.

Because Glacier is essentially a living legend, we know nothing about her. And given she doesn’t seem to like humans (understandable) it’ll probably take a while before I can update my notes with solid facts. It’s so exciting!

As written out in the legends, Glacier has a specific call that she can use to draw other Fear Class dragons in the area to her. She also appears to have the ability to echolocate.

She uses concentrated blasts, just like Storm. No idea if they’re more powerful. All plasma blasts feel the same when they’re rocketing over your head.

She also has feathers, sort of like a Froststrike! I’m not sure what their use is. Maybe they help with echolocation? Maybe it’s just to draw attention like lions with manes? Who knows? I don’t! But I can’t wait to find out!

Chapter Text

Katherine never put too much thought into how Shigaraki and All For One always found them.

The U.S.J. attack. Shigaraki caused a distraction and used Kurogiri to get into the school. He grabbed a planner and found out All Might would be with their class.

That was what she’d assumed.

Tokyo. Shigaraki told her outright that he’d been there for another reason; that her presence caused his plans to change.

She took his word for it.

The siege on the training camp. A stroke of luck combined with an information leak. The Sports Festival put Bakugo’s explosive behavior on display—that’s what they saw, and that’s why they wanted to recruit him.

It was a stretch, but she’d believed it anyway.

Her identity. Shigaraki had to have figured it out on his own. She had several features that could give her away. It’d only been five years since they’d seen each other.

She prayed that was still what had happened.

There was always the chance that someone could’ve been feeding All For One information. Maybe it’d never occurred to her. Maybe she just didn’t like to consider it. She never wanted to believe someone close to her could be aiding a man who’d murdered thousands; a man who she recently discovered was to blame for 100% of her suffering, not just a portion of it.

And even now, with Aoyama and his parents restrained in front of her, she still didn’t want to believe it.

They’d gathered in one of U.A.’s larger classrooms, empty except for the Aoyamas, All Might, Sir Nighteye, Tsukauchi, a few of his officers, the other U.A. teachers (Mic even had Aizawa on video call), Nezu, and Class 1-A, of course. They were all in varying states of shock—Jiro was comforting a weeping Mina, Bakugo stared ahead with a stony expression, and Katherine’s fists were clenched so tightly that she could feel her nails bruising her palms. Shoto was gently holding her wrist, she assumed because he couldn’t get to her hand—though, she realized, it could also be a precautionary move in case she decided to lunge and attack.

There was no need to worry about that. Katherine didn’t have the emotional energy to do anything but stand there and watch, thoughts in her head repeating like they were on a preset loop.

You should have seen this.

You should have done something.

You should have seen this.

You should have put a stop to it.

You should have seen this.

You should have realized something was wrong.

You should have seen this.

You should have seen this.

You should have seen this.

You should have seen this.

“I got the gist,” Tsukauchi spoke finally, breaking her out of the trance. “All For One gave the boy a quirk ‘bout a decade ago, and through that, took control of the family.”

His second in command, Tamakawa, frowned. “Well, the fact that they’re all sitting here in one piece tells us they’re not rigged to blow the way Nagant was.”

Nezu stared at the family, then turned to the students. “May I ask you children to leave the room?”

Katherine felt Class 1-A glance at her, but she was in no state to answer. Shoto, fully aware of this, took the initiative. “No. You may not.”

“Aoyama, what were you planning if Hagakure hadn’t caught you?” Ojiro asked nervously.

“C’mon, tell us it’s a lie, man!” Kirishima interrupted.

Bakugo huffed. “Another one of us who started out quirkless. Small world, huh?”

Aoyama didn’t respond to anything they said, still crying quietly. Katherine couldn’t tell whether his silence made him guiltier in her eyes or not. She wanted to say something—anything, she didn’t care whether it would ease his mind or make him feel worse—but her mouth stayed closed, shut tightly in a thin line.

Tsukauchi held a hand up to silence the class before turning back to the Aoyamas. “I’m sure you’re aware that we’re still struggling to restore law and order. You need to tell us every last thing you know about All For One.”

“We know nothing,” Aoyama’s father confessed. “He makes his requests, and we obey…that’s all, we swear! Should we fail, he’ll kill us. If we lie to him…we’re dead. He gave us a demonstration of what happens to those who betray him—no matter where we run, he’ll find us and make us face our doom. Yuga had no way of knowing what would’ve happened if he followed those orders! He only knew he mustn’t fall under suspicion. We’re the ones to blame, not him!”

Aoyama cleared his throat, and everyone’s attention quickly snapped to him. “Your deaths…,” he began, swallowing thickly, “…your deaths could very well have been by my hands, and yet…I found myself smiling alongside you all as if we were truly friends.”

Katherine’s fists tightened further, and she felt droplets of blood ooze around her nails. “Then we learned Midoriya was also once quirkless. Yet he faces the crushing task of standing up to All For One. I despaired when I realized how pathetic was compared to him. Rather than express concern, I wallowed in my own misery, which sent me spiraling even deeper. I’m rotten. To the core,” Aoyama croaked as his voice trembled. “I, Yuga Aoyama, am a villain through and through.”

“Then why did you try to save Kacchan and Tokoyami back at camp?”

Katherine finally tore her eyes away from Aoyama, only to see the shining determination in Midoriya’s gaze. “And the message you left me that night,” he continued, “did All For One order you to do that, too? Of course not! I’m kicking myself now for not realizing—that was your S.O.S. to me!”

Aoyama picked his head up slightly. “The reason you’re bawling your eyes out now clearly isn’t because you failed All For One. I know another hero who got manipulated by him, but even she didn’t sell her whole soul. Her spirit was crushed; that was all!”

“Midoriya, kid–” All Might interjected, but Midoriya pushed forward, declaring, “Making a mistake doesn’t make you a villain for the rest of your life!”

Katherine watched as he held out his hand, her eyes widening. “Take my hand, Aoyama,” Midoriya pleaded. “You can still be a hero!”

“Not so fast, Midoriya,” Sir Nighteye interrupted. “Regardless of the circumstances, the fact remains that the boy conspired with All For One.”

“Furthermore, though it may seem like he’s in the clear, we can’t be sure yet that he’s not booby-trapped like Nagant,” Tsukauchi added. “Until Central Hospital can run a full analysis, it’s unwise to let the boy speak another word.”

Midoriya looked like he wanted to argue, but he held his tongue, tears forming in his eyes. Katherine didn’t take her gaze off of him, but as Tsukauchi turned back to the Aoyamas, she suddenly found her words. “We can’t find All For One.”

Everyone looked at her, even Aoyama. “That’s our biggest problem right now,” she continued. “It’s why we’re having trouble finding our footing.”

Kaminari gasped loudly, as though he’d just realized what she was getting at. “If nothing else, maybe we can steer the way the villains join the fight!” he blurted out.

“Absolutely not,” Tsukauchi said sternly. “It’s too risky. If All For One–”

“If All For One knew what was going on, we’d all be dead already,” Katherine cut him off, fixing her gaze on Aoyama’s parents. “Mr. and Mrs. Aoyama, do you have any way to reach out to All For One?”

“N-no,” Aoyama’s mother stammered. “We only had communication when he came to us.”

“Looking at it from that angle,” Momo started, looking at Aoyama as well, “as of right now, there’s only one person who could possibly deceive All For One!”

At that point, Mic stepped in. “Okay, slow your roll, you guys. Jumping the gun much? As much as I hate to say it, a crime’s a crime. You all are the biggest victims here,” he stated. “Do you really think we can trust Aoyama now?”

Class 1-A glanced at each other. Katherine’s jaw tightened, but she’d run out of fighting words.

So, Iida took the lead. “All that is in the past,” he declared. “The responsibility also lies with us for being unable to perceive what lay in his heart.”

Midoriya nodded silently as Iida pressed forward. “That is precisely why when we witness our classmate weeping in despair, our urge is to reach out to him as friends. To allow him to take our hand. Because that is the only way we can once again make him our equal. Our peer.”

“The shit I went through ‘cause of him…,” Bakugo muttered, trailing off. “Five good blasts of Howitzer Impact should make us even.”

“Aoyama, you thought you were helpless against All For One, right?” Kirishima questioned. “That’s why you obeyed! But things have changed! When we went to grab Midoriya off the streets, did a single one of us give him crap for being quirkless? No! When Katherine told us the truth about herself, did we shut her out? Of course not! Because they’re our friends! And you are, too! We can still stand strong together!”

“Everyone, settle down!” Tsukauchi commanded.

Class 1-A ceased their encouragements, and he sighed, running a hand over his face. “Sorry to break up the excitement, but the Aoyama family has already told us that All For One won’t believe any lies. I understand how you kids must feel, but we have to keep cool heads about this.”

Katherine frowned but kept her mouth shut. Then, Aizawa spoke up from the tablet Mic was holding. “Katherine. Midoriya.”

The two perked up as he asked, “Did either of you have a concrete plan in mind?”

Midoriya glanced at her, and she shrugged weakly. “Um, not yet, no,” he admitted.

“Yeah. Didn’t think so,” Aizawa said before addressing Tsukauchi. “Detective, I didn’t see through the ruse either, so I’m responsible for this as well. That being said, I feel the same as my students. And I have no intention of expelling Yuga Aoyama.”

Katherine’s wings ruffled hopefully. “As Class A’s homeroom teacher, I might have an idea,” he added. “If you could cover the Aoyama family’s ears for a moment…”

As Tsukauchi gave his officers instructions, Nezu turned to Class 1-A again. “It may be best if you all went back to Heights Alliance now.”

“No,” Katherine began firmly. “Whatever Eraserhead has in mind, he can say it to all of us. We’re not leaving until–”

She felt a hand grab hers, breaking through her balled-up fist. When she turned, Uraraka was standing next to her. “Katherine, there’s nothing else we can do here,” she pointed out. “It’s been a long day. We’re all tired. We can catch up in the morning.”

Katherine knew Uraraka was right. The entire day had been one thing after another, and she was physically and emotionally spent. Her mind said fight, but any defiance had already left her at the sight of Uraraka’s expression. Putting as much reluctance as she could muster in her voice, she replied, “Fine. We’ll go.”

Uraraka gave her a small, sympathetic smile. However, once they’d left the room, Katherine separated from the group. “I’ll meet you guys there. I have to go hit something before One For All turns me into a safety hazard.”

“Katherine–” Midoriya began, but she teleported away before he could finish.

Gym Gamma was empty, which was good. Katherine didn’t have the patience to kick a bunch of people out. She finally opened her hands, and trickles of blood ran down her palms, staining her arms. As she stared at the blood, One For All began sparking around her.

You failed him.

Her furious, throat-ripping scream almost drowned out the earth-shattering CRACK as she punched the nearest wall. The sharp noise was followed by heavy thuds as the wall began falling apart, stone crumbling from the blow. Katherine exhaled heavily as the dust settled and revealed the exterior forest, then sighed, ran her hands back through her hair, and teleported to Heights Alliance.

The moment she appeared, she began pacing, wringing her still-bleeding hands. “Okay. Okay. I need a plan. If I can come up with a way to help, maybe they’ll–”

Momo walked up to her, grabbing her wrists gently but confidently. “Katherine, we’ll take care of the strategy draft. You should rest.”

“What? No, I’m fine; I’m not tired. I can’t just–”

“Katherine,” Momo said again, more sternly this time, “you are in no state to organize a mission right now. You need to rest. Midoriya lent me his notebooks and told me he’ll review the plans once he and Iida return from Hatsume’s. I’ll be keeping notes of my own, so you can make any changes you wish to in the morning. But for now, I’m putting my foot down.”

Katherine stared at her resolute face, then slowly dropped her gaze to her hands again. “I should have known,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

Momo’s eyes softened, and she pulled Katherine into a hug. “None of us saw it. It’s not your fault.”

She nodded feebly, burying her face in Momo’s shoulder. Eventually, she collected herself and headed for the hallway, where she met Shoto. He put a hand on her back and kissed her on the forehead. Once they had both showered and changed, Shoto got Katherine settled on the bed before getting a damp washcloth to clean the dried blood off her hands. “Are you okay?” he asked tentatively.

She shook her head. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She paused, then shook her head again. Shoto didn’t push; he threw the washcloth into the hamper, then brought Katherine into his arms, kissing her on the forehead again. “I know, my love. Just rest for a little while,” he murmured. “We can take care of things.”

Katherine chirped softly in response and leaned against him. Her brain was still running at a hundred miles an hour, trying to compute the new information it’d learned; filtering out what was a personal reaction and the facts of the situation. Then, Shoto ran his hands through her wings, gently aligning the pin feathers that she’d been neglecting, and her mind ground to a screeching halt.

It took some time, but eventually, she fell asleep in his lap.

…

For the first time in quite a while, Katherine’s sleep was not interrupted by one of the wielders. When her eyes blearily opened, they landed on Shoto’s bedside clock—11:30 p.m. Shoto had since laid them both down, and he was still fast asleep, breathing softly. She smiled gently at him and kissed him on the cheek, careful not to stir him as she got up and walked over to their shared closet. Rifling through her side, she found her spare hero costume—not as updated as her main one, but it’d get the job done. She wasn’t planning on fighting tonight, anyway.

Quickly, she got dressed, wrote Shoto a note, and high-tailed it to Central Hospital. Using her teleportation, she snuck in, avoiding nurses, doctors, and other officials until she finally came across a door with a sign taped on it—L.O.V./P.L.F. Counter-Force HQ.

When she opened the door, she wasn’t surprised to see the Top Three Pros and Tsukauchi—but she directed her attention to the latter, taking her hood down and holding her head high.

“I want to speak with Yuga.”

Chapter Text

Tsukauchi seemed stunned by her forwardness, but he easily recovered. “Ride, the hospital hasn’t cleared him yet. He’s not safe.”

“I don’t want to interrogate him. I just want to talk.”

“I would let her, Detective,” Hawks piped up. They both turned to him, and he shrugged. “Honestly, you’re lucky she’s asking for permission. She was fully capable of breaking in.”

Katherine gave him a look before addressing Tsukauchi again. “Ten minutes. That’s all I’m asking for.”

“Ride, this isn’t like your dorms at U.A. There’s surveillance everywhere,” Tsukauchi warned. “It won’t be a private conversation.”

“I know that,” she argued. “It doesn’t matter. Go ahead and eavesdrop; broadcast it to the whole world for all I care. Who knows? It might do you some good to actually listen for once. Just let me talk to him.”

Tsukauchi stared at her, then sighed, gesturing to the door. He led Katherine to a wing of the hospital she hadn’t seen yet—one that she assumed was for holding villains after their treatment. Tsukauchi swiped a key card outside one of the doors, and once it opened, he nodded to Katherine and left her to her own devices. Setting her eyes on the doorway, she inhaled quietly and stepped inside.

Aoyama was still restrained, just like he’d been at U.A. He looked up through the glass window separating them as Katherine entered but didn’t seem surprised to see her. He held her gaze, and she couldn’t help but notice that he was trembling—from fear or something else, she couldn’t tell.

“You were with us,” she began, “when I got attacked in Tokyo.”

Aoyama dropped his eyes to the floor. Katherine’s wings bristled. “Yuga, look at me.”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, his voice shaking as he kept his gaze down. “I never thought it would go that far.”

“Yuga.”

Aoyama flinched at her tone. However, he raised his head and met her eyes again. Katherine’s wings relaxed. “I could’ve died,” she continued. “If it hadn’t been for Shoto and Katsuki, I probably would have. Group combat fucks me over, and you knew that.”

He glanced down again, not even trying to defend himself.

“So, I’m curious, Yuga—if you’re so despicable, why didn’t you stop them from rescuing me?”

“What?” Aoyama blurted out, seeming caught off-guard by the question.

Katherine simply tilted her head. “You could have stalled. A few more seconds and I would’ve been toast. But even though you knew exactly why I hadn’t returned, you let Shoto and Katsuki act. Unless you were worried about drawing suspicion, I’m willing to bet you were counting on them—and my dads and Midnight—to save me. The last time I checked, true villains usually don’t hope someone will rescue their victims.”

Aoyama swallowed, then nodded stiffly. “I did. I thought that—that maybe you would be strong enough to overpower them. And when you hadn’t returned, and Todoroki and Bakugo set off to search for you, I thought it was the perfect cover. I truly hoped you were alright,” he confessed, his voice wavering. “But even still, it doesn’t change what I’ve done. I told them where we were going. Who was on the trip. When you left the hotel. I’ve betrayed my friends. I don’t deserve any kindness—from you or them.”

Katherine stared at him as she removed her mask. “You haven’t betrayed us, Yuga. Not yet.”

He looked up at her, confused. “All that stuff you’re talking about? It’s in the past, just like Iida said. You can’t change what you did. But this is a different matter entirely,” she declared. “You have a choice now, Yuga. This is your make-it-or-break-it moment.”

“How can you have so much faith in me?” he asked as his eyes filled with tears. “Of all people, you should be the most upset. What I did led your tormentors right to you. Why isn’t this like when Midoriya left us?”

Katherine looked away. He had every right to ask—but the answer, she felt, was complicated. It wasn’t what to say; it was how to say it. The anger that had seared holes in her chest at the start of all this had waned significantly. She had an opportunity to prove that Justice was not all she was now. She still had a heart, no matter how many pieces it was shattered into.

“When Izuku left…no one knew about One For All and what I’d done,” she said finally. “The fight was fresh, and so was the hurt. My support system was already falling apart at the seams, and when he willingly broke our promise to stick together, it was the last straw. But like I said, this is different. I’m different. And once I could actually think everything through, I realized something. You’re just as much a victim of All For One’s abuse as the rest of us. If anyone is to blame here—and I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this—it’s your parents.”

Aoyama shot up, no longer keeping his head lowered. “What? No, that’s not true! They were happy until I came along. It was my being born quirkless that caused them grief!”

“Then they should’ve dealt with that! They had other choices!” Katherine argued, placing her hands on the counter. “They should’ve gone to counseling and built up a support system of their own. They should’ve taught you that being quirkless was okay, because who the hell cares whether you have a quirk or not? One of my best friends is quirkless, and they’re doing just fine. Izuku was quirkless, but Ms. Inko never asked a serial killer to give him a quirk. Yuga, seriously, it’s fucked up enough that your parents ever even considered it, let alone went through with it!”

“It’s not—if they had known–”

“Even if they didn’t, they never should have let All For One exploit you. There were other options than just rolling over and letting him have his way. My mother watched my father die. All For One told her she could live if she just handed me over, and do you know what she did? She spat in his face.”

Aoyama’s eyes widened. “My mother…” Katherine’s voice faltered, but she took a breath and pushed forward. “My mother and father had a chance to live, and they died for me. That was the choice they made, because that is what parents are supposed to do. That’s what heroes are supposed to do. We fight, and if we can’t win, we save. Class 1-A is fighting for you, Yuga. I’m fighting for you. But if there’s anything I’ve learned from all of this, it’s that if you don’t fight for yourself, no one will be able to save you.”

He bowed his head slightly, silent tears leaving trails on his face. Katherine opened her mouth to add on, then decided against it, pulling her hood back up. Her part was done. “And I’m sorry,” she said quietly, “for not seeing your pain before. I’ll see you later.”

With that, she snapped her fingers and teleported to the roof of the hospital. Her wings stretched as she prepared to take off, but when she stepped up to the edge, she found herself sitting down instead, her legs hanging off the side of the building. Katherine stared at the stars, her heart feeling oddly heavy in her chest, even now.

She knew Hawks was behind her before he spoke. “Mind if I join you?”

“No one’s stopping you,” Katherine replied, fiddling with her promise ring through her gloves.

He sat next to her with a sigh, his wings flapping out behind him. The two were silent for a moment, and then he commented, “It’s nice out tonight. You wouldn’t think we were fighting a war, looking at this view.”

Katherine didn’t respond. “I think I finally get it,” Hawks continued. “Why you were so upset before.”

Her hand stopped. She glanced at him, her face somewhat hidden thanks to her hood. “Judging simply from what you told Aoyama, you have a much bigger dog in this fight than any of us—even All Might and Midoriya,” Hawks mused, keeping his gaze straight ahead. “It wasn’t only about lying; you were scared of being left out. You don’t just want to stop All For One. You want him dead, for good. And you want to be there to make sure it happens.”

Katherine gazed down at her hands in her lap, then nodded stiffly. Hawks finally looked at her with clear concern. “Kid, you need to be sure that’s what you want. Revenge is a dangerous thing. It’s destroyed people—good people. And you know full well that this won’t bring your birthparents back.”

“…You’re right,” she agreed. “All For One may be powerful, but even he can’t revive the dead.”

Hawks looked a little relieved as she got to her feet. Before she took flight, however, she finished her thought, her eyes sparking red.

“That just means there’s nothing that can save him from me.”

…

The next morning, Katherine reviewed the plans that Class 1-A had put together for her. It looked like they had only gotten as far as placing everyone in the class into groups to go against different villains, but it was enough to make a solid start. She could present the rest with a little improvisation. Besides, these would be enough to give everyone else an idea of what they needed.

“You seem anxious,” All Might commented, not taking his eyes off the road.

She looked up from the notebook in her lap and shrugged, turning to gaze out the window on the passenger’s side. “I’m okay. I just wish the class could’ve come with us. It’s thanks to them I have something to go off of.”

“I understand. Hopefully, their efforts in the field today will give us a better fighting chance.”

“Yeah.”

Silence fell between them as Katherine went back to examining the notes Momo had taken. Her fingers traced the lines of each character, hesitating at times. She knew the gravity of the situation, and she was serving the other Pros a strategy on a silver platter—but she also knew that her youth and perceived inexperience may be enough for them to disregard her completely.

“All Might,” Katherine began slowly, “what if this doesn’t work?”

He glanced at her as he put his car into park. “Why wouldn’t it?”

Katherine shrugged. “Shit sucks.”

“That’s not really a reason, Young Katherine.”

“With my track record, it’s all the reason the gods need.”

“They’ll listen,” All Might assured her. “And knowing you, you’ll make it work. You’ve never struck me as the type of person to back down. That’s why One For All chose you.”

Katherine looked at him for a moment, then nodded and held the notebook close to her chest. “Right. It’ll work. I’ll make it work.”

“Good. Now, let’s get going.”

As All Might got out of the car, Katherine inhaled and exhaled, then followed him into Central Hospital.

In hindsight, she wished she’d held off on talking to Aoyama. Her middle-of-the-night visit wasn’t going to look good on her record.

Though she knew where the counterforce team was meeting, Katherine let All Might lead the way. Her eyes were firmly fixed on her notebook, continuing to review the plans.

Even if everything here seems solid, there’s no telling what kind of tricks All For One has up his sleeves. We got a look at Shigaraki’s power thanks to Star and Stripe’s team, and I know a little more about Toga than I did before, but everyone else’s power growth is a total mystery.

Not to mention All For One may have supplied them with new quirks.

Yeah. This whole thing is pretty much a crapshoot.

Gee, thanks, guys. I’m feeling much better now. Definitely not like everything I do will only result in more death and destruction. I can’t for the life of me figure out why we don’t have these conversations more often.

“Even I knew that was sarcasm,” En muttered.

“What do you want, a medal?” Daigoro joked.

We’re just being honest! Would you rather we lie?

“Katherine,” Nana interrupted, causing them all to go silent, “All For One may indeed be able to counter every one of our advances. That’s what happened in Jaku and Gunga. However, that doesn’t mean the plan won’t work. You leave lots of room for flexibility. Keep that in mind while you’re presenting.”

Katherine stared at the notes, then closed the notebook, carrying herself with purpose.

Right. All For One will be expecting structure from the Pros. I just have to find the one thing that gives us an edge on him.

“Cassie!”

Who?

“That wasn’t us,” Bruce told her.

Katherine tuned back into the world of the living, only to see Star and Ethan Drive standing by the door to the headquarters’ designated room with Hawks and Sir Nighteye. “Hey, All Might, nice of you to join us,” Star greeted. “WildCard, good to see you, too. Where’s your other half?”

There was a beat of silence as Katherine puzzled over whether Star had met Shoto, then realized he wasn’t who she was referring to. “Oh, Izuku? He’s with the rest of our class rounding up villains. I had to duck out so I could talk strategy.”

Hawks and Sir Nighteye glanced at All Might, who smiled awkwardly. “I’ve looked over the ideas she and her classmates have myself. I think it’s worth hearing them out. They’ve gone toe to toe with the League the most; they’ll have a perspective that could benefit us in the long run.”

Katherine nodded in agreement as the door to the headquarters opened. “Alright, we’re ready for you guys,” Tsukauchi said.

They all filed into the room, and Katherine and All Might took their places at the front. All Might rolled the whiteboard over for her as she scanned the room, her eyes landing on a face she hadn’t seen in quite some time. “Ragdoll?”

The Wild, Wild Pussycat member waved at her excitedly but didn’t speak. All Might looked at Katherine expectantly. “Ah—right. As of right now, our main objective hasn’t changed. Finding the League, the Paranormal Liberation Army, and any other troublemaking losers out there is still our best bet at cleaning up this mess. But focusing on them gives All For One time to strike,” she noted, setting her notebook to the side. “So, Class 1-A and I have come up with a Plan B—a way to sway the other battle that could decide everything in our favor.”

“The battle between One For All and All For One, I assume,” Hawks guessed.

All Might nodded. “As of right now, we’re still waiting for Young Aoyama’s test results. This business with him and his family means we’ll be forced to take decisive action.”

“All Might has deemed everyone here to be trustworthy based on your current situations and actions. There would be others, but they’re in the field at the moment,” Katherine continued. “For now, we’re keeping the circle small. It’s safer this way.”

Ragdoll made a disgruntled noise. “Taking every pre-cat-tion, I get. But still, c’mon, don’t you think Ryuko and the gang could be here, too?”

“Yeah, but it’s like I said, we can’t pull everyone in at once. All For One would get suspicious,” Katherine told her. “If anything, think of it like this—they’re being our distraction. It’s not like we doubt them or anything.”

“Myeah?”

“Myeah.”

“Myeah?” Hawks whispered to Sir Nighteye as Katherine began again. “If that’s clear to everyone, then we can start talking about the key points of the plan. All Might?”

All Might reached into his bag and pulled out two magnets, drawn like Shigaraki and All For One’s faces—Katherine had put them together in a hurry before they’d left. As he placed the magnets on the whiteboard, Katherine uncapped the marker. “Obviously, Tomura Shigaraki and All For One are our biggest worries. So, whether we go with what Class 1-A and I planned or not, one thing is clear: we have to split them up.”

She drew a line between the magnets while All Might went on for her. “Based on the data recorded during Star’s battle, Shigaraki is now far more powerful than All For One. Anyone who witnessed the fight in Kamino has a decent idea of All For One’s strength. Plus, they have that mind meld they exploited when attacking Tartarus. The extent of their mental communication isn’t clear, but should they attack together, we have no hope of victory.”

“Then why didn’t they double-team Star?” Ethan questioned.

“She could’ve said All For One’s name,” Katherine answered, grabbing another handful of magnets. “The thing is, ever since the weird mind thing happened, it’s felt like Shigaraki and All For One have been grappling for control of Shigaraki’s body. He was the safer option because they hadn’t worked out their identity crisis yet—and All For One is smart enough to make his puppets do his work for him. Anyways, the point is, we need to get them at least ten kilometers apart. That’s about six miles for those of us who don’t use the metric system.”

Sir Nighteye narrowed his eyes with concentration. “Of course, they’ll do everything they can to keep that from happening.”

Katherine stepped away from the whiteboard, magnets depicting Dabi, Toga, Spinner, and a few Nomu now scattered about. “Yeah. As long as the major players are still around, we’ll be stonewalled. But if we were to section them off, screw with their communication skills—well, then we’d have something.”

“Oh, is that all?” Hawks asked sarcastically. “Sounds easy enough.”

She gave him a look. “Don’t knock it till you try it.”

“That kind of approach would require us to make the first move,” Star pointed out. “Isn’t that exactly what we can’t do right now?”

“This is where Aoyama comes in, isn’t it?” Tsukauchi asked.

Katherine paused, then turned to All Might, who took over. “The boy is still in turmoil. His very life was exploited as a resource. But he has some fight left in him.”

Tsukauchi frowned. “I sympathize, but we’re weighing personal feelings against the fate of the world. Based on my position, I have no choice but to proceed with caution.”

“Class A has chosen to have faith in Yuga,” Katherine declared, “as has Eraserhead. I’d like to at least entertain the idea of him helping us.”

“Even if he did, we already know All For One can detect lies,” Hawks argued. “How would we get around that?”

Her gaze drifted to her notebook, a slight smile on her face. “Well, even though Class A got sent back to the dorms before we heard Eraserhead’s idea, we all agree that it has something to do with a good friend of ours in the General Studies Course.”

Sir Nighteye pushed up his glasses. “Let’s say that by some miracle, this part of the operation works. While All For One still has a transportation quirk at his disposal, we have nothing. How are we expected to get Pro Heroes from all over the country to one location without drawing attention to ourselves?”

“Sure, All For One has a transportation quirk at his disposal,” Katherine mused, “but if I remember correctly, we still have Kurogiri.”

“But that’s–” Tsukauchi began.

All Might quickly waved his hands. “We wouldn’t be using him directly. Neito Monoma, one of Vlad King’s students, could copy Kurogiri’s quirk. Then we’d have what we needed without putting anybody at risk.”

The room went quiet, all arguments exhausted. Katherine felt her heart start to beat faster—her first hurdle, and she’d crossed it with less resistance than she’d expected. “Okay,” she started again, flipping open her notebook, “now that that’s out of the way…shall we discuss groups?”

Tsukauchi glanced at Hawks, who nodded. “Alright. Go ahead.”

She bit back a grin as she turned to the whiteboard. “So far, we’ve only really discussed who would go after the main five, so we’re a bit flexible here. However, some of my classmates have requested that their assignments be non-negotiable. I’ll start with those.”

“Surprising no one, Shoto wants to take care of Toya,” she listed, making columns on the board and putting Shoto’s name in Dabi’s row. “He’s been working on some specific moves to take him down. Uravity and Froppy have decided to face Toga since they know her best. Tentacole and Anima think they can talk Spinner’s followers down—they’re heteromorphs, too, so they’ll be more effective thanks to shared experiences. Of course, Deku and Dynamight are sticking together and going after Shigaraki. Both their quirks pack a lot of punch, which will work well against his hyper-regeneration…”

Katherine hesitated, then wrote three more names under the last column.

“And Earphone Jack, Tsukuyomi, and myself will be on the team facing All For One.”

Chapter Text

“Absolutely not,” Hawks cut her off. “It’s too dangerous.”

Katherine turned around and crossed her arms defiantly. “Again, these are the non-negotiable assignments. The three of us are long-distance fighters, and with my Ultimate Moves, I can fight in closer range without the risk of having my quirk stolen. Also, if I remember correctly, that stance is the thing that got me pissed off at you in the first place.”

“Katherine, as incredibly impressive as you and your friends are, you’re still teenagers. You could be killed.”

“Well, I hope not. I don’t think Endeavor’s career could take another hit. Not to mention you’re still on the ropes with the whole Twice incident.”

