MY EMBER (BNHA x OC)

I Meet The Living Embodiment of Dav Pilkey's Dog Man

Sana was sitting on a chair in a hospital room. Midoriya, Iida and Todoroki were laying on the beds.

It was the morning after the Hero Killer incident. The girl had no injuries, but she insisted on coming to the hospital to check on her friends. The boys already had their wounds tended to. Iida's arm was casted. Strips of white wrapped around Todoroki's abdomen underneath his blue hospital gown. Midoriya's hand was bandaged.

Sana was reading a newspaper article. It was about yesterday's incident at Hosu City. Endeavor had gotten all the credit for defeating Stain. In actuality, as the students got to know later, Stain's lung was pierced by one of his own ribs, which caused the Villain's sudden and unexpected death.

The door to the hospital swung open. Gran Torino, the little grandpa man who Midoriya claimed was his internship mentor, entered the room alongside a tall man with a dog's head. He was wearing a smart black suit. Torino introduced him as Kenji Tsurgamae, Hosu's chief of police.

The boys sat up in their hospital beds as Sana raised an eyebrow and set her newspaper down.

"Woof!" Tsurgamae said, "So you're the UA students who brought down Hero Killer."

Sana rolled her eyes and muttered to herself, "No, no. Didn't you hear the news? That was all Endeavor's work."

The dog-man didn't hear her. "Regarding the Hero Killer's condition," he continued, "he had fairly serious injuries with multiple burns and broken bones. He is receiving treatment under strict guard. Woof!"

Sana shot up in her seat. "What?" All eyes turned towards her. "Why the hell are we nursing that Villain?"

"Woof! Even if he is a Villain, it is our moral duty to treat his wounds and let him recover."

"But he tried to kill my friends!"

"He will be serving time in jail for his crimes. Woof!"

Sana felt the frustration tear at her body. Her friend's fearful faces replayed in her memory. How can someone terrorize innocent teenagers and get away that easily? She closed her eyes and pushed down her anger. She sank down in her seat with the terrifying realization that her unforgiving nature was likely a byproduct of her abusive upbringing.

"I understand," she whispered more to herself than anyone else.

Tsurgamae continued. "As UA students, you already know that when superpowers were still becoming the norm, the police attached high importance to leadership and standards. We made sure that Quirks were not used for harm. Actions that would normally be denounced were accepted officially thanks to early Heroes who followed the ethics and rules of the profession. Woof! Even up against a powerful Villain like Stain, for uncertified individuals to cause injury with their Quirks is unacceptable. The four of you, along with your mentors Torino, Manual, Shinsou and Endeavor must receive strict punishment."

"Wait a minute!" Todoroki said angrily, "No one else realized that the Hero Killer had appeared. Are you saying that we should've followed the rules and let people get killed?"

"Are you saying that as long as the end result turns out fine, it is okay to violate the rules?" Tsurgamae shot back.

Sana's eyes glimmered with disbelief and anger. "But isn't it a hero's job to save people?"

Tsurgamae closed his eyes in exasperation. "This is why you are not a full-fledged hero yet. Goodness, what are you being taught by UA? Woof!"

"You dog!" Todoroki clenched his fists as he stalked towards the chief of police. Sana was right behind him, teeth gritted.

Gran Torino jumped in front of the dog-man, palms raised. "Hold on a minute now!" he cried, "Hear him out until the end."

Todoroki and Sana stopped, reluctantly going back to their places. They stared Tsurgamae down as the he continued, unfazed.

"Thankfully, there were very few witnesses," he said, "This violation can be forgotten here. Woof! But this also means that no one can know about your good judgment or achievements. Personally, I don't want to the one to find fault with promising youngsters because of one mistake. Woof!"

Iida was the first to react. He walked in front of Tsurgamae and bowed deeply. "I am truly sorry," the boy said.

Sana wanted to tut. Suck up.

Tsurgamae, looking quite pleased, nodded in acknowledgment, and Iida walked back. "Due to the deal, you four will not be able to receive the praise you probably would have gotten, but at least..." The dog-man abruptly bowed, his formal voice softening. "As someone who also protects the peace, I can sincerely say thank you."

Midoriya and Iida were flattered, but Todoroki just huffed. "You could've started with that," he mumbled. Sana snickered quietly. The two glanced at each other and exchanged smiles. Sana's heart doubled its pace. He quickly looked away.

The four students stood in a rough circle together as Gran Torino and Tsurgamae left the room. The boys were discussing their injuries, but Sana's mind wandered.

If the Villain League really did try to recruit Stain... does that mean they're recruiting other Villains as well? What are they up to this time?