Well hello ! So again, you guys didn't like the last chapter, and honestly, I'm just confused at this point. People complained because there were too many flashbacks ... only three in 10 000 words ... and they weren't even 1000 words long all combined ...
But it doesn't matter ! I listened to you people ! (Again ... but you guys will probably not be satisfied yet again)
RushAlias is back ! And you guys should be grateful because he did a hell of a good work with his OC Flare ! Your favorite journalist is back !
Have a nice chapter ... oh and please give me constructive reviews, I want to know what you liked AND disliked in this chapter and also why ... and please refrain from complaining about the AN part, it's not even 200 words long FOR FU-*redacted*
Anyway ! Please give me CONSTRUCTIVE REVIEWS, tell me what you liked, and if possible, why, or what you disliked and also why you did. I do appreciate reviews simply telling me that the chapter was nice, and that you want more but ... please, I have hundreds and hundreds of those ... even if they are always appreciated.
Lastly I would like to make a massive shoutout to Victini1412 ! (Shoujo-hime1412 on FF) for their massive Beta reading with this chapter ! You are Gr8t.
Izuku dragged Ilda out of the alley while Shoto reinforced the ice wall. They could hear Stain on the other side trying to break through the ice with his swords and screaming in anger. He almost sounded inhuman, and even Shoto seemed a bit scared by the Hero Killer's reaction.
Izuku also brought Native out of the alley with Tenya, and he wasn't seriously injured, nothing severe. But Manual ... Stain went all out on him, and he must have been very aware of what he was doing. Each cut was inflicted to make Manual feel great pain without killing him.
"Manual ? Are you still-"
"J-just evacuate, we can't fight or hold the position, we are in a bad-" the hero coughed some blood "we have to go now ! He won't follow us in the streets"
Izuku nodded and dragged Manual as carefully as he could to not hurt or injure the pro even more, as he was moving Manual, Izuku, saw Native twitching.
"I-I think I'm regaining control, give-give me a minute" the pro slowly managed to move his arms, but he was still partially paralyzed "the effects do not seem to last for a long time !"
Meanwhile Izuku noticed that Shoto was reaching his limits "I can't-" One of Stain's sword pierced through the ice before disappearing behind the wall and piercing it once again somewhere else "He is getting through !"
Shoto was using up all his energy to maintain the ice wall stable, but Stain had the strength of a bear "Shoto ! We have to go no-" the wall shattered entirely. Among the falling ice debris Izuku spotted Stain ready to land a strike with his sword. Izuku made a stupid decision, he knew it was stupid because he didn't take the time to think twice about it. He threw himself in the middle of Stain's trajectory to shield Shoto.
BUNK
The sword landed on Izuku's helmet, the blow was so powerful that Stain broke his sword against Izuku's helmet which now had a larger crack, however compared to the sword Izuku was still in one piece but completely disoriented. Yet he was still able to mentally thank Sensei for making a few suggestions concerning which material he should use for the helmet.
It gave Shoto a few seconds to react and this time he would not make the same mistake "FIRE FRENZY!" Shoto raised his right hand and generated a powerful fire trail. Stain was too close to dodge. Shoto didn't mean to hurt him or directly uses his quirk against him but at this point he would rather save his friend that follow the law.
Shoto helped Izuku to stand up "You didn't have to do that ! Are you hurt ?"
"I'm not dead that's the whole point, you just needed one second, right ?" Shoto didn't want to warn Izuku about the crack in his helmet since all he could see through the hole was blood "Now let's go before he gets back, we have to bring Manual to an hospital" Izuku pushed away Shoto's hand "Do not worry about me, Manual is the most injured, Native is already regaining control of his body, and so will Tenya in a moment, go ahead we will be right behind"
Native was now able to stand up, and Tenya was recovering too. Shoto hurried in their direction, and Izuku followed a few meters behind them.
However as he was running away Izuku felt a very familiar signature coming straight toward them "Oh no ..." Izuku barely had the time to raise his head when a half burned Nomu crashed through a building sending a whole floor of debris and furniture's crashing down the alley.
Izuku considered accelerating before anything could reach the ground but it was too late, the only way out was now completely closed.
"Izuku !" Shoto called him from the other side, however now elemental quirk user had another serious problem to deal with ?
