"I'LL HANDLE HIM." said Y/n, seeing Endeavor attempting to raise himself only to slump back onto the ground. "It's just a little matchstick."

Dabi chuckled, his foot tapping against the floor as he marched towards them. "Come on. I'm just here to collect the Nomu. Besides, there's no way that I could actually win against the famous Iron woman and the top dudes already beaten up and bloodied, right?"

Even when he ran towards their way, Y/n didn't engage. Instead, she found it ridiculous that he had challenged them. Looking at the conditions, the villain had a slim chance of defeating her, seeing that his quirk was futile against the armor, and Y/n doubt if he could even beat her in hand-to-hand combat.

The young teen raised her arm in preparation to launch her repulsor beams when a figure landed on the ground in front of her with a loud bang.

"I saw the news and came hopping!" a feminine, raspy voice yelled. Y/n instantly knew who it was. "You three don't get all the fun and you, you're with the League? Your butt's about to get kicked!"

"Mirko? Too bad. Right when things were getting heated." Dabi said, black liquid pouring out of his mouth, which Y/n immediately recognized. "Bye, for now, Mr. Number one hero. I'm sure we'll get another chance to talk, but until then..."

The ink substance had surrounded him and the young genius knew it was far too late to capture him now.

"Just keep doing your thing and don't go dying on me, 'kay?! Enji Todoroki!"

"It's too late, the moment he spat that liquid." Y/n inquired a little too late for Mirko already lounged herself towards the villain for a kick.

The bunny hero held her knee in pain, cursing, before turning her head towards the teen. "That's how they got away in Kamino too, right? Didn't the same thing happen to you?"

Y/n nodded her head in response. "Are you okay?" asked the winged hero.

"I'm fine," Y/n replied. "I barely contributed anything."

"Aw, don't say that!" Mirko exclaimed, a huge grin on her tanned face. "Look at you, my carrot, already doing pro hero stuff! I've never been so proud of another human in my entire existence!"

"Wow." said Hawks, flatly.

From the perspective of others, it was weird that a woman wearing a friendly shining grin with white bunny ears was spouting proud compliments like a mother to her child, at a robotic figure with furrowed glowing eyepieces that was way too tall compared to her.

"Thank you." said Y/n, placing a hand over her neck despite her suit.

"Anyways, that league really grinds my gears! Always so sneaky, right?!" Mirko exclaimed, way too delightful. "I'm off to search for 'em!"

Just like that, she hopped off to who knows where. Y/n turned and marched towards the other two pro heroes. Her figure blocked the rays of sunshine and her shadow cast over the number one pro hero that could not stand.

Endeavor raised his head. His eyes landed on the famous mask that represented her other persona, Ironwoman. The sunlight behind her bounced off on the dark red and golden vibranium plates of her suit of armor which loomed over him.

Their conversation earlier resurfaced in his mind. The light behind Y/n was so bright it would've blinded him if it weren't for her figure blocking the sunlight. However, the light that seeped behind her did not seem to come from the sun, but from her. Y/n beamed with light — a different kind — which bespoke her worth, and as a man somewhat linked with light, she's rendered him sightless, as if mocking him. Y/n held out a hand towards him, unintentionally further tarnishing his stained ego.

The young genius assisted the number one pro hero as the paramedics rushed to help them. Y/n sat on an emergency bed as a medic nursed her with her mind wandering on a nice, relaxing warm bath.

The hospital room was filled with the smell of ethyl alcohol along with the hushed chatters of pro heroes who came to visit Endeavor.

Y/n leaned back against the wall with arms folded on her chest and one foot on top of another. Her face was faced on the number one pro hero's bed as if she was paying attention to the exchange between him and Recovery Girl. However, if one would gingerly scrutinize her features, the dull stare in her eyes told enough that she was lost in her own phantasms of mysteries.

E/c eyes darted towards the window. The orange-tinted sky displayed outside indicated that the day was coming to an end.

"Of course, I would come to visit!" said Recovery Girl, right after treating the rest of Endeavor's injuries. The small elder woman turned her head and called for the young genius, "L/n, come here. You too."

