HELLO, EVERYBODYYYY~
The mad man with the mad plan here with the latest installment, courtesy of myself and Rex!
also, yes, after reading Conversations with a Cryptid on AO3, along with another story, Yesterday Upon the Stair, Made you Look is the third story to have Hero!Izuku face-to-face with All for One, but IT IS ALSO the first to have a very VERY special guest
The air felt heavy in the sterile stockade of who Izuku would be easily pressed into saying was the most dangerous supervillain on record. Even bound and supported as the scarred man was, he held not weakness. No apparent hostility. Just a weary casual smile beneath the oxygen mask, the tube in his throat shifting with eased breathing.
This was All for One, the nemesis of over eight generations of heroes.
Izuku felt his hands tighten as he recalled his plan.
Flashback
"Midoriya, your reckless actions have caused concerns," Aizawa sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose at the statement the boy had brought to the room. "But this… how can I put it…"
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" Eijirou, Mirio and Gran Torino yelled out.
Izuku had just told them about his idea. They needed to figure out where Chi- Overhaul had taken his mother, but given the extremely vague clue, it would take too long to search for the places where they could be. So they needed someone who knew the old ways, someone who could understand the traditional organization of society's underbelly.
Only one fit the bill.
"I know it's crazy, but who else would know about them to such an extent?" Izuku pleaded.
"How about anyone else?!" Torino vented, waving his cane and gritting his teeth.
"Come on, man. We saw that guy, and he's no joke!" said Eijirou. "I mean yeah, All Might kicked his ass and everything, but still!"
"Midoriya, be reasonable," Mirio eased his panic, before asking, "why would he even give you the time of day?"
"Because, if anything, All for One is cunning." Izuku stated. "If has fought All Might twice, and who knows how many others have crossed his path, he knows more than anyone about survival, and controlling others…" Izuku paused before steeling his nerve. "I'm going to get him to -"
"- Do absolutely nothing."
Izuku choked on his breath as Sir Nighteye bore his gaze at him. The older greenet had stood up from his position and loomed over the table between them.
"You have the right idea, but your naivete is verging on complete incompetence." Sir spoke sternly. "You have no idea of what that monster is capable of. Don't forget that you are still under my employ, Deku. I am within the right to stop this foolish gamble."
Izuku felt his heart stall as what could be the only chance to save his mother slip through his grasp. He felt like the ground was about to swallow him up when another voice spoke up.
"I don't like it any more than you, but Young Midoriya is right."
The attention was brought to the doorway as the tall blond skeletal man stepped through. The room fell silent as he walked beside Izuku.
"All Might…" Izuku felt his eyes water as his mentor stood next to him. The former hero gave a small smile at him before glancing over at his former sidekick.
Sir Nighteye felt a twinge of pain in his chest at seeing his idol alongside his charge. No matter how sunken the gaze was, he couldn't deny that spark of trust, the trust that so long ago he once held, but shunned it away in desperation for safety.
"All for One is many things;" Toshinori said, "manipulating, sadistic, vindictive, but no matter what he did, he always has been one to puppeteer whoever he sees useful…" the man sighed, "I can't say for sure if he will do anything, but if it means lives can be spared, then why not take that chance?"
The room was silent again as Toshinori put his hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Midoriya, my boy, why don't you and the other students take Young Eri-chan around the campus? I'll take it from here."
Izuku stiffly nodded before glancing over at Ochako, who had Eri sleeping in her arms. The students all got up and left the room, following the door closing and a gravelly voice shouted out with several others as a din began.
"Geez, Midoriya," Mirio had to chuckle as they all walked down the hall. "I don't think I've ever seen Sir that mad before."
"Th-that w-was mad?!" rattled the young hero, still shaken from the interaction.
Nejire popped in front of Izuku. "Well yeah! That guy is always the burr-de-stern type. I've heard that's why he has that tickle machine. Hey~ Tamaki! Let's get you strapped into that thing! I wanna see you laugh!"
"Please, no, Hadou-san…" Tamaki whimpered before he was glomped and spun around.
"Nejire-chan!" The girl squealed as she performed an airborne German Suplex with bouncing into the air, only not striking him into the floor and continuing to hop about.
"O-oi! Don't mess with him like that, senpai!" Eijirou gaped as he ran over to stop the periwinkle Tigger. The rest of them let out a weak laugh at the scene, until a murmur got their attention. Izuku saw Eri's eyes flutter open, but his heart clenched when they reflected panic and she tried to huddle in on herself in Ochako's arms.
"I'm sorry I'm sorry! It's all my fault! Please don't be mad at me!" she cried, grabbing her head as tears began welling up in her eyes. Eri expected shouting, berating, even a hard hand, but as she flinched with fingers touching her head, she noticed they were still gentle, still as kind as when they carried her to safety. She lifted her bright red eyes to see the calm gaze of Izuku, a sad, meaningful smile on his face.
"It's alright, Eri-chan. I'm not mad at you, no one is." Izuku eased her. "I'm mad at myself for not realizing the response to my actions. But I'm going to make it better. I promise."
Eri's mind began to shudder. 'Why? Why is he sorry? It's my fault, it's always my fault. It's always been my fault…' Her thoughts twisted into a spiral of confusion before the arms holding her jostled.
"Now, now, Eri-chan. Why don't we meet up with the rest of our friends?" Ochako smiled brightly. "I'm sure they'd love to meet you. What do you say?"
A short silence followed before a small nod from the girl made the group smile.
End Flashback
By the next day, everyone in 1-A had at least met Eri-chan. Izuku had slept in the living room of the Heights Alliance with her on the couch. The girls had their own reactions to her, the most exuberant being Mina, immediately hugging her and proclaiming her as the newest "horn buddy", as she explained to Eijirou when he got back.
Speaking of, Eijirou mentioned Katsuki had stormed off to the hospital to check on his folks, and Izuku remembered seeing him on their way to the dorm, but his furious state surprisingly didn't faze him as he turned his attention back to Eri.
Maybe it was a sign of growing up? Who knows?
It had taken some time, but All Might was able to get Izuku a pass to Tartarus, and by the following day, he was walking through the prison to the cell of the one who could help him, even as the bile collected in his throat.
Silence fell after All for One asked his question. Izuku could feel his heart and head beating in anxiety. How did he know about he possessed One for All? The scars covered his upper face, so he was legitimately blind. So how can he -
"I suppose you're wondering how I knew about your gift from All Might." All for One chuckles, the wheezing only causing it to be more menacing. "Well, for one, Shigaraki Tomura was quite verbal in his complaints about a boy who has similar abilities to your predecessor. Additionally, when you entered the room, eight bright stars collected within your person, with a ninth only just starting to glow. Finally, the only people that would even attempt to meet with me that can do so legally are the mutt of a police chief, that old dwarf Gran Torino, that bag of bones of a Symbol of Peace, and finally, his successor."
