Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“While I cannot condone what our student has done, I must ask for your understanding that we have taken all the precautions to ensure that this will never happen again. I still believe that our student was a kind and noble young man who was striving to be the best kind of Hero he could possibly be, and I only ask that we remember him for that and not for a mistake he made.”

Toshinori looked at all of the people gathered.
The silence was so prominent after Nedzu’s speech that one could hear a pin drop all the way in Kamino.

Though he could tell every last member of Class 1-A was devastated.
Even if it wasn’t the first time they lost a classmate, it was the first time one of their own has died on their hands.

He turned to see the solemn principal start to step off the podium, eager to put an end to this event and focus on the future ahead while learning from what happened to a beloved student.
The first student to die while under Nedzu’s care, as his predecessor was far more willing to take risks with his students.

“Why should we care about someone from the Killer Class? Obviously something is wrong with all of them!” A voice shouted.

Toshinori could feel his knuckles grow white.

“Wasn’t he close to that dangerous fiend?” Another shouted.

Both were from way in the back and if Toshinori looked carefully he could recognize them both as reporters, having likely snuck in somehow.
Ready and eager to tarnish the names of those who aren’t even here to defend themselves, it sickens him.

The first reporter stood, brushing her lilac hair out of her face with a blue hand. “Yes, wasn’t he in Hosu when Midoriya violently attacked Stain for no reason? How can you allow such a student like that continue to attend this school? Obviously he’s an unhinged liability to everyone around him, especially with his lack of control over his power. Not to mention what he did at-”

Before Toshinori could stand, Aizawa took the podium and glared at the reporters.

“As of last week, Midoriya Izuku has withdrawn from UA. Now get out before we have the drones throw you out.”

Present Mic and Midnight both walked over to Young Ida’s family, each providing comforting words to them.

Toshinori wished he could have done more, but instead he kept silent as he pulled out his phone to see the latest picture Young Midoriya sent him.
A small smile graced across his face at the sight of his boy smiling tearfully while on a plane.

He closed his eyes and thought back to the day his successor dropped the news on him.

–

“America?” Toshinori asked.

Young Midoriya gave a quiet nod. “Yeah. My,” he stumbled slightly over the word before shaking his head, “My father insisted. He thought it would be a good idea, to get me away from everyone,” he said quietly, a hand going up so he could pinch his bottom lip.

Before that day, Young Midoriya had not once mentioned his father. It never really raised any alarms for Toshinori, especially at this time, mostly because he was more concerned with easing his boy’s nerves.

He gave a gentle smile and set a hand on his student’s shoulder.
“He might have a point there. While our circumstances are slightly different, it would also be safer for you to go.”
The threat of All for One still being out there went unspoken, but Toshinori knew his boy understood where he was coming from. Especially with All for One knowing who has One for All now.

His boy stared at him with large tear-filled eyes.

“Plus it’s not like we won’t be able to keep contact. You can message me at any time and I promise I will get back to you whenever I can. It isn’t like we won’t be able to see each other ever again, I can still afford plane tickets after all,” he joked.

Young Midoriya nodded quietly. “I guess I’m scared that things will change while I’m gone. That when I come back everyone will be different- that no one will recognize me. That- That even to you I’ll just be a stranger again and-”

Toshinori remembered chuckling and pulling his boy in for a hug.
“Little Prince of Nonsense, you will never change at your core and that’s what matters. Plus we'll always have a connection to one another,” he said, pulling away and tapping Midoriya on the chest. “One for All is what binds us together, with a bond that is stronger than family ties.”

–

He was pulled out of the memory by a new message from Young Midoriya.
Another picture, this time showing his student standing in front of a house. He wasn’t smiling, just standing awkwardly as he had a hand raised in a wave.

The mysterious Midoriya Hisashi was probably the one who took the picture, which brought a frown on Toshinori’s face because he had hoped to be able to put a face to the name.
As he thinks more on it, he finds it even stranger that he doesn’t know anything about Young Midoriya’s father.

Only that the man works overseas.

“I wonder why now of all times?” He asked.
Part of him wanted to ask Young Midoriya, and perhaps he should have asked him a lot sooner, but his boy is likely exhausted from his flight which may explain why he wasn’t all that enthusiastic in the picture.

The only other person he could ask would be Midoriya Inko, but it may take a while for him to even reach her.
Especially as he looked at the date on his phone and realized that they were too close to 1-A’s Provisional Licensing Exam and he’s going to need to give them his full attention.

Slowly getting up from his seat as soon as everything ended, he started in the direction of the main campus where his desk was.
He has a lot of material to go over to improve as a teacher and give his students the best possible advice out there.

It’s the only thing he can do in his life now.

Toshinori stopped when he felt the persistent buzzing of his phone, his ringtone shut off to stay respectful during Young Ida’s funeral.

When he saw who was calling though, he immediately stopped and quickly answered the call with a big smile on his face.

“Young Midoriya! How are you settling in? I thought you would be tired after that flight- Did you get anything to eat? Have you taken the chance to look around the neighborhood?”

His student didn’t say anything at first as Toshinori bombarded him with questions, though he knew his boy was likely smiling when he finally spoke.

“I was able to eat and take a nap on the plane,” His student said. “But I still have a lot to unpack right now and, um. How is everyone holding up?” He asked, hesitating slightly because he’s bound to have heard the news from one of his former classmates.

Toshinori looked down. “They were all sad and ready to tear a reporter to shreds when she spoke ill of you and Young Ida,” he explained. “It seems the public still believes you’re dangerous and ready to kill at the drop of a dime.”

He cringed when he realized what just left his mouth.

“I figured,” Young Midoriya said.
His voice sounded too flat on the phone, an inexpressive monotone as opposed to the usual energy he showed when they would speak in person.
It didn’t feel right.

“Don’t beat yourself up over it. It’s likely that he’s still alive somewhere, especially when that warping villain took his body,” Toshinori explained. “Never concern yourself with what the people say about you, because you will be a Hero whether they like it or not.”

He took a breath, hoping that they were able to stop the circulation of the USJ Video.
But with that reporter and Aizawa bringing up Midoriya at the funeral, it’s likely the videos will spread all over the place and remind everyone of what happened.

“All Might?” Young Midoriya asked.

“Yes? What is it?”

His student paused again, as if thinking about what to say.
“Can you please tell everyone I miss them?” He asked, emotion finally breaking through the phone line. His voice raised a pitch that reminded Toshinori of his student’s habit of crying at the drop of a hat.

He could feel his own tears starting to form.
“Of course I will. And I will keep my promise to you.”

“Yeah I- I also promise to keep in touch.”
A hiccup came from the other line after Young Midoriya spoke.

Toshinori only chuckled.
“Feel free to call me when you’re available.”

He didn’t want to hang up, but his student said he had to go now.
Toshinori also knew he couldn’t postpone his studying any longer, but he could tell his student was starting to hesitate.

“I’ll talk to you later,” Toshinori finally said.

“Ok. Goodbye All Might.”

Why did the goodbye feel final though?
He knows it’s just a temporary affair, and that they would see each other again, hopefully soon.

Slowly, Toshinori hung up and put his phone away.

It’s time to get back to work.

Chapter Text

Despite the promise he made to himself to focus on his students, Toshinori found himself at Midoriya Inko’s apartment.
Mostly because classes haven’t quite resumed yet due to the time they’re taking to mourn Young Ida.

He had a small smile on his face when his student’s mother answered the door, giving him a warm yet weary smile of her own. He could understand her worry, they were still practical strangers at this point. The only thing they have in common is the care they share for Young Midoriya, but with him gone it likely would be an awkward visit.

“I’ll put some tea on,” Mrs. Midoriya said, allowing him to enter her humble home.

As he glanced around, Toshinori could feel a distinct lack of something in there.
The last time he visited to request permission on behalf of UA for Young Midoriya to be moved to the dorms, the apartment was more lively and homely.
Not like Toshinori’s own apartment or even his room at his tower, barren and barely lived in.

Now it felt almost the exact same.
Impersonal.

As he sat at the table, he noticed the worry lines had become more prominent on Mrs. Midoriya’s face. Her hands were shaking slightly as she brought three cups of tea over to the table only to freeze.
As if she still wasn’t used to her son being gone.

“How are you holding up?” Toshinori decided to ask, taking the offered cup with a quiet “Thank you.”

Mrs. Midoriya didn’t say anything at first, only staring at the extra tea cup with a pattern that looked inspired by All Might’s Silver Age costume.
Young Midoriya’s favorite of Toshinori’s costumes.

“It’s still a difficult adjustment,” she said, not touching her cup. “Maybe if I had tried harder to contact my husband then this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Do you have issues contacting him?” Toshinori asked, growing more curious about the man in question.
What kind of father is he even? Or person for that matter? Is he a hard worker? Or does he just not…care? But he obviously cares about Young Midoriya in some capacity, unless maybe he’s trying to capitalize on…?

“Sometimes, and I wonder how he knew about the problems Izuku was having now,” she admitted, turning to the living room where a broken TV sat. “The things they say about my son, I don’t want to believe it.”

“You’re talking about USJ?”

Mrs. Midoriya nodded. “Izuku is a sweet boy who would never wish harm on anyone. He couldn’t have possibly killed- but then I saw the leaked videos and I just,” she stopped, closing her eyes.
“My son always wanted to save people, not hurt them. But I think Hisashi assumed that UA was teaching him otherwise.”

Toshinori looked down.
He wanted to deny the claims that his boy killed Shigaraki Tomura at USJ, they still haven’t recovered the body after all.
So Shigaraki Tomura is likely still out there, probably in critical condition and being kept alive.

Shimura Tenko. Your successor brutally attacked the grandson of Shimura Nana! How ironic is that?

He stopped and looked down at his tea, seeing All for One’s grinning face in there.
Kamino may have brought about that revelation, and the monster likely only said that to try and poison Toshinori’s mind against Young Midoriya.

But that would never work.

Instead, it made him more determined to try and reach Young Shigaraki.

Slowly he pushed his tea away from him, unable to finish it because he remembered Kamino again. With a need to pull himself away from that subject and the growing curiosity about Midoriya Hisashi, he looked up at Mrs. Midoriya.

“Can you tell me more about your husband?” He decided to ask.

Wide green eyes stared at him.
She didn’t say anything at first, as if contemplating his question before finally nodding.

“Hisashi is someone who feels like he shouldn’t exist. If I never met him in person, if I wasn’t married to him, then I would have never believed he was actually real,” she began, a gentle smile gracing across her face. “He’s just a regular businessman that gets easily lost in the crowd, and I always suspected he had a fear of social media because I can’t find anything about him online anywhere. He refuses to let his picture get taken, which is why we didn’t have a wedding photographer. Actually, our wedding was a very small affair. He didn’t have any friends or family to invite, so we didn’t have a ceremony.”

“That is odd,” Toshinori admitted before quickly raising a hand and motioning for her to continue. His face grew flustered because he didn’t mean to say that aloud, but it’s too late.

Mrs. Midoriya only smiled. “It is odd now that I think about it. He doesn’t even have a permanent phone number we can call him with. All of his phones are burners, and any correspondence we have are through handwritten letters.”

“No email?”

She shook her head. “I think he has a fear of technology, that or he’s obsessed with the postal service,” she said before giving a small laugh. “I once saw him gush over postage stamps when we were only dating.”

Toshinori only nodded, but he could feel his unease start to grow.
Why would anyone avoid owning permanent phones, emails, and even a social media account? While Toshinori’s sole account is purely professional and mostly run by his own PR Department, he still technically has at least one social that fans can reach him through.

One would think a businessman would also do the same to make it easier for his coworkers to reach him.
Unless…

He quickly removed that dark thought from his mind because it could not be a possibility.
Any parallels between Midoriya Hisashi and a villain have to be coincidental.
Especially All for One, because it isn’t like that man would want to make it easy for the Heroes to find him.

“I guess I’m grateful he decided to finally be part of Izuku’s life now, after so long. He didn’t stay too long after Izuku’s birth, and after Izuku’s tenth birthday he hasn’t written to us since. Only sent in money to make sure we were still well supported. I just worry that Izuku won't recognize him because he has not once heard his father’s voice, and I know he has a good memory for voices.”

Toshinori brought a hand to his side and tried to smile.
But his suspicions had only begun to grow, and perhaps this is why All for One has been silent after breaking into Tartarus.

Slowly he stood up and gave Mrs. Midoriya a polite smile.
“Thank you for the tea, but I should probably head back to the school now.”

“Yes of course. And feel free to visit anytime. It gets lonely without Izuku and I- the neighbors haven’t been coming around anymore,” she said.

“I will whenever I get a chance,” he said.

—

Toshinori stared down at his phone.
Perhaps he could put his suspicions to rest by asking Young Midoriya himself? He does know his boy well and will be able to tell if something is wrong. Even if it’s more difficult to discern his emotions over the phone, his student will be able to communicate that he needs help.

With a gentle smile, he called Young Midoriya.

“Ah All Might! I was about to call you!”

He chuckled at his student’s energy.
“I guess I picked the perfect time to call you. I actually just had tea with your mother to make sure she’s doing alright.”

“How is she doing? What about everyone else?”

“They still miss you. I know Young Uraraka and Todoroki promised to take you to all kinds of places as soon as you get back,” he said.
He then smiled as he listened to his boy talk about his upcoming schedule and how his father wanted to send him to a specialist for his hand before he continued his training.

That got Toshinori to pause slightly and remember what he’s learned so far.

“Young Midoriya?”

“Yes?”

“What’s your father like?”

Chapter Text

“You didn’t have to come with,” Aizawa said.

Toshinori shook his head. “I wanted to see how everyone would do,” he said, giving a friendly wave to Ms. Joke when she sat with them on the bleachers. He may have only met her for the first time today, but he could see why a lot of people would like to hang out with her.

He wouldn’t be surprised if she was a favorite of Sir Nighteye.

“So did you tell them?” Ms. Joke asked. “You are attached to this crop, more so than the last few you’ve had.”

Toshinori blinked.

“No, I didn’t. It seemed unnecessary.”

“Could I ask what you’re talking about?”

Ms. Joke looked at Toshinori and gave a grin. “The UA Crush. Every year, without fail, all of the students at these exams will go after UA’s examinees. Their goal is to completely knock UA out of the running.”

