Recovery Girl's office was packed.
Students lined the walls. Some injured, most just shaken. The smell of antiseptic mixed with fear-sweat. Nobody talked much. What was there to say?
Rei sat on one of the beds, shirt off while Recovery Girl examined his ribs.
"Three fractures," she muttered, pressing gently. He didn't flinch. "Healing remarkably fast though. Your Quirk includes regeneration?"
"Enhanced healing, not regeneration."
"Hmph." She kissed his forehead anyway. Her Quirk activated, accelerating his natural healing. The broken bones knitted faster. "There. Rest for two days minimum. No strenuous activity."
Unlikely to happen.
"Thanks."
Recovery Girl moved to the next student. Rei pulled his shirt back on, testing his ribs. Tender, but functional. Good enough.
This time Midoriya wasn't here. He did use one for all on a villain and learnt how to control it just like in the anime. But he didn't go all out this time. So no broken bones, he did a check up and went back with the others.
The door opened. Principal Nezu entered—small, white, looked like a mouse or a bear or something in between. His smile was too cheerful for the situation.
"Students! I'm relieved you're all safe." Nezu's voice was bright. "The villains have been apprehended by authorities. Police are investigating how they breached our security. UA takes full responsibility for this incident."
Silence. Nobody knew what to say.
"You'll all have tomorrow off to recover. Counselors will be available if anyone needs to talk. And— His eyes found Rei. "—certain students will need to provide detailed reports to the faculty."
'There it is.'
"Mizuki-kun, if you could stay behind? Just a few questions."
Not a request.
The other students filtered out slowly. Momo hesitated at the door, glanced back at Rei. He gave her a small nod, then she left.
When it was just Rei, Nezu, and Recovery Girl, the principal's smile faded slightly.
"That was quite the performance today."
Rei said nothing.
"Fighting a villain designed to combat All Might. Defeating twenty criminals single-handedly. Identifying and exploiting Kurogiri's weakness in seconds." Nezu tilted his head. "For a first-year student, that's extraordinary. Wouldn't you say?"
"I did what I had to."
"Of course! Very heroic." Nezu's tone was pleasant but his eyes were analytical. "I'm simply curious about your training. Your entrance exam showed talent, certainly, but nothing like what we witnessed today. Where did you develop such advanced combat skills?"
Rei met Nezu's gaze. The principal was super intelligent. Literally—his Quirk was High Spec, making him smarter than any human. Lying to him was pointless.
But truth was also dangerous.
"I've been training since my Quirk manifested. Self-taught mostly. Combat applications, tactical thinking."
"Self-taught." Nezu's smile returned. "Fascinating. And the ability to remain calm under pressure? To analyze an opponent's weaknesses mid-combat? Those are skills that typically require years of real experience."
"I read a lot, military strategy and Combat theory."
"Ah yes, reading." Nezu's eyes glinted. "Tell me, Mizuki-kun, have you ever received formal combat training? From a professional perhaps?"
Rei felt like he was walking onThin ice.
"No."
"I see. And your parents? What did they do before their passing?"
"Office workers."
"Hmm." Nezu studied him for a long moment. "You're quite composed for someone who just fought for their life. Most students are shaking right now. Crying. Processing trauma. But you seem... unaffected."
Because this wasn't Rei's first fight. Wasn't even his hundredth. He'd killed more people than most of these students had met.
But he couldn't say that.
"I'm good at controlling my emotions."
"Indeed." Nezu hopped off his chair, walked to the window. "UA is a special place, Mizuki-kun. We nurture talent. Protect our students. Help them become heroes. But we also watch for... anomalies. Students who don't fit expected patterns."
He turned back, smile still in place but eyes sharp.
"You're an anomaly. And while I appreciate what you did today—truly, you saved lives—I will be keeping a close eye on you going forward. Do you Understand?"
Message received. You're on a watchlist.
"Understood."
"Excellent! Then you're free to go. Rest well tonight. And Mizuki-kun?" Nezu's voice followed him to the door. "Whatever secrets you're keeping... they're safe as long as you remain on the side of heroism. Choose otherwise, and I'll know."
Rei left without responding.
-------
Outside, most students had already gone home. Parents picked them up, worried and relieved. The bus back to UA proper was quiet.
Rei sat alone near the back. Watched the city pass by through tinted windows.
His phone buzzed.
Momo: Are you alright?
Rei: Fine. Ribs are healing.
Momo: That's not what I meant.
Rei stared at the message. What did she mean then? Physically he was fine. Mentally... well. He'd been through worse.
Rei: I'm really okay. You don't have to worry.
Momo: Nezu kept you after. What did he say?
Rei: Just questions, about my training ...
Momo: And?
Rei: And I didn't give him the answers he wanted.
Three dots appeared. Disappeared. Appeared again.
Momo: I'm still worried about you.
Rei's thumb hovered over the keyboard.
Rei: Don't be. I can handle whatever comes.
Momo: That's what worries me. You don't have to handle everything alone.
He didn't know how to respond to that.
Rei: Get some rest. We'll talk tomorrow.
Momo: Promise?
Rei: Promise.
He pocketed his phone and closed his eyes.
Tomorrow would bring more questions. More scrutiny. More complications from changing the timeline.
But tonight, everyone was alive.
That was enough.
---
Author's note:-
Not gonna lie, I don't know everything about MHA, but I really enjoy it. I'm just a normal guy who makes mistakes, a lot of them. So I hope you guys keep pointing them out, and I'l do my best to fix them. Let's make this story even better together. Sorry again, and thanks for reading.