~O~

Eri sat down on the couch in the Common Area, alone, waiting for him to come back.

A warp gate appeared behind her.

Immediately sensing something wrong, the little girl jumped of the couch and turned to face what appeared behind her, worry sketched across her face.

But she didn't call for anyone. She didn't yell for help. She didn't run nor back away.

She was about to but she didn't after she saw who it was.

"Did I scare you? I'm sorry that's not what I was trying to do..." Midoriya scratched the back of his head as he stepped out of the warp gate.

"Deku?" Eri looked at him with big worried eyes, moving her fists up and down, "A-Are you okay? Where were you? I-It's been two days and you didn't come to—?" She was cut off by the boy.

"Oh that?" Midoriya reached down her height and whispered, "Well, I was planning a surprise for you."

"Surprise...?" Eri repeated.

Midoriya stood up and nodded, "Mhm. Do you wanna see?" He extended his scarred hand towards the little girl invitingly.

"Um... Okay." Eri said as she placed her small hand on his big ones and held onto it.

"Then let's go." Midoriya smiled as he led Eri towards the warp gate.

The red eyed girl took one glance back before stepping into the warp gate right after Midoriya, not leaving his hand.

She was wondering what kind of surprise did Deku have for her?

What kind of surprise took two days of complete disappearance?

And what was this black-purple misty thing. Deku couldn't control anything like that before, then why now? At least, not that she knew of it.

Guess, her answers lied behind the warp gate.

~O~

Stepping out, still holding onto the green head's hand, Eri looked around to find herself in an unfamiliar place.

Surrounded with unfamiliar faces. Some faces that told her she made a wrong move. That she might be in some serious danger...

There was a blonde high school girl with a knife sitting on a chair, smiling at her. A man that was covered in that black-purple mist thingy? Another man dressed in a black and grey costume, standing beside the girl, he looked funny. A magician — Hado told her all about magicians! A teenage mutant ninja turtle — she didn't know they were real! One of them got so many burns, his skin was somewhat purple, she wondered if they could heal.

But it was okay! Even if they scared her a little bit, Eri had her hero on her side! She didn't need to fear anything. Deku was there to protect her if they tried anything. Besides, he was the one who brought her here so he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. So, it was all okay!

"Well, wasn't that easy..." Another person appeared from behind.

Eri turned around to see a light-blue haired man with pale skin.

Before she could ask Deku what was going on, the light-blue haired man placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and the green head started disintegrating while the lower half of his body started turning to mud. Before Eri had the time to react, her hero was gone. Midoriya was gone, right in front of her eyes...

She felt her heart drop...

She was... Alone...

Again...

Fear rushed over the little girl as she took a step back, gasping for breath. Her eyes widened as she now stared at her own hand that held onto Midoriya's seconds earlier. She was trembling, tears were brimming in her big red eyes. Her bottom lip was quivering as she struggled to form proper words.

Why...

Why does everyone close to her has to die?

Eri thought... She thought this time no one would have to die. She thought he wouldn't leave her again. She thought she didn't have to be alone anymore. She thought the suffering ended already. She thought she was safe. Then why...?

"D-Deku.... N-No please..." Eri tried her best to hold back her tears, her small hands covering her ears.

"Ugh, don't act so emotional. That was just a clone..." Shigaraki rolled his eyes, unfazed by the child's reaction.

Eri jolted up, her eyebrows furrowed, looking at the villain with big teary eyes. There was a chance that Midoriya was safe!

"But let's just say, I already killed him. So, don't expect a rescue."

Eri's expression fell again. "Wh-What...?"

Now, coming to think of, it all made sense... Why didn't Midoriya come to visit her? Why didn't they hang out with Mirio? Why wasn't anyone talking about him? Why did all the smiles looked fake? Why wasn't there that excitement she had before? Why didn't Mirio know anything that happened to him? Why was Mr. Aizawa quieter than usual? Why did Class-1-A look so sad?

It was all because Midoriya wasn't there anymore...

And,

Midoriya wasn't there anymore because of these people...

And once she realized that... The fear in her eyes immediately turned to hatred.

So much hatred, words couldn't describe.

Eri clenched her fists, tears finally trickling down her eyes.

"Tomura, look what you did! She's crying now!" Toga exclaimed, her smile never left anyhow. And Eri hated that.

