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An exasperated huff sounded on the other end of the line. "It's only been two days. Are you sure you're not overreacting?"

May continued packing her things, squeezing the phone between her shoulder and ear. "I wish I were."

"You're a medical person at a school! Come on, May. Last time you called me saying that, it was like during your palliative care rotation or something."

"No, no," May said and straightened her back. "I don't think you understand. Without my quirk, one of the students would've needed reconstructive hand surgery!"

Silence filled May's ear for a moment. Her friend was thinking.

"Already?" Eiko's voice lost its dismissive tone. "Shit, what are they even doing? Is syllabus week a thing for high schoolers? Damn, I can't even remember."

May flung up her right hand. At least someone agreed with her. "Yeah, thank you! Everyone is acting like it's normal. I knew I was here for some ulterior reason. I..."

Her voice trailed, and she shouldered her bag.

"I don't know what you expect me to say, May. It sounds insane. Can't you talk to them about this? It's only the second day, and you've already had an injury like that?"

"I don't think anyone would listen to me," May said, walking around the room to do a final check. "I'm not a professional hero."

"You don't know that. I think it's worth a mention. It's just gonna escalate as the year goes on, right, if you're making it out as bad as it actually is?"

"You're right. Maybe I am overreacting a little." May nodded, pacing without thinking much about it.

She opened the fridge, looking at each pouch of blood. How was her stock somewhat low already? Her head hung, and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"There's something else, isn't there?" Eiko prodded.

"When is there not?" May lifted her head and shut the fridge. She paused before continuing. "I think I'm going to need the operation, Eiko."

"What? No, we talked about this! That's like so invasive!"

May heard Eiko stand up, the rush of air blasting through the speaker.

"I don't think I have a choice now. It's not so bad, Eiko. I've already used my quirk more than I'd like to admit. I think it's something I should consider."

"You're using your quirk too much, then. That's what you even said! I don't think you should. It's not like people won't see it. People... like... might take advantage of that?"

"I don't care about that." May moved toward the door, beginning to shut it behind her. "These injuries aren't easy, and the goal is to heal them immediately. I would have direct access. I have to do my job properly... I don't... I don't want to be fired."

Incoherent muttering sounded on the other side.

"Well, I care about that, I mean, you." The sharp tone returned. "Your quirk isn't some... I don't know... heroic super strength nonsense that doesn't have serious health repercussions. I know I joke that it's just blood, but you know—you know—how I feel about this."

"I know but I—"

"And you're afraid of being fired? You've always been like this, fuck. Work first, everything else second."

May felt a headache coming on. She should've expected this kind of reaction, but she grossly underestimated. Eiko did state her feelings on the idea years ago.

I really should've thought this through without spilling about this. May waved to her medical bots half-heartedly, who responded with a blinking light. She shut her door and started locking it.

"If I choose to do go through with this, will you not fight me on it?"

"Damn it, May. I thought the whole point of medical school was to heal without depending on your quirk. So, you don't exhaust yourself?"

"Too late for that," May muttered, her keys jingling.

Eiko's nails clicked and clacked loudly on the phone. "Don't jump the gun, okay? The fact you even said that is going to keep me awake. Do you know how many pills I'm on? The amount of lavender sleepy time tea I have to consume?"

May finished locking the door but stopped in front of it. Her eyebrows furrowed. "When did you get on a giant drug cocktail?"

"There was a merger recently." Eiko started snacking on something. She was definitely stressed. Her voice switched from sharp to sharper. "It's making my hair fall out. I found another grey, too. Isn't that just fantastic? I've had to bump up my Botox appointment, too."

"What're you taking?" May's voice shifted while she thought about various drugs Eiko could be on.

Maybe the interactions were wrong, maybe if May could take a look, she could adjust the dosage. Maybe—

"Can you just not be a doctor for like five seconds?" Eiko sighed and then laughed a little, annoyance shining through her words. "Just try to give yourself a break. Listen, I have to go; some intern is staring at me like a fucking psychopath!"

May removed the phone from her ear, hearing Eiko's voice rise and bark at the poor intern. I shouldn't have called her; she has her own things going on.

