MHA: Harder Better Faster Stronger

The white ceiling above me felt... peaceful. My eyes adjusted slowly as I took in the sterile lines of the hospital room. The quiet hum of machines and the faint, sharp smell of disinfectant filled the air. I didn't move right away; I just let it all sink in. The fight was over.

And I still couldn't beat that thing. That Nomu. I'd thrown everything I had at it, and it still wasn't enough. Even now, with the danger long gone, my chest stayed tight, like I was still caught in its grip.

While I was thinking, I heard footsteps approaching. A moment later, Recovery Girl's voice broke the silence. She stood beside the bed, hands folded behind her back.

"You're awake. Good," she said. "I patched you up, but I didn't use my Quirk. Your stamina was completely drained; you were running on empty."

She stepped a little closer and checked the monitors beside me. "My Quirk speeds up the body's natural healing, but it burns through the patient's own stamina to do it. In your condition, it could've pushed you into a coma. it just wasn't safe to use."

She paused, studying the numbers on the screen, then glanced back at me. "Oddly enough, though... your body's recovering faster than I expected. You might have some kind of minor healing Quirk built in. Ever had that checked before? You've got a very unique Quirk."

I blinked up at her, still trying to push myself upright. "Not really. I've never pushed myself that far before."

She nodded, thoughtful. "At this rate, you'll be fully healed in about two days. I could finish the job now, but your body's already doing the work on its own. Honestly, I think it's better to let it heal naturally."

She gave a small smile. "Also… your friends are very eager to see you. They refused to leave. They've been waiting right outside, practically glued to the door. You can see them if you're up for it."

As if on cue, the door cracked open.

"Yo!" Eijiro stepped in, grinning through what had to be a full day of exhaustion. "Dude, you look like you got hit by a truck."

I let out a tired breath. "Yeah. It really does."

He dragged a chair up to my bedside and dropped into it. "But hey, you're awake. That's the win right there. The others are still out there, by the way. No one wanted to leave."

"They're still here?" I asked, glancing toward the door.

His eyes scanned me again like he was checking for more damage. "Honestly? After what you pulled, I don't blame them."

He leaned back, grinning. "You went full-on beast mode, bro. Like 'BAM! WHAM!'"

"You saw that?" I asked, raising a brow.

"Hard not to, with all the damage from your fight." He nodded. "You didn't just go at that Nomu, you were holding your own against those two guys too. And you actually beat 'em."

He scratched the back of his head. "Okay, sure, you passed out like an anime protagonist at the end… but man, that was badass."

Footsteps echoed again down the hall before I could say anything back. The door opened wider, and Momo stepped in first, followed by Denki, Tenya, and Kyoka.

"You're awake," Momo said, her voice calm but relieved.

Denki threw up a peace sign with a grin. "Duuude! You scared the crap outta us."

Tenya adjusted his glasses sharply. "While your combat performance was exemplary, I must strongly advise against pushing your body to the brink of collapse again."

"Yeah, maybe don't give a full lecture the second he wakes up?" Kyoka muttered, nudging him gently.

I sat up a little straighter without even realizing it. Having them all there their voices, their energy it made it easier to breathe. The heaviness in my chest didn't vanish, but it loosened.

Eventually, they started heading out. Denki gave a casual two-finger salute. Momo offered a quiet nod before slipping away. Tenya bowed like he was dismissing me from a meeting.

Eijiro lingered at the door for a second longer. "You good?" he asked, hand resting on the frame.

"I'll live," I said.

He grinned. "Hell yeah, you will." Then he was gone.

For the first time in what felt like forever, the room was quiet again.

I leaned back into the pillow. My eyes felt sore, and my body heavier than before not just physically. The Nomu's screech still echoed in the back of my skull. I could still feel the weight of its blows. The fight kept replaying in my head, frame by frame.

I didn't know how long I sat there before the door opened again. This time, it was Mom.

She didn't say anything at first. She just rushed forward and hugged me, careful not to press against the bandages. Dad came in behind her, moving slower. His expression was unreadable, but the tension in his shoulders said everything.

"What happened?" Mom asked, her face clearly worried, as she pulled back. "How did you end up like this? You said it was a training facility."

"I want to know everything. Don't leave anything out."

I nodded and started explaining. I told them about the villains warping in, the experiment subject designed to kill All Might, and how I fought it along with the boss of the villain group.

I didn't look at either of them while I spoke. I just kept my eyes on my hands. My knuckles were scabbed and stiff under the bandages.

When I finished, the room was silent again. Dad stepped forward, rested a hand on my shoulder for a second, then pulled back.

"You held your own," he said, voice steady. "That couldn't have been easy."

Later, after they finished the discharge forms, we walked to the car in silence. The hospital lights stretched across the lot in long shadows. My legs were still stiff, but I could move. I didn't want a wheelchair. I didn't want to feel like I was still stuck in that fight.

I got into the passenger seat, and the engine started. For a while, no one said anything. Just the low sound of tires on pavement. The sky outside had gone fully dark.

After a few minutes, my dad spoke, voice low. "So what was going through your head?"

I turned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"In that moment. When things turned bad. Did it feel like something changed?" His eyes stayed on the road. "Did you think about what it meant? Being in that kind of fight?"

I didn't answer right away.

"I don't know," I said eventually. "I didn't think. Not really. I just moved."

He nodded slightly. He didn't follow up, and I didn't say more.

The rest of the drive was quiet.

When we got home, Mom helped me to my room, even though I said I could handle it. I didn't argue.

The sheets felt colder than I remembered. The room looked exactly the same, but it felt smaller somehow. Like I'd changed shape and didn't quite fit in it anymore.

She turned out the light and closed the door behind her.

I stared at the ceiling for a long time.

The Nomu's roar echoed in my mind. So did the moment it dropped. And my classmates' voices. Eijiro calling me a beast. Denki laughing. Tenya doing one of his speeches.

And I kept thinking.

What is a hero supposed to be?

And how far am I willing to go to become one?

[TL:-Hey everyone, Let me know if anything felt off or didn't land right. Open to any thoughts appreciate the feedback.]