"Hey."
"Hey," Bakugo replied.
That was apparently the extent of conversation anyone was capable of this morning.
Bakugo pulled out his phone, checked the time, put it away. Outside, another unfamiliar hero walked past the window on patrol.
"This place feels different," Kaminari said finally, to no one in particular.
Nobody disagreed. Finally, their classmates began showing up. Asui came in next, followed closely by Sato, then Shoji. Each of them took their seats with nothing but a downcast "Hi" or"Hey"
The atmosphere felt like it had had all life drained out of it.
By 7:48, the room held ten students.
Half a class.
Kaminari sat up slightly, looking around. "Wait. Where is everyone?"
The question caused everyone to look around.
Midoriya looked up from his untouched notebook. "Can't you tell?"
Kaminari blinked. "Tell what?"
"That they're not coming, Kaminari," Midoriya said quietly. "Or at least, not yet."
A beat of silence.
"Oh." Kaminari looked around again, counting empty seats. "Oh."
Momo set down her pen. "My mother nearly didn't let me come. If my father hadn't stepped in, I'd be at home right now too."
"Mine said I could go but gave me about forty five minutes of why it was a bad idea first," Sato added.
"My parents weren't happy either," Mezo said. "But they understood."
"My brother convinced mine," Iida said. "Tensei called them from the hospital and told them that students quitting after an attack was exactly what the League wanted."
Kirishima glanced at Midoriya. "What about you, man? Auntie must have been freaking out."
Midoriya's expression shifted. "She was. All Might came to our apartment personally. They talked for almost two hours." He paused. "She cried a lot. But she let me come."
Another silence.
"I see. They came to your house too huh?" Kaminari asked.
"Him and Principal Nezu both," Momo confirmed.
"Yeah, I guess they visited every family who was hesitant. Personally."
Kaminari absorbed this. "That's... yeah. Okay. Guess not everyone agreed."
"It'll probably take a while." Asui spoke up from the back of the room. "We talked to Toru yesterday. Hagakure's parents haven't decided yet. Jirou-chan's parents said no for now but her dad said he'd reconsider by next week, ribbit."
"I saw Sero. He mentioned his family is still discussing." Kirishima shrugged.
"What about Aoyama and Mineta?"
"Those two? Haven't heard but from their personalities, I'm not sure they'd even want to come back."
That last one surprised nobody. "What about Mina?"
Asui laid back on the table. "She fought with her parents for three hours last night. They compromised. She's coming but they're driving her themselves."
"She'll be late then."
"Probably."
The room settled back into quiet. Most had something to say and no idea how to say it. None looked at the final chair at the back.
The depressing atmosphere continued for a while, until ... Kirishima broke it. "Do you guys think they'll find anything? From the search?"
Nobody answered immediately.
"The search was suspended," Iida said finally. "Officially."
"I know that. I just meant..." Kirishima trailed off.
Midoriya put his pen down. "I've been looking at the search area parameters. The ocean currents in that region, the temperature variance, the estimated drop trajectory if Kurogiri placed them at high altitude versus sea level..." He stopped himself. "Sorry. That probably doesn't help."
"It doesn't," Kaminari said. "But it's fine. Keep going if it helps you."
Midoriya shook his head. "It doesn't help me either."
The silence came back, seemingly more unbearable than before anyone spoke.
Then Uraraka made a sound. "Hmm?" They all turned to her. She had her hands flat on her desk, eyes fixed on the surface, and she was very clearly trying to hold herself together through sheer stubbornness alone.
"Um ... Uraraka ... Did you .." Iida stopped the moment he noticed a tear roll down her cheek.
The silence seemed to dig even deeper.
"Uraraka ..."
"It's ok." She responded hastily, turning her head and wiping her cheeks. "There's ... Nothing to it. I'm fine."
They came out more as she spoke. Everyone looked at her, yet no one could say anything.
Kirishima opened his mouth.
"Stop crying."
Bakugo's voice came out flat. Much to the surprise of everyone. Well, it wasn't surprising surprising anymore judging from who it came from.
"Bakugo ..." Kirishima started.
"I said stop crying. It's pathetic."
"Dude." Kirishima's voice rose. "What the hell."