"It's still alive !" Tenya was being hunted by the same Nomu which crashed thought the building, hopefully for him it was considerably weakened, probably by Endeavor considering that half of his body was still either smoking or burning.
Shoto gritted his teeth, he couldn't reach Izuku at this point "Izuku ! Hold on ! We are coming back"
On the other side Izuku was already trying to climb the pile but it didn't look very stable, and he had the bad sensation that another Nomu could very well arrive and end up the same way its comrade did. He had to find another way to escape, Izuku was about to turn around and again he was grateful he had All for One to cover him.
Stain was already back in action and if Izuku didn't feel him coming he would have been impaled against the pile.
"If I can't get the other brat then I will get YOU !" Stain was in a bad state, similarly to the way the Nomu had half of his body burned, Shoto had seriously damaged him "Stop moving would you ! You are wasting my time !"
Completely isolated from any civilians, heroes and cameras ... no one watching, only the Hero Killer who keeps yelling nonsense about purging society and murdering everything he can find ... Izuku had to admit he had been waiting for this since Stain was in front of him.
Izuku blocked Stain's sword with his left arm before the vigilante could even try to land a blow, it hurt a lot but Izuku didn't care, he only needs a single contact. He brought his right hand straight to Stain's face using his confusion. The Hero Killer didn't expect a direct attack from Izuku or any attack at all since first he was still a hero in training and second, he knew about his quirk ... so why would he let him get access to his blood ?
"You are finished kid !" Stain kicked Izuku after a second, sending him rolling at the other end of the alley then the Hero Killer proceeded to inspect his sword, it was covered by Izuku's blood. He had more than enough to keep the kid down for hours, even a whole day if he needed to "Now let me see how your blood taste ..." He liked his sword and swallowed the blood with pleasure ... the kid wasn't moving, he chuckled and approached him raising his sword above hid body "That's the only way to change this world ! You have to di-!" Stain was about to bring down his sword when Izuku moved again and hit his leg with a metal pipe which was laying on the ground next to him.
Stain was completely stunned, his quirk wasn't working ?! Why ? "HOW ?"
Izuku stood up still holding the metal pipe as weapon "Not so powerful without your quirk now right ?!" Stain screamed at Izuku just like some sort of animal, in fact a Nomu would have done the same.
"Quirk or no quirk ! I can kill you whenever I want !"
Midoriya's household
"I must say, I hardly had such pleasant conversations in all my life" All for One had been waiting for something important to happen, or rather arrive.
"Not as pleasant as with Izuku I suppose, compared to him I do not have much to say and-" someone know knocked at the door, Inko hurried to check who could be trying to see her at this time, but when she noticed the letter waiting on the floor she understood it must have been a postman.
All for One smiled, he knew perfectly what this was all about "Something is wrong ?" Inko was currently opening the letter and she started reading the official document which was inside, it was very simple to understand, she being informed that Hisashi Midoryia had been found dead ... or rather the police concluded that he was dead considering they were unable to find his remains.
At first Inko gasped ... then she compressed the document in her hands and threw it in the closest garbage she could find "Nothing important, I just learnt that I wouldn't receive Hisashi's payment for the next month ..."
Inko sat back in front of Sensei and took another sip of tea "I could help, I have a few billions to spare" sip of tea that she immediately ended up spitting in a very disgusting demeanor from her point of view but hopefully it only made All for One laugh "I apologize, I didn't mean to surprise you"
"I-I- ... look even if a part of me would like this money I just can't accept that much, we just don't need to live in a mansion, what would be the point ? We like living a simple life"
"Well at least accept that I lower my offer ... how many would you be ready to take? "
Inko blushed, she stared at her cup of tea and muttered something All for One couldn't understand "L-Let's say -200, 000 yens alright ?"
"Make it 00, 000, and I will leave you alone"
"Y-yes I accept ! I-I mean if you insist" All for One laughed again, louder this time as he pierced through Inko's poker face if he dared to use the expression.
Both of them were interrupted as they heard someone running in their direction "M-miss Mido- I-I mean Ink- I mean-mom-I-I mean- N-Neveemind ! Th-there is something on the TV !" Eri almost collapsed on the floor when she reached the adults, All for One couldn't see her facial expression but her voice was giving enough information to conclude that whatever the little girl just saw, it was VERY important.