Hawks opened his mouth to argue more, then clammed up, looking puzzled. His expression was shared by most of the others in the room, and Katherine scanned everyone’s faces before giving them a look. “What, did you guys think I was gonna do all of this without Pro support? Even I’m not that insane.”

“Your little stint as Justice begs to differ…,” Hawks muttered.

“Keep making comments like that and I’ll put you on Dabi Duty,” she shot back, writing on the whiteboard again. “Now, onto the negotiable roles. Ingenium wants to support Shoto, and I know Pinky and Red Riot asked to help defend Gigantomachia, but everyone else is a bit up in the air right now. We haven’t discussed Pro Hero roles in-depth yet, but our starter lists give us an idea of what we need. It might be better if Pros signed up to take down the villain they think they’d be the best fit to fight—I can have Deku review the list and yay or nay it.”

“How we defeat them will prove to be more difficult. If we can keep him away from Shigaraki, All For One might be pretty easy to off—he has that life support mask, right? We break it and our chances increase like that.” Katherine snapped her fingers to emphasize her point. “Now, Shigaraki is an entirely different case. With one of Eraserhead’s eyes messed up, that’ll affect Erasure, but I think Monoma’s Copy quirk could help us there, too. As for the others, I’m leaving the strategies up to their respective team leaders.”

“Are we sure that’s wise?” Sir Nighteye questioned.

“My classmates know what they’re doing,” Katherine declared. “The more varied our approaches are, the harder it’ll be for the villains to cooperate. They won’t be able to settle on one method to retaliate.”

All Might nodded in agreement. “Young Katherine is right. This isn’t a raid or a sneak attack like we’re used to. All For One won’t pull any of his punches, so we can’t hold out.”

“I know my opinion doesn’t really matter,” Star piped up as she raised her hand, “since I won’t be able to contribute much during the battle, but I think what WildCard has presented is pretty damn solid for such short notice. We’d be idiots to throw it out the window because of a few reservations—unless you guys already had something in mind, Number Two.”

Hawks hesitated, then glanced at Katherine. Her fists tightened slightly, but she looked at him with as much hope as she could muster. She was putting her faith in him again. He was either going to restore that trust or shatter it even further, but she knew he didn’t have the heart to do that.

“You’re right. We would be idiots,” Hawks admitted, shaking his head. “I guess it’s about time we swallowed our pride and tried things your way.”

Though she attempted to keep her face as calm as possible, Katherine’s wings fluttered, giving away her excitement. “I’ll take these plans to Endeavor and Best Jeanist; see what they think,” Hawks continued. “From there, we’ll get them to the other Pros. If they have questions, we’ll refer them back to you. Consider yourself the official leader of this mission.”

Really, she tried her hardest. But she let a smile slip as she put her hands behind her back and bowed. “I’ll do my best. And Star?”

Star nodded at her, encouraging her to go on. “If you want to fight, we’ll let you fight. Having a quirk has no bearing on it. I’ve got two friends in the Support Course who would be happy to whip up a gadget for you. That goes for you, too, Ragdoll.”

Ragdoll gave her a thumbs up as All Might began speaking. “Well, I believe we’ve covered all our objectives for the day–”

Katherine quickly cut him off. “Uh, actually, All Might, there’s one more aspect of the mission I didn’t talk about yet.”

“Really? I thought we’d gone through everything.”

“Sorry, I didn’t run it by you ‘cause it relied on our strategy being accepted.”

All Might looked confused but gestured for her to continue. “Besides the method of attack, there’s one more conflict we need to resolve—the situation with the evacuees at U.A. got me thinking about it. The world has lost faith in us. If we don’t work to settle that, too, I think our political battlefield will get a bit complicated. I’m concerned that the other world leaders might choose to bet on All For One rather than us, to secure their futures in his dictatorship.”

“Ride, that’s a bit speculative for such an accusation,” Tsukauchi started to say.

“No, she’s on the right track,” Ethan interrupted, and the room turned to him and Star. “When Star saddled up to hightail it over here, our higher-ups were already suggesting something similar.”

Star huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. “A friend of ours back home has been keeping us updated, and it seems like that sentiment has only grown while I’ve been gone. Losing New Order didn’t help—Ethan and the others leaked the fight footage to the press to boost morale and get them to stall any major decisions, but it’s still a risk we’ve gotta consider.”

Hawks grimaced and turned back to Katherine. “Well, shit.”

“Yeah, that’s what I said,” she agreed. “I don’t think appealing to the governments will help us much, given the situation with the Hero Commission. I’m sure tons of countries have already tossed us to the side. Our best chance is to show the people that we’re still fighting.”

“How do you suggest we do that?” Sir Nighteye asked.

Katherine held up two fingers. “There are a couple of ideas I’ve had depending on what kind of tech we have at our disposal. One, we need a main control center that can relay messages to the different squads and update us on progress. I think that maybe the control center should keep track of vitals, too, so we can judge when to send in backup. That’ll help raise spirits while we’re fighting, too. Two, and bear with me—we need bodycams.”

Ragdoll blinked, bewildered. “Bodycams?”

“Yup. I propose that we livestream the battle worldwide.”

“But we don’t have the time or resources to organize that type of broadcast,” Sir Nighteye pointed out.

“We don’t need to organize it,” Ragdoll realized, meeting Katherine’s gaze, “because we have a hacker.”

She smiled and nodded. “Kio Fujimori will do it if she gets permission from an official. Of all the things I talk her into, she might need someone with a license to tell her to hack the global net before she agrees. She can interrupt international channels and do other hackery things to get the world’s attention on us.”

“Does she have enough experience for that?” All Might inquired.

Ethan chuckled. “If this is the same Kio Fujimori that figured out how to hack my X-66 in less than five minutes, then yeah, I’m sure she does.”

“That might be too much work for one person, though,” Hawks mused. “Even if she can get it up and running, it’s a lot to monitor. What if something gets damaged or a channel goes down?”

“Well, do we have any other hackers at that level?” Katherine asked.

Tsukauchi crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing with thought. After a moment, he sighed. “There’s a villain in our custody—La Brava. If I can convince her…”

“But then what if we fail? That won’t fix the problem at all,” Tamakawa argued.

“Yeah, but we also won’t have to worry about what the world thinks of us at that point, ‘cause we’ll all be dead,” Katherine stated with a casual shrug.

Hawks gave her a look. “What? I’m right,” she mumbled before getting more serious. “Look, even if we do fail, people will see our effort. If the footage isn’t destroyed, maybe the next uprising will be able to improve on what we planned here today. And on that note, what if we win? People will have a new understanding of what we have to go through every single day. If something like this happens again—gods forbid—we’ll have a better chance at squashing it before it can become a real threat. Even with all the variables in play, I choose to believe that we’re strong enough to overcome this. Now we just have to convince everyone else, too.”

The adults in the room looked at each other, and Katherine felt her heart skip a beat waiting for the verdict. “Then we’ll add the bodycams to our arsenal,” Tsukauchi said finally. “Is that all?”

She nodded, her wings flapping happily again. “Okay. I’d like to bring this meeting to a close. We made some good progress today, but we must stay vigilant,” he declared. “Dismissed.”

As people began filing out of the room, All Might put a hand on Katherine’s shoulder, smiling at her proudly. “Good job. You handled yourself very well. Are you staying to say hi to Eraserhead and Midnight, or do you need a ride home?”

“Staying. I can fly back to U.A. or meet up with the rest of the class once I’m done talking to EraserDad,” she assured him. “I’ll see you when we bring the others up to speed.”

“Alright. See you then.”

He followed Star out of the room. Katherine lingered by the whiteboard until Sir Nighteye was about to leave, then called his name. “Sir, could I ask a favor?”

He turned to her as the last few officers left. “What is it, Ride?”

Katherine opened her mouth, closed it, and then gathered herself. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer to her questions, but they were too important not to ask.

“I want you to use Foresight on me.”

Sir Nighteye’s eyes narrowed. “Ride, you know as well as I do that we can’t rely on Foresight anymore. You and Midoriya proved that the future I see could change. I can’t promise that whatever I see will be accurate.”

“I know that,” she began quickly. “I know that it might not matter. But as confident as I might seem, I don’t want to go forward with this if I’m sentencing my friends to death. You don’t even have to give me details; I just want to know if what I’m doing is right for them.”

Sir Nighteye’s stony gaze seemed to soften, and when he placed his hand on Katherine’s shoulder, she knew he had relented. She watched as his eyes shifted from gold to purple, waiting in silence as his expression only became more and more unreadable. Eventually, he broke eye contact with her and pushed up his glasses to rub his eyes. As she waited patiently, he gave her a slight smile.

“You will do us proud, Ride.”

Katherine felt a bit of weight lift off her shoulders, letting out a sigh of relief. “Okay,” she murmured. “Good. Maybe that’s all I should know for now. Thanks, sir.”

“You’re welcome. Now, get a move on.”

She nodded. As she exited the room, she found herself feeling lighter than she had for a while.

Looks like the hardest part is over. I can’t believe they actually accepted the strategy.

The strategy was strong. They would’ve accepted it from anyone else. This is about finally treating you as an equal.

It’s about damn time.

Katherine smiled slightly to herself, then perked up when she heard a familiar voice. “Problem Child, what’re you doing here?”

Her head whipped around so fast she made herself dizzy, but her eyes eventually found Aizawa. “Dad!” she exclaimed as she ran to him, with a brightness that was almost foreign to her.

He let out an “oomph,” when she collided with him, wrapping his free arm around her. “Well, hello. I thought you’d still be in your meeting.”

“I just got out,” Katherine told him as she pulled away. “It’s good to see you standing. When did Sukii get you the new leg?”

Aizawa glanced down at his metal prosthetic. “Last week. They said in their note that it’s not their best work, but I think I’ll get by. How’re Hizashi and Eri?”

“They’re both good.”

“And the meeting?”

Katherine smiled proudly. “You’re looking at the youngest ops leader in Japan. You’ll get the briefing once Hawks goes over things with Endeavor and Best Jeanist.”

“Gods help us all,” Aizawa muttered, ruffling her hair. “Good job, Problem Child.”

“Thanks.” She paused and looked around. “Where were you coming from, anyway? I was heading for your room, but you’re obviously not there.”

He glanced around, too, but the passing doctors and nurses were out of earshot. “I was speaking with Aoyama. His tests came back normal, so I jumped at the opportunity to talk with him before anyone else could get into his head. Guess I was still a bit late, though. He told me you talked to him last night.”

“Uh, yeah,” Katherine mumbled. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make your job harder.”

Aizawa shook his head. “It was just the opposite. What you’d already said helped me pull the fear planted in him out by the roots. Aoyama and the rest of those kids—they really look up to you, Katherine. You’ve done good by them.”

Her wings fluttered sheepishly, and she awkwardly rubbed her neck. “Yeah. You and me both.”

There was a pause between them, and then Aizawa said, “Your hair is a wreck.”

Katherine gave him a look, her hand drifting to the uneven ends of her hair. “Speak for yourself. At least I’m trying to manage mine.”

“By chopping it off with a pair of kitchen scissors?”

“How did you know?”

“That’s how I cut mine in high school. Until Nem put her foot down and started cutting it for me.”

Katherine stopped, then nodded as her hand fell to her side again. “How…how’s she doing?” she asked hesitantly.

Aizawa’s gaze softened. “She does a little better every day. She doesn’t need to be intubated anymore, which is good. Her brain waves are starting to look more regular, too.”

“Not awake, though?”

“Not yet. Sorry, kiddo.”

Katherine shook her head, a little bit of hope rising in her chest. “That’s okay. As long as she’s getting better. I’m gonna go say hi to her before I catch up with the rest of the class.”

“Sounds good.” Aizawa ruffled her hair again before kissing her on the top of her head. “I’ll talk to you later, Problem Child.”

She waved goodbye to him before setting off down the hall again. It wasn’t too difficult to find Midnight’s room; Katherine remembered the route she took when she woke up after the Jaku mission. It seemed that the room itself hadn’t changed, but sure enough, the intubation machines around Midnight were gone, and a simple oxygen mask was in their place.

Her aunt looked oddly peaceful like this, as though she was just sleeping. Katherine reached for her arm as she stepped forward, then faltered. Even though she knew her healing power could fix what had caused the coma, she had no way of knowing whether it would help Midnight wake up faster. As always, her healing was most effective when she used it on herself.

But then again, it couldn’t make things worse. Unlike Eri’s Rewind power, which would’ve reversed Midnight back to a state on the brink of death, Katherine’s quirk would only speed up the process—to a point. So, she took a breath and placed her hand on Midnight’s arm, a golden glow softly radiating around it.

There was no visible change. No difference in the brain waves or her breathing—nothing. Katherine scanned the monitors, her wings drooping. As she glanced at Midnight’s face again, her grip tightened. “I’m trying my hardest here,” she whispered, “so you’ve got to try, too, okay?”

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and made her jump slightly. Pulling it out, she saw a message from Midoriya on the screen.

Izuku: All Might just told me the meeting’s over

Here’s our location—Todoroki says hi and Kacchan says to catch up

Katherine felt herself smile as she typed a response.

Katherine: They could text me themselves

Izuku: Yeah, I said that, too

See you in a few!

She sent back a thumbs up before deactivating her healing power and looking at Midnight one more time. “Please get better, Nem. I think the dads and Eri are really starting to miss you. So am I.”

Her phone buzzed again, this time with a message from Bakugo.

Explosion Jerk: Didn’t you get Izuku’s message?

Move it or lose it, Bird Girl!

Katherine rolled her eyes and pocketed her phone, inputting Midoriya’s location into her Data Specs.

It was time to put things into motion.

…

Once the sun went down, Class 1-A was escorted back to U.A., and upon crossing the threshold into the common room, Kaminari collapsed with a groan. “Ugh…so tired…”

Katherine picked him up with her levitation and carried him to the couches. “Don’t block the doorway, Denks.”

“The search area’s so big,” Kirishima muttered as he stretched. “No wonder we can’t find the superbad guys.”

“If we had the numbers we used to, it’d be a little easier, kero,” Tsuyu said. “It’s a real problem.”

Katherine set Kaminari down and cracked her knuckles, beckoning to the others. “Everyone who’s scraped up, get over here. We’ll want to be in our best shape when we go toe-to-toe with All For One.”

“At least we’ve made progress on that front,” Tokoyami stated, offering his scratched-up arm to her. “You must have put up a good fight.”

“You could say that,” she replied, putting one hand on his cuts and the other on Sero’s cheek, healing a scrape there. “Katsuki, get over here; I saw you limping earlier.”

“I’m fine, damnit!” he griped at her. “I don’t need your help!”

Katherine gave him a look as Iida began speaking. “Bedtime on the double, friends. Our greatest strength is our youth, so our every action should fuel us for what’s to come. That includes letting our wounds heal properly,” he added, looking pointedly at Bakugo.

He grumbled but plopped down on the couch next to Katherine. She grinned at him while she finished healing Sero, then placed her hand on Bakugo’s right leg. “It’s not so bad, right?”

“Shut up.”

As she finished healing him up, the doors to the common room burst open. “I AM HERE!” All Might exclaimed. “Just like every other day!”

“What’s up?” Jiro asked, shedding her jacket. “You’re full of energy as always.”

“Just the opposite, actually!”

Katherine’s gaze traveled to Tsukauchi and Nezu as Sato voiced her thoughts. “Detective? And the principal too? What a crowd.”

“Does this concern the situation with Aoyama?” Momo questioned.

All Might nodded. “It’s about what comes next. We’re only informing select individuals for now. It’s time to discuss our final plans for this second pivotal war.”

That got their attention. Katherine leaned forward and glanced at Iida. “Sorry, Class Rep, looks like bedtime’s getting pushed back.”

“We’ll manage,” he responded. “What verdicts have we reached?”

All Might and Tsukauchi looked at each other before continuing. “We know All For One too well. He’ll never allow his location to be pinned down. The odds of the search effort finding him were always slim,” Tsukauchi told them.

“So everything we did today was pointless?” Kaminari mumbled.

All Might shook his head. “Not in the slightest. In order to lure the sneakiest, craftiest cowards out of the shadows, one must force them to loosen up and relax. Like Young Katherine said during our meeting, keeping our Pros in the field will make them think we’re still grasping at straws.”

“Our plan assumes that they’re still employing Ragdoll’s Search quirk,” Tsukauchi continued, “and therefore they can track every move our people make.”

“I get it. They think we’re like, ‘Even our desperate search efforts couldn’t locate those pieces of shit! Fuck this!’” Bakugo said mockingly. “That’s basically it, right?”

“That’s one interpretation,” Sero joked.

Tsukauchi nodded. “Everything we’ve done since Midoriya’s return to U.A. makes them think we’re exhausted and panicking. Watching us make one wrong move after another will embolden them to think we’re playing right into their hands. So, when All For One contacts the Aoyamas, he won’t expect them to lure him to a location of our choosing.”

“Yuga’s coming back to us?” Katherine blurted out.

“Yes. He’s agreed to the conditions, as have his parents.”

Midoriya broke into a wide smile. “That’s great!”

“Oh, thank the gods,” Mina said with relief, leaning against Tsuyu.

The others seemed equally excited, but Momo cleared her throat before the celebration could get any further. “If I may?”

They all turned to her. “Mr. Aoyama said that he and his family would be killed if they lied to the enemy,” she pointed out. “Until we’re positive that All For One does not, in fact, have a way to detect lies, don’t we run the risk of putting them in danger?”

“We have a solution for that,” Nezu assured her. “According to Aoyama’s parents, All For One only ever corresponded with them by voice, and never by text. They also said he wouldn’t make a move until he’d confirmed with his many allies, wherever they lurked. This suggests that he certainly has some way to instantly verify the veracity of verbal communications.”

“Assuming he doesn’t spot a lie in what he’s told, he’ll feel safe enough to make an appearance. That’s why, just like Aizawa suggested, we’ll make use of a certain someone,” All Might went on, turning to the door and beckoning to it.

Class 1-A turned, too—and, lo and behold, Hitoshi Shinso entered. Katherine noticed in the split-second before the uproar that he had a finalized hero costume, like a practical mix of Mic’s costume and Aizawa’s. “Shinso!” Kaminari exclaimed. “Sweet costume!”

Shinso nodded to them all, fixing his voice modulator under his capture scarf. “Thanks.”

“I have to admit, kero, I’m still a little confused about how you can help,” Tsuyu admitted, “because back during the joint training with Class 1-B, you told us you couldn’t make other people speak, Shinso.”

“Yeah, well, that was a while ago. I was supposed to join the Hero Course this month, where I’d have to hold my own with all of you,” he explained. “So, I’ve been training like hell to improve my quirk—but, of course, now no one’s moving up a grade until we take down this All For One guy. Still, I’ll be able to make Aoyama and his folks talk so that my motives and their emotions won’t come into play at all. The method is intense, but I can do it.”

“That’s amazing!” Midoriya piped up. “Thanks so much for your help!”

Mina bounced up and down. “So, which class, Grumpy Boy? A or B?”

“It’s gotta be us! We’re the coolest!” Kaminari declared.

Katherine smiled at them all, then turned back to All Might, Tsukauchi, and Nezu. “What about Monoma? Has he agreed to the plan?”

“He and Vlad King are meeting with Aizawa at Central Hospital right now,” Nezu told her.

“And the other Pros?”

“Some needed persuading, but everyone’s on board,” All Might said, pulling some clipped-together papers out of his bag and handing them over. “Here’s what we’ve finalized so far, with your strategy still intact.”

She accepted them with fluttering wings. “Thanks. I’ll have the class review them. When are we moving out?”

Detective Tsukauchi glanced at his phone. “Cementoss, Power Loader, and Ectoplasm are working on setting up a base of operations away from U.A. for you guys. It should be up by tomorrow. You’ll have a few days to rest, we’ll have a few days to brief everyone—and then we make our move.”

“Got it. Let’s just hope All For One takes the bait.”

“He will,” All Might stated firmly. “We’ll get him this time.”

Katherine gave him a determined smile before looking at her classmates, who were continuing to fawn over an embarrassed Shinso. Her heart swelled with pride.

If she had them by her side, All For One wouldn’t stand a chance. She knew that much.

Chapter Text

Later that night, once everyone else had started getting ready for bed, Midoriya and Bakugo rendezvoused with Katherine and Shoto in their dorm to review the finalized mission plans. Shoto stepped out a few minutes after they began to take a phone call, so Katherine held off on discussing his part of the mission, instead focusing on the dynamic duo sitting across from her on the bed. “It looks like Jeanist, Edgeshot, Mirko, and the Big Three have all signed on to help you two out with the combat side of things. EraserDad told me that he, Monoma, and Manual will be on site, too, but that’s just so you have Erasure at your disposal while you go up against Tenko. Sound good?”

Bakugo scoffed. “We don’t need their help. We can take your shithead cousin on just fine by ourselves.”

“Kacchan, backup is important,” Midoriya scolded. “We don’t wanna get burned out right away. And without Mr. Aizawa, we’d be done for in an instant.”

Katherine flipped to the next page of the packet, tilting her head. “Well, if we lose Erasure for some reason, it looks like the Support Course has a safety net. They’re turning the school into a flying battleground for you guys.”

“They’re what?”

“I know, right? Kinda cool. Yaomomo and Denks will be helping with that behind the scenes.”

“We’re not gonna need help,” Bakugo reiterated, his arms crossed. “Not with the upgrades I’m making.”

Midoriya gave him a look before turning back to Katherine. “Anyway, that’s great. We’ll be happy to have their assistance.”

“I won’t.”

“Kacchan.”

She rolled her eyes at both of them before flipping back to the first page. “There is something I’m a little concerned about. I was hesitant to have Kyoka and Fumikage join me in Gunga because I’m sure All For One would target them to get a rise out of me. Tenko obviously knows how close you two are—when you got injured in Jaku, Katsuki, we almost lost One For All.”

“It’s not going to be like that this time,” Midoriya interjected. “I’ll keep Shigaraki’s attention on me; it’ll give Kacchan an opening. I won’t let him get hurt like that again.”

Katherine examined his determined expression carefully, then glanced at Bakugo. He, too, was looking at Midoriya with what she would dare say was affection if not slight concern, but she kept her mouth shut. “Well, alright. I’ll let you two work that out.”

Midoriya smiled at her and started to reply as the door opened and Shoto walked back in. “Oh, Todoroki, you’re back. Who called?”

“My father,” he said shortly, sitting next to Katherine. “He wanted to talk about Toya.”

She immediately sidled closer to him and grabbed his hand, bringing it to her face and kissing his promise ring. “Don’t tell me he’s benching you,” she joked while she ignored Bakugo’s audible gag.

“He tried. I put my foot down.”

Midoriya gave Shoto a sympathetic smile. “I’m sure he’ll come around. Besides, with the new move you showed us in the baths, you’re the best fit to take Dabi out. It doesn’t make sense to move you elsewhere.”

“Wait, you’ve gotten it down?” Katherine asked, narrowing her eyes at Shoto. “Why haven’t I seen it yet?”

“Because you’re not allowed in the boys’ bath, Bird Girl,” Bakugo muttered.

“Not what I meant, Explosion Jerk.”

Shoto cleared his throat, stopping them before the bickering went any further. “It’s not that flashy by itself,” he admitted, putting both his hands on his chest. “But it should make my body impervious to Toya’s fire and give my Ultimate Moves the strength I need to extinguish his flames entirely.”

As he spoke, he brought his hands away, and an X made of fire appeared on his chest, flickering softly. Once again, the mix of hot and cold air blew his hair up and out of his face. Katherine gasped, her eyes widening. “Woah, baby, that’s awesome! How does that work?”

“It’s the circulation of his blood,” Midoriya butted in excitedly. “He’s using his heart to merge the hot and cold parts of his quirk into one power.”

“Like a Froststrike?” she questioned, looking at Shoto for confirmation.

He smiled softly at her and nodded as the fiery X disappeared and his hair fell back into his face. “Yeah, like a Froststrike.”

Bakugo looked at the two, then coughed loudly. “The mission, dumbasses. Focus.”

“Oh—right. Burnin’ and Endeavor’s other sidekicks have all signed up to support you, along with Tenya,” Katherine listed, picking the papers up again. “You guys are getting sent to Kamino. You good with that?”

Shoto opened his mouth to answer, but then Katherine chirped as she remembered something else, and she teleported away. Midoriya stared at where she’d just been, then turned to Shoto. “Is anybody else still not used to that?”

Bakugo snorted just as Katherine reappeared with a miniature cassette player in hand. “Before I forget,” she began, handing it to Shoto, “that’s for you, in case you need Glacier during the fight.”

“…This is a cassette player, darling,” he said, clearly puzzled.

Katherine grinned. “Sure, that’s what it looks like. I got Sukii to trick it out for me. It plays Glacier’s summoning call at a heightened volume. I used it to contact Storm the first night I went out as Justice. It’s more a precaution if anything, but I thought a Devil Wing would be a good option for backup.”

Shoto examined the cassette player, then nodded. “Thanks. I’ll keep it on me.”

“What about everyone else’s assignments?” Midoriya questioned.

“Well, Endeavor, Hawks, Kamui Woods, Shishido, Pixie-Bob, Tiger, and a few students from Class 1-B are with me, Kyoka, and Fumikage,” she listed. “We have the biggest group so far. Meanwhile, Gang Orca, Captain Selkie, and their sidekicks are supporting Tsu and Ochaco. Mezo and Koji will have Present Mic, Rock Lock, and a few others. Shinso will be warping with Mina and Eijiro—Mt. Lady’s helping them defend Gigantomachia. Everyone else will be split between Takoba National Stadium, where we took our Provisional License Exams, in a group led by Star, and the location where we choose to meet the villains, in a group led by Fatgum, since I’m sure there’ll be some stragglers who we don’t manage to warp away.”

Midoriya sighed and leaned back. “That’s a lot of enemies to deal with, putting it that way. We’re really outnumbered, even with the other Hero Academies willing to be our backup.”

“What? You getting cold feet, Izuku?” Bakugo scoffed. “Better warm the fuck up, ‘cause there’s no backing out now.”

“That’s not what I was saying! I’m just trying to piece things together.”

Katherine read back over the assignments, her grip on the paper tightening as she did so. Midoriya was right; the odds weren’t tilted in their favor. Their only advantage was the element of surprise and One For All. Both of those things needed to stay in play during the fight.

“It doesn’t matter what the odds are, because we can’t afford to lose,” she said firmly, looking up at her boys. “We’ll win. It’s our only choice.”

They stared at her, then responded with a unanimous nod. A silence fell over the room, and Katherine set the mission papers to the side before leaning against the back of the bed. “So…d’you guys wanna watch a movie or something?”

“As long as it’s not a ‘feel-bad-watch-people-die’ movie,” Shoto joked.

Katherine tossed a pillow at him. “I was thinking something Ghibli, but I might make us watch Jurassic World instead because of your tasteless comment.”

“Can we watch My Neighbor Totoro?” Midoriya asked excitedly. “I love that one!”

“I’m not watching anything if it’s not Princess Mononoke or Porco Rosso,” Bakugo griped.

“Then go back to your own room, Kacchan. We’re watching My Neighbor Totoro.”

“You two know this is my room, right?” Shoto interjected.

Katherine gave him a scandalized look before he could finish. “Your room?”

They ended up watching Jurassic World.

…

The sun shone on Class 1-A as they gathered at the gates to U.A. They were suited up in their costumes, ready to depart for their new base of operations. Katherine checked her phone as Endeavor, Hawks, and Jeanist entered the courtyard. “Right on time. Has Nezu put out the announcement yet?”

Jeanist nodded. “He has. The civilians should be gathering here any minute now.”

“Hey, Fearless Leader,” Mina began, skipping over to her, “why’re we doing this big goodbye, anyway? Knowing you, I expected our exit to be more secret.”

“Yeah, but I think the civilians should hear it straight from us, especially our parents,” Katherine told her. “Shiketsu and Ketsubutsu Academy are doing the same thing. This way, it’s a little better. Everyone sort of knows what’s going on, and when we eventually go into lockdown, no one will panic.”

Midoriya nodded in agreement. “It’s like crowd control, in a way. Or a fire drill.”

“It’s not like either of those things, Izuku,” Bakugo snapped.

“Well, it’s at least crowd control,” Midoriya muttered.

Katherine gave them both a look, then turned as Iida said, “Ah, here come the civilians now.”

Sure enough, a large crowd was approaching them, led by the U.A. faculty. Once they got closer, several Class 1-A students bowed and chorused, “We’d like to thank you all for everything!”

Kota and Eri ran to the front of the group. “Wait! You guys are really leaving the school again?” Kota asked Midoriya.

“Yeah. I’ve gotten more than enough downtime to clean myself up,” he replied, smiling.

“But what about the villains?” Eri questioned worriedly, grabbing Katherine’s arm.

She knelt and ruffled Eri’s hair. “It’s alright, enamorada. They don’t stand a chance against us. We’ll all get back safe, okay?”

Mic walked up to her and put a hand on Eri’s shoulder. “Your sister knows what she’s talking about, kiddo. You’ve just gotta believe in her,” he encouraged.

Eri looked up at him, then at Katherine again, and hugged her tightly. “I will. I do.”

Katherine hugged Eri back before standing and wrapping her arms around Mic. “I’ll see you and Dad soon,” she whispered. “I love you guys.”

Mic’s grip was a little tighter than she was used to. “We love you, too.”

As she pulled away, she noticed that other parents had approached—Inko and All Might were saying a tearful goodbye to Midoriya, and Bakugo was bickering with Mitsuki while Masaru watched on as usual. Her eyes suddenly landed on Kio, who waved her over to where she was with Sukii and Sora. Katherine gave Mic one more hug and kissed Eri on the forehead before making her way over to them.

Kio put her hands on Katherine’s shoulders, her expression serious. “Don’t you dare die out there.”

“Not planning on it,” she joked, hugging Kio. “You and La Brava are good to go, right?”

“Yeah. Hacking into the international emergency broadcast system is a breeze for both of us. We’ll be able to get the footage up all over the world. You can count on it.” Kio paused, sniffling. “Good luck.”

Katherine nodded and looked to Sora, who gave her a small but anxious smile. “Here’s hoping you’re better at fighting villains than you are at video games.”

She smiled back before finally turning to Sukii. They kept their gaze low as they stepped forward and punched her lightly in the shoulder. “Wings, if you get killed, I’m never making you anything again,” they threatened.

“Aw, worried about losing your biggest client?” Katherine asked sweetly, punching them back. “I’ll be fine, Mad Scientist. And thanks again for all your help, you guys. I don’t know how I’m gonna return the favor.”

“No problem,” Sora assured her. “You can return the favor by coming back alive.”

Sukii and Kio nodded in agreement. “That’s it? Alright. You have a deal,” Katherine promised. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

She gave each of them one last hug and pretended not to hear Sukii mutter, “You’d better,” as she pulled away. Then, with a final wave, she went to look for Shoto in the crowd. She wanted to say goodbye to Rei, Fuyumi, and Natsuo before they left.

