𝑫𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌

𝑳𝒐𝒚𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑳𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔 | 𝟔𝟔

Midnight didn't know how she found herself in the grim hallway of the hospital. It was eerily quiet, so much so that you wouldn't be able to tell that an accident had taken place five rooms down less than a few hours ago.

She fidgeted with her gloves as she leaned against the corner. The hallway still smelled faintly of blood and fire and heat and her eyes landed on the scorch marks coloring the nearby floor.

Footsteps from behind her caught her attention, her eyes wandering to her left. "Yamada," she called out in surprise as Present Mic strode past, coat flaring and shades catching the dim light.

He paused, grin automatic. "Kayama! What brings you here so late at night? You look like you swallowed a lemon."

Midnight let out a soft smile but it didn't reach her eyes. Instead, she tugged her gloves tighter with a sharp snap. "That meeting... was a mess. Barely felt like a meeting at all. More like a funeral march. God, I hate when Nezu drops bombshells like that."

He tilted his head, the easy grin faltering. "...Yeah. I was with Sho."

"Nezu mentioned." She quipped, "I take it you know what this whole situation is about then."

Mic rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly quieter than usual. "Kinda hard not to, when your best bro's falling apart in front of you. He's not exactly subtle right now."

Midnight let out a sharp snort at that, though her expression stayed stormy. "Figures. The rest of us are choking on smoke while he's out here burning up."

Mic said nothing for a moment, settling up next to her. "...I take it the meeting didn't go over too well then.  How heavy was it?"

She sighed, heels clicking as she fell into step with him. "Heavy? Try suffocating. They're all dancing around the fact that she nearly—" Midnight cut herself off, pressing her lips together before shaking her head. "And then we're supposed to make decisions about her future like we're not just as lost as she is? I can't stand it."

Her jaw clenched. "And the truth is, I don't even know if I can trust her. That girl has blood and fire written all over her. We treat her like a victim, but she's dangerous too. She can't be trusted and yet we're supposed to just figure it out and handle it."

Mic shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah. I get it."

Midnight glanced at him, searching. "Do you? You weren't even in there."

He didn't snap back. Just gave a small shrug, his voice softer than usual. "Don't have to be. I've been with Sho through all of it. Tonight's events were a lot for him. He saw more of it than he can handle. Believe me, I get it."

She let out a bitter laugh. "Then you know what a disaster this all feels like. One wrong move and it's gonna blow up in our faces. She's unstable, Sho's barely keeping it together—hell, half of us are pretending we're not spooked out of our minds."

"Yeah." He let the word sit a moment, then nudged her with his elbow, grin returning in shades. "But hey, what else is new? UA staff meetings: guaranteed to shave ten years off your life."

Midnight chuckled despite herself, rolling her eyes. "You joke too much, Yamada."

"Someone's gotta," a grin smoothed out over his face. "You and Sho do enough brooding for all of us."

She smirked, then sighed again, shoulders sagging. "...I just needed to say it out loud, y'know? I don't like doubting my own team. And I hate feeling like I can't do a damn thing to help her and not knowing if she's even someone who can be helped in the first place."

Mic's grin softened into something gentler. "You just did. Sometimes saying it out loud's the first step. The rest we figure out one step at a time."

Midnight hummed at that, the corner of her mouth twitching upward. "You're irritatingly good at this pep-talk thing."

"Don't tell Sho," Mic winked. "He still thinks I'm a clown."

She snorted, tension finally breaking into a laugh. "Well... you are."

They settled into silence for a moment before she spoke up again. "Speaking of which, how is Aizawa? From what you've said i gather that he hasn't really handling her meltdown too well."

"It's not just a meltdown." Mic sighed. "It's dangerous. The kinda dangerous that makes pros nervous, and makes Sho think he's gonna lose her. Again."

The word again hung heavy. Midnight frowned, the edges of her usual composure softening. "...He's not fit for this."

Mic didn't argue right away. He leaned back against the wall, folding his arms, eyes on the ceiling. "Maybe. But try telling him that. He'll chew glass before letting her out of his sight."

Silence stretched, broken only when Midnight gave a humorless laugh. "You don't have to tell me. He'd rather die than have something happen to that girl. I think it's become too much for him."

Mic shot her a sidelong look. "Don't talk like he's already broken. He's holding on."

"...Barely," she muttered, glancing away from her colleague.

"Barely's still something," he said quietly.

Midnight finally let her arms fall to her sides, rubbing her temples. The tension hadn't left her shoulders, but the sharp edges of her frustration dulled. "...You're really standing by him on this."

"Always," Mic replied, no hesitation. "He stood by me when I couldn't breathe. Now it's my turn."

For a moment, neither spoke. Then Midnight huffed, shaking her head. "You're a good friend Yamada. Loyal."

He smirked faintly. "Yeah, well. Somebody's gotta be."

Sooo mb ganggg when I originally scheduled out all the chapters I accidentally forgot to put one down for last week. Hope Yall dont mind too.