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 Denki tried to stay silent but his gasps for air sounded so loud in the cramped, dark hallway. However, it can't be too noisy if the sound of the leaking pipe leading to the drinking fountain can still be heard. "I just need a minute. Just a minute. I can figure this out." He thought to himself, trying to piece his thoughts together but his racing heart wouldn't let him. DRIPDRIPDRIP He tucked more into the corner he was hiding in, praying to whoever was listening that he wasn't caught. He has been running for forever. Each step felt more horrific than the last. How could this have happened? Why couldn't he do anything to stop it? Why won't it stop? He has no answers and no hope of ever figuring it out by himself. He's not sure how he's made it this far if he was being honest with himself.  DRIPDRIPDRIPHe took a moment to assess himself, thinking that he should use his time wisely for once. His sweats were torn at the knees and caked in various liquids that he refused to acknowledge for fear of the brown spots ending up being someone's blood. He swallowed hard and moved on to check his baggy T-shirt and sock-covered feet. No cuts to detect but his socks are definitely on the verge of getting holes with how much he has been running around. He cursed to himself, wondering why everything exciting seemed to happen when he was asleep.  DRIPDRIP

Denki paused, the silence of the hallway somehow changing and putting him on high alert. He covered his mouth with his hand, knowing that even if he didn't make a noise it would still be too loud and he would surely be caught. He closed his eyes in the hopes of hearing better, knowing that the drinking fountain was at the end of the hall so if it suddenly stopped then that meant someone was blocking it, right?His theory seemed to be proven false as he suddenly felt a hand snake up his leg and grab on tight. He let out a shout in fear as he was suddenly pulled out of his hiding spot and into the middle of the hallway. He tried to kick the hand away, using his hands to claw at the floor in the hopes of finding traction but the hand didn't budge. More suddenly appeared instead, trying to lock his limbs down so that he could be dragged back easily. "No." Denki hissed, knowing this quirk was familiar to him but not wanting to believe it just yet. He somehow managed to flip over so that he was being dragged on his back, giving him the perfect view of the monster that was slowly reeling him in. "Shoji." He whispered in pity, knowing that his friend would be horrified to know Denki was thinking of him as a monster but at this moment, that was exactly what he was.  He looked over what once was his friend in sympathy, noting his disheveled appearance and dead eyes that held no kindness or life in them. His mask had been chewed through, leaving his bigger-than-average smile staring down at him menacingly. His jaw twitched and snapped like he couldn't wait to bite down on his flesh, foam coming out of his mouth like drool as he waited for his prey to finally come into range. Denki felt panic well up inside of him again, his emotions getting in the way of what he knew he had to do. He smacked one of the groping hands away before concentrating on his quirk, pumping enough electricity out to stun his classmate but not do any permanent damage to him. He just needed to escape, not hurt him. It seemed to have worked at first, Shoji letting out a roar of agony, using his vocal cords like no human should ever be able to. His grip loosened around Denki's leg and he kicked as hard as he could to get free, wiggling with all his might to put distance between him and his classmate. Unfortunately, the thing in front of him wasn't his classmate and his pain tolerance seemed to increase along with his bloodlust. Shoji grabbed him with a newly formed arm, his others instantly changing to mouths and ready to strike at any available skin that he could reach. Denki let out a scream as they descended on him, grabbing the closest one to keep its jaws from ripping his neck out. The others were still moving in though, almost toying with him with how slowly they opened their jaws, letting their tongues hang out as they went in for a taste before diving into their next victim. Desperation finally kicked in, and Denki no longer worried about his friend's safety when his own was in danger. He upped the voltage, going well past stun and into knock-out territory, anything lower than what it would take to make Denki lose his wits. He didn't care, he just needed to get away.Shoji let out another roar of pain, his voice reaching notes that he knew his friend's vocal cords couldn't reach as they slowly died down. It seemed that even monsters had limits to how much electricity they could handle, Shoji fell to his knees before fully slumping over. Denki scrambled out of his classmate's now loose grip, standing up quickly as he tried to get his nerves under control, he took a couple of steps back, his eyes never able to leave his unconscious friend, not sure if he was more worried about him never getting back up again or actually getting up. His inner turmoil was interrupted by a screech ringing down the hall, Shoji's roars must have alerted others of his location. He needed to move. He needed to move NOW! He cursed as he slipped on his sock-covered feet, running as fast as he could down the hall and around the corner, looking for any place he could duck in or use to hide out for the rest of the night. His vision blurred to the point that he had to wipe his eyes, his brain still unable to handle what was happening around him and only filling him with remorse for what he had to do to the people he had grown to care about the most. He never killed them. Couldn't bring himself to do it. Yeah, it caused problems because he would then have to take care of the same classmate again when they eventually got back up, but he didn't know if they could be saved. He hoped they could be saved.  "Please! Let there be a way to save them." He thought to himself, remembering how everything was fine just a few hours ago.Everyone was in the dorms last night. It was a rare occurrence these days with hero studies happening and everyone getting pulled in every direction with class work and their internships. Iida and Momo decided to take the opportunity to hold a class game night. Everyone was excited at the idea -including him- of hanging out and acting like kids again for a night. Junk food and laughter as far as he could see. It sounded amazing after everything they've been dealing with for the past few weeks.Midoryia, Todoroki, and Bakugou were late though. Had a last-minute mission with Endeavor that kept them out later than they had planned. Midoryia said to start without them and they would join once they got back. Everyone did just that and it only felt like a few minutes passed before the trio was walking through the door, looking a little ruffled but overall okay. Except for Bakugou. He was in the worst mood he had ever seen the blond and that was saying something. When asked what was wrong he would do his usual stick of barking at everyone to leave him alone and that he was fine. It was Todoroki who explained that he was helping a child escape the fight zone only to have him bite him in the arm. Everyone laughed, teasing Bakugou and asking him how the kid got around his gauntlets to even do that. Bakugou tried to defend himself, saying that the little fucker got him when he was distracted and it hurt.He showed them the bite mark that was on the inside of his biceps. All teeth seemed to be accounted for, the indentations deep and red in mild irritation. It was honestly a wonder that the kid didn't draw blond. Bakugou continued to say that the kid was weird, saying after biting him the kid demanded that he fight with everything he had to take down the villains and bite them. Sero had laughed in his face, claiming his fans were just as feral as he was. Bakugou tried to explode him, telling all of them to fuck off, but no one listened. Instead, they asked them to join in on the fun and relax for once. Iida tried to get Bakugou to go see Recovery Girl but he waved his concern off, saying that the kid didn't even draw blood so there shouldn't be an issue. He wished he had pushed to make Bakugou go, wished that he kept a closer eye on his friend that night when he seemed more aggressive and volatile than normal. He had brushed it off as his competitive streak was shining through and the adrenaline of the day had not worn off yet. Even when they had called it a night and were heading to bed Bakugou was still acting off. He was up for one. He was an old man stuck in a teen's body, he should have left long before he did. He also looked almost sick, paler than normal, and less coordinated. Again, he brushed it off at the late hour.He thought it was odd, felt it in his gut but had brushed it off so quickly that he had no problems falling asleep moments later. He wished he hadn't. He wished he had asked Bakugou how he was doing or asked him again to go get checked out because this could have probably been all avoided. It was wishful thinking on his part though. The reality of the situation was that he had woken up only a few hours later, his room still dark, the moon still high in the sky, and sounds of shouts and panic coming from downstairs. Thinking a villain was attacking, he sprang into action, running down to the first floor to try and help his classmates defend UA like they've done countless times before.The sight that he was met with stopped him in his tracks. The living room -where they all sat and laughed only hours ago- had become a war zone. Couches were pushed over, pillow feathers everywhere, broken plates and board game pieces scattered on the ground. It looked horrible, and standing in the middle of it was an angry Bakugou. He was snarling at everyone who got too close, spit flying from his lips with every animalistic sound that left them. Sero and Shoji were currently trying to hold him down, their arms and tap wrapped around him and forcing him to sit in a chair. Midoryia and Iida were yelling at him, trying to get him to calm down but it was like he couldn't hear them. Other students were coming down the stairs as well, Denki moving out of the way so they could see what was going on. Some rolled their eyes and went back up while others watched curiously. Walking further into the space, he spotted Momo at the kitchen table with several other girls crowded around her and Kirishima. Momo was tending to a wound on Kirishima's arm, raising his curiosity even more."What happened?" He asked and got several shakes of the heads and a flustered Kirishima."I-I don't know man," Kirishima confessed looking at him like maybe he had the answers even though he never did. "One moment I was trying to sleep, the next thing I knew I heard Bakugou yelling from his room! I-I got scared a-and wanted to make sure he was okay so I busted down his door.""Is that where this is from?" He asked, pointing to the bandaged arm and getting a stiff head shake in return. "No. After I went in-- His room was a disaster! Like it looked like your room but worse with notebooks a-and his desk chair broken.""Ouch. That hurts." Denki drawled, but quickly snapped out of it by the sound of his classmates shouting that Bakugou was escaping and they needed more tape.Kirishima continued, seeming to be in shock and unable to hear the chaos happening behind them. "He bit me, bro! He looked startled and I thought maybe he had a night terror or something but when I asked him what was wrong he straight up bit my arm!""He did?" Denki asked, distracted, looking back over to where his classmates were trying to restrain a still rampaging Bakugou. His angry friend was known to throw a tantrum now and then but this wasn't one of those times. Midoryia seemed to think the same thing, looking at Bakugou in confusion as he mumbled to himself like he always does. "He did. And it was a strong one too! He drew blood!" Kirishima lifted his arm to show him but Momo quickly scolded him, grabbing his arm back so she could finish bandaging it. "Hold still. I'm almost done.""I don't feel good, bro. Super unmanly." Momo and the girls stepped in at that point to assure Kirishima, telling him that he would be okay and that they already contacted Aizawa so everything would be settled soon. Denki didn't believe that. Just looking at how crazy Bakugou was acting, it felt like something big was happening. He looked back over to the rest of the class in time to see Bakugou get his arm free, he was using his quirk at anyone who got too close and on the rest of the tape that held him in place. Midoryia acted quickly, wrapping him back up with black whip to make sure he didn't hurt anyone or himself, but Denki gasped as he zeroed in on Bakugou's arm. Right before Midoryia covered it, he could see a giant irritated mark on his biceps. It looked swollen and infected. Like a wound that sat for too long without proper care and was now riddled with disease and festering as it tried to find a way out. Denki ran towards Midoriya, feeling he had to have seen it as well. He was smart after all he had to know what was happening. "His arm!" He yelled over Bakugou's struggle. "Did you see his arm!""I did," Midoryia confirmed. "It was the same place the kid bit him.""The same-- Wait, is this because of the bite?" "Hard to say. I didn't interact with the kid or ask him about his quirk but it would make sense that the two are--""--AAAHHHH!"Everyone turned at the sound of the high-pitched scream of fear. Denki felt sick, all blood rushing out of his head and into his heart as he watched Momo scream her head off as she tried to desperately get Kirishima to let go of her arm. His teeth had sunken deep into her arm, shredding it into ribbons with every pull along his shark-like teeth. His jaw was in its impenetrable mode, meaning his jaw was locked in place with no way to remove Momo's arm from his grasp. Jirou acted fast, shoving her earphone jack into Kirishima's ear and making him screech in pain, opening his mouth and giving the girls the opportunity to pull Momo away from him. Momo was a sobbing mess, clutching her useless arm while the others practically dragged her away. Others started to come closer, trying to help her or put pressure on her wound while they discussed how they should get her to Recovery Girl. Denki was panicking, taking everything in but not moving from his spot. His brain saw it all happen, replaying it in his mind yet his body wouldn't move. Not to help his friend, not to check on Kirishima. The only thing it seemed to want him to do was run. He was a hero in training though, he couldn't run in the face of danger. This was his job…kind of. He quickly turned away from the gruesome scene that was Momo's arm and instead focused back on Midoriya, hoping that he would have a plan, some words, a task, or anything that he could focus on. It seemed that Midoryia had his own problems to deal with, his concentration was broken by Momo's screams allowing Bakugou just enough room to escape. Bakugou lunged for Midoryia, probably pissed at being restrained and wanting revenge. He got hit with a swift explosion right to the freckled hero's face, sending him flying backward and into the kitchen table where Kirishima and Jirou were still battling it out. Jirou yelled out in frustration at the interference, losing the upper hand in her fight and Kirishima closing in on her fast. Sero tried to step back in to restrain Bakugou. Wrapping his outstretched hand and going for his legs next but was surprised when Bakugou suddenly yanked on his restraints, pulling Sero closer to him. Sero struggled for balance, trying to tie Bakugou up before he got too close, but Bakguou was quicker, using his explosions to minimize the space between them and then diving for the lanky teen with his whole body weight. Sero went down hard, hitting his head on the ground with a dull thud. The carpet does very little to soften the blow.He looked dazed but wasn't given time to get up, Bakugou crawled up his body and used his hands to retch Sero's head to the side so he had easy access to his neck. Sero started to panic, his arms and legs kicking like crazy as he tried to fight Bakugou off. Jirou seemed to be in a similar position, her shouts of panic coming from the other side as Kirishima drew closer. Other classmates ran to both of them, doing their jobs and trying to save their lives. Denki…ran to neither of them. He ran away. Tears in his eyes and fear in his heart he ran out of the dorms and out onto the UA campus with no goal in mind. He didn't know if Jirou was okay or if Bakugou tore out his friend's throat. All he knew was that he wanted to live and for that to happen he had to escape.Denki cursed as he shook his head at the memory knowing how hard it was to do that when it was only a few hours prior and the guilt was still eating at him. After calming down a bit he finally was able to use his brain and figured the best thing for him to do was go find Aizawa or any teacher for that matter. So he booked it towards the teacher lounge, knowing that at least two teachers stayed there at night to make sure no student went wandering around campus after hours. That's how he found himself lost amongst the confusing hallways and his not-so-friendly friends hunting him down. He doesn't know if anyone else made it out alive or how they found him but it seems like only more keep coming with every hour that passes. He cursed to himself, wondering if that was how long it took for the bit to take effect or if it was different for everyone. Bakugou took a while but he was the first and also the most stubborn.He let out a frustrated huff as he turned another corner. He wasn't good at this kind of thing and using his energy to think about it was just wasting time. He had to get to the teacher's lounge before more of them showed up.  BING             DING            TING!Denki slid to a halt, the sudden loud noise scaring him far more than he liked to admit. He stumbled as he tried to get his bearings and find where the noise was coming from. "Hello UA students!" A loud, familiar voice suddenly yelled throughout the halls. He winced at the volume but was also very relieved to hear an adult's voice. Mic was probably one of the teachers on duty tonight and was using the P.A. system to announce across the campus and into the dorms. "I'm sorry for waking most of you from your beauty sleep but for those of you that ARE up please lock your doors, close your windows, and take shelter! We're going into lockdown mode!" Denki looked at the speaker above his head in disbelief. He sounded way too chipper to be saying that. "Do not let anyone in or out of your dorms, EVEN a teacher. All entrances and exits will be locked up tight as well so no one can leave campus either. If anyone is experiencing unusual symptoms or showing signs of aggression or illness, please quarantine yourself from others and barricade your door. No one is allowed to interact with anyone that might have been infected."Denki shrunk in on himself at the list of demands, already missing the easygoing attitude. "You will receive more instructions from your teacher very shortly. In the meantime, be safe, report it if you see anything unusual, and most importantly STAY. INSIDE. Let the Pro Heros handle-- Handle this-- Shit!"Denki's eyes widened at the sound of his teacher cursing, knowing no matter how cool of a teacher he was, he would never swear in front of them. "He must be in trouble." He thought, quickly changing directions to go towards the principal office where he knew the P.A. system was. All the while Mic's voice could be heard echoing down the empty halls. "How did so many of you get out? HEY! Back up-- I said BACK UP!" Denki covered his ears, Mic's quirk being used over the microphone had it pitching and squealing in a desperate attempt to match his volume. Shuffling could be heard over the mic, grunts and groans joining in as more seemed to congregate. "Hey! Why won't you list--"A scuffle has broken out, Denki speeding up as he neared his destination. Desperate to save probably the only person left roaming around campus and the only person that could probably save him from his classmates."Augh! GRRR! STOP! YEAHHHHHHH- AHHHHHHHH!!!"Denki zoomed around the last corner just in time to hear Mic's signature move get warped into an actual scream for help. He felt his heart stop as his eyes landed on the door to the principal office, seeing not one but several students shoving and pushing each other in the hopes of getting inside where Mic was. He was probably overpowered, all those heroes in training had wedged themselves into the doorway and blocked off the one exit available. He bit his lip as he listened to the screams echo for a few more seconds before finally going silent. The sound system crackled with the sounds of growls and hiss of what could only be euphoria before becoming aggressive again. They had done what they came for. They had taken the last person Denki had hoped to save him and now he was officially alone. Denki stood their stock still as he watched the horde continue to try and force their way into the room, not even aware that their victim had already succumbed to their comrade's attack. They were mindless, truly and utterly mindless. Well, not completely. They could use their quirks and they knew where Mic was hiding even with his voice broadcasted all over the campus, so that meant they were smart as well. So that had to mean that they had thought, or at least the memories of the host they now control.  "Are they being controlled?" He thought, wondering what the quirk did to his friends and even better, how did he reverse it before something terrible happened. 
HISSSS!
Denki looked up at the noise, his body instantly locking up as he made eye contact with one of the people in the horde. It was at the back and probably assumed that it wouldn't get in and turned to find a different prey to stalk, instantly finding Denki who was standing like an idiot in the middle of the corridor. He cursed out as he watched the person fully turn, walking into the light of a nearby window and illuminating who it was. Denki's heart instantly dropped, finding Sero standing hunched over and moving disjointedly like whoever was in control didn't understand how to move his long lanky limbs around. Denki opened his mouth, wanting to say something to his friends but finding his voice lost at that moment, closing it with a soft snap as Sero came closer. He wanted to apologize for leaving him to defend himself, for being a coward and running. He wanted to ask him what was wrong with him and how he could fix it. He wanted to say so much but could do nothing but flinch as Sero let out a growl that sounded like a bear mixed with a hyena. The high-pitched squeals that interrupted the baritone of the growl almost sounded like his signature laugh. Sero always laughed loudly and unabashedly when he found something funny. It was one of the reasons why Denki wanted to be his friend because it felt good to make them laugh with their full body. Now it sounded like a warning that the hunt was about to start. Doing what he did best, Denki took that as his cue to run. He went back the way he came, sprinting around corners and trying to keep his sliding to a minimum. Every second counted, as he tried to get away. He could feel eyes never leave the back of his head even as he turned corner after corner. The cackles and gasps followed close behind making it seem they were playing a harmless game of tag but Denki felt like none of this would end harmlessly if he ever became 'it'. White tape suddenly shot past his head, making him yelp in surprise and duck as another soon joined it. He spared a glance backward, finding Sero swinging along the ceiling with ease as he smiled down at him. The laugh never stopped as he tried to pin him down with his tape. Denki didn't know if Sero was breathing, the constant shrieks sounding like an endless soundtrack that would play well past he took his last. A piece of tape grabbed at his foot, making him stubble but not fall. He jumped forward on one leg, trying to shake the tape off of him, and was lucky to find that the tape didn't actually hit any skin but only his sock. He spent no time kicking it off, allowing Sero to reel in his useless prize as he continued to run down the hall. He looked around, trying to find a place to hide but not finding anything useful. All the classrooms were closed and it would take too much time to stop and check if any were open. "Cafeteria." He thought with a huff. The big open space not only had plenty of places to hide but also food and windows that he could use to refuel and then escape. It would take him a while to get there, it being on the opposite side of campus but it was the best, and only plan he had. He turned sharply down the next corner, the shriek of rage behind him letting him know Sero was still on his tail and he did not appreciate the sock he gave him. He let out a hiss as his muscles protested against the constant running but with no place to rest in sight, he needed to keep going. "Just make it to the cafeteria and then you can rest. Just make it and then you'll be f--" Denki let out a muffled shriek as thick white tape wrapped around his torso and mouth. He struggled to get out, cursing his lack of awareness for allowing Sero to sneak up on him like that. He tried to fight the pull but his sock foot couldn't get any traction and he ended up slipping onto the floor and dragged into a dark classroom. He yelled into the tape, squirming to be let free. He panicked more as he saw the door shut behind him, wiggling with all his might to get away. The tape fell from his mouth, allowing him to take in a proper breath but was stopped by a hand before he could exile it. "You better not scream or I'm leaving you to die." A rough voice hissed at him and made him freeze in place. That was a human voice. A normal, not disjointed, animalistic voice. It was also one that he knew well. "Shmio?" Denki asked into the muffled hand, able to look up enough to see the teen standing over him. "Shh!" He said, not even looking at him as his eyes were glued to the door. "Stay quiet."Denki did as he was told, still a little shaken up, trembling as he tried to control his breathing. Muffled laughter could suddenly be heard, Shinsou ducking down and was almost on top of him as he watched the small glass window that showed them the hallway. Sero could be seen for a fraction of a second, swinging by and taking his maniacal laughter with him. They didn't move from their positions, Shinsou still held him down until the laughter was long gone and didn't seem like it was coming back. After a few more beats, Shinsou finally let out the breath he was holding, relaxing enough to sit up and remove his hand from Denki's mouth. "Shinsou?" Denki said again once he had the opportunity to, still in disbelief that he was here. "Yeah?" Shinsou asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "How did-- when did-- Why are--""--Whoa. Take it easy there. Don't want you to hurt yourself." Shinsou drawled, giving him a tired look that spoke volumes about his current mental state. "How about we get you free before we start getting into all of that.""Huh?" Denki asked, looking down and finding he was tangled in Shinsou's capture weapon instead of Sero's tape. "Oh, yeah. T-thanks."Shinsou just hummed in response pulling on the weapon until it came loose and began to wrap it around his neck again. Denki watched him do this, taking in the other's attire. The taller teen had on almost the same outfit as him, a comfy T-shirt and a pair of baggy sweats. His captured weapon covered up his neck and part of a cat pun that was printed on his shirt but he could still make out the "I'm Pawsome!" bold lettering and the grumpy cat sitting under it. Shinsou did have shoes on, just some sneakers one would wear to do errands or take a walk in but it was still leagues better than what he had going on. He was also happy to note that he didn't see any wounds or indications that he was bit."Are you going to keep staring at me or are you going to start talking?""I like your shirt" Denki blurted out, embarrassed at being caught staring and saying the first thing he thought of.Shinsou just rolled his eyes, burying his face into his scarf a bit before continuing. "Whatever I guess. Just tell me what you know.""Why do you think I know anything?" He questioned, almost feeling defensive at his accusatory tone. "Because you're a part of 1-A! Everything weird or crazy that happens here is because of your class." Hitoshi huffed, looking at him like it was obvious. To be fair to him, it was kind of true so he should have seen this coming, but Denki didn't know much about the situation to begin with. "I'm not sure." He said with a shrug. "I really wished I did."Shinsou let out a sigh, rubbing his eyes before addressing Denki again. "Just…tell me why all your classmates seem to be zombies.""Zombies?" Denki asked in shock, a little taken aback by how clinical Shinsou just diagnosed his friends. "They're not zombies!""Then what do you call them?" Shinsou asked, annoyed, pointing his finger at the door where several of his classmates lurked somewhere outside. "Because to me, they're acting like zombies.""They don't want to eat people though…just bit them…I think." Denki lost confidence the longer he talked, his voice becoming smaller under Shinsou's intense gaze and the facts that were laid out in front of him. "So they're polite zombies. Hurray." Shinsou replied, devoid of all emotions. "It's because of a quirk." Denki tried to defend himself. "Well, Midoryia thought it was because of a quirk.""Midoriya is still alive?" Shinsou asked, suddenly sounding more excited than he had been throughout the entire conversation. Denki frowned, feeling sad that Shinsou didn't seem that excited to see him but unable to get mad because he understood. "I…I don't know. I haven't seen him since…everything went down.""Oh," Shinsou said, looking disappointed but quickly moving on. "That's fine. Just tell me what he thinks is happening.""Well, Apparently last night, er this night? Earlier Bakugou came back from his work-study and was bit by a scared kid." Shinsou let out a snort, making Denki want to smile at how ridiculous it was but he didn't, knowing it was what set off the chain of events that was happening now. "Well, Bakugou was acting off after that and seemed more aggressive. It didn't seem like the kid bit hard enough to draw blood so he didn't go see Recovery Girl and everyone thought it was fine.""But let me guess, it wasn't.""Nope," Denki confirmed. "Woke up to people trying to restrain him and Kirishima yelling that he got bit. Didn't take long after that for Kirishima to turn around and bite Momo.""Shit." Shinsou said with a wince, probably imagining Kirisihma's teeth biting someone and how terrible it must have felt. Denki almost said that it was worse than he thought but he held his tongue. The image of Momo's bloody arm was engraved into his head and he didn't wish anyone to see something as gruesome as that."So it's really transmitted through the bite?" Shinsou asked, snapping Denki out of his thoughts and back to the conversation at hand."I think so. Seems like it so far."Shinsou nodded his head, looking deep in thought as he cataloged all of this new information. "Okay, good to know. This makes it a little more manageable.""How?" Denki asked, clearly confused and from what he had gone through tonight already, like a lie. "Because it means the food and water here are safe to consume and that being captured or touched by them isn't the end. Just when teeth hit the skin.""Oh," Denki said lamely, not having thought of it like that. "That makes sense."Shinsou squints at him, like he is trying to figure something out but doesn't have all the pieces of the puzzle just yet. "How have you even made it this far?""Okay, ouch," Denki said, holding up his hand to stop Shinsou from saying anything else. "That hurt my feelings."Shinsou at least had the decency to look a little embarrassed, averting his gaze and rubbing at the back of his neck awkwardly. "Sorry. That came out wrong.""And here I thought we were friends." Denki huffed, trying to stack on the guilt. It didn't work though, Shinsou already giving him a bored stare at his theatrics. "One, I never agreed to be your friend, and two, I meant how are you the only one in your class not infected? Todoroki, Midoryia, heck even Iida should be super hard to catch."Denki grimaced, his guilt coming back to rear its ugly head. "True…and they could very well be okay…somewhere. But they were all dealing with Bakugou so who knows." He shook his head, not wanting to out himself as not helping his friend when everything went down. "I think it's my quirk in all honesty. They can't touch me without getting zapped."Shinsou perked up at this, finally looking at Denki as if he had said something worthwhile. "Really?" Denki just nodded his head in confirmation. "That's good. I tried to use mine, but they already knew my quirk somehow. For all their screaming, they shut up real quick when I'm around.""Makes sense. 1A is aware of your quirk after all.""That actually makes no sense. They're zombies.""...Smart zombies."Shinsou rolled his eyes at him looking a little annoyed at his answer but before Denki could explain why he thought that a terrible loud screech could be heard. They both run to clamp their hands over their ears, the high-pitched noise ringing loudly even with them on. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Mic was now one of them and had zero control over his volume. "Shit," Shinsou yelled, getting up to look out the door. "We got to move.""Move where?" Denki asked in a panic, hearing multiple other screechings echo back as if they were answering his call."I-I don't know." Shinsou answered truthfully, looking just as confused as Denki. He quickly ducked away from the door, Sero having swung by once again. His cackles added to the sympathy of noises and rattling Denki's bones."W-Where Aizawa?" Denki asked Shinsou in desperation and got a curt answerback."On Patrol."Denki squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. "Seriously?""Hey, don't blame me!" Shinsou hissed back, still checking the hallway to see if any more classmates came running by. "Are there any other adults here?! Maybe hiding in the teacher's lounge?""Shinsou shook his head again. I think all teachers are defending their homerooms right now.""Oh come on! What about us? We need defending too!""Will you keep your voice down?" Shinsou hissed, his body tense as he looked from Denki to the door.Denki clamped his mouth shut again, turning away from Shinsou in fear that seeing his watery eyes would make him yell again. "S-sorry. This is just…a lot for me."Shinsou didn't say anything for a moment, seeming to also need a moment to collect himself before letting out a sigh. "I get it. We never really trained for…this. But we have to keep a level head if we want to make it out of this alive. You got that?"Denki nodded his head enthusiastically. "Loud and clear. I'm-- I'll try to do my best."Shinsou let out a grunt in understanding, moving away from the door to talk more quietly to him. "Okay, then what should we do? We can't go to the 1-B dorms because they're in lockdown mode and we can't leave campus because all the doors are also locked up tight.""I could try and short-circuit the door." Denki offered and got a firm head shake from Shinsou. "Though I would love to get out of here, I think the problem is self-contained right now to UA. I don't want to accidentally unleash a bunch of zombies onto unsuspecting civilians.""Oh. That's true." Denki agreed easily. "What about contacting others for help? We could bring the Pros here."Shinsou hummed in thought, weighing out the idea in his head before giving Denki a nod in approval. "That might not be a bad idea. Mic said he was going to contact the nearby agencies but I don't know if he got around to it before…uh yeah."Denki frowned as Shinsou stumbled over his thoughts. The mind-control user looked distressed at the thought of Mic becoming one of them. As if to put salt in the wound, another glass-shattering cry rang out around the school. Both of them flinched and cowered at the noise."We've stood around here for too long," Shinsou said through gritted teeth. "We need to move. Now!""But where?" Denki asked again. "Do you have your phone o-or know where one is?"Shinsou cursed as he patted his pockets but found nothing in them. "I left it in the teacher's lounge.""So we're going to the teacher's lounge?" Denki asked and got a firm nod as his answer before Shinsou was once again by the door. He waited until the scream was done, waiting for the returning calls to die down as well before waving Denki to follow as he slipped out the door and down the hall. Denki followed quickly after him, not wanting to be left behind. His head was on a swivel, looking at every dark corner and every doorway like it could be hiding some kind of monster within them. He shuddered at the thought, suddenly wishing he was a kid again who believed his comforter could protect him from all monsters as long as it covered his entire body. They moved in relative silence with Shinsou taking the lead. He didn't know how a school that looked so bland during school hours could look so menacing at night with only the giant windows to filter any light into the dark long hallways. He swore he saw a shadow move, between a pillar of light. Like a snake climbing up a tree to join its brethren in hiding in the foliage. Denki let out a whimper, fear taking hold and needing to distract himself before he started panicking.  He decided to focus on Shinsou and how calm and collected he appeared to be. Looking everywhere to ensure the coast was clear while always moving forward at a steady pace. Denki couldn't help but admire Shinsou and his bravery at that moment. He always said and knew Shinsou was hero material but this was proving it on another level. He smiled at the thought of the joint training exercise they did a while back. He was so admitted in getting him to say they were friends, or at the least allow them to be friends. He hasn't gotten a verbal answer to that just yet, but he knew deep down that Shinsou liked his company.  "I hope he likes my company. He's kind of stuck with me now." He winced as the thought drifted into his mind, making him feel self-conscious again. Shinsou was sometimes hard to read, but overall he thinks the other teen is happy that he's with him. He would have left me to fend for myself if he didn't think I could be useful."   Denki shook his head to wave away the thought. Not liking to think of himself as either useful or not. However, it's hard not to when they are literally trained to see their faults and what tasks as a hero aren't suited for them or their quirk. He furrowed his brow in frustration, not wanting to think like this when he had someone relying on him to have their back. "We're a team now! I'm not just running around blind anymore. I want to prove myself to Shinsou." You want to prove yourself in more ways than one." A voice whispered back and made him blush. He snuck another glance up at Shinsou, finding him still diligently leading the way. He looked back down quickly, not wanting to draw attention to himself and his feelings. He can admit that he has grown a lot fonder of Shinsou than he first meant to. Some might even say he had a crush on the taller teen, but he could never say it out loud. Not only because it was embarrassing, but because Shinsou wasn't in the market for friends so why would he want something more? Denki would be stupid to try and push their already fragile friendship with his terrible flirting and jokes. He had to ease Shinsou into that stuff and then confess how he felt once the other was comfortable. Eventually, whenever that is.Denki was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Shinsou had stopped walking, almost running into his back before catching himself. "Shin--""Sh!" Shinsou whispered, cutting him off before he could ask his question. "We're being followed."Denki froze at those words, tensing up and looking around like whatever was following them would appear out of thin air, but nothing did. His breathing became more haggard, his body ready to either scream or run depending on what the situation called for. He looked back up at Shinsou, wondering if he saw something that he was missing but Shinsou hadn't moved. Standing like a statue as he stayed silent to listen. He was the epitome of composed and fearless as his eyes narrowed in concentration. He could stand here and admire Shinsou all day if he could.  Thinking he saw something, Denki flicked his eyes above Shinsou's head, looking at the dark ceiling above. The shadows were thick above the hanging lights, the windows too low to hit the spot and create a void above them. "Wait, that can't be right." He thought to himself, noting the difference between the space right about his head and Shinsous. His eyes widen as the realization dawns on him. "The shadow wasn't natural." "Shinsou," Denki whispered, his eyes never leaving the black spot. He wanted to run, to even just take a step back but he couldn't. Not with Shinsou still in danger. "S-Shinsou?""Shh!" Shinsou whispered back, his eyes still glued to the end of the hallway. "I'm trying to listen."Denki watched as the darkness shifted, forming more of a shape and yet still looking like nothing at the same time. "Shinsou please!""What?" He finally snapped, only sparing him a glance. Denki choked on his next breath, watching as glowing eyes suddenly opened up within the darkness. They did nothing to illuminate the void around them but it allowed Denki to see how they were locked onto Shinsou. Denki sputtered, trying to speak, trying to do anything but nothing seemed to be working. Shinsou looked over at him again, concern finally showing on his face but he wasn't looking in the right place. He was looking at Denki and not where the shadow was seconds away from devouring him. It all seemed to happen at once. The shadow leaped off the ceiling and plummeted down towards Shinsou with its jaws wide at the same time Denki was finally able to get his voice to work. A loud "Duck!" was violently torn from his throat. Shinsou luckily didn't hesitate, the moment the words were out of his mouth the young adult moved, ducking down and rolling to stand beside him. The dark shadow let out what sounded like a caw of frustration, hovering in the air where Shinsou's head used to be and glaring at them with hatred in his eyes. "Dark Shadow?" Shinsou sputtered, finally able to see the dark creature for what it really was, watching it rise and almost disappear to blend back into the darkness. "Y-yeah." Denki stuttered out, his hand instantly grabbing Shinsou's arm for support. "That's them.""Then where's Tokoyami?" He asked back seriously, his eyes never leaving where the blackbird seemed to crawl across the ceiling. "If I had to guess…I would say he's in them." Shinsou whipped his head around to stare at Denki in pure shock. "What the fuck did you just say?"Denki sputtered, the baffled tone making him question himself. "I-I don't know for sure but they have this move, right? He and Dark Shadow merge to fight as one a-and so he can fly."Shinsou just looked at him like he was crazy. "Why is your entire class insane?"Denki let out a strangled noise, hoping to convey that he didn't know the answer but was interrupted by Tokoyami and Dark Shadow dropping down again and flying directly toward them. Denki let out a shout as he watched two pairs of jaws open up to try and bite them. They truly looked monstrous at that moment, sharp, jagged shadows lining Tokoyami's razor-sharp beak, ready to sink in and never let go. He felt a hard shove at his shoulder making him stumble away and just barely dodging the attack coming right for him. "What are you doing?" Shinsou yelled at him. "This is no time to sacrifice yourself! Move!"Denki didn't have to be told twice, immediately putting his ass in gear and running for his life. He wasn't able to get far, Tokoyami being faster than him with his ability to fly and maneuver over them. Denki let out a shout as he tried to put on the brakes, his feet sliding a little before he could start back peddling. Dark Shadow and Tokoyami's voices seemed to have melded as one. The scratcher voice added an echo-like effect to Tokoyami's bird-like screech and made Denki flinch at the volume. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Shinsou taunted, marching up to them with his capture weapon at the ready. Interestingly enough, Tokoyami didn't say anything. His beak closed and his glowing eyes stared threateningly at Shinsou. His quirk really didn't work on them or rather, they knew not to answer to him. Shinsou cursed, backing up as Tokoyami seemed to only smile. He seemed to take the extra space as an invitation, suddenly shuddering and bending in ways that looked painful. Denki could only watch in horror as his friend seemed to morph, the shadows that covered him growing, snapping, and bending in ways that should be impossible. Tokoyami let out a scream as his face became free from Dark Shadow only to come back together to scream as one. He felt sick, watching as what looked like giant claws came out of his back and posed over top of them like daggers ready to fall at any time. He took up the entire hallways, his body creating a wall of darkness they couldn't see through."This also a new move?" Shinsou asked, his voice pitched in horror."No," Denki said, swallowing down the bile that threatened to come up. "This is what happens when he loses control."It sounded like Shinsou let out a curse but he was cut off by a powerful roar, wind whipping at their faces by how strong it was. Tokoyami didn't even wait for them to register what was happening before he brought down his claws with enough force to break the floor. Both Denki and Shinsou stepped back, avoiding the deadly strike and enraging the mass of darkness even more. "Run!" Shinsou yelled at him, turning and high-tailing it back the way they came. Denki didn't need to be told twice, sprinting after him like his life depended on it. And in this situation it kind of did. Thundering steps gave chase after them, Tokoyami using his claws to drag the wall of darkness with him and create a barrier that would surely kill them if they were to be caught. The claws came down with power, shaking the ground and sending dread down Denki's spine. They can't run forever. Not from a monster that is fueled by the night."What's the plan?!" Denki yelled at Shinsou, stumbling as he slipped on some loose paper on the ground. "Does it look like I have a plan?" Shinsou yelled back, jumping over a pushed-over garbage can effortlessly. "Then what are we supposed to do!" Denki yelled back, anxiety filling his voice and making it crack at the end of his sentence in desperation."I don't know!" Shinsou yelled back, sounding annoyed but Denki could see the panic in his eyes as well. "Shit! I already tried my quirk." He yelled back, taking a sharp turn around the corner. Denki lagged a little behind, having to take a wider turn to keep himself from running into Hitoshi. "Now it's your turn!""My turn?!" Denki asked in disbelief. "You want me to stop that thing?""I don't think we have a lot of other options."Denki cursed, seeing that he had a point but was it worth stopping and fighting that thing? He'd heard of Tokoyami turning into something like this before, back at the training camp, but he never fought him in this form. Would his quirk even work while he was like this? He knew that Dark Shadow was sensitive to light and it was one of the reasons Tokoyami proclaimed that he was one of the biggest threats against him during training, but this was a completely different level than training. Dark Shadow had the upper hand in this fight and didn't seem scared of Denki at all like it was Shinsou. Plus, he didn't want to become a burden by accidentally using too much. Shinsou would be a sitting duck out here if he went stupid.  "He'll probably just leave me." He thought bitterly but knew it was the truth. "Ah!" Denki snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Shinsou, turning to see that the other had fallen. "Shinsou!""Shit! Something's got my leg!"Denki watched as he flailed around, trying to free his leg but seeing nothing on it. He looked at Shinsou and then back towards where Tokoyami was gaining on them. "Shinsou! Please!""I'm trying!" He gritted out, trying to pull his leg away and stand but getting pulled right back to where he fell. He kicked at his leg, seeming to be aiming at his ankle and getting a screech of pain for his efforts. Suddenly a long tongue materialized around Shinsou's ankle. Denki followed it up, noting an irritated red bite mark before finally getting to Tsu. The bite was clean but deep, blood oozing out of the wound. With all the fighting she was doing it probably didn't have time to close properly. "Ew! Someone bit Tsu on the tongue!""Not the Time Denki!" Shinsou yelled at him, a roar from Tokoyami seeming to agree with him. Denki looked up, seeing that Tokoyami was now only a few feet away and coming at them fast. Tsu didn't seem bothered by the giant shadow coming closer. She almost seemed pleased with herself, holding Shinsou in place so that he could get caught. "Are they working together?" Denki didn't have time to think about that now, with Shinsou struggling and the closely impending doom taking up all the space in his head. He looked at Shinsou and then back at Tokoyami, biting his lip in thought. They didn't have any other option at this point and if Tsu wasn't in the mood to attack right now then he didn't need to be standing uselessly by Shinsou when he could be taking care of the bigger threat. He closed his eyes, letting out a grunt in frustration as he tried to hype himself up for what was most likely going to be his last moments alive. "For Shinsou!" He thought before standing up and running to meet Tokoyami.He thought he heard Shinsou yell his name but he ignored it for now, electricity crackling in his ear and raw energy coursing through his veins as he summoned it to the surface. Tokoyami didn't slow down, only seemed more pleased to have his next meal come towards him, raising his massive clawed hand as high as the ceilings allowed to come down right on top of him. "Now!" Denki thought, letting loose as much electricity as he could without losing all control of it, trying to push it out of his body but not releasing it so that he didn't hurt Shinsou. He was essentially acting as a giant tesla coil. Letting sparks and random strikes of electricity fall off his body but not letting it all flow out. It hurt to keep all that energy in, his body screaming at him to release it and let it ground but he held firm, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt Shinsou in the process of trying to save him. He burned bright, flickers of lighting flashing around and illuminating the hall for milliseconds at a time. Denki knew his whole body was also glowing, the energy within him always turning him into somewhat of a beacon. He held still, focusing on not letting the energy out but making it as bright and visible as possible, hoping it was enough. He had closed his eyes at some point, whether it was out of fear or to help concentrate was anyone's guest. A screech in pain made him snap his eyes back open, looking straight up into Tokoyami and Dark Shadow's glowing eyes and how they seemed to wither in pain. "It's working." He thought in astonishment, looking at how their clawed hand was stuck in the air, immobilized by the light. He took a cautious step forward, The shadow shrinking into itself to get away. Denki got bolder with every flinch and noise that left his classmate's mouth, marching with purpose toward him with his hand stretched out. If he was able to touch skin he could knock Tokoyami out for good. Tokoyami seemed to know that as well, avoiding his touch like the plague, almost making it seem like DENKI was the monster that was ready to chase him down and take a bite out of him. Eventually, Denki got too close, Tokoyami letting out a roar in agony as his shadows dissipated. He was more or less back to his regular size and was taking the opportunity to flee the scene. The dark shadow heading for the ceiling and slinking away into the darkness.    Denki didn't let out the breath he was holding until he could no longer distinguish Dark Shadow from the rest of the shadows. Letting his quirk ease away and leaving him with nothing but a tingling sensation across his skin. He felt tired, the late hour, lack of sleep, and excess quirk usage catching up to him. He heard a grunt behind him, reminding him that he wasn't alone in this. Exhaustion forgotten for the moment, Denki turned around, running back to Shinsou to help him. It seemed that Tsu changed tactics once she realized Tokoyami wasn't going to be around to take care of them. She was pulling Shinsou towards her, her mouth ready to bite as soon as his leg was in range. Shinsou wasn't going down without a fight though, using his capture weapon to make an anchor on a locker door while using his leg to try and kick Tsu in the face. Denki felt a little bad for the girl, knowing those kicks would definitely leave a bruise if not a broken nose if one hit its target. Wanting to save his friend from that he quickly walked up to her, his quirk at the ready to stun her enough to let Shinsou go. Though that didn't seem to be necessary, Tsu had seen him coming and let go before he could get too close. She let out a gurgle-like noise, probably due to her tongue affecting her ability to speak before throwing poison at them. Denki quickly dodged, knowing that her poison could paralyze a person for enough time to take a bite out of them. Shinsou was also aware of this tactic, having seen it during their joint training. He untied himself from his anchor and was back to his feet in no time, dodging attacks like a pro. He wanted to ask what their next move should be but Shinsou was already way ahead of him, ducking under the next round of poison and throwing his capture scarf to wrap around and secure Tsu. The girl struggled a bit, whipping out her tongue in a counter-attack but Shinsou dodged that as well. Leaping up to avoid it and coming down with force so he could trap the tongue under his foot. Tsu let out a yowl in pain, reeling her tongue back to the safety of her mouth. Shinsou used the distraction to pull Tsu down from her advantage point and onto the ground, kicking her as she fell so that she was shoved into an open locker. Shinsou wasted no time to unravel her from his scarf and then closed the door on her, trapping her in the locker. "Wow." Denki breathed out in relief and a little bit of awe. "That was amazing."Shinsou looked over at him before quickly looking away and shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "It was nothing. I'm just lucky I got to see her fight before so I knew some of her moves.""Don't say that." Denki gushed, always willing to hype the hero hopeful up. "You took care of her in seconds! And you shoved her into that locker like a pro! Were you a bully in another life?"Shinsou snorted at the question. "I bullied your class, didn't I?"Denki thought it over for a bit before shaking his head. "Nah, that was earned criticism."Shinsou rolled his eyes at that but didn't argue his assessment any further. "Whatever, I wouldn't have been able to take care of her if you didn't handle Tokoyami so…thanks for that."Denki's eyes widened in disbelief not sure he was hearing the other correctly. "Me? I didn't do anything special."Now it was Shinsou's turn to look at him in disbelief. "You literally got him to run away. You are the sole reason I'm still not one of them right now.""That's not true!" Denki tried to argue. "You're really smart so I know you would have figured it out. And besides, I should have done it when you told me to, not when Tsu had you trapped.""You still saved me. It still worked out in the end." Shinsou said with a little more finality in his voice but Denki still didn't feel like he deserved the praise. He hesitated because of fear and things could have gone a lot worse if he didn't just face his fears and do what Shinsou told him to do. It looked like Shinsou wanted to say something else, but the sudden sound of pounding against metal and shaking from the locker door stopped him from continuing that thought. "Let's get out of here." He said instead, leading the way back towards the teacher lounge, Denki quickly following after him. Tsu, frustrated screams could be heard as they walked down the hall. The desperation to bite them was easily heard in her wails. Denki shivered at the noise, hoping that it never came down to that.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