“It’s the disadvantage of us broadcasting our Sports Festival. But you shouldn’t underestimate this group.”

He turned towards the field, watching all the students move around.
So far it seemed more like the other schools were avoiding those in 1-A instead of this “Crush” that Ms. Joke mentioned.

“It’s as I thought,” Aizawa said after a moment. “The other schools are more apprehensive.”

Ms. Joke nodded. “They are up against the Killer Class after all. Speaking of which, where is Midoriya?”

Toshinori didn’t listen to his colleagues any further.
Instead he didn’t want to miss a single moment because he would have to relay all of what happened to Young Midoriya.

Tell him about Young Bakugou’s improvement.
How he’s actually willingly working with others, which is a sheer contrast from his performance at the Exams before they left for Summer Break.
Instead of running off on his own to challenge an impossible fight, he went with Young Kirishima and Young Kendo to confront and trap other students.

Young Todoroki went off on his own though.
Normally he would be willing to work with his classmates, but Toshinori couldn’t help but wonder if losing two of his closest friends might have caused him to shut in once more.
Not even Komori or Kamakiri could get him to stick with the group.

“How many did you expel exactly?” Ms. Joke asked.

“None.”

Toshinori turned back to them and gave a nod. “It’s true. A few left on their own after USJ though.”

“Really? I thought that kind of experience would have binded them together.”

Aizawa only gave a quiet sigh.
“A few parents had their concerns when the USJ Video was leaked. They didn’t want their children in the same class as someone so violent, but Nedzu refused to remove Midoriya. He said that he deserved the chance to learn from his mistakes and grow as a Hero.”

“So they pulled their kids out?”

Toshinori remembered that day.

“The Yaoyorozus were especially vocal about it when they pulled their daughter out. Then there was the Asuis,” Aizawa said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
He definitely had a headache from that experience.

“We actually lost seven students after that, some dropping out on their own terms. Four from 1-B volunteered to transfer to 1-A to try and even out the classes,” Toshinori said.

“I see,” Ms. Joke said, staring at them both with a frown on her face. “I hope those kids are doing well, wherever they are.”

Toshinori nodded, though he had confidence each and every last one of them found success.
He looked back at the field when it started to rumble, grateful that everyone in 1-A has made it through to the next part of the exam.

—

Young Bakugou and Todoroki’s disappointment was palpable on the bus.

Toshinori wanted to give them encouraging words, that they didn’t have to pass the exam on the first try, but Aizawa’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.
He looked at his coworker with a raised eyebrow.

“Let them stew in their failure and disappointment. If you coddle them then they will never learn.”

He held his tongue.
It didn’t feel right to leave Bakugou and Todoroki like that, plus the manual he has been referencing said to actually go over and help students work through their failures, but Aizawa does have more experience teaching than Toshinori.

Soon his phone rang and he gave a sheepish smile to the students who were close to him.
He smiled at the name on his screen and answered quickly.
“Hello Young Midoriya, how are things going over there?” He asked, briefly forgetting who was right there.

“Wait, Midoriya!?” One of the students shouted.

Suddenly almost all of them had left their seats to swarm Toshinori. All hollering out to their friend.
Only Bakugou remained in his seat, but he was eyeing the phone in Toshinori’s hand.

Soon Ashido grabbed the phone and put it on speaker with the widest grin on her face.
“Hi Midoriya! How are things in America?”

“Deku! We just took our license tests and you should have seen us! We were like Pow! Bam! Kapow!” Uraraka exclaimed, emphasizing her words with various air punches. “Almost all of us got our provisional licenses!”

Toshinori gave a small smile at his students’ enthusiasm at the chance of talking to his boy again. Though he could also imagine Young Midoriya might be feeling overwhelmed.

“That sounds amazing guys. How did Todoroki and Kacchan do?” Midoriya asked, likely curious about his closest friends.

Todoroki was quick to take the phone. “Bakugou and I both failed, but we’ll be taking remedial classes together.”

“Shut up Icy Hot! That’s none of Deku’s business!”

“Oh. I’m sorry,” Midoriya said. Likely frowning with worry over his dearest friends and classmates. “But I know you’ll both do amazing and blow those lessons out of the water!” Ever the encouraging optimist when it comes to his friends, Midoriya very likely meant every last word he said.

It brought a soft smile to Toshinori’s face.

“Midoriya,” Aizawa finally spoke up. He took the phone from Todoroki and stared at it. “How many problems have you caused at your new school?”

Sucking in a breath, Toshinori prepared to tell his colleague off. As much of a magnet for trouble Young Midoriya was, that doesn’t mean he should be accused of causing problems!

“Well, I wouldn’t call it a problem. Just something embarrassing,” Midoriya admitted. “When I was introducing myself to the class for the first day, I kind of accidentally knocked off my teacher’s toupee.”

The bus remained silent for a few seconds.
And then, everyone started to laugh.

Toshinori laughed the loudest as he reached for the phone. “I wish I could have seen it,” he said, a fond smile on his face as he politely took his phone back from Aizawa. “How did the rest of your class react? I’m sure that was a wonderful first impression for all of them, though probably not that great on your teacher.”

“I tried apologizing so many times, and the teacher actually called my father and told him to, and I quote, control your unruly child,” Young Midoriya said.

He could hear the smile in his boy’s voice.
Warmth blossomed in his chest knowing that his boy was doing good for himself, and he even felt himself laughing when Young Midoriya told them how Midoriya Hisashi responded to that call from the teacher on his son’s first day.

Listening to his successor’s voice over the phone, and hearing him still be able to connect with his classmates, easily quashed any worries Toshinori had. Even if Young Midoriya didn’t talk about his father that much in the conversation, despite the man now being a frequent presence in his son’s life, it all felt perfectly normal.

As if he was on the bus with them all.
Probably even sitting next to Toshinori, right where he could tell his boy how proud he is of him.
Especially since he knows his boy would pass the test on the first try and be excited to show Toshinori his provisional license.

He could easily imagine the picture that would be on his boy’s license.
A nervous smile, but the light in his eyes showing how happy he truly is.
Probably even bordering on tears from how emotional he can get.

Soon Young Midoriya stopped and gave an awkward cough.
“Sorry, I actually have to go now.”

All of his students started to voice their complaints.

“Don’t forget what timezone Midoriya is in now. He probably has homework,” Aizawa simply said, quick to shut everyone up.

One by one, everyone said their goodbyes to Young Midoriya.

Toshinori leaned back in his seat, smiling down at his phone.
He wanted to say more to his boy, let him know how proud he is of him. How much he misses him, and maybe even wonder if his boy’s father would be fine with Toshinori too.

“That includes you All Might. Tell your son to call you when you’re both free.”

He nearly dropped his phone when his colleague said that out of the blue.
His boy also let out some sort of unholy screech from the phone, as if he was trying to say that it wasn’t like that even though he and Toshinori did exchange numbers.
And sometimes Toshinori would act like a parent towards his boy.

His boy.

“I- Yes of course. I will talk to you later my- Young Midoriya,” he quickly corrected, especially when he saw Young Todoroki stare straight at him. Perhaps he should try to keep things more discreet around everyone else and not answer calls from his boy unless he knows he is completely alone.

As selfish as it was.

After hanging up, he blinked at the text message Midoriya sent him.
He gave a smile when his student mentioned how his father was having him learn to play a few instruments.
Quickly answering the question of what his favorite song was, Toshinori held back a chuckle when his boy enthusiastically offered to learn how to play it.

Perhaps he could even hear his boy play it in person.

Chapter Text

Toshinori stared at the name on his phone.
He blinked, expecting it to be his imagination. However, the name remained and all he could do was wonder.

“Why now of all times?”

Perhaps he wants to bury the hatchet? Apologize to Toshinori for the argument they had just after that fateful day?

With hope, Toshinori answered the phone.

“Hello Nighteye, how have you been?” He decided to ask, trying to keep things casual for now.
Plus he couldn’t take too long on this call because he was supposed to go and pay Mrs. Midoriya a visit to make sure she was still doing well.

His former sidekick didn’t give a greeting of his own, instead deciding to get straight to the point.
“The Midoriya kid is the ninth holder, correct?” He asked.

Toshinori gulped.
Part of him wondered why Sir Nighteye didn’t sound happy about this, especially since he was the one who insisted on Toshinori finding a successor in the first place.
Who urged him to retire, which he eventually did.

So why does Sir Nighteye sound so annoyed?

“Yes, Young Midoriya is my successor.”

Perhaps confirming this would make Sir Nighteye happy and then they can finally move on?

Instead, his former sidekick gave a sigh.
“Do you mind sending him to my office? I want to test and make sure he is worthy of your legacy.”

On the surface it seemed to be just that.
That Sir Nighteye was probably trying to keep things professional and would likely see why Toshinori chose Young Midoriya and accept the choice.
But he could immediately tell from the way Sir Nighteye said those words.

“I will be right there,” he said, voice flat as he hung up on his former sidekick.

Quickly he shot Mrs. Midoriya a message to postpone their tea date because something came up at the school.
It wasn’t a complete lie because it was technically school related, especially considering they do have a student interning at Sir Nighteye’s agency.

“As soon as I get into his office, I am going to give him a piece of my mind!”

—

As soon as Toshinori stepped into Sir Nighteye’s office, he opened his mouth.
He had a speech prepared to let his former sidekick remember that it’s up to Toshinori on who gets One for All, not Sir Nighteye or anyone else for that matter.

However, he never got the chance to as there were three others in the room.
Centipeder, Bubble Girl, and even Young Togata.

“Good of you to join us, All Might,” Sir Nighteye said, looking in his direction as he stood in front of a screen that showed a young man wearing what looked like a plague doctor’s mask.
“This right here is Chisaki Kai, also known as Overhaul. He is the current head of a Yakuza organization named the Shie Hassaikai.”

Toshinori only blinked.
“Nighteye, there was something I wanted-”

“Of course you would have some insight to give us, as you were instrumental in dismantling the Yakuza during your decades of work as a Pro Hero.”

He gave a sigh, deciding to discuss this at a later time when they were in private.
Plus from the way the others in the room were looking at him, he knew it would be best if he could help them in some way.

“Alright. Tell me what we’re working with.”

Sir Nighteye smiled.
“Currently he and his group have been lying low, so any unlawful acts they commit is purely under the jurisdiction of the police. However, the police have found reasonable suspicion that Chisaki might try to forge an alliance with All for One.”

Toshinori felt his jaw clench.
The slippery bastard who not only escaped before Toshinori could knock him down at Kamino, but even had the balls to break into Tartarus with an army of Noumu just to free a pair of villains.

And then he went completely quiet after that.

Only having Kurogiri and the two villains with him while the rest of the League of Villains were arrested.
With the only outlier being Shig- Shimura Tenko. Still not turning up even after Kurogiri took his body from USJ.

But based on the injuries All for One had, and what they discovered about the Noumus, he probably found a way to revive or even repurpose Tenko’s body.

Though this does open up an opportunity.
They could finally bring down All for One for good.

Toshinori let out a breath.
He can put aside his grievances with Sir Nighteye for now, but as soon as this investigation is done then he will tell his former sidekick exactly where to shove it.

—

When the purple and black mist appeared in front of him, Kai scratched at his face as he stepped through with a few of his precepts.
He noted how clean this tea house was, but also how isolated from society they were based on the forest that surrounded the building.

He waved a hand at his men, motioning for them to scope the area out right as the man in a suit stepped into the room with a friendly smile on his face.
But that smile also had a dangerous edge to it and soon Kai could see exactly how he would die if he so much as stepped out of line.

Slowly, he sat down in one of the chairs.

All for One followed suit, but the two people behind him remained standing.

He immediately recognized Kurogiri from all the footage involving the League of Villains, especially his debut at USJ.
However, the other he could not quite place where he had seen.

“This is Kurogiri and Shigaraki Tomura,” All for One said, as if noting Kai’s thought process.
Though it would make sense considering how many Quirks that man held in him alone.

Kai didn’t say anything at first, instead studying Shigaraki and how different he appeared from his sole appearance at USJ. It seemed whatever that green kid did completely scarred Shigaraki for life or changed him so drastically.

Gone were those stupid hands he wore. Instead he was wearing a mask that looked similar to the one All for One wore at Kamino, though the mask had a mouth guard that looked downright demonic and beige horns that grew curled and so gnarled that it probably reflected how twisted this boy was.

Strangely enough, Shigaraki did not even speak or acknowledge Kai’s presence.

“Everyone seemed to be convinced that Shigaraki died at USJ,” Kai finally said.

All for One only chuckled.
“You aren’t the only one who can fix what’s broken, Chisaki-kun.”

Kai decided to change the subject, especially with how eerily silent Shigaraki was being while they talked about him.
“You called me here for an alliance, correct?” he asked.

At first he only received a wide grin in response, All for One leaning forward with interest.
“I did, but I would like to know what you could possibly offer me before I decide to send you and your men home and continue to pretend you don’t exist.”

He says this as if knowing that they were all just insignificant ants compared to his large boot.
Knowing that he did not truly need them, but would like to still bring them under his fold.
Maybe he just wanted their Quirks.

As dangerous as it was to come in without knowing exactly what cards All for One held, Kai figured it wouldn’t hurt to reveal some of his hand.

“We are working on the development of Quirk Destroying Bullets. We could offer you samples, but that requires something of equivalent exchange.”

The smile fell, but All for One tilted his head out of intrigue.
“Quirk Destroying Bullets you say? That could be useful to us,” he mused lightly. “Perhaps I could offer you Shigaraki in exchange? He does need to learn other aspects of villainy after all, and who better a teacher than the Yakuza?”

Kai bristled slightly.
He would rather take Kurogiri instead, especially considering how volatile Shigaraki might still be.

“Perhaps you would like a full demonstration of Shigaraki’s capabilities?” All for One asked, picking up an apple from the table and tossing it blindly behind him.

Quick to catch it, Shigaraki held it with all five fingers and at first nothing happened.
And then, slowly, the skin of the apple peeled into dust. Then the meat of the fruit, all the way until only seeds remained. Infinitely more finesse than what the USJ videos showed, which might explain why he has remained so hidden for these past few months.

“So he gained more control over himself. That still doesn’t answer my question.”

All for One leaned back and chuckled darkly.
“Well if you want Kurogiri then you would also have to take Shigaraki, because those two can not be separated.”