Izuku nodded, processing the verbatim. "So you used collective reasoning, word of mouth, and what I am to assume is Ragdoll's Search Quirk."
"Well done, boy." All for One smiled. "'Search' by itself is quite useful, coordinating limited positions and abilities, but compounding it with one or other sensory Quirks, like say 'Infrared', 'Echolocation', and one I entertain calling 'Van Gough', I can see to a fair extent." He paused before continuing his chuckle. "I will admit, you don't see much green this far in the facility."
Izuku halted himself from the note taking he was doing instinctively as the villain described colors. He lifted his pencil from the paper and looked at the eyeless face.
All for One loosened his smile. "As amusing as this is, I doubt you're here to discuss Quirks or color theory."
"Amusing?" Izuku had to ask.
"As I said, boy, who visits me is also a factor, and anyone else holds so much contemt in my… line of work, as it were," All for One shrugged his shoulders minutely, "that I don't get a chance to discuss my hobbies."
Izuku nodded in thought. "Considering the amount of Quirks you've amassed, I suppose that makes sense to have those hobbies."
"Precisely." All for One smiled again. "Tomura never did care for it either, sadly…" He lifted his head and sighed, before looking at Izuku again. "So who are you?"
The ninth bearer faltered at the question. "W-well, like you said, I'm number ni-"
"Not that, boy." All for One stated, his mouth a line that was clearly expressing a frown. "All Might may be a complete dunderhead, but I don't need eyes to see you are more than a number for creativity. I always remember the bearers' names - so again, who are you?"
Izuku glared at the face of All for One, before calmly saying, "It's Deku."
A short pause held the air before the villain began to chuckle again. "Deku? Short for 'dekiru', I take it? A hero that can do anything… how twee."
Izuku felt something flare inside him. "Maybe it i-"
"Or is it that it was a childhood berate that took on a life of it's own, deeming you as useless as you feel right now?"
Once again, silence reigned the room. Izuku gaped at the twist of attitude. The villain's casual introduction, weakening his emotional defenses before boring at a point of truth.
This… was the real All for One.
"So you know." It wasn't a question, it was fact.
"Isolation is of little use on someone with enough experience in gathering information, give or take a few select Quirks." All for One smirked. "I must say, not as flashy a debut as All Might, but still, quite a tale."
"A woman's life is in danger." Izuku glared at the bound man.
"A woman's life always in danger, boy," the villain scoffed, before 'looking' closely at him. "You're probably too young for it to be a lover, so… oh, mommy dearest was taken? Not my favorite ultimatum, but it gets results." he shrugged again.
"Will he hurt her?"
"Eventually…" All for One said passively. "Don't be surprised if you get a hand in the mail, especially if you beat around the bush for what he wants."
Izuku looked down at his hands, pupils shaking as his mind panicked at the thought of holding the disembodied hand of his mother.
All for One continued talking, "I recall that after the incident in Hosu, one of Tomura's new allies has connections with the very gang you've gained ire from."
Izuku didn't even look up. "Overhaul said that Shigaraki wanted my head on a platter at their meeting…"
"Oh, so he actually decided to make contact, but 'Overhaul'?" the man clicked his tongue. "That's as much of a misnomer as 'Endeavor'."
Izuku looked at the man. "So you know him too?"
"Only by association." All for One said plainly. "He was an underling to to real boss of that particular group. Quite a powerful Quirk, a pity it was disorienting to his sanity."
"Disorienting?" Izuku asked, already taking notes.
"Perfect disassembly/reassembly, but coupled with an extreme aversion to human contact." All for One stated with a smile. "His loyalty to the man that brought him into the yakuza was only superceded by his loyalty to the ideals of the Yakuza as a whole."
Izuku thought hard about this information. Under his breath he asked himself. "If he has such distaste for contact, but still holds to ideals… does that mean Eri-chan isn't related to him by blood?"
"I doubt that he has so much as touched himself."
Choking on his thoughts, Izuku gaped at the wry smirk on All for One's face.
"Enhanced auditory Quirk?"
"Quite so. That habit of covering your mouth in deep thought makes it difficult to read lips." All for One laughed. "But this… Eri? While the boss of the group was quite compassionate to keep children off the streets, the mongrel you call Overhaul is not." The villain's smile got wider. "You took something necessary for his work, something that with it gone, he's been forced to turn to Tomura, and he's the type of person Tomura hates."
"Someone with power?" Izuku asked.
"Perhaps, much more likely because his Quirk is so similar to his own," All for One quipped. "Despite Tomura's little gaming… fetish… he's not one to take turns. He will see the girl as his own successor, he will break her even more than this… yakuza upstart has. And the one to shoulder the guilt? You, Number Nine." The villain smiled widely.
Izuku felt One for All course through his body, his eyes burning in fury, remembering Nighteye's split prediction, and imagining the unnerving smile of Shigaraki behind a broken Eri, mocking him in absolute.
"He. Won't. Touch her."
"Or what? You'll kill him? Some talk for a hero…" All for One sighed in dismay. "And here I had heard your intellect was quite brilliant, near on par with Number Three…" he clicked his tongue in disappointment. "From one of the last Quirkless of the East, I would think you would be better."
"I have nothing to prove to the likes of you." Izuku all but snarled. All for One hardly looked fazed.
"No, but you have everything to prove to the girl" he stated, "And her like especially." He laughed before continuing, "The weak, the helpless… you have to prove that you can protect them." He shook his head. "I dont see it, but considering All Might as your mentor, I can understand." He sighed again, looking off into space, a scornful frown on his lips. "No matter the bearer, every single one fell to that naiive notion."
"You're the one in prison." Izuku said hotly.
"And he's the one who FAILED!" All for One roared as he attempted to lunge at the boy, the restraints automatically tightening him to the chair. "He failed his mentor, he failed his friends, he failed his pretty little notions of peace and rest assured, he will fail You."
"…Is that how you feel about your brother?"
Despite his tirade, All for One was halted by that question. 'Looking' at Izuku, he could tell the question wasn't in malice, but… grief? Part of the man could see a silhouette flowing over the boy.
He felt a traitorous laugh bubble out from his broken throat. "…so you do have some backbone that Bakugou brat didn't grind out."
Izuku said nothing as All for One sat back in rest.
