The apartment door was about to click shut behind them, the muffled sound of excitement filling the small entryway. Hagakure's vibrant summer dress seemed to bounce on the spot, a physical manifestation of her irrepressible joy.
"Come on, come on, the sales won't last forever! My closet is desperate for something that isn't a uniform or workout clothes. I need colors! I need life! I need sequins!"
Ochako laughed, adjusting the strap of her purse on her shoulder. The morning light filtering through the hallway window made her cheeks, pink with anticipation, glow.
"Calm down, Toru-chan, the stores aren't going anywhere. Besides, I have a coupon for the crepe shop that's not valid until noon. We can't waste a chance to save money."
Momo, ever serene and elegant amidst the whirlwind of enthusiasm, smiled with her usual composure.
"Planning is key to a successful shopping trip and for the optimization of resources. That coupon is a strategic asset. We should structure our route to maximize its value."
Just as Toru, ignoring all strategic logic in favor of instant gratification, was about to turn the front doorknob, a voice stopped them cold.
"Girls, wait. One second, please."
Izuku's voice was completely devoid of its usual warmth. It was so deep and flat that it shattered the festive atmosphere entirely. The three of them turned instantly, their smiles frozen.
He was standing at the end of the hall, blocking the way to the stairs. His expression was so severe, so laden with a concern he made no attempt to hide, that the morning's excitement vanished in an instant. Beside him, leaning against the wall with a practiced nonchalance, Kageko—Toga in her gothic disguise—looked up from her phone's bright screen, a perfectly arched black eyebrow raised.
"Midoriya-san? Is something wrong?" Momo asked, her analytical mind already kicking in, searching for the source of the threat.
Izuku walked toward them, his steps silent on the hall carpet. His green eyes, normally a reflection of his honest heart, were fixed on them, analytical and dark.
"I know it's our day off, and I promise I won't ruin it, but we have to be careful. Very careful."
He paused, swallowing as if the next words were heavy.
"The League…" The name seemed to chill the air. "All Might confirmed it for me yesterday. The information from the exams, from Hosu… they have it. And they have your names on a list. They could be looking for you specifically."
He directed a heavy, direct gaze first at Ochako, then at Momo. The weight of that look was almost physical, a reminder of the power they had both displayed—a power that was no longer a secret to their enemies.
"This isn't me being paranoid. This is a direct warning from the Number One Hero."
The silence stretched, thick and heavy. This wasn't an order from a class leader. It was a plea. A desperate request from a friend bearing a fear he couldn't fully share. They saw in his eyes not just worry, but the weight of All Might's warning, a responsibility that was crushing him.
"So, please, don't leave my side. Not even by a few feet. If you see anything that seems weird, even a little, anything that gives you a bad feeling, you tell me right away. And if I say we have to go, we go, okay? No questions. Just trust me."
Ochako, noticing the tension in his jawline and the small twitch of a muscle that betrayed his stress, was the first to nod. Her joy was replaced by a fierce loyalty.
"Of course, Deku-kun. We'll be on guard. We won't separate. I trust you."
"Absolutely, Midoriya-san," Momo added, her face taking on a professional seriousness as her mind already calculated the new risk parameters for the outing. "Your logic is flawless. Caution is a hero's primary tool. We'll act as a single unit."
Toru, though her enthusiasm had visibly deflated, nodded as well.
"Got it, Izuku-kun. Operation 'Don't Die While Shoe Shopping' is a go."
Izuku seemed to relax by a millimeter. He forced a small smile that didn't reach his worried eyes.
"Thanks. Alright, let's go. Have fun, okay? Really. You deserve it."
As the group headed out, with Izuku now moving with them like a protective shadow, Toga hung back for a second. She slipped her phone into the pocket of her black dress and watched Izuku's back. A strange, predatory, and cold curiosity shone in her eyes.
She was intrigued by this side of him. This wasn't the clumsy, blushing hero. It wasn't the brilliant strategist. This was something else: a guardian, protective and territorial of his own. And it fascinated her, with an almost painful intensity, to see what he was capable of to keep his people safe.
****
The Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall was a vortex of light, pop music at an excessive volume, and a ceaseless river of people. For a couple of hours, Izuku's ominous warning seemed to fade into the cheerful chaos of consumerism. Toru, her spirit recovered, dragged everyone from store to store, delighting in the simple wonder of trying on clothes and seeing her own reflection in the mirrors. Mei Hatsume's support device, a small brooch on her collar, granted her stable visibility—a technological miracle that, for her, was synonymous with freedom.