It wasn’t hard to find them all—families were clustered together in small groups, so there was plenty of space to get by—but as she was about to walk up next to Shoto, she noticed a woman with a microphone approaching Rei, followed by a guy with a camera.

Yeah, fuck that.

Katherine quickly teleported between Rei and the reporter, unfurling her wings to their full length. “Hey, back off.”

The reporter seemed surprised but quickly recovered. “We just wanted to ask some–”

“You heard her,” came Shoto’s voice from behind Katherine, and though her back was turned, she could pretty much see his stony glare. “Back off.”

The reporter spluttered in disbelief, giving the two the opportunity to usher Rei, Fuyumi, and Natsuo away. “Sorry ‘bout that, you guys,” Katherine whispered apologetically.

“Don’t be, it’s not your fault,” Fuyumi started to say, but she cut herself off when the reporter shouted, “We have a right to know!”

Katherine stopped, turning to glare at her. “We have a right…” The reporter faltered, glancing at her cameraman, who shrugged. “Um…we have a right to know why the Pro Heroes are allowing students to partake in serious combat! Yeah, that’s it!”

Some of the civilians began to murmur amongst themselves in agreement. Shoto stepped forward, but Katherine put her hand on his chest, giving him a look that said quite plainly, “I’ll take care of this.”

He nodded and regrouped with his family while she stalked toward the reporter and the gathering of civilians. “You want to know why the Pros are allowing us? After months of us being on the frontlines? Where was this considerate energy when Izuku Midoriya returned to the school?”

“Ah—I mean—that was different!”

“Was it? ‘Cause if I remember correctly, almost everyone here was all too eager to shut him out of his refuge. It seems pretty hypocritical of you to all of a sudden be saying he’s not fit for battle. I thought you wanted to be safe while we kids handled the villains. We’re Pros too, aren’t we? We’ve got the same clearance.”

The reporter stammered, “That’s–”

“You know,” Katherine interrupted, raising her voice, “if you were half as righteous as you think you are, you’d be the ones going to war, not us.”

The reporter clammed up. The murmuring stopped. All eyes were on Katherine, and for once, she didn’t feel like she was going to throw up.

She reveled in it.

She waited a moment, then scoffed. “See, you all got real quiet just now. But if we’re too young to be fighting, shouldn’t you be the ones stepping up? You are the adults, after all. Or do you intend to sit in your safehouses and complain about how cruel the world is while we’re out there fighting for our lives?”

“Jeez, kid, are you gonna answer the question or what?” the cameraman griped.

Katherine didn’t need to respond. She’d heard Bakugo walk up a second before. “No,” he snapped back, “she’s not. None of us are.”

Shoto to her left. Midoriya to her right. Bakugo behind her on the left, Uraraka behind her on the right, and everyone else slowly filling in the spaces between. “We don’t have to explain ourselves to you,” Shoto stated coldly, taking Katherine’s hand. “Especially not her.”

The reporter suddenly found her voice again. “But we—we deserve to know—after everything we’ve done–”

Katherine snorted. “Please. Name one thing you’ve ever done for us.”

No one spoke. “Everyone’s been so careless in the past,” she continued. “All those villain attacks, all those incidents that you were oh so happy to blame us for. Not just you—our fellow students, too. But the first time we choose for ourselves—the first time we say this is what we want—everyone gets a stick up their ass. You tell us we’re too young, we’re too inexperienced, and I just have to wonder where all those complaints were during the first dozen incidents with the League of Villains.”

The reporter and cameraman slinked back into the crowd. Katherine held her head high, scanning her audience. “So, yeah. You have a right to ask questions. But if you really want answers? Tough shit. None of us are going to stand here and justify the choices we’ve made to people who couldn’t give two fucks about us. Not now. Not ever.”

Beautiful, victorious silence filled her ears. Katherine turned back to her friends. “Class A! Are we ready?”

“Yes, ma’am!” they said in unison.

Katherine grinned, giving them a sharp nod. “Then let’s move out!”

…

While the rest of Class 1-A was escorted to the new base on the ground, Katherine had to take to the skies so she could lead Storm and Glacier to the correct location. It was an easy fly since the dragons had no qualms about following her, which allowed Katherine to have some peace while discussing mission details with the voices in her head. She was a bit relieved when they finally reached their destination, as the arrival broke up a heated debate between Nightmare, Daigoro, and Shadow (one that concerned how All For One saw out of his mask without eyes, before he obtained the quirks that allowed him to comprehend his surroundings).

As she landed the dragons, Snipe was introducing their new home away from home to the rest of Class 1-A. “Welcome to Troy. Can’t hold a candle to U.A., but it’s sturdy enough thanks to the Support Course. Toss your cargo in your new rooms and get in gear.”

“Wow. It’s so faithful to the Heights Alliance design,” Hagakure whispered to Jiro.

Sero grinned nervously. “Let’s hope it’s not the last place we ever lay our heads.”

Sato gave him a look. “Don’t even joke.”

Storm nudged Katherine with his nose, rumbling quietly. “Hey, don’t worry, big guy,” she said reassuringly as she patted him on the head. “Everything will work out. Just hang around for a while, okay?”

He purred in response. When she turned around again, almost everyone had filed inside, except for Shoto. He lingered by the doorway, waiting until she’d joined him to step inside. “Any preferences for our room?”

“Nah, not really. They probably all have balconies, right?”

“I’d think so.”

It didn’t take long to find a suitable space, and the couple left their door open as they unpacked what little supplies they’d brought with them. As a result, several of their friends popped in to say hello—it started with Iida, then Jiro and Momo, then Tokoyami, and Kirishima and Bakugo were the last to enter before Katherine realized there’d be no space left for her and Shoto if she kept the door open any longer. “Thanks for checking in on us, you guys, but I think we’re good,” Shoto stated as she shut the door.

“I, too, have an older brother,” Iida piped up.

Shoto chuckled to himself. “I don’t think there’s any comparing our families. I don’t even know what Toya’s favorite food is.”

“Piping hot udon,” Bakugo declared. “I’d bet on it.”

“Well, in that case, I’ll make him sit down for a bowl with me sometime.”

Katherine stared at Shoto for a moment, then lowered her gaze slightly. He noticed it out of the corner of his eye and beckoned to her with a small smile. She complied, sitting on the desk next to him. “What about you, Fearless Leader?” Kirishima asked while Shoto rested his right hand on Katherine’s knee. “I bet you’re raring to go head-to-head with All For One himself.”

“Yeah, you know it.”

“It’s a wise strategy,” Momo complimented. “Unlike Midoriya, you have an entirely new skillset coupled with One For All’s strength. For all he knows, you could be capable of anything.”

Katherine’s wings fluttered at the praise, but she looked away. “Nah, don’t give me that much credit. I think we all know there’s more emotion at play than sanity with that decision.”

“So?” Jiro questioned. “We’re not gonna fault you for that.”

“You’ve always said your power is connected to your emotions,” Tokoyami added. “If anything, it will only aid you.”

Katherine nodded as she put her hand on Shoto’s. “I guess we’ll see.”

Bakugo looked at her, then glanced at Shoto, and cleared his throat. “I’m gonna go start dinner.”

“Woah, Bakugo’s willingly cooking for us?” Kirishima joked. “The atmosphere really must be heavy, huh?”

“Shut your mouth, Shitty Hair. And come help me with prep.”

Jiro picked her head up off of Momo’s leg and stretched. “I should go finish unpacking. Yaomomo, you coming with?”

“Ah—yes, I’d love to.”

“I suppose we should be taking our leave, as well,” Iida said, nodding at Tokoyami. “Katherine, Todoroki, we’ll see you at dinner?”

“Mmhm. See you then.”

The door shut, leaving the two together again. Shoto’s thumb rubbed circles in Katherine’s knee as he turned to her, slight concern in his gaze. “Everything okay?”

Katherine shrugged. If she was being completely honest, she couldn’t tell. She felt stuck. Kirishima was right. She wanted to be out there now; waiting was going to be torture.

“I wish we could move out sooner,” she answered finally. “Even knowing that All For One won’t risk taking the bait until Tenko’s back at full health—if it can’t be over already, I at least want to be in the fight. I’d know what to do if I was fighting him face to face.”

Shoto hummed sympathetically. He was quiet for a moment as if he was contemplating something, and then he stood from his chair. “You know what we haven’t done in a while?”

“Can I look at my list?” Katherine asked dryly, though she watched with slight curiosity as he typed on his phone. The next thing she knew, there was a song playing—a slow one.

Shoto set his phone down on the desk, then held his hand out to her, smiling. “May I have this dance?”

Katherine blinked, feeling her heart fill with warmth—and her head fill with unsolicited relationship comments. She took Shoto’s hand, allowing him to pull her from the desk. His other hand swiftly found its place underneath her folded wings. She draped her arms around his neck and leaned her head on his shoulder, letting out a soft, content chirp. Shoto hummed to the song as they turned in place, his head pressed to hers. His heartbeat filled her ears, soothing and familiar, as though he was the only thing she’d ever truly known.

And she might lose him.

She might lose everyone.

The thought sent a jolt through her body, one that Shoto could feel. He opened his eyes and glanced at her, surprised to see tears brimming in her gaze. “Katherine?”

Katherine picked her head up, taking a shaky breath. It wasn’t right to be so worried. She should have more faith in her friends, shouldn’t she? She wouldn’t have brought them into this if she didn’t think they could handle it. But if somebody got hurt—what would happen to them? She was the only one with healing powers. She couldn’t be everywhere at once.

Sir Nighteye saw her future. He told her everything would work out, so she should feel fine, right? Except, that wasn’t exactly what he had said. He’d told her, “You’ll do us proud.” That didn’t tell her anything about the rest of the class, but she’d asked about them specifically, so why did he only–

…Oh.

“Katherine?” Shoto said again, shaking her shoulder slightly. “Hey, are you with me, darling?”

She blinked the tears out of her eyes, then gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I just got a really sad thought, that’s all.”

His gaze softened and he kissed her on the lips. “You’re not losing any of us. Don’t let that get to you, okay?”

“Yeah, I won’t.”

Shoto kissed her again, then went back to humming the song they were dancing to. Katherine giggled quietly and hummed with him, though her smile faded once she’d pressed her face into his shoulder again.

She wouldn’t think about the prediction too much. But she prayed the future really could change.

Chapter Text

Katherine couldn’t sleep the night before the operation. She’d expected that much.

What she did not expect, however, was to roll over in the middle of the night and see Shoto staring into her soul. “Oh. Hi,” he said quietly.

She chirped with surprise, her wings flicking out sharply. “Fucking—gods, cariño, you scared me.”

“Sorry.” Shoto paused, then moved in closer to her. “Can’t sleep?”

“No. You?” Katherine asked.

“I tried. It’s not working out.”

She nodded, pressing her forehead to his. Shoto laced his fingers with hers, kissing her promise ring. The two were silent until Katherine eventually cleared her throat. “You, uh, wanna go see if there’s some snacks in the kitchen?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Well, if she hadn’t been expecting Shoto to be awake, she was certainly caught off-guard when she walked into the common room and saw everyone else was gathered there. She took notice of the somber expressions her classmates seemed to be sharing before making her presence known. “Hey, is everything okay? What are you guys doing out here?”

Momo jumped at the sound of her voice and quickly turned to her. “Ah, Katherine! My apologies, Iida and I were preparing to tell them–”

Katherine waved a hand, giving her a small smile. “That’s alright, Yaomomo. I'm pretty sure I know why none of us can get any rest.”

Momo blinked, then lowered her head. “What if this doesn’t work?” Kaminari piped up, pulling his knees to his chest. “All the odds are against us. The whole world is against us.”

“And even if we win…,” Tsuyu began slowly, “…who knows how many people we’ll lose in the process, kero?”

Katherine’s wings drooped as she listened to her friends’ worries. As she thought of what to say to quell their fears, she surveyed the room, her eyes landing on Uraraka, who was furiously wiping her eyes. “Ochaco?”

“I’m sorry—I’m sorry, I just–” she hiccupped, trying to keep her tears from flowing. “This is it, isn’t it? We don’t know what’s gonna happen, or how we’re all gonna end up, and I—I just—I don’t want to let go of you guys.”

Midoriya put a comforting hand on her shoulder before glancing at Katherine. She nodded, then teleported to Uraraka’s end of the couch and sat on the armrest. “Hey,” she said softly, ruffling her hair, “no one’s letting go of anyone. We’re gonna keep holding on to each other, even at the end, okay?”

Uraraka sniffled and nodded shakily. Katherine smiled at her, then looked up and addressed the rest of the room. “There’s a lot of unknowns surrounding the mission tomorrow. I have the same concerns you guys do. I don’t want to lose anyone, either—but I figured that was a given, regarding my track record.”

There were some slight chuckles at that, which made her relax slightly. “Even so, we can’t just sit around and mope about what could happen,” Katherine continued. “It’s true, we’re not as powerful as All For One. He’ll be targeting our weaknesses. To make up for that, we have to embrace his fears. Hope. Love. Persistence. And, as Hawks once told me, a villain’s worst nightmare is an unpredictable hero. So, be unpredictable. Be a little reckless. Be impulsive.”

“You want us to be you?” Bakugo interrupted.

Class 1-A laughed as Katherine vehemently shook her head. “No, don’t be me. We’ve all learned that that’s a horrible idea. I should be the only one being me tomorrow, otherwise, we’re all fucked.”

Once the chatter died, she picked up where she’d left off. “Look, all we have to do is be ourselves. I’ve seen all of you fight. You’re exactly what we need to win. All For One may not fear our quirks, but mark my words, he will fear our hearts. We’re going to get through this, but not as classmates. We’re getting through this as a family.”

When she surveyed the room again, the light had returned to everyone’s eyes. Katherine turned to Uraraka and kissed her on the forehead, giving her a small smile. “Don’t let go.”

Uraraka smiled back, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes. “I won’t.”

“Wait,” Sero blurted out, “since when are you giving out forehead kisses for free?”

Mina gave him a look. “What are you talking about? She’s been doing that for a few months. At least, she has for the girls.”

“What?! That’s so not fair!” Kaminari whined. “I thought you needed Todoroki privileges to get any kind of kiss from Katherine!”

Katherine glanced at Shoto, who shrugged. “Okay, jeez, are we doing this? Am I extending platonic forehead kiss privileges to the whole class?”

“Uh, yeah, I think you should,” Kirishima grumbled, crossing his arms. “If I’d known that was even an option…”

“Don’t complain or you’ll be last,” she scolded, moving to Midoriya, who was right next to Uraraka. “Okay, forehead kiss for you…”

She glanced at Bakugo, who glared back. “Don’t put your lips anywhere near me, Bird Girl.”

“Alright, if you say so.”

“Hey—wait, you can’t just skip me!”

“You said you didn’t want one.”

Jiro laughed, leaning forward as Katherine approached her. “You snooze, you lose, Bakugo.”

It took her a bit to get through the rest of the class, and she capped the whole thing off by teleporting to Shoto and kissing him right on the lips. “Okay, are we all going to bed now?” Katherine asked.

Another silence settled over the room—it was clear that no one wanted to be alone. Then, Hagakure suggested, “Oh! What if we all brought our pillows and stuff out here and we slept on the couches or the floor or something?”

“Like a big slumber party!” Mina exclaimed.

Katherine looked at Iida and Momo. “I’m alright with that,” Momo stated.

“As am I,” Iida agreed.

Katherine felt herself smile, despite knowing that the possibility of sleep looked even less feasible for her now. “Okay. Slumber party it is.”

…

“Costume?”

“Check.”

“Gear?”

“Check.”

“Communications?”

Katherine pressed her Data Specs, comming the base of operations. “This is WildCard to control center. Control center, do you read me?”

“We read you loud and clear, WildCard,” Sora responded. “Bodycams and coms are up and running like clockwork. We’ll wait for your order to start the broadcast. Good luck out there.”

She turned to Midoriya and gave him a thumbs up. “Check.”

He smiled back, then turned to the Top Three Pros. “I think we’re good to go. I’ll send the signal when we’re ready for Monoma and the others.”

“We’ll be waiting for you two,” Endeavor told them.

Katherine nodded, then looked at the rest of the class, gathered in front of the doors to Troy. Just like last night, there was apprehension in their gazes, though this time it was more resigned. She turned to them fully, putting her hands behind her back. “You understand your orders, right, Class A?”

“Yes, ma’am!” they said in unison.

“Good. Wait for our command. Stay with your groups. Don’t let any villain out of your sight. Keep each other safe.” She stopped for a second, then beamed. “I love you guys.”

Mina saluted her. “We love you, too!”

Katherine saluted back and turned to face Endeavor, Hawks, and Jeanist. “We’re right behind you, kid,” Hawks promised.

She bowed respectfully before looking at Midoriya. “You ready for this?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

She grinned and held out her hand. “Go Beyond?”

“Plus Ultra,” he replied, taking it.

And with that, they were off. Katherine took her running start first, her hand slipping from Midoriya’s as she spread her wings. Once she was in the air with One For All crackling around her, Midoriya caught up with her, using a combination of Float and Blackwhip to swing from building to building. “You’ve got the coordinates, right?” he shouted to her.

“Yeah. We’re only a few minutes away,” she called back. “We shouldn’t get comfortable just yet.”

“Katherine’s right,” Yoichi agreed. “You must stay vigilant against my brother. He will try and prey on your heightened emotions. Don’t let his words overrule your actions.”

Katherine blinked, then glanced at Midoriya. “Uh, did he just address both of us?”

He gave her a look back. “Why wouldn’t he?”

“I thought I was the only one who could hear them!”

“Really? Is it new for you, too? I’ve been hearing the other wielders since the fight in Jaku.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“Well, it’s not like we’ve had time to compare notes.”

The Data Specs pinged, letting Katherine know that they had reached their destination. “We’re here.” Katherine looked at Midoriya and nodded to him. “I’ll do a flyover, then land. You meet Aoyama.”

“Got it.”

He headed for the ground while Katherine circled their meeting point—an abandoned parking garage. Sure enough, Aoyama stood in the middle of the lot. She deliberately didn’t look too closely; there was no doubt in her mind that the villains were already on site, waiting for the right time to strike.

Eventually, she circled back and landed next to Midoriya, taking off her mask and pocketing it. She didn’t need it anymore—she wanted her face to be readable in this fight. “Yuga!”

Aoyama brought his phone away from his ear and turned to them, his expression grim. His eyes had some sort of distant pain in them, but his voice sounded calm and collected. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”

“Why are you out here?” Midoriya asked. “I thought you were still being detained.”

“My parents’ lawyer got me released. They cleared me of any wrongdoing,” he answered.

Katherine’s eyes narrowed just slightly. So far, so good. Both boys were surprisingly good actors—the three of them knew exactly what was happening, but to an outsider, this conversation would seem perfectly natural.

“That’s great! Let’s go tell everyone the good news!” Midoriya exclaimed. “We can rejoin the search effort, and then–”

“Wait,” Aoyama interrupted.

Midoriya looked at him again. “Before that…I’d like to speak with you. Both of you.”

Katherine and Midoriya shared a glance as Aoyama continued, staring off into the distance. “It’s almost funny, how courts and the legal system still exist despite Japan being in ruins. With society as it is now, I doubt the old ways of living would get you anywhere.”

“Yuga, what do you mean?” Katherine questioned cautiously.

He turned back to them, that same distance in his eyes. “Let me tell you All For One’s real goal.”

She hesitated, then gave him a stiff nod. “With the state Japan is in, do you know what’s become of the rest of the world? The sudden crash in the value of yen has forced our corporations into bankruptcy. The coordinated uprisings of All For One’s followers will cause that damage to spread globally. The world faces a crisis much like the period around the advent of quirks,” Aoyama told them. “Record unemployment, loss of faith in currencies and contracts—an era of total chaos. Lacking the strength to implement long-term policies, Japan is scrambling for a guarantee of short-term safety. Meanwhile, the other nations have abandoned us to prioritize their own stability.”

Midoriya looked at him tensely. “What are you talking about, Aoyama?”

Aoyama paused for a moment. “Imagine a country in this world lacking drinkable water. Then, consider a quirk capable of producing such a resource were to suddenly appear. Imagine that same scenario with electricity, or gas, or strength. With the world plunged into a state of chaotic decline, we have an arena ripe for a remarkable individual to take the initiative. All For One would become the world’s arbiter. It’s very own Demon Lord. It didn’t have to be Japan. He could’ve rocked the balance anywhere, in any way.”

“I don’t think that the rest of the world would willingly go along with that,” Katherine pointed out. “I could name more than a few heroes who’d have a bone to pick with him.”

“And besides,” Midoriya added, “the world still has us!”

Aoyama gave them a sad smile. “True. Which is why it all has to end here.”

Katherine felt it first. The minor change in the atmosphere, the almost insignificant difference in the breeze. As such, she saw him before Midoriya did.

Aoyama’s eyes brimmed with tears as All For One descended behind him. “I’m sorry, Katherine and Midoriya. Alas…I had to protect Maman and Papa.”

Midoriya gasped, but Katherine immediately activated One For All, her eyes fixed on the Demon Lord. There certainly was an air about him, something that screamed pure evil. He was the average height for an adult man, but his presence was larger than life, like All Might in his more muscular form—except Katherine didn’t feel at all safe at the moment. She’d be lying if she said her breath hadn’t hitched at first, or that her heart wasn’t hammering against her ribcage, but underneath the fear, there was something else.

Something visceral. Something innate.

Something that almost outweighed the fear entirely.

Something eager.

All For One cackled, sending a chill down her spine. “Splendidly done, Yuga Aoyama,” he congratulated, and his voice oozed wickedness. “How terrifying it must’ve been to turn on your friends like this. How heartbreaking, to hand over the people who’ve put their faith in you. But you overcame the fear and pain!”

“Yuga, what is he talking about?” Katherine asked, trying to put as much betrayal in her tone as she could muster.

All For One ignored her. “And that speech about my ultimate goal? Wonderful! Wrong in some of the details, but that can be excused. I assume your parents explained it all to you?”

Aoyama rigidly nodded. “Yes. They said you promised us a blessed existence in your new world.”

Midoriya fell into his stance, his jaw clenched. “We believed in you, damnit!”

Aoyama lowered his head, shaking. “My pain cannot be measured…”

Katherine saw his weight shift. Was this it?

“…by that singular word, ‘Uncle!’”

Aoyama spun, activating his Navel Laser and aiming it at All For One. The Demon Lord swiftly dodged, but the intention was understood. Katherine snagged Aoyama with levitation and pulled him into Midoriya’s Smokescreen, which engulfed them. “That was an amazing performance, Aoyama!” Midoriya complimented.

“I had no choice!” he responded shakily. “Otherwise, we could not have lured him here. And I must say, your acting was Tour-de-Force as well!”

“I couldn’t help it once your tears started flowing. It seemed so genuine.”

“Oh, the tears are real! I’m extremely frightened!”

Smokescreen faded around them as Katherine grinned. “You did great, Yuga. We owe you one.”

He gave her a trembling smile. “This is for Maman and Papa…for all my friends…and for myself! I shall fight you, All For One!”

All For One shed his suit jacket. “Trap or not, One For All is here, within my reach.”

Behind him, a gloopy substance of some sort appeared—the transportation quirk he’d been using since Kurogiri was detained. “The Search quirk tells the user the location and weaknesses of those they see. Your allies are deployed and dispersed across the country. They will not make it in time to assist you.”

More and more gloopy portals appeared, and several villains—including Shigaraki, Dabi, and Toga—made their way out of them. “They didn’t notice that my people were drawing near. And now, I’m afraid they’re entirely too late!” All For One finished triumphantly.

In the corner of her eye, Katherine saw Midoriya press a different button on his com. She fought to keep a smirk off her face, pressing the same button on her Data Specs. “You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you?”

“Maman and Papa told me something else, All For One,” Aoyama declared. “You fear the world learning that Japan isn’t finished yet. You fear the light and hope that will come with recovery. And you fear Japan inspiring the world to unite once more!”

Kurogiri’s warps appeared on either side of the trio, and Pro Heroes came spilling out of them.

“Today is the day those fears come true…and this is the place where you fall!”

“WildCard! All bodycams are running! Kio and La Brava have hacked through the international broadcasts—we’re live!” Sora told her through the com.

Katherine quickly answered, never taking her eyes off of All For One. “Great! Get the cages ready!”

Dabi was the first to move, but Shoto quickly neutralized his attack as he and the rest of Class 1-A appeared from another portal. “Alright, people, let’s get this show on the road!” Katherine commanded. “We’ll have traps in three, two…”

Right on cue, the ground beneath them broke, and several metal cages popped up. They encased the villains, separating them into smaller groups. “Phantom Thief!” she shouted.

“I’ve got this!” Monoma yelled back from somewhere behind her, and more of Kurogiri’s warps appeared by the cages.

The traps would move by themselves, but they would need extra effort to keep the villains in. “Go, go, go!” Katherine ordered. “Push ‘em in! We don’t have long before some of these guys start getting testy!”

The different groups surged forward as the cages began to break. A Nomu burst entirely through one, and Katherine quickly grabbed its neck with her levitation, breaking it. She was right behind Endeavor and Hawks—this was it, the moment she’d been waiting for–

And then, something sharp plunged into her shoulder. She cried out as it yanked her back, away from her group. Hawks turned, and she heard Jiro scream, “Katherine!”

But there was no time to waste. Katherine used Shockwave of Hearts to shove them all into the warp before it could close. Then, as she was dragged away, Midoriya was wrenched past her in a different direction.

What in the–?

The next thing she knew, she had gone through a warp. The sharp thing removed itself from her shoulder, and she immediately began healing it, feeling warm blood seep into her jacket. “Bird Girl!” Bakugo barked. “What the hell are you doing here? Where did Izuku go?”

Katherine whipped her head around, her mouth going dry. Her eyes frantically searched her surroundings—she was at U.A. She was with Bakugo, and Jeanist, and Mirko, and Edgeshot, and Mirio, and Tamaki, and Nejire—and a bloodied rivet wire was retreating into Shigaraki’s body.

This wasn’t part of the plan.

This wasn’t…

She wasn’t ready for this.

Chapter Text

“Denim Head! We’ve got a problem!” Bakugo shouted to Jeanist. “Bird Girl’s here and Izuku isn’t!”

Katherine could feel her throat closing. Her fingers dug into the metal platform beneath her. She was trying to ground herself, but her vision continued to sway.

How could they have blindsided her so soon into the battle? Where had Midoriya gone? Why did Shigaraki drag her here? How was she going to get to Gunga? Monoma had no doubt copied Aizawa’s quirk by now—he didn’t have Kurogiri’s powers anymore and had no way to equip it again. The flying U.A. structure was equipped with an electromagnetic barrier to keep Shigaraki in and any unknowns out—calling Storm wouldn’t do her any good.

She needed to stand. She needed to get up and fight. But her muscles were locked in place. Her wings shook violently while her mind raced, digging for a possible solution. Nothing came to her. She was stuck. She was useless. She was–

“Bird Girl!”

Katherine gasped as Bakugo suddenly grabbed the collar of her jacket and yanked her to her feet, fixing her with a harsh glare. “Don’t you fucking lose it on us. If Izuku’s not here and you are, we need you to beat Shigaraki’s ass until he gets back from wherever he got dragged off to.”

“But All For One–” she began.

“Will have to wait. Hawks and Endeavor can hold him off. You’re not really gonna leave us hanging, are ya, Fearless Leader?”

Katherine blinked, then shook her head. “Of course not.”

Bakugo smirked. “That’s what I thought. I’ll see you on the battlefield.”

While Bakugo launched himself toward Shigaraki, Mirko leaped to the platform next to Katherine’s, grinning at her. “Don’t sweat it, Hawks Jr.! If I’m being honest, I wanted to be on your team, anyway.”

Despite the situation, Katherine found herself smiling. “I like your haircut.”

“Isn’t it great?” Mirko asked. “Now, c’mon, let’s get in there! Can’t let the boys have all the fun!”

With that, she jumped to another platform, charging toward Shigaraki. Katherine was quick to follow, starting to fall back into her rhythm.

Katsuki’s right. I’ve got to put All For One out of my head, at least for right now. I’ll focus on this fight until Izuku can make it to us, and then I’ll go finish this!

However, as she got closer, she noticed that Shigaraki’s hands suddenly looked different. They appeared bigger—almost deformed.

She squinted, and then her eyes widened. “Mirko! Katsuki! You’ve gotta dodge!” she yelled, banking to her left.

A mass of fingers erupted out of Shigaraki’s left hand and clobbered the two. Mirko was able to ricochet off of them with her legs, and Bakugo blew through the mass before retreating. Katherine landed on another suspended platform, switching her com line to sync with Bakugo’s. “Uh, you see that, too, right?”

The mass of fingers continued to swarm and spread, some of them almost overtaking the school building entirely. “It’s hard to miss, Bird Girl!” Bakugo shouted back. “What the fuck is that?”

Katherine narrowed her eyes at the swiftly multiplying horde. Words were coming through her memory in pieces.

Yoichi, is this the singularity point we were discussing when Izuku and I started having those dreams?

“Yes,” he answered grimly. “It appears even without his quirk, Tomura Shigaraki can facilitate the growth of his hands. If Erasure is deactivated at this point…”

We’re all fucked. Yeah, got it.

“Katsuki, that new power-up is gonna keep us on our toes,” Katherine began.

“I’m already on it. Break down the gross stuff until one of us can get to his core body, right?” he questioned.

Katherine grinned. “Good thinking, Dynamight.”

She heard Bakugo scoff over the com. “I told you, it’s Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight!”

“Yeah, I’m still not saying all that.”

Katherine switched her com back to its main link, then activated One For All and prepared to take off again. This wasn’t an ideal situation—the furthest thing from it, actually—but she could work with it. She just needed to keep herself from being pinned down by all those growths. Something like that would be hard to teleport away from when it was hitting a shield nonstop.

She pushed off into the air, doing a barrel roll to avoid another mass that burst from Shigaraki’s hands. Nejire flew next to her, using Wave Motion to stay afloat. “So, we’ve just gotta keep him at bay till Midoriya gets here, right?”

“That’s the idea.” Katherine used Club to punch through a surge of finger growths. It broke off but was swiftly replaced by another wave. “He better haul ass back here; I don’t know how much help I’m gonna be.”

Nejire smiled at her. “Just keep a cool head! We’ll do our best to clear a path to Shigaraki’s body!” she said cheerfully.

Katherine nodded to her, then swerved to evade more fingers.

I wish I could be more like Nejire in situations like this. Even with Katsuki’s pep talk, there’s this weird tightness in my chest that won’t go away.

When the next mass came at her, she encased as much of it as she could in her levitation and closed her fists, crushing it. But even that wasn’t enough to dissuade Shigaraki’s attacks. Her frown deepened as she dodged the incoming surge.

Ugh! And it’s like nothing I’m doing is working!

“Your mind is clouded,” En told her. “You’re thinking about too many things. Clear your head and focus on a goal. One For All will cooperate better with you then.”

Thanks a lot. Maybe one of you should take over and deal with this.