“Fine, that’s a better deal.”

“But I can only give you Kurogiri for a few hours in a day. I thank you for your cooperation in this alliance, and perhaps we can strike a more indepth deal in the future.”

Kai bristled, ready to protest, only to stop when he saw an image of himself lying on the floor.
Quirkless as Shigaraki had a hand on his face, slowly peeling skin into dust.

He shook that image from his mind as he calmly stood up.
“That’s fair.”

He turned away, heading for the gate that awaited him and his men.
Shigaraki following close behind.

Chapter Text

Mirio could only smile as he walked down the streets by himself.
He felt excited at the prospect of actually working with All Might on a case, though also disappointed that he couldn’t join him on this patrol and really see what he was made of.

Even then things are typically very peaceful in this neighborhood.

As he passed an alleyway, only looking ahead of him, he didn’t notice someone about to crash into him until it was too late.
A little girl dressed in rags stared up at him with wide terrified red eyes. Her greasy hair fell in front of her face, the clumps tangled and ratty.

He looked down at her with concern, wondering if maybe she was a homeless orphan. It would make the most sense, and there is a shelter nearby that he could take her to.
Sir would definitely approve of the idea and even give Mirio brownie points for doing the right thing!

Suddenly the girl stiffened and glanced behind her.

Mirio blinked and looked further into the alley where he saw two figures walking over.
First was Chisaki Kai, the man Sir wanted to keep an eye on.
The second, though, Mirio could not remember ever seeing him before.

Dressed like an eyeless demon that was grinning with sharp metallic teeth, he sent shivers down Mirio’s spine.

“I apologize for my daughter disturbing you,” Chisaki spoke, staring down at the little girl. “Eri, what do you say?”

The girl only remained silent, clutching onto the front of Mirio’s costume tightly.
Much like a child being scolded by a parent.

Mirio gave a soft smile as he patted Eri on the head. “Hey, it’s ok. I know getting in trouble with your parents isn’t fun, but your father probably cares about you deep down,” he said, slowly lifting her up.
He didn’t want to catch Chisaki’s ire or even make him suspicious, so it would be better to just pretend that he was a regular man and not part of a criminal organization that may be allying with the Scourge of Kamino.

Chisaki didn’t say anything further as he took Eri from Mirio.
“Thank you. You really are a true Hero for helping me find my daughter.”

He couldn’t help the large smile that flashed across his face.
“Of course! It’s no trouble at all.”

Chisaki turned and motioned for the second person to follow.
“Come Shigaraki, there’s work to do.”

The figure, Shigaraki, silently followed.

Mirio bit his bottom lip.
Part of him wanted to follow and gather more information, but he also knew it would be smarter to back off and bring this up to Sir and avoid any further scrutinization.

But this confirms without a doubt that Chisaki is working with the Scourge.

—

Toshinori could not smile.

For the most part he tuned Nighteye out whenever he brought up Young Togata.
Discussing all the ways he’s trained him into the perfect successor candidate for All Might, to the point that it completely disgusted Toshinori.

Young Togata deserved a chance to stand as his own Hero, not some cheap carbon copy that belonged in a bootleg store.

“Nighteye I have to ask. Why did you have Young Togata go on patrol alone? I know he is eighteen, but he is still an intern and a student at UA. Wouldn’t it be better for him to have at least Centipeder with him to supervise?'' Toshinori asked.

Nighteye only waved a hand.
“Mirio has gone on plenty of patrols by himself. I personally made sure he would be able to handle anything that gets thrown at him. I did handpick and raise him to be the perfect successor after all.”

It took everything in him to hold back his puke. The world does not need a second All Might, Toshinori knows this for a fact.
They don’t need cheap imitations, what they need are Heroes who have more heart and soul.
Heroes who would work their hardest to take what Toshinori has created and make it even better.

They don’t need a Paragon to shoulder all the burden.

And the fact that Nighteye only picked Young Togata for that role and not to see him blossom as his own Hero filled Toshinori with enough rage to fuel a volcano.
It also further cemented for him that he made the right decision.

One for All belongs to Young Midoriya and no one else.

He kept his frown on his face, not caring that it likely unnerved the people who recognized him as All Might, right as Young Togata rushed over to where they were.
His eyes wide and smile sheepish as he quickly stood tall in front of Nighteye.

“Sir, you won’t believe what just happened!”

Nighteye, for once in his life, shut his mouth and motioned for Young Togata to discuss what happened while on his patrol.

“I ran into Chisaki, his daughter who is a cute little girl named Eri, and I think Shigaraki Tomura.”

Toshinori froze when he heard that.
“Shigaraki Tomura?”

Young Togata nodded. “He looked different from the USJ videos, and didn’t even speak once. Maybe that Midoriya kid really screwed him up, but Chisaki did call him Shigaraki so it has to be him.”

For the first time all day, Toshinori actually felt a smile form on his face.
No one has seen Shigaraki Tomura since Young Midoriya attacked him at USJ. Everyone had assumed he was dead, but with this news they officially knew otherwise.

Shigaraki- no.

Shimura Tenko has made a full recovery and is back on his feet.
Young Midoriya did not kill him.

The cool waves of relief washed away the rage he was feeling just moments earlier.
His hand instinctively reached for his phone so he could call Young Midoriya and tell him the news.
Eventually they could work out an official statement after this, and perhaps Midoriya Hisashi would accept this and allow Young Midoriya to come back to Japan and even UA. Then Toshinori would be able to continue his training and be a better teacher.

They would all be better.

He stops before he could actually call his boy.
Remembering what Aizawa said about timezones, and also the fact that Nighteye was still here.
Instead he quickly sent a text to his successor, not expecting an immediate response.

Mere seconds after sending that message, his phone buzzed with a reply.
He looked and gave a fond smile at the emote Young Midoriya sent.
Too busy to call back, but he could tell that his boy was likely relieved at the news they just uncovered.

Soon everything would go back to how it was before.

“All Might, who are you texting? Is it that Midoriya kid?”

Toshinori quickly pocketed his phone and looked at Nighteye.
“That message is purely between me and my student,” he said. Not meaning to sound snippy, but after being stuck with Nighteye for so long and hearing him brag about the ways he groomed Young Togata, Toshinori could not help it.

If he could, then he would take the time to ensure Nighteye never meets Young Midoriya. His boy has suffered from enough scrutiny from others and he won’t let Nighteye try to break him into giving up One for All.

Chapter Text

During the briefing, Toshinori could understand where Rock Lock was coming from.
Young Kirishima and Uraraka were still only First Years and this kind of mission might be a little too dangerous for them. But he also trusted that they could handle themselves and back away from a fight, plus Aizawa would be with them the entire time.

Ready to pull them out the moment things got too dicey.

It was Young Uraraka who spoke up after Rock Lock finished.
“I know we aren’t as experienced as all of you, and we know our current limits. But if we don’t start pulling our own weight now, then what’s the point? I know I’m going to do my best to help all of you, because it’s what Deku and Ida would have wanted,” she said, her voice cracking ever so slightly at the mention of her friends.

Young Kirishima nodded along with Uraraka.

Fat Gum smiled down at all the interns present. “You can trust these UA kids. I’ve personally seen Red Riot in action and I would lay my life in his hands.”

“And I would do the same with Uravity. You can trust these kids,” Ryukyu said.

Toshinori felt a warm smile spread across his face, though the smile fell when he noticed Gran was staring at him the entire time.
The stare intensifying when Sir Nighteye brought up Overhaul being sighted with Shigaraki.

It didn’t take long for his former teacher to drag him into a secluded spot as soon as the meeting was over.

“I know what you plan to do.”

“Gran, I have to reach him. Nana would want us to try and save-”

He stopped and flinched slightly when Gran brought his cane up.
Though the elder stopped and sighed as he set it back on the ground. An odd mixture of emotions flashed across his face.
Grief and frustration dominated it all though.

“Nana didn’t want us to interfere with her family, but if she knew that this would happen…”

He remembered the promise they all made to her on the day she gave up Kotarou.
But he also knows she would likely forgive them if they saved her grandson from All for One.
She couldn’t have known that he would be the type of bastard to target her family long after her death, just to piss on her grave.

Gran shook his head.
“There might be a reason why Shigaraki is different from his appearance at USJ. It relates to what we recently discovered about the Noumus.”
He waited a few moments to make sure he had Toshinori’s full attention before continuing. “It’s possible that when Kurogiri took his body, All for One decided to have it repurposed.”

“So you believe All for One turned Nana’s grandson into a Noumu?”

“It’s highly likely, which is why I want to advise that you stay behind with the cops while the rest of us go inside. Just in case he decides to gun for you.”

For a brief moment he opened his mouth to protest, only to stop when he felt his phone buzz.
Quick to pull it out, he opened the message and felt his heart melt when he saw Young Midoriya holding a white kitten.

Seeing the large scar over one of the kitten’s eyes sent a pang of sadness through him, until he remembered that the kitten was with Young Midoriya and he knew his boy would make sure that this kitten would have a good home.
Plus he could tell how his boy probably fell in love with the kitten’s single red eye, and perhaps it had immediately taken a shining towards him.

Quickly he turned the phone around with a large grin on his face.
“Look! Young Midoriya adopted a kitten!”
Soon after he got another message and he quickly looked, seeing that his boy has named the kitten Erin and hasn’t even told his father about her yet.

The warmth Toshinori was feeling earlier spread further from his chest to his very soul.
Reminding him exactly why he was determined to live no matter what, allowing for him to look his former teacher in the eye and give a quiet nod.

“I promise to stay behind, but if I do see Shigaraki then I will try to reach him.”

Gran nodded. “That’s all I can ask of you.”

Aizawa stepped over as soon as Gran said that, shaking his head.
“If Shigaraki does make an appearance then I’m taking Kirishima out of there. I doubt we could afford to lose another student.”

“I agree,” Toshinori said, checking the time.
Soon they would need to depart.

–

Shouta kept an eye open, not wanting to be taken off-guard by Mimic.
It would especially be bad if he got separated from Kirishima and Shigaraki made an appearance.
Knowing that Shigaraki would not hesitate with Kirishima, and that would mean another student would die while on Shouta’s watch.

It would be Shirakumo all over again.

After vocalizing his thoughts on how Mimic’s Quirk functions, he noticed a shift in the wall.
It didn’t take long for him to realize what it was.
But seeing Kirishima and Fat Gum about to move, he knew what might happen and quickly acted.

Fat Gum could handle himself, but he needs to make sure nothing happens to Kirishima.

As he tackled Kirishima to the ground, he glanced back to see Fat Gum get pushed into another room.
He reminded himself that Fat Gum would be fine, he is a fully trained Hero while Kirishima is still just a student.
Nothing bad would happen.

He quickly stood up and looked around, making sure no one else got separated by Mimic.
As he turned his gaze further down the hall, he stiffened when he saw a figure step out of a black portal.
The very same one from Kurogiri’s Quirk.

He couldn’t see the person’s face due to the mask he wore, but he saw him bring up a clawed hand and scratch at his neck.
The exact same way Shigaraki did.

Unlike USJ where he would speak in a childish manner, he didn’t even acknowledge the Heroes standing before him.
Different, likely changed over the course of the months he was out of sight.

The moment Shigaraki crouched down, Shouta activated his Quirk and pushed Kirishima behind him.

“Quick! Restrain him!” Shouta shouted.
It’s unlikely Shigaraki would stand a chance against all of them at once, and if they capture him then they might have a chance at learning where All for One is hiding.

However, he suddenly remembered that Shigaraki was not alone when he felt sand get dumped on his head.
Forced to blink when it slipped through his goggles, he gasped when he lost his footing.
Barely able to open his eyes to see Shigaraki had decayed the ground at their feet and disappeared into the ensuing dust.

He felt Kirishima gripping onto him.
Realizing that he was not separated from his student, Shouta moved to prevent Kirishima from landing on the stone ground that awaited them.

Good thing too, because he could see Chronostasis waiting for them.

—

After leaving Nemoto and Sakaki behind to deal with that pesky hero, Kai looked down at Eri.
“Move before I carry you,” he ordered. As much as he loathed the idea of holding her, he would do what’s necessary to get her away and to continue work on his masterpiece.

She didn’t say anything, instead reaching to grab Shigaraki’s pinky.
Her head remained lowered as she moved forward, already knowing her place.
That no one would save someone like her.

Shigaraki also remained silent, keeping a clawed pinky low for Eri.
Having appeared through a warp gate just moments earlier, he confirmed to Kai that a majority of the Heroes were too occupied to properly chase after them.

With the one who handed Eri back to Kai a few weeks ago suitably distracted, it was only a matter of time until they would make their getaway.
Speaking of which.

“Why didn’t Kurogiri open a Warp Gate for us to escape through when you arrived?” He asked.

Shigaraki stopped and looked back at him briefly before continuing forward.

“Is he waiting ahead for us?”
At first he was fine with Shigaraki’s silence, but now it was becoming an issue.
He needs to know that their method of escape was readily accessible.

“I asked you a question.”

He watched as Shigaraki’s hand twitched slightly.
The brat brought it up to his neck as he glanced back at Kai once more. He still refused to speak, but Kai could tell that he was starting to get annoyed and may snap and say something.

But Shigaraki only pointed ahead and kept going.
The closest thing to an answer that Kai would get.

“After this I’m going to tell All for One that you need to learn better communication skills.”

As they stepped into a more open area, Kai glanced around.
Expecting a Warp Gate to be waiting for them, only to see nothing.
Looking at Shigaraki, he prepared to say something before stopping when he saw movement in the corner of his eye.

Jumping back, he narrowed his eyes at the Hero from a few weeks back.
The young man had a grin on his face as he stood before them, fists raised in preparation for another attack as he sunk down into the ground.

“Keep that Hero occupied,” Kai ordered, reaching to grab Eri.
As far as he’s concerned, Shigaraki is not nearly as important as Eri and All for One should be fine if that brat gets left behind and arrested.
Not like he can even speak, so there would be no information leaks.

Shigaraki immediately planted his hands on the ground, letting the Decay fester and spread deep to where the Hero was likely hiding out.
An attempt to force him out from down below.

Smiling confidently from beneath his mask, Kai grabbed Eri’s arm and continued forward.
Only to stop when the Hero popped up right in front of him and delivered a punch to Kai’s face.