They make it to the teacher's lounge without much issue after that, only having to duck behind corners or into classrooms a few times to escape being detected by some 1-A students. Denki's heart dropped with every new face he saw, feeling responsible even though he didn't see some of them in the common room when everything went down. "They were probably still asleep and I didn't have the courtesy to wake them up and get them out of there."

Denki stewed in remorse and shortcomings as Shinsou led the way, slipping into the room without a sound. When they slowly closed the door they both let out sighs of relief, letting their heart rates settle and their muscles relax at finally feeling relatively safe. Denki looked up at Hitoshi, a part of him just needing to do an extra sweep to make sure Tsu didn't hit him or he somehow got hurt when he wasn't looking. 
 
"What?" Shinsou asked, having noticed obvious staring. Denki blushed, looking away as he silently cursed to himself. He swore he was usually more subtle in his glances but the fatigue was making him sloppy.

"Nothing." He said finally, looking up to see that Shinsou wasn't buying. "I'm just really happy that I ran into you, you know?" He finally admitted; the silent room and his piercing stare making spew words out of his mouth. "If anyone were going to survive this it would be you."

Shinsou looked away this time, shoving his face into his capture cloth and walking towards the couch against the far wall. "I thought we already talked about this. Don't sell yourself short."

Denki shrugged, still not really believing him but not wanting to miss an opportunity to praise the other student. "I'm not. I'm just happy that you're here with me."

Shinsou ducked lower into his scarf, looking like he didn't have a neck anymore as he ignored Denki in favor of throwing pillows and a blanket off the couch. He wasn't annoyed at being ignored, clearly able to see that he made the other flustered with his compliments. It made his heart flutter a little at the sight, always taking pride in making the usually stoic student seem more like their age. "I wonder if he ever gets flustered thinking about me?"

"Where is…here!" Shinsou mumbled before springing into action, lifting up a phone from between the cushions in relief. His smile quickly turned into a frown as he dropped the phone on the table with a small thud. "It's dead."

"That shouldn't be a problem if you have a charging cable around here."  Denki finally said, shoving his previous thoughts aside so that he could help Shinsou.

"I didn't bring one down here," Shinsou admitted with a sigh. "I didn't think I was going to be down here for so long."

"What were you doing down here?" Denki asked next, remembering Shinsou saying that he was in the teacher's lounge when everything started to go down, but never questioning why the student was there in the first place.

"I couldn't sleep. Went to go talk to Aizawa about a training thing but he wasn't here."

"Was Mic here?" He asked next, finally looking around the space. It was pretty dark with only the small window of the door letting light in, but he could still manage to make out shapes and objects. He slowly walked around the long table in the middle where teachers ate their lunches and seemed to have dedicated areas for their stuff. He saw Vlad King's desk looking neat and proper next to Midnight's section which was covered in whips and floggers. He blushed at that, quickly moving on to Aizawa's and Mic's area, finding Eeraserhead's area was bare compared to Mic's cluttered spot. His signature jacket is still hanging off his chair.

"Yeah." Shinsou continued as he looked at his phone in disappointment. "We talked for a bit and then his phone started blowing up from Nezu saying there was a security breach and your class was running rampant across campus."

"Oh." Denki said, not having much else to say.

Shinsou continued, not bothered by his lack of a real answer. "Nezu went with some other teachers to make sure the rest of the dorms went into lockdown mode. They thought it was a villain attack at first."

"Same."

"Anyway. Mic stayed behind because I was there and after getting some… disturbing calls later about how your class was not in the right mind, he went to announce to everyone on campus that it was a code red."

Denki scrunched up his nose. "We have a protocol for zombies?"

Shinsou gave him a deadpan stare. "No. We have a protocol when an unknown force is threatening the students."

"Oh, that makes sense."

Shinsou sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he waved Denki off. "Anyway, you know the rest of the story."

"Yeah, gotcha." The conversation came to a lull after that, both of them at a loss as to what they should do next. They made it to their destination but if Shinsou's phone was dead then they had nothing to work with.

"Can we call someone with the landline?" Denki asked, pointing to the phone secured by the door, and got a shrug in reply.

"Only if you know the extension number to whoever you're trying to call."

"Right. Yeah. Extension numbers."

Shinsou snorted but didn't comment on his lame answer, instead shuffling around the room and going through all the drawers. "There has to be a confiscated phone or charger around here somewhere."

Denki helped him search, happy with having a task to distract himself but was slowly losing hope as nothing was turning up. He even looked UNDER all the whips on Midnight's desk and found nothing. "You got anything?" Denki asked after a while of searching.

"If I did I would have told you already." Shinsou huffed, looking in a cabinet and getting frustrated when he only saw piles of paper. "This isn't getting us anywhere. Can't you charge my phone without a cord?"

"Not unless you want to risk it getting overcharged and exploding." Denki countered before shrinking into himself, knowing that it wasn't the answer Shinsou wanted to hear. "Sorry."

"Not your fault." Shinsou sighed, closing the door to the cabinet in defeat. "There has to be a phone somewhere around here."

"We could go back to my dorm. I know I left my phone charging." Denki suggested and got a firm head shake.

"That's too far. Plus, I'm not risking going into the nest of these things."

"They aren't things!" Denki yelled. "They're our friends and classmates!"

"Kaminari." Shinsou drawled, looking at him like a disappointed parent.

"I-I know they aren't themselves right now and they're acting kind of like monsters -I've definitely thought that myself- but they aren't! They are my friends."

"Friends that want to eat you." Shinsou countered.

"B-But not forever!" Denki tried to argue. "We'll figure out what's wrong and then fix them. I know we will!"

"Sure. I would love to do that." Shinsou stated calmly. "But if it's between them and me, I'm going to pick me every time."

"W-What does that mean?" Denki asked, already knowing the answer but not wanting to believe that Shinsou would do something like that.

Shinsou sighed, not taking any joy from this conversation. "What I mean is that if I have to hurt one of them, or even kill someone to make sure I stay alive I'm going to do it. I've come too far to die now."

"They're your friends." Denki whispered, feeling tears well up in his eyes at the idea of hurting his friends. Sure he will defend himself when necessary but he could never kill one of them.

"Yeah, well…right now they're a threat to my life."

Denki bit his lip, looking down so he didn't have to look at the resolve on Shinsou's face. Deep down he knew the other was right. He didn't want to die or become one of them, but he also couldn't bring himself to kill one of his classmates either. He was trying to be a hero after all. Heroes don't kill. "Not like you're acting like much of a hero anyway."

That thought hurt to hear but the truth it held was hard to ignore. He was scared and unable to take the big risks like Shinsou was. He was able to push his feelings aside to get the job done while Denki only froze in indecision. Denki could never put his thoughts aside and just act. He was nothing but emotions. His emotions controlled his every move even when he wished it didn't. He can't change that about himself now, just lives with the knowledge that he will never be as good as his classmates or mentors because he didn't have the natural hero instinct to move first.

He looked back down at Mic's jacket, giving it a silent apology for not being able to live up to his idol. He died in action to make sure everyone else was safe and aware of the situation. What did Denki do? He ran. Ran like a coward, away from everyone that needed his help. Heck, he could have at least run to his room to pick up his phone so that he could stay connected to everyone but he didn't even think. Just left bare feet and all.

"Running without taking my phone." He thought, staring at Mic's jacket a little harder. It was rare to see his teacher without it on, rare for him to leave it behind. He must have been in a hurry to make the announcement. "So busy that he left his phone as well?"

Denki dove for the pockets at the thought, praying to All Might that he had forgotten to take his cell phone with him. He checked the outside pockets before searching the inside for some hidden ones. Leather jackets always had a hidden one somewhere, his own hero costume having on after all. Not finding it, Denki grabbed the jacket to turn it upside down, shaking it until he heard a clatter on the ground.

Denki froze at the sound watching the phone slide across the ground and at Hitoshi's waiting feet. They both stared at it for a moment longer before Hitoshi let out a relieved sigh. He grabbed the phone and lightly tapped it, watching as it lit up. It still had power. Denki scrambled over to stand next to Shinsou only able to catch a glimpse of the lock screen that featured Aizawa passed out with cats sitting on top of him before the phone asked for the password.

Denki cursed, knowing in a million years he wouldn't be able to get it right no matter how much he thought he and Mic were on the same wavelength. Shinsou didn't seem to hold the same concerns, typing in the code with confidence and getting into it without issue.