"I'll let you know. If I decide to go through with it, would you be willing to help me out?" May hated asking those kinds of questions, and it probably wasn't the right time. She needed a little reassurance.

"—of course, even if I don't agree with it. You're going to do whatever you want anyways, when have you ever listened to me? Bye-bye, Mayday! Kisses!"

She started yelling again, and the phone hung up. May rubbed her face, knowing how much she upset her friend. The passive-aggressive parting words from her friend flipped her stomach. Gah, damn. I'm going to have to call her later and fix it. A text might be better.

There was a flurry of black that caught her attention. There he was, almost an unfortunate victim at the beginning of the day, heading down the hallway. May held on to her phone. Should I say something? Should I apologize? Should I—

"Hey!"

The words poured out of her mouth before her brain could continue processing. She started down the hall into a fast walk. Not running. Definitely not that.

Aizawa stopped, and his shoulders fell at the sound of her voice. Slowly turning around, she met his gaze.

"I..."

Now that he was standing right in front of her, the words weren't so easy. Why is he so scary? His dead stare didn't change, looking down at her.

"Go on," Aizawa said, giving a long blink.

Say something!

"I wanted to apologize... for almost knocking you over earlier." May's eyes traveled everywhere but the subject. "I don't need another patient, ha!"

Terrible. Absolutely terrible. May let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of her head. Nothing changed within his expression. It was like speaking to a brick wall. A sleepy brick wall.

"It's fine, Dr. Kataoka. Watch where you're going next time, and we shouldn't have any issues."

"Oh, yeah, I'll.... I'll be doing that."

There was another silence. May crossed her arms, trying to think of a different topic to talk about. He was the most challenging instructor to speak to. She was terrible at reading people anyways, but he was impossible. At least she could find something with Hound Dog.

Wasn't he reading the other day? I could ask him about that. He doesn't seem like he likes sunny weather... why would I talk about the weather? I hate small talk so much I can never—

"Is that all you wanted to say, or is there something else?"

Aizawa's eyebrows were raised. His question caused her whole mind to blank. May's eyes lifted from the floor.

The swirling aura of fear circled around her. Aizawa was a black hole. His looming figure and bloodshot eyes stole any coherent thought she could craft. Instead, she stammered.

"Yes. No, wait, yeah, um... have a good evening."

Wow, that fucking sucked. May shook her head, turning on a heel toward the exit. What did she plan to accomplish with that? It was a rehash of what occurred earlier.

She didn't look back, putting a hand to her forehead. You're so stupid.

The rest of the evening was filled with ruminations. Injured students, failed social interactions, the works. May laid flat on her couch, her head turned toward her television. She flipped aimlessly through channels.

She texted Eiko, hoping for a response. When her phone buzzed, she grappled for it.

>> (1) NEW MESSAGE <<

You were added to "U.A. STAFF" group

The Principal

➞ Good evening, everyone! Be on alert tomorrow, word has spread about a surprise press ambush in hopes of catching All Might. Good luck getting to class! Cheers. ^w^

✓✓ ✓ + read

>> <<

Perfect.

May flopped down on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Nothing was ever easy, was it?

—

—

May felt herself slide down in her office chair. She had gotten there insanely early, hoping to miss the media conglomerates. She succeeded, but at the cost of more sleep.

Three medical journals laid open on her desk, and all of them were psychology based. Unfortunately, she was softly snoring in the crook of her arm.

"You got here early, Doctor." Cementoss's calm voice appeared at her doorway.

May's head shot up from her sleeping position. She shoved her glasses up her face and then relaxed at the sight of him. When she got to the school, the sky was still a milky purple. Lamps flickered, trying to decide whether to stay on, or finally retire.

Now, as she looked to the window, the sun had risen and crept across the tree-line. Shadows decorated the room, stretching across the tile floor.

"I wanted to avoid any media attention. Not really my thing," she said, her voice groggy from sleep. "I've seen a couple here and there... why are they swarming now?"

Standing from her chair, they walked toward the window together. A crowd had gathered, white news vans decorating the front of the school like a growing disease culture.

"It was a way to gauge the public's reaction. Now that viewers are interested in All Might's new position, the reporters want every detail."