Inko stood up and took Eri in her arms "Don't worry it's fine, it's just the TV, let's go see what scared you so much- All for One took the lead and reach the living room first.
"-Chaos here ! T-those things are rampaging Hosu city ! Endeavor is doing his best to contain this invasion but he could need a hand or two ! Where are the heroes ? Is-is this attack related to Stain ? I-I think we can a-affirm that-Oh ... OH GOD !" The camera barely showed something black leaping toward the journalists before the image disappeared.
After a few seconds it went back to the main studio "Uh- W-we apologize for this- Hum ... un-unexpected event, I'm sure our team is going to be fine" the woman kept smiling until whoever was responsible of the transmission decided to place some advertisements "THEY BETTER BE FINE ! OR ELSE I'M LEAVING !" She probably forgot to mute her microphone.
"Oh no ! I-Izuku is-" Inko shivered, those monsters could match All Might's strength, she couldn't imagine her son having to fight off one of them.
"I know" All for One took out his phone and composed a number without even having to ask Inko for help, he knew it perfectly "I need a transport RIGHT NOW"
Somewhere else at the same time.
Toshinori had been discussing a bit with Nedzu, he wanted to know everything about Izuku, familial situation, hobbies, friends, favourite food but to his surprise Izuku's file was rather empty compared to some others.
"Well ... are we done now ?"
"You can still keep the whole file with you, I'm authorized to give you a copy since you are a teacher here" Nedzu was handling the Izuku file to All Might who denied it with a hand gesture.
"It's fine, I will just come back if I need to know something else" All might picked up his coat "I'm off, see you in a-" his phone rang "who is calling me at this hour ? Naomasa ?" He answered the call "Ye-?"
"Toshinori, you have to come to Hosu RIGHT NOW, the league has deployed at least ten Nomus in the centre of the city !"
"The League ?! I'm coming right now ! Hold on !" All Might hung up and ran as fast as he could, if he pushed a but his limit, he would be in Hosu in only five minutes.
Back in the alley
"Quirk or no quirk ! I can kill whenever I want !" Stain lunged at Izuku, this time he wasn't even trying to simply land a blow to get Izuku's blood, he was attacking to kill.
Izuku made a mistake, he took away Stain's quirk and now he didn't have anything to use against the Hero Kill. All for One was useless at this point, but he could defend himself using the rusted metal pipe he found. Although, Stain was physically stronger and faster than him.
Blow after blow Izuku had to take a step backward, but soon he would be cornered again "It is the end brat ! I hope you lived a good life, at this point it's too late for you !" With one last swing of his sword Stain broke the pipe in two leaving Izuku defenseless, and then he landed a powerful kick sending Izuku against a wall.
He couldn't breathe, he was about to spill blood he could feel the taste in his mouth, for a moment he feared that consuming his own blood would paralyze him ... how could he think about this in such a situation ? He could barely stand up, yet he had to, or else Stain would get him.
"Lay down, and accept your fate" ordered the Hero Killer as he was approaching Izuku.
"N-never" Izuku managed to stand up using a wall on his right "Not-Not in front of people like you"
"People like me ? People like me are the only ones willing AND able to change society ! You heroes are just parasites who keep pretending that everything is fine when it's not !"
Stain words echoed through Izuku's head ... three words in fact, three words that he had already head from Sensei.
"Willing AND able" ... willing and able ... willing and able to shape society, to shape the world to his desire, because he is ... because he is- ...
Izuku brought he hands to the back oh his helmet "I think- ... I think I know now, I think I know what's my hero name"
"Your hero name ? What are you talking about ? Are you trying to earn some pity ? Hahaha entertain me one last time before you die kid, what is your hero name ?" Stain readied his sword for the finishing strike.
"My name-" Izuku took out his helmet "My name is ... All for One" Izuku felt a rush of confidence, adrenaline rushing through his veins, he wasn't even controlling All for One at this point, the red lightnings were just moving all around his body, Stain for the first time since the beginning of their fight seemed to shiver, Izuku could read hesitation in his eyes while he on his side had already planned Stain's defeat.
The Hero Killed charged toward Izuku who did the same ... he just needed some of his blood, Izuku moved slightly toward Stain's left, more precisely he was aiming for the Hero Killer's left arm. He wasn't quick enough, Stain's sword pierced through his belly, it hurt a lot but not enough to destabilize him. Izuku screamed and with all his strength as he planted his teeth inside Stain's left arm.