"How did you know the code?" He asked, looking up at Shinsou and then back down at the phone to make sure he actually did enter it correctly.

"Uh, well." Shinsou started to say, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to get his thoughts in order. "You see--"

Bzzzzt! Bzzzzt! Bzzzzt!

They both flinched at the sound of the phone going off. Even with the phone on vibrate, it was too loud in the quiet space. Shinsou quickly checked the phone and saw Aizawa's picture lighting up the screen. He didn't hesitate to answer it, putting it on speaker so they both could hear.

"Hello?"

"Thank All Might you picked up." Aizawa's angry voice filled the space and Denki instantly felt comforted hearing it. "I got the alert. What the fuck is going on?"

"You curse?" Denki blurted out, so stunned by his teacher's casual drop of the f-bomb that he couldn't help but point it out.

There was a pause on the other side of the line. Aizawa probably looking at the phone with the same expression Shinsou was giving him now. "And who am I speaking to?" Aizawa finally asked.

"Denki."

"Wonderful."

"And Hitoshi." Shinsou cut in, pulling the phone closer to him so he could control the conversation. "We are hiding in the teacher lounge actually about to call you. Mic was…he isn't available at the moment and no one has informed us if outside help is coming due to the lockdown."

"And the rest of the problem children?" Aizawa asked next, not even questioning Shinsou's fumble and taking everything at face value.

"The reason we're in lockdown."

"Why did I even ask?" Aizawa huffed, the sound of wind muffling his words. "Look, I'm on my way back. Just stay put and I'll get with the other teachers to help stop the villains."

"It's not a villain attack," Denki yelled into the phone, unsure why he felt the need to correct his teacher but he didn't want him coming here unprepared. "Not a normal one at least."

"Explain." Aizawa demanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.

So, they did. Hitoshi takes the phone and tells him about the teachers and his side of the story before allowing Denki to rant about what he saw in the dorms and the story he heard from Todoroki about Bakugo being bitten.

Aizawa stopped him with a curse, letting out a grunt, and then the sound of wind was back crackling through the speaker. "I'm going to Endeavors then. Hopefully, they have a detailed account and they can help track down the kid whose quirk started this."

"Do you think it can be reversed?" Denki asked hopefully and got a pragmatic answer in return.

"I won't know until I track down the kid, but just in case don't kill any of your classmates or facility members unless absolutely necessary."

"Right." Shinsou answered for them, already on the same page about that issue. It was honestly scary how similarly they thought.

"Do you know any of the symptoms of the student's conditions? Anything that seems important to help identify whose quirk it is?" Aizawa asked next.

"They act like zombies," Shinsou answered back quickly. "They can't speak --only yell-- and they don't really feel pain. Some of them have injuries or been hit pretty hard but won't go down as easily as a normal human should."

"Understood."

"They're smart though." Denki piped up next. "They know not to answer to Shinsou when he speaks."

Shinsou glared at him for mentioning his quirk, quickly trying to cover it up with another fact. "All they want to do is bite people who aren't infected. It's pretty gruesome to see if they do end up sinking their teeth in."

"It's because they have to break skin for it to work, right?" Shinsou looked at Denki, opening his mouth to say something but having nothing come out.

"Why do you say that," Aizawa asked through the phone. Denki blushed in embarrassment realizing he didn't have hard proof more so than a quick observation. "J-just from what I saw, you know. Bakugou was the first to get bit but he didn't go to Recovery because it wasn't bleeding or didn't look like it, but when he bit Kirishima he broke skin. Same when Kirishima turned on Momo. He shredded her arm." Denki shook his head, not wanting to think about it. "A-anyway, all other students I've seen have had a bite that has bled at least a little bit so that has to mean that is one of the requirements, right." He looked at Shinsou for reassurance but only got a shrug in reply, clearly not seeing the pattern or thinking it mattered that much.

"It's possible," Aizawa said slowly. "The infection has to spread somehow." Denki blushed harder, feeling like that was an obvious thing to note when his teacher said it like that.

"Anything else?"

Denki wanted to keep his mouth shut, not wanting to sound stupid again but Shinsou was looking at him expectantly so he felt compelled to keep going. "I think they're smart."

"You already said that." Aizawa spoke up, not in a discouraging way but in a way that hoped he would elaborate more.

"Well, not only because they-- because of the-- When Mic made an announcement they all went to the principal office. Even though his voice was broadcast around the school they still knew where to find him."

"I see."

"A-and when we fought Tokoyami and Tsu. She didn't even really attack until AFTER Tokoyami left. She only held Shinsou in place. It was like they were working together or something."

"You think they still have their memories or something?" Shinsou asked curiously, looking at Denki in interest.

"I-I don't know what that means if I'm being honest…But it has to mean that under all that…zombie stuff they're still there, right?"

"Anything is possible at this point." Aizawa cut in. "At the very least it gives me more detail to work with when we try to find this kid."

"How long do you think that will take?" Shinsou asked, clutching the phone a little tighter.

"Not sure," Aizawa admitted. "I'll get a team working on it right away and if it takes longer than sunrise then I'll leave and come back to check on all of you."

"We have to make it tell sunrise?!" Denki complained looking at the phone in exasperation. "That's hours away!"

"You'll be fine." Aizawa drawled out not even trying to soothe him. "Just stick together and stay out of sight. Don't take on unnecessary fights and sta-- SHIT!"

They both flinched at Aizawa's change of tone, quickly yelling at them with more fear than he had shown throughout the entire conversation so far. "Shinsou! Where is Eri?"

"Eri? She should be asl--" Shinsou's eyes widened suddenly also aware of what was happening. "Shit! He yelled, turning towards the couch he threw apart like she would suddenly be standing there. "I-I don't know. I didn't see her when I checked before coming here. I figured she was already down here with Mic."

"She's not in the teacher's quarters!?" Aizawa yelled, making Shinsou more flustered.

"She had a nightmare or something I don't know! You know she doesn't like being left alone so if Mic was here, she has to be somewhere close by. M-Maybe she went to the bathroom."

Aizawa let out an exhausted sigh, one that held years of grief in it. "Okay, just find her and make sure she's safe."

"Will do." Shinsou instantly promised, already ready to hang up and start searching.

"You also stay safe. I'll try to be fast. I promise." Aizawa warned right before he could hit the end call button.

"Right. See you soon."

"Bye!" Denki shouted, feeling a little left out of the conversation.

Shinsou hung up the phone and shoved it into his pocket. He let out a frustrated huff as he rubbed his eyes. Denki watched him, having several questions but feeling hesitant to break the silence. "We need to find her." Shinsou suddenly yelled to the room.

"Easy. We can do that." He tried to reassure him and got a glare in return.

"You sure? Because We've been running through this place for a while and haven't even caught a glimpse of her."

"Well, we haven't been really looking into the bathrooms, right? She's probably still hiding there after Mic announced the lockdown."

Hitoshi cursed, grabbing at his hair as he began to pace the room. "How could I have been so stupid!"

"H-hey! This isn't your fault."

"Yes, it is!" Shinsou yelled back, making Denki flinch at the volume. "It's my responsibility to look after her! And now she's out there with…those things and it's all because of me!"

"But you heard Aizawa! They'll probably be okay!" Denki tried again, walking towards Shinsou with his hands up to show he meant no harm and just wanted to comfort him. "The class will be turned back so that means that even if Eri got caught she--"

"Don't say that! Don't you dare say that!" Shinsou hissed at him, freezing Denki in place. "She'll be torn to shreds if she-- Eri was my responsibility and I can't fail her. I refuse!"

"I-I know. I didn't mean." Denki tripped over his words, trying to figure out how to redirect all this anger away from him. "We'll find her. I'm sure of it."

Shinsou scoffed. "Wouldn't need to if I had just stopped to think."

"Don't say that." Denki urged. "You're an amazing hero and with how fast things got out of hand I don't think you can really blame yourself. I mean, I'm happy that you found me when you did! You saved my life and I know you'll save hers! So…don't be too hard on yourself, okay?"

Shinsou looked at him, looking like he wanted to argue but instead let out a big sigh, letting all his anger out with it. "You're right, sorry. I didn't mean to raise my voice, it's just…She's really important to me and I can't let her down."

"I know. I get it." Denki reassured him. "I understand the feeling of wanting to help a friend in need no matter what."

"No. That's not quite it." Shinsou started to explain. "You see, Eri is--"

Click

Shinsou shut his mouth with a snap, Denki's eyes widening at the noise. He turned to the door, scared to find one of his dear friends foaming at the mouth and ready to attack but found nothing of the sort. The door was closed, and the room was still. Denki felt chills run up his spine.

"You…you heard that, right?" He whispered to Shinsou, slowly moving away from the door.

"I did." Shinsou confirmed, moving back with him, his arm extended out so that he would know where Denki was the entire time.

They continued to slowly maneuver around the table until they were at the far end, their eyes never leaving the undisturbed door. Denki could hear the blood rushing to his ears, his eyes tracking the room and then Shinsou, looking for anything that could have made that noise. A small part of him wanted to laugh, the fear he'd been feeling contorting into hysteria as the sound of the door now caused him to shrink in fear.

"Shinsou?" Denki whispered again, wanting to reach out and take his hand desperately as the need for comfort started to overwhelm him.

"Shh." Shinsou said back, still scooting back and forcing Denki to follow along unless he wanted them to run into each other. "Did you see that?"

"See what?" Denki hissed back, looking around the room but finding nothing different.

"The papers on the corkboard," Shinsou said, gesturing with his head to the board on the far end of the room. "I saw them move."

"What?" Denki asked, staring at the papers in hopes of understanding what was so important about it but finding nothing out of the ordinary. They weren't even moving anymore.

"They fluttered." Shinsou clarified, taking another step back and bumping into Denki this time. "Like someone walked by."

"That doesn't make any sense. We're the only two in here." Denki tried to argue, wanting it to be true even though his fight and flight was still very much keeping him alert for any nearby danger.

"It's what I saw, okay? And I don't want to be anywhere near it until I understand what's happening." Shinsou snapped back

Shinsou emphasized his point by taking another step back, Denki stumbling as Shinsou pushed into his space. He tried to get his footing back under him but was only able to after hitting the wall behind him. He let out a small grunt of pain, trying to stand back upright but unable to move.

He froze, suddenly feeling the pressure of two arms wrapped around his chest, keeping his hands down at his side and a cold body against his back. He turned his head slowly, absently wondering if he just got tangled up on something that was hanging from the wall but when he turned, he found he was still several steps away from the wall. Nothing was touching him, nothing was stopping him or holding him in place, and yet, A hot puff of air hit him in the face.

"No." He squeaked out, his body shaking in dread as he stared at the empty space next to him, slowly understanding the space wasn't actually empty.

"Kaminari?" Shinsou asked, making him whip his head around. His friend looked concerned but unaware of what threat was in the room with them. "Sh-Shinsou! It's-- S-She's--AHH!" Denki couldn't finish his sentence, a wet cold tongue suddenly licking up the column of his neck and making him flinch back in shock.

"H-Hold on! What is it?" Shinsou asked, looking at Kaminari in panic, but still at a loss at what to do. He started walking towards him, his hands gripping his capture scarf as he prepared for something.

"No! If he gets any closer he'll get bit too!" Denki thought, alarm bells going off in his head as soon as Shinsou's life became at risk.

He had to put distance between them. To keep him away at all costs. Denki let out a huff, suddenly filled with an energy he didn't know he had and pushed backward. He put as much strength as he could, wanting to move him and Hagakura as far away as possible before he also got turned, giving him a fighting chance to escape and find Eri. Somehow, he used too much strength, not only moving them both back but somehow pushing them back enough so that they hit the actual wall. Denki grunted at the impact, Hagakura letting out a screech in surprise. Shinsou's eyes widened at the noise, stopping in confusion and then slow realization as he figured out what was going on.

Denki felt Hagakura's grip loosen as she hit the wall, using it as an opportunity to escape. He didn't make it too far, a hand grabbing at his shirt and pulling him back towards the wall. Shinsou didn't waste time, seeing the point and striking with his foot. He hit Hagakura in the arm, forcing her to let go of Denki and making her howl in pain. Denki scrambled back, heading towards the door to leave, Shinsou right behind him.

"How the fuck did she get bit?!" Shinsou yelled, keeping his back towards the door as he tried to make sure Hagakura didn't move.

"I don't know!" Denki yelled back, only a little surprised that his stealthiest classmate got turned when his entire class was stacked with strategic geniuses with the strongest quirks. Now his invisible classmate was the most terrifying monster they'd faced yet.

Denki lunged the last few feet, grabbing the door handle and prying it open only for it to be forcefully shut in his face. He let out a yelp in surprise, Shinsou turned at the noise and punched blindly at the spot next to Denki. He missed, hitting nothing but air. He went to pull his arm back to try again, Denki continuing to pull on the door in the hopes that it would open but it remained firmly shut by some body weight. Hitoshi tried again to find his invisible target, letting his punch linger a little too long and making an opening Hagakura was waiting for.

He could see the hand imprints appear on Shinsou's outstretched arm, the crescent moons of nails digging in and refusing to let go. Shinsou pulled, only causing a shriek of protest to be heard from Hagaruka as she refused to let go. Denki watched this with wide eyes, seeing spit and drool suddenly manifest out of thin air as she seemed to pull Shinsou's arms closer to her mouth.

Shinsou changed tactics, using his feet to kick her away. Hagakure didn't seem to like that, letting go of his arm before Shinsou could find her and disappearing back into the background. Shinsou backed up, turning in a circle as he tried to gauge where the girl would show up next. A giggle came from the right, Shinsou instantly throwing a punch and then stepping away. Another noise came from the left. He flinched and tried to punch her again.

Denki watched all this, seeing the frantic movements and eyes widening as he realized that Shinsou couldn't win this fight.

"S-Shinous!" Denki hissed, his hand still clenched around the door handle. "Let's go!"

Shinsou looked up at him, his eyes still looking every which way but he still nodded in agreement. He started to come towards him in a slight jog, looking eager to leave but appeared to suddenly be in a closed line. His head jerked back with a gasp and his body tumbled backward to try and catch himself. His hands flew to his throat, looking desperate as they tried to claw at something. Denki let go of the door, standing up straight to try to get a better look.

Shinsou continued to gasp, his legs kicking out as he tried to move but only wasting more energy. Denki took a step closer, his breathing becoming almost as ragged as Shinsou's as he noticed his capture scarf was wound tightly around his throat like someone was pulling it. "Shinsou!" He yelled, fully aware that his friend was being choked, but unsure as to how to help him.

Clawing at Shinsou's neck wouldn't do anything, he could barely tell in this lighting which loop was actually choking him. But he couldn't stand still and watch Shinsou die!

"Think Denki! Think!"

He urged his useless brain that just seemed to want to watch Shinsou suffer. Shinsou must have felt his stare, their eyes locking as he continued to try to struggle free. One of his hands let go of his throat, instead, slapping at the space above his head and to the right. He let out a gurgling noise like he was trying to say something but his throat was too closed to get the words out properly.

Denki looked up at the hand, curious, following it until he saw two white pieces of a scarf being pulled.

Without really thinking it through, Denki lunged. He tried to take up as much space as possible so he wouldn't miss. His right arm found Hagakure's torso, quickly wrapping his arm around her and then pushing her to the ground and away from Shinsou. He heard Shinsou gasp, taking in much-needed air as the invisible girl screeched in surprise. They hit the ground hard, Denki's arm being crushed under his classmate and leaving him immobile. Nails were suddenly on his face, scratching and clawing at him as he struggled to get free and away from the snarling mouth and long nails.

"Sorry about this!" He yelled before letting electricity flow through him and into her. She let out a loud screech, louder than all the others before going silent again. Denki quickly stopped, standing back up and putting distance between them in case she was faking it. He stood on shaky legs, the amount of electricity he has been using taking a toll on him.

"Come on!" Shinsou hissed, his voice sounding a little hoarse as he ran to Aizawa's desk to grab a set of keys before running for the door. Denki followed, still trying to catch his breath as Shinsou closed the door and used one of the keys to lock the door, trapping Hagakura inside. He stepped away from the door, hands out to the side like he was waiting to see if the door would hold or not. Denki sucked in a deep breath, trying to shake the last bits of adrenaline out of his system. When nothing happened, Shinsou relaxed.

"Shit, that was too close."

"Yeah." Denki agreed, giving him a weak smile and a thumbs up.

His face scrunched up in worry, coming closer to him to inspect his body, grabbing his hands to look at them more closely. "She didn't get you, right?"

Denki blushed at how close he was, shaking his head rapidly as he tried not to fidget too much. "I-I don't think so."

"Good." Shinsou hummed back, looking up at him and seeming to only realize now how close he was. He took a step back, rubbing at his throat and bringing attention to the red lines that now lay there.

"A-are you okay?" He asked back, wanting to reach out again but not wanting to cross a line.

"I'm fine."

Denki shook his head, not believing his simple response. "You were almost joking. You can't be fine." Denki only felt more guilty replaying the fight in his head. "I should have just kept my big mouth shut or else this wouldn't have happened."

"No," Shinsou answered back, a little anger in his voice. "She was going to get me no matter what in that situation. You did good back there. You immobilized her after all."

Denki shook his head again, whether it was because he wanted to deny his claim or because he was still embarrassed was anyone's guess. "You're the one who saved me the fist and grabbed the keys so we could lock her inside."

"Yeah, and you gave me the opportunity to grab the keys.." Shinsou answered back with a raised eyebrow, not sure why Denki was arguing with him about this.

He grimaced at the thought of how much electricity he just let out onto his classmate, hoping she was okay after the shock he delivered. "I didn't want to hurt her -she's my friend after all- but I also didn't want her to hurt you."

Shinsou blinked at him before giving him a small smile. "Well, thanks for that."

Denki gave him a smile in return, unable to stop when Shinsou was looking at him like that. Getting a genuine smile out of that boy was a rare occurrence and Denki was going to savor it no matter what the situation was.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"AUGH!!!"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Both Denki and Shinsou stepped away from the door, watching as it rattled as an invisible force banged against it. A chorus of shrieks and snarls filled the hall at the sound, everyone being alerted by the constant barrage of noise. Shinsou's smile instantly fell, taking all the comfort that Denki felt in that moment with it.

"Come one! We have to keep moving!" Shinsou yelled over his shoulder, already on the move and going down the hall.

"Where are we going?" Denki yelled back, already breathing hard as he prepared to run even more.

"The closest bathrooms are down this way! Eri has to be in there!"

"Right!" Denki yelled back, not able to say more when Mic's signature scream rang out once again. He covered his ears, watching as Shinsou's shoulders scrunched up to try and use his capture scarf as ear mufflers.

"He's close!" Denki tried to yell over it and only got a grunt in return, Shinsou's sole focus being on getting to Eri. The electric user swallowed, scared of what they would find but having to hope for the best. If not for Eri then for Shinsou's sake.

"Please be okay."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

They ran faster than Denki thought he'd ever run, desperately trying to keep up with Shinsou's long strides. The taller teen didn't let up since they started searching for Eri; his eyes zeroed in on where the closest bathrooms were, hoping she was still okay. Denki just tried to keep up, not having room to talk to the other with how hard he was breathing or having enough brain power to even string a sentence together at that moment.

He's used a lot of electricity over the course of the night, literally exerting energy from his already tired body. He was getting close to his limit. He could feel it in how his muscles spasmed and his core felt cold, sending shivers up his spine at random intervals.

"Stupid body."

He scolded himself when he began to lag.

"Stay together! We need to be there for Shinsou!"

He let out a huff, picking up the pace while keeping his eyes peeled for any more classmates. It was surprisingly empty after hearing Mic's scream. Maybe they got lucky and his yell made all the others move away from them. He hoped so. They needed a lucky break for once.

Shinsou abruptly turned, his body heading straight for a door Denki hadn't even noticed in his musing. He slipped on his socked foot but managed to stay upright as Shinsou started dragging the janitor's cleaning bin and spilled supplies to the side. Denki helped move some boxes filled with toiletries to clear a path, revealing a small sign that said this was the teacher's bathroom.

Denki tilted his head in curiosity as Shinsou tried the handle. "You sure she's in here? It's always locked."

As if to prove his point, Shinsou pushed on the handle and was met with the sound of the deadbolt hitting the inside of the door with a soft thud. He tried it again, getting the same noise as he pushed and pulled the door, the noise echoing in the hall like a steady drum.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Denki flinched at the noise, instantly looking around to make sure no one was around them before quickly running up to Shinsou in the hopes of making him quiet down. "Shinsou!" He hissed but was ignored in favor of him looking through Aizawa's key ring.

"Mic probably gave her his key so she can use the closet bathroom." He explained impatiently, still looking for the key he wanted. "If we're lucky, she remembered to lock the door behind her and stayed put."

Denki perked up at hearing that. "So she's been safe this entire time?"

"That's the hope." Shinsou mumbled, cursing when he didn't seem to find the key he was looking for.

He knocked on the door instead, Denki once again looking around in fear as Shinsou continued to be loud. "Eri? Are you in there? It's Hitoshi. Can you let me in?"

Silence followed after, sounding almost wrong after hearing Shinsou speak at normal volume again. Denki would be lying if he thought it was odd that he introduced himself with his first name and not his family one, but it was quickly dashed when Shinsou brought his fist to the door again. "Eri! Please let me in, or at least let me know if you're okay?"

"Shinsou!" Denki squeaked out, reaching for his outstretched hand when it looked like he was going to knock again. "You need to keep it down. We can't afford to draw attention to ourselves right now."

Shinsou looked at Denki's hands wrapped around his own in shock; he instantly let go in embarrassment, not meaning to grab his hand like he did. Shinsou didn't comment on it, instead going back to the keys in his hand. "It's how I'm supposed to let her know it's me. Besides, I can't find the key to get in."

"Then maybe she isn't in there." Denki tried to argue but got a firm head shake from Shinsou in return.

"This is the only bathroom she can navigate to by herself within the school; if she wasn't in the teacher lounge then she has to be here." He explained. "Besides, I can see the light on from underneath the door."

"Okay, but drawing unwanted attention to us isn't smart." Denki tried again, still looking behind his shoulder as if something would magically appear behind them. "Even if she is in there, we don't want to become surrounded."

"I'll worry about that AFTER I know she's safe." Shinsou grunted, trying a key in the lock and making the door shutter when it wasn't an exact match. "Come on!"

"Can we go back to get the right key?" Denki asked in hope of just moving again. Standing still for so long in the open felt wrong after spending the night on the run.

"Do you want to face Hagakure again?" Shinsou asked back with a raised eyebrow.

"...no…"

"Then no. We can't go back."

Shinsou raised his fist to the door again, pounding on the metal door a few more times before going quiet again to listen. Denki held his breath, waiting for something to happen. Either with the door or them being found by someone was still up for debate. Whatever happened, Denki was ready to run no matter what.

The taller teen let out a sigh, rubbing his hand down his face when no movement from the other side was heard. He looked almost scared, looking away from the door for the first time before turning back. "She has to be here. She has to be." He mumbled to himself, probably running through every scenario he could as he tried to figure out what he should do next.

"I'm breaking down the door."

"Are you crazy!?" Denki blurted out, quickly closing his mouth as he realized how loud he just was. "Are you crazy?" He said again at a more manageable level.

"What if she's too scared to answer? I can't leave without getting in." Shinsou protested.

"If the door is locked, then that means it has probably BEEN locked!" Denki countered.

"Or SHE could have locked it after going inside." Shinsou hissed back, looking like he wasn't going to budge from the door.

"We haven't heard anything that would indicate someone was in there. No shuffling, no voices, nothing. She has to be somewhere else."

"No, I refuse to leave until I know for sure."

"But the noise—"

"--I don't care about the noise! I care about finding my sister!"

Denki's eyes were wide, needing a moment to wrap his head around that telenovela reveal. "Wait, what did you--"

Knock… Knock, Knock, knock…

Denki closed his mouth with a click of his teeth, his attention instantly going back to the door. Shinsou was also focused on it, looking at it like it had actually spoken words. Suddenly a smile of relief broke across his face, instantly raising his fist to complete the tune.

KNOCK, KNOCK.

Silence followed a few seconds afterwards, Denki still finding it odd that he hadn't heard Eri from the other side but stayed quiet for now. Shinsou seemed to understand what was happening, so he kept his thoughts to himself.

Click

The deadbolt moved, the sound somehow being the loudest of them all as the door became unlocked. The door didn't swing open. It stayed closed, blocking the view of where Eri was presumably hiding inside. Shinsou didn't seem to care, letting out a breath of relief as he pushed the door open.

"Eri!" He yelled, rushing in, Denki letting out a yelp as he scrambled to follow after him.

Denki didn't get far, only able to take two steps into the room, then unceremoniously running into Shinsou's back, having to hold onto his shoulder to keep from falling. The taller teen didn't even notice, his eyes glued to the scene in front of him in horror. Denki has never seen Shinsou look so spooked before, not even when he was invited to join his first real hero training. He followed his eyeline, not having to look hard to see what had got him so spooked. He felt the blood drain from his face, his grip on Shinsou's shoulder turning into a lifeline as he tried to remember how to breathe.

Standing at the far end of the bathroom between the stacks of extra toiletries and the sink was Present Mic holding a silently crying Eri. His breathing was ragged, foam dripping from his smiling face as he stared at them like he won. His eyes seemed crazed without his sunglasses on to block them from sight. Without his jacket he could see how several bit marks littered his arms and neck, all of them looking agitated and bloody. He swore he could see the infection travel up his arms and into his veins. It was no wonder he changed so fast with so much poison being pumped into him at once. Eri was being held on his hip like one would carry a small child, but one of his big hands covered her mouth as if he was trying to keep her quiet. They all stayed perfectly still, no one seeming to be able to move or knowing what to do next. Denki has never seen someone turned so close up before, the small space making him feel claustrophobic and like a small animal that was finally cornered and about to be eaten.

Thud.

The sound of the door closing behind them echoed like a bell giving the final toll. Letting everyone in the room know that someone wasn't going to make it out of the small room alive. The sound seemed to spur Eri into action, wrenching her head away and getting out from under Mic's hand.

"Hitoshi!" She yelled, her voice breaking in fear as she tried to lean out of the teacher's embrace and towards them.

"Don't worry, Eri!" Shinsou said back, wounding his fingers into his capture scarf as he did. "I'm coming!"

Mic didn't seem to like that, letting out a screech as he leaned toward them. Denki flinches, the noise bouncing off the tile in the room and making it feel like the echo would go on forever. Shinsou doesn't let that stop him, lunging at the other with his capture scarf flung out and aiming for his face. Mic ducks, sidestepping the attack and taking Eri with him. The girl screams in fear, new tears fresh in her eyes as she tries so hard to get away.

Surprisingly, Mic looks towards the small girl in his arms and lets her go. His jerky limbs and body leaned over so he could put her on the ground before immediately straightening back up. Denki stares in wonder as Mic didn't hurt the girl when she drew attention to herself. He let Eri out of his grasp easily, the scared girl shuffling under the sink and holding onto the pipe for dear life as she tried to make herself as small of a target as possible.