"Why hasn't he given a statement?" May asked, the bell ringing over the intercom. "Seems like it would've been a way to avoid all of this."

"I'm not entirely certain. If there's one thing, you must know, Dr. Kataoka, the media never allows a singular statement. I'm afraid they would want more."

"Have you ever dealt with the media, Ken?"

The cement man had a resting smile. He let loose a small chuckle. "Every hero must at some point. That is why we do our best here to prepare students for the inevitability."

"I imagine you're pretty good at handling them," May said, giving him a small smile of her own. "I'd have no idea what to do."

"That is a stretch, but I appreciate the compliment. You aren't alone." Both May and Cementoss turned their gaze toward the window. Aizawa was waving his hand at a reporter, his movements rigid in comparison to his usual stance.

"Some are better at this than others."

May watched a reporter toe the line, catching the perfect moment. Colossal metal doors slammed together, rising from the top and bottom of the arch to meet halfway. May recoiled, her eyes widening. That was an excellent reminder to never forget her identification card.

"Is that the security system at work?" May asked, wondering if it has ever caught any limbs before.

"Yes. Someone must've crossed it," Cementoss said and tucked his hands behind his back. "Quite bold, I must say. Today should be interesting."

With a good-bye, Cementoss left May alone. She couldn't see the reporters anymore. The thought of them hovering beyond the gate gave her a strange sense of dread. Her stomach felt heavy, sinking like a stone in muddy water. When will I have to deal with that?

The rest of the morning was spent on the computer. May rested her cheek on her hand, her eyes skating through peer-reviewed documents. They must've reached a breakthrough with quirk enhancement. Why are they spending time on that? Real health problems need attention.

Her mood was worsening with each continued hour. Due to an email from a colleague, she dug herself a hole in the world of cellular enhancement involving Quirk Factor. Why on Earth are medical doctors researching this? She rubbed her hand down her face and decided to play sudoku instead.

Numbers brought her comfort when people couldn't. The false sense of security wouldn't last long.

"BRRGH! LEVEL THREE SECURITY BREACH!"

What?

May lifted her hand from her cheek, looking from left to right. She sat up straight.

Wait... Am I supposed to do something?

It was too late to look at the employee handbook. May flung herself from her chair, scrambling to the door. She peered out, two robots waiting patiently for someone to come along. The floor started to rumble.

"Yo, Doc!"

Present Mic cut through the loud, repeating intercom. He was jogging toward the main entrance of the school.

"What's going on?" May yelled, holding her door open.

"Just the media! Don't worry 'bout a thing! Close your door, it may be a little crazy!" He called, waving an arm behind him.

That's it? Um, alright... I... guess?

May shut her door and dashed over to the window. The media had broken through, pushing up against the main entrance. If she pressed her ear against the window, she could hear their demands.

How did they manage to break through?

The chaos outside of her door began to grow alarmingly fast. The door shook as people pressed against it, desperate to leave the building. Someone's going to get hurt or trampled! What do I do?

May continuously looked between the door and the window. If she opened the door, people would come flooding in and create an even bigger mess. She made the decision to stay put.

From her heightened position, red and blue lights flared. Sirens, apart from the alarm system, sounded outside.

The chaos dissipated, and May gained no patients from the incident. She opened her door again as the noise died down. Leaning against it, she waited for an instructor to pass by and relay some details.

Unfortunately, nothing lined up well for her. May looked behind her for a split second, seeing her phone light up on her desk. She didn't notice the footsteps that appeared right next to her.

"Were any students trampled?" Aizawa asked, causing her head to whip back around.

"No, luckily," May choked out. "Did the media really breach the system?"

"You have a window, don't you, Doctor?"

May saw something different. A flicker of emotion, a vein popping right above his left eye. Barely visible beyond his mop of hair.

She tilted her head, her psychology readings presenting themselves at the forefront of her brain. Don't psychoanalyze, May. Simplicity rules.

"Are you alright?" She asked in a quieter tone.

The vein disappeared and he hesitated before his answer.

"Doesn't matter." Aizawa pulled out his phone, reading the message at the top of his screen. "There's a staff meeting."

"Staff meeting?" May stepped out from her office, following close behind his footsteps. "Am I supposed to go?"