"Yabinshi Temple."
The man said in a weary voice, showing how old he was. The boy's eyes went wide at the name. He quickly jotted it down before All for One continued.
"The yakuza was more or less weeded out in my reign, but they will always hold to their roots and cause," he gave a sad smile at Izuku. "If I can offer any advice to you, Deku, know this: keep a close hand on those who you care for, you never know when someone will snatch them away." the smile became a frown. "Though I suppose it's a bit late for that."
Izuku stood up from his seat and put his notebooks into his bag. With a short bow, he said, "thank you for your time, All for One." He turned to exit, and just as he began to turn the handle, the man spoke again.
"You know, you would have been a much better successor to me than Shigaraki."
A brief pause held the air one last time before Izuku finally responded. "Now THAT I doubt, sir."
All for One laughed again. "Ah, but there is little doubt you'll come to see me again. And when you do, please, call me by my name. All for One has lived for long enough. There is only Suukikyou Rishirou left."
Izuku said nothing as he opened the door, and as it closed, the man left behind had one thought before the lock clicked.
'Heh, Ichirou, my dear little brother. You finally found a good one.'
"How is your arm, Midoriya-san?"
"Broken, just like it was yesterday and the day before, doctor."
A plague doctor's mask raised it's beak from the clipboard to look at his patient, "Midoriya-san," He said, "I understand that this situation isn't exactly ideal,"
Inko pointedly adjusted the ragged blanket on her hospital bed with her good, but cuffed, arm, dust floating up from her movement, staring at her 'doctor' as she did so and without a word.
"But the fact remains that I am your doctor," He continued, with an indulgent sigh, ignoring her attempts to 'politely' annoy him, "Which means that your well being is my responsibility, so please," He made a placating motion with the hand holding his pencil, "Just go along with this, it'll make it easier for the both of us."
Inko stared at him for a moment, biting her lower lip and moving the fingers of her right hand from within the partial confine of her cast, before sighing and leaning back a bit on her thin pillow, "…there's been a few aches, lately."
The doctor nodded and went back to his clipboard, scratching down a few notes in a brisk, choppy fashion, "Right, where exactly?"
"Near the elbow? …next to the fracture."
"Right," He said sharply, continuing his scratching with out looking at her at all, "Does it hurt when you move it?"
Inko moved her arm experimentally, the dull ache she spoke of flaring up slightly as she moved it in the wrong direction, making her flinch slightly, but she bit down on the cry of pain before it could be heard, "Yes."
He kept taking notes, detached from the situation completely as he went through what he called his "responsibility", making Inko's stomach roil as she considered him, what expression did he have under that mask? Was it pity? Did he have any compassion for her and her situation at all?
Or did he have the same dead, wretched eyes that Chisaki looked at her with? Was she as much of a featureless pawn to be used and discarded at leisure to everyone in this God forsaken place as she was to him?
She's spent two days in here, on this moth bitten bed and in this rusted room, and everyone who came to check on her did so was such sterile effectiveness that it made her feel less like a person and more like a vase inside a metal case, without even so much as a glance in her direction that didn't preclude them checking that she was still securely cuffed to the bed.
The thought made her face go pale and a lump to grow in her throat, making it hard for her to breath, and yet her doctor only raised his beak once more to look at her with another pitiless, professional question, "Any swelling?"
She choked down the lump in her throat, taking a deep breath before she answered, "Less then yesterday." No use in thinking about that too hard, she realized. The more she thought about the fact (and it was a fact to her, no matter how hard her guards laughed when she said it) that Izuku was coming to save her, and the less she despaired at her situation the better.
He nodded briskly and finished his notes before placing his clipboard in the pit pf his arm and his pencil in his jacket pocket, "Right, guards will come to check on you in an hour, as per usual, tell them to call the doctor if you need anything."
(They never gave her any of their names, not the guards, not the doctor, and to be fair, she never thought to ask, the terror of her situation overriding her long ingrained politeness.)
As he started walking away, Inko felt something well up in her chest as she found herself peeking at the bed next her, and the occupant laying near motionless on it.
"E-excuse me," She spoke up, making him stop and look at her, "I've been meaning to ask," She pointed carefully at the bed's occupant, whose startling awakening two days prior with a panicked question still stuck in her head, although he had quickly lost consciousness again before she could answer, or even ask any questions of her own, "But… who is this?"
"Someone you will not bother." Was the cutting response, making her flinch, the goon turning slightly to menace her, making her flinch her pointed finger away from the man, and without another word he left, locking the door on his way out.
"Some doctor," She muttered, sighing in relief, "Didn't even ask me if i wanted anything for the pain."
The walls echoed her complaints back to her without any offering of a solution, leaving her once again alone with her thoughts, the vast majority of which consisted of her worrying for Izuku, as well as Eri, as she found herself doing more and more since the fateful phone call.
But, worrying for her son, and younger children in general really, was a bit of a default state for her, it was in her nature to worry about the entire world before she even started to consider worrying about herself.
("You really need to drop that habit In-chan," Mistuki said, years ago, a couple years after both of their boys were born, "Worrying about everybody is liable to drive you up the damn wall.")
"How ironic, Mistuki," she muttered out loud, mirthlessly, "Worrying about everyone is the only thing keeping me sane at the moment."
"You're just like my wife," A voice wheezed to her left side, making her whip her head in the direction to see the bed ridden man coughing harshly for a moment, before turning his eyes in her direction, this time his sight was focused, looking right at her face, "She could never stop worrying… for me… for our daughter… for everyone…"
After a moment, a startled laugh escaped from Inko, relief washing over her as she tried to work her anxious face into an uneasy smile, "I-I suppose that's just natural for most mothers."
The man chuckled weakly, nodding minutely, before he started coughing again, his form shaking, and some of the machines he was hooked up to begin to beep a bit more loudly.
Inko's eyes widened as she instinctively tried to get closer to him to help, only for the cuffs on her arm and legs stopping her, "Are you okay!? Someone he-!"
"Don't!" He shouted mid wheeze, putting a hand to his chest as he breathed deeply, the machines slowly calming down, "No need for that one to come back in here," After one more chest rattling cough he settled back down, "Having a bastard like that tend to me will only make me sicker." His face twisted slightly, like he just realized what he said, and he turned to her, "Pardon my language, miss."
Inko was still for a moment, before another soft laugh left her, and she answered him with a week smile and a shake of her head, "Pardoned."
Shifting slightly to make himself more comfortable, Inko guessed from the looks of things that he could sit up, he looked at her with a deferring expression, "Another thing I need to answer for is startling you the last time," He bowed his head as much as his position allowed, "Forgive me for that miss, I am, shamefully, not in full control of myself."
