I do not own BNHA or its characters.

Enjoy Chapter Four of "Catalyst"

Cowritten and proofread by aoimikans on Tumblr.

Masquerade

The gentle, lavender glow of the early morning sky peeked through the window blinds, dimly lighting the infirmary and Izuku as he lay, slowly waking. Mind muddled and still half dreaming, he pulled the warm weight on his chest into a tighter embrace and nearly drifted off again. Something brushed against his cheek. Sleepily blinking and wrinkling his nose, he turned his head away from the golden threads tickling his face.

The warm weight shifted in Izuku's arms, and he stirred.

What's -?

Izuku rubbed the sleep from his eyes, brushing the golden strands away. They promptly flopped back onto his face and he spluttered, shooting up on his cot. The weight slid from his chest to his lap.

Someone chuckled, warm and soft, above Izuku.

"Rise and shine, Midoriya, my boy."

All Might sat on his bed and smiled down at Izuku. His tail rolled off Izuku's lap and slid up onto the mattress. All Might cringed with a grunt, hands hovering over the limb.

"Pins and needles," he muttered, gingerly lifting the tail over his knees.

Izuku yawned, watching All Might carefully massage the middle of his limp tail. He canted his head curiously. The hair down All Might's neck and tail stood on end.

"Is something wr - Oh!" Izuku's eyes widened, as he caught his mentor's lopsided grin. His cheeks grew hot, and he sputtered, "D-did I-? Was I just-!"

Izuku groaned and covered his face.

I was hugging All Might's tail!

"I'm so sorry!"

All Might barked out a laugh.

"I think I'll live," his smile colored his voice, "Besides, you looked so peaceful, I couldn't bring myself to wake you." His laughter grew as Izuku's ears reddened.

Izuku's mortification slowly faded as All Might's laughs quieted, and he dared to peek up at his mentor's face through parted fingers. One look drove all thought of his embarrassment away.

All Might looked worn down. The shadows under his eyes were more pronounced, and his shoulders sagged despite his gentle smile. He had put on his faded U.A. sweatshirt, and draped the star-spangled blanket loosely over his back and shoulders.

Izuku noted some new holes in the blanket's yellow fabric, and brought his hand down to his lips in thought.

Nothing that can't be mended.

All Might met his gaze, and his smile slipped a fraction.

Concern stirred in Izuku's chest, and he shifted on his cot, "Were you able to get any more rest?"

The answer was written on All Might's face and slouched posture.

All Might shook his head and rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Ah, well," he smiled and shrugged wearily, "I did sleep most of yesterday."

"You should have slept more than that."

Izuku perked up, peeking over All Might's bed.

Recovery Girl sat at her desk, writing in a small notebook. She gave All Might a stern look, "You know you need the rest."

All Might bowed his head and gave Recovery Girl a compliant smile.

"Yes, ma'am," he chuckled quietly.

The healing heroine shook her head, humming skeptically.

Izuku caught the worried light in her eyes. Determination flared in his chest.

"Um," the boy look back at All Might, "Do you need any help with anything before classes, All Might?"

All Might furrowed his brow in thought before a smile softened his expression, "Actually, there is something."

He raised a clawed finger and gingerly scratched at the unruly stubble on his cheek. He gestured to the side table where a small travel bag sat, "Aizawa was kind enough to bring my shaving supplies, but I am still having a little trouble balancing."

Izuku glanced at All Might's legs stretched out in front of him, awkwardly bent as if he wasn't sure how best to sit, nevermind walk.

Izuku smiled wide and threw his legs over the side of his cot, grabbing his own toiletry bag before snagging All Might's off the side table. He stood and circled back around All Might's bed, stopping where he knew his mentor could reach his shoulder.

"The infirmary bathroom is usually empty and," he checked the clock on the wall, "There shouldn't be any students around for another hour."

"Thank you, my boy," All Might said, carefully reaching up and holding onto Izuku's shoulder as he slid his legs off the bed. His claws clicked softly on the floor and his legs briefly trembled as he pushed himself to stand. For a moment, All Might wavered, grip tightening on Izuku's shoulder unconsciously. Then his tail curled tightly around Izuku's waist and his stance settled.

