Chapter Text
Sero couldn't remember the last time he felt so relaxed. Which was weird considering he was in class where he’s usually only ever felt stressed out.
Nobody was in the room with him. But Sero figured he was early, for once. Or absolutely late either was possible.
He was sitting in his assigned seat, not entirely sure what to do while he waited. He tried to reach for his bag, at least one book was in there at all times.
But he couldn’t find it.
Must have left it at the dorms.
Sero got up to leave the room. Better to grab it before everyone comes back.
Where is everyone anyway?
When Sero made it to the giant door he wasn’t able to push or pull it open. Did Kami and Mina try to prank me again? Is it even a school day?
Sero couldn’t remember the date no matter how hard he tried, but he knew eventually the two would come back to open the door when they’ve finished having their fun. Or when someone starts to yell at them.
Trying to scratch the back of his head,there seemed to be an itch he just couldn't reach,Sero took a look around class 1A’s homeroom. The least they could’ve done was leave him things he could do.
He deserved a book or two for this at least.
Sero moved towards the teachers desk slowly, if he was going to get yelled at for being here after hours anyway might as well find out a bit more about their still mysterious homeroom teacher, Aizawa-sensei.
Or at least what he got on the last assignment.
Searching through the desk, Sero was able to find mostly useless papers, all of them he was having trouble reading. It was too early to focus on anything and must have pulled an all nighter reading again.
Finally in his hands he found a paper with All Might's overly fancy handwriting from the last practise exercise they must have done. Skimming down the list trying to find his name he noticed several of the others didn't get grades and instead got a line through the space where a letter should have been.
Including his own.
Looking back at the top of the sheet Sero noticed the red writing was different from the one on the rest of the paper.
~N/A due to traumatic events
But that was all that was written down.
~“Do you think he can hear us? I mean, why else would they say to talk to him?”
“Who knows at this point, they probably just wanted us out of their way.”
“Well to be fair we have been a bit much.”
“It’s not like we can help it though!”
“Would you Shu-”~
Sero gripped his head, dropping the paper to the ground under Aizawa’s desk, noise rushing to his head. A static sound hurting his ears as he heard vague voices. Stepping away Sero let go and went to move back to his desk.
Before stopping noticing something on Jirou’s desk. Taking a closer look it was another piece of paper. Different from the one he found earlier. Squinting trying to get the letters to clear up, he focused more than he had on anything other than his manga.
Not that it seemed to help much. He was able to read at least a few words but what did Hound and slip have to do with anything.
Sero put his hand on his chin attempting to think things through, he tilted his head left and right when he tried to associate the words with one another.
No that can’t be right, a slippery dog?
Maybe the dog fell? But why would that be on a piece of paper? Maybe someone got permission to get a dog? You’d need a permission slip for that right?
A permission slip-
Sero grabbed the paper again, bringing it as close to his face as he could. It looked familiar, which had to mean something. Sero looked away as his eyes strained too much, he was getting excited. This was a mystery!
Sero caught sight of another paper on Kirishima’s and Kaminari’s desks. It was the same paper, he’d bet he'll find the same paper on the other bakusquads desks too. They must have decided to do some sort of mystery game.
Which meant there was some sort of holiday or significance he had forgotten about and no one had told him.
It wasn't the first time he missed out on things and probably wouldn't be the last. Sero shrugged it wasn’t like he could do much to change things especially when no one else was around.Grabbing the other papers Sero placed them next to one another, pushing Jirou’s and Kaminari’s desks together. Looking at each one, Sero realized they could form a sentence if he switched the papers around.
Sero stopped when he read them together realizing why these looked so familiar to him, he’s had several ones before. It was so that Aizawa sensei knew where to find him if he missed class or anything.
Guidance counsellor Hound Dog Permission Slip
But this time it wasn’t his name filled out; each paper had his friends name on it instead where he’d usually see his own.
~ “I brought some oranges,”
“Why? No ones gonna eat them,”
“I figured maybe the smell might help!”
“What.”
“You know! Like muscle memory but for your nose!”
“How many brain cells have you fried?” ~
Sero collapsed, groaning, the chairs clattering around him. “What the hell?”