"You're staff, aren't you?"

Duh.

May walked next to Aizawa, not saying anything else. Her mind was fluttering about the events that had just transpired. She had too many questions, and no answers. After shoving aside her list of personal embarrassments, curiosity became a primary motivator.

Just ask a question like he's any other instructor. Pretend it's Cementoss or something.

"Does this happen often?" May asked, breaking their silence. The conference room wasn't exactly a short distance away.

"No. If it did, we wouldn't be heading to the conference room."

"Right." May nodded to herself, questions continuing to pour out of her brain. The faucet had turned on. "How did they breakthrough, then? The defenses seemed airtight earlier. What do you think happened?"

Despite her badgering, he responded without annoyance. "I'm not sure. There had to be an externality. Something is off."

"Externality? An outside force? Something beyond reporters?"

"Yes, but I don't know what."

"Do you think someone used their quirk in an unregulated way? Isn't that illegal?" May didn't realize how long their conversation had occurred, but both were deep in their own thoughts. "If that's happening, you don't think—"

"Foul play?"

"Yes."

The sound of their footsteps echoed down the halls, murmurs from open classroom doors sounding.

"It's unlikely and highly improbable." Aizawa didn't have any unusual inflection to his voice, yet his responses were slower and more methodical.

"Probability is meaningless in this situation," May said without hesitation, her brain overloaded. In contrast, she was babbling without a filter.

The sink bowl was starting to overflow. Their conversation was running on borrowed time.

"Especially due to the circumstances... All Might is involved."

There was a lull. May kept her gaze forward, focusing all of her energy at deciphering this new and strange puzzle. The self-doubt and subconscious nervousness melted away. There was a problem. It needed to be solved.

Silence did nothing to assist May's thoughts. She put a finger to her chin, their pace increasing as the conference room sign appeared at the end of the hall.

If All Might is involved, Cementoss said reporters were eager for a story. Even All Might himself said that they wanted a statement from him. I remember a specific case study outlining when a politician was in the hospital, a team of reporters—

"I disagree."

May didn't skip a beat.

"That's your prerogative, but I think it shouldn't be ignored. It's important to look at all angles. This is an anomaly and should be treated as such. Everything should be considered."

Aizawa sighed, and he rolled his neck before responding. "Are you done?"

"Done what?"

"Talking."

The water had spilled over the bowl, dripping on the floor. Aizawa turned off the running tap of thoughts. Quick. His shoes were getting wet.

May's brain stalled. Knowledge wasn't driving her anymore. Instead, her face boiled. The rational way of thinking fled. A vortex of self-deprecation spun out of control. I thought we were just talking? What did I say? Was it disagreeing? I should never speak again.

They both entered the conference room, sitting down and listening to Nezu engage with other instructors.

"This doesn't happen. It's not right, and it's not natural." Midnight's voice overpowered others. "We have no idea what's happening or how it even got to this point."

I've never seen her this way. May watched as other instructors nodded in agreement. Midnight's fist clenched on top of the table, her teeth grinding together.

"If one reporter could infiltrate, how are we supposed to handle all of them?" Ectoplasm's dual harmonic tone responded, garnering more nods.

"The media has always been ravenous," Cementoss interjected, moving both of his large hands up and down. He was trying to calm the room."Our main job is to protect our students. We must think about this rationally."

"I agree," Eraserhead said, scratching the side of his face. "This is not the time to panic. The archway security system is the most outdated piece of equipment on site. Even if it shouldn't be."

"I think someone tipped off the reporters," Midnight countered, leaning back in her chair. "How did they break through so easily? It doesn't matter if the technology is outdated. They still got through."

May's eyes flashed at the back and forth between the instructors. It was challenging to keep track, and after the last interaction she had, she kept her mouth shut. May felt a poke at her arm, her eyes scooting away from the conversation and toward the source.

"What do you think, Doc?" Yamada whispered, still staring straight ahead.

"I don't know. I feel like something isn't right, but it might be my nerves," May replied, keeping the same quiet tone. She couldn't even comprehend the fact he was semi-whispering. "What about you?"

"I don't know either. I was hoping you had a better answer. Aren't you supposed to be smart or somethin'?"

