Colors in the Dark

[29] Aftermath

A/N: Now that Ayami's coming back, what'll be in store for her next? And what else could be inside that bin...?

Ayami somehow, miraculously, managed to get the bin into her apartment, which had since been cleared of the crime scene, Mother Kaibutsu's message scrubbed from the walls, and collapsed on her bed.

She had slept for a solid day before waking up to see a handful of her classmates standing over her worriedly.

"Wh-wh-what are you all doing here!?"

Mina and Ochaco ran up to embrace the red-haired girl. "You weren't in the hospital, and we saw you on the news with All for One before you brought Best Jeanist back. The hospital staff said you ran off again, and you left your things in the room," the latter explained.

"We were really worried!" Mina added, and luckily Kyouka gave us your address. She wasn't able to make it, since she's still in the hospital, but we wanted to make sure you were okay!"

Ayami's head was pounding as the memories flooded her mind. "Oh God... what happened after everything!? Did Bakugou really get rescued!? How's Best Jeanist!? All Might!? Mount Lady and all the other heroes!? Where did All for One go!?"

"Always thinking about others before yourself," Tokoyami noted. "From what we can tell, your powers were used to such an incredibly strong extent that you passed out for nearly twenty-four full hours."

"Take some time for yourself, everything else can come later," Todoroki added.

Ayami groaned, sitting up to realize her clothes were torn in about fifteen different places: four different holes in her t-shirt on the back from her wings, both her sleeves thanks to using All for One's quirks with Copycat, she had lost one of her stockings while the other had multiple holes on the bottom from debris at the orphanage sight, and her pants had become so worn the fabric just fell apart around her ankles and knees.

"I promised Kendou I'd keep an eye on the others... Let me get changed real quick and then we can go back; I'm well-rested after that ordeal," she muttered, grabbing a new t-shirt and a black sweatshirt to throw over it, a pair of jeans, new stockings, and a hairbrush before locking herself in the bathroom, inviting everyone else to help themselves in the kitchen, not like she ever ate at home anymore.

She was especially gracious to hear the spirits' voices- all eight- in her mind as she changed into her clean clothes, who seemed much better despite having been fully knocked out from power overuse.

Ares was muttering to himself, growling bloody murder to All for One despite the fact that the S-Rank villain was now in Tartarus prison. Gaia, Asclepius, and Deimos were weary, talking to Hecate and Ansaluia for a run-down of what they missed, while Prometheus hummed quietly to Brizo about something or other.

"I'm glad you're all okay," she whispered, running the brush through her knotted mess of hair. "I'm sorry I couldn't have done more to prevent what happened..."

She muted them from her mind before they could try to reassure her, because no matter what they tried to say, she'd still feel like a big part of it was her fault.

Ayami stepped out of the bathroom, shutting the light off and making sure the door was closed tight before joining the rest of her classmates in the dining room.

Mina was downing grapes by the bunch, unapologetically, while Ochaco was pacing the tile floors. Tokoyami had taken to leaning against the counter, while Aoyama was sitting on it next to him, Todoroki shaking his head at the French blond.