Still, she tried to take En’s advice and limit her focus to her immediate actions. Weave through the growths. Break what you can. Dodge what you can’t. Look for an opening and take your fuckwad cousin down.

In the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a mass heading for Tamaki, whose back was turned. She teleported behind him, activating her levitation and shields.

Ultimate Ace!

The move forced the attack back, allowing her time to snag Tamaki and pull him out of harm’s way. “Thanks, WildCard.”

“No problem!” she replied before shooting off again. Another issue was that there just wasn’t a lot of space to move around. If the fight was out in the open, Katherine could use Spade to get directly to Shigaraki’s core. But with the arena enclosed the way it was, she didn’t have enough height to build up the speed she needed.

And even if I could convince the Support group to open the cage for me—no, it’s too much of a risk.

As Katherine continued blocking and dodging attacks, she heard her com beep with an incoming message. “Katherine! You’ll never believe this!” Sora exclaimed.

“If it’s not good news–”

“No, it’s good! It’s great!” she promised. “Shoto—your boyfriend—he did it! Dabi’s down!”

Katherine was nearly struck by a mass of fingers. She banked just in time, landing on one of the still-intact platforms. “He did? Already?”

“Who did what?” Mirio asked, his head popping out of the ground next to her.

“Shoto! He–” She paused, then switched her com to sync with the rest of the group’s communications. “Shoto’s defeated Dabi! One down, four supervillains to go!”

Thank the gods. If there was anything that could boost her morale, the news that Shoto was still alive and well was especially effective. “For real? That’s some boyfriend you’ve got!” Mirio complimented.

“I know! Isn’t he the greatest?”

“Hey, Bird Girl!” Bakugo shouted at her through the com. “Great news about Todoroki and all, but you’re gonna get beaten to a pulp if you just sit there!”

“Right, yeah, I’m moving!”

Katherine boosted herself off of the platform and headed for the highest point of the cage, only slightly hindered by Shigaraki’s attacks.

It might not be high enough to do any significant damage, but Spade will at least put a dent in him from here.

But before she could dive, she was blocked by more masses of flesh. She grumbled to herself and evaded, her eyes narrowing.

It’s no use! I’m not fast enough!

“Do you understand yet, cousin dearest?”

Shigaraki’s voice abruptly filled her ears, throwing her off. She barely dodged another attack while she tried to block him out.

“The reason I brought you here,” Shigaraki clarified. “It’s quite simple, really.”

“I don’t care!” Katherine snapped, breaking off a mass of fingers with her levitation. “Cállate! Get out of my head!”

She couldn’t see Shigaraki in the chaos, but she just knew he had that stupid smirk on his face. “You’re so easy to agitate. It’s a wonder anyone puts up with you.”

Katherine glared fiercely and kept her focus on the fight.

“I brought you here to break you, #213. You may think you’re undefeatable, but I’ve seen it for myself. I know how to get to you,” Shigaraki taunted. “Your friends, your family, your heroes—they’re all going to die here. You won’t be able to do anything about it. You’ll just watch—watch, the same way you watched your mother die.”

Her breath hitched in her throat, One For All faltering around her. “And the best part is, you’ll live,” Shigaraki cackled. “You’ll live, and they’ll die, and when Izuku Midoriya finally arrives, you’ll be the one to face the consequences—especially for not saving his precious Kacchan.”

Katherine didn’t notice the incoming mass until it hit her, throwing her to the ground. She quickly recovered, crushing it before it could do any more damage, but getting back into the fight proved to be an issue. Shigaraki’s words rang in her head—and she could manage if it was just intimidation, but that last part was making her stomach twist in ways she didn’t even know were possible.

I have to get to Katsuki.

The thought pushed her back into motion, and she shot into the sky without hesitation. But she realized with a sickening jolt that Bakugo was already in motion. She also noticed that Shigaraki was still talking, but what he was saying to the rest of the group was completely different from what she’d heard, which prompted her to wonder just who was speaking to her at that moment. “But under my rule, all will be united as the exploited class! All will be equal! Don’t heroes yearn for world peace? Is it that hard to imagine I’m taking a step toward that?”

Katherine grimaced, trying to get a better visual on Bakugo. He finally came into her range of vision, emerging from the swirling masses of flesh with his new Support item activated—Strafe Panzer, a series of retractable machine guns that helped channel his new Cluster attack. “Look, I dunno if that’s Shigaraki or All For One droning on right now, but I’m about to hurl from hearing it!” he griped. “Ever since Kamino, it’s been nothing but yap, yap, yap! I hope you’re ready to be Swiss cheese!”

“Katsuki, wait!” Katherine shouted as she banked toward him.

Too late. He’d already unleashed his assault and was blowing through the horde of fingers like it was nothing. Pieces of fleshy tissue blew everywhere, and Katherine had to block it with a shield. “Careful, WildCard!” Edgeshot called to her. “Get out of his range!”

She couldn’t. She had to stay close. Shigaraki—All For One—whoever was speaking, she knew they weren’t the type to make empty threats. Bakugo was the most vulnerable right now, and she needed to keep him safe, she needed to make sure he made it out of this–

An enormous explosion rang out, perpetuated by a direct Cluster hit. Katherine made a shield, allowing the sudden rush of air to push her back before she managed to swerve up and out of the air current. Her eyes frantically searched the center of the blast for Bakugo.

When her gaze landed on him, her stomach dropped. It looked like no damage had been done to Shigaraki’s body, and he had Bakugo’s right arm in his clutches. She saw his grip tightened, and Bakugo yelled in pain as the bones in his arm splintered.

Not good!

Katherine dove toward them, squinting through forming tears. “Tenko!” she shouted as she made a shield. “Let him go! Now!”

Her cousin looked up at her with a sneer. “Oh, please. Which fool suggested close combat as the way to go?”

He raised his other hand at her, and her eyes widened as more masses of fingers spurted from it.

“Getting up close and personal with me means you’re in for an intimate taste of power on par with All Might’s!”

The mass hit her shield but still managed to throw her back, right into the electro-magnetic barrier. Katherine gasped harshly as her muscles froze up for a moment, causing her to collapse. With a trembling hand, she activated her healing power, which helped her recover quickly.

Get up! Don’t let him hurt Katsuki!

Shigaraki had tossed Bakugo to the ground. He was standing over him, like some kind of predatory animal watching its limp prey. Katherine spat out the blood in her mouth and charged at him, preparing to use Shockwave of Hearts. “Don’t you fucking dare!”

She managed to push back the opening attack, but she only succeeded in blocking the next with a shield. Pushing against the surge of flesh, she tried her best to keep her eyes on Bakugo. “Activate coms!”

The Data Specs changed the icon, showing her that she was on the line with the rest of the group. “I can’t get to Katsuki! Someone—anyone else, get him the hell out of there! I’m pinned down!”

“We’ve got it, Katherine!” Mirio replied. “Don’t worry!”

Oh, she was past worried. She was terrified.

The growths of flesh hammered against her shield with such force that it made her bones shake. She clenched her teeth as she advanced forward, breaking through the tissue and skin. A glimpse upward showed her that Shigaraki had Bakugo by the throat now, and her breath caught in her throat as she held back a sob.

She couldn’t do this. Not again.

Katherine released the shield and encased the oncoming finger mass in her levitation, holding it back. But as she broke it apart, more came at her from the sides. She barely got a shield dome up before she was flung back against the wall of the fortress. Crying out as the electromagnetic barrier stung her again, she fell to her knees, her arms trembling with the effort of keeping the shield up. Shigaraki’s attacks seemed even stronger now—was that even possible? And if his body was tougher than the growths, how were they going to defeat him?

Her breathing started to accelerate, and she shut her eyes tightly, tears streaming down her face.

I don’t know what to do!

For once, her head was quiet.

C’mon, one of you must know how to get out of this!

She heard someone shout and opened her eyes, glancing in their direction. Bakugo was with Jeanist—Mirio must’ve gotten him out of Shigaraki’s grasp—but his eyes were open. Katherine knew he had to be badly injured, but his eyes were open, and she knew that look, and he was staring straight at Shigaraki–

Katherine choked on her next breath, her eyes widening in horror.

No—no, no, no! What is he thinking?

In an instant, she was on her feet, pushing even harder than before. Desperation filled her veins as One For All shook around her body.

Please, just tell me what to do! Katsuki’s already preparing to fight again! He’s going to die if I don’t do something!

“Have you forgotten what you told your friends so easily?” Bruce asked her. “You know what you need to do.”

Don’t be fucking cryptic! I need an actual answer!

She lost her traction for a moment, taking a step back. A small shield appeared under her foot, keeping her from being forced into the electro-magnetic barrier again.

“Speed, Katherine. You need speed,” Bruce told her.

But there’s no space!

“So? Get creative. I thought you were supposed to be good at that.”

Katherine growled under her breath, bracing her foot against the shield there as she tried to force the shield she was holding forward–

Shields.

She only had a moment to act. She adjusted the angle of the shield underneath her foot, then bent her knees slightly, her wings outstretched.

Alright, Wielder Three. Here goes nothing.

Using the shield as a boost, she bolted into the air, heading for the upper corner of the arena. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she flipped herself around, so her feet were facing the barrier. Then, right before she reached it, she made another shield under her feet and used it to push off in another direction. This time, she noticed, she sped up a little.

Yes!

Katherine twisted around, putting her eyes on Bakugo. He was standing now, approaching Shigaraki slowly. She bit her lip as she pushed off again, heading for the other side of the arena.

C’mon, One For All, don’t let me down!

As she ricocheted off her shields, she felt her speed build, until the explosions finally rang out when she was at the highest point of the cage.

Now!

Katherine waited until she felt a shield under her feet, then crouched, her eyes fixed on Bakugo.

Incoming Spade: Fa Jin style!

She shot off as abruptly as a lightning strike, right as Bakugo aimed his next blast of Cluster explosions at Shigaraki. Katherine could feel the heat as she approached, and her jaw clenched.

He’s too hot to touch…

Her hand was outstretched, a red aura forming around it.

...but I can still get him with levitation!

And she did. She snagged his leg with it, pulling him away from Shigaraki’s retaliating attack. But with her incredible speed, she couldn’t recover in time for a smooth landing. They both fell to the ground, tumbling across the battlefield to a stop.

Katherine gasped in pain, swiftly healing her sprained wing before her eyes landed on Bakugo a few feet away. He was lying on his back—he hadn’t moved.

Her throat tightened as she scrambled to him, turning off her Data Specs. This moment didn’t belong to the rest of the world. “Katsuki,” she said frantically, her voice hoarse. “Katsuki, fucking talk to me, c’mon!”

She got no response at first, then a cough. Katherine dragged herself closer, then reached down and healed her knee so she could hover over him more easily. “Katsuki?”

His chest was bloody, his right arm was lying limply in odd angles, and the right side of his face was torn up, but he coughed again, opening his left eye slightly. “When…the hell…did you learn how to do that?” he rasped.

Katherine giggled faintly, tears filling her eyes as she put a trembling hand over the wound on his chest. “Uh, just now.”

Bakugo let out a breathless chuckle. “No kidding. Fucking…supernova.”

“Don’t talk,” she begged, gently tapping his right arm and fixing it. He hissed sharply as the bones settled back into place. “I don’t know how bad the damage is yet, I’m trying to heal it, but–”

Her voice trailed off as she felt that same arm brush against the side of her face, leaving a streak of blood on her cheek. Bakugo shifted his weight with a groan—he was trying to sit up, she realized—and she shushed him. “It’s okay, it’s okay, I’ll come to you.”

He exhaled shakily while she leaned down, his hand holding the back of her head firmly, as though he was using her to ground himself. “Right side,” he whispered. “Finger feint.”

She blinked, confused. “What?”

“You’ll…figure it out. Katherine…tell Izuku I…”

Then his hand drifted from her neck and fell to the ground, like it had never been there at all.

Chapter Text

Katherine stared at Bakugo’s closed eyes, not fully registering what had happened. “Katsuki?”

He didn’t answer. “Hey,” she began, her voice shaking, “this isn’t fucking funny. Finish the sentence.”

Silence. His chest deflated under her hand.

Katherine felt like she’d just been stabbed in the gut.

“Katsuki,” she whispered, grabbing his shoulders. “Katsuki, Katsuki, no, no, no—c’mon, you asshole, don’t do this to me! We need you! Izuku needs you! Get the hell up, now! Please!”

Bakugo was motionless. Katherine’s pleading gave way to body-wracking sobs as she fell forward, her forehead against his. “I’m sorry—I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry; just wake up! I can’t—I won’t do this again. I did everything right this time. You have to wake up!”

There was movement around her, and she felt a hand on her shoulder. “His pulse is crawling,” she heard Edgeshot murmur. “We need to move him away from Shigaraki.”

“I know,” came Jeanist’s voice. “WildCard—please, I need you to–”

Katherine shook her head and buried her face in the side of Bakugo’s neck, her grip on him tightening. She couldn’t let them take him from her.

“Ride, we can’t waste any time, he needs proper medical attention–”

Shigaraki’s infuriating cackle burned through her ears, causing her to shoot up. “No matter what you do, he’s dead. Even if you fix him, I’ll just kill him again. Now then, who wants to be another present for Izuku Midoriya?”

Katherine blinked through her flowing tears, letting out the breath she’d been holding onto. She was shaking—literally shaking with grief, and anguish, and fear—and fury.

Fury began to drown out all her other emotions until she saw a world tinted red. She had been here before. Covered in blood that was not hers—rather, the blood of someone who was hers.

But something was different.

She was different.

She was lethal.

One For All crackled around her as she leaned down and brushed Bakugo’s hair back, planting a kiss on his forehead. Then, she stood and turned to face Shigaraki—who, she realized, had taken some damage on his right side.

Right side.

Gods, she loved that Explosion Jerk. He knew she’d do this, and he needed some way to pass the message on to Midoriya. He’d given them the opening to start winning this battle.

Shigaraki was none the wiser, it seemed, because he welcomed her with open arms. “What’s wrong, cousin dearest? You want a chance at revenge? I’ll give you the first shot!” he taunted.

Katherine reached up and flipped her Data Specs on, restarting her live feed. As she took a step forward, Jeanist grabbed her arm. “WildCard—Katherine—the world watches.”

She twisted it out of his grasp. Her eyes stayed fixed on her leering enemy. Venom coated every syllable of her words.

“Let them watch.”

Her approach started slow. Calculated steps toward Shigaraki, her fists clenched while red sparks danced around them. Then her pace increased, to a jog, to a run, to a sprint. Shigaraki’s leering grin only grew wider and wider.

Finally, on her last step, she put a shield under her foot and used it to propel herself at him. He sent all his finger growths at her, clearly expecting that to do her in.

But it didn’t.

Katherine used Club to punch her way through the mass, letting out an enraged, guttural scream that she hoped people could hear across the Pacific. When she reached the other side and saw daylight again, she stumbled to a halt on shields that she kept steady under her feet. She could see Aizawa, Monoma, and Manual from here; she thought about how horrific she must look because, in addition to Bakugo’s blood coating her costume, she had to be covered in Shigaraki’s now, too.

Speaking of him, he’d whipped around to face her. “Well? Do you feel better now?” he asked sarcastically.

Katherine licked the blood off her lips as she turned, then smirked and held up her right hand, her levitation swirling around it. “Fucking fantastic.”

Shigaraki’s eyes narrowed, then widened when the red aura began to creep up all the still intact finger growths. It was a huge target—much bigger than anything she’d ever tried to break before. She used her other arm to stabilize the levitating one’s aim, relishing the burn she felt in her muscles when Shigaraki tried to pull out of it. “Mirko!” she yelled. “Nejire! Tamaki! Mirio! Hit his right side—now!”

They moved in, and Katherine broke the entire mass in one fell swoop, tugging her arm down for good measure. Shigaraki let out a horrible, pained howl, one that shouldn’t have made her feel as delighted as it did.

Yeah, she promised Midoriya he’d get his chance to save him. But Midoriya wasn’t here right now.

Besides, she had a sneaking suspicion that he’d understand.

Once the others cleared out, she dove straight for Shigaraki, making sure Club hit him on his right side. She ricocheted off a shield and did a back flip over him, preparing to use Club again. “Sora!” she shouted into her com. “Give me an update on Katsuki’s vitals!”

Shigaraki scoffed, though she saw him flinch slightly as she hit him again. “That one?” he spat. “I already destroyed that one!”

“Uh, um, hold on a sec,” Sora replied, sounding distracted. “Shit’s happening over here—someone’s trying to get into our system—and somehow Dabi’s up again—and I’m sorry Katherine, but I don’t see any improvement!”

Her jaw clenched as she landed on the ground. “Just focus on handling things on your end. I’ve got this now. And don’t worry about Katsuki; Jeanist and Edgeshot are helping him.”

A vein in Shigaraki’s head twitched. He bared his teeth as he swung a regrowing mass of flesh at her. “I told you…I ALREADY DESTROYED THAT ONE!”

Katherine blocked it with a shield before grabbing it with her levitation. “Hold it there for a sec, WildCard!” Mirko yelled to her, bounding toward them.

She complied, continuing to bombard him with her Club punches. They were knocking him back now, breaking the skin, bursting the blood vessels underneath. When he held back her next shield with his still intact arm, she dropped it and slashed at his eyes with her nails, digging them into his flesh and drawing more blood until her hands were stained with it.

She wondered how she looked to everyone watching the broadcast.

She didn’t mind appearing a little unhinged.

“I destroyed you!” Shigaraki seethed as she grabbed his left arm with levitation to stop him from striking her. “You’re nothing—nothing at all, just like him! Neither of you—you’re not supposed to be this–”

“Powerful?” Katherine finished bluntly, holding his furious gaze. “You should know better by now, Tenko.”

Her foot purposefully slipped back.

“I’m always at my most dangerous when I’ve lost someone I love!”

She swung her leg forward, bringing her knee right into his chest when Mirko gave her the signal. “NOW!”

Katherine’s fists closed, and the cracking of bones and tearing of flesh filled her ears. The force of her hit to his chest threw Shigaraki back, and he rolled to a stop on the ground. “Everyone, move in!” Katherine commanded, charging at him. “Let’s finish him off!”

Sorry, Izuku, but we can’t give him time to recover. I have to stop him right here, right now.

But Shigaraki wasn’t going down that easily. If there was any similarity between them, it was that he was just as resilient as her.

Katherine was knocked back with such intensity that she felt her jaw crack. As soon as she landed, hitting the ground with a thud, she healed whatever couldn’t wait and pushed herself up. Blood dripped in a constant flow from her nose down her face. Her ears were ringing, her head was pounding, and she blinked through blurry vision as she refocused on Shigaraki.

His body had changed again—it was covered in fingers, like a shell that was protecting him. His left hand—there were faces made out of the flesh—five faces for each finger. She couldn’t make out specific details, but they all looked familiar.

They all looked a little bit like Nana. And Shadow. And her.

It was his family.

“Kotaro,” Nana whispered faintly.

Katherine huffed and stood, swaying slightly. Her eyes searched the battlefield—Mirko, Nejire, and Tamaki had been slammed aside, too. She grimaced, taking a step forward.

Mirio’s still in it. Gotta keep fighting. Gotta buy us some time.

With a quick judging of her surroundings, she teleported to the space between where Shigaraki was fighting Mirio and where Bakugo still lay limp with Jeanist and Edgeshot. She threw one Club strike at Shigaraki, and once she had his attention, she teleported to his other side and threw a more powerful punch, making contact with the side of his face.

It hurt. It was like punching a concrete wall.

It still threw him off kilter, though. And when he retaliated with his left hand, she was quicker to block it. She skidded to a halt, stumbling forward when she brought her shield down.

Shit. Now we’ve gotta learn how to beat THIS form. Brute force isn’t going to cut it.

Suddenly, a voice she wasn’t used to entered her head—Mandalay’s.

“Drop the electromagnetic barrier! Keep him busy—just for two seconds!”

Katherine steadied herself, a bit bewildered. Two seconds would be more than enough time for Shigaraki to escape. And why would they…

Her eyes were drawn skyward, and then she saw him, clinging to the support poles with Blackwhip.

Izuku.

This was his chance to get in—and hers to get out. To get to Gunga. And All For One. She had to go.

Katherine shot a worried look at Bakugo, still lying there on the battlefield, just as Jeanist stood. “Ride, go! We’ll take care of him!”

“C’mon, Katherine!” Mirio shouted. “You’ve done all you can! Get back to your group!”

She met his eyes through the chaos, then nodded, running to get in position. “Hold things down until Izuku can get in!”

Her heart pounded in her ears as she took flight and started to build up speed with Spade: Fa Jin style. She’d only have so much time to get out.

Finally, as she bounded off a shield to land on another at the bottom of the barrier, her eyes on the space next to Midoriya, the barrier disappeared. Katherine pushed off the shield and shot past Midoriya and the X-66s escorting him, switching her com to his line. “Right side! Finger feint! You’ll understand when you get down there!”

“Thanks!” he replied. “Go get All For One!”

She switched her com off, sighing with relief as her speed started to decrease.

Okay. Okay. Gunga. I have to get to Gunga. I’ve just got to book it—I can’t waste any–

With the next flap of her wings, she surged forward, straight into the sky. One For All glowed brighter than it ever had around her, and she felt overcome with emotions—emotions that she knew weren’t her own. It was like an aftershock, but it was only manifesting as emotional pain. Katherine choked out a sob as she closed her eyes, trying to make some sense of what was happening.

They flew open just as quickly. There was only one explanation.

Midoriya had seen Bakugo.

Her gaze jerked back to the arena.

“Don’t even think about it,” Kudou warned. “You have other duties to tend to.”

But Izuku–

“–will be okay. He’s still got Mirio down there with him, right?”

She paused, then nodded to herself.

This boost in power—can I use it to get to Gunga in one shot?

“If you act fast,” Daigoro said. “It won’t last for long.”

Katherine set her eyes on the clouds ahead of her.

Yeah, she could make it.

It didn’t take her long to get to her highest point. Once she was there, she put Gunga in the Data Specs’ GPS and angled herself toward it, her feet pressed against one of her shields. Before she pushed off, she commed one of the X-66s. “Hey, Bravo Leader, you read me?”

“Sure do, WildCard,” Ethan Drive replied. “You need any help getting to All For One?”

“Actually, I was wondering where the rest of your pilots are right now.”

“Stationed around the flying arena. Why?”

She bent her knees as One For All’s sparking got stronger. “Didn’t want to hit another jet. Good luck over here.”

With that, she made a shield to protect herself from the speed and pushed off.

Holy motherfucking shit, even with the shield, she could feel her vision going dark. She couldn’t hear anything for a moment—just the buzzing of white noise in her ears—and then there was a deep, guttural BOOM that rattled her brain. She blinked, trying to put her vision into focus before glancing at the speedometer in the corner of her Data Specs.

She was hitting 1239 kilometers per hour.

She was so shocked that she almost didn’t look back in time to realize she was rapidly approaching her destination. Between her and the ground was a man with short white hair—a villain, she figured, given she didn’t recognize him. She had no time to flip around for Spade, so she just kept her shield up, expanding it slightly, and braced for impact. He was turned to the side, but he didn’t notice her until it was too late.

The collision slowed her down just enough to be able to change directions and land on her feet. Once she was on the ground, her gaze turned skyward. There was still a red tint spreading out in the gathering clouds—the shockwave from her sonic boom.

She smirked slightly to herself before setting her eyes on the villain she’d struck. He was standing now, wrapped in a cape like it was a robe, and when his red eyes met hers, she realized who exactly she was looking at.

“My brother,” Yoichi said quietly. “All For One.”

Chapter Text

At first, Katherine just stared in disbelief. Something had clearly happened while she’d been gone. This wasn’t the All For One she’d encountered with Aoyama and Midoriya—this guy had a face.

And when that face sneered at her, she reacted immediately, throwing Shockwave of Hearts down. While it flung him back, she straightened up and looked around. “Keigo! Where are you?”

“Over here!”

Hawks’s voice pierced through the clouds of dust from the right. She sprinted to him and Endeavor, both bleeding and bruised from their confrontation with All For One. Endeavor, she realized, was missing his left forearm. “Save your strength,” he rasped as she took a step forward. “I’ve cauterized the wound.”

Katherine nodded, then turned to Hawks. “Tsukuyomi and Earphone Jack?”

“They’re good. Both of ‘em are circling overhead—they had to dodge you when you came screaming in.”

“And what the hell is his deal?”

She gestured at All For One, who had recovered from her shockwave, but was making no move to attack. “He used one of Chisaki’s Rewind bullets,” Endeavor told her. “We would’ve had him, but…”

“Yeah, got it. He’s on a clock,” Katherine said, turning around to put her eyes on the villain. “I can work with that.”

Hawks nodded. “If you don’t mind leading off, we’ll catch up.”

Katherine glanced at him and smirked. “Are you sure you want the rest of the world to watch you hand things over to a kid?”

“Oh, shut up, Katherine. Just get his ass already.”

She giggled. “Alright, you asked for it.” Setting her sights on All For One, she whistled to him. “Hey, fuckface! You want One For All?” she shouted.

He brought his hand away from his face, his gaze boring into her. Katherine simply grinned and lowered into her stance. “Come and get it!”

The black rivet wires she’d seen Shigaraki use started rushing at her. But the fight at U.A. had been useful in one way—it’d given her a warmup and a power boost.

Katherine charged toward the approaching rivet wires, leaving red sparks in her wake. When she was close enough, she grabbed all the wires with her levitation and stepped onto a shield. She advanced into the sky, breaking them as she did so. All For One followed her, preparing to use the attack again while her back was turned—but those wires were quickly broken by a concentrated plasma blast.

Storm swooped under Katherine and came to hover in front of her, roaring fiercely at the Demon Lord. She smiled, then dove toward All For One with a shield on her right side. It was finally going her way—she could feel her thoughts starting to untwist themselves, rerouting to focus on the original goal.

And suddenly, one of Kurogiri’s warp portals intercepted her path. Hundreds of Twice clones began spilling out of it, blocking her way to All For One.

Katherine changed her trajectory with a shield underfoot as Storm started firing at the clones, turning them into nothing more than goop. She landed on his back to get her bearings, her eyes searching the battlefield. How was he here? Twice was dead. She saw the footage for herself. It wasn’t possible.

It’s not…him.

What?

It’s not him. It’s Toga.

More of the warps were appearing, and Katherine’s grip on Storm’s harness tightened when she caught a glimpse of a severely charred but somehow still standing Dabi clawing his way out of the portal nearest to Endeavor.

Shoto and Tenya…and if this isn’t Monoma’s work, then that means Loud Dad and Mezo and Koji–

“Don’t spiral, Dove,” Shadow interrupted. “Your friends are okay, I’m sure of it.”

She nodded, then perked up as she noticed another warp portal up ahead, past All For One. At first, it had just been releasing more Twice clones—but in the chaos, she’d spotted a flash of pink and green. A familiar voice yelled, “I won’t lose sight of you! Not again!”

“Storm, fetch!” Katherine ordered, pointing at the warp portal. He roared in response and charged toward it, swerving to dodge a blast from All For One.

Katherine reached up as they got closer and managed to catch Uraraka while Tokoyami and Jiro swooped in to save Tsuyu. “Uravity! Froppy! And Katherine’s back, too!” Jiro shouted excitedly.

Tokoyami looked down at the scene below, grimacing. “At this rate, the battle is doomed to devolve into chaos.”

Katherine nodded as she got Uraraka settled behind her on Storm, then noticed how Jiro was holding her left ear. Her mouth went dry when she saw the blood under her hand, blood that was still dripping down her neck. “Kyoka–”

“It’s alright, babe,” she assured her, managing a smile. “I’m lucky that an ear is the only thing All For One managed to take from me. Uraraka, since Twice came out of the portals as you and Tsu, I’m guessing that’s actually Toga?”

“Yeah. Japan will be buried in clones unless we can stop her,” Uraraka said.

“But Dabi’s fire is far too fierce for us to handle, and Toga keeps multiplying despite it,” Tokoyami pointed out. “This is no proper fight, not anymore. We need a new strategy.”

Tsuyu turned to Katherine. “Got any orders for us, kero, Fearless Leader?”

She scanned the disaster unfolding below them. Her eyes narrowed with thought; her wings fluttered as she connected the dots, and then she had it.

“Take Storm,” she instructed, turning to Uraraka. “He’s fireproofed—he can handle what Dabi throws at him. Try your best to keep Toga contained. If it looks bad, use Storm to mow through the clones from above. I’ll keep All For One from escaping.”

Uraraka nodded at her, determination shining in her gaze. “We’re on it.”

Katherine nodded back and looked at the other three. Tokoyami gave her a thumbs up, Jiro grinned, and Tsuyu exclaimed, “Go take him down, kero!”

She smiled back at all of them, chirped to Storm, and pushed off. Her ascent was rapid, wind rushing through her ears. She dove vertically at All For One, whose escape efforts were currently being hindered by Hawks.

Even though he saw her coming this time and shot the black rivet wires at her again, she simply teleported behind him, using a shield to change her trajectory and speed, and hit him with Ultimate Ace from the back.

Hey, Wielder Two, do you think I could call what I just did “Incoming Spade: Gearshift style?”

“Please just focus on the fight, Katherine,” Kudou responded.

I’m taking that as a yes.

Katherine teleported again, this time hovering next to Hawks. “What’s with the rush?” Hawks asked All For One while she was getting settled. “Don’t you have faith in Shigaraki? That ‘perfect body’ of yours?”

All For One sighed as though the two were nothing more than an inconvenience. “So discerning. In the truest sense, that body is not yet complete. There’s a reason why this version of me is still essential.”

Katherine narrowed her eyes.

That’s it, then. His control over Tenko is still slipping. If he gets to him now, he’ll be able to establish full dominance.

We can’t let that happen.

Yeah, duh.

She put a shield up and switched her commlink to Endeavor’s. “The plan is a bust. We’ve gotta improvise from here. If we go down, All For One will converge on Izuku and Shigaraki. You have to take care of Toya before he cremates everyone on the field!”

“Such a cruel command for that one-armed, half-conscious fellow!” All For One said snidely. “It’s your own fault he turned out like that, you know. You let yourself be caught unawares.”

“That’s enough bullshit outta you,” Hawks snapped back, brandishing one of his longer, sharper feathers. “You’ve already lost to us once, and that was without Katherine. If I were you, I’d be counting the minutes I have left.”

Katherine shot him a quick smile, then glared at All For One again. “You might think you’re tough shit,” she stated, “but if you were so eager to break me, why’d you pawn it off to your imperfect self?”

All For One glowered at her but didn’t respond. Katherine saw his arm twitch, and she snorted as she propped a shield under her foot. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Well, your other persona failed, and here I am. Why don’t you take a crack at it, Mr. Superior Demon Lord?”

She grabbed Hawks’s jacket and teleported them both away before All For One had time to fire off his next attack. Katherine watched as several razor blades tore through the place they’d been hovering, exhaling sharply. “Guess I hit a nerve.”

“I’ll face him head-on,” Hawks told her. “You keep going from above—you have the speed for it. I won’t be able to dodge like you can.”

