wistoragic

Mineta crosses his arms and shakes his head. "I'm staying."

You blink at him. "What?"

"Yeah," he says, puffing out his chest like this is some noble sacrifice. "Someone's gotta watch for other survivors, you know? This place isn't completely useless."

Sero gives him a flat look. "You just don't want to move."

Mineta grins, shrugging his shoulders. "That too."

Tokoyami sighs. "There's no reasoning with him."

You hesitate. It doesn't sit right with you, leaving someone behind, but Mineta seems set on his decision. He's stubborn in his own weird way, and it's not like you can force him to come. You look to Tokoyami, who gives a small nod.

"He'll be fine," Tokoyami says. "He's survived this long."

Mineta waves a hand dismissively. "You guys are way too worried about me. Go do your thing. Maybe bring back more cute people next time."

Sero lifts a hand like he's about to flick him again, and Mineta scrambles backward.

You sigh. "Alright. Stay safe, Mineta."

"Of course! I always do." He grins before adding, "But if you ever change your mind and wanna—"

You turn on your heel and walk away before he can finish. Sero follows, snorting under his breath, and Tokoyami strides beside you, shaking his head at his former companion's antics.

+++

The streets are eerily quiet as the three of you move through the ruined city. Every so often, the distant groans of the undead reach your ears, but you keep moving, sticking to the shadows and avoiding unnecessary fights. The walk is tense, but having two others at your side eases some of the stress.

"You know a safe place?" Tokoyami asks after a while.

"Yeah," you reply. "Aizawa has a bunker. It's not perfect, but it's one of the best places I've seen."

Tokoyami nods. "That name is familiar."

Sero glances at him. "Yeah that's our old teacher."

"Oh...," Tokoyami says, his expression unreadable. "It's been a while."

"Yeah," Sero replies. "Our minds consumed by surviving."

"Mhm. I didn't wanna leave anyone behind, but I also had to keep myself safe." Tokoyami admits.

That makes sense. Tokoyami seems more reserved than the people you've met so far. You get the feeling he doesn't talk about himself much.

"We're getting close," you say, scanning the streets for familiar landmarks.

You pick up the pace, eager to be somewhere safe again. Eventually, the bunker comes into view, hidden beneath the rubble of an old building. Relief washes over you.

Sero grins. "Never thought I'd be happy to see this place."

Tokoyami studies the entrance, his sharp eyes taking in every detail. "It's well hidden."

You knock on the door in a familiar pattern, and after a moment, it creaks open.

+++

The moment you step inside, you're met with surprised gasps.

"You're back!" Ashido exclaims, rushing forward.

Midoriya looks up from his notebook, eyes wide. "We were starting to worry..."

Aizawa stands near the back of the room, his sharp gaze sweeping over you, Sero, and Tokoyami. He exhales through his nose, relief barely visible in his tired features. "I'm relieved you found others."

Sero grins, rubbing the back of his neck. "Hey, Aizawa Sensei. Been months, huh?"

Kirishima, however, is nowhere to be seen. Neither is Bakugou.

You glance around, frowning. "Where are Kirishima and Bakugou?"

Ashido sighs, crossing her arms. "They went out looking for you. It was their shift to go scouting since we've been looking for you after that incident, and when they realized you hadn't come back yet, they decided to check the area again."

Your stomach twists. You hadn't expected them to go after you.

"They're alive too?" Sero asks, his grin faltered. Of course he was happy his friends were alive, but not seeing them upon this reunion was upsetting.

Aizawa nods. "They won't be back for a few hours. Hopefully, they don't run into trouble."

You feel a pang of guilt settle in your chest. If you had just been faster, if you hadn't taken that risk—

You shake the thought away. What's done is done. Now, you can only wait.

+++

Midoriya's gaze lands on Tokoyami, eyes curious. "Tokoyami. Been awhile, huh?"

Tokoyami nods. "Indeed. Didn't think I'd see you here. Uraraka? Todoroki? Tsuyu? Iida? Where's your usual group?"

Midoriya straightens. "We separated."

Tokoyami inclines his head. "Ah. So it seems that's a pattern. I found Mineta."

Ashido steps closer, eyeing him. "Mineta?"

Tokoyami sighs. "He refused to leave the spot when Sero and this girl found us."

Midoriya frowns. "Alone?"

"He insisted."

"My name is (Y/n). Not just some girl." You grumbled to defend yourself

Aizawa doesn't seem surprised. "Mineta always was a stubborn idiot."

There's a short silence before Ashido sighs. "Well, welcome to the safehouse, Tokoyami and Sero."

Tokoyami bows slightly. "I appreciate the hospitality."

Sero seemed thrilled. "Glad to be somewhere safer."

+++

The room settles into a quieter atmosphere as the group processes everything. You sit down, the exhaustion from the past several hours finally catching up to you. Sero flops onto a makeshift seat beside you, exhaling loudly.

"Hell of a day," he mutters.

"You're telling me," you reply.

Tokoyami remains standing, surveying the room. His gaze lingers on the scattered supplies, the maps, and the general setup. "You've built something sustainable here."

"Aizawa did most of it," Midoriya says. "We're just doing our best to keep it running."

Aizawa gives a short nod but doesn't comment further.

You glance at the door, heart still heavy with concern. "When are Kirishima and Bakugou supposed to be back?"

Aizawa checks his watch. "A couple more hours, still. If they're not back by sunset, we'll go looking."

You nod, though it doesn't ease your worry. Bakugou had already been on edge before you got separated. You can't imagine how pissed he's going to be when he finds out you came back without him finding you first.

Sero must sense your tension because he nudges your shoulder lightly. "Hey, don't stress too much. Those two can handle themselves."

You sigh. "I know. Just... I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of me."

Sero's expression softens. "It's not your fault. You did what you had to do."

You nod but don't entirely believe it.

A few more hours, and they'll be back.

You just have to wait.