"No need to apologize for that, sir." she said with another gentle shake of her head, "I am rather easily frightened, honestly, and it wasn't your fault to begin with -"
"Yes it is," He cut her off harshly, making her stare at him, "A capo is responsible for everything that happens in his organization, failures, screw ups, and all… and that includes what happened to your arm."
Inko looked at her cast for a moment, biting her lip at the sharp memory of the exact second her bones splintered with an ear splitting snap.
"I'm guessing Chisaki caused that."
She snapped her head to him, "How did -" She shook her head, "Do you know him?"
"I plucked him from a gutter when he had nothing." He said, his voice a mix of sorrow and anger, "I know him better then he knows himself." He shook his head and clenched his teeth, "Fed him, clothed him, made sure he had a roof over his head…" He stopped, not from coughing but more because he apparently could bare to say no more.
Inko gulped a little, a bit surprised at this shift in mood, a horrible thought niggling at the back of her head as he ranted, "Did…did he do this to you?"
His silence rang throughout the room, answering her as best as he would ever manage.
It was quiet in the room after that, the man silent as he stared upwards at the cracked ceiling, and Inko herself unsure what to say to get past giant drop of unease.
And suddenly, it hit her.
She cleared her throat, catching the man's attention, "You know, I've been awfully rude myself."
He raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Miss, I'm not sure what you mean, but you'd be forgiven for that, considering the circumstances -"
"I've been here for two days," She continued, barreling past his argument with little trouble, "And I haven't introduced myself!" She looked at him with a warm smile, the biggest she could manage at the moment, "And, regardless of the circumstance, that just isn't right of me."
The two stared at each other for a moment, and at once they started to laugh, some of then tension in the room dissipating easily between each peal.
Inko took a deep breath, before bowing her head down slightly, "My name is Midoriya Inko."
The man inclined his head and closed his eyes, his tone calm and respectful, "Nishkiyama Ryotaro, pleasure to meet you." His eyes widened, looking at her carefully, "Midoriya-san," He started, face filling with worry, "I asked you something the last time, where is Eri?"
Inko was surprised for a moment before she sighed in relief, that she could answer with no issue, "She's far away from here, Nishkiyama-san," She thought back to Izuku calling her for advise about her, and his kindly description of the quiet little girl, "She's in good hands, she's safe."
Ryotaro didn't look convinced, "Safe? So long as Chisaki is running things…" his face twisted in worry and anger, "She will never be safe so long as he is there to hound her every move."
"Not for long."
Inko's sudden and secure exclamation surprised him out of his mire, shifting his gaze to see her with a confident light in her eyes, but his fear thumped in his chest, and it tumbled out of his mouth, "He will chase her, and drag her back when he finds her."
"Not as long as my son has anything to say about it.
Ryotaro could only stare at her for a long, long time, before a small smirk lightened up his face, "Your son, eh?" He asked with genuine interest, "Would you mind telling me about the young man? He's beginning to sound rather… unique."
Inko shrugged, "I might as well, not like either of us will be going anywhere anytime soon."
The both of them shared a quiet laugh, before she started a mother's tale about her child, beginning with a certain video of a certain hero…
"Yabinshi…" Izuku muttered, recalling any information he had on that name. A cloud of murmurs seemed to follow him as he walked aimlessly through the facility. "Back when Quirks were first popping up everywhere, there was a cult following stating that the budding superpower phenomenon was a sign from God. It fell to shambles after some select groups were more likely extremists involved in… was it sacrifices?" he paused at the blank page in his memory, before shaking his head. "I'll have to check on that later… support for the religious movement dwindled when Quirks became more common, leading to possible disbanding, it could test to reason that Yabinshi would be a former place of worship that fell to disrepair after the fallout, but can I really trust All fo-"
BRZZZTZZZZZRRRRRR
"YAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGHHHH!"
The mumble storm dispersed as the sound of electricity burned the air, followed by the guttural screaming that was strangely familiar. The stark white walls reflected flashes of light past the right corner in the hall, and turning that way, he was surprised at what - or rather who - he saw.
In a light-gray chamber, with a wide panel of plexiglass giving a view inside, was a writhing mass of red. Tendons swelled in waves against each other, but another flash arced throughout them with the room humming as the mass began to rest. The man had his back to him, but the way he hunched over reminded Izuku of an older Katsuki, the spikey blond hair nearly cemented the image, except for the porous craters of scars in the skin that were no doubt from several large sharp objects impacted at a high velocity. The man turned his head and let out a snarl, defining the vicious scar on his face and the gaping socket where his left eye once was.
"You punking bastards think you can keep me here!?" Muscular growled out to no one. "No prison can hold me! And when I get out, that brat is the first one I'm gonna kill!"
"That's never going to happen, Muscular." The words echoed through the hallway. It took Izuku a moment to realize it was his own. He would have cursed to himself, but remembering Kouta welled similar emotions to Eri. 'Huh, maybe after all this, I should try and see if they can meet. Eri-chan can make friends her own age… or supposed age… I really need to figure that out soon.'
As his thoughts rambled, Muscular had turned his only eye to the young man. He gave a savage grin as he recognized him. "Well, well, well, if it ain't Midoriya. Didn't think I'd get to see your puny self around here."
"Just passing by after a chat with you last employer." He said tactfully, "and considering your current predicament, you won't, or rather can't escape from the room." He didn't know why he was goading the man, but maybe it was to calm himself down moreover that before.
"Oh yeah? How do you figure?" The brute sneered, flexing his grip at his side.
"That room is outfitted with sensors that activate the defenses whenever you try to use your Quirk." Izuku said pointedly, already doing his analysis. "The electrical output combined with the possibility of the panels of that room being set on high-tension springs mean you can't punch your way out of there. Your Quirk only works on skeletal muscle, which relies on neural synapses when you literally direct your movements. So whenever you even THINK about trying to get out, you'll be short-circuiting yourself. Do it too much, and you'll be brain dead."
Muscular grit his teeth in aggravation. "You little shi-"
"And even if by some random chance someone on the outside gets you out…" Izuku stepped to the window panel, a scowl shadowing over his eyes. "I'll just put you back in before you get within a hundred miles of Kouta-kun or Eri-chan."
"YOU FUCKING BRAT!" the man snapped, his muscles engulfing his arm as he threw it forward, but Izuku's eyes widened and he panicked as the panel between them warped and stretched as Muscular's tendon-amassed hand made to grab him. Izuku stumbled back in surprise and grasped a door handle behind him. Not thinking about it, he flung it open and stepped inside, missing the look on Muscular's face as the room began to hum. "Aw shiiii-!"