He stumbled back, forced to release his grip on Eri as the brat grabbed her and leapt away from them both.

Setting her down, the Hero gave her a grin and told her to get out of here.
That he was here now and would save her.

Kai couldn’t hold it in anymore.
He started to laugh.

“Do you honestly believe you can save her?” He asked, taking a step closer to that naive child. “Especially when she knows you can’t save her? After you handed her right back over to me, with a large smile on your face?”

The boy looked at Eri briefly before turning his attention back onto Kai.
“I made a promise that I will save her. And that’s what I will do. Even if she doesn’t believe in me, I’m going to be the one to change that!”

“How pitiful.”

—-

Kept on his toes thanks to two villains who could destroy whatever they touch, Mirio knew if he let either of them get their hands on him then he’s done for.
There’s also the issue of Eri not running away like he asked her to.

Seeing the look of pure distrust she gave him shattered his heart.
Reminded him that he absolutely fucked up all those weeks ago when he first met her.
When he should have seen the signs.

His lungs burned as he made himself intangible before Shigaraki could grab his arm.
His eyesight was starting to go black as he prevented Chisaki from pressing a hand against his chest.

But he also had to make sure he wasn’t standing in a place where the villains could grab Eri from behind him.
Because they could easily just destroy her body and have Chisaki repair her.
Something that monster has probably been doing for an unknown amount of time, perhaps since her Quirk emerged.

Briefly he noticed one of Chisaki’s henchmen had crawled into the area, a gun in hand.

He expected the gun to point at him, and was ready to permeate and maybe make sure Chisaki would be on the receiving end of the Quirk Destroying Bullet.
Or even Shigaraki, whichever was more dangerous.

But instead, he saw the gun was pointed at Eri.

He didn’t think.
His body instead moved to stand in front of her, feeling something pierce into his back after hearing the gun fire.

Suddenly he could breathe more easily, but it was followed by an empty void that moved through his veins.
Spread out from where the bullet hit him all throughout his body.

He stood up, dropping his cape so it would land on Eri, and stared right at Chisaki and Shigaraki.
“I don’t need my Quirk to put an end to you,” he said, smiling despite the fear he felt deep down.
He knows it’s impossible, because Heroes need their Quirks, but he can at least put up an illusion and stop them both from leaving until backup comes.

He immediately ran for Chisaki first, knowing that he was currently the bigger threat between the two of them.
But he kept Shigaraki in his sights in case he tried to make any funny movements.

However, Shigaraki did not make any moves towards Mirio.
He didn’t even make a move to defend Chisaki, instead electing to hang back.
These actions made Mirio concerned, but he decided to focus on Chisaki until he heard rustling from behind him.

After kicking Chisaki away from him, Mirio looked back and saw Shigaraki crouched down.
A clawed hand held out towards Eri.
Eri who was walking towards him.

“No,” Mirio whispered. “Eri! Don’t go with them!”

She looked back at him with eyes that were filled with nothing but pure anger.
“You are not a Hero,” she finally said, allowing for Shigaraki to carefully pick her up. Curled up like a young angel being held by the Devil himself.

A Warp Gate opened behind Shigaraki and he stepped back into it.

Too in shock to move, Mirio watched as Chisaki walked towards the portal and prepared to enter.
Only to suddenly get pushed back through it.

“What are you doing?” Chisaki asked, sticking a hand through the portal. Likely hoping to grab Shigaraki or Eri, only to suddenly give out a hellish scream as he pulled his arm back.

But his hand was missing.

Enraged at the sudden betrayal, Chisaki reached his other arm into the Warp Gate, only to lose his other hand.

Mirio sat and watched in stunned silence as the other Heroes came in and arrested Chisaki and Nemoto.

Sir walked up behind him and set a proud hand on his shoulder.
“You exceeded my expectations, Mirio. I never thought you would have dodged my Vision. I was right to take you under my wing.”

Blinking, he looked at Sir and shook his head.
“No. I failed.”

His mentor blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t have my Quirk anymore, and-” he paused, looking Sir in the eye as he prepared to deliver the bad news.

“Shigaraki took her.”

—-

Toshinori frowned as he stepped into the hospital.
By all intents and purposes, the raid went smoothly with every last member of the Shie Hassaikai being arrested.

But of course, nothing that happened there went perfectly.

He thought this as he passed by Young Kirishima and Amajiki, both quietly sitting next to each other as they held Fat Gum’s torn hoodie.
The only casualty in this entire raid.

“I should have clung to Fat Gum. If I was there then maybe he would have,” Young Kirishima whispered quietly.

Slowly walking closer, Toshinori crouched down and set a hand on his student’s knee.
“Casualties on the field happen all the time,” he explained, keeping his voice gentle as he remembered his own mentor.
“I also lost someone dear to me to a villain, and to this day I always think back to that day and wonder what would have happened if I was stronger or if I was right there with her,” he said, giving Young Kirishima a warm smile when he looked up at him.

“You know what she always told me?”

“What?”

“To always smile and that no matter what, she would always be right here,” he said, setting a hand on his own chest. “I’m sure Fat Gum would have said the same thing.”

Young Kirishima gave a small smile as he held a hand to his chest.
“Thank you All Might.”

Smiling once more, he turned to head towards Young Togata’s room.
Wanting to check on him and see how he’s doing, especially after losing his Quirk.

For a brief moment, Toshinori wondered if All for One may have snuck in somehow and stole Young Togata’s Quirk.
But then he remembered what Overhaul was developing, and that they may have been perfected.

He stepped in only to stop when he saw Nighteye standing in the room with Young Togata.

“My Vision showed me that Chisaki would escape with Eri, and Shigaraki Tomura was not present at all,” he said, rubbing at his chin. “I didn’t even see you get shot by that bullet, and my Visions are never wrong. It wouldn’t have been a big loss if Overhaul did escape though, because we could have tracked him down again. My big concern is that I have no reasonable way of tracking Shigaraki down.”

Toshinori decided to step in, wondering what this could mean.
Was Nighteye losing his touch? Could his Quirk not be nearly as accurate as he believes?
Or perhaps it always showed him possible futures but he always assumed the first one he saw was accurate?

What would that mean about his death that Nighteye foretold?

He opened his mouth, ready to ask about it, only to stop when his trademark ringtone started to blare like a siren announcing his presence to the entire world.

Quickly grabbing his phone, he gave a fond smile when he saw it was Young Midoriya.

“Is that your student?” Nighteye asked, moving closer. “Put him on speaker, I’ve been dying to talk to him.”

For a brief moment, Toshinori considered doing it.
But then he looked at Nighteye and saw the hunger in his eyes.
Looking at Young Togata next, Toshinori immediately knew what Nighteye was planning to do.

The frustrations that had built up from the moment he got back in contact with Nighteye finally exploded from the bottle he kept deep in his chest.

“No.”

“Excuse me?” Nighteye asked like some overly entitled fanboy.

“I will not let you bully my successor into giving his Quirk to Young Togata. I chose him and that is final.”

He didn’t even care that Young Togata was in the room, and judging from the look on his face, he could tell that Young Togata had no idea why Nighteye even picked him up.
Potential his ass, Nighteye only picked Togata because he looked like and smiled like All Might.

“Sir. You- Did you only pick me to be the next All Might?” Young Togata asked.

Nighteye whipped around and froze at the look on his student’s face.

“I saw great potential in you Mirio. You do have what it takes to be the next All Might and I knew you would have taken well to his Quirk-”

Young Togata suddenly glared. “What. You wanted me to basically take away someone else’s chance at being a Hero? You didn’t see me as me, you only saw All Might. You didn't see me as my own Hero? Well now I won’t ever be a Hero!”

“Yes you still can! If that Midoriya kid realizes he’s unworthy then-”

“Unworthy my fucking ass!” Togata shouted.

Toshinori took the opportunity to slip out of the room so he could speak with his boy in peace and not risk Nighteye spoiling it for him.

Hopefully Young Midoriya will be able to talk more about his classmates and even the new friends he’s made at his new school.

Chapter Text

A grin on her face as she quietly approached her classmate, Emma Bray held a finger up to her lips. Signaling for Mateo and Elliot to keep quiet as she slowly and carefully set the apple on green curls that looked impossibly fluffy.

Slowly backing away when it seemed like he didn’t notice, she raised a hand and focused on the apple that sat innocently on his head.
“Launching the Ion Cannons!” She suddenly screamed, sending the blast right through the apple.

Izuku looked back at her as soon as the apple flew from his head and exploded right in Rodrigo’s face.
Eyes completely wide as he dropped the pepper he was moments away from munching on, he stared at Emma before giving a small smile of gratitude.

Ever since he transferred to their school at the end of the summer, he’s always kept quiet and to himself. Likely homesick, she made it her mission to try and include him in as many groups as possible.
To ensure he knows that they welcome him here at their school.

“Bray! You have slighted me for the last time! Vengeance will be mine!” Rodrigo shouted, his tail flicking as he jumped on the table with heads of cabbages in hand.

“Food fight!” Yang screamed after carefully putting his book away. He grabbed whatever slop the cafeteria served him and chucked it at one of the three preppy girls in their grade.

“Ugh! Like, what the hell Monkey Face?” Alexandra shouted, picking up her entire tray. “Lucy, cut up anything that comes our way! Amanda, pulverize this slop as much as you can. We are better than these ruffians who would throw something that could hurt someone,” she ordered, throwing her braid over her shoulder.

“You got it girl,” Amanda said, fists hardening into crystals as she grabbed the fruit on their trays and started to beat them into mush.

Soon the cafeteria devolved into pure chaos as food and Quirks went flying everywhere.
One student screamed bloody murder as one of Izuku’s peppers landed in his mouth, the pure heat was enough to knock him out.

Emma laughed as she slapped Izuku on the shoulder.
“How spicy are those peppers?” She asked.

Izuku looked back, light finally returning in his eyes as he grinned wide.
“Carolina Reapers,” he only said, pulling three more from his jar. “I used to get them imported from here all the time. I will never forget the look on Kacchan’s face when he tried to eat them.”

“Ok that’s wicked badass,” Emma said, only to freeze when the teachers walked in.
All of them with varying degrees of anger and disappointment on their faces, especially their gym coach.

“Students! There will be no more food fighting in the cafeteria!” Their coach screamed, albeit too late as Izuku had already used his Quirk to flick one last pepper. The chili of pure death landing in the coach’s mouth.

Everyone watched and laughed as the coach spat out the pepper, too late as the heat hit him almost immediately. His hand reaching for his water bottle that he kept strapped to his side, but the water did nothing to alleviate the pain.

“Mr. Midoriya! Principal’s Office!”

Emma cringed when she saw Izuku stiffen.
“Sir, I started it,” she said quickly, not wanting anyone else to get in trouble. Especially since she only started this to cheer up her classmate.
Especially as he spent so much time staring at his phone with a look of pure sorrow.

The teacher only gave a sigh.
“Fine. Everyone who participated will be going to the office.”

Well, better than only one of them taking the fall.

On the walk there, Emma set a hand on Izuku’s shoulder.
“Hey, you doing ok?” She asked.

Izuku looked down at his phone and gave a nod.
“Yeah. I just feel sad right now. So many things are happening back home and I can’t be there for everyone, to help them.”

“Well they should know you are there in spirit,” Emma said with a smile. “And that definitely still counts for something, right? I mean you haven’t forgotten about them, and they haven’t forgotten about you either! Plus you’re a hundred percent in the clear on the murder accusations that have been thrown around back home!”

He actually snorted slightly, before shaking his head.

“Plus you have that cute kitten back at your house! Speaking of which, do you mind if we come over to play with her?”

“I’ll have to ask my father about it, he keeps my schedule pretty busy,” Izuku admitted.

Emma only laughed. “I guess that’s normal for you guys. I know Yang’s parents also keep him super super busy. I’m shocked they even let him join the basketball team!”

“Hey!” Yang shouted from within the crowd before giving a wide grin. “They’re actually really supportive of me, and see its use for my future in Heroics!”

Sticking her tongue out, Emma looked back at Izuku. “Well anyway, let us know when we can come by.”

Izuku nodded.
“Of course, and I know Erin would be happy to see you guys too.”

—

As he rode in the elevator, Toshinori looked down at the schoolwork in hand.
Even if Young Togata was still in the hospital with the staff working diligently in the hopes of recovering his Quirk, that didn’t mean he could neglect his schoolwork.

And Toshinori was the one with more free time compared to his colleagues because this wasn’t his day to teach Heroics.
There’s that, and he wanted to check on the boy who had his entire world shattered when Nighteye’s true motives were revealed to him.

He hummed quietly to himself as he checked the calendar on his phone.
What with getting dragged into the Yakuza investigation, along with his job as a teacher, he has yet to find the time to check on Young Midoriya’s mother.
While she is probably fine, he couldn’t help but wonder if she might like the company.

Things are likely incredibly lonely for her, and he doesn’t know if she has a close relationship with her neighbors or not.
She has made no such mention of this during his earlier visits, even when getting her consent to have Young Midoriya moved to the dorms.

When the doors of the elevator chimed open, he stepped through and made his way towards Young Togata’s room.
He just hoped that the boy held no hard feelings towards Toshinori.

Looking up at the door, he froze when a familiar black warp gate opened right in front of him.
He braced himself for a potential attack, murder attempt, or even a possible kidnapping.
But instead, something was pushed through the warp gate with a resounding THUMP.

The gate closed soon after.

He didn’t want to look down at what was dropped before his feet.
It took every last ounce of effort and willpower to not immediately look down.
But he knew he would have to, knowing that whatever All for One decided to drop off would be some kind of horror designed purely to torture Toshinori.

The door opened and Young Togata blinked at Toshinori before looking down.
His face went pale as his mouth opened in a silent scream.

Looking down, Toshinori almost fainted when he saw what was by his feet.
The little girl that they failed to save, the little girl whom Shigaraki took with him.

Little Eri, with her eyes open and unseeing.
Her neck was bruised and snapped in a ninety degree angle.

Young Togata reacted first as he ran into his room for a button that would call security.
Toshinori then grabbed his phone to call Detective Tsukauchi, unable to take his eyes off of the body that was delivered to him like that.