"Ready?" Izuku asked.

"Just a moment," All Might reached into his sweatshirt pocket and pulled out a pair of dark sunglasses. They were bulky and plastic, the sort used to block out UVs. Flower and rabbit stickers decorated the arms in usual Recovery Girl fashion.

"Is the light still bothering you?" Izuku asked.

"Not quite as bad as before, but yes," All Might shrugged. He slipped them on, squinting cautiously behind them, and relaxed. He gave Izuku a small squeeze, sharp eyes training on his own unsteady feet, "Lead the way."

The going was slow but steady. All Might seemed to consider every step, frowning when he lost his balance and had to brace his arm on the brightly lit hallway wall before continuing.

Izuku pushed the bathroom door open, quickly peeking into it before leading All Might inside. On the wall beside the door were a row of switches. Izuku pursed his lips thoughtfully and flicked on only one. A small light in the back corner dimly but adequately lit the large infirmary bathroom.

"Is this light too much or is this better?" he asked, looking up at his mentor.

All Might hummed, pulling off the bulky eyewear and cautiously squinting. He blinked, and he tucked the glasses away in this pocket. He smiled, looking around, "It's not too bad. Not too bad at…"

All Might froze in place.

"All Might?" Izuku glanced up.

His mentor stared back from the mirror, a look of mild surprise on his gaunt face. Blue eyes roamed up and down his own reflection, mouth drawn in a strained frown. His hand gripped at his sweatshirt. It trembled.

Oh. He hasn't seen …

Izuku shifted as All Might's tail wrapped tighter around him, "Are you okay? Do you want to go back to the infirmary?"

"I'm…" All Might sighed, "I'm alright."

"Are you sure?" Izuku asked quietly, gently resting a hand on the tail around his waist.

All Might blinked in surprise and finally looked away from the mirror, down to his student.

"I…" He smiled lopsidedly, his expression as open is it was the night on the beach after Kamino. His other hand drifted to his scarred side, brushing over the light grey sweatshirt, "It just takes time to adjust to things like this, but it will all be alright. I promise." He looked back to his reflection, "Just give it time."

Izuku nodded pensively and helped All Might up to the counter. His mentor leaned heavily on it, pausing a moment to adjust his stance and unravel his tail, before closely considering his reflection.

All Might raised his hand to his face and frowned slightly as his palm scrubbed noisily on his cheek. He glanced at Izuku, catching him staring, and smiled. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I haven't had stubble this long in years," he said, turning back to the mirror and turning his face this way and that. He stopped, frowning in thought and flicking his pointed ears, running a claw over their tips, "Huh. That's different."

Izuku smiled uncertainly and pushed All Might's travel bag over to him. He quickly dug into his own bag, fishing out his toothbrush and floss. He starting brushing his teeth as All Might opened his bag.

"Thank you, Izuku," His mentor said softly, lightly bumping his tail against the boy's ankle.

Izuku paused, toothbrush hanging from his mouth, and turned to stare at All Might, brows raised.

He called me...

All Might fished out his shaving cream and razor. He fumbled a little when he sprayed a dollop of white foam on his palm, claws slipping off the button and nearly dropping the can. He didn't seem to notice his verbal slip or Izuku's stare.

Izuku ducked his head down and resumed brushing his teeth with a little more gusto than necessary.

Accident. It was an accident, he told himself. It didn't stop his grin or how One for All quietly zipped under his skin.

They continued their own morning routines in comfortable silence, broken only by the rasp of All Might's razor and the click of his claws on the floor. Halfway through trying to tame the bedhead plaguing his short curls, Izuku glanced back at All Might.

His mentor had tucked his bangs behind his pointed ears and evenly lathered the foam over his cheeks and chin. Brows furrowed with a gentle focus, he carefully pulled his razor along, rinsing it after each slow swipe.

Izuku bent down to splash water on his face and jerked up when plastic clattered in the sink.

All Might clicked his teeth in frustration.

