❧

Midoriya lays still on the hospital bed, in an empty room with flickering, dim lights. You know Mirai is watching you from beyond the glass as you step closer to the comatose ex-hero.

His eyes are closed as his chest shakily rises and falls. Your heart stings as he mumbles to himself.

"Please save me, somebody," he whispers, "please. Please stop."

His body is completely still despite his mutterings.

You take his hand, looking down at the scars that streak through his skin. You remember what his back looked like, and you wonder if there are more scars. 

You activate your quirk, bringing your hands around his body and hugging him gently. You put everything into your power.

He's warm.

Your arms are wrapped around his middle and your face is resting in his neck. He's sitting up, although he hasn't awakened.

Freckles dot his face like stars. 

His eyelashes rest on his cheeks since his eyes are closed.

His breathing is soft and quiet.

He's hot and sweaty.

He's crying out for help.

"I'm here," you whisper to him, "you're okay. It's gonna be alright. I'm here for you."

It's not working. He's not waking up. Your quirk isn't working. You can't save him. You can't help him. He's hurting. All you can do is watch.

"Please, come on," you wipe your face, "we didn't defeat the bad guys yet, remember? You can't leave yet. I still need you."

You grab for the capsule in his pocket, staring at it in anger. If you hadn't gone back to get it, this probably wouldn't be happening.

You clench your hand, a small cracking noise surprising you. Not letting go of Midoriya, you look down at your hand.

The black capsule is busted, leaving behind a bright blue water-like substance. You recoil, and it falls on Midoriya's chest.

For some reason, the small mistake sends you over the edge, and you burst into tears. Blubbering and gasping for air, you cry, clenching your eyes shut. Tears, falling like rain.

"You're all I have left, you creepy bastard," you sob, "You're all I have left."

You open your eyes when Midoriya's breathing deepens, instead of the short, shallow breaths like before. You gasp at the blue substance, which has started to glow on his skin.

Before you can wipe it off, though, his body jerks, and his eyes snap open.

He curses under his breath. "Where are we?"

"We're i-in a hospital," you sniff, "how'd you—?"

"A hospital?" He jerks out of your arms, ripping the oxygen mask off his face. "Why?"

You wipe your tears, confused and embarrassed. "Y-You passed out and then stopped breathing. I took you here, to the hospital, the H.H.H. and they—"

"Shit!" Midoriya stands up, grabbing your hand, "Shit! Do they know who I am?"

"Well, yeah."

He jerks you to the door, dragging you with him. Panicking, he opens the door and runs out of the hospital. 

It's nighttime and the sky is crying. Rain falls from the dark clouds as you stare at Midoriya.

"What's wrong?" You ask him, clutching his hand, "Are you okay?"

"I remember."

"What do you remember?" 

"I remember," he sucks in a breath, "I remember it all."

"Hey!" Someone shouts from the hospital, "Get back here!"

Midoriya looks at you in horror. "Run."

❧

You huff, gasping for air from running so far.

"We lost 'em?" You ask Midoriya, locking the door to the abandoned convenience store. It's kind of like a lair now; you're used to it.

"Yeah, let's hope so." He's not as out-of-breath as you are, probably due to being a hero and all, but it still irritates you.

"What was that all about?" You grumble, "Here I was, thinking you're dying or something, then you suddenly spring up and start to run. Like what the hell?"

"Pfft, sorry," The green-haired man laughs, sitting on the old counter of the store, "I just . . . remembered. Everything. It's like I don't know who I am anymore."

You frown. "What'd you remember? Why'd you freak out at the hospital?"

"The H.H.H.," he turns to you, serious, "they're not helping heroes. Not all of them, anyways."

You sit in silence, eyes wide. He smiles at your anticipation.

"What do you think they do with the heroes that don't survive?" He asks you.

"Well," you think aloud, "prepare them for burial, stuff like that."

"Yes, you're right, but first," Midoriya leans forward, "they extract their quirks."