He stayed on the ground, forehead touching the cool floor. It was a bit embarrassing but Sero was glad no one was around to see his misery.
Nothing was adding up in his head. Their exercise didn’t count due to some event and all his friends had to go to the guidance counsellor. His head ached from the things he couldn't understand.
Sero sat up a bit resting his head against his knees, breathing in and out quietly.
This wasn’t some game was it?
When he lifted his head to look around Sero tried to see if there was anything else different about the empty classroom.
Just then the door creaked open, Sero’s heart started to pound. That door was lock\ed he was absolutely sure. So now that it was slowly opening couldn't have meant anything good was about to happen.
He was gonna die, he could feel it. Actually almost taste it but that could also be just the vomit trying to climb up and out his throat.
There's so much I didn’t do
The thought startled him, made him feel like this feeling had almost happened before.
The door swung the rest of the way open, hitting the wall with a loud clack.
“Hello! I am here! It is I All Might!”
Sero could barely swallow back the vomit to avoid projectiling all over the hero. The hero who was big and buff and healthy was the exact opposite of what he remembered his teacher was supposed to look like.
“All Might?” Sero mumbled one of his hands covering his mouth, making sure to breathe out of his nose, “What are you doing here? Like that?” Sero stood making his way slowly towards his teacher.
The giant man grinned, “I am Here to Help, Sero my dear student you have faced quite the ordeal allow me to help you through this tough time you have come to endeavor,”
Sero pinched his eyebrows together in confusion, “Tough time? What are you talking about? I mean yeah the door was locked and I might need to go lie down but it hasn’t been all that hard I think.”
All Might smiled sadly without his shiny white teeth on display, he placed a hand on Sero’s shoulder, “I’m afraid you’ll need to remember and then wake up.You have some people waiting for you.”
“Remember? Remember wha-”
“Probably still leaves possibility-”
“-idea than fuckmunch-”
“-ght in a cave in during one of All Mights nat-”
“-go back and complete it later.”
“-there’s so much I didn't do.”
“At the risk of Ears hearing this -”
“Plus ultra or some shit right?”
“Oh fuck,” Now he really felt like vomiting.
Sero looked back at All Might only to be met with his fist.
The first day Sero was allowed visitors after the teachers got him out and into surgery the Bakusquad was not allowed to go. All except Bakugo were stuck cleaning for the weekend which they did only in the dead of the night when others weren't around. And the explosion boy was also checked for any injuries.
Both sets of parents showed up and with them a huge uproar on how the school could have let such a high risk situation escalate to the point where one of their students was closer to death than any of them had ever gotten to.
On that day Bakugo spoke to no one when he finally returned from Recovery Girl. News about Sero being put in a medically induced coma had dulled most spirits.
Principal Nedzu cancelled class that day and had Hound Dog meet class 1A at their dorms in case anyone was interested in speaking up about what happened.
Aizawa sensei stayed that weekend instead of doing back to back missions to keep an eye on his students. Particularly those infamous Bakusquad members who weren’t seen or heard from the entire time. Most students like Yaoyorozu or Iida were trying to bring back a sense of normality which the others followed along with for the most part.
All Might was left with lecturing the students who caused the incident and dealt out a punishment he saw fit since it did happen during his class. But he couldn’t bring himself to punish anyone when one of his students was currently worse off than he usually was.
After the weekend was over the Bakusquad made sure to be the first after his family to visit their friend.
“You know maybe we should bring him a blanket, the hospital blankets might be too short for him, his feet must be cold,” Mina worried, looking back in the direction they came.
Kirishima tugged her along forward heading to the hospital, “There’s no time to turn back, Aizawa sensei said we have to be back by curfew,”
“Besides Mina it's summer there's no way he could be cold, I'm pretty sure Sero is probably sweating buckets right now,” Kaminari jokes at the front of their group eager to make sure his friend is alright with his own eyes instead of their teachers telling them.
“Slow down Pikachu, Aizawa said one complaint and we won’t be allowed back to visit so stop running,” Jirou grabbed the back of his collar to slow him down. “We’re all anxious to see him but everyone said he was still…”
Jirou avoided saying the word, they all have. It was the first time for many of them to be in such a situation and so far none of them broke. But Jirou knew they all probably would when the reality of the situation hit she just hoped they were all strong enough to get through it.