"Everything okay?" Izuku asked, hastily wiping the water away from this eyes.

All Might nodded and held up his hand, flashing his claws, "Just dropped my razor. I need to get used to holding things with these." He turned them toward himself, running his thumb claw across the others and chuckled, "Probably should file them down a bit." He shook them absently, reaching into the sink and rinsing his razor off again, "Something to do later."

All Might returned to shaving, his small smile growing as more of the blonde stubble disappeared. Finally, he splashed his face and looked back up at his reflection.

A wide grin split his face as he double checked for any missed stubble.

"Good as new," he said, turning back to Izuku, tail swinging happily. His eyes widened and his tail picked up speed, "Lend me your shoulder, my boy?"

Izuku jolted in surprise at his mentor's sudden request but stepped closer, allowing All Might to lean against him as he carefully backed away from the mirror.

"What -?" Izuku looked up to All Might, Oh.

All Might examined his reflection again, brows furrowed seriously. He slowly lifted his hand off of Izuku's shoulder, carefully balancing with his tail outstretched. Standing as tall as he was able and wavering only slightly, he tugged his sweatshirt straight and grinned.

"Better," he said with a satisfied sigh and nod.

Toshinori hummed absently as Izuku led him back to the infirmary, rubbing at his shaved face with the back of his knuckles and smiling at the feeling of his smooth skin. The boy held both their bathroom supplies and occasionally glanced up at him, smiling back when Toshinori took his hand off his shoulder to ruffle his hair.

Good kid, Toshinori thought fondly, not missing the way his tail swung contently.

Walking was marginally easier. Toshinori's steps were growing steadier despite the burn of his legs and lung and the ache in his hips and back. The cool floor still felt odd against the shallow pads on his feet, and he had to take care not to trip on his own claws. At least, he felt confident enough to not stare at his feet as they approached the infirmary.

Which was why he saw Principal Nedzu and Detective Tsukauchi round the hall corner.

Toshinori raised his hand in greeting and gave Izuku a small squeeze on his shoulder.

"Go on ahead," he said, nudging his student to the infirmary door, "You still need to finish getting ready for class."

Izuku nodded but waited until Toshinori placed a hand against the hallway wall before giving the detective and principal a wave and ducking into the infirmary.

As soon as the boy closed the door behind him, Toshinori grunted and dug his claws into the wall. His legs trembled with strain and tail fell with a thump to the floor. He bowed his head and huffed a tired sigh.

Toshinori felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Naomasa asked, hooking his arm around Toshinori and pulling him up to lean on him.

"Just tired," Toshinori admitted with a wan grin and a small cough.

"Let's get you to your bed," Naomasa said quietly.

Toshinori frowned and carefully examined Naomasa's face. His detective mask was firmly in place, and something about his voice was strained. Toshinori pushed himself to stand taller, only for his hip to catch and twinge.

Naomasa shook his head, a little of himself breaking through the professional mask, "Did I ever tell you, you are a try-hard?"

Toshinori barked a laugh, "More than once."

Naomasa smiled back, "Nice glasses by the way."

Toshinori grumbled and elbowed Naomasa's side, earning a small cough and a laugh.

"All Might," Principal Nedzu greeted, pushing the door open to the infirmary.

Toshinori nodded in response, a bit too winded to answer verbally.

Naomasa led Toshinori into the infirmary, greeting Recovery Girl briefly, and to the side of his bed.

"All Might, what's wrong?" Izuku asked, his overnight bag packed and slung over his shoulder.

Toshinori sunk against the side of his bed with a groan, tucking the thick glasses into his pocket and waving off Izuku's concerned look, "I'm fine, my boy, nothing a little sleep won't cure. You should head on out," he pointed at the wall clock, "If you get to the dorm early enough, I'm sure you'll have time for a hardy breakfast."

Izuku looked like he wanted to argue. He yelped when Nedzu pat his leg.

"You have classes to attend, Midoriya. You wouldn't want to be late," Nedzu said cheerfully, "Ah, and please refrain from mentioning All Might's return. Your homeroom teacher will address that in due time."