"What?" Bakugo leaned back in his chair and looked at Kirishima directly. "She's been sitting there since before I got here. What exactly is crying doing for her right now?"
"That's not your call to make. People grieve differently ..."
"I'm not talking about grieving you morons" Bakugo looked at Uraraka. "I'm talking about giving up. There's a difference. You think that bastard would want you sitting here sniveling?"
Uraraka looked up, eyes red. "I'm not giving up,"
"Then what are you doing?"
"I'm ...." She stopped. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do. It's just ..."
"Then stop whining." He scowled. "If you're not giving up then prove it. Get stronger."
He took out a book and uttered without looking up. "Strong enough that next time the League tries something, YOU'RE the one saving people. That's how you honor the dead if they were dead. But until I see a body, I'm not believing that bastard went down so easily. That's all I wanna hear on this topic so stop moping around. It's damn depressing."
The room was very quiet. Uraraka stared at him.
"And if he's dead?" she asked.
"Then get strong enough to make the League regret every decision that led to that outcome." Bakugo's voice was even. "Simple."
"That's not simple."
The door was pushed open as Todoroki entered.
"Tch." Bakugo clicked his tongue. "Nobody said it was easy. I said it was simple."
"Ribbit. He's not wrong."
"He could've said it nicer," Kaminari muttered.
"Would nicer have worked?" Asui asked.
Kaminari considered this. "Probably not."
The door opened again. Mina arrived, slightly breathless, hair windswept from presumably arguing with her parents right up until they dropped her off. She looked at the half-empty classroom, took a breath, and took her seat without comment.
Three minutes later, the door slid open one final time.
Aizawa Shouta stepped in, right arm healed from Hosu.
Everyone sat up straight.
He walked to the podium, set down a folder, and turned to face them. He looked worse than usual.
More exhausted, eyes bloodshot.
Taking in the faces present and registering the ones absent, he let out a sigh that conveyed said exhaustion before beginning.
.
"Good morning," he said.
"Good morning, sensei," the class replied.
"I hope you've all said goodbye to your families," Aizawa began. "Because as you all should know, starting today, you won't be returning to your homes until you graduate."
The proclamation, though expected by some, still felt uncomfortable to hear.
"I'm not going to sugarcoat this. You all know what happened. As of now, Yuta is presumed dead."
Several students visibly flinched. 'Does he have to be so blunt about it?'
"The Yamanote Line disappeared seven days ago with 716 passengers aboard. The search has been suspended. The statistical likelihood of finding survivors at this point is effectively zero."
Uraraka's hands tightened in her lap.
"However," Aizawa continued, "until we have confirmation. Until we have a body, we treat this as 'missing,' not 'dead.' Is that understood?"
"Yes, sensei," the class murmured.
"You're allowed to grieve. You're allowed to be angry. You're allowed to feel however you need to feel about this situation." His eyes swept the room. "But you're also allowed to move forward. That's what it means to be a hero. To keep going even when things seem impossible. So if you want to honor him, you do the same. You keep training. You keep learning. You become the kind of heroes who can prevent tragedies like this from happening again."
Heavy silence filled the room.
Iida raised his hand. "Sensei, what about security measures? What is being done to prevent another attack?"
"Good question." Aizawa pulled a document from his folder. "Effective immediately, U.A. is implementing a mandatory dormitory system. All course students, be it hero course or not, will live on campus under 24-hour hero supervision."
Murmurs rippled through the class.
"Additionally, any off-campus activities will require security escorts. No solo travel. No public transit. School-provided transportation only."
"What about visiting our families?" Yaoyorozu asked.
"To prevent any accidents, no. I hope you understand that we're not imprisoning you. We're protecting you. The League has proven they can target you anywhere. Within these walls, you are the safest you can be."
No one responded. The price of safety was high, but after the last week, no one was willing to haggle.
"Gather your things," Aizawa said, closing his folder. "We're moving to the dormitories now. I'll show you to your accommodations, explain the rules, and then you'll have the rest of the day to settle in. Classes are suspended for today. We resume normal schedule tomorrow."