He bit him so hard that the Hero Killer lost his grip on his sword "AHHHHHH ! YOU-YOU DEM-" He didn't have the time to finish his sentence though, his muscles weren't responding anymore.
Stain the Hero Killer was defeated ... but now Izuku had another problem, he was losing a lot of blood, his legs couldn't hold him up anymore, he took off the top of his costume and tried to use it as a compress against the massive cut that Stain's sword had created with this last strike.
Was he going to die now ? Sensei would never forgive him, his mom would never be able to get over this, Eri, he would never be able to help her and- ... Ochaco ... no, no he would not die here, he wouldn't ... Izuku looked at the dark sky above him, and prayed for a miracle. Perhaps didn't deserve one for all those lies who never really helped him to have a normal life, yet he completely assumed each and every of them, every lies, every illegal actions because as far as he knows it was necessary, if he had to act like a villain to be a hero so be it.
...
Izuku closed his eyes perhaps it was really too late ? ... something was approaching, something way more powerful than a Nomu "S-Sensei ? No way-"
CRASH
A figure landed in the alley "Izuku !" The figure ran toward him, suddenly he felt that the injury wasn't burning anymore instead the burning sensation had been replaced by a comforting heat "What happened to you ?! ... please of you still have enough strength answer me"
Izuku's vision was still blurry but the figure above him ... it could only be one person "S-Sensei ... I'm sorry, I wasn't strong enough this time" he tried to stay awake but as the pain went away, he felt more and lore exhausted.
...
All for One took away his hand from Izuku's injury ... he wasn't dying anymore, but this would still leave a mark. He checked his student to see if perhaps he happened to steal the vigilante's quirk, and then he turned toward Stain.
"Hum ... soul grab" with a simple gesture of the hand All for One lifted Stain's body in the air and then, using the same quirk he proceeded to repeatedly smash the Hero Killer against the walls of the alley ... again, and again, and again ... and again.
After a minute or two All for One considered that Stain had enough. Now he doubted that the Hero Killer would be able to kill anyone ever again. He went back to Izuku side and dragged him next a wall so the teen could be in a better position "I'm sorry ... I should have been here sooner and perhaps you would not have been hurt to this extent"
Izuku started moving again, he tried to but he ended up coughing blood, he wanted to stand up but Sensei pushed him back on the ground "Wait, you have to rest !"
Izuku looked around him, All for One was right in front of him, there was something wet on his face, blood ? He remembered incapacitating Stain Stain then- "S-Sensei what happened ?! Where is Stai-"
"The Hero Killer won't hurt anyone ever again, especially you" Izuku glanced at ... he didn't even want to know if what was laying further in the alley was really Stain.
"W-what about you ?! It's dangerous ! The League had deployed a lot of Nomus and there are a lot heroes too ! You can't stay here"
All for One chuckled at the thought of someone caring about him in the middle of the chaos he indirectly created "Do not worry about me, even if I was spotted none of them would be able to catch me, now I'm more concerned about you ... does it hurt ?" All for One gestured at Izuku's belly, the cut had seriously shrunk but he couldn't completely close it.
"Y-yeah, I have seen worse" Izuku wasn't lying, one-time Katsuki almost destroyed one of his arms, Sensei had to use at least six different types of healing quirks just to put back in place his shoulder.
"I'm glad to hear this ... now, how about we talk about your hero name"
"My ... my hero name ? So you had been watching ?"
"Yes, I can move quickly you know ? ... All for One, as far as I know I never gave you permission to use my name" Sensei crossed his arms and seriously changed his tone, he wasn't angry but Izuku believed it meant that he was serious.
"I-I was about to ask your permission, I-I mean if I happened to get out of this fight alive ! And-And I thought since we met you-you-"
All for One ended up laughing out loud "Oh my Izuku, how can you be so yourself in such a situation? Just a minute ago you were about to die from blood loss and now you are just trying to find poor excuses ... Izuku, I offer you the right to take my name and make it yours"
Hosu city center
All Might ran through the streets at full speed, destroying every Nomus he encountered on his way, those versions were weaker than the one he fought at the U.S.J. how did the League hoped to achieve anything with those ?
He was looking everywhere to find his students, if the League was here then they were his top priority. It didn't take him too long before he saw Tenya being pursued by a fast Nomu, but it was not as fast as him.