The elastic plexiglass recoiled his arm at a speed that sent the literal musclehead bouncing around the room as electricity surged whenever he hit a panel, causing his body and Quirk to spasm out of his own control.
Exactly as Izuku stated.
Izuku slammed his back on the door, taking deep breaths to calm down. He mentally berated himself. Why did he have to mock one of the guys that's tried beating him into the ground? It was so stupid! He could only hope his analysis was accurate or things would go further south than ever.
"Not a bad performance, kid, but the image was ruined by that falter."
The Ninth Bearer froze at the stoic voice. He may have heard it months ago, but while the tone was less demanding, it was very distinct. He looked up to see a beragged man in a standing stockade brace. His hands locked in thick metal bracers that extended up past the wrist, but several more metal bands locked his hunching torso in place. The most distinct thing Izuku saw was the off-white bandanna over his eyes and a barely visible scar over where a nose should have been.
"S-Stain!?" Izuku gaped in surprise. He had expected Stain to be here, but not on finding him within ten feet!
"Been a while, hero." Stain said with a smile, not easing Izuku in the slightest.
"I-I-I'm sorry for barging in," the teen said with a bow. "I didn't know this was your room. I'll just see myself out -"
"Hold it."
Izuku had grasped the handle and a metallic buzz indicating the locking mechanism on the door was disengaged. He stilled at the order, and turned back to the shackled man. Stain's eyes bore into his, before continuing.
"If I had wanted to kill you, you would have been carried off by that winged freak…" his eyes glowered at the memory. Hell, if you think about it, the least you owe me is a damn chat."
Izuku looked at him for a moment before letting the handle go, the automatic clunk of the locks set back into place. He righted himself in front of Stain before speaking. "Midoriya Izuku, hero name: Deku." He finished with another bow.
Stain blinked at the introduction, before a light laugh welled inside him. After a few seconds, he replied. "Akaguro Chizome, former vigilante name: Stendhal, villain name: Stain." he nodded his head down. "Well met, Deku."
"…Likewise." Izuku paused, not fully trusting himself.
"I had overheard the guards talking about the debut of a 'hero in green' saving a little girl from Yakuza." Stain smiled. "Glad to see you still have that hero's heart."
Izuku remained silent.
"It's a rarity for good heroes to stand up and do the right thing these days without it becoming a publicity stunt."
"I just did the what I thought was best. I didn't think of consequences at the time…" Izuku muttered.
"I know, kid. The good ones never do, they just act without thinking."
Izuku felt that chill in his spine, and looked at the Hero Killer. His eyes dark, but a calm smirk on his face.
"Real heroes are the ones that do that. The impulsive self-sacrifice to keep others safe." Stain continued. "Unfortunately for you, criminals have already learned how to exploit this. The Yakuza are but one faction that have always twisted the good hearts of people." His face contorted into a grimace. "Either with anger or greed, their breed are a rot on this world." He glared pointedly at Izuku. "DON'T give him what he wants."
The young hero flinched before he found his voice. "He has my mom. The only family I have left…"
"And you would let a little girl suffer instead?"
"NEVER!" Izuku shouted in Stain's face, before he recoiled. "But what choice do I have!?"
"Go save her. Be merciless to the ones that threatened your life, show them why their way is wrong. Make them think twice before committing crime." Stain's voice became more heated as he gave each point, before he relaxed and smiled. "How hard could it be? You beat me."
"B-but I had help…"
"Then GET SOME HELP!" Stain shouted. "You went out of your way when the chaos began rampant, and instead of getting the small fries, you went to help a friend and get involved in something that wasn't your business to begin with!" He paused before calming his voice. "Your generation can become the pillars All Might left to be built. Be more than a single person to withstand the weight of evil."
Izuku looked at Stain in surprise. He didn't know why, but the words echoed on the same wavelength as the end of All Might's fight.
"You're next."
Two words held the meaning so differently to so many people.
"You have a notebook on you, Deku?"
Stain's question broke him out of his thoughts, before Izuku scrambled to pull out a pad and pen.
"It may not be your style or anything, but you can use some of my old arsenal I have at my old apartment in Rakkusu. There's a locker I scavenged and it has my equipment when I was Stendhal. The passcode is 05032194."
Izuku paused as he wrote the numbers down. "Wait, that's the date of -"
"All Might's debut." Stain chuckles. "And if you're interested, look up Oguro in Naruhata. He's probably retired after the Trigger stint five years ago, but Knuckleduster is a man of conviction. If he can't help, he knows someone who can."
"Knuckleduster… the Cleaner of Naruhata?" Izuku asked. "He's a vigilante…"
"That's right, but he's got a soft spot for kids. Pretty sure he clocked that doofus Captain Celebrity once or twice…"
"Celebrity has a good Quirk, but his attitude…" Izuku mumbled.
"He's a shit hero. An insult to all heroes, except maybe Endeavor."
"That's not fair. Endeavor is just flaming shit."
The two paused for a moment before they burst out laughing. It continued for a few minutes before they both had to breathe.
"You're alright, kid." Stain chuckles. "Get going, security is coming soon to check on the incorrigible bouncing meathead, and it'll raise too many questions if you're in here."
"Right." Izuku nodded before opening the door.
"One last thing, kid." Stain called to him, making Izuku turn to face him. "When you get that scumbag brought here, it'll be good to hear how whatever his plans were foiled by the Mighty Deku."
Izuku's eyes went wide at this, his chest feeling tight with confidence. "Thank you, Chizome."
Stain gaped as the door closed, leaving him in isolation again.
"You're welcome, Izuku."
A couple of hours later, Izuku was in his street clothes, the large, imposing shadow of Tartarus far behind him as he walked in no particular direction, his backpack heavy with all the notes he had taken inside, the groaning voice of All For One still echoing heavily in his head, along side Stain's oddly encouraging tirade urging him to move and do something.
But that only lasted so long, as he walked further and further away from the prison, the situation again started to weigh down on him, the image of his mother's hand being handed to him from inside a box still made his stomach churn, the sudden meeting of Muscular which brought back memories of Kouta, which only made his worry for Eri's mental state even worse, and all of that mired with the flimsy, twisted hope Stain gave him right at the end, only served to make him feel dizzy, and whatever confidence he earned from what little info he managed to drag out of All Might's nemesis dissipating without much effort.