"Look at this one!" she exclaimed, emerging from a fitting room in a bright yellow dress that looked like it was made of liquid sunshine. The fabric swirled around her with every movement. "It says, 'I'm adorable, but I'll also break your teeth if necessary'! It's perfect!"
Ochako walked over to look at the price tag, and her expression shifted from awe to very real financial panic.
"It also says, 'I'm going to make you starve for two weeks'! Toru-chan, it costs more than my rent!"
"Trivial details don't matter when it comes to art!" Toru retorted, spinning in front of the mirror. "Besides, it's an investment in my hero image!"
"From a branding perspective, such a vibrant color is memorable," Momo analyzed, touching the fabric. "Though the cost-benefit ratio of the synthetic fiber is questionable."
While they laughed and debated the economic viability of high fashion, Izuku and Kageko maintained a discreet but ironclad watch. Pretending to look at a rack of hero-themed t-shirts, Izuku's eyes never left the store's security mirrors and the reflections in the shop windows, mentally mapping the flow of people, searching for patterns and anomalies. Kageko, for her part, wandered with a studied laziness, but her dark eyes caught every detail.
Momo approached him, feigning interest in the same shirt. Her voice was a barely audible whisper under the music.
"Midoriya-san… the man in the hat who was at the entrance. He just passed by here again. It's the third time I've seen him in less than an hour. His route isn't a shopper's, it's a surveillance pattern."
"Yeah, I've got him," he replied in the same tone, not turning, his fingers brushing an All Might shirt. "And I don't like the woman near the exit, the one pretending to be on her phone. She hasn't moved in ten minutes. You watch her, I'll take the man in the hat. Kageko, south perimeter. Everyone, act normal. Don't do anything to alert them."
"Understood," Momo nodded, grabbing a shirt and heading toward the fitting rooms with flawless naturalness, her path giving her a perfect view of the suspicious woman.
Kageko, without a word, slipped away to another section of the store.
Despite the tension vibrating beneath the surface, they managed to enjoy genuine moments. They bought ice cream and sat on the edge of the large central fountain, the sound of the water creating a sense of calm amidst the bustle. Izuku, with a faint blush he couldn't hide, told Ochako he wanted to buy her something because she deserved it, and she, blushing too, agreed if he insisted. He told Toru the yellow dress would look incredible on her, making the girl practically glow with happiness. Ochako found the crepe coupon and celebrated with a little victory dance that made everyone laugh.
"See? I told you! Strategic planning always pays off!" Momo said with a small, satisfied smile.
"What pays off is the delicious taste of victory… and free whipped cream!" Toru replied, already devouring her crepe.
"Couldn't agree more," Ochako said, her mouth full.
For a moment, just for one blessed moment, they were just a group of friends enjoying their day.
That's when the air turned cold.
A man materialized from the crowd, moving in a way that wasn't natural. People instinctively moved away from him, not knowing why.
Tomura Shigaraki stopped a few feet from the fountain. His red, cracked, bloodshot eyes locked onto Ochako. He scratched his neck with a restrained violence, his long nails leaving red marks on his pale skin.
"You… I remember you. From TV. You dropped a whole ceiling on my recruits at the USJ. Turned them to mush," his voice was a raspy, childish hiss full of venomous contempt. "And everyone applauded you. 'So brave!', 'what a hero!'."
Ochako jumped to her feet, her entire body tense, her half-eaten ice cream falling from her hand. Izuku and Momo were already moving to flank her, their bodies forming a protective shield. Toga, who had been licking her ice cream, straightened up, her blue "Kageko" eyes shining with a predatory golden light.
"I was protecting my friends! That's what heroes do!" she retorted, her voice firm despite the fear she felt.
Shigaraki let out a dry, horrible laugh, a harsh, broken sound.
"And what am I doing? I also want to destroy the things that bother me! It's exactly the same!" his voice rose, turning into a childish tantrum. "But they give you flowers, and they want to lock me up! Why? Why is your violence good and mine is bad? Tell me!"
"Because mine protects! Yours only hurts!" Ochako yelled, her own anger overcoming her fear.
Shigaraki's face twisted into a grimace of pure rage.
"Then I'll hurt what you protect so you'll understand!"
He lunged, his five fingers outstretched directly toward Ochako's face.
She reacted on pure instinct. She pressed her fingertips together and released an anti-gravity pulse. The invisible wave struck Shigaraki in the chest, not hard enough to injure him, but enough to send him flying backward.
But it was a trap.
The instant Shigaraki was airborne, a portal of purple mist opened directly behind Ochako. Kurogiri's spectral hands emerged to drag her in.
It all happened in less than a second.