Izuku nodded meekly and allowed Nedzu to shoo him from the room.

"Try to get some rest today," the boy called back and sent a last small wave to All Might before disappearing into the hall.

Toshinori's hand froze mid-wave as he stared at the empty doorway. A small shudder ran up his spine, and his vision briefly spun. Brows furrowing, he rubbed his palm against his forehead.

What… ?

Shit! Toshinori glanced up at the clock. Only seconds had passed. He suppressed a relieved sigh.

Just tired and recovering, he reasoned, Dizzy spell.

Toshinori mentally shook off the fatigue and let his hand fall back to his lap.

An ache at the base of his tail throbbed, and he cringed. Shifting to stand, he lifted his tail from under himself and back onto the mattress. He pushed up onto the bed, feet bumping briefly against the edge and claws getting caught in the sheets. Frowning, he tried to cross his legs to no avail. With a huff, he gave up and settled for pulling his tail over his lap.

This is as comfortable as I'm going to get, Toshinori thought with a disgruntled sigh, rubbing at the sore spot where his tail had pressed into the corner of the mattress. He bit back a yawn, Rest, huh?

"I'm afraid that boy is going to spoil me if he keeps worrying so much," Toshinori joked and gestured to the door. "A real mother hen, that one."

Silence answered him, and he furrowed his brows.

Naomasa and Nedzu still stood beside the bed and shared a small frown between them, the atmosphere abruptly heavy.

"Something wrong?" Toshinori asked.

Principal Nedzu shook his head after a moment.

"Probably nothing. How are you feeling?" the mouse-dog-bear asked, climbing into the chair beside Toshinori's bed.

Toshinori gave Naomasa a lingering curious look but answered, "I'm … adjusting. Recovery Girl saw to my various scrapes and bruises, and I had a chance to clean myself up."

"You shaved," Naomasa said meaningfully and took a seat on the end of Toshinori's bed.

Toshinori nodded, rubbing at his cheek.

Naomasa was there with Toshinori at the hospital after his first fight against All for One. Surgery after surgery meant long stretches of unconsciousness and bedridden rest. Helping Toshinori shave was not a top priority, not when he was so often at risk of bleeding out. The uncomfortable stubble quickly grew to an unruly, scratchy beard that was a constant source of frustration during his recovery. Naomasa was there when Toshinori did not recognize his withered, bearded reflection. He'd been the one to help pick the broken glass from Toshinori's fist.

Toshinori had been clean shaven since. Until -

He hissed between his teeth and pulled his hand away from his face. The small scratches his claws left stung.

"I really need to trim these," Toshinori muttered in annoyance and shook his head. He interlaced his fingers and rested his hands on his tail. "So, I imagine you both aren't here just to check up on me."

"Unfortunately, no," Naomasa said. He bent and pulled his thin briefcase from the floor, "There are a few things I need you to confirm."

Toshinori frowned slightly and warily watched as Naomasa cracked open his briefcase and pulled out a manilla folder. The detective opened the folder and pulled out a small stack of printed photographs.

Naomasa cleared his throat, and Toshinori met his gaze.

"Do I have your permission to record this?" he asked, lifting a small recorder from the case.

Toshinori nodded, "Yes."

Naomasa pressed the record button and set it down between them.

"If at any point you need to take a break -"

"I'm alright," Toshinori stated and grinned, "I'm not as fragile as I look, Tsukauchi."

Naomasa snorted, a half-smile breaking his professional mask.

He turned the first image. It was a mug shot of an irate looking woman, silver hair disheveled and thin face pinched in anger. A deep purple bruise marked the side of her temple.

Toshinori nodded, "That's the woman I knew as Nurse Tetsumi."

"We found Tetsumi Inoshita where you said you left her," Naomasa tucked the photo behind the rest, "Was she the only person you saw?"

"No," Toshinori answered, easily falling into his well practiced role in a debriefing, "There were two others. All for One, the villain from the Kamino Ward incident, and…" he gestured to Isamu sleeping on the next bed, "This young man, Isamu Sato. He was coerced into working with his supervisor Inoshita and the villain, who nurse Isa- ah, Sato- only knew as," his lips twisted into a grimace, "Sensei. Despite his circumstances and being under threat, he was more than kind to me. He aided in my escape."