"TEXAS SMASH !"
Neither the Nomu or Tenya saw him coming. The Nomu already looked injured, and this last attack certainly incapacitated him for good, Tenya stopped running when he heard All Might yelling "A-All Might !" This thing had been running after him for the last two minutes. Shoto wasn't able to catch up with them, so he ended up running away.
"Tenya ! Have you seen your comrades ?"
"We were together ! Manual went missing, and we discovered a bit late that it was a trap which had been put in place by Stain ! We tried to recover Manual, and we managed to do so without engaging the fight with Stain. Then one of the League's creature arrived, and we got separated. Izuku is still here with Stain ! We have to hurry before it's too late !" All Might followed Tenya to the alley where Izuku had been trapped.
As they ran through the city All Might noticed that most of the fights in the city had ended, Endeavor and the other pros did a great job, now the only threat left was Stain.
A whole building had collapsed and was blocking the alley "Tenya stay behind me !" All Might pushed One for All slightly above his limit and wish one blow he managed to create an opening.
"Young Midoriya ? Are you here ?" For some reason the atmosphere in the alley was more than unwelcoming "Tenya, call the police, something is wrong, I'll be fine on my own" Tenya nodded and stayed at the entrance of the alley to make a call.
All Might walked carefully further into the allay. He noticed ice on the walls, and he couldn't blame Shoto. Beside using his quirk in this kind of environment was the best thing his student could do, Toshino kept advancing. He didn't see any other traces of a fight.
"I offer you the right to take my name and make it yours" All Might heard a voice He walked as slowly and as silently as possible, so he could take them by surprise whoever was in the alley with him. However, he didn't understand in what context anyone would say such a thing "Tonight you showed me all the qualities of a true hero ... and I mean it"
Toshinori kept asking himself the same question, just what the hell was happening at this very moment ?
"Y-you mean-" Izuku's voice, All Might lowered his discretion he had to make sure his student was safe. He reached a corner, Izuku was laying against a wall. He was injured, a small blood loss around his forehead but nothing else. Izuku was safe and it's all that mattered, now he wanted to discover with who his student was talking.
"Yes, Izuku Midoriya, I offer you my name ... I shall leave you now, stay safe from now on" All Might understood that this unknown individual was leaving, but he got out of his hiding place too late as they had already disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"A-A-All Might !"
"Izuku !" The symbol of peace rushed toward his student to check on him "Are you alright ? Where is Stain ?"
"I'm-I'm fine ! Stain is- ... he-" Izuku pointed his left hand toward the Hero Killer "It's him"
All Might stared in disbelief at the corpse which was laying on the ground. The Hero Killer had lost a lot of blood, but it wasn't his main problem at the moment ... Toshinori checked, Stain was still breathing "Wh-who did this ? Izuku please, do not tell me you were the one wh-"
"N-no I swear ! It wasn't me ! It was-" Izuku was about to cover his mouth and he was glad he managed to stop himself from doing this. Either way he would REALLY be in trouble.
"Who was it ? ... Izuku who was the person talking with you a few seconds ago ? I need to know. I clearly heard someone else I was right around the corner, but I couldn't see who they were, you have to tell me"
... Yet another lie "I- ... they just appeared out of nowhere and they- ... they saved me; Stain was about to kill me. I was conscious at this point, but I know they were the one who saved me" Izuku explained, and in a way, it was true, he wasn't conscious when All for One "finished" Stain.
"What did he meant by offering you to use their name ? Were they some sort of vigilante ?"
Izuku was sweating, Sensei had to know All Might was here, either way it was just some sort of improbability ... is this really what Sensei wanted ? Izuku could use his name but he had to talk about this meeting ? ...
"They ... they told me their name ... they said they were impressed by my fight with Stain, but I suppose you heard that parr"
"Izuku, what were they called ?"
"... All for One"
Both the student and the symbol of peace were scared, but no one could tell which one was the most. One feared the consequences of all the lies he had been keeping, the other feared the unforeseen threat which had been standing a few meters away from him right under his nose.
"They are here !" Tenya's voice brought them out of their thoughts, in a few seconds a dozen of cops was swarming inside the alley.
"Handcuff the Hero Killer now !" Yelled their chief.