He knew All for One was the type to do something sick and twisted, but he still didn’t expect for him to actually pull something like this.
But there is one question that still eludes him.

Why?

—

After leaving the station where he gave his statement, Toshinori made his way to the train station. Occasionally looking at all the pictures Young Midoriya sent of himself, his kitten, and even a group shot with some of his new classmates.

Giving a soft smile, he knew seeing his boy’s smiling face was enough to cheer him up.
To take his mind off of what All for One’s likely motivations are for having Shigaraki kill Eri.
Likely as a message to Toshinori, saying that Tenko is gone for good and can not be saved.

But seeing his boy’s face reminded him that he can and will do it.
Because it’s what Young Midoriya would have done, and is what Nana would have wanted.

Soon making his way to Ms. Midoriya’s apartment, he knocked on the door and waited patiently.
Occasionally looking at his phone to see if Young Midoriya sent him more pictures, or for any news about possibly tracing Kurogiri’s Warp Gates.

But soon he realized that no one was home.

Tilting his head to the side, he noticed one of the neighbors and quickly walked over.

“Excuse me? Might I ask if Midoriya Inko is home?” He asked.

The neighbor blinked before shaking his head.
“No. I actually haven’t seen her in a month. Then again she always kept to herself, so I never thought it out of the ordinary,” he admitted before a flash of pity went across his face. “I think she was ashamed to show her face anywhere, after the USJ video. Then the Sports Festival, I’m shocked she and her son didn’t leave the country sooner.”

Toshinori hummed softly in thought as he checked his messages with Young Midoriya and then with Ms. Midoriya.
Neither have made any mention of Ms. Midoriya leaving Japan to live with her husband and son.
In fact, the last message sent was him apologizing for canceling on her because something important came up.

While he was probably paranoid, he had long since learned to trust his gut instinct as a Hero.
And something isn't adding up here, to the point where he decided to call up Tsukauchi for the second time that day.

As he walked down the street, he couldn’t help noticing a couple people in the area with a book he remembered reading back in Junior High before he met Nana.
His instinct immediately told him to run as he saw the red cover with a black splotch-like mask.

Meta Liberation War.

Chapter Text

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Aizawa?”

Toshinori couldn’t help agreeing with Vlad after reading over the upcoming lesson.
Even with some students moving from Class 1-B to 1-A, tensions would still exist.
The few times he has helped teach 1-B in their Heroics lessons allowed him a small glimpse into their mentality.

Especially Monoma Neito.

“The last time we had something close to a Joint Training Exercise, the League of Villains attacked and kidnapped Bakugou. Plus I know our respective students have grown since then, so it will be a chance for them to see what they’re made of,” Aizawa explained, setting the papers he was grading into a properly labeled bin.

“That’s true, and my students will probably be relieved that Midoriya isn’t there anymore.”

Toshinori clenched his teeth, holding his tongue.
The way Vlad said that caused a flash of rage to enter Toshinori. Even if Vlad didn’t know Young Midoriya as well as Toshinori did, it didn’t give him a right to insinuate that Midoriya was the source of 1-B’s problem with 1-A.

Slowly letting a breath out, knowing he can’t afford to attack one of his coworkers over some offhand comment, Toshinori decided to turn the TV up and focus on that until Vlad and Aizawa finished finalizing their lesson plans for Toshinori to peruse and give his own insight.
Even if he was still inexperienced as a teacher, he has gotten better.

He just wished his boy could be here to witness his own growth.

“Do you have any comments as the only survivor of the Deika City Massacre, Miss Kizuki?”

In the corner of the TV showed what looked like the remains of a city, almost flattened in the same way that Kamino was many months ago.
The anchor motioned towards the woman with pale blue skin and lilac hair sitting next to him.
Her face held pure devastation as she looked down.

“I honestly feel very fortunate that I was out of town at the time,” she began, voice quiet. “But seeing some of the footage that survived the destruction, I can only describe the one who caused this to be a literal monster.”

“Indeed, it is a true tragedy that a single Villain was able to wipe out an entire city. One has to ask where the Heroes were at the time though. One should have been called the moment a Villain like that made an appearance.”

Toshinori ignored the rest of the interview as he watched the footage in the corner of the screen, seeing it swap for what must be the surviving footage. Part of him was suspicious that the footage was somehow staged, especially since the person recording this was using a black and white filter.

At the center of the destruction was the person Young Togata described to be Shigaraki.
His body convulsed painfully as something dark seeped from his body and lashed out at the innocent civilians who just happened to be within the vicinity of his attack.
All of them being dragged towards him as he grabbed them, the decay rapidly turning each and every last one of them to dust, spreading from one person to the next.

Spreading from the ground to buildings.

One of the civilians dragged towards Shigaraki held a crowbar, slamming it down on the Villain’s mask in a lucky shot before he fell victim to the same fate as all the others.
As a piece of the mask fell, the footage cut off.

“To anyone who is watching this,” Kizuki’s voice suddenly cut in, “I ask that you please see what kind of danger this Villain poses. I don’t think even All Might himself could stand a chance against him.”

Turning his gaze away from the TV, Toshinori could see Vlad and Aizawa had quit discussing to instead watch the news with him.
They both gave him a look of concern, Aizawa actually walking over and setting a hand on his shoulder.

“A few believe that it wasn’t Shigaraki Tomura over there. They think it was the Kamino Villain deciding to give a show of force.”

“It was a slaughter of innocent lives. I don’t get where that Kamino Villain could possibly believe he has the right to-”

Toshinori held up a hand, cutting Vlad off from his tangent as he stood up.
“That wasn’t All for One,” he said, turning the TV off. “If you think it’s because he showed another Quirk, don’t be surprised. All for One can give people Quirks, just like how he can take Quirks.”

“Is that what happened to you? Did he take your Quirk?” Vlad asked.

“In his dreams,” Toshinori said, turning to go with his colleagues to the training ground. Tomorrow would be when the first true Joint Training Lesson begins, and Toshinori knows it won’t end in disaster like the last one.

However, he stopped when he felt his phone ringing.
Cheeks growing warm when Vlad and Aizawa both stared at him, he quickly excused himself to take the call.
Especially since it’s the ringtone he specifically set aside for Young Midoriya.

–

After making sure he was completely alone, Toshinori smiled as he answered the phone.
It’s been some time since he last heard Young Midoriya’s voice, and there was a question that has been burning him ever since he went to Mrs. Midoriya’s home.

“All Might! I’m sorry, you must be really busy right now. If you need me to call back later then I will. Or maybe I should send you a message instead and you can get back to me when you’re free? I’m sorry again, I just needed to talk to you and I-”

Toshinori chuckled softly.
“I always have time for you, Young Midoriya. Even when I’m at work, I will always make time for you,” he said, waiting patiently for his boy to calm down and take a breather. “I was also hoping to talk to you, but I didn’t want to accidentally call you while you were in the middle of class.”

He could hear the smile in Young Midoriya’s voice when he reassured him that it would be fine because he keeps his phone off when he’s at school.
A policy American Teachers are extremely strict about apparently, though some of Young Midoriya’s classmates do break that rule frequently.

“Well in December I have a recital coming up and I was wondering if maybe- You see, my…father….will be busy that week, but I’d like for someone to come and watch but- I understand if you’re busy at the time though! Really! It’s just a small thing honestly and I could probably find someone else to-”

Quickly putting his boy on speaker, Toshinori moved to his phone and checked the month of December. “Which week of December?” He asked.

“Ah! Well it’s the third week of December, why?”

Toshinori smiled as he cleared that entire week and sent an email to Nedzu.
“Well, I actually have nothing going on that week. So if you will have me, then I will happily come over and see you,” he said.

He could hear Midoriya give a relieved sigh, which filled him with concern.
“Thank you, it really means a lot to me,” he admitted, voice growing just a little strained.

“Young Midoriya? Is everything going ok over there?” Toshinori asked.

There was a short pause, as if his boy was trying to collect himself.
He could picture Young Midoriya was probably close to tears in that moment, and he wished he could at least offer him a handkerchief.

“Yeah. Yeah, everything is fine! It’s just…it’s an adjustment. There are ups and downs here, but I sometimes feel like I don’t belong here,” he admitted quietly. “And I-” He stopped.

“And you?” Toshinori asked, hoping his boy would tell him what’s wrong. There has to be more to it than an adjustment period.

“It’s nothing. I’m just being silly I- Can you tell me how everyone is doing over there?” He asked.

He knows he should probably try and push for more answers, but he figured it wouldn’t hurt to indulge his boy just a little. “Well, Young Bakugou and Young Todoroki have made a lot of improvements thanks to the Remedial Course they’ve been taking. I am positive they will get their Provisional Licenses when they take their test this December- Early December! Not at the same time as your recital,” he quickly corrected, hoping to reassure his boy that he would definitely make it.

“That’s good to hear. What about everyone else?”

Toshinori smiled, telling his boy everything he could possibly wish to know about his former classmates.
He knew it was making Young Midoriya feel better to know that everyone was doing good and well, but they also still missed him and wished they could see each other again soon.

However, it was while talking to his boy that he remembered one final issue.
Mrs. Midoriya.

“Young Midoriya?”

“Hm? Yes?”

“Have you heard from your mother at all?” He asked.

CLICK.

Toshinori blinked when he looked at his phone when various long beeps rang.
Young Midoriya hung up on him.

He could see red flags popping up, especially with how sudden it was.
But when he tried to call his boy back, all he received was his voice mail.

Maybe he could continue trying to call until he gets his answer?
Or maybe he should wait until they meet in person, and see if maybe this was just a coincidence? He could have stressed his boy out by mentioning his mother seemingly disappearing, when he may have not even heard about it until now.

Taking a deep breath, he vowed to explain himself better and apologize to his boy the next time they talk.
Whether it’s at the recital or prior to that.

Chapter Text

The plane ride felt too long and unbearable for Toshinori, his leg constantly bouncing from pure impatience. Though he doubted anyone would be able to blame him if they knew the truth, for how long he has been separated from one of the most important people in his life.

So when the plane landed, he had to force himself to not immediately bull rush out of there.
Even with the knowledge that he would be seeing Young Midoriya again after all these months, he kept his patience as he grabbed his carry-ons.

Quickly peaking into one of his bags, he smiled at the sight of the present he had carefully wrapped.
Even if it was a little early, he knew it wouldn’t hurt to give his boy a Christmas Present.
Especially since he wasn’t sure if they would get the chance to see each other for Christmas or not.

As he made his way past the terminal and out of security, he looked around at all the people. Hoping to catch sight of familiar green curls and a large smile on a freckled face.
His determination to find his student almost had him overlook his boy, until he turned around once more and looked down when he felt a single finger poke his back.

“Hi,” Young Midoriya greeted, a small smile on his face as he held a cheery sign that had the name All Might on it.

Staring at his boy quietly, Toshinori could see that Young Midoriya seemed to have grown just a little. Losing just a little roundness in his face, and looking a little more fit than the last time they saw each other, he couldn’t help noticing some of the things that remained the same.
The nervous fidgeting, the freckles that dotted his face, and the way he looked at Toshinori with wide eyes that held this very special spark.

He knew, in that moment, his boy had not changed into an entirely different person.
This was the same Young Midoriya from before he left Japan.

Not even thinking, he brought his arms up and pulled his successor into a hug.
His boy stiffening ever so slightly, before finally relaxing as he grabbed onto Toshinori’s shirt.
Tears stained his white shirt, but Toshinnori didn’t mind it because they were truly warranted this time and he knew by now that these were not the tears of sorrow he hated seeing on people.

Instead they were of the purest kind of happiness.

“I’m sorry I just- I missed you and everyone else so much.”

“I know, and we all missed you too. Even Young Bakugou, though he won’t admit it,” Toshinori said. As he pulled away, he started to look around to see if he could catch sight of his boy’s father anywhere.
Or really, anyone who looked like he could be Young Midoriya’s father.

His student seemed to notice as he looked down and shook his head.
“If you’re looking for my father, I’m afraid you won’t see him at all this week. Work called him and all that,” Young Midoriya admitted quietly, as if this was something that happened frequently.

For a brief moment, the suspicions about Midoriya Hisashi started to creep up as he pictured a large figure with red eyes and a demonic smile looming over them both. Shadowy hands reaching to grab and yank Young Midoriya away from him.

“All Might? Is something wrong?” His boy asked, snapping him out of that nightmarish vision.

Looking down to make sure his boy was perfectly fine, Toshinori shook his head and gave a smile. “No no, everything is fine. I might be tired from the plane ride, jet lag and all that,” he tried to joke.

“Yeah, we should get you to the house. I even had a guest room set up for you so you don’t have to worry about hotel fees!” His boy said, immediately brightening up as he started to lead Toshinori to where a taxi was waiting for them. “He’s still trying to get me to get a learner’s permit and start driving, but there’s no time to have me learn outside of a Driver’s Ed course so I don’t see the point in it. Plus, well,” he stopped, pressing his fingers together as he looked down.

Toshinori waited quietly for his boy to say something before going wide eyed when he saw it.
Young Midoriya’s feet had not once been touching the ground the whole way there.

“Young Midoriya?”

His student looked around to make sure no one was listening in.
“The Past Users, their Quirks, are all in One for All,” he explained quietly.

Float.
Young Midoriya was using Nana’s Quirk.

But from the way his boy was saying that, it meant more than their Quirks were in One for All.
Which means Nana’s spirit still lives on inside of One for All, and that his boy was able to gain access to those Quirks.
Something that, as far as he knows, no other One for All user has done before.

“I take it you’re practicing with them all?”

Young Midoriya nodded.
“I need to, for when I can finally come back home.”

It went unspoken, what his boy would have to face upon his return to Japan.
The same evil Toshinori himself had to face when he came back to Japan for his official debut.
An evil that neither of them wanted to bring up at that very moment.

Slowly, Toshinori set a hand on his boy’s shoulder and gave a gentle smile.
“I’m sure Nana would be happy with this.”

Looking up at him with teary eyes, Young Midoriya only smiled.
“Yeah, also when I saw her,” he started, bringing a hand up to scratch the back of his head. “She was really pretty, and exactly as you described her.”

As they went into the taxi, Toshinori smiled at the thought.
He always figured Nana and Young Midoriya would get along if they ever got to meet, and it’s thanks to One for All that they get to meet and talk.
Perhaps one of the greatest gifts, and it could be that the same would happen on the day Toshinori himself dies.