"What were the roles of the three?" Naomasa asked.

Toshinori's tail tip flicked, and he brushed it down against the bed with a small frown.

"To be brief, All for One provided the quirks forced -" A sharp twinge flared on his neck, and he reached his hand up to press against it. The small spikes hidden in the ridge of hair were growing longer. He ran his hand further down, searching for each one. They had each developed a soft velvet covering and the longest felt a couple centimeters long.

"Do you need a moment?" Naomasa asked, reaching for the recorder.

"Just growing pains," Toshinori shook his head and interlaced his fingers again, "All for One provided the quirks forced into my system. Inoshita personally administered one and regularly changed my IV solution. Nurse Sato was made to deliver meals and ensure I survived the quirks that put greater strain on my body."

"Survive?" Naomasa repeated, surprise colored his voice.

Toshinori ran his palm along his tail, feeling the thick muscle twitch beneath his skin and threading his fingers through the unruly streak of blonde hair, "The tail quirk added a significant amount of body mass… Without that young man, I would not have lived through the change."

A pregnant silence filled the room, only broken by the whir of the medical machinery.

"It seems all of us at U.A. owe him our thanks," Principal Nedzu spoke up, his voice serious.

Naomasa hummed in agreement. Then he pulled out another photo.

"I need to confirm with you that this is the room where you were kept," the detective said, holding the photo face down.

Toshinori reached out without a second thought, took the photo, and flipped it over.

White, silver, and red.

Cold tile. Bound wrists, reaching - muscles straining. Blood -!

"Yes, that's the room," Toshinori said, swallowing roughly, and handed the photo back. His hands trembled. He stared down at them, brows furrowed in confusion.

… Why?

There was a gentle click.

Toshinori looked up.

Naomasa smiled softly back at him and tucked the photos and recorder back in his briefcase, "That's all I need for now. Thank you, Toshinori."

"O-oh." Toshinori nodded, puzzled, and stopped rubbing the red bands marking his wrists, "Was there anything else?"

Naomasa nodded, bending to set his briefcase onto the floor.

"While we found no trace of All for One, we were able to find plenty of evidence tying Inoshita to the building and that room. I had the opportunity to speak with her," he frowned, "But she was less than helpful. She was silent for the majority of the interrogation, even refusing to answer simple questions that would have given me a baseline for my quirk: her name, address, or why her arm was injured."

Toshinori's claws twitched, "That was me."

Naomasa paused, frowning, "You? What -?"

"The injury on her arm," Toshinori lifted his hand, claws curved dangerous and sharp. He bowed his head, "I lashed out."

Toshinori's shoulders sagged, and he sighed, "There were… are moments when I lose awareness and time. It is a side effect of what was done to me." He frowned, a sick pressure squeezed at his lung, "I'm not sure what triggers it or … if it is going to be permanent."

Naomasa sighed and nodded, "I think I saw it happen yesterday in the hall."

Toshinori looked up at him in surprise.

"It was only a moment, but you froze in response to something," Naomasa continued, "Maybe the pain in your legs?"

Toshinori shifted, hands rubbing at his hips. Then he shook his head, "The times I can remember a lapse coming on was while a quirk developed - Ah…" he reached back and brushed the back of his neck, claws brushing against the raised skin, "The spikes."

A surge of relief raced through Toshinori, and he gripped at the small, growing spikes, "I'm still developing the last quirk. Maybe…"

Nedzu piped up with a hopeful smile, paws clapped together, "Maybe once they are fully grown, the lapses will cease. Either way, now that we're aware of them, perhaps we can learn how to prevent them from occurring. You're not alone in this, All Might."

A low hum came from Recovery Girl's desk, and the three of them turned.

"That may pose an issue," Recovery Girl rolled her chair from her desk, shooing the medical droid that had hidden her to the side, "The spikes are cyclical. They grow and shed depending on the seasons and put a strain on the body. If they are a trigger, we will need to observe them for a full cycle. You can't stay here that long," She flashed a smile in Toshinori's direction, "And I doubt you'd want to."