But All Might intervened "W-Wait ! He is severely injured ! Call a team of paramedic, he is gonna need one. Meanwhile you can make sure he doesn't make any attempt to escape, but you will notice soon enough that he might not be able to try anything at all" All Might got closer from Izuku "... Izuku ... have you already heard about ... the person you met ?" Izuku simply nodded in response "Who told you about him"
"G-Gran Torino, he complained about my helmet and-and he said the last person he saw wearing one like this was a villain called All for One" Izuku already knew the answer of his upcoming question but he might as well pretend "W-... Were they the same person ?"
"... Izuku for now, make sure to keep this for yourself, we will discuss this later " All Might saw that the paramedics had arrived "I need someone over here ! Another injured !"
Three hours later.
And this is how Izuku ended up alone at the hospital. A doctor quickly came to check on him without even giving him his name or anything else. He probably noticed or was informed that Izuku was quirkless before "taking care" of him. It's not like he would have done anything. Sensei was the one who saved him, and he was glad the strongest person in the world happened to be nearby.
Izuku was trying to get some rest but apparently, he would have to wait a few hours for that. Shoto and Tenya just entered inside the room. The doctor must have authorized the visits.
"Izuku ! We were so worried, we never meant to leave you behind" Tenya immediately bowed in an exaggerated manner as he walked next to Izuku.
"I'm fine really, I can't blame you, it was the- I mean the creature who blocked the way and-"
"Nomu" interrupted Shoto "That's how they are called, All Might briefed us" then he gave a few explanations to Izuku, though he already knew all about them "And that's it ... Oh Tenya ! You can stop hiding it behind you"
"I almost forgot too hahaha" Tenya showed something he had been hiding in a bag behind him "I found it in the alley, it's some sort of symbol with your costume so ... here it is" Tenya took out Izuku's helmet from the bag "W-well it's broken but I guess it'll easy to repair right ?"
"Yeah that's not a problem can I have it ?" Tenya handed Izuku his helmet. Then Izuku proceeded to hold the helmet tight in his arms, just like a plush. Shoto and Tenya looked at each other slightly confused by Izuku's reaction.
"Are you alright ? Izuku we heard you-" Shoto didn't finish his question as Tenya took the lead.
"Look I- ... i saw what happened to Stain in the alley and- ... I can't believe you were the one who did this to him. Izuku just- ... we just want to know what happened here. We are your friends you can speak to us, but if you do not want to talk about this they-they it's fine ... but remember we are here for you, just like you were here for us today"
"Guys ... look I-" the door swung open revealing Gran Torino and ... a very very tall dog wearing some sort of black costume ?
"Ah, it's good to see you are awake, how are you feeling kid ? Stain went all out on you apparently ... well that's what the paramedics told me. When I asked the doctor, he didn't understand that I was speaking about you, and when he did, he simply said he had something "urgent" to do ... he doesn't seem very efficient. Oh, also Tenya, Manual is okay, and he asked me to tell you he was proud of you ... good work too uh- Shoto am I rig-" The tall dog person stepped in front of Gran Torino.
"Gramps that's enough sugar, they have to know that they are in trouble" Izuku only felt indifference in his voice ... he already didn't like him.
"Ah yes ... you have got a visitor, in fact it's perfect that you are all reunited here, let met present you Hosu's chief of police, Kenji Tsuragamae"
Izuku hesitated, this person was more important than he thought. He tried to stand up "It's alright, you can stay in your bed ... First all of you must know that Stain, also known as Chizome Akaguro, is in a ... "critical state" to keep it simple" The chief made a reminder about the profession of hero and the usage of quirks, and then he ended his speech by "Clearly you all crossed the limit, you directly used your quirks against-"
"It's false"
The chief looked at Izuku "I beg your pardon ?" Now he sounded angry, Izuku held back his fear and continued.
"None of us used their quirk against Stain, Tenya didn't, Shoto didn't, Manual was incapacitated before any of us even arrived, and so was Native ... how can you even accuse any of us ?"