Her eyes met his, and she nodded before swooping up. The air was becoming heavy with smoke now, courtesy of Dabi’s fire. Katherine had to get quite a ways up before she felt the air was clear again, and even then, the ash was slowly encroaching. Dark clouds were beginning to collect, casting the battlefield in shadows. She took a breath, filling her lungs with fresh oxygen, then dove back into the fumes, cinders, and fire.

Squinting through her Data Specs, she found All For One through the chaos. Hawks was swooping around him, swiping at him with his sword feathers, charging forward even when he got pushed back. She flipped around for Spade but had to change directions when All For One swung at her with an enlarged arm that had bone-like spikes sticking out of it. As she dodged, she grabbed that same arm with her levitation and crushed it. Even though the effects of Rewind instantly healed it, she knew that the more hits she landed, the quicker Rewind would work, until All For One eventually disappeared for good.

Her landing was far from smooth, but that bit of damage was worth it. Katherine picked herself up again and shot back into the air with One For All sparking in her veins. All For One aimed the rivet wires at her again, and this time, one punctured her wing before she was able to evade. She pulled it in to heal it, but the loss of altitude was enough. For the moment, she was out of commission.

A moment was all it took.

The next time Hawks raced in with his sword feather, his strike missed, and All For One used a spatial distortion quirk to rip a hole in his chest.

Katherine actually thought she might throw up, falling onto her shields as she screamed, “KEIGO!”

And just as quickly, it felt like a slap in the face, because Hawks’s expression suddenly became very charismatic (and sparkly, for some reason) and he faded into nothing, with a strange voice saying, “I flew too fast, ‘cause I wanted to see you so badly!” left in his wake.

Katherine was so shocked that she stopped crying and swallowed down the vomit in her throat so she could whisper to herself, “What the fuck?”

She felt a rush of air behind her, like someone flying by. “Phew! I made an illusion just in time!”

Turning around, she saw a girl in a Shiketsu Academy uniform a few feet above her, using a flying finger to get around in the air. “That was a close call, for realsies!” she exclaimed. “Letting that S-tier hunk D-word would’ve been totes uncool!”

An illusion?

Katherine whipped back around. Sure enough, across the battlefield, Hawks was being held back by another flying finger. She let out a sigh of relief.

Then she threw up.

As she was coughing everything up, she felt someone hold the hair around her face back. “Sorry ‘bout that,” the girl in the Shiketsu uniform apologized. “Didn’t mean to scare ya.”

Katherine wiped her mouth on her sleeve and turned to her with a shaky smile. “It’s alright. I’m just glad we’ve got more help.”

The girl blinked at her, then gasped excitedly. “Ohmygods! I know you! You’re Todoroki’s girlfriend, aren’t you?”

Her brow furrowed in confusion—how did this girl she’d never met know that? Then, a dawning realization fell upon her. “Oh, wait, are you Camie? From the remedial course, right?” she inquired.

Camie nodded happily. “Yup, that’s me!”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you,” Katherine said, taking her hand and standing on her shields. “I’m surprised you knew who I was.”

“Are you kidding? Todoroki talks about you, like, all the time. You’re actually the only thing he talks about. It’s totes adorbs. You guys are, like, absolutely my OTP!”

She couldn’t help but beam at Camie, and she wondered if it was a bit peculiar that even here, in the midst of a fight to the death, she could still be giggling and kicking her feet knowing that Shoto talked about her to his friends.

“Ride!”

Now, that was a voice she recognized. Katherine looked up to see Inasa Yoarashi using the wind to float in front of her. “It’s good to see you’re alive!” he shouted with his usual bravado. “We were told you’re the hero in charge. Any instructions for us all?”

“That depends,” she admitted, looking around. Inasa’s wind had already picked up a horde of Twice clones, and it was blowing Dabi’s flames away from the heroes who were still fighting. “You’ve got a good start, so far. How many of you are there?”

“All of us!”

“All of you?” Katherine repeated, looking at Camie, who shrugged. “Shouldn’t you have left some students behind to help the evacuees?”

Inasa shook his head solemnly. “The evacuees haven’t arrived. That’s why we rushed over here. We knew something must’ve gone wrong.”

Katherine huffed and glanced at All For One, who was fending off attacks from the other Shiketsu students and Hawks. “Okay,” she began slowly. “We need to keep Dabi, Toga, and the clones contained. Anyone you can spare should focus their strikes on All For One. Hawks and I will lead them.”

Camie hopped back onto the flying finger and made a peace sign at Katherine. “You’ve got it, W.C.! Oh, can I call you that, by the way? ‘Cause Todoroki says your hero name is WildCard.”

“Uh, yeah, sure.”

Camie zoomed away as Inasa saluted Katherine. “We will do our best to assist you, Ride! Best of luck!”

“You too.”

Once he was gone, she put her gaze on All For One again. It was starting to rain—she felt the first drop hit her shoulder, then the second. The distant thudding of helicopter rotors caused her to perk up—looks like the news was on the scene, despite the battle already being broadcast.

This was the fight of their lives. One way or another, it all ended here.

She just had to make sure the odds stayed in their favor.

Chapter Text

Katherine started to sprint, shields appearing under her feet with every step she took. Now that her wing was healed, she could use Spade: Fa Jin style to get back into the air. As she built up her speed, she got a message from Sora. “Katherine, bad news! Deku and Shigaraki have left the cage! And Erasure isn’t active anymore!”

“Well, that’s fucking fantastic,” she griped, swooping past Hawks. “Any good news?”

“Uh, well, our views on the bodycam live streams are in the millions,” she reported hopefully. “That’s good, right?”

Katherine grinned slightly. “Sure is. Gotta get back to fighting, talk to you later.” She switched her com line to Inasa’s. “Hey, Yoarashi, do you think you could get me through your whirlwind prison?”

“I sure can!” he responded. “Dive toward All For One; I’ll make the wind carry you!”

A turnaround and push-off later, Katherine was caught in an air current and heading straight for the Demon Lord. She threw Club at him, hitting him on the head. A few strange-looking appendages grew out of his back as she dove past him. She narrowed her eyes as she stepped onto a shield.

When she saw the black lighting, she covered as much area as she could with a shield dome. “Everyone, get down!” she yelled.

The laser attack was explosive, but Katherine held strong. When the electricity stopped jolting, she crossed her arms in an X.

Diamond Shield Outburst: Max Output!

The dome expanded so quickly that it managed to knock All For One off balance, if only for just a second. Katherine took off and made two more shields on either side. She punched them toward All For One, weaving around the rivet wires he retaliated with. “What makes you think anything will change this time?” he roared. “You lost the only one who could face me head-on!”

Shockwave of Hearts hit him in the back. He turned to face Katherine, but she’d already teleported away, hitting him with Club again. “This isn’t courage! This hope of yours exists only because none of you experienced my golden age. Some of you witnessed All Might’s rise to power, but most of you were born during his period of peace. During my reign, shadows lurked in every corner, and everyone knew to fear what went bump in the night! Suspicion and blind rage! Exploitation and discrimination! A glorious golden darkness filled with chaos!”

“Do you ever shut the fuck up?” Katherine snapped as she teleported again, throwing another shield at him. “Katsuki was right! You never stop talking!”

All For One’s eyes flashed with anger, but she dove out of his range as he unleashed another blast of black lightning. One of Inasa’s air currents carried her out of the epicenter of the action, allowing other heroes to throw their attacks into the wind. “We already know all about that age!” Inasa shouted. “I mean, we never learned about you, but we talked about everything else in Modern History class.”

Katherine banked out of the air current and came to hover next to Inasa, preparing to aim a shockwave at All For One. “After watching Endeavor and my pal Todoroki, I’ve decided to root for them!” Inasa continued. “I believe that boiling blood will always triumph over fear!”

All For One unleashed the wires again, but this time, they stretched out in every direction; they were chaotic and disorganized. Katherine broke the ones coming toward her with Shockwave of Hearts and Inasa dodged, but the edge of a rivet wire hit him in the head. “Yoarashi! Are you–?”

“Don’t worry!” he replied cheerfully, though there was a gash in his skull. “My quirk is even stronger on windy days. Instead of All For One’s so-called glorious past, let’s fight to see a future built by the people we’re rooting for!”

She stared at him, then nodded, preparing to dive. “I’m down for that. Give me a boost that’ll get me to the other side!”

“You’ve got it!”

Katherine pulled her wings in and let the air current carry her past All For One, striking him in the face with Club. “It’s all for naught!” he declared heatedly as she turned to face him. “You can’t come close, fearing I’ll steal your quirks! All that awaits you is–”

Katherine stared right past him at the black abyss that had suddenly appeared behind him. Two large eyes opened in the darkness—she recognized them as Dark Shadow.

She chirped with surprise and dipped, flying low over the ground to get out of Tokoyami’s way. “Fumikage! Is that you?” she questioned into her com. “You look scary as hell. I’m loving it.”

“Yes. I’m sorry for ignoring your instructions,” he apologized, “but I can’t stand by when my comrades need aid.”

Katherine banked hard to her right as the enormous Dark Shadow hurled All For One to the ground with one hit. “No, you’re good! You’re fantastic! Get his ass; I’ll regroup with the others!”

She put some distance between herself and the raging Dark Shadow. The multiplying throng of Twice clones was up ahead; she could put a dent in that while Tokoyami was on the offense.

For now, I’ve gotta take the backseat. The light that comes off of my powers won’t mix well with Dark Shadow’s attacks. But I’ll stay close just in case something happens.

A calling roar came to her from above, and Katherine looked up to see Storm. She grabbed the handles of his harness as he dove under her, settling on his back. Her leg nudged his side, which pushed him to the left. “Let’s lighten the load, alright, big guy?” Katherine yelled to him.

Storm growled and flew lower, firing shot after shot at the Twice clones. Katherine noticed as they soared above the mounting forces, that among the Twice clones, there were some Shigaraki, Dabi, and All For One clones. Her eyes narrowed as Storm shot down every one of them with his plasma blasts. The Twice clones that Toga created were using their quirk to create clones of the others. But if the real Twice was making those clones, the Shigaraki and All For One clones would’ve decimated them already.

Toga’s able to use Twice’s quirk, but not the rest of League, it looks like. Ochaco and Tsuyu must’ve realized that too—they’ve got to get to Toga before she works through that emotional roadblock and ends this whole thing herself.

“Storm!” she shouted. “Barrel roll! We have to clear a path!”

The Black Death roared in reply. He swooped upward, then pulled his wings in and dove at the mob, sending out continuous blasts. They cut through the clones like a hot knife through butter, reducing them to nothing but goop. Katherine was about to congratulate the dragon, and then a loud BOOM caught her attention. She looked back at where the others were fighting All For One—Dark Shadow was retreating. It seemed there was a new quirk in play.

A blast of light, like a flashbang, but more powerful. Guess I’m back in the game.

Rummaging through her belt, she tossed Storm a piece of fish jerky. “Keep at it, Storm. I’ve gotta go.”

He rumbled as she dove off of him. Katherine narrowed her eyes when she saw All For One try to make a break for it. “Ride!” Inasa called to her through the com. “I’m sending some wind your way! It’ll carry you to the others!”

“Thanks. Don’t let up, you hear me?”

The gusts helped her catch up with Tokoyami and Dark Shadow. Hawks was helping to support him, and she turned to him as she pulled up next to them. “You guys okay?”

“We’re not dead yet,” Tokoyami responded, though he sounded a bit strained.

Katherine grinned appreciatively but was quickly distracted when she noticed something in the distance was barreling toward them.

Or, more specifically, toward All For One.

Gigantomachia was free.

“Oh, you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!” Katherine cursed. “Can somebody please just stay down?”

Hawks, to her surprise, smirked. “Don’t worry. We’ve still managed to avoid the worst-case scenario.”

She gave him a look—no, they were pretty much screwed from here on out—and then Gigantomachia hurled a mountain at All For One.

The Demon Lord broke through the mountain with the rivet wires, but as Gigantomachia got closer, Katherine realized Mt. Lady was right beside him. Not only that, but there were two people on his head.

Eijiro and Shinso!

“Katherine! Tokoyami! We’re here, too!” Kirishima yelled to them. “We won’t let him reach Midoriya and the others!”

Katherine beamed while Tokoyami voiced a more rational thought. “Did Shinso brainwash Machia into fighting on our side? That’s a risky move.”

“Yeah, but it’s what we’ve bet on!” Hawks told him. “Mt. Lady’s protecting him, but…”

Just then, All For One attacked Gigantomachia with another blast of light. Katherine banked away from Tokoyami and Hawks, heading to defend Kirishima and Shinso.

Shinso’s Brainwashing quirk can be broken by a physical attack. That might’ve been enough—we’ve got to stay on our guards.

Gigantomachia spoke with a low, rumbly undertone. “You look different, but my sense of smell tells me it’s you.”

Katherine landed next to Kirishima and put a hand on his hardened shoulder. “Nice block. You good?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I’ve got scrapes, but nothing major.”

“What about you, Shinso?” Katherine asked, glancing at him.

“Are you good?” he retorted, looking her up and down. “That’s a lot of blood.”

“Don’t worry, most of it’s not mine.”

Gigantomachia moved underneath them, causing her to stumble slightly. “All For One…my master…I’ve been waiting for you,” he muttered. “Why did you abandon me? I trusted your words and waited for so long! But you abandoned me, Master! You never came back!”

Katherine looked at Shinso again. “Are you the one making him say this stuff?”

He shook his head. “Nope. Even while I had him under my control, he was muttering something about being betrayed. I think they’re having a spat.”

She looked down at Gigantomachia, steadying herself as he prepared to chuck another mountain at All For One. Hawks was the one to voice her thoughts this time. “Looks like no one wants to read a story about a Demon Lord!”

Everyone launched their attacks all at once, suppressing All For One’s power. “I’m gonna get back in the air and keep All For One from striking back,” she said to Kirishima and Shinso. “Stay safe, ‘kay?”

“We’ll do our best!” Kirishima pledged, giving her a thumbs up.

Shinso nodded in agreement. She nodded back before spreading her wings and taking flight. As she swooped and weaved through the turmoil and onslaught of quirks, she encased any visible part of All For One’s body in her levitation and crushed it—if she couldn’t contribute directly, she could at least speed the Rewind process up.

But despite their best efforts, it still wasn’t enough.

Katherine heard someone cry out, “Mt. Lady!” and flew upward, just in time to see All For One shoot a blast of lightning at Gigantomachia. It threw him to the ground, and she didn’t have time to scream for her friends before Hawks was in her ear. “Katherine! Save Tokoyami! NOW!”

Her teleportation activated before she knew what was happening. One moment, she was staring at the fallen Gigantomachia, and the next, she was plunging toward the ground with Tokoyami in her grasp. She blinked through tears and tried to pull back on her speed, putting up a shield just in case she couldn’t slow down.

The shield took her traction down a smidge, and she managed to keep Tokoyami from hitting the ground too hard. Katherine skidded across it and ripped her jacket. When they came to a stop, she sat up, putting her fingers to Tokoyami’s neck—he was unconscious, and beaten from the blast of light, but his pulse was steady. She sighed heavily as she heard someone land in front of her. “He’s okay, Keigo, just–”

When she looked up, her voice died in her throat. Hawks was the one in front of her, but All For One was holding him by the throat, not even flinching at the sword feather in his shoulder. “That’s enough, Hawks,” All For One stated sternly, like a parent scolding a child. Katherine’s eyes widened in horror as Hawks’s vermillion wings began to disappear from his back. “You did your best.”

Katherine blinked, and she saw her mother. She blinked again, and she saw Bakugo.

Not again.

…

Shoto grunted as he got to his feet. Iida quickly put one of his arms over his shoulder. “Todoroki, be careful. You haven’t recovered from using Phosphor.”

“I told you, I’m fine!” Shoto countered, rasping slightly. Ice still covered the buildings around them. Fallen heroes were scattered about on the ground, and he had to tear his eyes away from their limp figures. Toya had completely blindsided them. And now that Kurogiri was free…

Iida noticed his drawn expression and sighed. “I can only imagine what it was like for you to face him. Or how frustrated you must be. You once told me that I should never forget who I want to become,” he recalled. “Why does such a kind person have to go through so much?”

Shoto didn’t respond, though his grip on Iida tightened. Instead, he pressed his com. “Nakano, any updates on Katherine? Is she okay?”

“Todoroki! Thank the gods,” Sora answered, sounding as though she were on the verge of tears. “Uh, Katherine’s still alive, which is always great, but everything else is pretty much terrible.”

“Why? What’s happening?”

“All For One—he’s beaten down all our forces. And now Katherine’s muted me, and I can’t get through to her–”

Just then, a new voice came into the com. It was garbled for a moment, shrouded in static, and then finally came into focus. “Uh…testing, testing…ah, it finally connected! Young Todoroki, Young Iida, are you two safe?”

“All Might?” Iida questioned, surprised.

“Hey—this was supposed to be a closed line!” Sora exclaimed.

“Sorry, but I have to be brief! Todoroki, Iida, I need you two to get to Gunga. Dabi is about to explode and there are evacuation blocks stopped in his range. Young Iida, I know you’ll be able to run.”

“Explode?” Iida asked in disbelief, but All Might didn’t clarify. “Young Todoroki! Mind and body are one! After overcoming so many hardships, I’m sure you know that.”

Shoto’s mind raced. “But All Might, what about All For One? And—everyone facing him?” he added, though his worry was mostly focused on one individual in particular.

“Don’t worry about Katherine. A powerful ally is on their way to help,” All Might assured him. “Stop Toya and save everyone. Become the ideal version of yourself. It’s up to you two! I’m counting on you!”

The com beeped. He’d hung up. “Run to Gunga?” Iida mused. “It’s possible—I’ll need a moment, but with a little more rain, my engines will have–”

“We don’t have time,” Shoto refuted, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out the miniature cassette player Katherine had given him. He could still see her smile as she explained how it worked.

“It plays Glacier’s summoning call at a heightened volume—I used it to contact Storm the first night I went out.”

He hit the “play” button. A high-pitched, echoing call erupted from the small device, prompting him to cover his ears. Iida did the same, yelling over the noise, “What is that?”

It stopped as abruptly as it had started. Nothing happened—and then, like an angel sent by the gods, Glacier swooped down in front of the boys, landing with grace. Iida’s jaw dropped while Shoto undid his belt and raced toward the Devil Wing. “I know this won’t make sense to you,” he blurted out, his voice on the brink of breaking, “but you have to trust me. Katherine and Storm are in trouble. I need to get to them—to her.”

He held out his left hand. Glacier pulled back slightly, perhaps stunned by his unusual forwardness. “Please,” Shoto begged, tears falling freely now. “Help me.”

Her eyes met his. Then slowly—ever so slowly—her snout came to rest on his palm. Shoto sighed, then ran his hand down her side and mounted. Glacier was calm, as if she understood his plight. She didn’t even flick her feathered ear tufts at him when he wrapped the belt around her neck to use as a handhold. Shoto got settled and then looked at Iida, who was still staring at him with astonishment.

“Are you coming, or what?”

Chapter Text

All For One tossed Hawks aside and fixed his gaze on Katherine and Tokoyami. Her lips were drawn in a tight line as she made a shield dome around herself, pulling Tokoyami closer to her body. “You’ll have to kill me first,” she said, her voice trembling with suppressed wrath and agony.

He just stared at her, like he was weighing his options. Then he scoffed—actually scoffed—and turned his back to her, starting to walk away. Katherine took her shield down and teleported to Hawks. “Keigo,” she hissed as she set Tokoyami to the side. “Keigo, we’ve gotta get up, we’ve gotta fight, c’mon–”

Hawks grabbed her hand before she could put it on his shoulder. “Don’t,” he rasped. “Don’t…don’t waste your energy on me. I don’t have Fierce Wings. I can’t fight.”

“It’s not a waste if it’ll heal you!” she retorted, though she made no attempt to break his grip. “Keigo, please, I can’t do this alone–”

“Katherine, there’s no time.” Hawks’s grasp weakened slightly, and he smiled halfheartedly at her. “You can do this. Reinforcements…they’re on the way, I’m sure of it. Just don’t let him get to Shigaraki.”

Katherine inhaled shakily. She didn’t want to leave him. She didn’t want to lose anyone else today. But she had a duty—she had promised. It could all end here, but only if she stood her ground.

Finally, she slid her hand from his and shrugged her torn jacket off, laying it over him. “You’d better still be alive when I get back,” she warned, trying to keep the lump in her throat from rising.

“You got it.”

She nodded back before setting her sights on All For One, who had risen into the air. One For All sparked around her when she stood and started pursuing him. As she got further away, she heard Hawks whistle faintly.

She choked back a sob and returned the call.

Then, she activated her levitation and shields, shouting at All For One, “Hey, fuckwad!”

Katherine threw down Shockwave of Hearts when All For One turned. The sudden burst kicked up the dust, shrouding her in it. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” she asked, putting as much conceit in her tone as she could muster. “Are you really gonna run away without finishing the job? One For All’s right here! Why leave without it?”

All For One’s expression didn’t change. He looked bored with her. He didn’t even raise a hand to attack. “I have no interest in you,” he declared matter-of-factly. “You were not chosen to face me in this fight. You don’t concern me.”

Katherine grimaced. He wasn’t making this easy—and he was too smart for her to outright goad into a fight. She’d have to try a different approach. “So? You have no problem striking down everyone else! You haven’t broken me yet! Isn’t that what you wanted? To destroy me? I’m waiting!”

The Demon Lord turned his back to her. “Hey! I’m talking to you!” she shouted angrily, her voice growing hoarse. “Get back here and finish the job! Take One For All for yourself!”

The black lightning started crackling around him. Katherine’s eyes widened.

No—shit! C’mon, what will make him stay? What will buy me time?

Her mind flipped through possible jabs, insults, anything that could agitate him. But, as always, her heart was what forced her to act.

“Kill me like you killed my mother!”

The black lightning stopped. All For One glanced at her.

Katherine exhaled heavily, then dropped to her knees. “You’ve already taken everything from me,” she muttered dejectedly. “Just get it over with. I’m tired of fighting for something that was never mine in the first place.”

All For One watched her as she wiped her eyes, then raised his hand, smirking triumphantly. “If you insist.”

Katherine kept her head low as she listened carefully. There it was—the shrill, barely noticeable ping as All For One prepared to fire off the light blast.

Perfect.

Discreetly, she made two shields under her hands and activated her levitation. The light attack barreled toward her, and she quickly made a shockwave, then teleported into the open sky as the dust cloud cloaked her escape.

Shockwave of Hearts: Smokescreen style!

As she used her shields to start building her speed, Sora came through on her com. “Katherine! You’ve got to get out of there!”

“Can’t! Busy!”

“No, seriously! One of the other intel guys said that Dabi’s been building up thermal energy since the battle started—in ten minutes he’s gonna explode and take everyone within a five-kilometer radius down with him!” Sora told her hastily.

Katherine’s eyes flickered down to All For One, who was whipping around, trying to find her. “Give me a sec. I have to take care of this guy first.”

“Katherine, if you mute me, I swear to the gods–”

“Sorry!” she apologized before muting her line to the headquarters. She started angling herself toward where Endeavor was fighting Dabi, until finally, she was in the right position to get there in one shot—and take All For One with her.

Incoming Spade: Fa Jin style!

He didn’t see her coming until it was too late to retaliate. Katherine grabbed All For One’s hands with her levitation to keep them away from her and kicked him into the ground with Club. They were far enough away from Dabi and Endeavor that the flames weren’t a risk, but whenever Dabi exploded, she was sure he’d take the Demon Lord with him. All she had to do was get Rewind to speed up.

She could get out of the range at the last minute. Yeah, that would work. Or maybe Endeavor would be able to stop the explosion before then. Which meant she’d have to work out a new plan, but oh well.

“You’re a total moron, you know,” she told All For One as he got to his feet. “I mean, c’mon—did you think I’d give up that easily? Haven’t you learned anything? Even Tenko wouldn’t have fallen for that.”

All For One sent the rivet wires toward her, but she made a shield dome, preventing them from reaching her. Her eyes narrowed as she pushed against the wires, then used Diamond Shield Outburst to break through the attack. She teleported while he aimed his next blast and hit him from behind with Club. The blow cracked his spine, and though it healed instantly, she teleported again and prepared to strike. “That’s enough!” he thundered, this time turning to meet her.

Katherine seized his hands with her levitation before he could grab her arm and used Club to kick a shield into his stomach. It threw him back and ripped both of his forearms off. “You know what I think?” she yelled to him as she stalked toward him, One For All buzzing in her ears.

When All For One tried to stand, she used levitation to pick him up, and the red aura surrounded his body. “I think all this ‘chosen’ stuff is bullshit,” Katherine snapped, slowly closing her hand. “I think you’re just saying that to rationalize with yourself. If I don’t matter, why not just kill me and be done with it? You have no issues killing everybody else. But I’m different, and I think I finally know why. You’re scared of me.”

She closed her fist entirely, crushing him. Then she dropped his broken body and watched as it began to Rewind, returning him to his former state. “Not that I blame you. I don’t play well with villains who put my family at stake.”

The wind started to pick up, and so did the rain. Katherine squinted and quickly put a shield dome around All For One before turning to look at the spot where Endeavor and Dabi were fighting. The flames were only getting stronger, and they were starting to reach past the boundaries of the battle. Her jaw clenched.

C’mon, Endeavor…

A sharp crack caught her attention, and she looked back at the dome holding All For One captive.

There was a fracture in her red shield. The dome was filled with light, light that only caused it to crack further.

Katherine’s eyes widened and she swiftly shot into the air. Her shield broke open as the light blast and black lightning finally escaped it, and All For One took the chance to take flight as well, using one of his quirks to boost his speed. “Oh, no you fucking don’t!” Katherine shouted as she put a shield under her foot. “You’re not getting away that easily!”

She flew after him in a fury, using Spade: Fa Jin style to get her speed to match his.

Fa Jin style probably won’t be enough, though. He knows I’m trying to keep him in Gunga; he’ll see me coming if I don’t switch it up.

Patches of red aura appeared on her wings, covering her feathers. Katherine continued to ping from one shield to the other, until finally, she went in for a dive. As expected, All For One saw her coming and turned, unleashing that same light blast. She teleported just in time, ending up beneath him. She flipped around like she was doing a normal Spade move, but instead pushed off another shield and rocketed back up to him, increasing her speed even further. As she passed him, she grabbed his body with her levitation and threw him into the air.

Incoming Spade: Gearshift style!

Katherine teleported again; this time angled so she was diving at him. Ultimate Ace hit him like a freight train, and she saw him cough out blood before he was sent crashing back to the ground.

She swooped down and stood at the edge of the crater they’d created, holding her hand up defensively. Her body was aching and sore; the lingering pain from all the injuries she’d been healing was starting to weigh on her. But she held fast, refusing to back down.

The rivet wires erupted from the crater. Katherine struck them down with Shockwave of Hearts, but they just kept coming. She used Diamond Shield Outburst to give her a moment to recover, then grabbed all the wires with her levitation and broke them again. The next wave was just as furious, and this time, Katherine could hear the light blast powering up.

She teleported out of range but was still thrown back by the force. The wires came at her again as she propped herself up and defended herself with a shield. All For One used the wires to lift himself out of the crater, sneering scornfully at her. “One For All or not, you are still just a child,” he taunted while she pushed against his attack. “You’re delaying the inevitable. I was feeling merciful earlier, but your insolence has annoyed me. I’ve decided that I’m going to kill you in the slowest, most agonizing way possible.”

“Yeah? What’s that?” Katherine inquired, just trying to buy herself time. There had to be an opening somewhere—nobody was perfect, not even a self-proclaimed Demon Lord. They’d had him on the ropes before, so if she could just figure out the best way to keep him subdued until she had backup…

“Well, now, there are so many methods to choose from!” All For One exclaimed gleefully. “I can’t make up my mind. Should I perforate your vital organs with Rivet Stab? Or mar you beyond recognition with my spatial distortion power?”

The assault slowed for a moment. Katherine kept her eyes fixed on him, trying to fight back a grin.

Got it. That’s his weakness.

All For One was none the wiser, and he continued to list all the ways he could kill her. “What would truly be grand, though, is an audience. Couldn’t you imagine? All the precious people in your life watching helplessly as I ruin you?” He sighed, a mix of disappointment and resignation. “Ah, I suppose it can’t be helped. This will have to do.”

That was when Katherine struck. She pushed the shield she was holding at him with Club. It cleared a path through the rivet wires and allowed her to charge. Using levitation to keep his hands away, she landed a solid kick to his chest, which sent him flying back. Before he could retaliate, she brought her shields up and kept pummeling him with Club, hitting him wherever she could to keep him on the ground as she advanced toward him. “You’re not doing yourself any favors, you know!” she shouted over the sound of her blows. “It’s almost like you want me to win!”

When she was finally close enough to lean over him, she grabbed his hands with her levitation again and put a shield between them, licking at the blood dripping from her mouth. “And if you want me dead,” Katherine seethed with a callous smirk, “you’re gonna have to try way harder than this.”

All For One bellowed with anger, and just as she’d thought, he managed to unleash another blast of light, even with his hands encased in her levitation. She teleported away, thrown down for a moment by the rush. But she quickly got to her knees with One For All flickering around her eyes.

The younger he gets, the less control he has over his power. That works for me because when he gets into those tangents, he loses his momentum, but when I piss him off, he’s able to throw me back. It’s a tough back and forth, but I can keep it up, just until–

All of a sudden, Katherine felt a hand come down on her shoulder, holding her back. That gesture alone told her who had entered the fight.

…No.

She looked up, and her eyes widened when she saw All Might smiling down at her. A quick glance at the scene behind her, and she spotted his car—she didn’t hear it pull up over the roar of the distant flames and the heavy thuds of her attacks.

Katherine looked back at All Might and stammered, “Wh-what are you doing here?”

“What I should’ve done from the very beginning,” he told her, before ruffling her hair and stepping forward. All For One was watching them, and Katherine saw a maniacal gleam in his eyes.

Oh, no.

“Do you remember how many times we’ve fought?” All Might asked All For One.

No, no, no.

His grip tightened on the briefcase he was holding. “Tomura Shigaraki’s hatred of me has spread to your main body, which means you won’t be able to ignore me.”

No, no, no, no, no!

Katherine opened her mouth to scream at All Might, to tell him to leave, to say anything, to just get him out!

And even if her voice hadn’t died in her throat, she doubted he would’ve listened.

“It’s over, All For One…”

All For One grinned like a psychopath. One For All burned through Katherine’s veins.

“…because I AM HERE!”

Chapter Text

All Might’s briefcase and parts of his car disassembled, turning into pieces of armor that gravitated toward his body and snapped into place. Eventually, the pieces formed a full suit of armor—one that seemed to resemble his old hero costume, even mimicking the two tufts of hair he used to shape in a V. And it was obvious who he’d gotten the idea from…

All For One let out a barking laugh. “You’re as foolish as her if you think that will be enough! You don’t even have One For All anymore!”