“Should we get flowers?” Shinso questioned aloud as they passed by a shop, he stopped mid stride looking at the window. The others followed his lead.
“Probably. Are there such things as ‘get well soon’ flowers? Do we need to know the meanings to them, I don’t think I know any other than roses,” Mina said as the others nodded along.
Bakugou walked into the store without saying a word, Kirishima at his heels.
“Maybe we should get him things he likes?” Jirou replied, looking away from the shop to look at the others.
“Like what? Books? He won’t be able to read them right now you realise.” Shinso silently agreed they should also get Sero something personal but they wouldn't know what he’s read and would like to read and also when he would get the chance to.
“So flowers are done with Bakugo and Kiri covering, how about a vase?”
“A vase? How about a picture and we can frame the Bakusquad together?”
“Hmm, we could get him washi tape, that'd be funny wouldn’t it?”
“No.” Came three voices in unison to Kaminari’s suggestion. As funny as it was, none of them thought it was the time or play for it.
“Well maybe we have time next time we come, each of us get something for him, deal?”
By the time the other two came back Kaminari had electrocuted himself and was attached to Shinso's side just in case he would end up falling into traffic.
Reaching Sero’s room had the group melancholic, he was in bed face hollowed with tubes everywhere.
The beeping of his monitor freaked out more of them than they had expected. No one moved for once completely silent.
For minutes it stayed that way, each of them moving into the room not staring at one another. Bakugou moved to the window leaning against it while not taking his eyes off Sero’s supine body.
Kirishima and Mina took the only two guest seats next to Sero’s bed with Kaminari seated by Sero’s feet on the bed.
Jirou and Shinso move to find a place to put the flowers before settling still.
“Sero...” Kirishima said, choking up his hand patting his friend's hair.
And the waterworks came after that. Mina curled up in her seat crying and shaking at the possibility that this might be the last time they’ll see him and it’ll be with Sero as is, attached to the hospital bed unmovable.
Kirishima and Kaminari were the next to falter, neither of the optimistic students could do anything but pat their friend.
For now he was with them.
The next few times the group returned each of them brought him something, video games and picture frames, almost like a celebration, but for what they couldn't say.
Kaminari brings the strangest things with a bright smile, the brightest they've seen in a while. He was sure he’d figure out a way to wake their friend up and no one had the heart to argue otherwise.
It was at least a full week since the accident, and the group finally learned about the decision All Might made in regards to it.
“They should get more than a slap on the wrist for this!” Mina cried out arguing with Kirishima, the whole mess when he tried to keep it from them. “It’s not fair! They almost killed him!”
Shinso shrugged, “What exactly do you expect? One is the son of the current number one hero and the other is his secret love child,” Knowing full well even though Shinso was their homeroom teacher's pupil he would’ve received an even harsher punishment than any other student, because he was taught to watch his surroundings.
Jirou smiled sadly at the joke, “It’ll be a scandal even worse than it is now, nothing we do can change that,”
“If this was a villain and they tried to cover it up no one not even our classmates would stand for it but since it’s those two it all gets swept under the rug!” Kaminari exploded, pacing back and forth.
“It was an accident, nobody could have seen it coming,” Whispered Kirishima, a mantra he’s been saying over and over trying not to hold a grudge against his own classmates. “Just a bad accident,”
Bakugo hadn’t spoken in a week and it didn't look like this argument would change that.
“An accident? An accident! If this was an accident then what are we all even doing Here!” Kaminari continued to yell, “We’re supposed to be heroes and we can’t even protect Sero! We sat and let the cave blow up and did nothing!”
Kirishima’s eyes glistened, “We did all we could, we helped get them both out. Even if we left the moment they were trapped. We’d have never made it in time. No matter what we did Kami we-we’d never..”
Shinso pushed both their chests further apart, they had moved across the room shouting at one another, “You’re going to get us kicked out at this rate,”
Jirou and Mina moved to pull on Kaminari and Kirishima to make sure they stayed away from one another and comforted them at the same time.