The police chief eyed Izuku angrily "... then can you justify why we found the Hero Killer in a near death state ? Broken bones, massive blood loss, even a bit mark-"
"I did it" a few people in the room let out a gasp. Even Gran Torino couldn't believe what Izuku had just said "I-I ... I thought I had found a way to use his own quirk against him, and it worked but-"
"You expect me to believe that a quirkless managed to put a A-class vigilante in such a state ?!" Kenji didn't seem to care about Izuku's confession, no, he was just like most of the trash on Izuku's path. He definitely didn't like him "You also have a lot of nerve to speak to me this way kid"
"You must be a real bastard to despise quirkless people like this-" The police chief showed his teeth and took a step toward Izuku "But it doesn't matter, now tell me ..." Izuku took of his top and started removing the bandages around his belly.
Tenya understood what Izuku was about to do. He tried to stop him knowing what would happen if the wound reopened "Izuku no ! You don't have to-" Izuku silenced his friend with a simple gesture of the hand.
"No, he will see it, and then he WILL understand that you haven't done anything wrong. I was the one who got caught" Izuku finally finished to remove the bandages and already some blood was coming out despite the fact the injury had been sewed "And THIS is my proof. If the fight was so violent as you would say, they why am I the only one injured ? If any of us used a quirk against Stain, then why isn't he burned for example ?"
Kenji tried to answer, but then Izuku abruptly stood up. He felt the injury straightening as he did "You come here to talk about what's good and wrong You disrespect those you consider weaker than you and finally you call me a liar ?" Izuku was about to throw his helmet at the police chief as his rage took control, but Gran Torino held him back and gently pushed him back on the bed.
"Kid wait ! Hear him out"
"No ! I should just let him talk, so you receive a punishment none of you dese-ARG" Izuku's injury reopened even more. Shoto, who happened to be the closest at this moment helped his friend to put back his bandages.
"Izuku, I know you want to help us but please at least listen to Kenji until the end, he has a proposal"
The police chief now seemed nervous, but he went straight to the main subject of his visit. The press will not be made aware of this event and according to Izuku's "testimony" ND no one will receive punishment "I hope you understand this is an exceptional measure. This could get out of our control very easily ... and also-" Kenji bowed at Izuku "I- ... I own you an apology I didn't mean to-"
"You didn't mean to what ?!" The police chief raised his head in confusion as he didn't expect this kind of reaction from Izuku. In fact, he totally assumed that Izuku would forgive him "A lot of people seems to realize that what they said a few moments ago wasn't what they meant ... get out ... please all of you get out"
Shoto and Tenya had never seen Izuku in such a state. At U.A. they had rarely seen him angry, the only time he answered back to someone like this was when All Might tried to prevent him from participating in his class. Tenya made the first move to get out of the room, and Shoto followed right behind. Kenji tried to speak again, but Gran Torino made him understand that Izuku needed to be alone for a moment "Leave him alone chief, the kid had a very long day. It would be better if he could get some rest before you talk to him again eventually"
After everyone left the room. Izuku cried ... he hadn't cried for a very long time. He held his helmet in his arms tighter than before. His vision became all blurry with the tears, yet something which was laying on a night desk caught his attention, his phone. Izuku needed to make a call.
Ochaco's apartment, living room.
Since she arrived and turned on the TV Ochaco had been thinking about all her friends in Hosu. What if the League had been directly targeting them ? What if they were injured or worse ? Only time would tell, but the worst part is that at this point Ochaco felt completely powerless over the results.
She had been watching the same channel for the last two hours, hoping that eventually some good news would arrive, but the only thing the journalist were able to talk about was Endeavor and Stain's arrestation . Though the journalist didn't seem to have any other info on the point.
Ochaco's phone rung, it took her less than a second to grab it, check who was calling her and answer "Izuku ! Are you alright ?!" She didn't add anything else, if Izuku was currently in danger this question was more than sufficient.
"Hey-Hey Ochaco, f-first I'm fine do not worry, we are all SAFE" Ochaco sighed, that was the only good new she needed at the moment.
"What happened ? I heard about the attack, everyone has, it's on all news channels !"
"Yeah ... Ochaco listen I- ... I'm involved into something big. I can't tell you anything yet but I-I felt like I had to talk to someone and you are the person- ... ok I mean ONE of the people I trust the most, no offence. I'm just-I'm just trying to be honest at this point and-"
"Izuku ... are you sure you are alright ? I mean mentally ... is it- ... is it related to Stain ?"
"... I cannot tell you anything at this point, You first guess was right, so it's really too obviou ... officially this never happened. I'm locked up at the hospital for now and-"
"You are injured then ! Izuku you told me you were alright !"