Katherine’s eyes flitted frantically between All Might and All For One. One For All was screaming in her nerves, the power spiking randomly. All Might set his face and glanced back at her. “Young Katherine, get out of the blast zone. I’ll take things from here.”

With that, the fight was on. Katherine felt her chest tightening as All Might charged toward All For One. He was going to be killed—he was going to be killed, and she had to do something, but there wasn’t an opening, and he wouldn’t let her stay, and she couldn’t just stay here, she had to move, had to do something, had to do anything, had to–

Her gaze flickered to the car.

Katherine still had no idea what she was going to do, but she dove for the car door, just as All For One fired off the black lightning. Once she was safe in the driver’s seat, she looked out the window and exhaled with relief when she saw All Might was still standing. Then, as she began adjusting the seat to move it closer to the steering wheel, she was struck with a realization.

She didn’t know how to drive.

Well, she did, a little bit. But she certainly didn’t know enough to handle this situation.

“The keys are in the ignition, Dove,” Shadow piped up. “Take it slow. I’ll coach you through this.”

Daigoro snorted. “I thought you lived off the grid. How do you know how to drive?”

“I learned,” Shadow said with a dry tone that sounded eerily familiar.

“Without a car?” En questioned. “Please tell me you did not steal a car.”

GUYS! LATER! C’MON!

“What she said,” Katherine muttered as she started the engine. She threw the gear shift into drive and stomped on the gas, yelping as the car jerked forward.

“At least put on your seatbelt!” Nana scolded.

She tried not to roll her eyes and did as Nana asked. After a moment, she let up on the gas.

So, what exactly is the plan here?

I’m gonna hit All For One with the car.

Oh, Vida help us.

“It’s okay; I have an idea,” Shadow assured the two spirits. “Katherine, here’s what you’ll do—drive until you’re about four kilometers from them. Then we’ll make a hard U-turn, and you’ll step on the gas.”

“And what if she hits Toshinori?” Hikage asked.

Okay, everyone except Papá needs to shut up for a second! I can’t focus!

All the other voices went silent, and she sighed.

Thank you. So, I make a U-turn and step on the gas—then I just pray that it’s a straight shot to All For One?

“Yeah, pretty much,” Shadow replied. “Just drive, Dove. I’ll tell you what to do from here.”

Katherine nodded and stepped on the gas pedal again, slowly increasing the speed of the car. The speedometer dipped to 80 miles an hour before settling there. When she glanced at the rearview mirror, all she could see was a cloud of dust and flashes of light—All Might and All For One’s attacks. She grimaced, her hands tightening on the wheel.

“Now!” Shadow ordered suddenly. “Turn to the right as hard as you can!”

Katherine complied and took her foot off the gas. The friction against the steering wheel left marks on her skin as she pulled it to the right. The car swerved, circling right until it had done a complete 180.

“Straighten out! Don’t hit the gas until you’re back to where you started!”

Her jaw clenched. With a little effort, she managed to get the steering wheel back in place.

“Now floor it, Dove!”

She hit the gas hard. As the car sped toward the fight, she shouted at her Data Specs, “Unmute coms! Sync to All Might!”

Her com line beeped, signaling the transition. All Might’s voice came through before she could speak, stern and strained. “Young Katherine, I told you to go!”

“I’m not going anywhere!” Katherine retorted as she let up on the gas slightly. “Not until All For One is down for good. Just keep him between you and the car!”

“Young Katherine, please,” All Might began. “I couldn’t bear to lose you or Young Izuku. This fight should’ve been my responsibility from the start. I’m sorry for pushing my duties onto you.”

Her jaw clenched as she blinked tears out of her eyes. “And we can’t bear to lose you, All Might! It’s not about duty or responsibility anymore! It’s about keeping the people we love safe! I know you won’t stand by, so I can’t either. I’m going to fight by your side whether you like it or not! Because you’re our partner in all things One For All, too!”

The line went silent. Katherine’s breath caught in her throat for a moment, and she took her foot off the gas completely. “All Might? Toshinori! Hey, are you there?”

“Yes,” he answered finally, his voice shaky with emotion. Katherine sighed with relief and slumped back in the driver’s seat. “Yes, I’m here. What’s the plan?”

“I’m driving toward you guys. Make sure you’re not the one in front of the car.”

“Affirmative. Thank you, Young Katherine.”

“No problem, Number One.”

With that, Katherine pushed down on the gas again—hard. She kept one hand on the wheel as she reached over and unbuckled her seatbelt.

“Katherine!” Nana gasped.

I need it off for when I teleport!

The speedometer’s needle spun, dipping into the hundreds. Katherine leaned back slightly, her eyes narrowing in concentration. Finally, All Might and All For One came into view again. Just like she’d requested, All Might had managed to get All For One in line with the car. His back was turned, so he couldn’t see her coming.

She made sure the speedometer met its limit.

“Dove, put the car in neutral and go! Now!” Shadow commanded.

Katherine did as he instructed while pressing on the gas. Quick as a flash, she was out, rolling to a stop on the ground as the car hit All For One with full force and shattered every bone in his body. She teleported again, this time ending up next to All Might. “He’s not down yet,” she warned. “We should stay on guard.”

“Agreed,” All Might responded. He paused, and then: “I really liked that car.”

“I figured. Sorry.”

All For One regenerated, a look of pure fury on his face. “Now you’ve resorted to cheap tricks?” he roared, sounding more offended than anything. “You must be–”

Katherine threw Club at him right as All Might shot him with a light blast from his armored suit. “All Might, has he always talked this much?” she asked while she teleported behind All For One and hit him again.

All Might nodded, evading the rivet wires before attacking. “You wouldn’t believe how many monologues I’ve had to sit through, Young Katherine.”

“I think I could,” she replied before teleporting directly in front of a distracted All For One and punching him in the face. His jaw dislocated, hanging limply until Rewind realigned it. Katherine teleported again and kicked him in the back of the head, then ducked away to give All Might an opening.

As All Might took the lead on offense, the wind started to change and pick up, blowing heat toward their area of the battlefield. Katherine squinted at the flames in the distance while she waited for her chance to strike. Dabi and Endeavor were to the east of them and Uraraka, Tsuyu, and Toga were to the south. She and All Might were smack-dab in the middle of the two raging battles. If All For One decided to call on his allies for help, he’d be in the perfect position to do so. And if Kurogiri was still free—well, she chose not to think about that too much.

Then, she heard a dragon call and a thunderous BOOM. The temperature that had been so steadily rising dropped, blowing a cold front in. Katherine whipped around in the direction it came from, her eyes widening as she saw a wave of ice consume the raging fire, which began to burn out.

Shoto!

The familiar ping of the light attack powering up caught her attention, and she teleported to All Might before All For One could fire it off. Once the two were out of the blast zone, Katherine put her hand up, signaling for All Might to wait as she threw down Shockwave of Hearts: Smokescreen style. When All For One whipped around to face them, Katherine charged toward him, dropped to her knees to evade the wires, and then sent a close-range Club hit straight into All For One’s torso, where his liver was.

All For One was thrown back twenty feet, but Katherine didn’t hesitate for a moment. “Catch up!” she shouted to All Might before teleporting again.

Though his body had already begun to Rewind, All For One was still hacking when Katherine appeared in front of him. She kept him pinned down with relentless Club and Shockwave of Hearts attacks until she heard All Might in her com. “Young Katherine, I need a distraction!”

In an instant, she whipped up some cover with Shockwave of Hearts: Smokescreen style again and shot into the sky. All Might was hovering just above All For One using his armored suit’s propulsion boots, and one of the arms had opened little hatches, revealing several miniature grenades. All Might fired them off in unison with the light blast from his suit, but Katherine had heard a ping just a moment before.

She used her shields to propel herself at All Might, then boosted off another one as All For One launched a mix of light, rivet wires, and black lightning at them. It missed them by millimeters, and they weren’t entirely unscathed—Katherine wasn’t able to slow down in time for their descent, and they tumbled to the ground. She was on her feet in an instant, healing everything she could before turning to All Might. “All Might–”

To her surprise, his suit had seemed to harden and shield itself in a most familiar shape. Though it had sustained some damage, All Might seemed okay, standing easily. “Don’t worry, Young Katherine. I made sure to make the proper modifications.”

“Is that supposed to look like Dark Shadow?” she asked curiously.

All Might smiled his signature smile. “Well, you could say I’ve learned a few things from my students.”

Katherine grinned in reply, then charged forward, shouting back to him, “Well, if you’ve got a knockoff version of my shields, now’s a good time to use them!”

All For One saw her coming and launched the rivets with Air Cannon. She teleported behind him and used one of the shields to leap up, then kicked him in the head. When All For One whipped around to face her, All Might grabbed him with chains that became charged with electricity, weakening the villain for just a moment. “Blackwhip and Chargebolt?” Katherine asked him, landing a brutal hit to All For One’s chest with Club. “Izuku’s gonna lose his mind when he sees you in this suit.”

“He’ll have all the time in the world to ask questions after we defeat this pesky thorn in our sides!” All Might called back, pummeling All For One while she took to the skies.

Katherine’s heart thumped in time with her wingbeats as she climbed, using shields to boost her speed. She’d noticed that the electricity had slowed Rewind. Even if it gave them even the slightest advantage…

“All Might, hit him with Chargebolt again!” she ordered through the coms. “I’m gonna use a Spade-Shockwave combo!”

“You’ve got it, Young Katherine,” he responded.

She reached her highest point and flipped around, bracing herself on a shield before launching into a dive. The wind lashed at her hair, which had long come out of its half-up style. Her eyes squinted behind her Data Specs, but she kept them open.

She would’ve landed the hit, too, if she hadn’t noticed All For One gearing up for another huge attack while All Might was recovering from his last blast.

Katherine changed her course just in time to land between the two. Shockwave of Hearts was able to soften some of the massive quirk combination’s blow, but her shield and All Might’s suit were really what saved their asses. The attack blew them both off their feet and sent them halfway across the battlefield. All Might’s armored suit sustained some damage from both the attack and their impact on the ground—Katherine could hear it warning him about the state of his respiratory organs. He groaned as he pushed himself up and ran diagnostics on the tech. “Might be a while till the suit has enough power for another big move. Sorry, Young Katherine. Are you hurt?”

Katherine didn’t respond. Yes, she was hurt—her body ached, and her muscles screamed, and her head pounded, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. She wasn’t quite on her feet yet, but she was on her knees, her arms and wings outstretched to shield All Might. All For One’s silhouette made its way toward them through the dust cloud, but she held her ground.

He wasn’t going to get anyone else. She wouldn’t let him.

When All For One finally cleared through the dust, he sighed. “Oh, come now. Don’t you think this is a bit excessive?” he asked snidely.

Katherine narrowed her eyes, her wings only spreading further. “No, really. I understood protecting your peers, but please. Him? His time has passed,” All For One drawled. “If anything, he should be the one giving his life for you. That’s typically how these things work, isn’t it? You could’ve landed that attack. It would’ve meant sacrificing him, sure, but don’t you think he would’ve preferred that? But you didn’t. You redirected it.”

“Young Katherine,” All Might started quietly, but she didn’t move. She didn’t even blink. She just glared unceasingly, stonily watching the Demon Lord.

He glowered back, then sneered. “I see. This will work just fine.”

Katherine broke eye contact as he held his hand up, preparing to fight. “You are different from the other One For All wielders, Katherine Ride,” All For One acknowledged. “Every time I think I’ve found your weakness, you turn around and come back twice as strong as before. It’s terribly bothersome. But I believe I’ve finally figured it out.”

Several of Kurogiri’s warp portals appeared. Katherine jerked back when All For One sent a black rivet wire into each of them, a malicious gleam in his eyes.

“You’re a leader.”

He yanked the wires back, and Katherine felt herself choke on her breath. Mic and Aizawa had come through one portal, and Shoto through another, and Midoriya, who had brought Shigaraki along with Blackwhip—and Bakugo.

All For One cackled. “So, you rage for the sake of others, #213? Let’s see just how long you can protect them!”

Chapter Text

Katherine didn’t waste a moment.

Bakugo was the most vulnerable given the initial damage he’d suffered, so she teleported to him first, then to Aizawa. She got both of them as far away as she could and healed Bakugo’s new wound. It looked like All For One hadn’t gone for anything vital; he just created injuries that would make it harder for them to defend themselves. Bakugo swore and squinted as Katherine pressed down on it. “Kath–?”

She grabbed his face before he could finish. “Stay,” she commanded with all the authority she could muster before turning to Aizawa. “Don’t let him fight.”

Aizawa opened his mouth to say something, but Katherine had already teleported back to the battlefield, stopping a rivet wire attack from reaching Mic with her shields. “Sync to all present coms!” she shouted into her Data Specs, which quickly complied.

“Katherine! What’s happening?” Mic asked hastily, backing up. “Why does All For One have a face?”

“Long story! Get to All Might! His suit needs time to recharge!”

Another wire attack came from her right, but a wall of ice blocked it before it could reach her. “I’ll cover you!” she heard Shoto shout from behind.

Katherine’s jaw clenched as All For One put more force behind his assault. “Don’t! Just get out of here!”

“Young Katherine, we’re not leaving–” All Might began in her com.

“You don’t get it! He’s not going to stop until he’s killed you all! I can’t let that happen! So please, just go!” she begged, the tears in her eyes threatening to pour over.

Another hand placed itself on her shield. Shoto came up on her left, helping to push against the wires. “If you think I’m going to let you take this on by yourself,” he said, sounding exhausted but determined, “you’re sorely mistaken.”

Katherine stared at him for a moment but shook her head. “What about Toya?”

“He’s down. My family can handle things from here. And Glacier’s with them—she’ll protect them.”

“Shoto–”

“I’m not leaving you,” Shoto declared firmly. “None of us are. Deal with it.”

“I’ve got Shigaraki!” Midoriya told her through her com. “I’ll keep him from getting too close. Just focus on All For One! Don’t let him get in your head!”

A shadow passed over the battlefield, and Katherine looked up to see Storm soaring overhead. Her heart was pounding furiously, and she couldn’t expel the sick feeling in her stomach—but she finally nodded, taking a shuddery breath. “Okay.”

Shoto nodded back and set his eyes on All For One. “You lead. We’ll follow.”

Katherine exhaled slowly, flexing her fingers. She pushed the shield she was holding up toward All For One, then immediately used Shockwave of Hearts. While All For One was being shoved back by that, Shoto sent a surge of ice at him. The Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall encased All For One, and though the light quirk quickly freed him, Katherine was on him in an instant, kicking him to the ground before throwing relentless Club punches.

“Katherine! I’m open!” Shoto yelled as he ran around the still-standing ice. Flames danced around his left arm as he prepared to use Flashfire Fist. He just needed her to give him a clear shot.

Katherine did more than that—she used her levitation to hurl All For One at Shoto, and he struck as soon as the Demon Lord was close enough. As Rewind started to kick in, Katherine grabbed All For One with levitation again and threw him aside.

He clearly wasn’t happy with being treated as a ragdoll. The black lightning came at them as quick as a flash, but Katherine was barely quicker. As she and Shoto rolled to a stop on the ground, Mic shouted, “Kids! Cover your ears!”

They did as he said, and the scream came a second later. As the noise filled Katherine’s head, she tried to think of her next move. They had to keep All For One and Shigaraki away from each other. That was the most immediate problem. Then there was making sure Bakugo stayed out of it—and if Kurogiri was still running free, All For One could bring more people there, including regular civilians. She had to make sure that didn’t happen.

She switched her com to the headquarters. “Sora! Get a message out to everyone else! Tell them that if Kurogiri shows up, they need to do their best to avoid him.”

“Oh, so now you unmute me?” Sora griped in her ear.

“Just spread the word, okay? And if somebody sees Kurogiri’s main body, take him down!”

Switching her com back to those nearest to her, she addressed Mic and All Might. “Shoto and I can manage All For One. Help Izuku with Shigaraki!”

“Are you sure?” All Might asked.

From above, Storm roared fiercely and dove at the Demon Lord, hitting him point-blank with several plasma blasts. “Yeah, I’m sure!” Katherine responded as she brought up her shields. “Our priority hasn’t changed! Keep the two most powerful villains away from each other!”

If the two had any objections, they didn’t voice them. Once they made it to where Midoriya was fighting Shigaraki, Shoto formed a huge ice wall, separating the battlefield. Katherine kept up with All For One, striking him in any opening she got, and then—when she got a clearer look at his body—she realized something.

The burn marks from Storm’s attacks hadn’t healed. Had Rewind slowed down because of the damage? Why now? Because of her relentless hits? Or maybe…

She risked a glance in Aizawa’s direction, and sure enough, he had his eye fixed on All For One, his hair floating just slightly.

Of course. Even if Erasure could only slow the quirks down now, Aizawa wouldn’t let that stop him from helping.

Her dads were so cool.

All For One seemed to notice the predicament as well because his hand twitched for a moment. Before he’d even raised his arm toward Aizawa and Bakugo, Katherine grabbed both arms with her levitation and twisted them. All For One yelled out in a mix of pain and fury but was quickly cut off when Shoto encased him in ice again.

Once he was sure the Demon Lord was immobile, Shoto rushed to Katherine. “Eraserhead–”

“I know,” she interrupted, wiping the blood from her face. “I think I have a plan. If Erasure is slowing Rewind down, even just slightly…if I could get something through All For One’s heart, and keep him down…”

Shoto nodded weakly. “Yeah. It’s okay. It’s almost over.”

Katherine looked at him and grabbed his hand. “I’m taking this to the skies. You’re on sharp object duty.”

There was some comfort to be taken in the fact that, no matter what kind of terrible situation they were caught in, or how battered or bruised they were, Shoto would still look at Katherine like she was the most beautiful person he’d ever seen, and Katherine would still stare into his eyes like she was seeing him for the first time all over again. She squeezed his hand one more time, then set her sights on the ice All For One was trapped in, which was starting to glow.

Once the black lightning had passed, Katherine shot toward All For One like a bullet. The moment her levitation had a strong hold on him, she flew up, toward the open air. Storm wasn’t far behind. Whenever All For One looked like he was about to raise one of his hands, the Black Death fired off another plasma blast, frying his palms and ensuring that he’d need a longer recovery period.

Finally, Katherine released All For One. He began his descent, and she gave chase. Since she was forcing him down, he couldn’t activate the quirk he used to make himself fly. She could see the ice spikes Shoto had made—just a little closer, and they’d be one step closer to victory–

A purple and black warp intercepted their path. Katherine reacted swiftly, she kicked off a shield to change her trajectory and let All For One fall into the portal. As she flapped around, trying to get her bearings, she commed Shoto. “Kurogiri’s back! I lost All For One! I’m sending Storm down to you; keep your guard–”

Something grabbed her leg. Katherine looked down to see a Twice clone coming out of another warp portal, and before she could pull away, another portal opened up above her. Hundreds more Twice clones poured out of it, pushing her into the portal beneath her. One of them had a torn mask, revealing Toga’s face underneath.

When she hit the ground, everything went dark.

It was only for a moment. But that was more than enough. When Katherine’s vision finally refocused, a sharp, searing pain shot through her body, nearly sending her back into a blackout. She was being held against the ground by the Twice clones; she could taste dirt and blood in her mouth. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and in her throat, and in her ears…

Get up.

She knew she should. Her wings shifted, and an elbow jabbed into her back. Katherine bit her lip so hard she would be surprised if there weren’t indents left where her canines had clamped down. One of the Twice clones holding her down was probably Toga in disguise—likely the one who’d just hit her. It sounded like  All For One had brought more people, too—the noise around her was becoming frantic.

Katherine managed to shift her head just slightly from where it was being held against the ground. Through her blurred vision, she could see some new faces. Rei, Fuyumi, and Natsuo were clumped together—what were they doing on the battlefield? Jiro and Tsuyu were staggering to their feet, Iida looked like he was pushing himself up, too, and she just barely caught a glimpse of Hawks and Tokoyami lying on the ground before her gaze was blocked by someone stepping in front of her. Slowly, she looked up.

All For One leered down at her, one hand raised in the opposite direction (likely to keep anyone still fighting at bay, though she suspected the Twice clones were also helping with that). “I told you, didn’t I? The grandest way to kill you would be in front of an audience,” he taunted. “It seems I will get my wish after all.”

She should’ve bitten back. She should’ve fought. But everything ached, and everything hurt, and Katherine could barely muster the energy to spit bloodily at him, which only resulted in all the Twice clones doing their best to brutalize her further. All For One cackled and raised his unoccupied hand. “You’ve eluded your mortality long enough. The game is over now. Goodbye, #213.”

Katherine swallowed thickly and shut her eyes, her wings trembling. The screaming was filling her ears now. Everyone wanted her to fight, everyone wanted her to be the Katherine they knew, the Katherine that bounced back twice as tenacious, the Katherine that never gave up, even on the brink. She wanted to be that Katherine for them.

She couldn’t do it. It hurt to fight. It hurt to breathe. It all hurt. A quiet sob escaped her as she waited for the killing blow.

Please, gods, please don’t let this be how I die.

For once, her prayers were answered.

She heard All For One curse and mustered the strength to raise her head, blinking through her blurring tears. He was rubbing the back of his head like he’d just been hit by something. Katherine’s eyes landed on a sizeable pebble that was lying in front of her. When All For One turned to the side to see who had thrown it, her throat went dry.

Uraraka was lying in the middle of the battlefield, in the perfect position to hit All For One square in the back of the head. She looked like she was gearing up to throw another rock, though her jaw was clenched in pain. Katherine noticed a knife had been pierced into her abdomen, which explained why she hadn’t stood yet. “Get away from our Fearless Leader, you—you bastard!” Uraraka shouted as she hurled her next rock.

All For One caught it easily, fixing her with a stony glare. “What a noble show of loyalty,” he said dryly. “I suppose I can put this off for a moment longer while I discipline your lack of respect.”

“No,” Katherine blurted out, surging forward even while held down. “No, don’t hurt her; she doesn’t have anything to do with this!”

All For One glanced at her, then looked back at Uraraka, who was still staring him down. He grinned evilly. “Ah. You must be one of her favorites.”

Katherine choked on her breath when he started stalking toward Uraraka, black lighting sparking around his hand. “Now I can’t resist.”

“Don’t!” she screamed hoarsely as the Twice clones pushed her down harder. She flailed and writhed, trying to get free. “Stop it! Ochaco, run!”

Uraraka was trying her best, but with her injury, there was nothing she could do other than drag herself away from the approaching Demon Lord, which wasn’t doing her any good. Anyone who was trying to help—and Katherine could hear the commotion; it was everyone—was swatted away by All For One or converged upon by Twice clones. Katherine thrashed violently underneath the pile of clones with no regard for her injuries. She had to get free. She had to. She had to–

Get up.

All For One got closer to Uraraka. Katherine gasped for air as One For All burned in her veins.

Get up.

All For One raised his hand. Katherine raised her head, just as more clones dogpiled onto her.

Get up.

Black lightning sparked around All For One. Katherine got one hand free and flung it forward, digging her fingers into the ground.

Get up!

Katherine roared with fury and threw her wings out, making a shockwave that threw the clones off of her. There was no plan. No clever strategy that was going to get both of them out of this. If she’d been free a moment earlier, maybe, but once the black lightning was set off, there was no way to redirect it, and her teleportation wouldn’t be quick enough to get in, grab Uraraka, and get out.

Katherine teleported in front of Uraraka.

It was impulsive. It was reckless. It was everything that people had told her she shouldn’t be, but she couldn’t help it.

Her body…

“KATHERINE, NO!”

…just moved on its own.

The black lighting broke through the shield she made and struck her directly in the chest. Uraraka watched in horror as Katherine collapsed. For a moment, everything was still.

Uraraka took deep, heaving breaths, then hauled herself to Katherine’s side, grabbing her shoulder and shaking it. “Katherine?”

No response. Uraraka tugged Katherine’s body to hers, furiously blinking tears away. “Katherine, no—no, please, get up, you have to get up, you just have to…”

Katherine’s eyes were half-open and glazed over. Uraraka frantically felt for a pulse but found nothing. There was a heavy thud on the other side as Storm landed and padded over to her. All it took was one nudge of his head to hers, and his wings drooped. The dragon laid down with a miserable huff, his snout resting against Katherine’s limp hand as a low, mournful rumble escaped his throat.

There was no doubt about it now.

All For One lowered his arm, then grinned maniacally, turning to the others. Shoto was being held back by his family and Iida, Bakugo was barely restrained by Aizawa, and everyone else seemed frozen in shock. “Is this your hero?” he taunted viciously. “Your so-called Fearless Leader? I see nothing but a child! A weak girl who made the wrong choice, time and time again! Face it! It's all over now! There will be no salvation for her!”

Uraraka leaned her forehead against Katherine’s shoulder, sobbing openly.

“Your beloved Katherine Ride is dead!”

Chapter Text

“YOU FUCKING BASTARD!” Bakugo screamed, tearing himself out of Aizawa’s grasp. “I’m going to kill you!”

He charged toward All For One and shot off several A.P. Blasts. All For One sneered and raised his hand to retaliate, but a surge of ice froze his arm before he could. Shoto was practically trying to claw his way out of Iida’s grip. “Todoroki, wait–”

“No!” Shoto snapped, finally breaking free. “I have to get to her! Get off of me!”

The Twice clones rushed at him, but they were swiftly dispersed by Air Force. Midoriya yelled with effort as he kept the clones away with one hand and fought Shigaraki back with the other. While the path was clear, Shoto made an ice wall that cut All For One off from where Uraraka was still cradling Katherine’s body. He ran to her, sliding to his knees and carefully reaching for Katherine’s head. His heart felt like it was going to rip itself into pieces—his stomach was twisting itself in all sorts of knots. She couldn’t be dead. She just couldn’t be. She’d been fighting for so long. This couldn’t be how it ended. She deserved better. They hadn’t even gotten to say “I love you” for the last time.

But Shoto saw her eyes, and he knew. His whispered “No” came out more like a whimper, and his head fell to rest on hers as he broke, sobs wracking his body like punches straight to the gut. And when he felt Uraraka’s head on his shoulder, he only sobbed harder.

Bakugo was fighting through his grief. There was no regard for his wounds, no tactic—just blind fury. He fought with all the rage in his body, screamed the most vulgar things he could muster, but it wasn’t enough. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that. All For One was feeding on their misery, their anguish, their pain. Every bitter insult and cry of sorrow fueled his attacks. He threw Bakugo back with a blast of light that wasn’t particularly strong before he scanned the battlefield again.

Iida was trying his best to usher Rei, Fuyumi, and Natsuo away from the danger. He kept glancing at Katherine’s body, only to tear his eyes away. Jiro and Tsuyu were standing guard in front of Hawks and Tokoyami, but they were clutching each other, their horrified gazes locked on Shoto and Uraraka. Mic and Midoriya were in the same boat—they knew, but there was no time to mourn with Shigaraki on their hands. Aizawa had managed to grab Bakugo with his capture scarf and was tugging him away from All For One as he shouted into his com for an update on Katherine’s vitals, and Bakugo relented for what might’ve been the first time in his life, crumbling to his knees as all of it finally hit him with full force.

And then there was Shoto and Uraraka, both of whom were clinging to Katherine like a lifeline. Shoto had pulled her upper body almost entirely into his lap, his forehead pressed firmly against hers. Uraraka still had her head on Shoto’s shoulder, desperate whispers of “please, please, please,” leaving her lips like a frantic prayer.

All For One sneered. They were all either distracted, stunned, or completely inconsolable. From here, he’d be able to pick them off with little effort. Even as All Might came rushing toward him in a fury, he felt settled. At ease.

There was no reason for them to fight now. They’d lost the thing that was most important to them.

Katherine Ride was going to be their downfall after all.

…

It’s so dark.

The kind of darkness that swallows you up and makes you feel like you’ll never be able to escape.

Katherine blinks and squints into the void. She’s falling. But it doesn’t feel like she’s falling. She flaps her wings, and nothing happens. She can’t right herself. She can’t recover. She shuts her eyes tightly, trying to think of a solution.

When she opens them again, she’s lying on her back.

Katherine stares up at a blue sky. There are no clouds and no sun. Just blue. A glowing orb that’s about the size of her fist floats past her, and she curiously reaches up to touch it.

She’s not expecting voices and flashes of color to enter her mind. She quickly recoils, watching the orb continue to drift about. When she sits up, she realizes that she’s lying in a shallow body of clear water. It seems to stretch for miles in every direction. The water isn’t wet, somehow—she swishes her hands through it, and they come out completely dry, just like her wings and her hero costume. She stands and stomps her feet around, but the water doesn’t rush into her boots or soak her socks. There are more orbs, all hovering in the air and minding their own business. Katherine looks around, bewildered.

Where am I?

She inhales deeply, and her chest hurts. There’s a burn mark just below her collarbone. It’s largest in the middle, then seems to stretch in smaller streaks across her shoulders, up her neck, and down her torso. She reaches up to touch it, then thinks better of it. Her hands fall to her sides.

…Right. I died.

Her fists clench, and her lip trembles.

At least I managed to save Ochaco.

It should come as more of a shock, shouldn’t it? It should send her into a panicked frenzy. But it doesn’t, and to make matters worse, she knows why it doesn’t.

She always figured her story would end this way.

Katherine takes another shaky breath and wipes her eyes. There’s nothing she can do about it now. She has to figure out where she is. This looks nothing like The Bridge. There’s no sign of Nightmare or Fallen or any of the past One For All wielders. Is she alone? Why? Does she have to pass some sort of judgment? Even in death, she can’t get any of her questions answered.

Another orb floats past her, but this one is followed by a familiar object, carried by a non-existent breeze. Katherine’s gaze locks onto it, and she grabs it, twisting it in her fingers. It’s a feather, one that’s like hers—from a red-shouldered hawk. But the color in this feather is richer than her plumage, and it seems to be a little bigger. This is from a hawk that’s older than her, or at least one that has a larger wingspan.

She’s not the only person here.

Katherine runs a finger over the feather one more time, then turns around. There’s something there that she hadn’t seen before—a house. She realizes quickly that it’s the house she used to live in when her birth parents were still alive. The door is wide open, beckoning to her. With nothing else to do, Katherine clasps the feather in her hand and walks in.

The house is charming, if a little small. There are eclectic curios set on every shelf and countertop—anywhere that has a flat surface. Not much furniture decorates the room, but there are piles of pillows and blankets in nearly every corner. The biggest “nest” is in what must be the bedroom. Everything looks normal—not like the last time she was there. Katherine pokes her head into the bedroom, then hears a rush of air from the back of the house. It sounds like somebody’s just landed in the backyard.

She dashes to meet the possible intruder, but when she steps onto the grass, she pauses. It’s a woman. She’s looking over the fence at the endless blue that Katherine awoke in. Her ash blonde hair is woven in a loose braid, and her tawny wings are flapping gently behind her. When she turns and her hazel eyes meet Katherine’s steel blue ones, they widen, unshed tears suddenly shining in them.

Katherine lets the feather in her hand drift to the ground. The woman faces her fully, and her breath catches in her throat. They stare at each other for what feels like an eternity.