"Does Mic not want to hurt Eri? Does he still remember who she is?"

Denki's observations were cut short by Hitoshi going in for another attack, trying to reach where Eri was hiding, but Mic stepped forward, cutting off his advances and dodging his capture scarf like a pro. The space was too small to do long-range attacks, certainly too small for Denki to be able to let his quirk loose. He was kind of useless as he watched Hitoshi try and gain even an inch of space but get nowhere. He looked over at the one stall in the bathroom, wondering if something in there could help them but ultimately coming up with nothing.

Mic suddenly took a deep breath, finally annoyed at the constant attacks. Denki quickly covered his ears, eyes looking more frantically around the space as if he could find a place to hide from the noise. Shinsou did the same, covering his ears but speaking as fast as possible before the attack started.

"Eri! Cover your ears; it's going to get very---"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHH!" Mic let loose from his throat, his neck straining as it reached a pitch that no human should reach. It was like a swarm of bats all hitting the same note. Denki went down to his knees, his body unable to function under such an intense noise. Pressure was building in his ears and threatening to burst. He looked up with watery eyes, seeing Eri curling further into herself, while Shinsou has somehow managed to stay standing. He watched in shock as the mirror suddenly shattered, fragments raining down above the sink. He thought he saw Shinsou yell at Eri, but he couldn't hear it.

The noise wouldn't end. Mic seemed to have an endless amount of air as he continued to leave his mouth hanging open and a canopy of noise spilled out. He took a step forward, coming towards Shinsou with determination. It looked like it physically hurt Shinsou to remove his hands from his ears, but he had to if he wanted to protect himself. Denki tried to stand, wanting to help and not be useless, but it felt like vibrations were hitting him and pushing him down towards the ground.

Hitoshi took a running leap, landing both his feet into Mic's chest and successfully shoving their teacher over. He fell onto the boxes, allowing for toilet paper and paper towel rolls to scatter across the floor as he toppled over. His scream abruptly ended as he back hit the boxes, a shriek and then a gurgling noise being the only thing coming out of his mouth as he tried to right himself.

Hitoshi didn't hesitate to use the opening, crawling from his place on the floor to try and get to Eri. "Eri, come on. Come to me."

Eri looked at him and his outstretched hand, hesitating for a second before raising her own. Their hands never got to touch. Mic had seen what was happening and lunged for the outstretched hands face first. Shinsou jerked his hand back just in time for Mic to fall between them, his face contorted into a snarl as he clawed at Shinsou. The taller teen tried to back up, his back hitting the wall of the bathroom stall a little too quickly. He scrambled to stand, but Mic was hot on his heels, crawling after him and latching onto his leg and shoulder to keep him close.

Mic opened his mouth wide; whether it was to bite him or to scream again was anyone's guess, but either way it wasn't looking too good for Shinsou. He tried to use his legs to kick and put his hands on the teacher's shoulders to keep him from getting too close, but it wasn't working.

"Toshi!" Eri yelled from where she watched this unfold, her knuckles white from gripping the bottom of the sink and her eyes filled with unshed tears as she watched the person that came to save her lose. Denki suddenly felt like he was being stabbed in the heart, feeling beyond useless as he watched in silence as Shinsou struggled for his life. He had to help, but how?

"He can't get bit! He can't turn and leave Eri alone. Eri needs him!"

He looked around again, trying to find a solution. He can't use his quirk without hurting the others, but as a long-range hero, he also wasn't the best at hand-to-hand combat. What could he do?

"He can't get bit!"

He thought again, taking a shaky step forward and feeling something hit his foot. He looked down, finding a roll of toilet paper had rolled over to him in the scuffle. He picked it up, squeezing it in his hand as he got the stupidest ideas he has ever had.

Shinsou let out a noise in panic, his teacher starting to overpower him. He had his arm placed across his teacher's neck, the only bit of leverage he had left to keep Mic from coming any closer and biting down on him. Mic opened his mouth wider, looking like he was about to yell and take down Shinsou's last defense all in one move.

No time to think of a better idea; he had to act now if he wanted even the chance of this working. Denki crouched down, he only had one shot at this, and if he fucked up even the slightest, it would be his hand on the chopping block. His breathing became frantic, his already sore muscles cramping as they coiled up to be ready to strike. He didn't dare move, not wanting to draw attention to himself too soon.

He watched as Mic's chest expanded at the inhale, holding back for a few beats as he opened his mouth wider. Drool falling onto Shinsou's face and making him flinch away in disgust. Denki saw the moment Mic's neck muscles tensed, lunging just as they seemed to start forming a scream. Hitoshi turned his head to the side with his eyes closed, preparing for the loud noise as best as he could in his predicament.

Denki was breathing hard as his body moved before his brain could comprehend what he was doing. His arm shook as he held the toilet paper roll out towards Mic's mouth, hoping that he was distracted enough to not turn his head and snap his jaws around his arm.

"EEEEEEEEHHH-mmfdskh!" Mic's scream was suddenly muffled, leaving room in his head to think about how he was actively shoving toilet paper down his teacher's throat. He watched as Mic bit down on instinct, retracting his hand to make sure his fingers didn't get caught in the crossfire.

"Msmdfl!" Mic tried to yell again, but the toilet paper roll was stuck to his teeth, his wet drool acting as glue and keeping him from using his quirk. Hitoshi took the opportunity to kick the teacher off of him, getting up quickly to step on the other's back and keep him in place. He was breathing hard as well, adrenaline still coursing through his veins as he used his capture scarf to tie Mic's arms to his legs. He kicked the back of his head, seeming to knock him out before dragging his unmoving body into the stall and out of sight. Denki didn't know you could knock them out with pure strength, wondering how strong Shinsou really is. The roll was still lodged in his mouth, but he knew the toilet paper wouldn't last for long. It would break down eventually after he drooled enough to make it into a soppy paste.

Denki grimaces at the thought, suddenly feeling bad that he made his favorite teacher experience something so unpleasant, but seeing Shinsou turn towards him with a sigh of relief made it worth it. "I hate to leave my captured weapon, but I don't see a way around it. I don't know how long he will stay knocked out, and I don't want to chance it."

"T-Toshi!" Eri yelled, fresh tears in her eyes as she ran towards him with her arms outstretched. He didn't hesitate to kneel, wrapping the girl up in a tight hug.

"Hey, bean. It's okay. I'm here. You're okay."

"P-Papa did the secret knock!" The girl wailed into his shoulder. "I-I did what I w-was told and w-waited until someone go-t me b-but Papa di-d--"

"Did he hurt you?" Shinsou asked over her explanation, putting enough space between them to look over the girl but never letting her go. "Did he bite you?"

Eri shook her head, and both Denki and Shinsou let out a sigh of relief. "P-Papa di-d the knock."

Shinsou paused, thinking over what she said before nodding in agreement. "That he did. He did it to us as well. I think that proves your theory about them still having their memories." He looked up at Denki, making him blush at being told he was right.

"W-what's the knock?" Denki asked to try to get the attention off of him, also curious to know what they were talking about.

Shinsou looked at him for the first time in a while, blinking at him before letting out a sigh. "Mic and Eraserhead have a code they created for us to let us know if it was them. It's like a safety precaution if we have to go into hiding or lock down." Shinsou waved his hand around, as if the situation they were in now also counted.

"They have one for both of you?" Denki asked, looking between the two of them and once again noting how close they seemed. He looked at them a little more, trying to put two-and-two together, but suddenly stumbled upon another interesting fact he just heard.

"Wait. Eri called Mic, Papa."

Shinsou nodded. "She did. He's our Papa."

"Ours?" Denki asked again, far too tired for his mind to be blown right now. "Mic, is your dad?"

"Well, Aizawa is called dad if you want to get technical." Shinsou replied back, a small smile playing on his lips as he watched for Denki's reaction.

And he definitely had a reaction to that, both his hands flying to his hair as he openly gaped at them. He had to turn away to get his thoughts in order, but when he came back, all that came out of his mouth was a confused, "Huh?"

Eri even giggled at him, hiding it in Shinsou's shoulder as the taller teen looked up at him with amusement twinkling in his eyes. "They adopted us. Me first, and then Eri recently."

"Oh, that makes—wait, hold on! They're together?" Denki asked next and got a snort and another giggle respectfully. He let out a huff, a little annoyed that they were laughing at him; this was big news! At the same time, he couldn't be too mad, always happy to be the butt end of a joke if it helps put a smile on someone's face.

"You can't just announce something like that so casually and NOT expect me to react."

"No, that's true." Shinsou said, standing up with Eri on his hip, seeming to not want to part from her just yet. "It's usually why we don't tell people."

"Plus, Dad doesn't like it when people know." Eri added on.

"Then why did you tell me?" Denki asked, knowing he isn't the most trustworthy person when it came to secrets. Some things are meant to be shared, and this fact is definitely one of them.

Shinsou shrugged. "You were bound to figure it out eventually with everything going on. I actually meant to tell you sooner."

"Really?" Denki asked curiously.

Shinsou rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, looking away a little embarrassed. "Yeah, I meant to tell you when I was trying to explain why it was really important for me to find Eri... She's my sister after all, so it's my responsibility to make sure she's safe."

Eri held him tighter, seeming to try to make him feel better as his mood became somber. Denki felt a little guilty as he looked at the little girl, having wanted to move on from the bathroom when they didn't hear anything at first. Who knows what would've happened if they had left her with Mic.

"Thanks, by the way." Denki snapped out of his thoughts to look at Shinsou again, his face seeming softer than usual.

"For what?"

"For getting me out of there. If you hadn't swooped in, I would have been bit for sure."

"Not my brightest idea." Denki said with a wince. "I'm just sorry I couldn't help out sooner."

"You still helped." Shinsou said softer, looking at him like he was something special and needed to be handled with care.

"Even small things can have big impacts." Eri said, wise beyond her years. "That's what Dad told me."

Denki gave her a half smile, unable to stew in his guilt as she looked at him so warmly. "Your dad is a smart man. I would know; he's my teacher after all."

Eri giggled at his joke, smiling up at him with more positive energy than Denki knew what to do with. "We should, um. Shouldn't we leave?"

That seemed to get Shinsou into motion, shuffling Eri in his arms and looking at him with a nod. "Right, we really should keep moving. Mic wasn't really quiet and has probably alerted several others to our location."

"Will Papa be okay?" Eri asked, looking at Shinsou for reassurance. Shinsou smiled at her as he walked towards the door.

"Yes, of course. We already talked to Dad, and he said…"

Denki tuned out what he was saying in favor of watching the two of them interact, being able to clearly see how much Shinsou cared for his sister by how soft his face looked as he reassured her.

"I wish he looked at me like that."

He quickly looked down at the floor, feeling bad for even thinking about that in a time like this, but it's hard when he's learning and seeing so many new sides of the person he likes.

He began to walk to keep up with the siblings, but something moving out of the corner of his eyes made him freeze. The bathroom stall door was still closed, but he could see a faint shadow slinking across. He was puzzled for a moment, thinking it might be his own, but then a long arm started to reach out from under the door. His eyes widened as he watched it make a beeline towards Shinsou as he walked past to open the door. "

He was going to get caught! He can't protect himself with Eri in his arms."

He didn't have much time to think, running forward with his arm outstretched. "Shinsou!" He yelled, making the other whip around in shock but not out of striking distance. He swore Mic reached for him faster, seeming to know his cover was blown. Denki pushed him in his shoulder, planning to move both of them out of the way and stumbling out the door, but his cursed sockfoot didn't have the traction needed to move them.

He felt how Shinsou stumbled back, taking his solid shoulder to lean on with him, his foot sliding to the side on the cold tile in the hopes of finding balance but only bringing it closer to their enemy. Denki tried to lift his foot and get it away before his mistake was made known, but as he felt cold fingers wrap around his ankle, he knew that he had fucked up.

He didn't even have time to fight before he was wanked down, his sockfoot slipping farther before being thrown in the air and taking the rest of him with it. He let out a yelp as his body hit the unforgiving floor, adrenaline starting to pump as he tried to gather electricity, sparks already coming off of him. Denki quickly became aware that he was close to his limit, finding it took longer to bring the electricity still in his body to the surface. He tried to kick in the meantime, but Mic wasn't letting go.

He thought he heard someone shout his name and sounds of people moving around him, but he was more preoccupied with the feeling of hot breath ghosting his ankle and the pain of drawing too much electricity in his skull. It seemed to be a race against time as Denki closed his eyes and tried to let out all the electricity he could, feeling it start to flow out of him, but not at the voltage he wanted. It wasn't enough; it wasn't what he wanted. He needed to dig deeper if--

"AH!" He yelled as he felt blunt teeth bite into his ankle, seizing him for a moment as the pain somehow shocked him to the core. The pain seemed to have also kicked in his fight or flight, his voltage jumping up and making Mic bite down harder as his muscles tensed and contracted. He let out another scream, not stopping the electricity pumping out of him until he started to get black spots in his vision. Letting his head flop onto the cold tile floor as he tried to regain his breath and not lose consciousness.

Everything that happened couldn't have taken more than a few seconds, but the fight felt like hours. Getting his breath back into his body and actually doing something seem to take even longer in his sluggish brain.

"Kaminari?" He heard someone ask, his brain too fuzzy to figure out who, but he still tried to mumble out a reply.

"I'm… I'm okay."

He heard shuffling around him but didn't feel panicked as he heard the bathroom stall bang open, someone cursing up a storm before grabbing under his armpits and dragging him away from the stall. "Shit."

He was maneuvered to sit down, his back against the wall. Warm, gentle hands were suddenly cupping his face, making sure his head didn't lull to a side. "Hey? Kaminari? You with me?"

He gave a hum as an answer, trying to nod, but the hands holding him kept him from moving much. "Shit. Eri, stay by the door, okay?"

"But--"

"--I don't want to hear it!" The voice yelled at her, sounding like it was on the brink of losing composure. That got Denki's attention, making him want to open his eyes again to see what was wrong.

"Did I fail to protect them?"

"Kaminari. I need you to open your eyes, please? I need to see you're awake and okay."

How can he argue with such a sweet sounding request? It took some effort, but Denki was able to open his eyes, having to blink several times for the cheesy cat on the shirt in front of him to be in focus. Once his vision had cleared and his head didn't feel like it was about to explode, he looked up, his eyes meeting Shinsou's very concerned looking ones.

"Y-You still with me?" He asked, just as gently as he had before. He tried to nod but found the hands still cradling his head. He felt himself blush at being held like this but tried to ignore it for now.

"Ye-ah. I'm okay." He whispered out and immediately saw Shinsou deflate in relife. "Sorry, I should have told you I was reaching my limit with my quirk."

Shinsou looked at him now in shock, his eyes moving rapidly as if searching for something. "If you knew then why did you… Shit! Kaminari, why would you do something so stupid!?" Denki flinched, wanting to move away as Shinsou's gaze became rapidly more frustrated. "You don't have shoes on! My feet are protected; I would have a better chance of not getting--"

Shinsou choked on his words, looking down for the first time like he couldn't bring himself to look at Denki any longer. Though half the time Denki didn't know why he did the things he did, he still felt the need to tell him why. "You just found Eri." He confessed, wishing that Shinsou would look at him again. "I-I couldn't stand by a-and watch you get hurt. She needs you."

"I need you!" Shinsou shouted back. Denki stared at him stunned, feeling frozen in place as Shinsou looked back up at him with watery eyes. "I wanted to protect you as well."

"Shinsou," Denki whispered shakily, feeling this went beyond acting as a hero and friend but not wanting to bring it up in fear of being wrong. "It's okay."

"It's not okay!" Shinsou huffed back, letting go of his face and taking a step back, his eyes drawn to his sock-covered foot. Denki felt sick as he took in the red that was slowly staining it, covering the dirt he gathered along their journey and now painting it the color of his ending.

He took a shaky breath in, suddenly being bombarded with feelings he didn't even know where to begin with. The most prominent thing running through his head was a voice just shouting over and over again how he didn't want to die. He looked away, biting his lip to try and stop the tears. He didn't want to cry here, not in front of Shinsou, not when this might be the last few moments he had to be himself.

"The infirmary." Shinsou suddenly blurted out, still looking frazzled as he paced the small bathroom. Denki didn't know when he stood up, but he now followed him curiously. "We haven't tried to see if there's an already cure for this. M-Maybe Recovery girl has something that can reverse this!"

"Shinsou." Denki tried to interject, shaking his head to convey how bad he thought the idea was.

"We have to try!" Shinsou said instead, his mind already made up. He spun on his heels, going back into the stall where Mic was still knocked out. He kicked at his teacher to make sure he was still down before untangling him to take back his capture scarf.

"Shinsou." Denki tried again, looking at him like he was crazy.

"The infirmary isn't too far. Eri, I can make a sling with my capture scarf so you can ride on my back, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Wait, Shinsou!" Denki yelled this time, breathing hard as he tried to keep from going into hysteria.

"Do you think you can walk, or do you need me to support you?" Shinsou asked him, finally turning to him. Denki saw nothing but determination in his eyes, but all he felt was defeat.

"Shinsou. You can't take me along. I-I'm a liability. I could t-tur-- I could not be myself at any moment."

"It depends on the person." Shinsou stated matter-of-factly. "You said it yourself; Bakugou took an entire night to change."

"And some of my classmates took only thirty minutes."

"We can work with thirty." Shinsou said again, leaving no room for argument.

"Shinsou, please!" Denki begged him. "Just take Eri somewhere safe. I-I'll lock the door after you leave so that I ca--"

"No!" Shinsou growled back, glaring at him. "No. I refuse to give up. I refuse to lose you because of my own mistake. I-I refuse to—to not at least try!" He huffed, running his hands through his hair as he seemed to battle with himself before pulling himself back together. "I'm not leaving you."

"But…" Denki trailed off, looking over at Eri as she watched their interaction with wide eyes. She seemed to be studying her brother as much as Denki was. When the young girl felt his gaze, she quickly blinked at him before nodding her head as if she were also silently asking for him to let Shinsou do this.

"Don't worry about Eri." Shinsou quickly answered, seeing where his gaze had wandered. "I'll keep her safe just in case something happens, but I know you won't put her in harm's way."

Denki laughed at that, feeling like that was such a silly thing to say when he wasn't about to be himself for much longer. "What happened to 'taking care' of classmates that got in your way?"

Shinsou frowned, looking away with a shrug. "Yeah, well… This is different."

Denki's heart fluttered, wanting that small sentence to mean so much more. "This is really stupid. You know that, right?"

Shinsou chuckled at that, giving him a half smile that made his insides flip. "Sort of. We either find a cure, or... we put you in the quirk stabilizing room and lock you in."

"Oh." Denki thought, only now remembering the room that is reserved for people whose quirks were malfunctioning. It's basically a panic room made so no one inside or outside got hurt by the out-of-control quirk. "That makes sense."

"Great." Shinsou said, standing up and holding his hand out to him. "Then we better get a move on. We have a time limit after all."

Denki took another deep breath to try and calm himself, grabbing the offered hand and allowing Shinsou to lift him up. He stood on shaky legs, but they did hold him. His body was still tired from how much electricity he used, his muscles aching in what he hoped was just fatigue. His foot stung, but it surprisingly didn't hurt as bad as he thought it would. Shinsou wasted no time securing Eri into a makeshift backpack he created with his capture scarf, having it still be functional as a weapon if needed.

He looked over at Denki, giving him a once-over before offering his hand to him again. He didn't hesitate, taking any bit of comfort he could get as he tried to keep all his raging emotions inside. "Ready?" Shinsou asked, squeezing his hand in reassurance.

"As ready as I'll ever be." He mumbled back, trying to give him and Eri a shaky smile but not really succeeding in pulling it off.

Shinsou didn't comment on it, squeezing his hand again as he reached for the door with his other one. "Good, then let's find you a cure."

With that, they stepped back out into the hallway and into the unknown once more.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump.

Denki's heart rattled against his ribcage, sounding loud and irregular to his ear. He knows he must be paranoid, aware of some kind of poison in his veins that was slowly eating away at him, but he had no proof of it except the bite mark on his foot. He felt fine, or as fine as one can be, as they sneaked around a zombie-infested school. Every move he made or every stumble of his feet made him second guess himself and made him want to yell at Shinsou to run and leave him because this was the end of the line for him. His mouth stayed firmly shut though, finding the thing that scared him most was being alone again. He doesn't want his last few moments of consciousness being just him, the dark halls, and the echoes of his soon-to-be brethren.

They were moving slower down the halls now, trying to stay silent but still agile as Shinsou led them forward. Denki didn't know if he slowed down due to him or because he was now carrying Eri on his back, but the group stayed relatively close together, Eri looking like an owl with how she swiveled around to look from in front of them to behind them at Denki. Her big eyes looked at him in concern before turning away again. The familiar feeling of guilt gnawed at his stomach and made him almost want to heave in the hopes that the wave of nausea this feeling brought would finally go away. They were risking a lot for him, and he wanted to feel grateful for it. He wanted his heart to feel light and warm at being cared for so much, but it only left a bitter taste in his mouth.

The longer they walked down the silent hall with no one in sight, the more on edge he became. It was like all the chaos they had experienced before had suddenly vanished; the bashed lockers and destroyed property was still around them like the wreckage after a battle, but the perpetrators were nowhere to be found.

"Hey." Denki flinched at the sudden voice next to his ear, turning to find that Shinsou had slowed down to walk next to him. Concern was written clearly on his face as he looked Denki over. "You okay? You looked pretty zoned out, and I wanted... I'm just checking in."

"I'm okay." Denki whispered back, not wanting to worry the other more than he already had. "I'll let you know if I start to feel bad. Promise."

Shinsou nodded, looking ahead of them again and then letting out a sigh. "It's too quiet. I don't like it."

"Me neither. It makes me feel like something bad happened, and we're just walking right into it."

Eri let out a noise of distress, Denki grimacing at the sound and feeling sorry for even saying anything. Shinsou reached back to pat her head, trying to comfort her as he looked around the corner. He held his arm out, stopping Denki in his tracks as he watched whatever was interesting. He quickly dove back behind the corner, taking Denki with him and shoving them against the wall as far as they could. He wanted to ask what it was, but he felt like it would be a terrible idea to speak right now.

It turned out he didn't need to; a moan of pain soon followed before the sound of feet shuffling could be heard. His eyes widened, scared of a fight that was bound to happen, but even more so when he heard how uncoordinated the footsteps were. The noises were definitely one of the affected students; the unnatural echo and shrill in the voice made it easy to tell, but he never heard one that sounded so enthusiastic. It almost sounded tired.

Shinsou pressed more into him, forcing him to shuffle back a few steps as the monster finally stepped around the corner. He slapped a hand over his mouth, trying to stop the gasp he wanted to let out as Momo slowly shuffled into view. She looked terrible, images of how he last saw the girl running through his mind and comparing it to the girl now in front of him. Her arm was terribly bandaged, the wrapping coming undone and dragging on the floor behind her and revealing the terribly shredded arm. It seemed to still be functional, her fingers twitching every few steps. Her face looked gaunt though, like she hadn't eaten in days and was barely able to stay upright.

She didn't even notice them, continuing to shuffle along until she came to the window, her body hitting it with a small thump before slowly turning. It was like she was on autopilot. No thoughts in her head but just the urge to keep going. Shinsou took a small step away from the wall, grabbing at his capture scarf in preparation for an attack, but Denki doubted it would ever come.

Shinsou's foot hit a loose piece of tile, the floor having been destroyed at some point. The sound of the loose piece of rock skittering across finally seemed to wake Momo up from her daze, her head snapping towards them and her mouth opening in a shriek. She stumbled towards them, her hands twitching violently like she was ready to claw her way into their flesh. Shinsou held firm, waiting for her to make the first move, but faltered as he watched Momo collapse to the ground. Denki watched, almost drawn to his classmate in pity as he saw her try and create one of her nesting dolls, the thing she could make subconsciously without any issue. He saw the head of it poking out of her arm, but nothing else came with it. The glow of her quirk stuttered before disappearing, the unfinished doll clattering to the ground and bouncing away harmlessly.

"She's out of lipids." Denki stated, watching as Momo seemed too heavy from the effort she exerted but unable to get back to her feet. She was exhausted, her quirk and body at their limit. He bit his lip, forcing himself to continue to watch as she tried to crawl towards them, low grunts leaving her mouth like she was frustrated.

It was so different from the proud vice presented usually was. It made him feel sick, his head spinning and his stomach rolling uncomfortably. He wondered if he could have changed this outcome, wondered if he was a little more observant when he came down the stairs, a little bit more confident and hero-like, he could have saved Momo from this terrible fate. He felt his knees give out, sending him down to the floor and on the same level as his classmate. They made eye contact. He could almost see the bright girl behind the film that covered her eyes; he could almost see the kindness that she exuded as she offered to tutor him. Her hair was down for once, creating a cascade of black down her back and obscuring her face. It felt wrong to see. He lifted his hand as if he wanted to reach out and offer to fix it for her, but he was stopped by Shinsou walking in front of him and cutting off his view of his classmate.

"Come on." He said softly. "She isn't a threat to us. We should keep moving."

He reached out his hand to help him up, Denki taking it without hesitation. His knees buckled as he tried to put his weight onto his legs, stumbling into Shinsou and almost falling again if the taller student hadn't caught him. "You okay."

He nodded his head, focused on getting his legs back under him. "Y-yeah. I think so. Just... tired, I think."

Shinsou frowned at him, looking him over before letting go, staying close to make sure he wouldn't fall again before continuing down the hall. "Come on, we're wasting time."

They turned the corner, Momo's growls of frustration following them as they continued on their way. He refused to turn around, afraid if he did he wouldn't be able to move on. He let out a shaky sigh, feeling a shiver rack through his body along with it. He wasn't feeling well for many reasons.

Shinsou kept looking back at him as they continued on their journey, moving as fast as he dared to push him. He tried to pick up the pace, knowing that he was on borrowed time, but he still didn't have faith that they would find all their answers in the infirmary. He swallowed down the lump in his throat, knowing if he let it out it would result in tears and a hard sob.

"We're close." Shinsou said, snapping Denki out of his thoughts and back to his surroundings. He can't believe that he zoned out for so long, able to recognize they made their way across the school and closer to the training grounds. They were only a turn away from getting to the infirmary at the end of the hall.

Shinsou did the same thing as last time, hugging the corner and looking out to see if anything was lurking in the hall. He scanned the area for a while, Denki leaning on the wall for support as another wave of exhaustion hit him. "Looks clear." Shinsou whispered to him, already coming out of his hiding place. "Let's move."

Denki trailed behind the siblings, blinking his eyes to try and get them to focus, shaking the tiredness from his bones. Shinsou looked like he wanted to go faster, but he kept pace with him, staying by his side as they made their way to the infirmary. They were getting close. He can see it in how Eri started to relax on Shinsou's back and how even the taller teen seemed to ease up at seeing them so close to their goal. Denki almost smiled at the sight, wanting to savor any good moment that he could.

CrAsh!