Y/n detached herself from the wall and politely declined, "I'm fine. I really didn't get any serious injuries."

"That's not what I meant." prompted Recovery Girl.

The teen pursed her lips, nodding her head slightly in understanding as she sat on the chair beside the hospital bed. Endeavor and a few pro heroes, which Y/n knew little about, were left confused but kept the question to themselves.

As soon as Recovery Girl's lips were attached to Y/n cheeks, she felt a warm tingly sensation in her arc reactor; feeling the internal wounds caused by the poison healing.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Y/n used this opportunity to speak and break the painful silence. "Mr. Endeavor, if you don't mind me asking. What'll be the next movement?"

"Next movement?" he repeated, confused.

Y/n felt a spark of annoyance but elaborated calmly, "The attack from the League of villains authenticated my theory that we've discussed earlier. I know it's pretty early to ask for any plans, but I'm merely curious about what you have in mind."

Y/n did not miss the bobbing of his Adam's apple. This alone told her he would have thought none yet, though she understood. It was too early to ask — or was it? Was she too rash, or were they too slow?

"Care to share your theory with us, L/n?" Recovery Girl asked politely.

Y/n articulated her quondam hypothesis that she previously shared with the top two pro heroes of Japan with the help of Hawks, while Endeavor only nodded his head occasionally in confirmation.

"Following this, we obviously need some kind of movement to prevent a plausible war against these creatures and villains." Y/n stated, finishing her conclusion.

"War?" one of the pro heroes present in the room repeated, in a tone that hinted unpleasantness as if what she had said was absurd.

The teen inhaled deeply, sinking her irritation in her system. "We have already established earlier that there are still Nomus out there, which are controlled by the League of villains. The presumed notion that all Nomus have already been captured, in the Kamino incident, has been proven false. There is a high chance of possibility that the League has alliances, which are yet unknown to us, that are creating these creatures."

"But what if the creatures were already made before the arrest of All for one?" asked one of the pro heroes.

"That doesn't mean that we can't make a movement, just in case, no?" Y/n retorted, a hint of annoyance slipping on her tone.

A couple of pro heroes murmured to each other, showing their dissent, before another one spoke, "But if there are several creatures, especially the newest one... What was it called... Ah! — a high-end nomu — a crusade for searching for these creatures will surely ignite public distress. The exposure to our vulnerability will only increase crime rates across the entire country."

"In addition to that, we don't have any leads to where they could be. The search will inevitably be made public and if this happens, it'll be a lot harder to look for them given that they are on high alert." Another one distributed.

"What if a mass of high-end Nomus attacks a city? What'll be your movement then?" Y/n asked, conspicuously frustrated. Before any of them could even reply, she added, "Because it seems to me that you're just making excuses."

"Woah, okay!" Hawks intervened to defuse the rising tension. "I have to agree with Y/n on this, but let us not discuss it here."

Chatters scattered here and there. Y/n turned to glare at the flock of heroes. Some murmured among themselves, others scoffed, while a handful had smirks on their faces. It was then she realized that from the perspective of these pro heroes; she was deemed merely as a paranoid amateur young teen who exalts herself.

Hawks positioned himself in front of her so that his figure could block the ferocious glare that she was sending toward the heroes. "Come on, Y/n. We have to get going now or Miss President blonde will be mad at us."

Y/n briskly rose from her seat as Hawks grabbed her forearm, bidding farewell to the others.

"Goodbye Mr. Endeavor and thank you Recovery Girl!" The young genius's voice echoed throughout the room and corridor.

Waltzing in the elevator, Hawks had let her go. Y/n straightened her wrinkled sleeve with a scoff. "Why'd you cut me off?"

"If I let the conversation escalate, you'll just be wasting your time." Hawks replied, eyes glued on the closed metal door as the elevator dinged by every floor that it passed. "Those heroes have longed to associate themselves with Endeavor, that's why they were there. They have little power compared to the top pro heroes."