When Katherine finally manages to speak, her voice is small and meek, like a child’s. “Mamá?”

The woman clasps her hands to her mouth and nods, staggered. Katherine stands there for a moment—and then she runs to her mother, holding back tears of her own. “Mamá!”

Aspen embraces her instantly, holding her tightly. One of her hands combs through Katherine’s hair, and she speaks through trembling breaths. “Mi hija. Me alegro mucho de verte. I’ve got you now.”

Katherine can’t even speak. She just sobs into Aspen’s shoulder, broken phrases coming out between hiccups. “Lo siento. Lo siento, Mamá, lo intenté,” she cries, afraid to let go, just in case this isn’t real.

“Lo sé, enamorada, lo sé,” Aspen whispers. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

“Where—where is here?” Katherine asks, finally picking her head up.

Aspen doesn’t respond at first. She runs her hands through Katherine’s hair again, then places her hands on either side of Katherine’s face. One of her fingers rubs the scar over Katherine’s left eye. Katherine looks at her and takes her hand, squeezing it. “Mamá?”

Aspen seems to snap out of her trance and clears her throat. “Sorry. You’re just so grown up, enamorada,” she says, smiling. “Look at you. So brave and kind and strong. And you’ve done everything I’ve asked of you.”

“I have?” Katherine questions.

“You’ve kept your heart, haven’t you?” she replies as she takes both of Katherine’s hands. “We can discuss the specifics of that later. I’m afraid we don’t have much time here.”

Katherine blinks. “But…I’m dead.”

Aspen’s eyes get a certain gleam in them, and Katherine suddenly feels both excited and apprehensive. Perhaps that’s what Shoto has always meant when he talks about the look she gets—and her heart burns, knowing she’ll never see him again.

Aspen seems to have other ideas, though. “You’re not dead yet, mi enamorada,” she tells her. “Physically, yes, your heart has stopped. But your soul is here—in the space between life and death.”

“Why?”

“Well, there are a few reasons, spiritual intervention being one. And of course, there’s the ever so classic ‘you’re not ready.’”

Katherine tilts her head. “That’s an actual reason?”

“I don’t make the rules,” Aspen says with a shrug. “Though it is a choice that you end up making for yourself. The way your spirit friends explained it is that in situations like these, you can choose to pass on, or you can choose to go back.”

“But how did I get into this situation in the first place?” Katherine asks.

Aspen hums thoughtfully. “Well, according to the other vestiges, that has something to do with One For All. Enamorada, have you ever noticed that your friend Izuku has seven quirks, and you only have six?”

“Uh, yeah. Wait, are you saying I’m manifesting another quirk? While I’m dead?”

“Not necessarily. It’s more like an underlying power. Extenuating circumstances have allowed it to finally show itself in full—energy absorption. All of your quirks are energy-based, remember? As you’ve gotten stronger, you’ve been taking in more energy from your environment, which allows your powers to push beyond their limits. Do you follow?”

Katherine nods, starting to understand. “Electricity is energy. I was hit with a bolt of lightning—way more energy than my body can handle on its own. But if I have an energy absorption power–”

“You can stockpile,” Aspen finishes. “Which is why we don’t have much time. You must choose to go back before the energy overwhelms your body entirely.”

“…But I failed,” Katherine admits quietly, her grip on her mother’s hands loosening. “Even if I go back, I’ve been here too long. What if everybody else is already dead? What if they don’t want me like this?”

Aspen smiles sympathetically at her. “Enamorada, of course they’ll want you. The proof is right here.”

Katherine gives her a confused look. She watches as Aspen guides some of the floating orbs toward them. “I was looking through your memories while I was waiting. I hope you don’t mind.”

Katherine squints at the orbs. “Those things are my memories?”

“Mmhm.” Aspen looks at her. “I know you’re not ready to leave them, Katherine. But your averseness to death isn’t the only thing keeping you tethered to life. They’re not willing to let you go, either. Otherwise, you would’ve moved on with no issues.”

She stares at Aspen, then turns to the collection of orbs that are gathering around her. They slowly merge into one bright, gleaming orb. Katherine takes a breath and closes her eyes before placing her hands on it.

And then, as her memories swirl around her, she finally understands what it means to have your life flash before your eyes.

Singing in the car with Mic.

Gossiping with Midnight at her favorite bar.

Training with Aizawa and catching him beam with pride behind her back.

Picking fights with Hawks just to laugh about them with him later.

Letting Mirko tease her about how head over heels she is for Shoto.

Teaching All Might how to befriend his coworkers at U.A.

Seeing Eri after school.

Getting Rei’s replies to the notes she writes on the back of Shoto’s letters.

Laughing when Natsuo calls her his unofficial sister-in-law.

Trading recipes with Fuyumi.

Going to museums with Kio.

Losing to Sora at the arcade.

Asking Sukii to explain their inventions, even though she has no idea what anything means.

Letting Nejire braid her hair.

Exchanging bad jokes with Mirio.

Getting Tamaki to laugh at those jokes for the first time.

Sparring with Ojiro so he can strengthen his martial arts skills.

Teaching Aoyama to speak Spanish and getting French lessons in return.

Studying with Shoji and Koda for tests.

Helping Sato bake for the rest of the class.

Letting Sero copy her English notes and receiving a volume of his favorite manga as thanks.

Watching Hagakure’s favorite movie with her so she has someone to talk about it with.

Shopping with Mina and asking her to choose clothes for her because she knows how much she loves it.

Sharing her rock collection with Tokoyami and Dark Shadow.

Playing video games with Kaminari and Kirishima, even though they do most of the playing.

Comparing math notes with Iida and thanking him with tea.

Lending her favorite books to Momo.

Writing songs with Jiro.

Reading side-by-side with Tsuyu.

Passing notes to Uraraka in class.

Listening to Midoriya excitedly ramble about All Might and quirks and his theories on One For All.

Bickering with Bakugo and pretending not to notice his little smirk when she turns around.

Loving Shoto with everything she is and more.

They are the reason she lives. They are the reason she fights. And they are the reason why she must continue to fight, not just for her life, but for theirs.

Katherine opens her eyes with a small gasp. “I have to go back.”

Aspen tilts her head, raising an eyebrow at her. “I want to go back,” Katherine reaffirms determinedly.

Her mother smiles and takes her face in her hands again, kissing her on the forehead. “Well, thank the gods for that. I’m not sure what we would’ve done, had you chosen differently,” she jokes.

Katherine laughs a little and leans her forehead against Aspen’s. Slowly, her smile fades. “Will I ever see you again?” she asks hesitantly.

“You’ll be seeing her sooner than you think.”

Katherine perks up at the sound of the new voice and turns to see Yoichi standing a few feet away. “Not gonna lie, I don’t like the implications of that.”

Aspen giggles. “It won’t be here, enamorada, don’t worry. Now go. And remember–”

“Mantén tu corazón,” Katherine interrupts. “I know, Mamá. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Katherine.”

Katherine smiles at her one more time. Then she turns her gaze to Yoichi, who holds his hand out. She takes a breath before stepping forward and grabbing it.

It feels like she’s being pulled forward, even though she’s sure neither she nor Yoichi are moving. The glowing orbs begin to drift toward them, circling them. Another hand places itself on theirs, and Katherine looks to her left to see Aspen. Then there’s another hand, and she looks to her right to see Shadow. “Keep holding on, alright, Dove?”

She nods, her grip tightening. As the orbs start to circle faster, more hands appear. Nana comes next, then Nightmare and Fallen. Daigoro appears with a grin and a “Go get him, kid.” Kudou and Bruce simply give her nods of approval, and the same goes for En and Hikage. The orbs turn into glowing blurs, with all of her memories slowly merging into one voice, a voice that speaks only two words.

“Get up.”

Katherine exhales slowly and closes her eyes.

It’s okay now. She’s coming back.

Chapter Text

Katherine gasps for air and shoots up, her arm outstretched. Her body burns—her body burns, and her lungs burn, and everything burns, and this is way worse than death, and why does everything burn?

Just as suddenly as it starts, the burning stops and is replaced by a tingling feeling. Katherine blinks through the lingering pain, her eyes focusing on All For One. One hand has All Might by the neck. His other hand is still sparking with black lightning—he must’ve shot it off again, right before she’d come back.

She’s back.

Storm is next to her, and he gets up immediately, rumbling with surprise. Shoto’s arms were knocked away when she sat up so sharply, but someone else is still holding her. She reaches a hand around to hold them back, and Uraraka picks her head up off Katherine’s shoulder, staring at her in shock. “Katherine?”

Katherine nods stiffly, her eyes drifting to her outstretched arm. Her veins are illuminated by red; the glow is underneath her skin. Her blood is humming—actually humming with energy. She can feel it. She can feel everything.

Her gaze glides to All For One again. His mouth is moving, but he’s not making any noise.

She could already take whatever he threw at her.

And now she can give it back.

Katherine carefully gets to her knees, her breathing controlled and steady. Shoto tries to stop her, but she simply takes his hand. She can feel the energy in her body shifting as she moves, working to keep a balance. It’s a new power, one that she doesn’t know the ins and outs of yet. But she doesn’t have the liberty to take things slow right now. Sooner or later, All For One will overcome his disbelief. She has to make the first move.

As she stands, she rolls her shoulders back, her wings spreading. All For One grit his teeth. “This is a ruse!” he shouts accusingly, though it seems like the only person he’s trying to convince is himself. “This cannot be real—I killed you! They all saw it! You’re nothing! You couldn’t have possibly deflected that! You’re not even a hero! You’re–”

Katherine throws a Club strike that blows his head clean off of his body. Uraraka claps her hand to her mouth, Shoto’s jaw drops, and Katherine winces, surprised at her own strength. This will take some getting used to.

There’s a loud BOOM as Bakugo uses his explosions to rip All Might from All For One’s grasp. His suit of armor has been broken, and he’s not in the best shape, but he’s still conscious. Waiting for Rewind allows Katherine to see how that strike affected her new power. The glow has faded from her veins, and she feels much more lethargic than she did when she first got back.

She’s expelling the extra energy with every attack she makes. She’ll have to learn how to regulate her strength so she can use it in portions like she does with One For All’s power. For now, though, she just has to goad All For One into giving her what she needs to defeat him.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Katherine admits once All For One’s head has finally started regenerating. “I’m never gonna be a hero. Not the kind everyone wants, anyway. But I don’t think that’s as big a deal as you make it.”

She’s not one for dramatic standoffs, but Bakugo and All Might are still in immediate danger. She needs to keep All For One distracted, just for a little bit, to give her allies time to recover. “I’m impulsive. I’m a rule-breaker. I’m reckless, and selfish, and angry, and ruthless. But I have torn knives out of my skin to save people. I have fought for something larger than my revenge. I have bled more than you and I have lost more than you. I am Katherine Ride, the Symbol of Justice, the Pro Hero WildCard. And I don’t care which name the world remembers—as long as they know that I’m the one who killed you.”

All For One’s face reforms with a vicious scowl. “You failed once! What makes you think I won’t be able to kill you again?”

“A hunch,” Katherine replies coolly as she feels One For All’s power ramp up. “You kinda pissed everyone off with that move.”

Midoriya is behind All For One before he has time to react, and he uses Blackwhip to swing him away from Katherine, Bakugo, and All Might. With that issue handled for now, she rushes back to Shoto and Uraraka, where she remembers they still have injuries she needs to take care of. “Ochaco, hold still.”

“What?” she asks before crying out as Katherine yanks Toga’s knife from her abdomen.

The wound is immediately covered by Katherine’s hand, and it heals without much trouble. “We need to regroup. If we don’t get rid of Toga’s clones, we’re never going to win this battle,” she states as she turns to Shoto. “Can you two work on that while I help Izuku?”

Shoto just stares at her, silent tears leaving trails down his face. “Hey,” Katherine says softer, grabbing the back of his head with one hand and the back of Uraraka’s with the other. “I’m okay now. I’m not going anywhere. But I need you two to get your heads in the game. We’re not out of this yet, got it? Hang in there for a little longer.”

Finally, Shoto seems to snap back to reality. He nods, then stands and runs to help Iida with the converging clones. Katherine looks at Uraraka and presses their foreheads together. “Find Toga. If anyone is going to get through to her, it’s you.”

Uraraka takes a shaky breath before getting to her feet. “Jiro! Tsu!” she shouts across the battlefield. “I need your help!”

Storm pads over to Katherine with a gentle purr, nudging his head against hers. She presses a kiss to his snout before returning her gaze to All For One, her face set. “What do you think? Ready to end this?”

All For One scowls and raises his hand, powering up his light attack. Katherine smirks.

Then she charges at him, One For All crackling around her. When the light beam comes hurtling toward her, she plants her feet on the ground and crosses her arms in an X-shape. Storm is behind her, pressed against her to give her some leverage.

The light blast hits her, and just like the last time, her entire body burns. But it’s brief, only on impact, and the energy quickly settles in her cells. Katherine exhales, and red sparks glow in her breath. She looks up at the Demon Lord, and her eyes gleam.

Try as he might, All For One can’t hide his shock anymore. And he certainly doesn’t have time to when Katherine starts punching Club strikes at him in rapid succession, strong enough to burst holes in his body with each impact. He tries to block the shields with the rivet wires, but they break through, and Katherine throws down Shockwave of Hearts for good measure. As the extra power leaves her veins, Katherine coughs and spits out blood. She gets to her feet so quickly that she doesn’t even notice that specks of it are glowing.

The faster All For One learns what my new power is, the less of an advantage I have. But the younger he gets, the less self-control he has. I just need him to keep throwing those energy-based attacks at me somehow.

“Don’t think you’ve won yet!” All For One roars, as though he knows what she’s thinking. “So what if you have a new power? There are other ways I can defeat you!”

Katherine’s eyes narrow in concentration, but before she can retort, Bakugo is doing it for her. “Get real, fuckface!”

All For One and Katherine turn to him at the same time. Aizawa is trying to hold him back with his capture scarf while tending to All Might’s wounds, but Bakugo presses forward regardless, a wild smirk on his face. “For someone who wants to destroy One For All, you’re pretty shitty at it!” he taunts. “Some Demon Lord you are; you can’t even murder someone without it coming back to bite you in the ass!”

For a second, Katherine has never wanted to punch Bakugo in the face more than she does right now. What is he thinking? Healed or not, he’s barely suited to fight—why is he hounding All For One the way he is?

But then she sees how All For One’s jaw clenches, how his attention completely shifts from her to Bakugo, and how Bakugo’s eyes shine with triumph when the black lightning starts to spark around All For One’s hand.

He’s already figured it out. He’s trying to help her get the boost she needs because he knows as well as she does that there’s no way she’s going to let him die.

Katherine teleports in front of Bakugo, All Might, and Aizawa, intercepting the lighting strike with an outstretched hand. When the energy settles, she immediately charges at All For One—but she doesn’t get a chance to strike before she feels her feet leave the ground.

Her wings flap out as she starts to float, and she realizes that she’s not the only one. Her allies, her enemies—everyone’s surrounded by tiny bubbles, and they’re floating. Katherine looks at her hands, but she’s not the one doing this. And Izuku is (or at least was) preoccupied with Shigaraki…

Katherine uses her wings to flip herself around. Uraraka has grabbed Toga with one of the wires from her hero costume.

It’s Zero Gravity. That’s what’s making them all float.

Katherine can’t stop herself from grinning as she sets her sights on All For One again. This new Zero Gravity thing may put the fight on a new level, but it’ll do more harm than good for the Demon Lord. She can’t use Spade since Zero Gravity is pulling her up, but she can still hit him hard and hit him fast.

One For All crackles around her as she places a shield underfoot and pushes off of it, only to ricochet off of another and head straight for All For One. She uses a Club attack to hit him straight in the chest, then teleports out before he can retaliate. The spare energy fizzles out again, but Bakugo is quick to antagonize. “Yeah! Get that fucking loser! Show ‘em what real power looks like!”

“Shut up!” All For One roars as he directs the light attack at Bakugo, but Katherine intercepts the path. It barely burns this time, and she throws a few shields at him, trying to beat him down. She knows it’s not enough—she needs help. She needs to get her feet on the ground and plan.

“Ochaco!” Katherine shouts. “I need you to put us down!”

After a moment, she feels the weightless feeling lift, and gravity pulls her back down to earth. Katherine flaps her wings open harshly, the breeze lifting her while All For One plummets to the ground. He, too, swiftly uses a quirk to keep himself in the air but is quickly struck by Storm’s dive-bomb and sent hurtling back to the dirt.

Katherine lands with a huff, shortness of breath setting in as her extra power drains from her body. She can’t rely on All For One’s attacks to boost her forever. She needs a different source. But first, she needs to give orders.

“Eraserhead,” she shouts, “I need you to keep Erasure focused on All For One! Tenya, Shoto, hit him with whatever you can muster! Present Mic, Katsuki, keep supporting Izuku! Kyoka, keep the Todorokis, Hawks, and Fumikage out of harm’s way, and Tsu—help Ochaco however you can! Don’t worry about getting hurt. I’ll cover you!”

“Young Katherine!”

She looks up when All Might yells to her, only to see the electrically charged chains from earlier come flying at her. Her eyes widen, and she lets the chains wrap around her arm, bracing herself for the shock.

Surprisingly, it doesn’t feel like she’s being electrocuted—it just sort of feels like prickling. When All Might reels the chains in, there’s a brief red outline of them on her skin before the glow is distributed through the rest of her body.

Well, that’ll do.

Storm takes off just before All For One can retaliate, and Katherine uses the opening to knock him off his feet with Shockwave of Hearts. She’s the only one who can face him head-on at the moment—she needs to keep him down so the others can land really meaningful hits. Katherine strikes All For One in the gut with Club, then teleports behind him and uses a shield to boost herself up so she can land a kick to the back of his head.

But he’s no fool, and he grabs her ankle just in time, hurling her across the battlefield into Midoriya’s fight. “Katherine!” Mic yells as she violently tumbles to a stop.

“Fine!” she shouts back, holding up a shield to block an attack from Shigaraki. “Need a boost!”

Bakugo grunts, trying to blow Shigaraki off balance so Midoriya can land a clean strike. “You’re gonna have to give us a second!”

Katherine gives him a look as she gets to her feet. “I don’t have a second!”

Midoriya zooms past her, hits Shigaraki with Air Force, then zooms back, leaving green sparks in his wake. “Katherine, how does your new quirk work?”

“This really isn’t the time for that, Midoriya!” Mic scolds.

“Actually, it really is,” Katherine tells him before addressing Midoriya. “My mom said it’s some kind of energy absorption quirk.”

“Your mom?” Bakugo and Mic ask in disbelief, but Midoriya interrupts while he goes in for another attack. “That’s what I figured. In that case, Storm should be able to help! Plasma is just another form of electricity, right?”

Katherine’s face lights up. “Izuku, you’re a genius!”

“Thanks! Now go!”

She’s off, quicker than a flash of lightning. Shoto and Iida are keeping All For One distracted at the moment, so she whistles for Storm, who’s circling the battle. He keys in on her immediately and starts to dive, but she holds her arms up. “Storm, strike!”

She can see him hesitate, hear his confused rumbling among the chaos of the fight, but she holds her ground. “Storm, now!”

Storm gears up for a blast, and Katherine shuts her eyes as the plasma blast barrels toward her. For a moment, there’s searing heat, and then it settles in her veins. Katherine opens her eyes and turns, shouting to the boys, “Scatter!”

Shoto grabs Iida’s arm and drags him away using his ice. All For One doesn’t have a moment to recover; Katherine teleports behind him and lands a direct punch to the base of his spine. With him down for a brief moment, she puts a shield dome over him and turns to use the rest of her stored energy on eviscerating some Twice clones—only to see that they’ve started crumbling into flakes of mud.

Did her supply of Twice’s blood finally run out?

I don’t think it’s just that…

Katherine whips around to see Uraraka lowering herself and Toga to the ground, the two wrapped in a hug as Zero Gravity sets them down. Toga pulls away from Uraraka, her signature smile on her tear-streaked face. “You really think I’m cute?”

Uraraka beams back through a bloody nose. “The cutest in the whole world.”

When she makes eye contact with Katherine, Katherine nods, pride swelling in her chest.

But the moment is short-lived as an explosion of light breaks through Katherine’s shield. Though it doesn’t hurt her, it still smacks her away, giving All For One an opening. “You traitor!” he seethes at Toga, who simply grimaces back. “You’ll pay for this!”

Katherine teleports to the two girls as he sets the rivets off, covering all three of them with a shield. The rivets batter against the dome, and Uraraka asks, “What’s our next move, Katherine?”

Her jaw clenches as the noise fills her ears, hindering her ability to plan. Two villains down, two to go on this battlefield—plus everyone else scattered about Japan. Her Data Specs and com are fried thanks to the blast she took earlier, so she can’t even get updates. Besides, despite her new powerup giving them a slight edge, everyone here is exhausted. The longer this battle is drawn out, the less chance they have of winning.

“More. We need more.”

“More what?” Toga questions.

Katherine hisses as she rolls her shoulders back, the ache starting to settle in her bones again. “More everything! More firepower, more quirks—something to keep All For One on the ropes while we work on landing the last blow!”

A large blast knocks her off her feet and causes her to fall back into Uraraka and Toga. Katherine gets up as swiftly as she can, ready to throw down an attack that’ll buy some time. But her view of All For One is blocked by a dual pair of opalescent wings.

Glacier shoots another warning shot at the Demon Lord, her fierce growl resonating in Katherine’s bones. Katherine scans the battlefield and spots Shoto holding up the mini-cassette player she’d loaned him. He meets her gaze and nods stiffly with a look she knows all too well.

I’ve got you.

Storm lands next to Glacier as she rears back, an unearthly roar escaping her. It’s not deep and thundering like the calls Katherine is used to—no, this is shrill, and piercing, and it drowns out any other sounds so that for a brief moment, all she can hear is a borderline supernatural blare. It’s deafening for what she thinks is nothing more than an intimidation call.

She understands why in the next few moments.

Even as Glacier and Storm move in for their next attacks, Katherine can hear distant wingbeats. “Take cover!” she orders Toga and Uraraka. “Something tells me this fight is about to get messy.”

Uraraka nods and grabs Toga’s hand to lead her to the edges of the battlefield. When All For One manages to force the dragons back with Air Cannon and uses Fierce Wings to head for the air, Katherine is already on the move. “Katsuki! Throw me!”

“Say less!” he yells back. He puts his hands in a foothold as she sprints toward him. Once she’s stepped into the hold, he flings her toward All For One with an explosion boost.

Katherine collides with the Demon Lord and immediately starts landing hits so they’ll lose altitude—clawing at his eyes, elbowing him in the back of the head, and just generally being a violent nuisance. He bellows with fury and reaches for her, grabbing a chunk of her hair and tugging viciously. Katherine screams in pain, plunging her teeth into one of the wings in retaliation. Finally, All For One lets go of her hair and harshly flaps, which causes her to release her grip. As he starts to regain some altitude, he aims his hand at her.

However, his chance to launch an attack is ruined when a concentrated blast sends him plummeting out of the sky. But a pair of paws has already grabbed Katherine by the shoulders, so it couldn’t have been Storm. The sound of wingbeats grows closer and becomes a collective thumping in her ears.

Storm roars gleefully, and Katherine looks up. Sure enough, a mass of Fear Class dragons is hovering not too far away from them.

They’re answering Glacier’s call to fight.

File this under “coolest things I’ve ever seen” after we’re out of this mess, please.

Glacier swoops up next to Storm and Katherine, calling to the other dragons. She’s met with a thunderous response, to which she chuffs appreciatively before diving back toward the battlefield. Katherine taps Storm’s paws twice, and he releases her. She catches herself on the breeze and swoops down, shouting to the others as she circles, “Regroup!”

While the Fear Class dragons descend on All For One, the Class 1-A students on the field come together out of range of the blasts, where Jiro and Tsuyu are guarding the wounded. “My coms and Specs are completely fried,” Katherine says as she lands. “Anyone got any updates?”

“There’s some helpful news,” Shoto admits. “Most of the battles at the other sites have reached their ends since the main firepower was moved. Those at Takoba Stadium are locked in a standstill, though.”

Uraraka looks toward the dragons. “The quickest way to end this is by getting rid of All For One. That’s the only way we can force the others to surrender.”

“We still have the issue of Shigaraki,” Iida points out. “Even if All For One goes down, he’s just as strong. And we’re just barely keeping them occupied as it is.”

“Then that’s the new plan,” Katherine states abruptly. “Everyone who can muster a close-range fight needs to go help Izuku. The rest of the long-range fighters will keep their attention on All For One. Be ready to switch gears at the drop of a hat.”

There’s a slight groan of pain, and she turns to see Jiro helping Tokoyami to his feet. “Dark Shadow and I can assist Earphone Jack in protecting the wounded while Froppy goes ahead.”

Katherine nods, then turns to Bakugo and Shoto. “You two are on double duty with me, then. You up for that?”

There’s a blast and a yell of rage from Shigaraki. “Looks like we’ll find out!” Bakugo shouts as he propels himself toward the fight.

The others start moving into action as well. Katherine lets them go ahead before turning to Toga, who’s been standing aside. “Himiko, I need you to guard Eraserhead and All Might. Make sure All For One doesn’t choose a new target. Try to see if you can get Kurogiri to your side while you’re at it.”

She perks up. “Are you sure?”

“Well, Eraserhead may be missing an eye and a leg, but he’s still Eraserhead,” Katherine warns. “I’m more worried about you, honestly.”

Toga blinks, then nods and sets off. Katherine rushes toward All For One’s side of the battlefield, dodging blasts and spurts of flame from the dragons as she does so. She steps onto her shields and shoots into the air lightning-fast. Using her shields to increase her speed, she weaves through the pack and finally flips around to go for All For One with Spade.

One For All sparks around her. She can feel her blood humming.

Just one last push. That’s all they need.

Chapter Text

She hits All For One at the same time as Bakugo, ricocheting off her shields with the explosion still ringing in her ears. Through all the noise, she can hear All For One’s enraged shrieking: “This is all your fault, KUDO!”

“Has old age finally caught up with you?” Bakugo retorts, regrouping with Shoto. “It’s Kacchan of the Bakugos to you, you grade-A moron!”

Shoto unleashes a wave of ice as Katherine chirps to Storm. The Black Death hits All For One with a plasma blast from the back while ice clobbers him from the front. When the ice starts to crack, Katherine moves in again, battering him down with Club. She doesn’t even flinch when the black lightning hits her; she lets it settle in her veins before turning the power on him.

When she soars back into the air, she gets a good look at the situation with Shigaraki. Midoriya is taking the brunt of his attacks, but thanks to the others, Shigaraki’s movements are looking more and more frazzled. She grimaces as she heads back to All For One. The endurance battle isn’t the best route, but she’s not seeing any other options.

Katherine uses Ultimate Ace to intercept a blast of light, then throws down Shockwave of Hearts. “Move in!” she shouts to Bakugo and Shoto. “Quick, before he’s on his feet again!”

But just as they rush past her, she sees something large shifting in the dust cloud kicked up by the shockwave. Thinking it’s Glacier or Storm or one of the other dragons, she grabs the boys with levitation and drags them back to her. No sooner has she done so than an ominous statement from Yoichi enters her mind:

“Here he comes.”

Calling it a warning is too gracious, but it’s enough that she throws up a shield dome just in time to defend against the burst of air that gales across the battlefield. When the dust clears, they are faced with a terrifying sight.

All For One is surrounded by masses of flesh, not unlike Shigaraki had been at the very beginning of the battle, but on a much larger scale. Black lighting sparks around him, and rivets are multiplying at an alarming rate along with the new growths. When he speaks, he doesn’t even sound like himself anymore. “I…will…pass.”

He's unleashed every quirk in his possession.

Glacier sends out a call, and the dragons start to retreat. Katherine doesn’t blame them—that alternative is starting to look awfully tempting. “This must be his final play,” Shoto notes. “That much energy will exhaust Rewind’s capabilities. If we can defend against it–”

“We have to figure out how first!” Bakugo cuts him off. “And something tells me he won’t give us the chance!”

Katherine looks from All For One’s beastly form to Shigaraki, who has also taken notice. Through the chaos, she sees his eyes, filled with an emotion she’s all too familiar with. It’s a look that she’s perfected these past few months. She’s seen it in the mirror; in her reflection in another’s gaze. It’s boiling. Burning. And though she’d seen it on his face before, she never thought it would be directed at his master.

It's hatred.

And just like that, Katherine gives her most brash order yet. “Izuku!”

Midoriya drags his gaze away from All For One. “Let them meet!” Katherine shouts, her voice carrying across the battleground.

There’s no hesitation. Midoriya grabs some of their friends with Blackwhip and yells at the rest. As he speeds past her, she teleports to Jiro and Tokoyami. “Hold on to each other!”

Tokoyami puts a hand on Hawks while Jiro takes hold of Fuyumi’s arm. Katherine grabs Tokoyami’s other hand and teleports all of them to where Toga is keeping watch over Aizawa and All Might. “What are you doing?” All Might asks hastily. “If All For One gets to Shigaraki, they’ll–”

“They won’t,” Katherine interjects as she steps in front of the group. “When I give the signal, move in.”

Mic and Aizawa share a wary glance, but no objection is raised. Storm lands next to Katherine, a low growl in his throat. She can hear Glacier’s wingbeats behind them as she hovers above the group.

The ground starts to tremble, and the air feels like it’s filled with electricity. The hair on the back of Katherine’s neck rises as a shield wall separates them from the two villains. She narrows her eyes at All For One.

Then, like a gunshot, he’s off.

The force that comes with his acceleration hits her shield so hard she feels her teeth rattle. Her arms shake, and her veins burn, and her eyes glow, and she bites her lip so hard that it starts bleeding again.

And then her shield steadies. On either side of her, her team—her family—is helping her stand strong. Even Hawks, supported by Natsuo, is pushing against the shield to keep it up. Katherine exhales shakily and refocuses on the scene in front of her.

All For One has reached Shigaraki. But he stops in his tracks. Shigaraki has his hand placed on All For One’s chest, similar to how one might reprimand a child, and his repulsed gaze is eerily calm. “Master…”

Katherine holds her breath.

“…you’re such a nuisance,” Shigaraki chides.

Just like that, Decay begins to eat away at the quirk growths. Katherine drops the shield and yells, “Now!”

They advance, all at once, all in one powerful wave. Katherine and Midoriya take the lead, One For All humming in the space between them. They know what they have to do.

In this split second, this fleeting moment, where both villains are at their most vulnerable, with everyone giving everything they have left—they can end it.

Katherine boosts into the air and ricochets off her shields, building her speed until the colors blur in her gaze. Midoriya sends Blackwhip her way, and she grabs the shadowy strand to pull him along.

“You can use Gearshift one last time,” Kudou tells them. “Make it count.”

Katherine and Midoriya lock eyes. He nods to her, and she lets go of Blackwhip. At their highest points, they set their sights on the ground below, where everyone else is preparing for the onslaught. All their efforts have led to this moment. They can’t lose.

