The instant the shockwaves faded and Todoroki collapsed, time seemed to freeze in the control room.
Around them, the students erupted in anxious murmurs.
"Did he just… collapse?"
"He used his fire—for the first time!"
Kirishima's jaw slackened. "He just… dropped! Didn't even land his attack."
Ashido clutched Ochako's arm.
"Was it a quirk? Nagato didn't even move after that, right?"
Jiro frowned,
"No way that was just a hit… it was like Todoroki's mind just snapped."
Aizawa's gaze lingered on Nagato and Todoroki in the aftermath.
"It must be a mental-type attack," he finally muttered.
"Not the first time I've seen such a quirk…."
All Might nodded. Then,
He raised his voice to the class:
"You all performed bravely today, my young heroes! That concludes this exercise. Take what you've learned and use it to grow even stronger!"
On medical orders, Todoroki, Bakugo, Midoriya, Kaminari, and a few others found themselves transferred to Recovery Girl's infirmary—the battered, the exhausted, and the glowing alike.
The rest, chattering and congratulating one another, made their way back to homeroom and, eventually, toward the sanctuary of the dorms as dusk gathered.
That night, the dorms echoed with tired laughter and soft questions:
"how did you do that move?"
"What happened to Todoroki?"
"Did you see how Sero grabbed the bomb?"
"Wasn't that crazy?"
"Bakugo and Midoriya were badass too!"
Nagato was quietly barraged with questions, though he sidestepped them with practiced ease. No one, it seemed, had any real idea of what had truly happened between him and Todoroki—
---------------
The sun streamed across UA's glass windows as Class 1-A gathered for another day of lessons. Sleepy chatter drifted through the room—Kirishima practicing wrist stretches, Kaminari begging someone for an extra pencil, Ochako and Tsuyu trading lunch ideas.
Most of the class was just settling into their seats when a familiar, brash voice cut through the morning quiet from just outside the door.
"Haha! I beat you, Deku! Now you've gotta buy me that special arare I wanted!" Bakugo's laughter was brazen as he swung the door open, shoulders squared like he'd just won the hero lottery.
Midoriya followed, groaning as he adjusted his bag.
"Tch, that's only because I didn't go all out this time…"
Bakugo scoffed, elbowing him. "Oi oi oi, stop making excuses! You lost, pay up!"
Midoriya rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward. "Yea, yea… fine, I'll buy it for you after classes."
They entered the classroom still sparring with words, their banter as much a reassuring constant as breakfast.
Iida, stood and adjusted his glasses dramatically.
"Bakugo, Midoriya—your performances yesterday set an incredible example for us all! Your use of your unique fighting styles was simply marvelous. Congratulations!"
Kirishima grinned from his desk, thumping the top with a fist.
"Yeah! That was totally manly, you two! You looked like real lantern corps out there."
Bakugo strutted, soaking in the praise.
Midoriya, red-faced, waved it away.
"Thanks guys."
At that moment, the classroom door slid open again.
In walked Todoroki, shoulders slumped, dark circles under his eyes and a distracted frown marring his normally serene face.
He barely acknowledged the group, his gaze settling on Nagato with a look of chilly resentment.
If a gaze could kill, Nagato would've died a hundred times.
He walked past without a word, dropping into his chair and never once breaking his staring contest with Nagato, whose only reply was a shrug.
As lessons ended and they filtered into the cafeteria, the usual rhythm returned—chopsticks clacked, lunchboxes traded snacks, Kirishima told a joke that made Yaoyorozu smile, and Jiro rolled her eyes at his lame joke.
And , then a girl shouted about a perverted purple ball-haired midget is moving under the table looking under Girl's skirt.
"No, guys, He's not hiding under our table, I checked!".
Toru and Ochako giggled over cold pudding.
Suddenly, a piercing alarm cut through the easygoing noise.
"Villain attack!" someone shouted, panic spreading through the cafeteria as students leapt to their feet.
Trays clattered and conversations dissolved into chaos as nervous first-years tried to remember drills between frantic breaths. Nagato, instincts ignited, flicked his gaze around the room.
The crowd pressed toward exits, but amid the confusion, his eyes tracked movement—reporters shoving through, cameras flashing, their voices loud and demanding.
But it was what happened above that truly unsettled him: atop the central administration building, Nagato caught a fleeting glimpse—a shadowy figure, impossible to identify, vanishing in an instant as if never there at all.
He narrowed his eyes, tension prickling the back of his neck.
For just a split second, as the throng parted, Nagato saw a figure vanished around the central part of the building and there was another familiar presence there.
His thoughts whirled. 'Aoyama?'
But before he could move, the chaos died almost as quickly as it had begun.
Security doors slammed shut, pro-heroes arrived in waves, and a sheepish admin declared the event a false alarm—mere press intrusion, an overzealous attempt to break the latest scoop.
Order returned, though not quite as intact as before.
Students, shaken but hungry, found their seats again.
Conversation grew louder, anxiety melting back into jokes.
Midoriya and Bakugo squabbled over cafeteria curry, Kirishima tried to arm-wrestle Sato, and Todoroki stayed silent, still burning a hole in his tray—and once more, in Nagato.
Eventually, they returned to class.
It was just ten o'clock.
The air of unease lingered in corners, even as laughter filled the space.
Aizawa entered, scarf trailing, eyes surveying his charges.
"First off, calm down. The disturbance in the cafeteria was a false alarm—there was no villain attack. A pack of reporters stormed security, looking for a scoop. Don't get complacent, but don't panic over every shout, either."
Nagato's gaze wandered. Across the classroom, Aoyama glanced back, smiled , incongruous smile—and turned away, his face bright with innocence.
Aizawa's stare brought the room quickly to order.
"Now, wear your hero costumes. Today we're heading somewhere special—a training site you probably know. The Unforeseen Situation Joint—USJ!"
"And Stay alert, it's not just for show."