"So? What do you think, I'm gonna sing her a lullaby or some shit?" Shigaraki said, "Besides if Master wants her alive, she better start accepting the reality of death soon. She's going to see a lot of them."

Shigaraki then got down on his knees to get to Eri's eye level. He smirked malevolently, "Especially a hero's death..."

Eri only glared at him. Red angered eyes trying to appear intimidating but the tears weren't helping.

They weren't getting away with this. They were so not getting away with this. She was done acting like it was okay when someone died. She was done standing back against villains. She was done being used to when someone who tried to protect her was taken away. She was done holding back. She was done being helpless to villains like these. She was done being the one powerless. She was done with risking others' lives.

"Now follow me. Master's waiting for us... And he doesn't like waiting." Shigaraki stood up and roughly grabbed Eri's arm, keeping a finger out, as he dragged her out of the room despite her struggles and cries.

Eri's shouts and cries of 'let me go' and 'leave me alone' soon faded away.

The room was silent.

~O~

Back at UA High, in Class-1-A's dormitories.

Shinsou was seen sitting on one of the couches in the Common Area. He looked like he was in deep thought. Passing by the kitchen, Kaminari noticed the purple haired boy and walked up to him.

"Hey... Why are you looking so lost in thoughts?" It was a dumb question and Kaminari knew that. They were just told one of their classmates is dead and they should keep quiet about it — anyone could be looking lost after all that. But the current depressing mood was killing him and he needed a small conversation for a change.

"I was just thinking..." Shinsou began, not looking up at the electric blonde.

Kaminari, on the other hand, didn't actually expect an answer but he was all ears for whatever Shinsou had to say.

"I told you all about the books, right?" Shinsou asked for confirmation. Kaminari nodded in reply.

"Yeah. What about it?"

"It's just that... There were three books but we only know about two of them... I wonder, who the third book was for? What's it's purpose? And why was it different than the others? It could be something really important. We might be missing the whole picture here." Shinsou stated, running a hand through his hair.

"You know, Shinsou." Kaminari sat down, beside the other boy, "Midoriya's smart and very strategic."

"That's obvious—!"

"I know but, what I'm trying to say here is that... If the third book really had the 'whole picture' in it, then Midoriya wouldn't have sent it away from us to an unknown person. Like, you showed us the address and we tried to follow it too! And it was just an old grocery store... Midoriya wouldn't give it to someone completely random if it held more meaning. Maybe that one was just a bluff?" Kaminari said.

"Maybe you're right..." Shinsou lowered his head, "But it feels awful that we failed."

It really did feel awful.

~O~

After a few minutes of walking, Eri and Shigaraki arrived to the room where All For One was waiting.

During their walk their, Eri's struggles stopped, seeing that she had no way out of this situation for the time being. But she won't let them use her that easily.

Once the door opened and her eyes fell on the man that was waiting for her — she felt fear. He gave off a completely different aura than Chisaki. His mere presence was making the girl shake in her boots. She felt like he could kill anyone if they tried to—!

No...

Eri mentally slapped herself.

She's going to be strong.

She won't give in to fear.

She won't let them hurt anyone.

She will stand up for herself.

"Ah, well isn't this pleasant." All For One started walking towards them. Eri maintained a stern face despite the fear bubbling up in her chest.

"Tomura, do you know what an outstanding power this little one withholds?" All For One turned to the said boy.

"I've only heard a little from Toga and Twice... But I don't really know about it, Master." Shigaraki replied.

"Allow me to tell you then," All For One turned to Eri with a wicked grin, "She has the power to rewind any living thing's organs, injuries, cells or it's entire existence itself. Powerful and useful, isn't it?"

"It sure is, Master." Shigaraki said, "But do we really need to keep her alive?"

"Well, her power is so strong, the pain might kill her if I tried to take it out of her. So, as long as she complies to me, it won't come to that. A brilliant opportunity for her to realize her true place." All For One said.

"I-I'll die b-before helping y-you..." Eri stuttered out. Still trying to keep up a strong face.

"Aw, she's a fighter... Now isn't that adorable?" All For One chuckled, "You may leave now, Tomura. I'll take care of the rest." He said.

"As you wish, Master." And just with that Shigaraki left the room.

"Come now, Eri, I'll take you to a place where you can comfortably re-think your decision."

For a moment everything went black.

And the next thing Eri knew she was surrounded by at least a hundred Nomus.