Though good moments don't seem to last, Denki heard the noise of glass breaking before he was suddenly shoved to the side, unable to catch himself and going sprawling across the floor. He scrambled to look up, wanting to see what happened, and gaped as he saw dark tentacle-like shadows slithered into the broken window and attached themselves to the ceiling. He tried to scoot back, giving room for the monster as it fully blocked the infirmary doors. The shadows twisted and thrashed before seeming to move away from the center, revealing Midoriya hanging from the center of the mast and looking at them with an ugly smile.

"Deku!" Eri screamed in recognition and forced his eyes away from his classmates to find Shinsou kneeling on the ground on the opposite side of the hall from him. He was probably the one to shove him, Denki thought absently as he tried to stand back up.

"Of course Deku would be guarding the infirmary." Shinsou hissed, also getting up and in a battle stance, guarding Eri as best as he could from view.

Denki snorted at that, finding it fitting as he stood on shaky legs. "I don't know what's worse, the fact that Deku's here or the fact he's wearing his 'I am here' face while as a zombie."

Shinsou coughed into his scarf, probably trying to hide his own laughter as he got a good look at the face Midoriya was making. Deku didn't seem to like their banter, letting out a roar before sending his black veins out towards them, the airy, almost whimsical shadows, turning shaper and jagged as they struck like a viper.

"Do you think this is Plus Ultra of you?" Shinsou asked as he easily dodged the attack by lunging to the side and staying in between Deku and Eri. Midoryia stopped smiling for a moment, seeming to recognize Shinsou long enough to know not to answer him, instead sending another mass of whips out at random. Denki wasn't as graceful as Shinsou was at dodging the tray black whips, more so falling out of the way instead of dodging, but he still made it out of the way in time. He gasped as he hit the ground hard, struggling to breathe and feeling sparks fly off of him. His arms spasm in pain, having used too much, and his body not wanting to let any more electricity out. He cursed, trying to get up in time as he watched Deku get ready to strike again, but his arms wouldn't cooperate.

"Kaminari!" Shinsou yelled, trying to make his way towards him but having to change it to a dive as more whips followed after him. He pushed them both out of the way just in time for the next wave of black whips stabbing into the ground where he just stood. They slid across the ground, Eri letting out a scream as debris kicked up and rained down on them. Shinsou rightened himself quickly to keep Eri from getting the worst of it, but he stayed protectively by his side. "You okay?"

"I'm fine!" Denki huffed, getting a little frustrated by how often he was being asked. "I can't use my quirk. If I do, I'll definitely go into whey mode, and I don't know what will happen to me if I let that happen."

"Can you move?" Shinsou asked next, sounding panicked as Deku let out another screech at them.

"Stop worrying about me and worry about yourself!" Denki yelled at him, pushing himself up into a sitting position. His world tilted for a second, but he shook it away. "He can't hurt me more than I already am."

Deku struck again, hitting the space between the two of them and making them flinch at how close it was to their faces. Shinsou turned to face him, watching how Deku slowly lowered himself to ground level, his fists held up as more black whips flickered around him as if he couldn't control what they did. "Shit!" Shinsou cursed out loud, taking several steps away from Denki to properly face their classmate.

"I'll just have to finish this quickly." He said it so matter of factly, like it wasn't up for debate, but instead he was telling Denki what was going to happen. Deku must have felt the same determination coming off of him, screaming at his face before charging at him. He was just as fast as he usually was, fist drawn back and in Shinsou's face before he could even react. He jumped back, watching as his fist hit the ground where he once stood and destroying the floor around him. Big cracks formed in the tile, the concrete underneath even cracking at the force. Denki swallowed, knowing if one of those punches landed, Shinsou would be down for the count.

He gripped the ground under him, willing himself to pull it together and help, but he wasn't sure what he could do against Midoriya. He never stood a chance against him when Midoriya was in the right mind; he couldn't imagine how terrible this fight would go with his classmates' moral compass being thrown out the window. Still, he took a deep breath, gritting his teeth as he forced his muscles to work and lift himself off the floor. It took far too long for him to just stand; his breathing was already labored from the exertion. Still, he was up and committed to help. He turned just in time to see Shinsou dodge another punch, Deku's fist creating a hole into the wall next to their head and making Eri shriek again in fear. She hid her face in Shinsou's neck, not able to look at the person who rescued her like he was now.

Denki paused in thought, wondering if Midoriya would react to Eri like Mic did. He blinked hard, trying to get his thoughts in order as he tried to think it through. It was risky—a little too risky if he was being honest—but it might just work.

"You can't put Shinsou at risk like that!"

His mind suddenly screamed at him, and he had to nod in agreement, watching as Shinsou landed a kick to Midoriya's side. He barely moved, only growling in annoyance as he used black whip to try and insnare Shinsou's leg but missed it by a hair. Shinsou was breathing hard, dodging more than attacking as he tried to keep Eri safe. He watched as they shuffled down the hall, losing more ground with every powerful attack aimed at his head.

He slowly turned his head, looking over at the door that was now left wide open for him to go in. He blinked. Looking at it like something was wrong with this image but unable to figure out what it was.

"Deku!" Eri yelled out as Shinsou doubled over in pain. Black whip seemed to have hit Shinsou in the gut, knocking the air out of him and making him stumble away. Denki blinked again, swearing he saw Deku hesitate at the sound of her voice, Eri's bright eyes staring up at him in fear and making him hold back. The moment Shinsou recovered and hid Eri from view, though, the monster was back, screaming at him and throwing whips and punches much faster than Shinsou could keep up.

I was right."

Denki thought slowly, looking at the door once again before the pieces finally came together for him.

"Both of us aren't getting attacked!"

Denki stumbled over his feet, trying to run towards Shinsou. It was more of an awkward jog mixed in with an unstable shuffle, but he was still making ground. "Shinsou!" he yelled, trying to get the other boy's attention.

He heard a grunt as Shinsou rolled out of the way, Eri yelled at the movement, and Deku once again froze for a second, hesitating on his next attack. "Shinsou!" He yelled again, his voice not sounding like his own as he yelled out to him. "Put Eri in front of you!"

"What!?" Shinsou yelled back, moving backwards and to the side to try and maneuver himself closer to Denki and their goal. "Are you crazy?"

"Deku won't attack!" Denki yelled back, still coming towards him in the hopes of helping. "It's like with Mic! He won't attack!"

Shinsou let out another grunt as Midoriya crowded his space, not letting him get by and making him retreat again. "I can't risk it!" He huffed, watching as Deku destroyed another part of the wall where his head used to be.

"Just trust me!" Denki screamed, his voice sounding a little shrieky in his ear as desperation clawed up his throat. Shinsou looked over at him for a second, seeming to only realize now how close he has gotten. His eyes were wide as he tried to gauge the situation, but he wasn't able to think long, black whip coming back out and piercing along the floor where Shinsou was stepping, making him have to dance out of the way if he didn't want to get caught. He fumbled the last step as his foot caught on some rubble from Deku's previous blows, making him lose his balance and start to tip over. Midoriya didn't hesitate to wrap his leg up in black whip and start reeling him in. Shinsou let out a grunt in pain as he landed on his back, trying to save Eri from the fall but making it harder for him to fight in the process.

Denki huffed, pushing himself to go the extra mile and get in front of Deku himself. His feet hurt as he walked over broken tile and rocks, but he didn't stop until he somehow wormed his way in front of Midoriya and could put his hands on black whip. Midoriya let out a noise that was borderline confused as Denki suddenly blocked his vision, growling at him in frustration as he continued to pull Shinsou in.

"Kaminari?" Shinsou hissed as he looked over his shoulder at him, his eyes filled with fear, but Denki brushed him off.

"He won't attack me. But I can't hold him off forever. Put Eri in front of you so he can't see your face." He grunted out, losing at the tug-a-war he was having with Deku while he was still reeling Shinsou in without an issue.

"Kamina--"

"Please!" Denki begged, watching as he was getting closer to Deku and would soon be pushed out of the way. He wouldn't be able to be a protective screen for much longer with how Midoriya lifted his hand like he was ready to swat him away.

"I can do it!" Eri yelled at Shinsou, already trying to get out of the makeshift backpack. "I can do it!"

Shinsou only hesitated for a moment, listening to his sister's conviction before nodding his head, letting go of the floor to instead untangle her from his capture scarf. "Okay, okay. Hold still."

Denki felt like it took forever, but Eri was finally free, standing up and behind Denki as she waited for instructions. He saw the determination in his eyes and almost laughed at how similar the look was to her brothers. "Shinsou, stay down; hide behind Eri at all costs. Eri, stand next to black whip. Don't touch it, but try and make sure you're standing as close to it as possible."

"Right!" Eri yelled, taking her position with a wide stance, as if she were a wall that refused to move. Denki nodded, not having much time to rethink his plan with Shinsou so close to being bitten.

Denki yelped as a hand suddenly swiped him, pushing him out of the way and making him stumble into the wall. His shoulder throbbed as it hit the wall, but he ignored it in favor of checking on the situation. "Don't move!" He yelled, seeing Eri look at him in shock as Midoriya pushed him away. "Look at him." He instructed, watching as Deku froze at the sight of Eri.

"D-deku." She whispered, looking scared as she faced him down but not budging from her spot. Midoriya shuttered, like he was suddenly repulsed. He watched as he shrieked and withered as if in pain before letting Shinsou go. The black whip brushed past Eri's head but didn't touch, Midoriya seeming to be stuck in place as he stared the little girl down.

Denki moved, pushing off the wall and stumbling to Shinsou. "G-Get behind me!" He instructed, standing in front of him but behind Eri so he didn't disturb the staring match that was going on. "Don't let your face show." Shinsou slowly got up, grabbing his shoulder but hunching over to hide behind Denki's smaller frame.

"W-What now?" Eri asked, starting to fidget after having to stare at Midoriya's unsettling face for so long. Denki put a hand on Eri's shoulder, hearing Deku let out a growl but not doing anything else.

"N-Now, we slowly walk towards the door. Keep your eyes on him; we have to make sure he doesn't see Shinsou." He whispered to the girl, seeing her nod and feeling a squeeze on his shoulder from Hitoshi.

He took a shakey breath before taking the first step, the other two following his lead as they all slowly made their way around Midoriya and towards the door. It was slow going, having to pace themselves to match Eri's small steps, but it was working. Midoriya still stood frozen in the middle of the hall, watching them with interest but also unfocused eyes.

"How is this working?" Hitoshi whispered to him, making him flinch at the sudden noise.

"I don't know for sure." He whispered back. "But I think his memories, or something, are keeping him from wanting to hurt Eri."

"I get that." Shinsou stated, his grip on his shoulder tightening. "But why is he not attacking you?"

"I... think he knows I'm one of them."

Shinsou didn't say anything to that, staying silent as they made it the last few feet to the door. He almost sighed in relief as Shinsou's back bumped into it, pushing it open and slipping in. Denki soon followed, pulling Eri with him and finally out of Midoriya's sight.

They all flinched as the bloodcurdling shriek echoed outside of the room, Midoriya sounding upset with what just happened, but when he didn't try and bust down the door, he figured they were safe for now. Shinsou didn't seem to want to take any chances though, using an IV stand to jam it between the double doors, locking them together. It was only then that he let out a sigh of relief. His shoulders slumped as he allowed his exhaustion to be seen.

"Shinsou!" Eri wailed, coming up to hug his legs. He quickly bent down to give his sister a proper hug, whispering to her about how brave she was and how calm she was able to stay. Letting her know that he was proud of her amongst all the other hushed praise.

Denki smiled at the display of affection, truly happy for the two siblings and thankful that neither one got hurt. He turned to look around the room, familiar with the infirmary but wanting to see if anything changed or looked out of place. He wasn't even sure if Recovery Girl was here, so maybe if she is, they could ask her for...

Denki's world continued to spin well after he turned, his vision not clearing and making the colors blur to the point of making him nauseous. He felt himself in free fall, assuming he lost his balance but not able to process anything else as his body hit the ground hard. His head hurt, something pulsing behind his eyes and making him wince. His heart continued to beat in his chest, sounding loud in his ear as it matched the rhythm of the pulse in his head. He almost had the urge to claw at his eyes to get at the pulse point, his jaw clenching hard as if that would ease the pain. Biting down seemed to ease it a little, surprisingly, but it didn't feel like enough at the same time.

"Kaminari!" Shinsou shouted, feeling his body be moved and situated so he was sitting up against something. "Kaminari! Are you with me?"

He let out a hum in lude of a real answer, still trying to get his head to stop hurting and his jaw to relax, but they wouldn't listen to him. He felt a warm hand cup his cheek, his head lulling to nuzzle into it on instinct as he sought any form of comfort. "Come on, Kaminari, come back to me." The voice coaxed, doing a good job of bringing Denki out of whatever fog has fallen over him and back to reality.

He peeked one of his eyes open, finding the world somewhat stable again, blinking the other open so that he could see Shinsou crouched in front of him, looking either ready to run or to cry. "There he is." Shinsou spoke softly, still cupping his tense jaw and talking to him like he would a scared animal. "Good to see you're still with us, Kaminari."

He hissed as he tried to pry his jaw open, needing to say something. With one swipe of Shinsou's thumb over his tense muscles, Denki suddenly felt his mouth relax again, taking in the soothing gesture like a balm against his flushed face. "D-Denki." He stuttered out, still trying to get proper movement in his jaw.

Shinsou frowned at him, raising his eyebrow in question. "What?"

"C-Call me Denki." He said again, trying to work a smile onto his face. "After everything... I think we're close enough for you to call me by my first name."

Shinsou laughed, letting go of his jaw and taking all his warmth with it. "I think that sounds fair. You can call me Hitoshi if you like."

Denki frowned, suddenly realizing how cold he truly felt now that Shinsou's warmth was gone. He felt his hands trembling in his lap, his muscles sizing up again, and only now realized that this wasn't quirk-related anymore. "H-Hitoshi?" He whispered, testing out the name for the first time and hating how sweet it felt when he knew he wouldn't be able to say it for much longer.

"Yeah?" Hitoshi asked back, looking at him with so much worry in his eyes that Denki didn't know how to handle it. His vision started to blur again, but not from whatever was happening with his body.

"I don't want to die." He whispered, tears threatening to spill as he admitted the dark truth that he's been holding onto all night.

"Hey, hey, hey." Hitoshi whispered back, holding his face in his hands once more as he tried to soothe him. "You're not going to die. I- There has to be something around here that can help."

Denki shook his head. "N-No. I can feel it." He hissed, Hitoshi looking like a purple blob as his vision continued to be blurred by the tears now freely running down his face. "I won't be me for much longer."

Hitoshi went to stand up, his face looking at the cabinets and drawing frantically like the antidote would just jump out and present itself to him. "D-don't worry. We can find something. I'll find something to fix this."

Denki grabbed at his sweatpants, looking up at him with determination. "No!"

"No?" Hitoshi yelled back in hysteria. "What do you mean, no?"

"Don't go." Denki said softly. "Please? I-I don't want my last moments to be alone."

Hitoshi looked down at him, his face crumbling with every second that went by. He turned away, rubbing the back of his neck in thought before nodding his head. "Eri," he spoke, looking at his sister. Denki almost forgot she was here. "Go to the quirk room; double check that it's stocked and ready for Denki. If you hear anything off or weird, don't hesitate to lock the door and hide in there. Do you understand?"

"But what about--"

"Eri, please." Hitoshi begged, looking at her like he was also on the brink of tears.

Eri closed her mouth, looking hesitant before nodding in agreement. "Make sure Denki feels better." She demanded and got a curt nod from her brother in return.

"I will, I promise."

With that, Eri left, Denki able to hear her footsteps cross the room and into the next one over, the door closing with a soft click to indicate they were alone now. Hitoshi was once again down at his side, looking at his face like he was searching for something. Denki didn't know what he looked like right now, but he knows he probably doesn't look the best. Hitoshi looked down, letting out a curse under his breath before looking back at him.

"I'm so sorry, Denki." Denki frowned, thinking that hearing his first name come from his mouth would make his heart flutter, but the remorse in his voice made it sound bitter instead.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." He said, but Hitoshi thought otherwise.

"No. If I was just paying attention, if I was a little bit quicker, you wouldn't be in this mess."

"I would rather it be me than you." He said truthfully, but that just seemed to make it worse, Hitoshi looking at him like he was the moon, the sun, and the stars all burning up and crashing down into the earth.

"It's not fair." He whispered, and Denki wanted to agree; he wanted to cry his eyes out and just ask Hitoshi to hold him for his last few moments, but he couldn't do it. As much as he wanted to make this about him, he hated the idea of Hitoshi thinking this was his fault and he couldn't leave him with this unnecessary guilt. If his last moments were comforting Hitoshi, then they would be well spent.

"It's not." He started to say, having to swallow to keep the sob from escaping. "But it's okay. It's like you said! I shouldn't have lasted this long in the first place."

His attempt at a joke fell flat between them, bile rising in his throat in place of a sob as he remembered how much of a coward he had been all night. How he saw what had happened to his classmates and how he had left them to their fates as he ran. Guilt built up again, showing him images of Momo's devastating state and his friends' horrible demise.

"Denki." Hitoshi said, sounding like he was about to say more, but Denki cut him off, using his last few moments as a confessional so he didn't have to take all these thoughts with him to the grave.

"No. It's true. I was there when everything went down. I was there before it even did. I saw my friends start to get hurt. I saw them try to hold Bakugou down and how Momo's arm was destroyed. I saw EVERYTHING. But I didn't stop to help. I didn't fight for them like the rest of the class! I ran! I ran like the coward that I am because I was scared a-and didn't want to die!"

Denki started crying again, the weight of his words making him feel more terrible and knowing that Hitoshi was now aware of how much of a coward he was only adding salt to the wound. "I couldn't deal with it! I ran like an idiot with no destination and turned my back on those who needed help. I-I I'm not a he-ro! Not even cl-ose! Just an idiot that's finally got caught."

He hung his head in shame, not able to meet Hitoshi's face and see the disgust that was probably in his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut, wanting nothing more than to see love in those eyes but never getting the chance and probably never will. He let out a whine, shaking his head at the thought. "It's not fair. It's not FAIR!" He yelled out, huffing as he continued on.

"I-I had so much to live for... So much I wanted to do! B-But I was a coward!" He let out a wet laugh, finally seeing that the truth was dangling in front of him the entire time. He looked up at Hitoshi, unable to read his face as he spilled all his deepest, darkest secrets. "You know I had a huge crush on you? Still do, actually... I'm just so scared of you rejecting me—and with good reason—you barely accepted my extension of friendship, so I knew you would kick me to the curb if you found out I had feelings for you." He let out another wet laugh. "I think that was just an excuse though... I don't think I could handle the rejection, you know? I was too scared to take the risk…"

He nodded to himself, agreeing with his assessment. "Yeah. Makes sense. Once a coward, always a coward... And now I'm going to die a coward's death b-because I was scared to d-die alone."

He took a shaky breath, blinking the tears out of his eyes so that he could see clearly again. No more words threatened to spill from his mouth, so he figured that meant that he was done. All his feelings are finally out in the open. He felt lighter, but that might just be another side effect of the poison in him.

He felt two strong hands grip his shoulders, their warmth radiating into his cold skin and warming his core. "Denki," Hitoshi spoke, making him look up at how hoarse he sounded, like he was trying to hold back emotions. His impassive mask was cracking again as he stared into his soul as if he wanted what he was about to say to be forever imprinted on him. "You…are no coward. You're a hero."

Denki looked at him like he was crazy. He just told him why he wasn't anything close to being a hero. "But--"

"Did you not just save me from Midoriya?" Hitoshi questioned with conviction. Denki stayed silent, not sure as to what to say to that. Hitoshi didn't seem to mind his lack of answer, continuing on with his little speech. "Did you not save me from Tokoyami and Tsu? From Mic when he was going to bite me?! Aren't you the one that knocked Hagakura off of me when she was trying to strangle me? Knocked out ALL the zombies we encountered?"

He looked wild as he continued to basically scream at Denki everything that he supposedly did right, looking like he wasn't going to stop anytime soon. "You knew things that I didn't! Your observation skills are exceptional! And I wouldn't have made it this far without you!"

"That's not true!" Denki rushed in to say. "You're an amazing hero!"

"And so are you!" He countered firmly before letting out a sigh. "Look, when I saw you running in those halls in the very beginning, I felt so much relief and didn't hesitate to pull you in because I was thankful YOU were okay!"

Hitoshi moved to bring his hands back to Denki's face, cupping it like he was a treasure meant to be admired and appreciated. "I wanted nothing more than for you to be safe and to have you by my side. With you watching my back, I had never felt safer."

"Hitoshi." Denki tried to say, but the taller teen shook his head, letting him know that he wasn't done.

"I felt safe because you're MY hero, Denki."

Denki gasped, never being told by anyone that he was their hero before, or even a hero in general. It felt so good to hear. He didn't realize how much he needed to hear it until it was out of Hitoshi's mouth. Fresh tears wet his face as he looked at him with hope in his eyes. Silently begging for Hitoshi to tell him that he means it.

"Just some hero hopefuls...the both of us," Hitoshi stated, like he knew what Denki was asking. "I was happy that you were by my side because I also wanted to keep you safe." Hitoshi admitted. "You... also mean a lot to me." He laughed to himself, giving Denki a rare half smile as he looked down at him. "If you're a coward, then so am I, because I think I've been in love with you since you called me a hero for the first time."

Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump. Da-Thump.

Denki's heart painfully shook in his rib cage, violently trying to get out as he processed Hitoshi's words.

"He likes me back!"

He thought with a shaky breath, leaning forward in his hold as if getting even an inch closer would help him see the truth.

"You like me?" he blurted out, needing to hear the confirmation out loud.

Hitoshi blushed a lovely shade of pink, looking down for a second before nodding, smiling at him with a small chuckle. "Well, I think I technically said love, but yeah. I like you."

Denki wheezed, wanting to laugh in joy but seeming to not have enough air in his lungs to achieve it. His heart squeezed to the point of bursting, his body feeling warm again as the realization that these feelings were returned washed over him. His eyes traveled down to Hitoshi's lips, wanting nothing more than to taste them with his own, but he couldn't do that. It was too risky with what was happening to him.

"Fuck." Denki said instead, frustrated with how this was only coming to light now that it was the end.

"I get it." Hitoshi answered him with a sad smile, as if thinking the same thing as him.

"Why do we have such horrible timing?" He complained and got a real laugh out of Hitoshi.

"I couldn't tell you. I just seem to be our luck."

"Well, our luck is shit!"

Hitoshi snorted. "You could say that again."

Denki sighed, a coughing fit suddenly being ripped from his lungs and making him hunch over as he tried to get past it. His chest convulsed as it tried to knock something that wasn't there out, making it hard for him to breathe in more air.

"Denki!" Hitoshi said worriedly, having let go of his face so that he could cough, his hands still hovering like he didn't know what to do.

He could only cough, feeling a sludge bubble in the back of his throat before finally getting hacked to the front. He needed to spit it out, turning away from Hitoshi to let it slide out of his mouth and onto the floor. It seemed to be a mix of spit and the white foam that he's seen other classmates spewing out of their mouths. He quickly wiped his mouth with his arm, feeling disgusted beyond belief.

"Are you feeling better?" Hitoshi asked, and Denki had to fight to keep from laughing.

"I wouldn't call it better." He rasped, his throat still not fully recovered from his violent fit. "Shit. I don't think anyone else went through these symptoms."

"It affects people differently." Hitoshi stated simply. "Maybe you're just really unlucky."

Denki rolled his eyes, having already established how terrible his luck is. Hitoshi slowly moved forward to intertwine their hands, squeezing it to show he wasn't going anywhere.

"Don't worry. I'll be here till the end."

Denki frowned, not wanting this to be the end. He wanted to kiss Hitoshi. Hold him in his arms and discuss their future as heroes together. He doesn't have anymore tears to cry, only able to sit in silence as he tries to soak up all the warmth Hitoshi was willing to give him. He felt hollow, unable to really feel anymore as he just waited for the moment that his thoughts were no longer his own.

"How did this happen?"

He wondered, still baffled about how the night started with fun and games, and now it was ending with him losing his life. He wondered if this is how Bakugou felt as he sat at game night. In his body but also not at the same time. He wished that he just noticed that something was wrong. Spoke up or maybe even asked more about the kid because then he could have given more information to Aizawa and he might have been here already with a solution to this problem.

It was still hard to believe. This all happened because Bakugou wouldn't go see the nurse and was bit by some feral kid. He could laugh at the thought, thinking about how pissed off Bakugou would have been as being bossed by a kid to fight and bite the villains like he just did to him. He giggled, still finding the image just as funny as when Todoroki told the class.

"What's so funny?" He looked over at Hitoshi, noting his somber face as he stared at him.

"Just thinking about how this started." He admitted.

"Seems like forever ago." Hitoshi committed, shaking his head as he thought back.

"All because some kid bit Bakugou and then told him to fight the villains."

Hitoshi snorted, able to see the humor in it as well, even though the results of what happened were so grim. "So stupid."

"Tell me about it. Can you imagine? Some kid biting you and then commanding you to bite the villains back."

Hitoshi squinted his eyes, looking him curiously. "What?"

Denki blinked at him, not understanding why his moods suddenly shifted. "The kid." He wheezed. "When he bit Bakugou, he said something along the lines of fight the bad guy and bit them if he could."

"The kid TOLD Bakugou to bite them?"

"Yeah?" Denki answered hesitantly. "Sounded like he was a mini Bakugou, commanding others to do his bidding, you know?"

"He COMMANDED?" Hitoshi asked again, putting emphasis on the word.

Denki furrowed his brow at him. "Yeah. That's what I said."

Hitoshi rubbed his hands down his face, looking off to the side as he began to mumble to himself before looking back at Denki. "Are you sure that is what he said?"

"I- uh, no? This was all secondhand by Todoroki, but he made it seem like he was telling Bakugou what to do, you know?" Denki searched Hitoshi's face, trying to see what was so significant, but was not able to figure it out. "Hitoshi, what are you--"

"--All of them know my quirk." Hitoshi blurted out, cutting him off. "I haven't been able to use it all night because of it, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't be effective against them."

"Well, sure." Denki agreed. "But what does that have to do with--" Denki cut himself off, looking at Hitoshi with wide eyes. Hitoshi nodded at him, seeming to see the moment that it clicked for him. "You think it's... Mind control?"

"It's possible." Hitoshi answered quickly. "And I can't guarantee it, but it would make sense, right? Bakugou was hit—or bit—by a quirk and given instructions. He then later goes on a rampage to fulfill those instructions. Fighting and then biting those that get too close."

Denki sat up straighter, listening to Hitoshi's explanation intently. "Do you think that means you quirk could override it?"

Hitoshi looked at him, his eyes widening before furrowing in concern. "I honestly don't know. I haven't tested my quirk on someone who is already being controlled or if I'm strong enough to cancel out the other quirk."

"Only one way to find out!" Denki asked, eagerly looking at Hitoshi, who suddenly looked scared.

"Denki, I can't--"

"--you can." He answered for him, looking determined. Hitoshi looked conflicted, his shoulders sagging as he held onto Dekni's hand.