“One day, we will meet again within One for All,” he whispered quietly, now knowing why Nana always said that it was romantic in a way.

“All Might? Did you say something?”

“No no, I was just reminiscing.”

–

After leaving the Automobile Museum, Toshinori smiled as he pulled out one of the two hats he bought from the gift shop. Keeping it hidden behind his back, he watched as his boy brought up how some of the designs of the cars may have inspired a few of the vehicles support companies designed for various Heroes.

“There were three that struck out to me especially! There was the ‘85 March B5-C, the ‘60 Douglas Racer, and then the ‘68 Corvette Coupe,” Young Midoriya rambled on as he pulled out his phone to look up the images.

Toshinori smiled at the memory when he went to the very same museum with Dave.
Hearing him gush over those exact same cars and how they gave him inspiration for their pride and joy.

“Do you think they inspired David to build the AllMobile?”

His grin widening, Toshinori placed the hat on his boy’s head and nodded. “You got it, though he also enjoyed reading some older comics and various films. You should have seen his Batman obsession,” he remarked with a teasing smile, remembering when his dear friend tried to create his own Bat Cave.

While Superman would always be his own personal favorite, Toshinori couldn’t see fault in those who enjoyed Batman.
He still occasionally watches a couple episodes from one of the older animated series whenever he got the chance, though perhaps he could brush the dust off of the box collection Dave gave to him ages ago.

Adjusting the hat so the brim wasn’t covering his eyes, Young Midoriya looked up at Toshinori before giving a small smile.
“What about you? Did you have any obsessions like that?” He asked.

Toshinori smiled sheepishly.
“I wouldn’t say it was at Dave’s level, but I always found joy whenever I’d find a vintage Superman comic,” he admitted carefully. He couldn’t let his boy know that he had an entire Superman shrine hidden deep in his agency where no one had access to it.

Not even Sir Nighteye knew about it.
Though Dave probably does have his suspicions…

With a nod, Young Midoriya gave a smile that looked even brighter than a few hours earlier when they were just going into the museum.
Like whatever cloud was hanging over him started to clear away.

Toshinori gave a grin of his own, determined to make whatever was bothering his boy go away.

–

He should have known what would have happened the moment they stepped foot into the Hero Museum.
From the way his boy’s eyes glinted upon seeing the statue of Stars and Stripes, he knew what kind of trip they were going to have. Especially when Young Midoriya started to literally vibrate.

Then again, he could also attribute it to the trip they took before Young Midoriya had to leave for UA’s Training Camp.
When he got to meet-

“There’s the little sprout!” A boisterous voice shouted from atop the statue.

Toshinori looked up and gave a smile when he saw Cathleen Bate, better known as Stars and Stripes, jump down from atop the large statue with a large grin on her face. “So glad I decided to come to the West Coast after hearing from a special little birdy about a certain someone coming for a visit,” she said, turning to stare at Toshinori.

Gulping as he gave an awkward wave, he suddenly remembered that hiking trip he and Young Midoriya took with Cathleen.
Specifically some of the things she has said to them both, especially in regards to Toshinori’s relationship with All Might.

And now that the truth is out there…

She walked over and lifted him up by the armpits like he was a doll or even a child, even though he’s definitely older than her.
He gulped and tried to match her smile. “Hi Cathleen,” he said.

The way she stared at him intensely sent shivers down his spine.
He wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but he doubted it was anything kind considering the lies he told about his identity.

Instead, she grinned and pulled him in for a bone crushing hug.
“I should have expected this! You really are one of the most old-fashioned Heroes in existence!” She shouted, shaking him in the hug as she laughed. “Secret identities, such a classic!”

Toshinori chuckled lightly as he was set down, literally swaying on his feet as he tried to catch his breath.
“Yeah, for a time this was the only way I could get some semblance of peace. But ever since…my retirement,” he said, lowering his gaze at the thought of his failure.

A hand gently chopped him over the head.
“Hey hey, none of that now. We all have our moments, what’s important is that we pick ourselves up and keep moving forward,” Cathleen said. “So how about we work on making sure your son has the time of his life here?”

Looking up, Toshinori opened his mouth to say the truth before hesitating.
Especially as he glanced in the direction of his boy and felt his heart melt when he saw Young Midoriya talking to someone wearing an All Might jacket.

He thought of the present he has yet to give to his boy.
His boy…

Cathleen smiled as she set a hand on Toshinori’s shoulder.
“Even if he isn’t actually related to you, it’s obvious that you care about him. I can see it in the way you look at him,” she admitted quietly.

He quickly shook his head.
Young Midoriya already has a father; he couldn’t possibly overstep his boundaries as a teacher.
Plus his boy seems to be doing fine here in America, probably much better than when he was at UA and being lambasted by the media for what happened at USJ and then the Sports Festival.

Though when Toshinori first got off the plane and saw his boy, he couldn’t help noticing that his eyes were blank until he saw Toshinori.
And that he has become more and more animated as the days pass.

But that could be because his boy’s father was called into work and the loneliness must have settled in until Toshinori finally arrived.

Instead of saying what he was thinking, he only nodded.
“Yeah, let’s make sure he has a grand time here,” he said.
Perhaps it would be fine if he pretended for the rest of this week, especially if it makes Young Midoriya happy.

–

When her phone beeped, Cathleen quickly smiled at All Might and the little sprout and told them she would be back.
As she went into a more private area of the museum, she checked to see who would call her on her day off before raising an eyebrow when she noticed it was an unknown number.
Likely from a burner phone.

There was only one person she knew who would call her on a burner.

Quickly answering it, she leaned against the wall.
“What is it this time Spitfire?” She asked.

The man on the other line gave a tired sigh.
“I told you to not call me that anymore. You know exactly why I can’t use any of my old names.”

“Need I remind you that I completely ripped apart the roots that old tree tried to plant in this country?” She asked, tapping a finger against her thigh. “How long do you plan to keep hidden?”

“Until I learn exactly what's going on back home. Especially considering someone has been using one of my old names.”

That caught Cathleen’s attention.
“Must be an idiot then, considering who tried to kill you twice.”

Spitfire laughed.
“Yeah, I honestly thought I had him fooled after he destroyed my original career. He really wanted to tie up loose ends or something,” he said, probably leaning against some kind of surface.

Cathleen rolled her eyes.
“So why else did you call me? Or is it because someone used one of your names?”

“That’s exactly it. I’m trying to figure out who took one of my names and why, do you think you can help me with this?” He asked.

“Yeah, as soon as I finish up here I’ll help you,” she said, watching a shady looking individual creeping through one of the exhibits. From the way the person moved, she could tell he was covering a weapon of some form. “Considering I’m spending the day with All Might and his son.”

Spitfire gasped over the phone.
“All Might!? You’re so lucky! But wait, none of my contacts mention him having a family let alone a son.”

“He was probably adopted,” Cathleen explained as she carefully followed the man. Quietly using her Quirk to make her footsteps inaudible to everyone else. “You should see him for yourself, one of the cutest kids with green hair that reminds me of a bean sprout,” she continued, her eyes focused on the thug in hopes of discerning what kind of weapon he held.

“He does sound cute, what’s his name?”

“Izuku Midoriya,” she whispered, cringing when the thug pulled his hands out to show they were literally on fire. “I have to go now, Villain Attack at the museum. I’ll come find you later.”

“Cathleen wait! That’s-”

She hung up and put her phone away as she prepared to put a stop to this thug only to grin when she saw black tendrils wrap around him.
Seems she won’t be alone in this fight.

—

Toshinori froze briefly when he saw his boy’s face go completely blank as black whip-like tendrils launched themselves from his hand and grabbed the man with fire in his hands and a look of desperation.

“Let me go! I have to burn it all to the ground! This place of filthy lies and deception! None of these are real Heroes! None of them are All Might and I refuse to stand by as they worship a cheap imitation!”

Cathleen came up behind the restrained man and set a hand on the ground by his feet. “New Order, the ground in a three foot radius shall be wet concrete that’s four feet deep.”

Toshinori watched as the man sunk down, his hands completely covered as he struggled to get out and free from the restraints that both Young Midoriya and Cathleen held him under.
His boy walking over to the man as Cathleen hardened the concrete as a temporary means until the proper authorities could come and collect the villain.

“Fakes! All of you are fakes!”

Young Midoriya stared down, his hands twitching as he scratched at his own leg.
“What right do you have to judge who is fake and who is real?” He asked, one of his hands reaching for the man’s face before he quickly pulled it back and looked over his shoulder.

The smile he gave was obviously fake, but he stepped away from the man and walked over to Toshinori before looking down at his feet.

He couldn’t help but notice something was off at that moment, but he gently set a hand on his boy’s shoulder and gave a proud smile.
“You did great, keeping a cool head and taking in the situation. Seems your new school is teaching you well,” he said.

Young Midoriya looked up and gave a small smile.
“I- I still have to learn restraint,” he admitted quietly as he shifted slightly.

Cathleen walked over after making sure the man was properly restrained before giving an apologetic smile.
“Looks like I can’t join you two for the rest of your day, but it’s as they say. A hero never gets any true rest.”

Nodding in agreement because he has experienced this first hand, Toshinori smiled sheepishly.
“Seems so. Perhaps next time we can have an entire day.”

Watching as she left to talk with the authorities, Toshinori turned towards Young Midoriya and smiled lightly.
“How about we go for some pizza?” He offered.

His boy looked up and nodded.
“I’d like that a lot.”

–

Smiling as he read the program, Toshinori knew Young Midoriya would be next.
As he looked at the stage, he could see his boy stiffly walking to the center. Literally shaking as his eyes searched the crowd before stopping on him.

Giving an encouraging smile, Toshinori watched as his boy raised the violin and took a breath before sliding the bow across the strings in a soft melody.
Solemn sounding, despite a few high notes.

For most of it, his boy’s eyes remained closed until he paused for a few seconds.
And then the tempo picked up as he opened them to look directly at Toshinori.

He lost his breath, completely sucked into the music and the way Young Midoriya smiled wide.
The energy changed from nervous and solemn to something more upbeat. As if his boy was itching to move while the music played, to run off and help those in need.

The song felt both too short and like it lasted an eternity all in one, but Toshinori knew exactly how he felt as he watched from the edge of his seat.

Even after his boy left the stage, he couldn’t get that song out of his head even with other students coming onto the stage to perform their pieces for the recital.

This allowed for him to come to the realization as Cathleen’s words from the museum repeated in his head on loop. Even as he walked over to meet his boy at the entrance, he realized that she was right when it came to how he felt about Young Midoriya.

Upon seeing him with a smile that was brighter than even the sun, Toshinori couldn’t help it as he pulled his boy into a tight hug.
“You did amazing up there and I am so so proud of you,” he finally said, the rest of the words halting in his throat before he could say them.

Because even if he does love Young Midoriya like a son, that doesn’t mean his boy would feel the same way.
It would be wrong of him to assume.

He blinked when he felt arms wrap around him.
Looking down at Young Midoriya, he smiled as he ran a hand through his soft hair.

“I wish everything would freeze right now,” Young Midoriya quietly admitted.

Toshinori didn’t say anything, instead vowing to find more time to visit his boy.
Perhaps even leave his teaching position and move to America so they wouldn’t have to worry about this anymore…

“Oh right, I have a present for you. Promise me to open it after I’m gone.”

His boy looked up and gave a nod.
“I promise.”

—

As soon as he stepped off the plan, Toshinori’s phone went off.

Blinking, he checked to see Nedzu was calling him.
With a sigh, he answered the phone only to freeze when he heard what the principal had to say.

“What do you mean Young Bakugou has…!”

Chapter Text

The rustling of paper woke him up from his light slumber.
Though he couldn’t say he was actually asleep, instead staring at his Provisional License with a frown. Forced to remember how he failed to get it the first time around, all because he let his pride get in the way.

Deku probably wouldn’t have gotten stuck in those remedial classes, especially with how the test was formatted.
Had it still been the first week of school he would have assumed the nerd would have been eliminated at the very beginning, but he has witnessed the nerd’s craftiness first hand.
Followed by the sheer brutality he showed at USJ in the videos, to the point where he wondered if the nerd had been bottling up all that rage until it finally leaked through.

Slowly shuffling out of the bed, he walked over to the letter that was slid under his door.
Picking it up, Katsuki unfolded the paper and read the letter.

Meet me under the bridge by Aldera.
We need to talk.

Despite it not being signed, he recognized the handwriting from the notebooks he saw the nerd writing in.
Part of him wonders how Deku even made it back to Japan, and why he decided to establish contact with Katsuki first. Especially considering all the actual friends Deku has here at UA.

But out of all people, he contacted Katsuki first.

Shoving the letter into his back pocket, he stepped out of his room and slipped down the halls.
No one was awake at this time, and a decent portion of his classmates have gone home for the holidays.
The only one he saw in the common area was the weird French kid, but he didn’t pay Katsuki any mind.

After stepping out of the building, he looked around for the various robots their rat of a principal has patrolling the place before making his way to the gate.
The letter may not have given a specific date and time, but he would be damned if he missed what could possibly be one of the most important moments of his life.

—

Shouta cracked an eye open when he received an alert about one of his students leaving the building after curfew.
As he read the name, he shook his head and dismissed it as a glitch in the security system and to have PowerLoader check the system for any further bugs.

Had it been Todoroki, Tokoyami, Hagakure, one of his former 1-B students, or even Shoji then he would have gone to check it out.
But Bakugou?

He closed his eyes.
Bakugou was always known for going to bed at a relatively reasonable time, and was only caught outside past curfew when he was coming back from remedial courses.
This was one student that Shouta doubted would ever wander away on his own.

“The error will be fixed in the morning.”

—

As he stepped under the bridge, Katsuki checked the note to make sure it was the correct one.
He knows this is the one Deku would always cross under when going home from Aldera, using the echo to practice his lame imitation of All Might’s laugh.

The moment his foot stepped on the metal sewer grate, Katsuki could feel something behind him.
Watching his every move like a creep.

Turning around, he didn’t make a sound when he saw Deku standing right there.
As if either appearing out of nowhere, or he was there the whole time and Katsuki somehow missed him.

Neither said anything at first, which was fine by him.
It allowed him to collect his thoughts and decide how to best speak to the one person from his childhood who remained, like a barnacle that stuck to a ship.