A small smile pulled at the corner of Toshinori's lips, "No offense to you or your hospitality, Chiyo, but no."

Nedzu nodded, "That actually brings me to the reason I'm here this morning. We'd like for you to return to your usual routine as soon as you are able," he explained, "There are just a few things that need to be settled on beforehand."

"Like warning the faculty and students of my" Toshinori made a sweeping gesture at himself, "condition ahead of time."

The principal hummed, "More or less. Though I am positive they will be more than delighted to have you back, no matter the shape you're in. They've all been quite concerned," he shook his head, "And unfortunately, the tabloids and news are not helping."

Toshinori grimaced, "I imagine so."

Part of the reason he had moved into the dorms with the students was to get away from the constant hounding of reporters after his retirement. Certainly there were many with good intentions and were polite, but there were a great deal more of the unsavory, rumormill tabloid writers. Was he ill? Was he dying? How long did he have left? Many, he knew, claimed he had already died or was an imposter.

When Nedzu had offered him a place in the dorms to look after the students, Toshinori wholeheartedly accepted.

Toshinori furrowed his brow, gaze wandering over his changed appearance, "I will need to face them sooner or later."

Naomasa shifted and frowned at Nedzu, "Sooner rather than later, I'm afraid."

A knot of dread clenched in Toshinori's gut, and his hackles raised nervously, "Why is that?"

Naomasa leaned forward, "Do you remember running through the shopping district after you escaped Rishi General?" he asked.

Toshinori cringed, "I did. Did someone manage to get pictures? I might have made a scene, I'm afraid. There wasn't time to be discreet. "

Naomasa nodded in understanding and fished his phone from his coat pocket, "There is a video." He sighed, tapping at the phone screen and turning it toward Toshinori, "It's better just to show you."

Toshinori's gaze locked onto the small screen. A blur of color and movement was frozen under the play icon. He reached out, claw tapping uselessly against the icon, "Ah, forgot."

Naomasa's expression softened.

"Here," his finger brushed against the play button.

Toshinori's ears lowered as scared, angry shouts roared from the speakers.

The camera spun, facing the ground, then swung around sharply. As people ran past, a large figure came into focus.

Toshinori swallowed roughly as he watched himself loping unevenly on all fours, carrying Isamu on his back. Someone bumped into the camera person and the view jerked to the left.

A woman shrieked, "What is that thing?!"

More shouts drowned each other out. Above them all, the sound of chains rattled through the air.

Toshinori grit his teeth, tail tensing and wrapping tighter around himself.

The camera person pushed their way through the panicked crowd and stumbled backward, "Come on… let me through."

The mic picked up a loud impact and grunt. A hush fell over the crowd as heads turned. The camera shook as it panned up.

Toshinori saw himself rear up to his full height and tower over the shoppers, tail swinging past the camera in a flash of blonde. His heaving breath visibly fogged in the morning air, and blood dripped down his side. Isamu's blood.

Toshinori winced as the camera zoomed in on his snarl, his eyes glowing pinpricks partially hidden behind ragged, disheveled bangs. His tail swung and cracked down on the pavement, breaking the spell. Panicked screams filled the air and people shoved each other to get away.

No… I- I'm-

Toshinori's breath shuddered, shallow and quick. His claws pressed into his palms.

Naomasa reached out and covered the screen, "Sorry. I thought…"

Blinking rapidly and tearing his gaze from the covered screen, Toshinori saw his friend's pained expression, "No. Please. It was something I needed to see. You're right. This is going to come up eventually."

Toshinori rolled his shoulders to get his hackles to relax and uncoiled his tail from around his own waist. A wave of fatigue crashed against his mind, and he sighed.

Just take it one thing at a time.

"I'll have to send those poor shoppers an apology," Toshinori said with a smile.

Naomasa shook his head and let out a breathy laugh in disbelief, "You never change. Worry about yourself for once."

His friend's grin softened the reprimand, and Toshinori felt tension leave the air around them.