He had been given the whole day off from school in order to "interrogate" him (though that might have been too strong a word here) for any clue to finding his mother's whereabouts, and he could distinctly feel that coming out of that with only the name of a single place, which might not even be true, along with another lead from a convicted serial killer that probably won't lead anywhere either, could be considered as coming out more then a little empty handed.
So now here he was, wondering with no real destination in mind… and yet, as he continued, he could feel himself drawn towards a very particular place.
To Izuku, walking on this particular set of streets was less going in a direction towards a destination and more following a well worn reflex that you barely think about, feet moving on the tired concrete without much drive or purpose beyond "go forward", deftly dodging familiar pot holes and adjusting to uneven ground that has been there since he's learned how to walk.
He could draw it on a map while half asleep, although this was equal part due to his frankly manic talent of note taking than it was pure repetition over the years as he grew up.
Because of this, he could tell at the exact moment when he reached the edge of the point where everything went pear shaped.
Large cracks on the side walk.
Chunks of mortar and cement scattered about near the entrance.
And finally the glaring yellow of police tape sectioning off the area from anyone who would think to wander too close to the "crime scene."
Seeing it through the captured photos and video (which has been broadcasted constantly these past couple days) was one thing, actually being here, seeing the destruction caused to his childhood home, was quite another thing all together.
The front door was a pile of wood a few feet to his left, the rest of the entrance a gaping wound, as if a bomb had gone off. The rest of the immediate area had a bunch of other small pieces of cement scattered about… along with a car lodged into a wall, tell tail signs of the short lived fight the Bakugous had with his mother's kidnapper.
(My dad's in the ER with a shattered rib cage and my mom nearly got her head smashed in by a fucking car because they tried to help clean up your fucking mess!)
Back in UA, outside of Recovery girl's office and in front of Eri, Deku had defend himself and the decision he made, saying that he would live with the results and consequences of those actions, and he had meant it, every last word.
But standing here, and actually seeing what his decision had wrought, made a heavy weight drop to the bottom of his gut, making his fists shake at his sides as the full gravity finally began to descend upon him, and with no one to focus on, no Eri to comfort, no Nighteye to convince, no All For one to threaten, there was nothing he could do but stand there and see, truly see and understand, what happened, and all the people he had hurt… because he had wanted to act like a hero.
"Hey kiddo!"
His head snapped to look behind him, his thoughts untangling at the sight of an old man, clad in a plain jacket and jeans, beckoning him from behind the police tape… which Deku only now just noticed he had crossed to stand closer to the house.
"What're you doin' crossing police tape!?" The old man called out, adjusting his gold tinted sunglasses as he frowned at Izuku, his white-grey mustache visibly bending down with it, "If any officers show up here and see you you'll be in a whole heap of trouble!" He rubbed the top of his bald head in exasperation before he motioned for Izuku to come his way, "Now come on out already!"
"R-right!" Izuku stammered, quickly stepping over to the old man and crossing back out of the police taped area, "Thank you sir, I kinda got distracted…"
"I'll say!" The old man chuckled, shaking his head, "You looked like you were looking at something a hundred miles away!"
Izuku only nodded silently, "Yes, you're right, thank you for snapping me out of it," He bowed, "I won't do it again."
The boy rose from his bow and started to walk away, but the old man just kept looking at him, something not sitting quite right with how the boy was acting, "Hold on a minute," He called out, making the boy stop to look at him, "Ain't this a school day? Why are you walking around looking so lost?"
Izuku rubbed the back of his head, "I-I got a day off of school sir due to," He stole a quick glance towards the ruined house, hoping the old man didn't catch (he did, easily), "Due to… a family emergency."
The old man was quiet for a moment, before he sighed and leveled a sympathetic look at the boy, "This is your house," He said gently, motioning with his head towards the building, "Isn't it?"
Izuku started, before he sighed and visibly sagged, the day leaving him exhausted in every sense of the word, "Yes sir, it is."
The old man nodded, walking over to Izuku, "So that would make the women that was kidnapped two days ago… your mother?"
Izuku nodded, feeling miserable and useless.
"So what I've been hearing on the news about some impressive young hero making his debut by snatching a child from under the yakuza's nose is true?" This time the old man smiled, a hint of respect coloring his tone, making Izuku look up at him slightly astonished, "Well I'll be, what are the odds?"
Izuku again rubbed the back of his head, the implied compliment making him fluster despite his downed mood.
The old man's eyebrows shot up of a sudden, "Hold on a minute," He scratched his chin, "I know you!" He exclaimed with a toothy, disarming smile, "You're that kid from this year's UA sports festival ain't ya!?"
"Y-yes sir," He stammered, slightly blushing now at the attention he was getting. Izuku was still not used to people treating him with such respect and admiration, "I'm Midoriya Izuku, pleasure to meet you."
"Pleasure's all mine!" The old man chuckled, full on grinning, "Can;t believe my luck! Getting to meet such a promising, upcoming hero!"
Izuku could feel himself deflate again, the man's compliments sounding hollow when he heard them in the shadow of his ruined home, "I wouldn't say promising…"
"Why's that?" The man asked, incredulously, "Two days ago you saved a child from who knows what, from right in front of the face of a yakuza!" The man crossed his arms with a smirk, "Sounds like something a hero would do, if you ask me."
"Yeah, and look what that caused," Izuku said hotly, equal parts angry and panicked, as he gestured to the remains of his home, "My mom kidnapped and held for ransom, all because I acted without thinking…"
"Do you regret it?""
- Izuku stopped, the question confusing him greatly, "Wh-what do you -"
"Do you regret saving that girl because of what happened after?" He kept going, his eyes stern yet gentle, a look Izuku had grown used to seeing in the eyes of Aizawa Shouta, "Well? Do ya?"
Izuku opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to answer, before he shook his head, unable to decide.
The old man was quiet for a moment, then he sighed again, looking towards the sky, "There's an old saying," He started, his tone wistful, "With great power comes…" The old man scratched his head, a grimace forming as he wrecked his memory for the rest, "Ah, shoot, I forgot the rest."
Izuku, on the other hand, opened his eyes wide in realization, his mouth feeling dry of a sudden, "Come great responsibility…"
"That's it!" The man snapped his fingers, grinning, "Anyways, what that saying means is that each of us, great quirk or no, have moments in our lives when we simply must take action, to do good or to make a difference." He shifted his shoulders, "And sometimes, it means acting like a hero."
Izuku just stared at him, an old image forming in his head, the man's voice beginning to sound familiar.
"And every time, with out fail, those actions we take have consequences," He let out a breath, his face showing off the years he's lived, "And heroes? Heroes have to tangle with that dilemma every single day on the job."