Hawks saw the teen roll her e/c eyes from the reflection on the shiny elevator door that was cleaned thoroughly to ensure an aseptic environment in the hospital.

"So?" Y/n retorted, "At least they have the power to contribute. No wonder they aren't at the top yet. With that kind of—" she took a breath and pressed her palm on the tight tension on her forehead, "—You know what? Fuck it."

The winged hero turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's been a long day, Y/n. I've already got this covered and I'm sure Endeavor will take action. You don't have to stress yourself about this."

The chime of the elevator as it opened cut them off. Y/n did everything she could to ignore the whispering, staring, and pointing as they made their exit. Instinctively, parts of her iron suit attached themselves to her body, the platings quickly yet carefully built themselves and had supplanted her regular clothes, giving her the ability to fly back to Musutafu.

"I guess I'll see you around then." Hawks said, a taxi pulling over by his side.

Y/n didn't utter a reply. The winged pro hero couldn't read her when her mask kept her face hidden. The iconic signature helmet alone oozed with power and authority. The features were so simple, yet Y/n, alone, was the only one who have thought of it and that was simply fascinating.

"Take care of yourself, Y/n." said Hawks, sincerely.

However, behind that mask was a mystifying person whom everyone seems to love, yet nobody truly knows.

"I will. I'm drained after all that." Y/n replied, "You know it's odd. I didn't really do anything and yet it was one of the moments that I felt too exhausted."

Hawks chuckled. "Welcome to the life of a hero." He opened the car door and Y/n took this as her cue to leave.

"See you around, Hawks."

Y/n didn't wait for a reply and drifted across the sky. Hawks gaze at the vast dark sky littered with gray clouds that portended a storm. He caught sight of the burst of ignition that the iron suit made to boost her pace and propel her further to the sky. The speed had left a trail of light on the ether that could be easily mistaken for a shooting star.

Hawks released a heavy sigh and entered the taxi. He leaned against the window, not before telling the driver his destination. This day had stripped their energy and left them with great weariness.

If he felt this type of exhaustion, he couldn't imagine how Y/n felt, especially after her minor exchange with those heroes even Hawks himself knew little about. He saw how her chest was noticeably heaving, indicating that she was panting and her face told him she was mustering her strength to restrain her urge to seize them by the throat.

The gleams of vehicles in the traffic fleetingly illuminated the transportation that he was in. The silence fueled his train of thought. Y/n occupied his mind, it forced him to sink his teeth down on his lower lip.

Hawks was the type of person who would set boundaries for each person who he associate himself with, so that he may keep his true nature hidden. Protection, he calls it so, but if he valued the virtue of honesty, he would call it fear — fear of unraveling himself for a person only for them to find nothing to love in him.

Most especially now that his hands are soiled and yet he's positioned as a hero.

From the very beginning, Hawks was enamored of Y/n. And he was patently aware of that fact. He held this belief that she was born with the purpose of sailing beyond sunsets and outshining the sun itself.

His devotion to bringing forth a society of his ideals and his conviction to his fallible god had led him to coax her into entering the rogue (possibly) commission.

But something had changed. Uncertainty had now mingled and intervened with his belief. He never knew how this unnecessary emotion had blossomed, yet here it was to stir his addled mind and pour regret into his heart. He had repeatedly spilled his guilt through whispers to where the heavens above heard the loudness of the immense guilt that he felt.

Hawks had hankered for some peace of mind, but his urges had abstracted him from his duties and told him to tear her away from the hero society as repentance, but then again he will never attain his goal if he does so.

Until he decides, the silent screams will continually torment him in his own head and the massive weight of conscience in his heart.

Y/n simply wanted peace of mind, even just for a while. And there's no place much more calming than the seaside.

She took a momentary stop at the beach at Musutafu where she coincidentally met Midoriya, but this time it was just her, the sea, the howl of the wind, and the bright silver moon casting a light that glittered against the surface of the sea. Her suit of armor stood beside her in sentry mode, glowing beneath the moonlight.

Y/n allowed her body to relax and rested her eyes close. She paused and registered her environment with her senses. The sound of the waves harmonized with the breeze.