“I thought you fled to America like the coward you are,” he spoke, though there wasn’t any bite to it. Deku must have noticed, because he didn’t flinch like how he used to.

“Dad agreed to let me come back for the holidays to see Mom, and I remembered that there were other loose ends that needed to be tied up,” Deku admitted, his voice quieter than usual.
Filled with a sense of regret or something.

Katsuki rolled his eyes, though he could feel the pinprick of needles under his skin.
Digging deep the longer Deku stared at him with those wide green eyes that always gave him the creeps growing up.
But they didn’t hold that same look from before, instead looking at him as if he was a specimen to study.

Lacking the admiration that he didn’t notice until after it was gone.

While he doesn’t like it, he knows it’s partially his fault that Deku probably turned into this.
Had he grown up a lot sooner, were he not weak, then maybe the nerd would still have that spark in his eyes.
Instead of the dull pools that threatened to suck the life out of you if you stared for too long.

“Yeah, you’re right. There are a lot of loose ends to tie up, so why not come back to UA and tie them up?” He said, remembering how he burned that bridge years ago.
But Deku at least deserves the chance to see their classmates and talk to them one last time.

“I don’t actually have the time, and I thought it would be better to finally put our past conflicts behind us,” Deku admitted with a small smile as he looked down at his feet.
“So please, Bakugou, let’s clear the air between us.”

The needles turned into strings that wrapped tightly around him like a python, strangling him.
Never in his life did he believe he would ever hear his actual name from Deku of all people.
He always thought the nerd would forever hold onto that childish nickname desperately, but now Katsuki couldn’t move or even speak.

Deku stood there, watching him silently.
Expecting something.

Katsuki finally knew what words needed to be said.
Words that should have been said ages ago, words that he thought would forever be too late.
And while he knows he doesn’t deserve the chance, he can’t help but realize this would be his only opportunity.

“I will admit, I was horrible to you. I knew you were weaker and yet, you kept dreaming and planning to waltz right into your death. I also knew you would somehow find a way to follow that dream, and I was honestly scared,” he admitted. Part of him wanted to walk closer, but he refrained. “It doesn’t change what I did in the past, but I’m finally going down the right path. And I think I’m ready to finally take my next step.”

Taking a breath, he closed his eyes and looked down.
“Deku, I’m sorry for-”

He froze when he heard cruel laughter coming from the nerd.

Looking up, he felt the invisible threads tighten even further as he watched Deku’s skin and clothes beginning to melt.
Gray goop dripped down on the ground as he grew both larger and hunched forward.

The man pretending to be Deku gave a wide grin as he reached his hands up and tugged on the strings that grew out of his back.
“Now that was quite the show!”

Staring at the strings, Katsuki’s eyes trailed to where they were until he felt his racing heart sink into his stomach when he realized every last string was attached to him.
Holding him in place like he was a marionette being controlled.

He couldn’t even twitch a single finger.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Bakugou Katsuki! I’m sure you’ve heard of me, the illustrious Dictator, but that won’t matter in the end when you’re nothing more than a dead boy walking,” the hunched man said, laughing as he pulled on the strings.

And like a puppet at the whims of his master, Katsuki was brought down to a kneeling position before being pulled back up to his feet.

“I’m sure you’ll be happy to walk down memory lane with me,” Dictator said, his creepy grin not once fading as he made Katsuki walk. “These were your old stomping grounds, and I’m sure you feel nostalgic for the good days when you were the strongest. Instead, you are made to feel weak and inferior as those around you show they are better than you in every conceivable fashion.”

Katsuki scoffed as he narrowed his eyes. “Shut up. Don’t act like you know me.”

Dictator laughed. “Oh! Someone has some bite to them! But don’t worry, by the time we’re done with this trip you will lose all of that.”

“Well maybe if you would let me go then I can show you exactly what you deserve!” Katsuki shouted, straining against his puppet strings.
Even if he knew it was futile, he refuses to let this villain get away with controlling his body like this.

“Stop right there!” A voice shouted.

Katsuki was made to stop, turning to see Kamui Woods standing in the way.
He gave a grin at the sight, even if Kamui Woods wasn’t a high ranking Hero and only made his debut a year ago. But someone like him should be able to knock Dictator out of the ballpark.

“Looks like this is the end for you, Pennywise,” Katsuki said with a smirk.

Dictator only laughed.
“Oh dear me, it seems I’ve been caught in the act! Whatever shall I do? It’s not like I have any friends,” he said, still laughing.

“Oh wait.”

Kamui Woods only got a single step in before something fast whizzed in the air.
Striking him right in the skull, his body falling forward as his blood pooled onto the ground around his head.

Katsuki’s face froze in that grin for a few seconds as he processed what just happened.

“Now I suggest you keep your voice down, unless you want more blood on your hands?”

He was forced to continue walking, his eyes looking down at the dead hero in silence.
How did Dictator manage to do this? Unless he has someone with him, keeping an eye on what’s happening.

Upon seeing a pink and blue bullet, he remembered one of the other criminals Wrinkle Face broke out of Tartarus.
Lady Nagant.

Had he been able to control his movements, he would have stopped at the revelation.
Remembering how Four-Eyes was accused of overdosing on Trigger, when he was by far one of the most law-abiding members of their class.

“He wasn’t actually addicted to Trigger. You had Nagant snipe him with a bullet that contained Trigger.”

“You really are smart! No wonder our boss wants you gone, you would have ruined the surprise for everyone else,” Dictator said, chuckling as they passed through the gates of Aldera Junior High. “Looks like we made it to your final resting grounds! Fitting that we go to the place where you were at such a high point in your life, that you would happily put others down to raise yourself up further!”

Katsuki ground his teeth together.
“Do you honestly think they wouldn’t figure this out?”

Dictator snorted as they went through the empty halls, stopping in front of a classroom.
“What was it you said before walking through this very door on the day the Sludge Villain grabbed you?” He asked, opening the door and marching Katsuki towards his old desk.

Before having Katsuki sit at the desk behind his old one.

“Ah, I believe I know. Take a swan dive, that is what you said to Midoriya Izuku.”

How? How did this villain find out?
Found out about words that Katsuki wished he never said, even if he knew the nerd would never follow his terrible advice. It was still the wrong thing to say, when there must have been something else he could have said.

A sheet of paper and a red pen was slid in front of him.

“Now, what kind of note should I make you write? It has to be convincing, but one that reveals all of your past sins so no one will look at you as a tragedy. Instead, see you as the monster. Come morning, people will see the name Bakugou Katsuki and associate it with an abuser who tried to drive a kid to suicide before taking his own life as a bid for attention.”

Katsuki snarled.
“No one will believe it. They will realize I was murdered, and then they will track you down.”

At least, he knows his classmates would recognize the truth.
He didn’t even look at the note that was penned by his hand, focusing on making sure Dictator received every last glare of hatred from him.

With the note folded in his hand, he was led to the roof with the villain.

“Perhaps, but it’s not like they would actually care. After all, you are yet another statistic in this cruel world.”

Not dignifying this with a response as he was forced to remove his shoes, Katsuki kept his eyes to the sky.

“Sorry that you never got to hear my apology, Deku.”

—

Toshinori sat in the conference room, hands clasped together as he pressed his forehead against them. He didn’t want to look at the copy of the note that was in front of him, praying that it was all some nightmare.
That he was still in America with Young Midoriya.

However, he wound up reading the letter anyway and almost puked.
He never imagined that this would ever happen, that Young Bakugou would actually take his own life.

I am not a good person, and I don’t deserve to call myself a hero.
I wanted to be the hero who beat All Might, to be the best hero.

But my best is not good enough.
I hurt people in my childish and single-minded goal.
I tried to be better, but I continued to fail and now all of my past sins are weighing down on me.

I was the main character in this story, and that made me arrogant.
I didn’t see faces, only extras and stepping stones to bring me closer to my ultimate dream.
No matter how hard I tried to get better while at UA, nothing about me changed from who I was in the past.

And who I hurt for over a decade.

He was just an insignificant worm at the time, but then he gained a power that took me off guard.
I reacted with violence, multiple times.
Especially after I realized he was stronger than me, in both Quirk and Nature.

I know deep down I secretly wanted to protect him from dying an idiot’s death, but instead I hurt him.
I continued to beat him down, shatter him to pieces, and said cruel things to him.
All in a vain attempt at getting him to give up on his dreams.

I was a bully, and nothing will change about it.
UA wouldn’t change me, instead they egged me on in ways that weren’t obvious until now.

I should have been the one to receive the expulsion threat from Aizawa on our first day.

But now, I have decided.
There was a day when I told my victim to take a swan dive off the roof and pray for a Quirk in his next life.

It was stupid of me to do, but now it’s only fitting that I take my own advice and pray I will actually be worthy of the title “Hero” in my next life.

The only thing I can say now is that I am sorry.
I’m sorry for tormenting you, Midoriya.
Out of everyone I have known, you were the last person to deserve having someone like me in your life.

Closing his eyes tight, he could hear creaking from the table as Aizawa pressed his forehead against it.

“I could have done something about this. Had I not disregarded the alert then this would not have happened.”

“What I’m concerned with is how long he’s abused Midoriya for. There’s no telling if he persisted while at UA,” Midnight said, her voice tense as she looked at Aizawa. “Didn’t you notice anything strange about their interactions?” She asked.

Toshinori also looked at Aizawa, knowing that they both saw Young Midoriya and Young Bakugou’s relationship in the same exact light.
That it wasn’t a big deal, but now they seem to be eating their words.

“It’s my fault. When I saw the way they interacted, I assumed they had a rivalry that’s normal around here between two kids with powerful Quirks. It’s something that’s normal in other schools, though 1-B appears to be the anomaly here.”

Vlad King scoffed.
“You can thank Monoma for that. He requires a team that can function together so he can use his Quirk to its fullest potential. Even then, they also banded together in the hopes of usurping 1-A and stealing all of the attention they gathered together.”

“It is true. I know UA as a school focuses on individualism and training our students to compete for the top, so it’s easy for us to miss these minor details,” Nedzu explained.

“I wouldn’t call this a minor detail, Nedzu. This is bullying and abuse we’re talking about, don’t we have an Anti-Bullying Program?” Snipe asked.

Nedzu only shook his head. “When All Might arrived in Japan and soared to the Number One spot within his first year, my predecessors were happy to lap up the clout this school had acquired from being his alma mater. There might have been such a program in the past, but there are no records of it and I didn’t think it was needed,” he admitted.

Toshinori could only stare forward, appalled at the idea.
He remembered a time when UA did not tolerate harassment of any form, but to see that things have changed so dramatically?
All because he made an off-handed comment about attending UA in the past during one of his many interviews after being crowned Number One.

Part of him regretted not noticing sooner, just like everyone else in the room.
He was close to Young Midoriya, so he should have been the first to notice.
But then his boy told him that Young Bakugou was a childhood friend, and immediately he figured that their relationship was just something childhood friends did.

Not having the personal experience and keeping his distance from personal relationships that could be used against him, he couldn’t have known any better.

But he should, and he can’t help blaming himself.

Nedzu shook his head.
“I will take full responsibility for this. In light of revelations, I am going to ensure that something like this never happens.”

“And I will be more watchful over the students who were put under my care,” Aizawa said, standing up with the yellow sleeping bag he always had on hand.
Looking at it before handing it over to PowerLoader.
“Throw this in the furnace. I’m done taking naps.”

Hearing everyone talk about their own faults that led up to Bakugou taking his own life, funeral arrangements, grief counseling, Toshinori knew there was one thing he could do.

Pulling his phone out, he unlocked it and went straight to Young Midoriya’s contact.
He didn’t even smile, knowing that this would be a hard conversation, as he called his boy.

The phone didn’t even ring a second time when he received a message.

“We’re sorry, but we are unable to connect to the number you are trying to reach.”

Pulling his phone away, he stared down at the screen.

Could something have happened to Young Midoriya?

Chapter Text

Todoroki Shoto never spent much time with Kirishima, he recognized that as he stood in the store with his classmate. He could tell he was going through a lot with the death of his best friend, and Shoto knew he would be able to relate if Midoriya were to suddenly die in the same fashion as Bakugou.

“Something isn’t right about this, about any of this,” Kirishima finally said as he grabbed a bag of snacks to put in their basket before hesitating when he realized he grabbed the spicy flavor by instinct or even habit. With a dejected sigh, he put the snacks back and looked at Shoto.
“I mean it, that note couldn’t have been written by Bakugou.”

He only nodded in quiet agreement.
He may not know Bakugou as well as Midoriya and Kirishima, but something about the note was off when he read the leaked copy that was put all over the internet.
Seeing people lambasting UA even further while others used all of their energy blasting Bakugou with full knowledge that he wasn’t present to defend himself and his actions.

“I mean it, since when has Bakugou ever called Midoriya by his name?” Kirishima asked.

It only took a few moments of thought for it to click because he has heard Bakugou yelling at Midoriya on multiple occasions, and not once has he called Midoriya by anything but “Deku” or even “Nerd.”
He doubted this could be counted as a true conspiracy, because the facts were right there.

“So someone murdered Bakugou and masked it as a suicide, but who? And why?” He asked.

Kirishima reached for his phone. “I was doing some digging because Ida’s death didn’t make sense to me either. He never seemed like the type to go into Trigger, plus how could he have gotten it while living on campus? Wouldn’t the teachers have found it when our stuff was brought over?”

“What are you implying?”

“Think about it, Kamino. When the true leader of the League left after exposing All Might’s true form, abandoning what remained of the League, what was the first thing he did?”

Shoto remembered reading the warning off of his father’s computer, and how there were no announcements made to the general public.
A coverup to prevent mass panic so soon after losing All Might, but he knew and it seemed Kirishima must have somehow learned.

“Dictator and Lady Nagant.”

Kirishima nodded. “Fat Gum told me about this when I first came to his agency,” he said, voice tight at the reminder of his lost mentor. “It makes sense, and maybe you could get your father in on this? If it isn’t too much trouble that is.”

Looking at the stream of texts from his father that he has continuously left on read, Shoto thought about it. He wasn’t sure if his father would take this seriously or not, but he also knew the kind of Hero work that man has done.
As terrible of a father as he was, he knew Endeavor was a good Hero and definitely earned his place as Number Two.