"But what if it doesn't work?" He asked, seeming to not want to let him down, even though it was impossible to do so.

"Then we can say we tried." Denki answered back firmly, squeezing his hand to show that he was okay with this. "You and Eri can go and try to find Aizawa when he arrives and fix everything, okay?"

Hitoshi took a deep breath, seeming to mentally prepare himself before nodding in agreement. "Okay. fine.  Let's do this."

Denki smiled at him, so happy that Hitoshi was willing to try and just be here with him in general. "Thank you, Hitoshi."

"Don't thank me yet." He mumbled before clearing his throat. "Okay then. Um, do you... Uh, maybe  you would... want to go on a date with me?"

Denki smiled at him, feeling butterflies flutter in his stomach at the question. "Of course--"

Denki's world suddenly went black.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Do you know the feeling of having a blanket cover your entire being? How you have the sudden urge to be covered head to toe, squeezing your eyes tight in the cocoon you made for yourself. It felt safe. It was your secret hideout that only you know about. No monsters, demons, or bad thoughts can make it through the protective barrier you have willed into existence. It felt magical.

Kaminari felt nothing.

He felt the blanket wrapped around his mind, leaving him in the dark with no real idea of where he was or what was going on around him, but no feeling came with it. He didn't feel safe -didn't feel scared either- he just didn't feel.

He wanted to say it was like when he overused his quirk and lost several higher functions as his brain rebooted, but even when he was in that mode, he could still hear and see. He could perceive his surroundings, but here…he didn't even know if he truly existed.

It wasn't so bad. The pain he was feeling also didn't exist here. It was like he could breathe easier, yet knew his lungs weren't being used at the same time. It was somewhat lonely, his thoughts drifting through his brain like a river of honey. Slow, yet still traveling fast enough for him to not be able to grasp what they are. Once in a while, an idea will stick, like someone had fished the words out of the river for him to devour with his full concentration.

"... Safe…"

"... Undo…"

"... Mine…"

The words felt like his own, but not at the same time. It was an echo in his head that he repeated to himself until it was the truth. Until it was all he knew and understood. He clung to those words in the darkness and pressed them into his heart until it enveloped him like a second skin. He didn't know why he was compelled to do it, but it just felt right. He trusted these words more than he trusted his own fleeting thoughts and held them like precious stars that were slowly lighting up his black sky.

Kaminari blinked, noting that it wasn't his imagination, and the world was suddenly getting brighter. Several small spots danced in his eyes until a hot white flash suddenly blinded him. He closed his eyes tight at the sudden feeling of whiplash; like his body and mind were slammed back together. He felt his hand twitch, suddenly very aware of his body and how he was sitting on the cold tile floor. He could feel it seep into his bare feet, and how the bed frame he was leaning against dug painfully into his back.

He felt.

He had his thoughts again; he had emotions he wasn't ready to feel again, and he had someone holding onto his shoulder with such care it felt hot against his skin. He blinked his eyes open, finding lilac eyes staring right back at him with concern and worry clearly swirling in them. Kaminari breathed, his body now needing it and finding the last piece falling into place. He didn't feel sick.

His body was sore and tired, and his foot was still aching from the bite, but he didn't feel like he was dying anymore. He took a shaking breath in, sitting up straighter to stare deeper into Hitoshi's eyes, wondering what he had done and if he saw what he was currently feeling.

Kaminari's eyes tracked as Hitoshi liked his dry lips, seeming to be trying to muster up the courage to say something but needing more time. He was fine with that. He also felt like he needed a moment to process what was going on.

"Denki." Hitoshi whispered in the space between them, saying it like a prayer as his eyes begged him to answer him back. "Are you still with me?"

His mouth twitched with the need to smile, trying to show through his eyes alone just how present he felt in that moment. "Always."

Hitoshi let out a breath that sounded like he had been holding for several minutes, moving to cup Denki's face as he looked him over. "Y-you sure? Do you still feel…"

He placed his hands on top of his, rubbing soothing circles on the back of them as a smile finally spread across his face. "I still feel like shit if I'm being honest." He couldn't help but tease. "But I don't think I'm going to go anywhere anytime soon."

"Really?" Hitoshi asked, still not sounding convinced.

Denki just squeezed his hand reassuringly. "You did it!" He cheered. "Your quirk worked!"

"Oh, thank All Might." Hitoshi whispered as he pulled Denki fully in for a hug, his arms wrapping around his head in a loving hold. Denki couldn't help but think it felt like the blanket he was wrapped in before, but this time he felt everything and reveled in the warmth and obvious care Hitoshi was showering him in. "I was so scared."

Hitoshi admitted to his blond hair. "I-I didn't know what to say or how to undo it, so I just talked and hoped that it would be enough."

"It was," Denki said simply, "I never doubted you."

Hitoshi pulled back to look at him, a crooked smile on his face as he just stared at him with affection. "It's true. You did."

"Does that mean Kaminari will be okay?"

Both of them flinched at the sudden third voice, turning to see Eri had snuck up on them and was now looking at them hesitantly. Her hands were balled up in her skirt like she was scared but refused to back down even under both of their stares.

"Eri!" Hitoshi hissed, his face red in embarrassment. "I thought I told you to stay in the other room!"

"I was but then it got quiet and I got scared that something happened!" Eri whined back, looking between the both of them before facing down at the ground. Her hands held her skirt tighter, seeming to try and will something to happen, but unwilling to voice it out loud. Denki frowned at that, not liking to see the young girl so upset. He scooted his body towards her, opening his arms up in invitation as he tried to give her a reassuring smile.

"It's all good, Eri. I'm okay. Nothing bad happened."

Eri looked up at his words and didn't even hesitate to dive into his arms. He held the girl close to his chest, running a soothing hand up and down her back as she tried to keep her breathing under control. Denki felt bad, knowing how scared he was in this situation and how Eri probably was feeling even worse. He held her tighter, wanting to make sure she felt secure and safe with them. He didn't get much time to think about what he should say to comfort her before Hitoshi joined the hug, encircling the both of them as he softly spoke to his sister.

"It's okay. I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier, but I just wanted to keep you safe. I know this was really scary, but thank you for staying strong through it all."

Eri let out a whimper, keeping her eyes shut tight as she tried to get control of her bottom lip. Denki squeezed her impossibly tighter, looking at Hitoshi for guidance before trying to cheer the girl up. "Yeah, you've been so brave about everything! I wish I had your courage because then I might have been able to stop any of this from happening."

Hitoshi gave him a sharp look, evidently not liking his choice of comforting method, but before he could protest, Eri spoke up, looking at them with hope in her eyes. "But you can fix it now, right?"

Hitoshi and Denki blinked down at her, thinking it over before looking at each other to see if they knew the answer to her question. "I'm not sure," Hitoshi finally admitted with a sigh. "I can override the mind control, but that doesn't mean it will work on someone who is already completely…infected."

"I don't see why not," Denki argued. "Mind control is mind control. No matter what stage of madness they're in."

"But they won't answer me." Hitoshi countered. "The only reason I finally got to try is because you let me."

Denki pursed his lips, knowing this to be a fact but not liking the answer. He looked at Hitoshi's capture scarf for a moment before a thought suddenly struck him. "Why do you have your capture scarf but not your vocal cords?"

"What?" Hitoshi asked.

Denki pointed to his scarf again. "You have your scarf, but not your vocal cords. Why did you bring one and not the other?"

"Technically, I didn't even bring my capture scarf," Hitoshi admitted with a sigh. "I left mine hanging from my dorm window when I snuck out. This one is actually my dad's spare he keeps in the teacher's lounge."

Denki made a noise of recognition, wanting to say how cute it was that Hitoshi's dad taught him to use the same weapon, but didn't want to get sidetracked from the conversation at hand. "So your stuff is back in the dorms?"

"Yeah."

"Then it looks like we're going to the dorms." Denki said with finality, letting go of Eri so he could try to stand up.

Hitoshi looked at him like he was crazy, grabbing his shoulder to stop him from moving. "Are you serious? That's not only across campus, but we'll also have to go outside! Who knows who is lurking out there?"

"Probably everyone we haven't run into yet." Denki said with a shrug and got an even look from Hitoshi for his obvious answer.

"The dorms are still on lockdown. There is no way to get in or out of them."

"Did you, or did you not just say that you snuck out through your open window?"

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean that it will still be open. Someone must have gone looking for me when I didn't show up for the headcount and closed the window."

Denki raised an eyebrow at him, wondering why he was arguing against him so hard. "Are you saying that a single glass pane is enough to stop you?"

Hitoshi gave him a look right back. "Are you saying you WANT me to break in and set off whatever alarm that WILL go off when I bust in?"

Denki shrugged. "I mean…kind of."

Hitoshi let out a sigh, shaking his head as he rubbed at his eyes. "No. It's too dangerous. We should just stay put until Dad comes back. It's close to sunrise, so we'll only have to wait for another two or so hours."

"Oh, come on!" Denki groaned. "We finally understand what's going on and how we can fix it, and you're telling me you don't want to?"

"It's not that I don't want to," Hitoshi argued back. "I just understand it's dangerous and we shouldn't take unnecessary risks!"

"This whole night has been dangerous!"

"And because of that, I almost lost you!" Hitoshi yelled at him, his hard face softening as he registered his own words. He turned away, his ear red in embarrassment, but not backing down from his stance. "We got lucky this time. We might not be the next, and I can't sit here and watch either of you get hurt."

He glanced over at Eri, his eyes lingering as he watched his sister shift nervously. "You're my responsibility. I will not put you in more danger than I already have."

Denki wanted to argue with Hitoshi that he was a pro hero in training and that danger was just a part of the job, but he couldn't use that argument for Eri. She was just a child and had already seen way more violence than most adults had ever seen in their lifetime. He looked down at his hands, flexing them to feel the strength within them and being disappointed with what he found. He was still exhausted and at his limits as far as using his quirk went. He feels rejuvenated compared to how he felt an hour ago when he was slowly being mind-controlled, but not enough to look out for himself and a defenseless person.

"Then leave me here and go be a hero." Denki snapped his head towards the small girl he was just thinking about, suddenly doubting his assessment of the girl when he saw the determination on her face.

"Eri." Hitoshi said, his tone sounding exasperated in the only way a sibling can bring out.

"Papa and Dad leave to be heroes all the time!" Eri yelled, not backing down from her argument. "Now it's your turn."

"Yes, but they always leave someone to look after you. I can't do that." Hitoshi said back slowly in the hopes of her understanding.

"I'm safe here." Eri gestured to the surrounding space. "I'll do what you said and place myself in the other room and lock the door. We can even make up a new password so I know it's you coming to get me!"

"That is so irresponsible!" Hitoshi yelled. "Dad told me to look after you, so I'm going to look after you!"

"They won't hurt me. Kaminari said they don't want to hurt me, so I should be fine."

"She's got a point." Denki agreed with her and got a sharp glare from Hitoshi for it.

"That doesn't mean that all of them won't try something."

"Which is why I'll hide. I'm great at it!"

Hitoshi put up his hands, looking done with this conversation and wanting to put it to rest for good. "I'm not leaving you and that's final."

"If you're worried that much, then save Papa first!" Eri yelled with a stomp of her foot. "Or Deku, or Tsu, o-or any of them!" Eri's cheeks were red from the force of her voice, looking like an angry red apple as she stared her brother down. "Save my friends! Save Papa!"

Denki could see the moment Hitoshi gave in to his sister's request. His shoulders sagging and his face looked tired as he stared his sister down. He didn't say anything at first, but he knew he could not say no this time around. Hitoshi looked over at him, silently pleading as he waited for Denki to interject or say that this was a bad idea, but that would not happen. If anything, Denki was even more hyped to help his friends. He could finally right his wrongs and come back and save the day. He might have run like a coward at first, but he would not run this time. Finally, the taller teen let out a sigh, nodding his head in agreement.

"Okay, you're right. If there is a chance that we can help everyone, then we should. We're heroes after all."

Denki smiled up at him while Eri did a little cheer. "But that means you have to be on your best behavior and actually stay put!" Hitoshi told the excited girl. "That means keeping the door locked until I, or someone with the code, opens it."

"Of course!" Eri agreed, listening to her brother as he walked her over to the quirk room and started knocking on the door in a new code. Eri watched intently before knocking back with her response. Hitoshi nodded at her and made her do it two more times to make sure she had it down before bending down to hug her.

"Be good. Stay safe." He whispered into her hair and got a firm nod in response.

"I will. I love you."

"I love you too."

Denki turned away from the scene, his cheeks feeling hot at hearing Hitoshi say the word love again, even though it wasn't directed at him. He focused on standing up, using the bed as support as his tired muscles protested against being used again. He just got upright and balanced without any support when Hitoshi came to stand at his side.

"Are you sure you want to do this? You can stay with Eri." Hitoshi asked him, his voice just as gentle as it was towards Eri.

"And miss all the excitement? Never."

Hitoshi let out a snort, rolling his eyes before looking at him one last time. He frowned when he got to his injured foot. "We really should bandage this…or find you an actual pair of shoes."

"Why bother? What's the worst that could happen? It getting infected?"

"Harr-Harr." Hitoshi said sarcastically, going to get some bandages to at least wrap it. "Do me a favor and sit on the bed."

"But I just got up!" Denki complained, but still did as he was told.

"This will only take a second." Hitoshi assured, kneeling by his foot to get a better look at it. He hissed when Hitoshi took off his ruined sock, taking a lot of the grime and dried blood with it. Hitoshi diligently cleaned around the wound, being extra gentle around the obvious bite mark that wasn't red with an infection like all his friends were sporting.

"I say we find the closest classroom and make our way to my dorm from the outside. We would have more places to hide and fewer obstacles in our way."

Denki nodded, trying not to flinch away from the other's touch as he wrapped up the wound. "S-sounds good. But let's try to avoid my dorm building in case some of my classmates are still lurking in it."

Hitoshi let out a hum in agreement, not speaking until he finished the wrapping with a knot on the top of his foot. It wasn't the prettiest, but it should stay on even as they run through the campus. "We'll come from the backside. My dorm window is on that side anyway."

"Perfect." Denki said, wiggling his toes to make sure he still had a good range of motion before standing up. Hitoshi was instantly there helping him by placing his hands on his shoulder and waist as he stood. If anything, the contact made him lose his balance more, his body wanting to lean into the touch subconsciously.

"Are you sure you're good enough to come along?" Hitoshi asked again and got a firm head nod in confirmation.

"I know I can do this. Plus, I want to help set things right. My friends need me."

Hitoshi smiled at him, looking at him fondly as his warm hands stayed pressed to his skin. "And I need you. If anything goes wrong, I promise to protect you."

Denki blushed, finding it hard to look the other teen in the eye but unable to stop his heart from fluttering at the words. "Right back at you."

"Make sure Kami comes back safe! I want to be the flower girl at your wedding."

They both flinched again at the sudden interruption, their bubble being broken as they turned around to see Eri poking her head out the door to look at them.

"Eri!" Hitoshi yelled at her, clearly embarrassed as his face turned bright red. "You're supposed to be hiding!"

Eri giggled, closing and locking the door behind her so that her brother couldn't go in and retaliate. Hitoshi groaned, looking over at Denki, before quickly turning away. "Little sisters are the worst."

Denki couldn't hold it in any longer and laughed, pushing into the taller teen's shoulder to show he didn't mind her jabs, even though he also felt flustered at the thought of marrying Hitoshi. "Come on. We got a long trek ahead of us."

---

They made it out of the school with little issue. Denki was worried Midoryia would still be hanging around, but he seemed to have moved on well before they had left. He followed Hitoshi down the hall and around a couple of corners until they could enter an unlocked classroom. Hitoshi made quick work of silently entering the room and opening the window that led outside. Denki was grateful that they were on the bottom floor, not wanting to think about how they would have gotten down if they were a couple of floors up.

Hitoshi poked his head out, looking every which way to make sure the coast was clear. It was still pretty dark outside, so his ability to scope out the area was limited. Though Denki knew sunlight would soon grace the sky, the clock in the room confirmed what Hitoshi had said and only had a couple of hours until sunrise officially started.

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Denki swatted at a fly buzzing next to his ear, wondering how there was always one classroom that had a fly in it no matter what.

"Come on," Hitoshi whispered to him. "It's clear."

He instantly went to follow the taller teen out the window, watching him swiftly duck through and land on his feet. Hitoshi quickly came back to the window to help him through without even needing to ask. Denki blushed as he grabbed onto his waist, helping him gently fall and land on his injured foot without putting too much pressure on it.

"Thank you." He mumbled, silently mourning the loss of his warm hands as the other turned to leave towards the dorms.

"Don't mention it."

"I will definitely mention it at a later date."

Denki mused to himself, quickly following to keep pace with the others.

They first went towards the outskirts of the campus, away from all the street lights and sidewalks to hide in the trees along the property line. The grass covered the sound of their footsteps, allowing them to silently travel across campus. The grass was cold with the fresh morning dew already clinging to it, soaking his feet and making him shiver.

He had always liked how the campus looked at night. The lights and the building made for a perfect space to take quiet walks when he had too much energy and needed to clear his head. The quiet atmosphere didn't give him the same comfort as it did then. The lights didn't seem to stretch as far as he thought they did, and the safety he once felt was absent. The place looked too pristine for all the chaos they had just fought through, and the corners were too dark to not think that monsters were still hiding in them.

He looked back up at Hitoshi, noting how focused he was as he ducked behind trees and listened intentionally to their surroundings.

"I do feel safe with him."

Denki thought with affection, knowing that even if he did get bit again, Hitoshi could bring him back without an issue.

"But no one can help him if he gets bit."

His mind supplied unhelpfully, making him realize Hitoshi was at more risk than he was. If Hitoshi goes down, then their entire plan fails. He can't bring him back, nor can he snap the others out of their mind-controlled state.

"I'll just have to work harder to make sure nothing happens to him."

With his resolve hardened, Denki took to watching his back more vigilantly. Doing his best to maneuver just as silently and carefully as Hitoshi was. He wanted to make him proud and make sure he didn't regret bringing him along. They're a team! And a team looks after each other.

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Denki swatted at the fly still bumbling around him, wondering absently if it was the same one from the classroom and if it had also snuck out with them.

"Congrats on finally getting a free buddy."

Bzzzzzzzt!

Denki flinched back as the fly rammed into his face. His balance faltered as his foot slipped on the wet grass, making him stumble forward as he tried to recover. He swatted harder at the fly in frustration, annoyed with how it ruined his silent cover. The fly avoided him like an expert, dodging his hands only to come right back to buzz in his face. He thought that this battle would go on forever, but suddenly the bug zipped away. Denki didn't know if he had finally hit it or it got bored, but either way, the bug was finally gone.

He let out a huff of frustration, turning to continue walking only to find Hitoshi staring directly at him with an amused smile on his face. "You good?" He drawled lazily.

"There… There was a fly."

"I could see that."

Denki blushed in embarrassment, letting out a noise of frustration before trying to walk past Hitoshi and away from the situation. Hitoshi shot out his arm to stop him, the smile still on his face, but his eyes still held a hint of seriousness in them. He jerked his head to the side, indicating they were changing directions.

"My dorms are next to the school garden." He whispered, looking out behind the tree he was by to show Denki. "There isn't much cover that way, but it would avoid your dorm altogether and be a straight shot to mine."

"Okay," Denki nodded in understanding. "I say we go for it! We haven't seen anything yet, so maybe they aren't on this side of campus anymore."

"Let's hope so." Hitoshi grumbled, motioning for him to follow again as he quickly cut through the lawn and towards the back side of several apartment-like buildings.

Denki had to put more thought into his steps as he ran to keep up, not wanting a rock or a random twig to cut up his feet as he tried to follow in Hitoshi's footsteps. He was definitely slower than the taller student, their height and the fact that he had on proper shoes really came into play on the rougher terrain.

Hitoshi seemed to be aware of his situation and started shuffling his feet to make a clear path for him. All the while, he searched high and low for any sign of movement out in the dark courtyard. His heart squeezed at the kind act as he stepped with more confidence behind him.

They eventually made it to the corner of the first dorm building without issue. Hitoshi hugged the side as he peeked around the corner. Denki squished into his side, not wanting any of the nearby street lights to hit him. Hitoshi seemed to tense at the contact before relaxing into it, nudging him closer so he could also look around the corner.

"These are the general studies dorms." He explained in a hushed whisper. "We need to follow the path until we get to the entrance of the garden."

Denki blinked over Hitoshi's shoulder, looking at the walking path that wrapped around the dorm buildings that he had walked many times in the past, and the line of bushes that acted as the property line on the other side. He couldn't tell if everyone was still asleep or if lockdown was still in effect, the lack of lights coming from the dorms leaving the back side even darker than being out in the open. A couple of lights along the walking path still illuminated the area like beacons, but they were few and far in between.

"We'll avoid the lights." Hitoshi stated, as if he read his mind. "We just have to make it four buildings—"

—
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"—and then we should get to mine."

Hitoshi paused his explanation as he also swatted at the air, the fly seeming to have come back with a vengeance. Denki tried to muffle his snort, finding the irony of the situation hilarious but knowing they couldn't make noise. Hitoshi still heard him glaring at him as he swatted the fly a few more times before seeming to give up and turn back toward their destination.

"We don't have time for this."

"Really? Because we seemed to have all the time in the world when it was bugging me." Denki mumbled back and got a sharp look for his jab.

Bzzzzzt!

The fly seemed to have agreed with him, diving into Hitoshi's face and making him flinch away. "What's a fly doing out here anyway? Isn't it too cold for them?"

Denki could only shrug, assuming Hitoshi didn't need a real answer from him, while also not having an explanation in the first place. The two of them continued in silence, both of them watching their surroundings and keeping a close eye on each other. The only sounds that could be heard were the dull noise of Hitoshi's shoes hitting the concrete path and the sound of the fly zipping around them.

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It was almost like a live wire, the buzzing coming in and filling the space with a charged energy that Denki didn't know what to do with. It was annoying, yet also seemed to carry ill attention with it. He wasn't sure why he had that feeling -it was just a fly after all- but with how his night had been going so far, he couldn't just ignore it.

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"There." Hitoshi whispered into the air, snapping Denki out of his thoughts and pushing the constant hum of the fly to the back of his head.

He took a step forward to stand by Hitoshi, the other still slinking forward and toward the school garden entrance. The school had it built along with the dorms as a way to make the cookie-cutter dorms seem more lively. Hound Dog also liked to promote it as a hobby that could be therapeutic, and with how much trauma his class had gone through, it was needed. Each class had a section dedicated to them and they could grow whatever they liked.

It made for some interesting uses of the spaces. His class spot was half covered in roses from Aoyama and Momo, while the other half was full of peppers Bakugou liked to use for recipes. The other classes also have their fair share of interesting plant choices. Some of them even try to grow fruit trees or flower bushes in their section. It made for a treacherous route to walk through with all the flower beds sticking out at odd places, or the uneven dirt they left to snake through it all.

"Can you lead?" Denki asked, even though Hitoshi had been leading them the entire time. "I just know I'm going to cut my foot on something if I go first."

Hitoshi frowned at that, once again looking at his bare feet and the path laid out in front of them. "I can carry you." Hitoshi offered, already kneeling so that Denki could get on easier.

He blushed, shaking his head rapidly, even though Hitoshi couldn't see it. "No, I-I can't burden you like that."

"You're not a burden." Hitoshi quickly countered, looking at him as if he just said that cats were the worst animals in the world.

Denki let out a huff, feeling like an argument would start if he didn't correct himself. "I just mean that we're both tired and I don't want to make it worse."

"And I'm saying to just get on."

He pouted up at him, not wanting to lose this argument but also not wanting to stab his foot into a rose bush or something. "Fine." He finally said with a huff. "But you can't get mad when I'm clearly heavier than Eri."

Hitoshi snorted, kneeling down properly so Denki could get on. "Probably not by much."

Denki gasped dramatically. "How dare you!" He hissed. "I'll have you know I'm jacked with muscles."

"You're built for speed." Hitoshi drawled. "I could probably throw you a good hundred feet if I tried."

"First of all!" Denki said, holding up his finger as he stared at Hitoshi's back. "That's hot and we should circle back to that." He took pleasure in watching Hitoshi choke on air at his words, loving that he could say these things out loud now that their feelings were somewhat out in the open. "Secondly, I'm hella strong. Thank you very much."

"Just get on my back already." Hitoshi hissed after getting his breathing under control. Denki complied with a smug smile, feeling like he won this argument. After getting situated, Hitoshi stood back up, jumping a bit to get Denki more securely to his back. Denki let out a noise of surprise, clinging to his neck for support as he was jostled forward. Hitoshi looked back at him, his confident smile back on his face at seeing Denki's reaction. "I changed my mind. I think I could throw you a hundred and fifty feet."

Denki shoved his hand in his face with a frustrated groan. "Just shut up already."

Hitoshi complied, going back to slinking through the shadows and into the garden. He heard the taller teen bumping into a few planters, cursing under his breath as he tightened his hold on Denki's thighs as he swiftly tried to maneuver around it. He was glad that he wasn't walking, as Hitoshi seemed more and more frustrated with how much stuff was in his way. He would have probably been on the ground and crying at this point if he tried to navigate it himself.

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Denki took up fly-swatting duty as Hitoshi's hands were full, finding several more bugs than just the fly now swarming them. He frowned at that, finding it logical for them to be here with all the flowers and stuff, but it still felt odd to him. He ignored the feeling for now, wanting to make sure that Hitoshi didn't accidentally trip or accidentally drop him because a fly stabbed him in the face.

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Thankfully, they didn't have to travel much further into the garden. Hitoshi stopped in front of a fully grown tree that marked the middle of the garden to set him down. Denki looked around, searching the building to see if he could spot which room was Hitoshi's or not. He's never been in it waiting until he moved into his class and got an official tour. He pouted at the thought of him officially being a part of 1-B instead. He wished they had been placed in his class so they could have more time together. However, he supposes his grades would be even worse if Hitoshi was in his classes.

"Huh," Hitoshi mumbled, looking up at the building as well. "Looks like they ended up closing my window.

"But we already knew that." He replied, looking at him in worry. "Will that actually be a problem? What room is yours, anyway?"

"Third floor up, second one in." He answered easily. "And it's not a huge issue, but I was really hoping I wouldn't have to break the window."

"Not the worst thing." Denki said with a shrug.

"But the alarm is." The taller teen replied bluntly.

"We'll just have to be fast." Denki assured him. "Just in and out."

"Easier said than done." Hitoshi let out a sigh. "Maybe if I can still open it with the latch, it won't go off. Students open the window at night all the time, but lockdown could change that." Hitoshi thought about it a little more before finally deciding it wasn't worth wasting time over. He looked around to make sure they were alone before nodding his head. "Okay, I'll climb up there and try to get my stuff as fast as possible. You stay here and keep an eye out. If you see anything, and I mean ANYTHING, yell for me."

"Can do!" Denki said with a small salute, grinning up at Hitoshi to try and show his support. "You got this!"

Hitoshi gave him a weak smile before turning serious again. "Get ready. If the alarm goes off, it will attract a lot of attention. We'll probably have to be ready to fight as soon as it sounds."