"You think I know anything about heroes and the media?"

"I could say the same thing about myself."

May turned her head slightly, half-listening to the other staff members state their case to Nezu. Her eyebrows knit together. "But you... you are a hero."

"So? Ain't no problem, not knowing a thing or two. Oh, but I did learn today that fighting the press would lower my reputation." Yamada stifled a laugh. "Who knew, am I right?"

"I really can't tell if you're kidding or not."

"I—"

"Mic, tell him he should be more concerned about this." Midnight held up a gloved hand, ending the small side conversation May was a part of. "It's important."

Present Mic leaned forward in his chair, folding his hands on the desk. "I agree with all the aspects presented. I think it's important we consider every option but don't spread ourselves too thin. We have students to think about."

That's a shockingly well-rounded response. May wondered if he had a whole act centered around his chaotic hero persona. But he released his folded hands, using finger guns. The idea left as soon as it presented itself.

"Yo, I got an even better idea!" Present Mic held up a finger, breaking into a goofy smile. "Let's show them why we're heroes through a media karaoke party! We'll give them what they want."

No one acknowledged his last statement, shaking their heads in response. Yamada leaned back in his chair, watching them squabble amongst each other again. May was busy rubbing her eyes, thoroughly confused with everything that was happening.

"That's how you get out of a conversation, Doc. Take notes."

May peered through her hands, staring at Yamada. He had a smug expression, but it left quickly.

I cannot read anyone here. I have no idea what anyone's endgame is.

The murmuring came to a stop. Nezu held up a paw, standing at the front of the room.

"The evidence is compelling, but quite frankly, I do think we have more indications toward Midnight's central argument," Nezu said, motioning to the woman. She hmphed, giving a single nod.

Nezu inhaled then continued. "An element of evil instigated this infiltration into our system. We must be on high alert, even if this is a false alarm."

Everyone stirred in their seats. May propped her elbow up on the table, glancing around at the other heroes. She had a hard time figuring out what any of them were thinking.

"If this is what I think it is, it's a declaration of war."

A declaration of war?

"Back to class, everyone. We are going to proceed like a normal school day."

May walked back to her office alone. Nezu sounded much more serious than usual. Throwing around words like 'declaration' and 'war' did nothing to settle her stomach. It was probably nothing to be concerned about.

The press was overexcited, that's all.

Sitting down at her desk, she opened sudoku again. Every pro-hero in the conference room had varying opinions and responses to what occurred. No one was unanimous about anything. May moved her mouse to click on the little white boxes on the screen.

Three...

There weren't many more patients throughout the day. May drummed her fingers on the desk every so often. The initial adrenaline shot of the earlier events led to more exhaustion. And her horrible social interactions.

Nine...

She wondered why the conversation went south so quickly. Was he tired? Cementoss indicated the press wasn't Aizawa's favorite. I shouldn't have questioned him so much; that was insensitive. She curled her fingers against the smooth surface of the desk.

Eight...

All Might was nowhere to be found, May realized. She scrunched her mouth to one side, her eyes narrowing in on the square she was trying to complete. In fact, May was so preoccupied with the media, he never checked in that morning.

Five...

The robots whirred next to her. Not a single student had stopped in, not even for a minor ache or pain. It was weird. May looked toward the window, rubbing the back of her neck.

One...

There was one more empty square on her board. She hummed to herself, her nose squished by the fist she made with her propped elbow.

Four.

Before May could process, she heard footsteps pound the halls like thunder. She slid out her chair and got to her feet, resting her hands on the cushioned top. The voices that traveled were strained, nearing.

She drifted back to the computer screen.

Unlucky number four.

More voices echoed.

Something was wrong.

Storm clouds gathered at the doorway in human form. A heaving boy, his face scratched, and his knees dirty. His glasses hung on his face loosely, splinters shattering in the corners. Teachers gathered behind him. Their eyes were white and wide like full moons.

Did she hear a crow on her walk that morning? Was Dr. Kataoka May scrawled in red ink across a hidden paper?

In that small moment before words, resting at the tip of her tongue, May remembered what her mother used to say. Four was closest to death and second to suffering.