Suddenly, at that moment, Y/n felt different. The sky rumbled and her hair danced along with the salty, cool wind that brushed against her skin and filled her lungs, creating this sudden restlessness inside her. At that moment, she felt a sense of longing for a place that she couldn't point out.

In that wild instant, the tingling sensation that coursed through her body made her feel like she forgot something and she felt aware that she exists. That sudden sense of aliveness made her feel ancient, powerful, and, above all, lonely.

Y/n was fixated on this peculiar emotion that she felt. Other sounds were muted. Anything else deemed useless was subconsciously ignored.

Tears brimmed in her eyes for she didn't know how to handle the longing in her heart for a home that didn't exist and fill the missing pieces of her soul, and yet there was nothing more that she wanted than for this moment to last.

Forgiveness. Something that has invariably challenged humankind, whether be it to ask for forgiveness or to accept it.

How can you forgive someone for the pain that came with the wound that they've caused? How can you ask for forgiveness when you wielded the knife that slit their skin and drew their blood?

A man of integrity will have no trouble dealing with such matters, but what about those filled with bitterness, resentment, humiliation, and embarrassment? Those simply driven by naivety?

These questions can be perfectly implied in the situation of Bakugo and Y/n.

Katsuki Bakugo was undoubtedly a man with a big ego because of the power and qualities that he has that made him believe he was above others. His delusion of perfectionism within himself made him loathe weakness and those who are wimpish, especially quirkless people.

However, upon entering UA, things have drastically changed which he wasn't prepared for. All the years of constant praises, glory, and respect showered upon him have instantly swept away beneath his feet.

To put salt in the wound, as weeks went by, he was slowly coming to the realization that he wasn't in the spotlight anymore. Instead, he was outshined by the people he was prejudiced against.

His defeat at the UA's sports festival and the Kamino incident struck him with an epiphany that changed his view on things. It pained him, yet he accepted reality.

In silence, Bakugo felt a tremendous distance between him and the two people he had mistreated: Midoriya and Y/n. But this time, it was them who were above him.

Today, he felt an enormous wave of jealousy towards Y/n that he has been ignoring and denying for a long time.

Seeing her alongside the top pro heroes in Japan made him feel envious because it seemed right and justifiable.

Y/n was an embodiment of a perfect-ideal hero, as what would some media articles say. As much as he denies it, he was envious of that fact and he was so overwhelmed by this newfound feeling of envy that his jealousy took control of his body, which caused him to treat her wrongly.

Bakugo knew what Y/n was like and though he wouldn't admit it out loud, he could tell that what people perceive her to be was accurate to who she is. But he knew he hadn't met all of her yet and today he could confirm that he was correct.

His mother requested him to come home for the day and so he did. Bakugo took a night jog before dinner and he didn't expect to see Y/n at the seaside not too far away from his house.

The ash-blonde stared at her with a weird expression as she stood motionless in front of the sea with her eyes closed. It was the most relaxed he's seen her ever since they met.

He was only a few meters away behind her, so she wouldn't be able to notice him unless he approaches her.

Bakugo paused and thought about answers to his own questions. He was perplexed that out of all the places she could've and should've been; she was here. He would've assumed she'll be in her sumptuous home, surrounded by her luxuries with a deluxe drink in her hand.

After a few seconds of pondering, he took a quick glance at his wristwatch and saw that it was almost time for dinner. His mother will surely scold him if he'll be late.

And at that exact moment, he came to a melancholic realization.

Y/n didn't have any reason to go home. Unless she was feeling tired and wanted some sleep, there was nothing restricting her from doing what she wanted.

Y/n had the freedom to do anything that she wanted.

But was it truly freedom or just loneliness?

Unlike him, he had his parents waiting for him at home with a freshly cooked meal prepared by his mother. He had friends (though he wouldn't admit that they are) waiting for him at school where they would spend their time tagging him along doing activities they found fun.

It dawned on him just how lonely Y/n was.

From what he'd heard and known, she had no one that would scold her for staying out late. He read from articles earlier that she