"Just get your mask and we'll be all good."

"If I have time, I'm going to look for some shoes for you." Hitoshi tacked on, looking at him before turning back to his dorm. "I would feel better if you didn't have to worry about stepping on something sharp."

Denki gave him a soft smile, feeling warm all over despite the chill in the air. Hitoshi just had a way of being so sweet even when he didn't know it. "I would appreciate it. Thank you."

He gave him his own soft smile, seeming to be feeling exactly what Denki was feeling as they looked into each other's eyes.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

"This damn fly!" Hitoshi hissed as he swatted it away once more. "Augh. Just... Can you help me find a rock or something to help me smash the window? I would rather not send my leg through it if I can help it."

"Got it!" Denki replied, already crouching down to check the ground for anything. He was hoping for a shovel or other gardening tool that was left lying around, but was having trouble finding anything in the dark.

He shuffled a little ways away, finding the edge of a flower bed about an arm's length away from him. He let his hands wander around the soft dirt before finding the edge of the planter. Shuffling around, he found that the planter was surrounded by rocks.

"Perfect!"

He thought to himself, letting his hand trail along the edge until he felt a larger rock under his hand.

"Hitoshi! I think I found a good one." He yelled over his shoulder, already picking up the rock before feeling something slimy wiggle under his hand. He let out a yelp in surprise, dropping the rock back onto the hard dirt ground with a thud. He stood up quickly to shake out his hand, just feeling like something was wrong and needing to shake the yucky feeling away. "Gross!"

"What is it? What's wrong?" Hitoshi asked, coming up to stand next to him with worry in his eyes.

Denki looked back down at the rock with a frown. He didn't immediately see anything out of the ordinary. Rotating the rock, Denki scrunched up his face as he was suddenly met with several worms squirming around as their hiding spot was exposed. "Ew. I touched a worm."

Hitoshi let out a long sigh, kneeling next to the rock and brushing the worms out of the way before picking it up. "And here I thought something was wrong."

"Why would I yell 'gross' if something was seriously wrong?"

Hitoshi just gave him a look, silently asking him if he was being serious. Denki nodded his head before standing next to him. "Okay, yeah. That's fair."

With the argument won, Hitoshi looked at the rock in his hand before turning to the building once more. "This shouldn't take too long."

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Denki froze, only now realizing that while Hitoshi was in his dorm, he would be alone once more in the dark. "Okay, just… hurry back, please."

Hitoshi paused at how weak his voice was, sensing something wasn't right, but Denki couldn't voice his true feelings when he knew this had to happen for their plan to work. He gave him a reassuring smile instead, not trusting his voice anymore.

Hitoshi leaned into his space, Denki's breath hitching as he rested their foreheads together. He was so closed that when he whispered, he could feel it brush his lips. "I'll be fast." He didn't wait for Denki to reply, wanting to stick to his word, by hopping the garden fence and throwing his capture scarf towards the top of the building. After giving an experimental tug, he scaled the building.

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Denki couldn't take his eyes off of Hitoshi's back, watching him scale the capture scarf like a pro. His muscles strained under the weight, muscles bulging as Hitoshi lifted himself up the building. It was a very attractive view; if he did say so himself.

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Denki swatted at the fly again, still looking up at Hitoshi and holding his breath in anticipation. He knew the alarm was going to be loud, almost wanting to cover his ears preemptively for when it went off. Hitoshi wrapped the scarf around his body to make a seat of sorts so that his hands were free to use. His feet were on either side of the window as he shifted from side to side, as if looking for the best point of entry.

The rock came into view as he held it over his head, shifting his position so his legs dangled in the air as he swung toward the window. Denki held his breath, waiting for the loud noise that was sure to follow when the rock came down.

CRASH!

Denki flinched at the sound of the window breaking, waiting for the follow-up noise but only hearing a buzzing in his ears as blood rushed through them. He looked back up at Hitoshi, unsure when he turned away, but not wanting to miss what happened next.

"Why didn't the alarm go off?!"

Hitoshi seemed just as confused as he was, looking at the broken window with curiosity before checking below him. He gave Denki a look before dropping the rock so that he had both his hands free.

THUD!

Denki could barely hear it hit the ground over the buzzing still in his head. He watched the rock sink into the soft earth like it was reuniting with a long-lost loved one, feeling his gut drop and crash into the bottom of his stomach at the same time.

"Why didn't the alarm go off? Did the school disable it? Did they know it would attract the infected if they had it on? Did one of his classmates do this?"

He shivered at the thought, his heart fluttering in an anxious energy like the beating of a bumblebee's wings. The buzzing in his head hasn't gone away.

He watched as Hitoshi slipped his hand into the hole he made, carefully trying to turn the lock that allowed his window to open freely. Denki felt sick, sure that something nefarious was waiting for him in that room, and he had no one to help him. He could try to climb the capture scarf after him, but he didn't want to make it harder for Hitoshi to escape if needed. He saw Hitoshi freeze, his heart stopping with him as he watched in tense silence. He watched as Hitoshi's muscles slowly released and he carefully slipped his arm out of the hole. With one swift kick of his foot, the window flew open with ease. The hero, in training, quickly used the momentum of the building to swing far enough back to launch him toward the opening and swiftly land inside.

Denki watched as he disappeared into the darkness, looking like the abyss swallowed him and leaving only his hanging capture scarf behind. He waited. Standing as still as possible so that he could hear anything coming from that room that could indicate that Hitoshi was in trouble. The buzzing in his head only grew louder the longer he was left alone, his thoughts getting muddled as it became the only noise he could hear.

He cursed under his breath, telling himself to get a grip and calm down. If Hitoshi needed help, he would call. Their plan was working -better than expected- and he shouldn't shoot a gift horse in the mouth.

"But if everything is okay, then why won't the buzzing leave?"

Denki thought with annoyance, trying to will his heart and mind to still, but when he put his hand over his heart, he found it relevantly calm. He froze, trying to feel his heartbeat and hear his breathing, but all he could hear was the constant buzzing.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

"That's not coming from me."

Denki gasped in surprise, instantly regretting it when something flew into his mouth. He immediately bent over, spitting and breathing out harshly hoping to get it out. After a few seconds, he looked down with water eyes, finding a fly lying motionless on the ground between his feet.

"Ew! A fly flew into my mouth!"

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

He spat at the air for a few more seconds to rid the thought that he almost ate a fly but was soon distracted by the feeling of something cold and slimy wiggling up his ankle. He looked down again, letting out a squeak as he watched a group of worms twist together to make an almost claw-like structure. It held his ankle in a loose grip as worms climbed up his leg. He kicked his leg away, shaking multiple times to get the worms that seemed to find a home on his foot off.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

"What is going on?"

He thought as he stumbled back, feeling multiple bugs fly into him and hit him in the face. He flinched, ducking down to protect himself, but unable to do much to the small targets.

"OW!" He yelled as he swatted at his side. Something had either stung or bit him hard. He felt himself panic, trying to navigate away from the swarm of bugs, but unable to see where he was going.

"Why are there so many bugs?"

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Denki cursed as he hit his leg against a planter, stumbling back and finding the swarm following him like he was only a flower for miles. "Get away!" He yelled, trying to understand what was happening. There had to be hundreds flying around his head and all of them were unwilling to leave him alone. His flailing arms didn't seem to do anything, as the buzzing only continued to get louder.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

"HITOSHI!" He yelled into the night, uncaring how loud he was being. The need for help overpower the need to stay quiet. He went down onto his hands and knees, trying to crawl under the mass of bugs but only finding his path riddled with more. Worms and small bug legs covered his hands and arms, using him like their own personal playground. He screamed, abandoning that idea and instead running away from the garden as far as he could. He swiped at the bugs crawling on him, feeling every bit, skitter, and buzz that grazed his skin.

"HITOSHI!" He yelled again, desperate to have someone else help him out of this situation. He sparked as his fight or flight was finally activated, giving enough of a shock that many of the bugs around him fell to the ground dead. He used the opportunity to get them all off of him, dancing around the ones still swarming him until he stumbled into the trunk of the tree. He breathed hard, his vision swimming for a moment as he continued to push past his limits, but refused to go down when bugs were still attacking him.

"What's a fly doing out here, anyway? Isn't it too cold for them?"

Denki took a stuttering breath as he suddenly remembered Hitoshi's questions. It WAS too cold. One could be excusable, but having this many at this time of year shouldn't be possible. Unless someone deliberately brought them all here.

Caw!                                                                                                        Caw!

Denki looked up slowly, following the trunk of the tree all the way up to the branches. He backed away slowly, uncaring about the bugs that still flew in and out of his line of sight. His eyes instead glued to the rows upon rows of crows that littered the tree. They all watched him back with a cocked head and ruffled feathers. He absently wonders if they were really crows or ravens, knowing from Tokoyami that one symbolized a bad omen while the other could almost be friendly if they trusted you. He had no clue how to tell the difference between the two. Honestly, he only knew one student who did. He let out a whimper as the pieces finally came together.

"DENKI!" Hitoshi yelled from his dorm room window, quickly wrapping up his capture scarf so he could repel down. "WHAT IS IT? WHAT'S WRONG?"

Denki only swallowed, still backing up and towards Hitoshi's voice as the birds only seemed to leer at him, a couple looking ready to pounce at a moment's notice. "Hitoshi." He said quieter, afraid to ruin the silence and set the birds off. "Koda is here."

"WHAT?" Hitoshi yelled back, running over after touching the ground. He had his vocal cords hanging around his neck now. Denki felt like laughing. After going through all that trouble, his vocal cords wouldn't help them fight off an army of bugs and birds.

"I said." Denki hissed out, needing him to get with the program before he set off the birds. "Koda is--"

BOOM!

They all froze as they felt the ground shake like a mini earthquake just rippled through the earth, but Denki knew better. He's felt those vibrations many times before in the past and even experienced a couple of them up close and personal. This wasn't an earthquake, not a normal one at least. A very powerful quirk made this.

BOOM!

"No." Denki whispered, suddenly terrified what this all meant. He watched as the birds let out caws as if answering the explosions before, one by one, they left. "No." Denki said again, watching them fly over his head and taking the bugs with them.

"NO!" Denki yelled, no longer afraid to be heard when the worst possible outcome was currently coming their way.

"Denki?" Hitoshi asked, coming up to him, but his eyes were everywhere else as he looked up at the birds flying into the air and toward the source of the ominous noise.

"It was a trap," Denki whispered, feeling like he was close to hyperventilating. "I-I didn't see Kota but I KNOW that was h-his quirk."

"He usually does recon, right?"

"Spying, watching, anything that doesn't involve him actually being on the battlefield." He explained quickly.

BOOM!

"Which means…" Hitoshi drawled, looking like he already knew the answer, but not wanting to say it out loud.

Denki swallowed, his throat feeling dry as he tried to finish his thought "W-which mean, a-ll of this was just to help h-him find us."

BOOM!

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The birds swirled ominously above them, looking like vultures just waiting for them to die so they could pick at their corpses. Denki's breathing quickened. He had been an easy target. A beacon that told anyone nearby that they were close and ready to be devoured.

BOOM!

"Why did I have to be so loud?"

He cursed to himself, knowing he was what really set them up to fail.

He heard Hitoshi grunt as he wrapped his capture scarf around his hands in preparation. "Well, we knew a fight was going to come our way sooner or later."

"I'm so sorry!" Denki blurted out, his erratic breathing making it come out more breathy than he meant to. "I should have stayed quiet! I didn't mean-"

"-not your fault." Hitoshi quickly cut in, looking at his surroundings for any sign of their explosive classmate. "I would have done the same, as would anyone else. What matters now is preparing for the fight."

BOOM!

Denki swallowed hard, trying to keep his anxiety and fear from crawling up his throat. He looked around like Hitoshi was, noting how they were still in the garden with the planters creating a mind field for their feet while the bugs hummed away a dark tune as they waited for the show to start.

BOOM!

Bakugou was definitely getting closer. He could hear it with every explosion, but he wasn't there just yet. Just a menacing war drum that spelled out their fast approaching doom. "We shouldn't fight here." He mumbled to himself, and got a grunt from his partner, apparently having heard him.

"I agree. We can't risk him tearing down a building and getting more students."

"But where should we go?" Denki asked, sounding panicked even to his own ears. Thankfully, Hitoshi was as calm as ever, looking at him before at the building he just scaled.

BOOM!

"The main courtyard! It'll have lights and plenty of space for his unrestricted explosions!"

"But he's already on his way!" Denki argued. "We won't be able to make it there in time."

"Not if we go around." Hitoshi agreed, already running towards the building.

"Hitoshi! Wait!" He called after, stumbling as he hit his foot on a rock and then into the fence when he didn't catch himself in time. "Augh!"

Hitoshi came to a halt, instantly turning around to help Denki through the rougher terrain until they were standing next to the building again. He looked apologetic for only a moment before becoming serious again and explaining his plan. "You're right about it taking too long to run there, but if we swing there, I know we can make it."

"S-swing?" Denki stuttered out, looking at the taller teen and then down at his capture scarf in fear. "I-I don't know how to do that! We only have one anyway, so h-how-"

BOOM!

"-We'll go together." Hitoshi insisted, already unraveling the scarf to launch it at the building once more. "Just hold on to me and everything will be fine."

"Hitoshi!" Denki hissed, looking unsure as he looked up at the four-story building and back down to the ground. It was a long fall. "Hitoshi, I-I don't think-"

-
BOOM!

"You can!" Hitoshi insisted, holding out his hand for him to take. "Come on, we don't have much time before he gets here."

Denki bit his lip, still unsure and too scared to move. Hitoshi pushed his hand farther into his view, looking pleading as the sound of explosions loomed over them. "Denki, please…Please trust me on this. I won't let you fall."

Denki took a deep breath, seeing the sincerity in Hitoshi's eyes and wondering why he hesitated in the first place. "Okay…I trust you." He lifted his hand to put into Hitoshi's own, instantly calming down at the warmth that radiated off of him.

BOOM!

Hitoshi wasted no time pulling him in close and wrapping an arm around his waist. "I'm going to need you to grab onto my shoulders and wrap your legs around me when the time is right. We need to run to get the momentum, but then just leave the rest to me."

"R-Right!" Denki yelled back, feeling more confident now in Hitoshi's arms. He tried not to think about how much he liked it, needing to keep his mind clear for what was about to happen.

"Okay! And… NOW!" Hitoshi yelled, breaking into a dead sprint without warning. His capture scarf followed soon after, pulling tight from where it was tied to the top of the building and acting as the leverage they needed to lift off the ground. Denki squealed when his shorter legs couldn't touch the ground anymore, instantly holding onto Hitoshi tighter and bringing his legs up and around his waist so they wouldn't drag.

He heard the other grunt in effort as he lifted himself up as well, holding both their weights as the scarf swung them up and even with the dorm building.

BOOM!

Denki tried to keep his eyes open, but the moving earth under him and the weightless feeling of being in the air made his head spin. He shoved his head into Hitoshi's shoulder to get the world to stop moving, breathing in the other's scent to help keep him from panicking while in mid-air. He felt the moment that they reached the peak of their swing, suddenly floating in the air with his stomach trying to escape through his throat as it prepared for them to plummet back down to the earth. He felt Hitoshi move around, the sound of his scarf being shuffled before sharply tugging it back.

"Hold on tight." Hitoshi sang like he was enjoying himself.

Before Denki could ask what he meant, they were suddenly falling. He yelped in surprise, scrambling to hold on to any part of Hitoshi he could, but found them only falling to the ground for a second. Their momentum changed, and they were now swinging forward once again. He peaked his eyes open, first looking at Hitoshi and his concentrated face. He looked handsome with the wind in his hair and his strong jawline on display. He felt himself blush as Hitoshi looked over at him, probably having felt his stare, and flashed him a small smile as a reward.

He instantly looked away, feeling embarrassed. He noted Hitoshi had them connected to a light post down the way and that after a few more good swings, they would have enough momentum to swing over the building and into the courtyard. He listened intently, finding the sounds of Bakugou farther away than before and making him sigh in relief that their plan was working.

"Maybe we won't have to fight him."

Caw!

Caw!

Looking above his head, Denki frowned as he saw the crows following closely behind them; keeping them in their beady eyesight as they finally soared over the dorm building and made it to the other side. Their wings were silent as they followed, but their presence was deafening.

"The birds are following us!" He yelled over the wind, hoping Hitoshi could hear him.

He got a grunt as a reply, the swooping feeling coming back as he launched them towards another light post. "Let's hope the signal is only for Bakugou!" He yelled back and made Denki cringe at the thought.

It was hard enough to fight two students when he had his quirk fully functional. How would he manage without it? He shook his head and took a deep breath, reminding himself that they had Hitoshi's vocal cords. They could win this easily!

"Do we have a plan on how to make Bakugou answer you?"

Hitoshi snorted at that. "Like it'll be hard to get that loud mouth to talk."

"Bakugou is smart." Denki reminded him. "We still have to come up with a plan to make sure things go smoothly. I can short-circuit if worse comes to worse, but I would really like to avoid that."

Hitoshi nodded, understanding washing over his face. "So do I. Don't worry though, we just have to choose someone that--"

—
BOOM!

Denki flinched at how loud the explosion was, clamping his mouth shut to keep the scream that wanted to escape inside. It sounded like thunder was rolling right on top of them, almost like — "AHH!"

Denki actually did scream as he felt something bodily slam into him and Hitoshi. He heard Hitoshi let out a noise of surprise as he was also caught off guard, but wasn't able to focus on it as he felt himself being ripped out of Hitoshi's grasp. He yelled as panic seeped in, his fingers flexing to reach for the other, but only finding air. Again, he was suddenly in freefall, but this time, he knew he didn't have a safety net to catch him.

"Denki!" He thought he heard Hitoshi yell, the wind whipping in his ear making it hard to hear anything. He tried to rotate himself in the air, only turning so that he could see how fast the ground was approaching. He felt his heart rate spike into a piercing thud against his skull as his breathing became rapid and shallow. Flailing his arms did nothing to help. If anything, he was descending faster. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see the last few feet and how his skull would soon splatter onto the hard, unforgiving ground.

"Gotcha!" Denki let out a gasp as firm arms wrapped around his middle, his momentum suddenly changing from falling to being pushed to the left. He couldn't see much as the other person wrapped their body around him, bringing his head to their chest as they finally fell the last few feet. They let out twin groans of pain as they hit the ground, their momentum making them roll for several feet until they finally came to a halt in the wet grass.

Denki needed a few seconds to himself. Doing a mental checklist to ensure nothing was broken, or that he was seriously injured. Feeling okay despite everything, he looked up to see who had grabbed him. He let out a small gasp as found himself tucked safely into Hitoshi's chest, the other breathing heavily as they also tried to get their bearings. Denki quickly sat up, not wanting to put any more unwanted pressure on the taller teen if he was hurt.

"Hitoshi! A-Are you okay? Does anything hurt?" Hitoshi winced, having taken the brunt of the fall but not giving away what hurt.

"Yeah. Are you?"

"I'm fine!" Hitoshi let out a sigh of relief at his words, slowly sitting up as well and revealing a head wound that was previously hidden from view. Denki let out a gasp, gently grabbing his face to stop him from moving.

"You're bleeding!"

"It's only a scratch."

"It's a head wound! Those can be serious."

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine! You're hurt! We need to get you back to the infer--"

"--Denki." Hitoshi said calmly, grabbing his hands and bringing them down to his lap. "I'm fine."

"But--"

"--No Buts. I'm fine. And thankful you didn't get hurt." Hitoshi tilted his head to the side, looking him over intensely. "You swear you're not hurt."

He shook his head no. "N-Not even a scratch."

"I'm glad," Hitoshi confessed. "I really didn't want to break my promise to you."

Denki let out a small laugh, feeling a little delirious at this point. "Don't worry, you didn't. I still trust you."

"Thank All Might."

Denki laughed again. "Besides, even if something happened. I wouldn't blame you for it."

"AAAAUUUHHH!

A screech echoed through the courtyard, as if the person who made the bloodcurdling noise was claiming the fault with pride. The duo looked over, seeing a figure backlit by the nearby light posts. The figure was recognizable even from a distance as he stared at them with a look so intense that their eyes pierced their very soul. It was easy to tell that the distance between them wouldn't last long. Hitoshi and Denki quickly stood up, the former needing a second to get his balance before being able to face their foe correctly.

Bakugou has always looked a little crazy if Denki was being honest. The hints of rabid animals and monstrous amounts of rage contouring his friend's face into disgusting expressions were something he was used to seeing. Those expressions didn't hold a candle to how he looked at them now. Bakugou wasn't scowling, or spewing vile insults in an overly dramatic frown. He was smiling. His smile stretched beyond that of a normal person. Even in the low light provided by the light post, he could see the red that was caked in between each tooth. He was the first to turn, the first to experience this all, and also the one who had the most time to hunt the others down. Denki absently wondered how many Bakugou had taken down himself and why one of the strongest students had to be the first one to fall victim to this quirk? Bakugou's shoulders hung low as if his arms were too heavy for him to hold and made his back hunch like a wild animal ready to pounce at any moment.

He let out another scream, Denki able to hear the hysteria mixed in it as if Bakugou was excited to taste another person's flesh. He shivered as he watched his friend and wondered not for the first time if they could actually pull this off. Bakugou was violent on a good day, but here, he was truly a villain the masses tried to portray him as.

Denki saw Hitoshi move out of the corner of his eyes, his hands going to secure the vocal cords to his mouth. He was moving so slowly it was almost torturous, but Bakugou noticed immediately. He charged at them with explosions propelling him forward and his mouth wide open in preparation to take a bite out of them. They dove in separate directions, leaving the space they just occupied empty just in time for Bakugou to land. Hitoshi was quicker to get to his feet, his vocal cords now secured on to his face.

He didn't hesitate moving the dials around until he let out a very convincing, "Kacchan?"

Bakugou froze for a second; the nickname seeming to still mean something to the blond, but as he swiveled his head to look at Hitoshi, there was only anger in his eyes. His mouth stayed closed, but his swinging arms told how furious he was that Hitoshi even tried to trick him. He launched himself again, aiming his next explosion at the mask Hitoshi was wearing. Denki watched as Hitoshi took a stuttering step back, his hands going for his capture weapon before deciding against it and trying to dodge again.

The trick didn't seem to work twice on the angry blond, Bakugou's free hand reaching out toward him and grabbing the back of his shirt to pull Hitoshi back towards him. Hitoshi let out a yelp as he was dragged in the opposite direction, falling hard on the ground. Bakugou leered at him with that haunting smile, taking pleasure in pinning him down and inching closer to his face. His palm lit threateningly to the point Denki could see the small sparks already firing off and lighting Hitoshi's face as he silently threatened the other to not move. The electric user felt his blood run cold as he watched Hitoshi struggled, but to no avail.

Denki looked around for anything that could help, knowing if he just charged in, he would be blasted away. He checked his person, checked his surroundings, checking anything that he could see with the limited light around them, but found nothing. He cursed as he started sprinting towards the two struggling teens, knowing he won't be able to do much but needing to try. He stumbled halfway there when his foot hit something sharp. He let out a gasp of pain as he crumpled to the ground, his foot having given out at the sudden sharp sting it felt. He grabbed at it, hoping to soothe the pain away but only finding something warm beginning to drip from it. He quickly looked down, seeing the cut on the bottom of his foot and the lone rock that was innocently hiding in the grass. He cursed his luck for finding the one rock in the entire courtyard, grabbing it in frustration.

It was a sizable rock, not as big as the one Hitoshi used to break his window, but still big enough to do some damage or get someone's attention. Denki didn't have to think any harder about what he was about to do as he lined up his shot, praying that his time as a long-range fighter would finally come in handy as he threw the rock at the back of Bakugou's head with all his might.

Thunk.

He watched as Bakugou's head tilted to the side as the rock made contact, the sound of it being less than satisfying as he watched as Bakugou turned towards him. His smile was no longer on his face. Denki opened his mouth, whether to taunt or to scream was anyone's guess. Bakguou cut him off before he could even decide with a screech of pure rage. Quickly getting off of Hitoshi to come after him.

"E-Easy, buddy!" Denki choked out, lifting his hands in front of him in a show of remorse. "Di-Didn't mean to hurt y-ou. I was j-just--"

Bakguou yelled again, his voice sounding like a mini explosion with the force put behind it. Denki flinched, backing up as Bakugou continued to march forward with small explosions popping in his palm.

Hitoshi's capture scarf quickly wrapped around the possessed blond, trying to secure his arms to his sides and bring him down, but Bakugou didn't pay it any mind. He used his raw strength to keep dragging Hitoshi along behind him as he tried to hold him in place. Denki's eyes widened in fear, wondering why Bakugou was so focused on him. Hitoshi was actively attacking him. Why did he keep coming after him?

"Bakugou?" He whispered, confused and scared as the other continued to charge towards him.

"What do we say at UA? Go beyond?" Hitoshi tried again with his vocal cords as he kept one hand on his capture scarf. His voice was steady, but his eyes were filled with concern as he continued to lose the tug-of-war game he had started. Bakugou didn't even acknowledge his favorite hero's voice, his eyes trained on Denki as he continued to push forward.

"Bakugou, please." Denki pleaded with him, watching as his hands glowed brighter, his sparks going out of control as he built up more sweat in his palms.

"Hitoshi!" Denki yelled next, needing someone to just tell him what he should do.

"I'm trying!" Hitoshi yelled back, sounding just as panicked. With a grunt, Hitoshi charged at Bakugou's back, launching in the air and delivering a kick into his side. Bakugou stumbled at the force but didn't fall. The Zombified blond stared at the ground as if surprised he was hit, but didn't immediately react. The smile slowly grew on his face as he made a noise that could almost be considered a scoff. His palms flew up, letting all that excess energy out in a massive explosion that sent Hitoshi flying back.

"Hitoshi!" Denki yelled, watching as he sailed through the air before rolling to a stop a few feet away. He went to run to him and make sure he was okay, but Bakugou quickly stood in his way. His stance was wide as he let his palms face up and under his face, the sparks lighting him up in a menacing way as he laughed like he was taunting him. Denki yelped, putting on the brakes and taking a defensive stance. He knows he doesn't have a chance of winning against Bakugou if he keeps doing long range attacks. He didn't have his gear to compete against it and Bakugou was probably too smart to let him get close enough to touch him. He almost wished he had stepped on a few more rocks.

Bakugou lunged at him, his grin stretching wide again as he let sounds of horror out of his mouth in pure glee. Denki stumbled backwards, dodging his teeth to only end up in his blasting range. He covered his face as the explosion went off, knocking him off his feet and hitting the ground hard. He groaned, getting back up as fast as his aching body would allow. His body sparked in protest, wanting to defend itself but only making him stumble at the sudden vertigo.

"Uncool Bakubro!" He mumbled, wincing in pain as something in his shoulder tightened. "Why you gotta do me like this?"

Bakguou had no answer, only another bout of hysterical noises. "...Wonderful."