“You’re not the only one who wishes things turned out different, we’re all upset that we can’t do anything to change what happened, but we really shouldn’t be fighting each other right now.” Shinso tried to play the voice of reason but it didn’t look like it was going too well.
“M-maybe we should talk to someone about all this,” Mumbled Mina, unwrapping her arms from Kirishima.
“Yes I agree.”
They all turned to the voice coming from the door. Standing there was their homeroom teacher, none of them could even guess how long he’s been there watching them argue and make asses out of themselves.
“The nurse called me.You’ll all have appointments set up with Hound Dog until he deems it unnecessary, seems no one took up his offer last week from this group. Let's head back, I think you’ve overstayed your welcome today.”
“I’m sure this has been hard for you,” Hound Dog starts off staring at the angry blond kid. Bakugo refused to make eye contact, his hands clenched together tightly enough to whiten his knuckles. “It must be hard knowing that this is where you might be more times than not in the path you've decided to pursue,”
Still no verbal response. Bakugo’s eyes narrowed at the second part of the sentence.
“You must be angry, at the teachers, the other students involved, the world even,” Hound Dog pauses for a second wondering if he was getting it right, whispering “and yourself,”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about. Can I go now?” Each student only had hourly sessions and after that they were free to leave, and it seemed time was up. With a nod the student left without a glance back.
Hound Dog sighed if this was how this group started out he wasn’t sure what to make of the rest.
“Look I don’t need to be here, could you just let whoever it is you need to tell, that I'm fine.” Shinso looked out the window waiting for the time to pass by.
“You’re fine? Your friend is in the hospital, in a coma without a clear timeline of waking up.”
Shinso slightly rolled his eyes, “I’ve done this before and I know how it goes, there's no reason to be here if I already know what you’re gonna say.”
Shinso crossed his arms, digging his nails into his biceps.
He wasn’t interested in any adult trying to fix him, especially one he didn't know that well. He’s been here before and it never worked out for him, he was always the ‘troubled kid’. Though all that experience wasn’t exactly helping him now.
“So you have it all figured out, huh? You've been in that seat enough times to know better is that right? You’re gonna be a hero kid, you don’t think after every incident they don’t sit in the same spot you’re in now? You don’t think All Might has or even Eraserhead have needed help.”
Shinso looked back at Hound Dog wide eyed.
“I get that you admire him kid, but nothing in this room leaves, it’s just between you and me. Now talk to me kid, you were watching through the screen, is that right?”
Kaminari sat across from Hound Dog eating oranges like his life depended on it. Or in this case Sero’s. Three more oranges were already peeled in one hand while he tried to use his remaining hand and teeth to separate the cloves and eat them.
“You want to tell me that you’re doing ‘better than ever’.” Hound Dog eyed him skeptically, as he continued to munch on too many orange pieces at once.
Kaminari nodded, grinning with his mouth full, “Yup! I’m sure Sero’s gonna wake up any day now, just gotta wait for him.”
Grin just a bit too wide to be completely genuine.
“It’s been two weeks, have you been this optimistic the whole time?” The boy startled, dropping the piece of his orange on the ground as it was making its way to his mouth. “From what I understand there was a fight about guilt and responsibility, even I would question an unfair system when presented in such a way.”
Kaminari averted his gaze, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“This is what one would call being in denial, you understand that, yes?” Hound Dog wasn’t being paid enough for this.
“That’s fine I don’t mind, Sero will get better. He has to.”
“It was traumatizing, we were winning you know cause Ojiro got out and Todoroki was distracted with Midoriya. I didn’t see them so I didn't even think they were in the area. And when they finally managed to pull Sero out… I could barely look at him.” Mina cried out her knees up on the seat.
She kept talking, it was like talking to one of her stuffed animals, unresponsive , so no one would tell her she did something wrong or get mad at her for it.
“And I know that it was just another exercise but I can’t look at Todoroki and Midoriya right now. I'm afraid I’ll say something I can’t take back. Looking at Bakugo… is so hard I can’t get the picture of him screaming at the medics out of my head you know?” She sniffled.
“He’s so strong and I’ve never seen him look anything but that, except that day he looked terrified and I knew that something bad happened, something worse than what we had first thought.”