[U.A. DORMITORIES – HEIGHTS ALLIANCE – 9:45 AM]
The dormitory building was impressive even by U.A. standards. Four stories of modern architecture, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a common area that looked more suited to a luxury hotel than student housing. Courtesy of Midnight's decorative IQ and Mr. Cementoss's quirk.
Aizawa stood at the entrance as Class 1-A filed in.
"Boys' rooms are on the left wing, girls' on the right," Aizawa explained. "Common areas are shared. Kitchen, laundry, study rooms. You're responsible for your own cooking and cleaning. This isn't a hotel."
He gestured to a board displaying room assignments.
"Your belongings will be delivered this evening. For now, familiarize yourselves with the layout. Curfew is 10 PM. Anyone found outside their room after that without a valid reason will face disciplinary action."
"Are we .." Kaminari started. Aizawa's gaze shifted to him. "Go ahead. Ask."
"What about the rest of our class?"
"U.A is in touch with heir guardians. Most have a wait and see attitude while others will need more persuasion. With any luck, everyone should be together in another week."
Iida's hand went up next. "Sensei, when will normal classes resume?"
"Tomorrow. Regular schedule. You have today to settle in and process." Aizawa's eyes swept across the room. "Use it wisely."
He turned toward the door, then stopped.
"One more thing. There will be a memorial service for the Yamanote Line victims next week. Attendance is optional but strongly encouraged. Details will be announced later."
With that, he walked out.
The class stood in silence.
"So," Kirishima said. "I guess this is home now."
"It's nice, Ribbit."
"Nice isn't the word I'd use," Bakugo muttered, grabbing his room key from the assignment board. "But whatever. I'm checking out my room."
He headed upstairs without waiting for a response.
One by one, the others followed suit, scattering to explore their new living arrangements with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
Uraraka stood in the common area for a moment longer, looking at the empty spaces where half their class should have been.
"You coming?" Mina asked from the stairs.
"Yeah," Uraraka said quietly. "I'm coming."
_
OUTSIDE HEIGHTS ALLIANCE,
Aizawa stood on the steps outside the dormitory, staring up at the cloudless sky.
The campus was quieter than it should have been.
"You look like hell, Aizawa."
Aizawa didn't lower his gaze. "All Might."
Toshinori Yagi stepped up beside him in his skeletal form, hands tucked into the pockets of his oversized suit.
He looked up at the same sky Aizawa had been staring at.
"How did it go?" Toshinori asked.
"Eleven showed up. The rest are still deciding."
"That's more than I expected, honestly."
"Is it? Eleven out of twenty. That's barely half."
"Eleven is eleven more than zero," Toshinori replied. "And the rest will come around. Nezu is very persuasive when he needs to be."
Aizawa didn't respond. They stood in silence for a moment.
"You can't keep doing this to yourself," Toshinori said finally.
"Doing what."
"Blaming yourself for something you couldn't have predicted or prevented."
"I could have kept him at U.A."
"And if the League had attacked the school again? Would that have been better?"
"They wouldn't have."
"They already did once. There's no feeling if those lunatics would do the same again."
"At least I would have been there, and maybe 700 people wouldn't have died as a result."
"Maybe. Or maybe you'd be standing here with a different kind of guilt." Toshinori turned to look at him. "You made a call, Aizawa. You can't control what villains do. None of us can."
Before Aizawa could respond, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
He pulled it out, glancing at the screen.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
He frowned. "Unknown caller."
"Probably the HPSC," Toshinori shrugged. "They've been calling everyone non-stop."
Aizawa answered anyway. "Eraserhead."
The silence on the other end lasted for three seconds.
"Hey there, Sensei."
The voice was rough. Tired. And shockingly familiar
Aizawa went completely still.
Beside him, Toshinori noticed the sudden change. "Aizawa? What ..."
Aizawa held up his free hand, silencing him.
"Akutami?"
_
[UNKNOWN LOCATION – PHILIPPINES – 10:18 AM JST / 11:18 AM LOCAL TIME]
Yuta Akutami stood in a phone booth on a street corner in what appeared to be a small coastal town.
He wore a dark hoodie pulled low over his face and loose-fitting pants that looked like they'd been borrowed or bought in a hurry
"Miss me?"
_
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