Midoriya reaches for her again—this time, with his hand.

Katherine takes it.

Together, they dive.

Chapter Text

The combined attack sends a tremulous shockwave to the furthest edges of the battlefield, throwing all of them back and causing the dragons to scatter. The dust cloud that forms is dense and heavy, hard to see and move through. When Shoto first lays eyes on Bakugo in the thick of it, he can’t help but rush to him, clinging to him tightly.

“Izuku–” Bakugo starts before coughing. “Izuku and Katherine—where’d they go?”

Shoto shakes his head. “I don’t know. I can’t see anything through this dirt. We’ll have to wait for it to settle.”

Bakugo doesn’t look keen on the idea, but he just huffs, putting his weight on Shoto for support. He peers through the swirl of grime and earth. After a moment, he straightens up. “Uraraka!”

Shoto catches sight of her as well, up ahead of them. “Uraraka, are you alright?”

She’s standing fairly steadily, but she doesn’t acknowledge the question. Her attention is locked on something further from them. As the dust finally falls, Shoto and Bakugo see it, too.

Red and green sparks illuminate the haze, intermingling with each other. Katherine has Midoriya’s hand firmly in her grasp. They’re leaning on each other to stay upright, but she keeps their joined hands raised in the air—their very own symbol of victory.

But are they truly victorious?

Katherine blinks as the dirt clears from her gaze. At her feet is an infant with blank, unfeeling eyes. “Really? You’re still here?” she asks, the edge in her voice attributed more to exhaustion than anything else.

All For One gags. Katherine catches the rivet he hurls at her with her levitation and closes her fist slowly. “Do you remember the day you killed my birth parents?”

All For One’s eyes widen, but she continues. “It must’ve felt like a blip in time for you. That moment has played over and over in my mind for ten years. You may not remember the names of all the people you’ve killed and maimed, but their loved ones do. They remember the pain you’ve caused them.”

All For One shrieks and begins glowing as he starts to revert again. Katherine closes her fist fully, snapping the bone-like rivet in half.

“And they’re all saying: ‘Now, it’s your turn.’”

The glow encases All For One until finally, he Rewinds away into nothing, as though he were never there at all. Katherine watches while the remaining flickers of energy fade, then turns to Midoriya. He’s staring at Shigaraki, who hasn’t moved. When he meets Katherine’s gaze, his eyes are brimming with hopeful tears. He lowers their hands.

For the first time in hours, she smiles, bright and genuine. Midoriya slowly reaches up to his com. “Nakano, patch me through to everyone.”

It takes a moment, but then his eyes light up. “Guys–”

“We fucking won!” Katherine exclaims, though she’s unaware of whether those on the other end can hear her or not.

It doesn’t matter. When she looks across the battlefield, Uraraka, Shoto, and Bakugo are charging toward her and Midoriya—as best they can, with their respective injuries. Katherine rushes to meet them, pulling Midoriya along with her.

She and Shoto collide with so much force that they knock each other over, and Katherine holds him more tightly than she ever has. He buries his face in the crook of her neck, and she knots her fingers in his hair, her wings shaking. Shoto reaches for her hand and brings it down in front of his face. As he squeezes it, their bloodstained promise rings clink together.

They’re okay. They’ve got each other.

They’re almost thrown to the ground again by Bakugo, Midoriya, and Uraraka piling on top of them. “Don’t ever fucking do that again!” Bakugo scolds Katherine, his voice thick with relief. “I could kill you just for scaring us like that!”

She just tugs him closer, kissing him firmly on the forehead. “Look who’s talking, you self-sacrificial asshole.”

“How about neither of you ever fucking do that again?” Jiro suggests as she drapes herself over Katherine’s back, nearly choking her with how forcefully she hugs her.

Uraraka giggles through her tears as Tsuyu drops next to her, leaning her head on her shoulder. Iida settles between Midoriya and Shoto, patting them both on the back, while Tokoyami rests on Shoto’s other side. Katherine looks at all of them, her heart bursting with gratitude.

She’s finally free. And it’s all thanks to them.

But a hacking cough interrupts the brief reunion. They all whip around to see that Shigaraki has turned his head and is continuing to cough.

Midoriya starts to move, but Katherine holds a hand up, stopping him. She carefully gets to her feet and squeezes Shoto’s hand again. One For All starts crackling around her as she stumbles over to Shigaraki, and she raises her fist, prepared to end it once and for all.

“Is he gone?” Shigaraki asks her weakly.

She stares at him; her gaze softens. Katherine lowers her arm as she kneels next to him. Shigaraki makes no move to attack—he looks at her expectantly, awaiting her answer. Hesitantly, she rests her hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah,” she says. “Yeah, he’s gone.”

Shigaraki sighs and lays his head back again, staring at the sky. After a moment, he states, “It’s a nice day, huh? Bright blue sky.”

Before Katherine can reply, he smiles bitterly. “I’m never going to see any of this again, am I?”

Katherine stares at him, then glances away, “You hurt people, Tenko. You’ve gotta face the consequences.”

He grimaces but says nothing as Katherine stands. “Luckily for you, your cousin is kinda the queen of turning her life around,” she states, pulling a pair of quirk-suppressing cuffs out of her belt. “Not to mention we’re the only blood family we have left. Maybe us orphans should try and stick together or something.”

“You think you’re qualified to teach me how to be a better person?” Shigaraki asks sarcastically while she cuffs him, though there’s a tinge of hope in his eyes.

Katherine glances at him again, then grins. “You know where to find me.”

She turns to see Uraraka cuffing a yielding Toga. Toga looks over at Shigaraki, then at Katherine, who gestures her over. “You’ve got a few minutes before backup arrives,” she whispers. “Make your words count.”

Toga nods, mumbling, “Thank you.”

Katherine pats her on the shoulder. As Toga moves around her to Shigaraki, she sets her eyes on her friends again, ready for some more bone-crushing comfort.

Then, as it always does, it hits her fast and hard.

A searing pain ignites in the cells of Katherine’s body, and she barely takes another step before she crumples to the ground, trembling and coughing violently. Shoto immediately runs to her side, and it catches the attention of her dads, who had been coordinating pickup with the control center. Katherine tries her best to clear her throat, and in the process, hacks up some blood. When she blearily opens her eyes, her head pounding, she sees specks of her blood shimmering in the overcast light.

“Oh, cool,” she murmurs. “It’s glowing.”

She goes limp in Shoto’s arms.

…

Her body feels heavy. Not heavy, heavy. Tired heavy.

Katherine is awake, but she keeps her eyes shut, a low groan slipping through her lips. She’s still achy all over, especially in her chest. At least her bed is comfortable. One of her arms drifts, searching for Shoto, only to realize that he’s not next to her.

She opens her eyes just slightly, her brow furrowing. Blank white ceiling—hospital. No wonder Shoto isn’t next to her. But where is he? He wouldn’t leave her alone here, unless he was still confined to his room, too. Is he okay?

As Katherine stretches one of her wings, she hears an unfamiliar voice speaking. “We understand your concern, but she shouldn’t be bothered by anyone, so if you would please–”

“I have full permission from Mr. Aizawa and Mr. Yamada to visit her whenever I want for as long as I want,” Shoto’s voice retorts—and Katherine’s eyes fly open. “With them attending to other business, someone should be here for Katherine when she wakes up, shouldn’t they?”

“Yes, but you have to understand,” the voice she assumes belongs to a doctor continues, “she may be in a fragile state when she does come to. She’s been through quite an ordeal—as you know. She may not want to see anyone for a while.”

Katherine turns her head slightly and catches sight of Shoto’s defiant expression in the doorway. He looks okay, compared to when he last graced her vision. Bandaged and a little scuffed up, but still hers. “Shoto,” she tries to call for him, but her voice comes out in a brittle whisper—when did she start crying?

He hears it all the same, and when his eyes lock with hers, he pushes past the doctor into the room. “Katherine.”

Despite her muscles protesting, she sits up as best she can and reaches for him. Shoto instantly reciprocates, using one hand to help pull her up as he kisses her on the forehead. “Hey, darling. It’s okay. You’re okay.”

Katherine hiccups and plants her face firmly against his shoulder. “Gods, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry—I thought I was never going to see you again,” she sobs, leaning against him as he sits next to her on the bed.

“I’m right here,” Shoto assures her, sounding a little choked-up, too. “You’re here. Everything’s okay, Katherine. We’re okay.”

“I’m also really hungry,” she admits tearfully as she brings her head up to look at him. “Do we have any snacks?”

Shoto stares at her, then laughs and wipes his eyes, holding her close again. “I love you so much.”

Katherine giggles through another hiccup, kissing him gently. “I love you, too.”

Once they can manage to pull away from each other, the doctor removes the IV in Katherine’s arm and leaves them to their own devices. Shoto retrieves a bag of chips from the bag Aizawa and Mic must’ve left and sits further into the bed, prompting Katherine to nestle into his side with a content chirp. As Shoto runs his fingers through her tangled hair, she looks up at him. “Did we really win this time?”

“Yeah,” he assures her, moving his hand to the edge of her wing. “We really won. The other villains didn’t see much of a reason to fight once we brought All For One and Shigaraki down. And the ones that tried to keep going weren’t successful.”

“So it’s over? A hundred percent over?” Katherine questions, not wanting to let the overwhelming hope in her chest flow through the rest of her body, lest there be a catch.

Shoto smiles at her sympathetically and presses his forehead to hers. “It’s over, Katherine. You’re safe.”

Finally, she lets the tension in her muscles ease, and she lays her head on his shoulder. “We’re safe,” she corrects him, a bright grin decorating her features.

“We’re safe,” he agrees, kissing her softly.

It’s then that Katherine notices that Shoto’s being awfully careful with his movements, touching her like she’s made of glass that could shatter on impact. Katherine looks at him curiously. “How long was I out?”

Shoto blinks, caught off guard by the question. Then he glances at his hand, just barely ghosting over her feathers. “Oh. Sorry–”

“No, cariño, you’re fine,” Katherine says, holding his hand in place before he can move it. “I just figured that after all this, you’d know I’m not fragile.”

She tries to make it sound like a joke, but she sees the way Shoto’s eyes dart to her bandaged chest, where All For One struck his fatal blow. She glances there as well before smiling apologetically. “Too soon. My bad.”

“It’s alright,” Shoto replies, and Katherine does feel a bit vindicated when his hold on her becomes more secure. “Um. You’ve been out for a week.”

Her head shoots up, but she lets Shoto continue. “Recovery Girl said that you passed out because of your aftershocks, but they were more powerful than she’d ever seen them. They had to sedate you in the ambulance to get your energy levels down. After that, we figured it was best to let you sleep.”

“Jeez, sounds like it was pretty scary,” Katherine notes (at least she knows where the band-aids on her arms came from now). “You okay?”

“I was more worried about you,” Shoto states, bringing her hand to his face and kissing it. “But I know better than to doubt you.”

She smiles at him, then reaches for the bag of chips and tears into it. As she’s eating, she asks, “Where are the dads, anyway? I was bracing myself for a lecture.”

He chuckles. “I’m sure they’ll be over any moment now that I’ve texted them. They were visiting someone else.”

Katherine raises an eyebrow but doesn’t question further. After she finishes her snack, she burrows back into Shoto’s hold, a slight trill escaping her as he returns his fingers to her hair.

She falls back asleep quickly, only to be awoken a few hours later by the sound of voices coming down the hallway. Shoto hasn’t shifted at all, so she doesn’t, either—not until the voices become clearer.

“–and will you be careful? You’re gonna end up back in that hospital bed.”

“Hizashi, please tell your husband to stop fussing over me. I’m perfectly fine.”

“Fine? Nem, you just woke up from a coma.”

“I woke up from a coma a week ago. Just quit it, both of you.”

Katherine whips upright, her eyes widening as the door to her room opens. Aizawa steps in first and holds the door for Eri, Mic–

And Midnight, using crutches to keep her balance.

Katherine’s wings start flittering the moment her aunt lays eyes on her. “Well,” Midnight begins, a wobbly but proud smile spreading across her face. “Hail, the conquering hero.”

Katherine all but leaps from her bed, her strength giving way halfway to her family. Aizawa manages to catch her, and it’s not long before she’s buried in a group hug. “If you ever–” Mic scolds, each pause punctuated by a kiss on the head “–do something like that again—Shota and I are going to ground you—for life!”

She laughs, choosing not to comment on the ineffectiveness of the punishment. Eri, caught in the middle of it all, manages to wiggle her way out and grabs Shoto’s hand to tug him toward the pile. “Oh, that’s alright,” he starts to say, but Midnight interrupts. “You might as well get used to it, Todoroki. Katherine is pretty dead set on marrying you.”

So, Shoto kneels next to Katherine, putting a hand on her back. As soon as they’ve all calmed down, Mic asks her tentatively, “Do you feel alright? You went down hard there at the end.”

“I’m okay. Achy and exhausted, but okay,” she responds. “How is everyone else?”

“In the same boat,” Aizawa discloses. “Most of your classmates were here for two days, at most. Bakugo, Midoriya, and Jiro got discharged yesterday—you’re the only one still admitted.”

Katherine frowns. “And how long do I have to stay admitted?”

“The doctors and Recovery Girl recommended at least three more days to another week once you’d woken up,” Mic tells her with a sympathetic look. “Sorry.”

She grumbles but doesn’t complain. She died, so it makes sense that they’d want to monitor her. “Believe me, we want you home as much as you do,” Aizawa states. “You just have to power through these next few days.”

“We’ll see if we can set something up with Class 1-A that the doctors can support,” Mic suggests.

Katherine nods, smiling gratefully at them as she leans her head on Shoto again.

It’s not home, but it’s the next best thing.

…

That sentiment quickly disappears on the fourth day of her extended stay at the hospital. She should be excited—she’s sitting in one of the patient lounges with Shoto, waiting for Class 1-A to arrive—but there’s a clear glower on her face as she stares out the window, her feathers bristling at the sight of the clear sky. She’d love to make an “I didn’t die to sit in this hospital for the rest of my life” crack, but her loved ones haven’t adjusted to all of that quite as well as she has, especially now that her bandages have come off and seeing the damage is unavoidable. Instead, Katherine just huffs and leans back. “Think they’re ever gonna let me out of here?”

“Why wouldn’t they?” Shoto asks, looking up from the book that he’d been sharing with her.

“I’m now a freak of nature times two,” Katherine says as she holds up two fingers. “They’re probably up in arms fighting for the chance to study me. That, and they don’t seem convinced that I’m not some sort of zombie now.”

He chuckles and flips to the next page. “I’m sure you’ll be out of here soon. Just don’t start eating anyone’s brains.”

She hums, her wings flapping out. “No promises.”

The doorknob turns, causing both of them to perk up. It opens slightly, and Uraraka pokes her head in, looking timid. Katherine instantly rises from the couch. “Ochaco.”

“Hi. Sorry, I know I’m a little early,” she apologizes as she steps further into the room and closes the door behind her, “but I figured you might not want to see me with the rest of the–”

Katherine cuts her off as she embraces her tightly. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she breathes, her voice trembling.

Uraraka blinks, then seems to relax and hugs her back. “I’m sorry. It was my fault,” she whimpers.

“It was not your fault,” Katherine insists firmly, pulling away to cup Uraraka’s face. “You saved my life back there. I returned the favor. It was All For One’s fault for being such a fuckwad in the first place.”

Uraraka giggles and wipes her eyes as the door opens again. This time, Midoriya and Bakugo are the ones standing there, and Katherine gives them a look. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you two how to knock?”

“So, you’re feeling better?” Midoriya asks with a relieved smile.

“Yeah, something like that.” Katherine moves to hug him, murmuring, “You okay?”

“I’m okay,” he assures her.

“Your hair looks awful.”

“Yeah, Kacchan says so, too.”

“For once, we agree on something.”

Midoriya laughs before going to say hi to Uraraka and Shoto. Katherine looks at Bakugo, her eyes lingering on the new scar on the right side of his face and his heavily bandaged arm. But before she can open her mouth, he brandishes a plastic bag. “Uh, what’s all that for?” she inquires.

“Icy-Hot told us the hospital food was shitty, so my mom packed you some meals,” he states gruffly.

Katherine grins as she takes the bag. “Oh? And who made the meals, I wonder?”

“Shut up, Bird Girl. And don’t say I’ve never done anything for you.”

“Thanks, Katsuki.”

The rest of the class files in over the span of an hour. When Katherine is hugging Jiro, her eyes are immediately drawn to her new prosthetic. “Kyoka, your ear!”

“I’ve got Takeuchi to thank,” Jiro says brightly, twirling her replica Earphone Jack around her finger. “They said they worked for four days straight to get all the bugs worked out. They’re already asking me if it needs any upgrades, but it works pretty well so far.”

Most of the conversation is like that, light and casual, as though they were getting together for lunch at a café instead of a hospital. However, once all the class is present, Katherine realizes there’s a lull as her friends glance at each other. Seeing that no one is stepping up to break the ice, she clears her throat. “You guys can ask me about it, y’know.”

Momo turns to her like a deer caught in headlights. “About what?”

“The giant lighting scar on my chest,” Katherine replies dryly. “C’mon, I knew it’d be the hot topic today.”

It seems as though there’s a collective sigh of relief in the room. “Sorry for dancing around it, but we weren’t sure if you’d want to talk about it,” Kirishima admits.

“We were hoping to bring it up in a more natural way,” Shoji agrees.

Katherine raises her eyebrows, amused. “I confessed to a murder in our common room, guys. I’m an open book. Flip to your favorite chapter, and let’s talk about it.”

There’s a brief hush that falls over them. Then Aoyama asks tentatively, “Did you really…die?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“Then how did you come back?” Mina asks, her voice wobbling slightly.

“Well, I kinda got a power-up.” Katherine reaches toward Kaminari, who’s sitting on the floor in front of her. “Denks, shock me.”

“Are you crazy?!” Kaminari exclaims, backing away from her. “I’m not shocking you! What if you have a heart attack or something?”

Midoriya waves his hands reassuringly. “No, it’s really okay. Just don’t shock her too much.”

Kaminari still looks unsure, but he complies, reaching out and zapping Katherine’s hand. It’s barely more than a static shock, but it gets her point across—her palm gets a red under-glow, and her friends gasp. “Apparently, I’ve always had an energy absorption quirk, but I’ve never gotten a boost big enough to fully activate it,” she explains as the glow fades. “That wasn’t a major shock, so it didn’t have an effect, but when All For One hit me, it was with that black lightning quirk.”

“The extra energy you stored restarted your heart,” Momo finishes. “Like a defibrillator.”

Katherine nods. “So, what did it look like?” Sero blurts out.

“What did what look like?”

“Y’know, heaven.”

“I don’t know,” she says with a shrug. “That’s not where I went.”

The class stares at her until Bakugo snickers. “Called it.”

“I didn’t go to hell either, jackass,” Katherine retorts with a glare. “First it was just dark. I felt like I was falling through nothing. Then I blinked, and I was somewhere else entirely—my mom said it was a space between life and death. And there were these little orbs of light that were my memories, and when I touched them–”

“Woah, woah, back up,” Jiro interrupts. “You saw your mom?”

“Since when does she have a mom?” Kaminari whispers to Ojiro, who shrugs.

“Yeah, I saw my birth mom,” Katherine continues, reaching down to nudge his head. “There was a house—my house, but not the one my dads have, the one I grew up in before everything went to shit. I didn’t know what else to do, so I went in. And there she was in the backyard. She was exactly the same. It was weird. Like she was frozen in time, and time just kept passing for me. She looked like me.”

When she pauses, she realizes everyone’s gaze is locked on her. Katherine clears her throat, swallowing the lump in it. “She gave me the rundown. I told her I had to go back. Next thing I knew, I was taking another shot from All For One—except this time, I was able to use it against him. And you probably know where it goes from there.”

“Man. You’re probably looking forward to kicking back once you get out of here, huh?” Sato asks.

Katherine opens her mouth to reply, but someone’s voice interrupts her.

“We lived in Hokkaido,” Shadow tells her. “By Lake Shumarinai.”

It’s a simple statement, but she understands the intention. “No,” Katherine answers finally. “I think there’s one more thing my mom wants me to do.”

Chapter Text

Aizawa and Mic are very gracious when Katherine requests an impromptu, twenty-hour road trip to Hokkaido upon being discharged. They decide to bring Eri with them, and when Midnight hears about all the fun, they invite her along, too. With the car already 90% full, Katherine implies there would be no harm in taking Shoto, which takes a little more pushing and prodding before her dads finally say yes.

So, the moment Katherine is good to go, they pile in one of U.A.’s vans and make a straight shot for Hokkaido. With all three adults taking shifts driving, it’s doable in one day, and Katherine wakes up sometime around 8:00 the next morning to see trees stacked next to each other on the edges of the road. Aizawa looks at her in the mirror and hands back a breakfast sandwich. “Morning. Sleep well?”

“I can’t feel my legs,” she complains, accepting it. “How much further?”

“You didn’t exactly give us a destination,” Midnight points out as she pulls up her sleep mask, stretched out across the back row of seats.

“Don’t blame me for that. Blame the voices.”

“I’m blaming you for waking me up,” Shoto interjects as he picks his head up off her shoulder.

Katherine gives him an apologetic smile and kisses him on the cheek. “Oh, sorry. Do you want a sandwich?”

Eri’s eyes fly open. “I want a sandwich.”

“Enamorada, you’re supposed to be sleeping.”

“I’m too excited to sleep!”

Mic grunts from the passenger seat. “I’m not. Keep it down back there. Please.”

Katherine takes two more sandwiches from Aizawa and hands them to Shoto and Eri. Her gaze returns to the windows, the trees passing in green blurs. Something about this place feels familiar, but she doesn’t quite recognize her surroundings. It’s on the edge of her memory, barely tangible.

“Stop here.”

Her wings flick with surprise, nudging Shoto and Eri slightly. The voice is new but unmistakable—Aspen. What could her mother mean? She doesn’t see any signs of a house yet.

Nonetheless, Katherine blurts out, “Pull over!”

Aizawa does so without question. When Katherine steps out of the car onto the dew-stained grass, he rolls down his window. “What’s the matter?”

Katherine searches the edge of the woods for the slightest clue as to where the house could be.

“Further in, Dove,” Shadow says. “Follow the feathers.”

“Follow the what?” she mutters under her breath, looking at the branches. Then she spots it—two large feathers tied together with leather strips hanging from one of the trees. One is a red-shouldered hawk’s feather, and the other is a magpie’s. When she looks into the woods again, she sees a similar marker hanging from another branch up ahead.

“We wanted to be sure that you could always find your way home once you started flying,” Aspen explains.

Katherine chirps with excitement and turns back to the van. “It’s this way! C’mon!”

Once she’s sure that everyone is out, she dashes into the woods. Katherine teleports from feather marker to feather marker, her heart beating faster every time she spots a new one. “Slow down, kiddo!” Mic shouts to her before she can leave them in the dust. “One of us is missing a leg and an eye!”

“Thanks a lot,” Aizawa gripes as he climbs over a fallen tree.

Katherine is still one marker ahead of them, though. When she reaches the clearing, she sees the house first.

Shoto, noticing that she’s halted, rushes to catch up. “Why did you–”

He cuts himself off when he follows her gaze. It’s the house, alright, but it hasn’t fared well against time. The front is caved in—likely courtesy of All For One’s attack—and what isn’t damaged from combat has been reclaimed by nature. Vines twist and hug around the outer walls. Roots curl under the crumbling foundation. “Oh, dear,” Midnight begins as she comes up next to Katherine. “There may be some things inside that are salvageable.”

Katherine doesn’t reply. She braces herself and steps over the collapsed door.

The interior is completely cleared out. Besides the dust and dirt that’s settled, the walls and floors are bare. There’s nothing to suggest anyone ever lived here at all. Aizawa and Mic come in behind her while Shoto, Eri, and Midnight linger on the porch. “Looks abandoned to me,” Aizawa notes.

Mic gives him a stern glare before smiling at Katherine. “I bet it was pretty cool looking when you still lived here, right?”

“Yeah,” she murmurs. “There were piles of pillows and blankets everywhere. And random keepsakes on the shelves.”

Aizawa raises his brows. “So, your room? I’m picturing your room.”

Katherine giggles as she turns to him. “Minus the Pro Hero posters and the store-brand stuff, but yeah, I guess so.”

His gaze softens, and he ruffles her hair when she walks back to them. “I’m sorry, Katherine. I know you were hoping to find something.”

“It’s okay,” she replies, and when she sees Mic giving her an unsure look: “Really. Closure is closure, right?”

Before Mic can respond, they hear Eri call for them outside. “Hey! I found something!”

They look at each other, and Katherine teleports to the front steps. Eri is crouched at the base of a tree, looking at something. When Katherine gets closer, she sees an odd amalgamation of items—one of the feather markers, two silver rings, and an incense holder. When Shoto walks over, he remarks, “It looks like a grave.”

“All For One’s not that considerate,” Midnight states dryly. “This is the first time you’ve been back here, right, Katherine?”

Katherine turns to her, a brow raised, and Midnight holds up her hands defensively. “What? You take lots of unsupervised field trips.”

“And if you didn’t make this, then who did?” Mic wonders aloud.

She purses her lips. She wishes she knew, but she’s at a loss, too. She didn’t have any friends here—not that she can remember. All she had were her birth parents. And all they had was…

“Aspen?”

Katherine whips around when an unfamiliar voice says her mother’s name. They were all so caught up in the mystery that they hadn’t heard the footsteps coming out of the forest. She locks eyes with a woman who looks to be in her late thirties or early forties. She has antlers poking through her curly hair and white dots speckled over her tan skin, and her deerlike ears flick with surprise at Katherine's sudden turn. A box of incense sticks lays at her feet, and she looks nervously at them all. “Uh, no, sorry,” Katherine starts before her eyes narrow curiously. “How do you know my mom’s name?”

The woman’s eyes widen even more. She stares at them for a few moments, then finally breathes, “…Oh my gods. Katherine.”

…

The woman, who eventually introduces herself as Wren, invites them all to her home, which is just a short trek away from Katherine’s old house. The moment she steps inside, Katherine’s gaze is drawn to a photo of her birth parents on the mantle of Wren’s fireplace. “Hey–!”

“Shadow loved that camera of his,” Wren states with a sheepish smile. “I still have it—if you want it back.”

Katherine looks at the walls of Wren’s living room, crowded with picture frames of different subjects. “Did you take all of these? Or are they his?”

“Oh, well—Shadow took them, but he gifted some to me after the walls at your place started getting too full.”

She watches Wren start rummaging through a drawer. “How did you know them?”

Wren looks up and bumps her antlers on the shelf above her, seemingly confused. “Aspen and Shadow. My parents. How did you know them?” Katherine repeats.

“Oh,” Wren says, going quiet. “Right. You wouldn’t remember.”

She continues her search, and Katherine sends a bewildered look to her dads, who are poised by the door in case this goes south. Wren finally pulls out a large book and sits on her couch, gesturing for Katherine to sit with her. “I was one of the test subjects at Dr. Ujiko’s lab,” she explains as Katherine settles. “You might’ve noticed, but I’m a mix of deer and human DNA. I wouldn’t say my gene-splicing is as smooth as your parents’, but I get by. When Aspen and Shadow broke out, they tried to bring as many of us as they could with them. They saved dozens of experiments, including me. We all settled here.”

Katherine watches Wren curiously as she opens up the large book. “Our lives weren’t easy, but we got by. Aspen kept us all together, and Shadow made sure we had what we needed to survive. For us, it was paradise. We lived like semi-normal people for the first time in our lives. When they got married, and then they had you—it was heaven on earth. They loved you so much. We all did.”

Wren goes quiet again before continuing. “After they were killed, a lot of the other experiments fled this area. They figured Dr. Ujiko was after the rest of us, too. But since we hadn’t found you yet—well, I always figured you’d find your way home, just like they wanted you to,” she discloses, a bittersweet smile on her face. “Anyways…I made you this. It’s everything Shadow took of you and Aspen. I tried my best to salvage what I could from the house.”

Katherine takes the book from her, and her heart skips a beat.

It’s a scrapbook. Plastered on the pages are her mother and father’s faces, frozen in time, caught in the happiest moments of their lives—and hers. “It’s not the neatest, I’m sure,” Wren states apologetically, “but I hope it’ll do.”

Katherine looks at Wren and throws her arms around her, trying her best not to break down sobbing. “Thank you so much.”

Wren is still for a moment, then hugs her back. “You’re welcome, Katherine.”

…

They stay the night at Wren’s house, and in the morning, they set back off for U.A.

Katherine is still asleep when they pull up in front of the gates, the scrapbook held tightly to her chest. When Shoto nudges her, she chirps indignantly, but her slight irritation at being woken up instantly fades.

Class 1-A is gathered at the gates, even though it’s 2:00 in the morning. They all cheer and wave to her when she gets out of the car. She can smell the cake Sato’s baked from here, and in the dim light, she can see the banner Dark Shadow and Koda’s birds are holding up.

“Welcome Back, Fearless Leader!”

Katherine beams and dashes to them, laughing with delight as she falls into their arms.

Finally, she’s home.

-End of Book Four

Chapter Text

Three nights later, she’s back to old habits again.

Katherine sits on the roof of an abandoned Pro Hero agency, her eyes glued to the stars. Though she hears the Hero Killer’s approach, she doesn’t speak up until he stops next to her. “I was wondering if they got to you at the stadium.”

“Where’s your reptilian partner?” he asks, though he doesn’t sit.

“I’m running solo tonight. No combat, so Storm gets the night off,” Katherine states. She finally turns to him and grins. “According to Hanta, you kicked ass during the fight. Never thought I’d see the Hero Killer protecting a bunch of rookie heroes.”

Stain huffs. “There is a new light in this generation. You were raised by All Might’s ideals. I suppose I can let you mature before I make any rash decisions.”

“Sure, you do you.”

They’re silent for a few moments. “And you?” Stain questions finally. “You were certainly at your most ruthless. Did you get the answers you wanted? Are you a hero, WildCard?”

Katherine eyes him for a second more, then refixes her eyes on the sky. The dark blue is fading as the light breaks through over the horizon. Her chest still burns a little when she breathes, but the feeling is welcome. It makes her feel alive. It makes her feel whole.

She smiles. “Yeah. I’m a hero.”

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, in the currently-under-renovation U.A. Academy…

“Let me get this straight: these kids need recovery, right?”

“They do.”

“You want them to relax while still continuing their training?”

“That is the idea.”

“But the only way you can do that is if you get them out of Japan?”

“I believe it would be the best option for everyone, yes.”

On Nezu’s computer, Tony Stark leans back and runs a hand over his eyes. “Jeez, Nezu, I don’t know. I’ve got, like, ten Avengers on house arrest, one of them used to be a serial killer, and everyone else’s records are spotty at best. Not to mention we’re on call for disasters like these. I can’t promise everything will be as calm as you’d like. These kids are strong, sure, but are you positive they can handle us?”

Nezu smiles politely. “Believe me, Mr. Stark, I’m more worried about whether you can handle them.”

                                                                                                           -To be continued…?