Slowly tapping at the message box, he started to type out a message as they exited the store after paying for the snacks. He hesitated, unsure of how to word it because it was a serious topic.

“How should I ask him?” Shoto asked, before freezing when he heard Kirishima drop the bags.
He turned to see his classmate had suddenly seized up, his eyes wide and shaking as he looked right at Shoto.

“Ru- Run, please.”

He didn’t run, instead watching as his classmate started to harden. Breathing heavy as his eyes gained a crazed look, steps heavy with purpose while spines started to grow.
He didn’t run as he watched Kirishima scream bloody murder.

“Kirishima?” Shoto asked instead.

It was as if a monster took the place of his classmate, staring directly at him with a crazed grin as he rushed at Shoto. Fingers hardened into claws digging into his arms.
With a crazed laugh, Kirishima stared Shoto down and grinned wide.

Heart racing, Shoto knew his fire would not affect Kirishima like this.
With ice, he prepared to push or even force Kirishima to let go, only to stop and scream when the claws dug deeper in his arm.
He knew he was growing blind with panic, but he couldn’t help it as fire and ice went everywhere.

Civilians screamed as they ran, shouting that they needed to call the Heroes.

He couldn’t feel his right arm at all when Kirishima stopped suddenly.

Wetness dropping on his face, Shoto looked up to see his classmate now had a look of panic and regret on his face. Tears fell as he started to harden further.

“Todo….roki. I…I am so-” His voice cut out as he remained still as a perfect statue.

With heavy breathing, Shoto stared with wide eyes as he tried to move from under Kirishima’s grip. Soon enough the hardening released and Kirishima fell on top of him, seemingly unconscious until he checked and went pale.

He wasn’t breathing.
Kirishima wasn’t breathing.

Chest going tight, Shoto looked around.
“Ambulance! Someone get an ambulance!” He screamed thinking not again.
Please not again, he can’t lose another classmate.

–

“A witness was left. Do you want me to take him out too?”

“No. It’s time they uncover the truth.”

She bit the inside of her cheek as she slipped through the warp gate.
Nothing about this sat right with her, but it wasn’t like she had a choice in the matter.
Either this or remain rotting in Tartarus, to never see the light of day again.

What’s more blood on her hands anyway?
Even if it is the blood of children…

–

Shoto could tell that Ashido was in hysterics when Aizawa requested to go through all of their stuff.
He knew that his teachers were not going to take any more chances, but even he wanted to riot with Ashido over the injustice that was being committed.

As a witness, he knew there wasn’t any time for Kirishima to take Trigger. There weren’t any syringes either, but it seemed that his teachers were more worried about who remained vs the deceased.

“That’s it! If you’re going to continue on believing Kirishima was just a hopeless druggie then I’m done!” Ashido shouted, for once her face scrunched with the purest of rage like the Alien Queen she joked about being. “I’ve known Kirishima for a long time and he would never even think of doing something that stupid! How do you know Ida also took Trigger? Maybe they were both coerced!”

With those final words, she threw her student ID and provisional license on the ground and stomped out of the building.

Aizawa quietly sighed.
“Just…get on with it. If anyone else feels that they should leave then you are free to, Nedzu is willing to try and negotiate with the other schools so you can continue your education.”

Looking around at what remained of his class, Shoto realized that he only had eleven classmates and could tell a few were debating on taking the chance they had been given.

He pulled his phone out to check the incomplete message for his father before deciding to do it.
It’s what Kirishima would have wanted.

Closing out the message, he instead decided to call Endeavor.

–

Endeavor didn’t look up when the door to his office opened. Instead he focused on the relevant footage, studying each moment before waving the two over.
In the past he would have never considered investigating anything with All Might, but seeing as these were his students involved it was only right that he be brought in.

And he also has more experience than Endeavor himself in this kind of field, plus Shoto brought up a good point in the phone call.
So it’s only logical that he calls in the expert on the Kamino Villain and his methods.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I brought Tsukauchi.”

Endeavor only waved it off.
“Come look at this footage and tell me what you see.”

“From when Young Kirishima went berserk?” All Might asked, quietly watching the footage.

“Yes, but look right here,” he said, pausing the video and zooming in moments before Kirishima went out of control.
He waited for his former colleague to notice what he saw, though he wouldn’t blame him if he missed it. Anyone would miss it if they didn’t know what they were looking for.

All Might frowned and pointed to the blue and pink bullet.
“Lady Nagant, one of the people he broke out of Tartarus.”

Endeavor nodded. “He’s still targeting UA students, but with a chance to kill two birds with one stone…why didn’t they take it?” He asked, grateful that Shoto didn’t die.
But it still concerned him, especially when later in the video he would see his son lose his right arm.

“That is unusual from what I’ve heard,” Tsukauchi said, deciding to load up footage he had of Ida’s death. After reviewing it, he went pale when he saw the same exact bullet. “You don’t think they’re using Nagant to give them a lethal dose of Trigger?” He asked.

“That’s exactly it, but why do it in an area where cameras would catch it?” Endeavor asked.

All Might brought a hand to his chin in thought.
“It’s because he wanted us to find out eventually, for some kind of show he has planned,” he said.

“Kamui Woods was found dead on the same night Bakugou died,” Tsukauchi said.

Why would they kill Kamui Woods though?
Endeavor looked at All Might, seeing that his colleague had the same exact question on his face.
“Shoto also mentioned something Kirishima said, about Bakugou’s note. According to them both, he’s never called Midoriya by name.”

All Might’s arm fell limp by his side.
“Dictator. Kamui Woods must have been a witness,” he said, turning towards Tsukauchi. “What did the autopsy say?”

“Bullet to the head, we suspected Nagant because she’s been quiet after being broken out months ago,” Tsukauchi said. “But what makes you think Kamui Woods was a witness? And wouldn’t they have killed Todoroki for being a witness to Kirishima?”

Endeavor stood up.
“It’s as All Might says, the Kamino Villain may not have been ready for us to uncover his plot yet. Or maybe he has a reason to let the public view Bakugou’s death as a suicide,” he said, going past a picture on his desk from back when he was in middle school.

Smiling brightly next to his eldest brother.
How times have changed since back then.

“Here’s a question, how would the Kamino Villain have known about Bakugou’s connection to Midoriya? And why would he have Midoriya named specifically?”
Endeavor looked at All Might after asking those questions, seeing his former rival stiffen at the thought.

“You think he was directly challenging Young Midoriya,” All Might whispered.

Endeavor nodded.
“As Midoriya is your secret love child, it’s only natural for the Kamino Villain to move on after destroying your career and making your Quirk unusable.”

All Might choked.
“Young Midoriya isn’t actually-”

Endeavor only snorted. “I’m aware, I just had a look at my son’s conspiracy board that he made before the Sports Festival. That was always his favorite theory,” he said before picking up the photo. “To be honest, Midoriya kind of looks like my eldest brother.”

“Spitfire, right?” All Might asked, walking over to look at the picture. “I never got to work with him, but I’ve heard that he was a good Hero. I’m sure he would be proud of you if he were still here.”

“I don’t think he’d be happy with some of the choices I’ve made during my career, but I can’t say I know what goes through Hisashi’s head half the time.”

After setting the photograph down, Endeavor blinked when Burnin rushed in.
“What is it?”

“We just got an alert from Kamino, calling for all available Heroes.”

“Why? What’s happening?”

Burnin looked at everyone present before staring directly at Endeavor.
“It’s Shigaraki, he’s made an appearance on top of the All Might statue.”

Chapter Text

“This just in! We are live on the scene where a demonic figure has appeared on top of the All Might statue in Kamino! We have reason to suspect that this is Shigaraki Tomura, who has not made an appearance since the Deika City Massacre.”

-

“A demonic figure who could only be Shigaraki Tomura has appeared in Kamino! We are requesting that everyone in the immediate area evacuate as soon as possible!”

-

“The Heroes are on the scene! This may finally be the end of Shigaraki Tomura, but others are wondering about the Kamino Villain- Wait. What’s happening!?”

-

Toshinori sat in the back of Endeavor’s car, watching the live coverage and cringing when he watched the decay from the statue spread to the rest of the city. Catching Heroes within its spread, turning them into dust almost instantly.

He knew Endeavor was going as fast as he could, but he wished that they would go faster.
The reminder of the promise he made to himself started to eat away at him, despite the dangers this would hold.
But if he couldn’t reach Tenko now, then what?

Looking out the windows, he could see they were approaching where buildings were completely flattened.
The car pulled to a stop just at the edge of where the decay stopped, as if it couldn’t spread any further.

Not even hesitating, Toshinori stepped out of the car and prepared to rush forward.
Only to stop when a large hand grabbed him by the back of his shirt.
Endeavor gave a huff at the recklessness Toshinori almost showed, a rookie mistake that he should have known better than to make.

“Watch yourself,” he said, picking up a stone and tossing it into the field.
After a few moments, he let Toshinori go and stepped past the border. “Don’t do anything stupid, got it?”

Toshinori nodded, walking behind Endeavor and towards the epicenter of destruction.
Until they came to where the statue once stood, a lone figure waiting as he looked at those coming towards him.

Shigaraki did not say anything, and despite the lack of visible eyes they could feel his gaze on them all.

“Let me talk to him first, please,” Toshinori said, a hand resting on Endeavor’s shoulder.
He didn’t wait for confirmation as he stepped forward.
“Shigaraki Tomura, or Shimura Tenko?”

Tenko turned to face Toshinori fully.

With a soft smile, Toshinori held out his hand.
“I can’t apologize enough for failing you, had I known you needed help then I would have given you a hand,” he began, slowly taking another step closer to the grandson of his old master. “I know Heroes can’t save everyone, that they can be too late, I am included in that because I couldn’t be there for you or for my students when all of you needed me,” he continued.
Young Ida’s, Bakugou’s, and Kirishima’s deaths flashed through his mind.

Followed by little Eri.
People that he could have saved if only he had even a small smark of One for All left in him.

“And I know not everyone wants to be saved, but please. Let me save you.”

He watched as Tenko visibly shook, clawed hands grabbed at his arms in a tight hug as he fell to his knees. Not a single sound was made other than Tenko’s silent crying as he brought a hesitant hand towards Toshinori.

The heat behind him died down slightly as the Heroes present started to relax slightly.
Not a single one of them, aside from Toshinori, actually thought Shigaraki Tomura would have broken down in tears.

Toshinori moved first, setting a hand into the claw. He noted how gentle it was, kind like Young Midoriya’s.
“It’ll be ok Tenko, we’ll help you,” he said, bringing a hand up to the mask. “I promise that we will save you from his web of manipulation.”

With a determined gaze, Toshinori removed the mask.
Only to freeze when he saw Tenko’s face.

No.
It can’t be.

–

“Izuku! Watch your back!” Emma shouted, though she realized she was too late. Still she rushed in to try and deflect John’s attack, but of course she should have known her attack would be too slow.
At least John refuses to go for lethal hits.

Turning to make sure her classmate was fine, Emma froze when she saw Izuku slowly melt into a pile of gray goop.
Time seemed to stop as she slowly approached, knowing that this couldn’t be Izuku’s Quirk. She’s seen him use it countless times.

Blinking and rubbing her eyes, hoping that she was only hallucinating, Emma finally did the only logical thing when she realized that what happened really did happen.

She screamed.

–

Slow clapping filled the area.
“Well, this went far better than I expected.”

Mask clutched tightly in hand, Toshinori looked up at All for One. He seethed as he felt his grip tighten.
“What is the meaning of this?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I figured it was the perfect time for *my* apprentice to make his debut, no?” All for One said, his dress shoes clicking as he landed on the ground. “And what a show! I would say this tops his performance from Deika.”

“Your apprentice? What happened to Tenko?” Toshinori asked, slowly rising to his feet.

He could easily picture the devilish grin on his enemy’s face.
“Oh, didn’t you hear? Your dear successor killed him.”

“Don’t lie to me. Young Midoriya would never do something like that!” Toshinori shouted, turning his gaze away from that villain to the boy who quietly sat there with tear-filled green eyes. “You can’t believe his lies.”

Midoriya didn’t say anything as he averted his gaze.

Sinister laughter reverberated through the air.
“Go ahead, speak. The rules don’t apply here,” All for One said.

After a few seconds, Midoriya took a step back and looked down at his feet. “He’s telling the truth,” he said, voice quiet as he scratched at his chest. “I saw the body and…how he died.”

Toshinori could feel his heart break at the way his boy said this. As if he believed he was beyond saving now.
Quickly taking a few more steps forward, he hoped to close the gap and pull Young Midoriya away. Though he kept an eye on All for One, not trusting the bastard to remain standing by as a mere spectator.

“I can’t say I regret Tomura’s death, because losing him gave me access to something far more valuable,” All for One remarked, tapping his foot twice. “And you made it all the easier for me.”

Something went through his hand.
He yelled out a curse as he cradled his hand to his chest, a single bullet catching his eye.
He should have known Lady Nagant would be lingering somewhere close by.

“But I believe it’s time to close the curtain on this act, come Shigaraki- oh my mistake. Come, Izuku,” All for One said, tapping his foot twice once more. “Unless you want to see what happens when you hesitate a second time.”

A flash of pure hatred crossed Midoriya’s face, but he still turned and walked towards where a warp gate just opened from behind All for One.
The bastard had the audacity to put a hand on Midoriya’s shoulder.

Hands clenched into fists, Toshinori ignored the pain as he started to rush forward.
“Young Midoriya!” He shouted, hand stretched out to try and reach his boy.

His boy stiffened and looked back briefly, his whole body trembling before he turned to reach a hand towards Toshinori.
“All Might I-”

“I believe that’s enough excitement for one day. But thank you for such wonderful comedy and assisting in ensuring my apprentice’s debut was a roaring success,” All for One said, one of his hands latching onto Midoriya’s arm in a firm grip. As if the struggling boy was just a kitten trying to squirm out from his hold.

He couldn’t reach them in time.
He watched with horrified eyes as the monster pulled his boy into the darkness, probably never to be seen again.

“Young Midoriya,” He whispered, falling to his knees.
Toshinori didn’t notice the tears until he looked down at the ground where drops fell from his face.

How could this have happened?
Why?
Since when?
For how long?

“My boy…”