Izuku could see it, could see in his mind's eye an old, dusty news story he found in his attic when he was young, featuring an old, old hero.
"And heroes don't just pop up with great quirks right off," The old man chuckled, "Although to be fair that's all you see these days, but even then they all had to work for it, trust their instincts, train and take risks… and make mistakes."
Izuku was starting to gape, he knew who this person was - who he is.
"And sometimes because of their mistakes, people get hurt," He shrugged, "A harsh reality, true, but no matter how impressive a power a hero may have, even if they're on top of the world like All Might… at the end of the day we're all still human, and all we can do is get back up, dust ourselves off, and learn from our mistakes, one day at a time."
"Excelsior…" Izuku muttered, starstruck, "You're the great, "The Man", the great american hero! Excelsior!" His face split into a ear to ear grin, unable to withhold his enthusiasm from being face to face with who might just be the greatest golden age hero of all time, "You're Excelsior -!"
"Calm down kiddo!" Excelsior hushed embarrassed, although his upper lip twitched at the corners, "Excelsior retired decades ago, I go by Mr. Lee nowadays."
The boy tried to steel his face as well as he could, but his inner fanboy was making it very hard.
Mr. Lee sighed, "Fine then, maybe my hero name will make you listen a bit harder, cause this is the important part," He tried very hard not to roll his eyes as the boy took out a notebook, "Listen, what you did two days ago? Saving that girl? That's what a hero does, and whether or not you could have done something else doesn't matter," Izuku put down his pencil, looking intently at Lee, "And right now, there's no use in fretting over what happened because of what you did, the only thing you can do, is make steps to fix it," Lee smirked, "Wouldn't you say?"
Izuku thought back to what Nighteye said back when this whole mess started, about how Stain urged him to be a hero, thought back to Eri, to how grateful she was when he saved her, to how scared she was when she woke up at UA, how guilty she looked when Chisaki's phone call came… he looked up at Excelsior, eyes hard and determined.
"Let me ask ya again, kiddo," Mr. Lee smiled, "Do you regret saving that girl?"
Izuku smiled back, his answer resolute, "No, not one bit."
The old hero grinned, clapping Izuku on the shoulder, "Good! Now get moving!" He shouted with a laugh, "You got people to save don't you?"
Izuku nodded, "Right! Thank you Excel-" He stopped when the man gave him a dirty look, "Um, I mean Mr. Lee!" He bowed, "Really I needed that-now I gotta get back to-" Suddenly a ringing from his pocket caught his attention, and fishing his phone out and answering with a quick, 'Hello?'
Soon though, his face twisted in panic, and he took off in a mad dash, not even sparing a goodbye to the old man.
For his part, Lee just sighed, "Good luck kiddo," He muttered under his breath, "Though if you're anything like Torino said, you might not need it…"
Toshinori rubbed his shoulders as he rested on the couch in the teacher's lounge, another long day half way behind him.
Out of habit he took out his phone and looked at it for a moment, before putting it back in without calling anyone. He had been doing that all day since Midoriya left early in the morning to get to Tartarus for his requested "interrogation" of his long time enemy, stopping himself each time from actually calling him out of fearing he would seem like he didn't trust the young man to handle himself.
Which was completely untrue, he trusted Deku immensely, as well as his ability to be able to actually get something of value out of All For One.
The one he didn't trust was the wretched snake himself, bound and contained as he was. That point being the only thing he and his former sidekick Nighteye had been able to agree on to any degree during their… heated conversation two days ago.
Thinking back to that made All Might groan again, both out of frustration and regret, even after all these years he and Nighteye could not reconcile their differences regarding his decision to continue his hero work, and the argument over how useful, and safe, having Izuku talk with All For One would be didn't help matters one bit.
They where at a complete impasse, and had to defer to Nedzu's judgement on the matter.
Nedzu, to the surprise of everyone in the room, signed off on the idea, stating his trust in the security system in the prison to keep his student safe and the fact, since Izuku was the one who started this "mess" to begin with, he should be doing his part in "cleaning it up."
And that was that, both for the argument and whatever was keeping Nighteye in the same room as his former mentor, seeing as he exited the room without a glance in his direction, only stating that his office will be doing it's own investigations, and that he will be available at all times for any updates… and then he just left without another word.
Toshinori took out his phone again, his mind hovering over a different number this time.
He sighed again as his courage faltered, and just as he put his phone on the coffee table, he heard a polite knock on the door, "Excuse me? Are there any teachers present?"
All Might recognized the voice of Class 1-A's vice president in a moment, a smile lighting up his gaunt face, "Come in, Yaoyorozu-san!" The door opened and the young lady stepped in, bowing as she caught sight of her teacher, and next to her feet, a lump of white hair with a bronze horn sticking out peeked at him, making his smile a bit wider, "And Young Eri! So good to see you!"
The young girl peered cautiously from behind Momo's legs, the student, reaching down to gently pat her head before turning to Toshinori, "Same to you Toshinori-sensei," She looked down at Eri, a kind and gentle smile on her face, "You say hello too Eri-chan, this is my teacher Toshinori-san, remember?"
The little girl nodded before she looked at the slim man again, "H-hello, Toshinori-san."
All Might smiled as wide as he could as he stood up from the couch, "So then, how can I help you two?"
Momo smiled apologetically, "Excuse me sensei, but I was wondering if you wouldn't mind watching over Eri-chan for a little bit?" She gently nudged Eri from behind her legs so she could stand in front of her, "With Midoriya-san away from school and Uraraka-san on assignment, there doesn't seem to be many students that she seems to be comfortable with that can keep an eye on her," She bowed again, "It's just for about an hour! While we study!"
"Calm down young lady," Toshinori said calmly, "It's no trouble at all, I'd love to keep watch over young Eri for as long as you need." After he was done, he sent a quick wink in Eri's direction, his well practiced showmanship skills kicking in, which rewarded him with the adorable sight of a light dusting of red on the little girl's cheeks.
Momo smiled as she bowed one more time, "Thank you very much, sensei!" She crouched down to be eye level with Eri, once again smiling as gently as she could, "Okay Eri-chan, you're going to be spent a little time with Toshinori-sensei for a while, okay?"
Eri looked at Toshinori for a moment just a bit apprehensively, meeting his kind and warm smile, before looking back at the young student, "O-okay Momo-san," She started worrying her hands, "Will you be back soon?"
"As soon as I can," Momo promised with a nod, "I'll be back in an hour, an hour and a half tops, okay?"