Nedzu popped up, sliding from his chair before approaching Toshinori's contently swaying tail.

Toshinori jolted when the small mouse-dog-bear patted his tail and lifted the tufted end. He tensed, padded toes curling in concentration to keep the tail limp and not knock the principal over.

"So," Nedzu said conversationally, still focused on the tuft of hair, brushing some aside and turning it over in his paws. "How soon would you like to see the rest of the faculty? Or at the very least the heroics department faculty?"

Toshinori's tail twitched, and he shrugged, "As soon as Recovery Girl deems me well enough for guests."

Recovery Girl huffed, having returned to the papers on her desk, "They can see him tomorrow." She gave Toshinori a stern side-look, "You've had enough excitement for one day and need your rest."

Toshinori breathed a laugh and smiled tiredly.

"Her word is law," he joked.

Principal Nedzu nodded, his own tail flicking thoughtfully. He lifted the tufted end of Toshinori's tail again, "Your hair's a bit lackluster. Keratin does wonders for that."

"Keratin is in his supplements," Recovery Girl said from her desk, "Speaking of which, TB-2?"

The droid closest to Toshinori's bed turned. A mechanical whirring came from the droid and two chalky disks slid from a side compartment.

"Sir," it chirped, depositing the supplements onto a small dish passing it to Toshinori.

"Thank you," Toshinori said, taking the small disks. He popped them in his mouth and chewed, savoring the surprisingly pleasant taste.

Nedzu nodded, dropping the end of Toshinori's tail as it resumed its content swinging, tuft gently sweeping against the floor, "Good. As long as you are taking care of yourself."

Toshinori caught the meaningful look in the principal sent him.

Take care of all of yourself. That includes the new parts.

Toshinori shifted, focusing on sliding his tail onto the bed before reaching out and examining the tuft, "I suppose it's a little dull."

"Alright, you two," Recovery Girl jumped down from her desk and rounded Isamu's bed, "All Might needs his rest, and you both have jobs to do."

Naomasa glanced at Toshinori, something unsaid lingering in his hesitation. Finally, he nodded and stood, "There is a significant amount of evidence being processed. I will keep you updated on what we find or whether All for One reappears."

"And," Nedzu said cheerfully, "I need to call a faculty meeting to give them the good news of your return. Anything you would like me to say?"

Toshinori smiled, "I'm glad to be back."

The young man's image disbursed in a gray hue of escaping heat and shivers. All for One sensed the pool of blood expanding and smirked at his enemy's struggle to make the barest contact.

"He's right there," He taunted, gesturing to the dying nurse, "Can't you reach?"

A flash of claws scratched at the bloodied tile, straining against the chain links that remained. A low whine filled the air.

All for One sensed it. The weak point. Even without that woman - Ragdoll's Search quirk, it was obvious.

Leaning forward, he spoke with a low voice, "You're here, aren't you? He will die, and you will have done nothing."

The former hero shook his head, squinting and reaching out. A single claw hooked onto the nurse's shoe - his enemy's pulse spiked, the last hope - and slipped away.

The noumu let loose a mournful roar. The sound cracked, broken to a whimper.

It shuddered, blinking wearily and looking around confused. Its body relaxed, and its muscles cooled. Puffs of warm air floated in front of its face, and they too grew smaller.

All for One suppressed a laugh and stepped closer. It didn't respond to his presence.

He smiled and placed his hand on its head, "There. That's it, Noumu."

Its hackles bristled under the weight of his hand, lacking any will behind the display.

An automatic response.

Finally.

He hummed, the fluttering heartbeat of the fallen nurse drew his attention, "I will need to dispose of this body. Perhaps I will make that your first task."

The noumu shuddered, head bowing and shoulders slumping.

"Good."

A wave of exhaustion crashed through his smug thoughts, and he backed away suppressing a curse. Sweat beaded on the back of his neck and ran down his spine.

He turned away to exit the room, and the noumu remained still.

Limping down the short corridor, his breaths grew heavy and labored.

Damn it!