“And I don’t know what’s worse, remembering or wanting to leave it all behind.” Mina continued to cry looking away from Hound Dog, “You can’t tell anyone okay? I wanna be a hero, I do! I just don’t know how I’m supposed to be able to save the people I care about, with strangers it’s easy but when it’s your best friends I don’t know if I can be a hero.’’
“I pointed out Midoriya during our match. I’ve a hearing based quirk. How could I have not thought to see if they were around. The one time I use my sight over my hearing one of my friends ends up in the hospital.” Jirou leaned on the arm rest of the seat not even bothering to make eye contact.
Hound Dog raised his hand gesturing for her to continue after she paused.
“It’s all my fault.”
“You were taught not to overly rely on your quirk, there is no need to blame yourself for that if you had tried to listen for them you would have hurt yourself and where would that have left them. Blaming yourself isn’t the answer, learning to adapt for the future is. Make sure if it happens again you’re prepared for it, train yourself to be the best hero you can be so that no one else will experience this same thing.”
“That’s easy to say, but how am I supposed to look at Sero bandaged up like a mummy and not think about how if I was just better he wouldn’t have to even be there.”
“Tell him. If you think it’ll help.He doesn’t strike me as the kind of boy who would blame others for something like this.”
Jirou smiled softly, “He isn’t.”
“ I should’ve been there, everytime something happens I'm never there! Dammit!” Kirishima struck his fist onto his knee. “I’m not fit to be a hero if I can’t even save my friends. What's the point?”
“And who will pick up after the friends you leave behind? Seems to me that someone has to be both the heart and the glue to your group of friends,”
Kirishima jerked up wide-eyed in surprise. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, although Bakugo gets angry easily if no one calms him down. And Mina is hyperactive and pulls everyone into doing whatever is on her mind.
Kaminari is a pushover when it comes to us and completely impulsive, Jirou is too blunt and accidently hurts people unintentionally. Shinso is new and still thinks he doesn’t have a place with us even though he does and Sero...Sero let things go too easily and could rile people up just for a laugh,”
“Maybe I'm not done yet.” Light slowly started to shine in his once dull eyes.
Bakugo was seated once again, this time more open and less angry. “I wasn’t angry at least not at first,” He paused, shutting his eyes but the need to say it aloud overwhelmed him at times, like today. “I was excited, we were caved in and I was excited that it got interesting. I was itching for something that wasn’t a simulation and got it. When we decided to blow out through the top I made a bigger explosion than I needed to.”
Bakugo sighed, “ And when the cave collapsed Sero saved me from falling, we both knew any more explosions would have made things worse. So he taped me to safety and got stuck under all that rubble. We’re training to be heroes and I got saved. And even after that he kept asking me if I was alright. My first thought was how we could’ve made an interesting team if we fought against a real villain.”
“Sero’s in the hospital right now, what’s wrong with me? Why’d I do that? Of all things maybe they’re all right, maybe I am a villain, I couldn't even save my own friend.Why couldn’t I save him?” Bakugo kept his eyes on his feet not wanting to see the look on Hound Dog’s face as he answered.
“There is nothing simple about being a hero, but to be a good hero one must always strive to help others. You are no villain Bakugo, a villain wouldn’t have cared so much for their teammate let alone feel guilt for them. Feeling guilt is a natural reaction to such a terrible incident.”
On the day Sero finally woke up a good two weeks and a half passed since the incident and of all the people he thought he would groggily wake up to it was definitely not his homeroom teacher.
“Aizawa sensei.” He groaned, gratefully drinking from the cup that was passed to him. His arms were sore but it seemed like Recovery Girl got to him in time. He could wiggle his fingers and feel the hospital sheets under his skin. “You gonna punch me too?”
Aizawa raised an eyebrow, as far as he knows Sero never got punched in the face before they put him under. “No. We’ve been waiting awhile for you kid, nice of you to finally grace us with your presence. I’ll get the nurse and tell them to call your parents first. You can talk to your friends after the doctor gives the okay, I’ll see you soon.”
Aizawa brushed some of his hair back before standing and leaving the room quietly.
Sero grinned in response before taking a look around the hospital room.
Why is there a rotting basket of oranges in this room?