Bakugou shot at the ground under Denki's feet, making him dodge to the right and back out towards the center of the courtyard to avoid it. Bakugou launched himself into the air, seeming to want to follow him, but Hitoshi suddenly came crashing down on top of him. He must have gotten up while they were both distracted and used his capture scarf to get the upper hand. Denki was impressed, wondering how silent the other teen could be when fighting. Hitoshi gave Bakugou the same treatment he gave him, pinning him down and yelling in his face.

"Problem child! Can you calm down?" It was smart, in Denki's mind. Using Aizawa's voice while using his weapon to trick Bakugou into thinking he wasn't Hitoshi. Pushing his head into the ground so that he couldn't see him also added to the plan. Sadly, the similarities weren't enough. Bakugou twisted his palms face down and destroyed the ground under them. Hitoshi fumbled as the earth gave way, allowing Bakugou to easily slip out from under him and ready himself to blast him once more.

Denki was running before the explosion could go off, tackling Bakugou before he could hurt Hitoshi any further. They hit the ground with a screech and a groan, Denki mustering up all the energy still inside of him to shock the living daylight out of his classmate but getting kicked off before he could do it. He yelped as he was pushed away, pushing to stand up and tackle Bakugou again, but the other was faster, using small explosions to move out of his range before diving back in from behind. Denki hissed as his face slid across the dirt, his ribs feeling squished as Bakugou held him in place. Denki's body quickly tried to shock him, black spots invading his vision as sparks flew off his body, but Bakugou only cackled like the electricity only tickled him.

Denki cursed, closing his eyes to try to willingly get all his electricity to the surface. He can feel his muscles tense and release as it spasms against his request. He can feel his mind slowing down as he tries to push himself further. He felt Bakugou as he leaned over him, pressing his entire weight to the center of his back as his hot breath inched closer to his throat. Dribble fell from his mouth and cooled onto his neck, marking the spot Bakugou was aiming for. "Baku... gou…" He slurred, trying to wiggle free but finding he barely had room to breathe with his face dug into the ground and a bony knee stabbing into his back. His world was blurring before his eyes as he continued to release enough electricity to incapacitate his classmate. He doesn't even know why he tried to talk. Something about being attacked by one of his close friends just makes him want to try to reason with him. "Bak… Whey…"

"No homo right?" Denki scrunched up his face, feeling out of it, but not enough to know that he didn't say that. Yet, he swore he heard his own voice. "I don't have socks on right now, so you're acting pretty sus, don't you think?"

Denki heard it as Bakugou took in a deep breath, almost like a gasp. Denki closed his eyes in preparation, feeling like he had been in this position many times before when Bakugou decided he needed to be thoroughly chewed out for his antics.

"EEEEEEHHHH-"

Denki flinched as his ear drums rang at how close the scream was from his ear, instantly feeling relief when it was suddenly cut short. That thought made him pause, having to blink multiple times in order to get his brain up and operating again.

"What happened?"

"Get off of him! Walk away from Denki!"

"Hitoshi!"

Denki thought in relief, sagging into the ground more as Bakugou stiffened before following his orders. Denki slowly rolled to his side, able to see Bakugou standing in the middle of the courtyard and patiently waiting for more orders.

"Denki!" Hitoshi yelled at him, his eyes slowly moving until Hitoshi was in view, watching him run the last few feet before kneeling next to him. "Are you okay? Are you bit? Hurt?"

Denki groaned, allowing Hitoshi to help into a sitting position, but instantly regretting it as his vision blacked out for a second. "Hey, hey, hey!" Hitoshi mumbled, tapping his cheek lightly. "Don't fall asleep on me now."

He groaned again, forcing his eyes to work as he blinked his vision back to normal. "I'm fine." He slurred. "Almost… I just almost used all my electricity."

Hitoshi let out a huff of relief, letting his head rest on his shoulder as he seemed to drink him in. "I got scared when my quirk wasn't working. I should have hid myself sooner so I could trick him better, but I didn't want to leave you alone."

"It's okay." Denki mumbled with a clumsy pat of his own to Hitoshi's head. "You got him in the end, so that's what matters."

He scrunched up his face as he thought, not really remembering Hitoshi using his quirk, but knowing something happened. "Did you… Did you use my voice?"

Hitoshi snorted into his shoulder, nodding his head before lifting it enough to look Denki in the eyes. Mischief was written clear as day in them. "I did."

"And it worked?" Denki asked next with a raised eyebrow. "My voice worked over Midoriya's?"

"To be fair, he saw me while I pretended to be Midoriya." Hitoshi said slowly. "I had to make it seem more authentic."

"And me saying…no homo is authentic?" Hitoshi snorted again, trying to cover it with a cough but failing miserably.

Denki gaped at him, his mind clear enough now to understand the situation and feel like he was mischaracterized. "I would never say that!" Hitoshi laughed at him. "No, seriously! I'm all for the homo. Why would I say no to it?!"

Hitoshi wheezed like he was a broken dog toy. His face scrunched up as he desperately tried to keep it together, but was tearing more at the seams with every passing second. "I-I heh, I hope so, or else our date would be t-terrible."

Denki pouted at him, not in the mood to be laughed at even though he was slowly burning the image of Hitoshi laughing into his memory. "Okay, fun's over. Help me up and then finish this thing before Blasty figures out how to break free from your quirk."

Hitoshi sobered up fairly quickly after that, giving him a firm nod before helping him up. His balance was still a little off, but they supported each other as they walked over to be in front of Bakugou.

His face was impressively blank. After seeing it so contoured, the lack of expression was almost worse. Denki shifted to huddle more into Hitoshi's side, feeling scared as he looked at his zombified friend up close. Hitoshi warped his arm around him, allowing him to snuggle into the crook of his neck as his eyes stayed glued to Bakugou.

"You are now under my control." He stated with authority. "You don't take orders from anyone but me. You're safe with me and no longer need to fight. Undo all that you were told so that all that is left is your normal self. You do not want to fight, you do not want to bite. When I let you go, only YOU will have control of your mind and actions. Not me, not anyone else, only you… Nod if you understand."

Denki watches fascinated, not having seen this process done before, and wondering if Bakugou felt like how he did while under. He watched as Bakugou slowly lifted and then dropped his head, only doing it once, as Hitoshi told him. Hitoshi held him tighter, as if he was also praying for this to work.

"Okay… I'm going to release you. When I do, you will be you, you will feel healthy, and you will not fill the urge left behind by any mind control user."

With a shaky breath, Hitoshi severed the connection he had with Bakugou, his head instantly falling forward as if the string holding it had been cut, only for it to then spring back up. It was like watching someone wake up after accidentally falling asleep in their chair; the drop making them panic and open their eyes in confusion. Bakugou went rigid as his head flew back up, and his eyes blinked rapidly as he tried to get the film of sleep out of them. He turned his head every which way, seeming to be at a loss.

Denki and Hitoshi let out twin sighs in relief, already able to tell Bakugou was them again with how flush his skin was and how fluid his movements were.

"OI!" Bakugou yelled at them, his voice scratchy with overuse and making the blond pause and swallow before continuing. "What the fuck is going on?"

"You were under mind control. Th--"

"--HAAA?" Bakugou yelled, lighting his hands up threateningly at Hitoshi before quickly stopping with a wince. "Shit, fuck!" He rubbed at his overworked hands and arms in annoyance. "Why does it feel like I've been using my quirk for hours?! What have you been doing!?"

"We didn't do anything!" Denki intervenes, stepping in front of Hitoshi as a makeshift barrier. "Hitoshi didn't mind controlling you, the kid that bit you yesterday did!"

"...What?"

"The bite!" Denki yelled again. "You were acting weird at game night, and more aggressive, only for a few hours later to lose control with an aggressive need to bite however you saw!"

Bakugou paused, looking down at the ground as he tried to remember what happened only a few hours prior, but felt like a lifetime ago. "I…I remember not being able to sleep…I felt so sick and angry… I don't know what happened after that."

"You bit Kirishima when he went to check on you." Denki stated bluntly. "He then got infected and bit Momo. You went on a rampage and probably turned half the class into zombies!"

"Zombies." Bakugou parroted back, looking like he didn't believe them. His eyes looked them up and down, seeming to only notice their disheveled appearance. "You both look like shit."

"Feel like it too." Hitoshi replied just as bluntly. "But running from the zombified class of 1-A will do that to you."

"Shut up extra! You're lucky I didn't bite your face off!"

Denki rolled his eyes at the threat, wondering how Bakugou could go from disbelieving to believing as long as it was to his advantage. "Stop it. You should honestly be thanking Hitoshi. Without him overriding the quirk, you would still be wandering around school looking for your next victim."

Bakugou raised an eyebrow at him. "Hitoshi?" His eyes wandered to how close they were standing next to each other before his face scrunched up in disgust. "Ew. Gross."

Denki blushed in embarrassment, ready to chew Bakugou out for being mean, but Hitoshi beat him to it. "At least I'm not the one who fell for a 'no homo' joke."

"Say what?!" Bakguou growled out, marching up to them with a purpose. "Listen here you little shit, I don't care who you think you are but you better watch your fucking tone or I swear to All Might I'm going to--"

"--AHHH EH EH EH EH EH EH!"

Bakugou snapped his mouth closed at the sound of a distant scream. They watched as his eyes darted back and forth rapidly as he tried to identify what could have made that noise. "What was that?" He finally asked after not finding an answer himself.

"Probably Sero." Denki said with a shrug, looking at Hitoshi for confirmation before nodding his head. "Yeah. It was Sero."

"Tape Face?"

"Zombie Tape Face." Hitoshi corrected him. "You were the first we were able to turn back. All the others are still roaming the school."

"All of them?" Where are the teachers?"

"Everyone not in 1-A went into lockdown. Aizawa was out on patrol and won't be back until sunrise. Hopefully, with the kid who started this."

Bakugou gave them a curious look, obviously wanting to know what happened, but unsure what to ask. Denki took the time to take in their surroundings, seeing that the horizon wasn't as dark as it was not too long ago.

"The sun is starting to come up. We won't have to wait much longer."

"Then we better get to work." Hitoshi said with a sigh, before smiling down at him. "We wanted this all sorted out before Aizawa got back, right?"

Denki beamed up at him, nodding his head in agreement. "Hold the fuck up." Bakugou stated, putting his hand out to stop them from leaving. "Just so I'm clear, everyone in our class, except for us, are currently zombies and are destroying the school."

"Yup." Denki nodded.

"And the only way to snap them out of it is by letting Eyebags override the mind control with more mind control."

"Basically." Hitoshi confirmed for him.

Bakugou let out a long sigh, his body starting to show the toll being a zombie seemed to have on him before shaking out his shoulders. "Okay then. Let's finish this quickly."

"Really?" Denki asked excitedly. "You want to help us?"

"Well, apparently I started this shit, so I might as well finish it."

"They aren't like your normal zombies," Hitoshi warned. "They still have their memories and know my quirk. They also have less self-preservation skills and will use their quirks to the point of hurting themselves without a care."

Bakugou gave them his iconic smile, looking ready to jump back into the fray. "Sounds like a real challenge."

Denki laughed, feeling lighter than he had all night. With another person on their team, this suddenly seemed a lot easier to manage than it did at the beginning of the night. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go save our friends!"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Denki took in a deep breath, looking out at the rising sun and feeling relaxed as it warmed his skin. It was way past sunrise; their morning having been filled with so much chaos that he had missed it color the sky in bright colors. But this was good enough. He chuckled as he leaned back into his seat, remembering how his morning was almost as chaotic as his night was. Between turning everyone back to normal and then getting them all treatment, it was a lot for his already tired body and brain.

It wasn't easy. Each student puts up a fight that would make villains squirm in fear and Aizawa grin in pride. Having Bakugou being there was a huge help, but even he wasn't prepared for how unhinged his classmates had become. They started with the easy ones. Classmates who were trapped or stuck. Denki was less than thrilled to trek back to the bathroom to face Mic again, but it needed to be done. Not only because they promised Eri, but because having an adult to help sort out everything would be beneficial for them as more students snapped out of it.

Bakugou ended up destroying the bathroom the moment Hitoshi opened the door, cutting off Mic's scream with an even louder explosion. Mic flew into the opposite wall, cracking the tile further, but still looked ready to get his revenge. Thankfully, he wasn't as swift as the others when it came to being quiet. Hitoshi instantly grabs him with an impersonation of Aizawa and releases him from the mind control. Mic was confused and anxious, but when they caught him up to speed and told him where Eri was, he moved to the infirmary immediately. Not only to watch over Eri, but to also prepare the room for all the students who will need medical attention. Mic also told them he would contact Recovery Girl to make sure she was back on campus and working as soon as possible.

Denki felt relief at hearing that, knowing some students were pushing themselves to the point of breaking and would need all the help they could get. Unfortunately, they couldn't stay long, the sounds of other classmates nearby telling them it was time to go. Mic gave them all a pat on the head as a job well done, lingering on Hitoshi longer than the rest. No one commented on it or how Hitoshi puffed out his chest a little more with pride as the group went their separate ways.

They retraced their steps to take care of Hagakure next, Denki finding it hilarious when Bakugou stormed the room only to find nothing. The yelp he let out when Hakagure licked him was so funny it took them a few seconds to actually help him escape her clutches. Though it took longer than they expected to get the invisible girl to speak, she eventually cracked when Hitoshi tackled her like Denki had done before. It took longer than with Mic to calm the girl down when she finally snapped out of it, having been asleep when everything had started, but once she got her bearings, she volunteered to help them as well. She didn't seem to have any injuries and was more than willing to perform sneak attacks on their unsuspecting classmates.

Each student became easier and easier with the army of help they were slowly accumulating. Tsu was still stuck in the locker when they went by and they easily got her to answer with a silly knock-knock joke. She opted to go to the infirmary with her tongue still bleeding. She said it tasted terrible and Denki had to fight not to ask who bit her in the first place.

Sero was easy to get as well, the cackling never stopping as he swung toward them. He almost hit a wall with how suddenly Hitoshi snatched his mind. Mina was a terrifying battle where they played, the floor was acidic, and Denki had to be dragged out of the way multiple times when the floor suddenly crumpled under him. His voice ended up being the one to make her crack though, a well-timed meme making her shriek in what almost sounded like delight before going under Hitoshi's control.

Oddly enough, a lot of students fell for his voice. He didn't know if it was his terrible habit of speaking at the wrong times, or what, but they would almost always answer to him. Hitoshi theorized that because he was friends with everyone. They felt safe, or the part of them that still remembered their old life wanted to reply to him. Bakugou said it was because everyone wanted him to shut up and that's why he fell for it, but no one was really buying it.

Kirishima went down with a simple, "Bro?" when they spotted him. Ojiro, always scared of getting in trouble, went down with Aizawa's voice, asking him what he was doing in a gruff tone, and even Jirou went down with a simple question about music. Each student became easier to take down the more they did it. The core group stayed the entire time, the others filtering through as it became clear that some students needed help getting to the infirmary than others.

Momo was hard to watch. She couldn't even stand anymore by the time they found her slumped in a corner. She looked at them with drool coming out of her mouth and eyes that screamed she wanted to bite them, but they were also so fogged over with exhaustion; she didn't elicit any fear from anyone nearby. She was so out of it that Hitoshi could use his own voice, just asking her if she was okay and trapping her in his quirk. Jirou took her to the infirmary along with a couple of others as they saw how bad the damage was. Bakugou watched them go with a green tint to his face, not having seen the worst of the damage just yet.

Inevitably, they would run into the tougher students, who would be harder to take down. Todoroki had increased the library into a mess of fire and ice, Uraraka had floated herself and half a classroom to make missiles to throw down at them, and even Midoryia seemed more fired up as he glimpsed Bakugou amongst them.

It took a lot of work, all of them breathing heavily and sagging in exhaustion, but by the time the sun had finally lifted above the horizon, the last student, Iida was free from the curse. The class representative had been doing laps around them for what felt like forever, unable to get a word in as he zoomed by. They finally caught him out front of the school, tripping him with Hitoshi's capture scarf before getting him to fall under mind control in the guise of Aizawa scolding him. It ended up being perfect timing. Hitoshi, Denki, and Bakugou sending him on his way and doing a last sweep through the courtyard just as Aizawa and an army of pros came marching up to the locked gates of UA.

He looked relieved to see them, scanning over their appearances until his eyes laid on Bakugou. "Weren't you the first?"

Bakugou shrugged, probably going to say something along the lines of being stronger than some dumb quirk, but Denki cut in before he could. "We figured it out!" He gushed, grabbing Hitoshi by the arm to shake it in excitement. "The quirk was mind control based, so we just used Hitoshi's quirk to counteract it!"

Aizawa raised an eyebrow, looking Hitoshi over to see if that was true. "I— Yes. We were able to test it on… Denki when he got bit and it worked for him so…"

Aizawa let out a sigh, rubbing his tired eyes before asking his next question. "Can I assume that all the other students aren't zombies anymore as well?"

"We just released the last one."

"They're all headed in or already at the infirmary to be checked out." Denki added on.

"Then get out of my way!" An older voice croaked, Recovery Girl pushing past Aizawa with a huff. "I got patience to see!" As she scuttled away, she turned around to look over the three students who apparently saved the day. "You should come with me. I want to do a furrow checkup on all of you, especially the ones that were affected."

"Like hell!" Bakugou growled out and got a stern look from the elderly hero.

"I want none of that. My office, now! You all look like we've been through hell."

Denki sighed at that, leaning more into Hitoshi for support. "I think that would be an understatement."

Hitoshi hummed in agreement, shuffling his arm to wrap it around his shoulder to help support him. "At least everyone is safe."

"Everyone?" Aizawa questioned, fishing for an answer but not voicing it.

Hitoshi seemed to understand, nodding his head at him. "Eri is safe and with Mic right now. They're probably still in the infirmary."

"Then I guess that's where we all should be headed." Aizawa looked over at the Pros he had gathered, giving orders before departing. "I want all of you to split up and check each dorm building. You should be able to reach the staff through your radios and let them know that the lockdown isn't in effect anymore. I want another group to do a furrow sweep of the grounds and school buildings. If someone still affected is roaming around, I want them incapacitated and brought to the infirmary immediately."

"Yes, sir!" The group hollered, already off to do just as he advised.

"You'll stay with me. I'm sure Recovery Girl would like a thorough explanation of how your son's quirk works." Their teacher said next, speaking a little softer to the frazzled woman and a tired child in her arms. Denki hadn't noticed her before, but now that he did, it was easy to see that she didn't belong with the others. She nodded her head stiffly, staying close to Aizawa as he led the way.

"Oi!" Bakugou yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the kid in her arms. "That's the brat that bit me!"

The mother immediately looked guilty, clutching her son closer to her chest while bowing to him. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know that he used his quirk during the attack or else I would have warned you all! I-I've never seen it used on such a big scale before. I didn't even know that it could do something like this!"

"Don't worry about it." Aizawa drawled, his almost bored tone helping the mom relax. "It seems that things are well under control anyway, so no need to stress yourself."

"I-It would have worn off after twelve hours." The mother stammered. "The moment you're bit, we found the effects will disappear no matter what he says or tells you to do."

"Well, maybe you should tell your brat to keep his mouth to himself." Bakugou yelled, not at all pacified by her explanation.

"I'm sorry! S-Sweetie! Tell him you're sorry for what you did."

The kid looked up from his mother's shoulder, looking sleepy but aware as he looked Bakugou over. "...I guess you beat those bad guys so…sorry or whatever."

"What kind of shit apology was that?!"

"Jason! Apologies correctly this instant."

"Jesus Christ, this nightmare just won't end." Aizawa mumbled, rubbing the bridge of his nose as Bakugou continued to yell at the child. Hitoshi and Denki followed the group hand in hand, feeling too tired to join the screaming match and instead just taking the atmosphere in.

The mother went on to explain her son's quirk, showing them he had had two needle-thin teeth that could extend down from his gums when he bit something. It was categorized as an offshoot of a snake quirk but instead of venom, people that he bit were suddenly more susceptible to his commands. The more detailed he was, the better the person would enact those commands after the venom ran its course through the person's body. The venom would only stay in a person's system for twelve hours, but can be less if he wasn't able to inject enough into the person. The person infected would also produce their own venom, hence why many of the students looked like they had rabies with spit and drool coming out of their mouths. They didn't have the snake-like teeth to puncture the skin, so they had to tear at it so the venom got into the bloodstream.

Usually, people under his command don't go around trying to create an army of people wanting to do his bidding, but with his vague commands to bite the villains and fight, it was bound to happen. Aizawa theorized that because the students had powerful quirks and could be considered a threat, Bakugou and anyone else affected targeted them. The students trying to stop them probably didn't help their case. Denki agreed with this assessment, bringing up how no one wanted to hurt Eri, even when she was…somewhat in danger. If the theory was correct, it would explain why they left her alone, because no one could see a literal child as a threat.

The kid ended up being punished by having to go to a special quirk control class for an entire year for his unauthorized use of his quirk and the chaos he created. He whined and begged for his weekends to not be taken away from him, but his mother quickly hushed him, telling him he should be thankful he wasn't going to jail. She also quickly added that they would both help with the cleanup of the school as her own punishment towards him.

Denki laughed at the face the kid made, Bakugou grinning like a maniac as he got checked out by Recovery Girl. He pointed and laughed at the kid, saying it was what he deserved, and got smacked in the head for his loud outburst when students were trying to sleep.

Classes for the day were canceled, not only because so many students were in the infirmary under strict bed rest, but because the school building was deemed unsafe for anyone to be in with all the destruction and crumbling walls. It's going to take Power Loader at least two days to fix it all, so they decided to let all the students rest and recover.

Denki was going to go back with the ones that were deemed healthy enough to go back to the dorms to rest, but he didn't feel like it just yet. Wanting a moment to himself as he processed everything he had been through in the last few hours.

It was hard to think about what he went through in terms of hours, each one feeling like a lifetime instead of one tick of the clock. He remembered starting the night so scared and alone. Feeling like he was on borrowed time as he ran for his life. He remembered running into Shinsou and how, over the course of the night, he became Hitoshi. He smiled, noticing how the longer he was by Hitoshi's side, the more confident he felt. He no longer saw himself as a coward, but as someone willing to take the leap of faith and move before his mind could comprehend what he was doing and save the ones he cared about. He was pushed to the limit, but he found he liked the person he was when push came to shove. He also really liked the guy that helped him realize this.

Denki was brought out of his musing by the feeling of something fuzz being pressed to his cheek. Looking over, he found a pair of fuzzy slippers being held out for him. He snorted, looking up to give the person holding them a blinding smile.

"It's a little late to be giving me shoes, don't you think?"

Hitoshi only smiled back, walking around him to put the slippers on his bandaged feet for him. "I said I would get you shoes if I had time. Well, I have time now."

Denki hummed in amusement, reaching out toward the mind control user so he would sit next to him. Hitoshi complied, scooting another lawn chair over to watch the sun rise higher and higher into the sky.

"How did you find me?" Denki mumbled, scooting closer so his head was leaning toward the taller teen. Hitoshi leaned closer to him as well.

"Wasn't hard. Honestly, I don't know why we didn't think about camping out on the school roof in the first place."

Denki snorted again, leaning a bit more so until his head was now fully rested on Hitoshi's shoulder. The other didn't seem to mind, staying still as they watched the new day continue as if nothing had happened. Students from other classes had come out of their dorms and were looking at the destruction in confusion. Others were laughing in excitement at getting the entire day off.

"You going to fall asleep on me?"

Denki hummed, blinking his eyes open to stare at Hitoshi. He's not sure when he closed his eyes, but he quickly blinked to fight the sleepiness that suddenly washed over him. He didn't lift his head from Hitoshi's shoulder. He was far too comfortable to move, and Hitoshi didn't look like he minded. If anything, he looked more amused than anything else. "I would never miss sharing quality time with you."

Hitoshi let out a low hum, leaning more into Denki, so his head now rested on top of his. The contact sent warmth through his body and butterflies fluttering in his chest, but he was too tired to move or allow himself to feel embarrassed by how close Hitoshi was. Instead, he basked in it. Snuggling as close as he could in his chair without risking them tipping over.

"You better not count this 'quality time' as our first date."

"And why not?" Denki asked, grinning into the taller teen's shoulder at his grumpy words. "We held hands, confessed our feelings, and even did some trust exercises. By all means, this should count as a date."

"I'm not counting this as the first date." Hitoshi stated bluntly, and got another chuckle out of Denki. "I'm serious." Hitoshi continued, talking more into his hair than at Denki, as they refused to move to look at each other. "I wanted our first date to be…"

"Less running for our lives-y?"

"I was going to say it would include burgers and romance, but yeah. That works."

Denki closed his eyes, suddenly being overwhelmed by how sweet Hitoshi was and wondering how he got so lucky to catch his eyes. "Really?"

"Well…yeah." Hitoshi huffed, probably embarrassed by how he shifted at admitting it out loud, but he still persevered as he snuggled into Denki a little more. "You deserve it."

"Mhm, okay." Denki conceded easily. "This doesn't count, but I expect to be wooed and to woo you in return."

"Considered myself already thoroughly wooed."

Denki chuckled again, only for it to be cut off by a big yawn. He felt Hitoshi take a deep breath, probably following suit and yawing with him. It was a wonder they were still up after the night they had, but Denki didn't want this moment to end.

"When do you want to go on this romantic burger date?"

"How about tonight?" Hitoshi mumbled, his words getting more slurred as he drifted towards sleep. "After… After we get some rest, we can ask if we can leave campus for dinner."

"And Aizawa will let us go?" Denki hummed in interest, wondering if this was some special privilege Hitoshi possessed because his dad was their teacher.

"We just saved the entire school from being zombies for several more hours and destroying everything. If he doesn't let us go, then Mic will definitely force him to let us."

"Okay then…" Denki whispered, smiling like an idiot as he slowly lost the battle to stay awake. "Sounds like a plan."

"It's a date then." Hitoshi mumbled back, seeming only seconds away from falling asleep. Using the last bit of his consciousness to snuggle a little closer to Denki as he let his full weight rest on his side. Denki welcomed it, pressing himself impossibly closer. The armrest of the chair was digging painfully into his side, but he couldn't find it within himself to care as Hitoshi's presence lulled him into a state of content.

He felt the moment Hitoshi fell asleep, his breathing evening out and his body becoming more relaxed than it had been in hours. Denki couldn't help but smile from where he was snuggled up, filled with so much joy and excitement even after everything he's been through. It was definitely not the most traditional way of getting a boyfriend or confessing their feelings, but somehow he just knew that this was going to be a great story for when they were older. That this proved that they could make it through anything together. Denki, for one, is excited to see what the future holds for them.

"It's a date."

With that thought in mind, Denki finally let sleep take hold of him, wanting tonight to get there a little faster. The sun was still steadily rising. Students were just waking up or coming out of hiding to bask in the sun, while teachers and pros were slowly cleaning up the mess that was created around the school.

The day was just getting started, and the world was full of energy and life, but for two students. It was the perfect time to sleep off the horrors of the night and let the warm sun blanket them as they held each other through a much-needed nap and energized them for the heroic adventures that were bound to happen to the new couple.