His legs wobbled, and he slumped into his wheelchair. Switching over to the tank strapped to the chair, he took a deep breath. The effort of maintaining his facade drained him.

"I had forgotten -" he panted, the burn in his lungs fading, "This healing quirk's side effects."

Exhaustion pulled at his limbs, and he took a moment to rest.

It's done, he thought, grinning into his oxygen mask.

He sensed it, the final light fading from All Might's eyes. His noumu was almost ready. One last link was needed. One last task.

All for One rolled the chair towards the elevator, making his way to the top floor. He thought back to the last message he warped to Tomura.

"You're no doubt aware of my escape. I have a personal matter to attend to. One that will strike at the heart of every living hero. Continue with your own plans. I may send a gift, a new kind of noumu, if all turns out well."

Activating Search once again, he easily located Tomura.

He clicked his teeth and grunted with frustration, cursing his limited mobility, Too far.

He shook his head, deciding to maintain his self-imposed distance.

"Another message then."

Wheeling over to his makeshift work station, he withdrew a prepared tabloid clipping from a drawer, one he knew read: "Where is All Might Now?"

Gritting his teeth, a simple warp nearly too much for his current state, he sent it away from himself.

His shoulders slumped, and the hiss of medical equipment drowned out his thoughts.

Out of one prison and into another.

Rest. He could afford himself one moment of rest.

Or so he thought.

Years of work in the shadows, building connections and collecting loyal pawns, up in flame. All for One would abandon Rishi. Sever the useless, infected limb, ruined and rotting because of a mere thorn.

All. Might.

All for One slammed his hand on the desk in front of him, scattering glass and papers, "What went wrong? He was gone! All Might was dead! How- !"

He froze, feeling blood drip down his palm. The red glow of cooling blood seeped into his sleeve, and he focused his attention on his hand. He shivered as the wound knit cleanly together, pushing the sliver of glass out until it dropped onto the desk. Fatigue followed, the quirk's side effect taking its toll.

All for One exhaled slowly, the tubing in his throat hissing, "I see…"

One quirk. The key.

He cursed himself and his rash judgement. He had wanted All Might to hurt.

Suffer in his final moments.

A healing quirk was unnecessary, a privilege to be taken away. Surely his foe's mind would collapse with seven quirks. No other had survived so many. An eighth would not be missed. He was fading! Gone!

But now, despite all odds, he sensed All Might's steady recovery.

All for One clasped his hands together, fuming silently.

"Leaving things to chance, how unlike you."

The Doctor stepped from the shadows, "Exhaust the body, and the mind will soon follow. A simple recipe for noumu, one you followed to the tee. Perhaps if I had been called earlier-"

"No." All for One frowned, leaning back heavily in the desk chair.

The Doctor raised his hands in acquiescence, "Right. Your experiment. Hands off."

All for One heard the unspoken contradiction in the Doctor's words and felt the other man's burning curiosity. He knew, had he released the reigns and allowed the Doctor to participate, All Might would have been unrecognizable from the start.

The Doctor was certainly enthusiastic enough to make up for his poor taste. He claimed stripping away the skull made the brain easier to examine and manipulate. He insisted flooding the noumu's system with drugs ensured their compliance, as if their will hadn't melted away early on. Nevertheless, the experiments succeeded. Useful, if warped, pawns.

All for One let him be in the past, but this was different, "Your particular brand of assistance would have tampered with my desired end result."

The Doctor merely shrugged, adjusting some of the equipment hooked to All for One's neck, "Drop an empty husk in front of U.A. As long as one person recognized the man it used to be, the effect would be the same."

All for One's voice was low and dangerous, "Denial is a powerful thing. There could be no doubt."

Rely on drugs when my own hands could do the job? Not for him.

Not for All Might.

The Doctor sighed, scratching at his thick mustache, "So, what will you do now?"

All for One hummed and grinned as his hand slid over the papers lining the table, "I've laid the groundwork and sent the message. Now it's time to take a step back and watch.

"Tomura must be itching with anticipation."

Thank you for reading "Catalyst" the sequel to "Canvas!" Send me a review or PM if you have any questions or comments.