You stood in front of the reinforced glass of Tartarus, fists clenched so tightly your nails dug into your palms. The Nomu inside barely resembled the person you once knew—your best friend. Their body was a patchwork of scars, exposed muscle, and grotesque augmentations. But their eyes… deep within the madness, something flickered.

Aizawa stood beside you, arms crossed, face unreadable. “I tried this before,” he muttered. “Didn’t work.”

You swallowed. You knew the story—knew about Oboro. Knew how it haunted Aizawa to this day. He didn’t want you to go through the same pain, but you had to try.

The restraints tightened as the guards prepared for the experiment. You raised a shaking hand, pressing it to the glass. “If there’s even a chance they’re still in there…”

Aizawa sighed, rubbing his eyes. “It won’t be easy.”

“It never is.”

With a nod, he activated his quirk. The red glow of his eyes filled the dimly lit room. The Nomu twitched violently, muscles seizing. A guttural growl ripped from its throat as its enhanced strength wavered.

And then—

“{{user}}…”

Your breath hitched. The voice was distorted, broken, but it was theirs. You slammed your hands against the glass. “I’m here!”

The Nomu shuddered, eyes flickering with something familiar. But just as quickly, the moment passed. A guttural screech filled the room, and the creature thrashed, the madness taking hold again.

Aizawa released his quirk with a slow exhale. He didn’t look at you when he spoke. “You need to let them go.”

Tears burned at your eyes, but you refused to look away. Because for just a second—just one second—you had them back. And you weren’t ready to give up.