The halls of U.A. were unusually quiet.
Classes had been suspended for the day after the USJ incident. Students were told to rest, but Jason found rest impossible.
He sat alone on the school's rooftop, wind tugging at his uniform, eyes locked on the horizon. His knuckles were still bandaged—torn from fighting the Nomu. Beneath the layers, faint green veins shimmered, a sign of the strain he'd put on Infinite Form.
The Nomu hadn't been easy. Not even close. But Jason hadn't let himself lose.
He couldn't afford to.
---
Flashback: Just after the fight
The air still smelled like smoke. Blood—not his own—stained his sleeves.
"Jason Lax," All Might's voice boomed behind him, a mix of awe and caution. "You… defeated that thing?"
Jason, panting, hadn't turned around. "Barely. Thing didn't know when to quit."
Aizawa stared in disbelief as paramedics swarmed the area. "You neutralized it alone. That wasn't even close to a fair fight."
Jason gave a half-smirk. "Yeah. Poor Nomu."
---
Present: Rooftop
He remembered the Nomu's eyes. Empty. Controlled. Like a puppet straining on invisible strings.
Someone had made that thing. And someone had sent it to kill kids.
His eyes narrowed.
Who?
---
Meanwhile, in the staff room:
"Should we question him further?" Nezu asked, clasping his paws.
Aizawa shook his head. "Not yet. He's hiding something… but he saved everyone."
"He showed abilities beyond what we've recorded. The shapeshifting is public knowledge, but… that strength?" All Might frowned. "It reminded me of my own fight with Nomu."
"Or something else entirely," Nezu muttered.
---
Back in Class 1-A's dorms:
Momo sat on her bed, fingers fidgeting with a pen. She hadn't spoken to Jason since they returned.
Her chest still twisted with fear—not just from the villains, but from watching Jason take that monster down alone. The way his expression changed… it wasn't the Jason she knew.
She blinked when a knock came at her door.
She opened it.
Jason stood there, hands in his pockets. "…Hey. You alright?"
She nodded. "Are you?"
Jason paused, then offered a weak grin. "Still too handsome to die."
She hit his shoulder—but gently. "Idiot."
For a brief moment, neither of them said anything. But something had changed. The air between them was heavier. Closer.
"Thanks," she finally whispered. "For saving us."
Jason shrugged, eyes softening. "…Yeah. Anytime."
---
Elsewhere, in a dark lab:
A monitor replayed Jason's fight, paused on the moment his form shifted mid-air.
A shadowed figure leaned forward, smirking.
"So… the boy's adapting faster than expected."