Izuku was already moving; his predictive mind had anticipated the pattern. He yanked Ochako with brutal force, pulling her from the portal's reach just as Shigaraki recovered and lunged to kill the boy who had ruined his plan.
That's when Izuku shouted, a single word of pure trust born in the battle of Hosu.
"NOW!"
Toru Hagakure, who had been paralyzed with terror, reacted to her friend's cry. Her fear transformed into a protective fury. She screamed with all her might as she unleashed a flash of light with all the power she had stored.
"EAT THIS, YOU JERK!"
The plaza was flooded with a blinding white light, so intense it erased everything. Shigaraki fell backward, covering his face, a sharp cry of pain escaping his lips.
"AGH, MY EYES!"
Momo said nothing. The instant the light exploded, a heavy, non-lethal containment cannon had already emerged from her skin. She aimed with icy calm and fired. A solid rubber projectile shot through the air and slammed with a brutal, dull impact against the metal brace on Kurogiri's neck—the only truly solid part of his body.
"Ngh! Impossible—!"
The portal wavered, distorted, and snapped shut with a final thud.
In the midst of the blindness and confusion, a figure moved with serpentine speed. Toga, whom Shigaraki had ignored, slid up next to him. Without a word, she drove her combat knife deep into his thigh. As he cried out, she twisted the blade and yanked it free, bringing its blood-soaked edge to her lips.
Just a taste. A single drop.
The effect was instantaneous. She lunged again, this time slamming her open palm against the villain's exposed forearm.
A disgusting hiss filled the air. A wave of decay spread from her hand. Skin and muscle disintegrated into a grayish dust, revealing the whitish bone underneath. It was his Quirk—a bootleg version, unstable and weak from the tiny blood sample, but terrifyingly effective.
Shigaraki's scream was inhuman, a piercing shriek that cut through the chaos.
"MY ARM!!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!!!"
Toga leaned in close to his ear, her voice a sweet, possessive whisper.
"That's what you get… for touching what's mine."
A new portal opened with desperate violence. Kurogiri's voice was now a panicked shout.
"Shigaraki! We have to go! Now!"
The mist enveloped a screaming Shigaraki, and both villains vanished.
The silence they left behind was deafening, broken only by the distant screams of the crowd and a fire alarm. Ochako's ice cream lay melted on the ground.
Izuku forced himself to breathe, the adrenaline tremor running through his body. He activated his communicator.
"Everyone okay? Anyone hurt?" his voice was shaky but firm.
"I'm fine," came Ochako's trembling voice.
"No damage," Momo confirmed, her tone already regaining its calm.
"I almost peed my pants, but I'm in one piece!" Toru shrieked.
"Perfect," was Toga's laconic, satisfied reply.
"Good," Izuku said. "Emergency exit, northeast of the fountain. Meet me there. Move, now!"
They ran, not as victims, but as a tactical unit in retreat. Izuku took the lead, with Momo covering his right flank, Ochako his left, and Toga moving behind them, her golden eyes now visible under her makeup, scanning every corner.
They reached the metal door and slipped into the service alley, a world of silent concrete and the smell of trash. The door closed behind them.
For a moment, only their ragged breaths could be heard.
Ochako was the first to break. She slid down the wall until she was sitting on the ground, hugging her knees.
"Oh my god…" she whispered. "He was here. He really came for me."
Momo knelt beside her, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. Her voice was that of a strategist giving a debrief, a way to ground everyone in logic instead of panic.
"The coordination was nearly perfect. Toru-san, your flash was the key factor. Toga-san, your intervention was decisive. Midoriya-san, your anticipation of the portal saved us. We all played our parts."
"I almost died!" Toru exclaimed. "When Kurogiri appeared behind you, Ochako-chan, my heart stopped!"
Toga leaned against the opposite wall, methodically wiping the blood from her knife with a handkerchief. The smile on her face was chilling and full of satisfaction.
"He deserved it," she said simply. "No one touches my team."
Izuku knelt in front of Ochako. He took her hands, which were ice-cold.
"Ochako," his voice was soft but full of a strength. "You did amazing. You didn't hesitate. You faced him. I'm so proud of you."
She looked at him, and the tears she'd been holding back finally fell. They weren't tears of fear, but of relief and the raw understanding that her life would never be normal again.
"But he'll be back, won't he?" she whispered.
Izuku squeezed her hands tighter.
"Yeah. He'll be back."
He looked at each of his teammates. At Momo, the pillar of logic. At Toru, the unexpected light. At Toga, his secret weapon.
"But next time," he concluded, and a steely determination hardened his voice, "we'll be ready."
Their day off was over. And the war, they all realized, had just truly begun.