Eri hesitated for a moment, but then nodded slowly, and then watched as Momo left the room, twiddling her thumbs as she peered towards the tall symbol of peace, who simply kept smiling warmly at her.
"Well then. young Eri," He said, gesturing to his previously held spot on the couch, "Since you and I are going to spend a little time together, you might as well get comfortable, right?"
She was quiet for a moment, before nodding and mumbling, "Thank you, Toshinori-san." And hurrying over to the offered spot, her small form sinking slightly into the leather.
"Are you hungry?" He asked, peering over the top of the couch at her, and when she shook her head no he chuckled a little, "No need to feel modest, there's more then enough snacks here for the both of us."
"…do you have any apples?"
With a bright smile he went over to the small fridge that was off one corner in the lounge, and came back with a plate weighed down with a half dozen red apple slices.
"Have as many as you want."
She was quiet for a moment, before the faintest blush lit up her cheeks and she picked up a slice to eat, "…Thank you."
They sat like this for a while, the clock ticking away calmly, as All Might dragged a chair to sit in front of the couch while Eri nibbled quietly on her apple slices, every now and again another plate landing in front of her when she was near finished, which only made her blush harder but said nothing as she just kept up eating the slices.
"Quite the appetite on you young lady." Toshinori chuckled quietly, making her snap her head up to look at him, a small amount of apple juice dripping from her chin be she cleaned it up, "Did you not eat today before now?"
"…didn't feel like eating…"
"Worried for young Midoriya, are you?"
She didn't meet his gaze, focusing on the shining surface of the table and her last apple slice, which she poked a few times while it rested on it's rounded side, making it spin slowly around.
"…Midoriya can be a bit reckless, sometimes," Toshinori said, leaning back in his chair as he thought back to some of the boy's rather heedless actions over the last half year or so since he'd met him, "But he's always pulled through when he needed to, this time will be no exception."
"I'm the reason he has to do this in the first place…"
He caught Eri's miserable mumble, his face twisting in sympathy and surprise, "Eri-chan…"
"Because he saved me," She kept going, hugging herself and curling inwards, backing up until she was flush with the couch, her tone falling deeper and deeper in despair, "Because I ran away and he found me, his mom got hurt, Bakugou-san's parents got hurt, and now Izuku-san might get hurt because I wasn't strong enough to stay…."
Toshinori's eyebrows twitched, having been updated on what happened two days ago by Toogata, and what Overhaul had said over the phone to the poor girl, his moral fiber roaring in fury at how thoroughly the damned yakuza had managed to corrupt her way of thinking, "Eri-chan wait-"
"It's all my fault…" she started trembling, shaking her head and tightening her grip on her forearms as she curled further inwards on herself and muttering, a few tears dropping from her eyes, "All of it, all of it, all of it's my-"
"Young Eri!" The old hero roared, bolting up to his full height in a way that knocked his chair away from under him, and snapping her out of her panicked muttering so she could look at him, cheeks wet and eyes hopeless. He walked over to her, getting down on one knee and gripping her shoulders squarely so she would look straight at him, his voice stern and unwavering, "Listen to me dear girl, none of this is your fault, not one bit of it."
"B-but," She sniffed, blinking out more tears, "B-but Overhaul said-"
"Everything that criminal has ever said to you has been a lie," Toshinori stressed, keeping a tight a lid as he possibly could on his anger, she needed compassion right now, not righteous fury, "The only one at fault for all of this, for kidnapping Midoriya-san's mother, for hurting Bakugou's parents, for all of it, is no one other then Overhaul himself."
Eri could only sob quietly in his arms, clearly not convinced.
"And no one blames you either," He kept going, gently as he could as he rubbed her shoulder where he held her, "No one in this school thinks this is your fault, not the teachers, not the students, and certainly not young Midoriya."
"Bakugou-san…" She muttered, shaking her head, "Every time he looks at me… he's so angry."
Toshinori shook his head, inwardly cursing young Bakugou's inability to manage his anger… though considering currant events he could hardly blame him for not being able to calm himself, "No, no dear girl… well, at least not at you," The explosive blond had left school twice now to visit his parents, especially his father (who was stable but still in bad condition), in the hospital, only coming back when his mother's practically had to shove him out of the room, "He's angry at not himself for not being able to do anything to help his parents, but believe me, he doesn't blame you for this either."
Eri quieted down slightly, the worst of her panic leaving her, though hardly calm because of it, "Izuku-san's mom…he," She hiccuped, blinking tears out of her eyes again, "He'll hurt her…"
"I met Inko Midoriya once," Toshinori said, gaining Eri's full attention at last, before he moved his hand off her shoulders to pry her hands away from their death grip on her arms and rubbing the white part of her skin where she hugged so tightly, "And from what I saw, she is a strong person, strong enough to bear whatever Overhaul can think to throw at her," He held her small hand in both of his, "Have faith in her, Eri-chan, and in young Midoriya, and soon they'll both be back home, safe and sound."
She sniffed once more, no more tears coming out of her, but otherwise said nothing.
"Everyone wants nothing but the best for you, Eri-chan," Toshinori kept going, smiling warmly, "They all want you to smile and be happy," He let go of her hand and brought his near his face, "I know it's hard Eri-chan, and doesn't look like it'll get any better, but it will, I promise," He then pushed up the corners of his mouth with his index fingers, forming a wide, dorky smile, "So come on! Smile!"
Rubbing her eyes, Eri looked down on her hands for a moment, the corners of her mouth straining upwards, and yet it was unable to form even the smallest smile. She then tried to imitate All Might, pushing her fingers into her cheeks to try and form a smile, but eventually she stopped, sniffing again.
"I'm sorry… I… don't know how…"
Toshinori starred at her in shock, his mind racing at her admission and all it could mean, his long years of heroism and dealing both with villains of all types and the victims they left behind filling his mind as his mouth went dry.
This girl hasn't been saved at all.
Toshinori opened and closed his mouth, unable to think of anything to say in response, and before he could, he started to hear a commotion outside the room…a rather big commotion at that, "Eri-chan, wait here a moment."
She nodded quietly, leaning back on the cold leather of the couch as he went towards the door, yet before he could open it, it was slammed open from the outside, and there stood Tenya Iida, looking pale and distraught, "Sensei! It's an emergency!"
Toshinori and Eri both recoiled backwards from this sudden exclamation, the teacher recovering quickly to stand at his student's side, "Young Iida, what happened -?"
"It's Uraraka-kun!" He shouted, "She's in hospital!"
DUN DUN DUUUUUN
ah, dramatic moments, where would stories be without you?
be sure to review all the references you find and what you think of the chapter! Unless you're scared~