"And I am, I'm not dying, and I'm not incapacitated either ... I just had a very long and bad day in general, but I still managed to learn and figure out a thing or two. I had to call you now before it's too late like someone said. It would be too difficult to explain now and talking through our phones isn't really safe ... Ochaco, there are a few things I want to tell you. I-I have been thinking about asking you those things before, but I never had the courage to do so. Now it's different, the next time we met at U.A. can we take just ten minutes together ? I won't need more time I promis-"
"Izuku, if you needed a full week to speak with me I would gladly spend all this time with you ... actually- ... actually there are a few things I want to tell you too and-and It's cool that you are asking this. I won't hold you any longer now. Promise me that you are going to rest and when you get back to U.A. you won't have a single scratch on you okay ?"
"Hahaha yeah, I promise ... thank you Ochaco, and good night's
"Good night" Izuku felt slightly relieved.
Outside the hospital room.
Toshinori went to the hospital as fast as he could once he was done making his report. He hoped to arrive before Kenji but apparently the chief didn't waste any time making things clear with his students. He thought that everything would have gone smoothly as none of them as committed any major infraction, but when he arrived in front of Izuku's room he found Kenji and Gran Torino arguing.
"-And what if I wasn't aware ? Stain still has minor burns in his right arm ! The press could pinpoint that to Shoto. Gramps, you do not know how hard it is to keep it low when the youngsters aren't completely conscious of their limits !"
"YOU STUPID DOG ! I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU BEING RIGHT OR WRONG ! I'm asking you what the hell is your freaking problem with quirkless ?!" At this point All Might had already figured out what happened before he arrived, this wouldn't help at all for the next part.
"So that's what it's all about ... he is quirkless and this is a fact, you should know better than anyone that he will never be able to-"
"Finish that sentence and I'm making sure none of your colleagues will recognize you" Gran Torino grabbed the dog man by his tie and dragged him at his level.
"YOU F-" the chief seemed to be about to bite the old pro.
All Might walked between the two to prevent them from killed each other, Kenji almost got an hearth attack when he finally noticed the symbol of peace standing next to him, and meanwhile Gran Torino eyed his old student angrily "I hope I am not interrupting something ... Chief I really hope you didn't really mean what you were about to say and Gran ... No, I would have done the same at this point, can I have some privacy with the kid ?"
Kenji and the old man parted away while Tohsinori caught his breath and entered inside the room without knocking. Izuku was laying in his bed and doing something with his phone.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you" All Might tried to have the warmest smile he could produce in this situation. He noticed a few things, first Izuku had been crying, his eyes were a little red and- ... his torso was also red, the bandages ... just what happened in this room ?
"N-no don't worry, I was about to call my mother to reassure her, but I'm sure someone else has already done so" Izuku tried to smile, but he was less talented at that then All Might "Are you here about the-"
"Wait" All Might opened the door to check if everyone was listening then he also proceeded to make sure there was no camera inside the room or anything that could record their next discussion "Yes ... are you sure his name was All for One ?"
"... Yes, that's how he called himself"
"And- ... have you seen how he- ... defeated Stain ?"
"N-no ... I was unconscious. I spent the last two minutes avoiding getting stabbed by that psychopath, but I ended up getting hit in the end. Tthat's only at this moment that he intervened"
"Intervened ? Then he was present before you engage any fight with Stain ?c
Izuku mentally cursed himself "N-no I mean ... I suppose he was, he appeared right after Stain stabbed me. This can't be a coincidence. When I woke up, I wasn't in the middle of the alley anymore. I was resting against a wall and then- then he ... praised me ?"
All Might grabbed a chair. He had to sit down immediately "Izuku ... All for One and I have a bit of history together, I can't go into the details because no one except a few people in this country knows that he exists. He is probably the strongest villain in the world ... or was. A few years ago, I managed to defeat him, and I thought - ... I-I thought I-"
"You thought you killed him ?"
Izuku couldn't hold back that one question. He knew he was right and was certain that All Might knew that despite the fact that murder was his only option to stop All for One, it was wrong in every possible way.
"... Yes ... do not judge me Izuku. If you knew the full extent of his crimes, then perhaps you would understand. I didn't have much choice. Yet, he reappeared today to ... save you ? I'm really confused ... have you ever heard of him before ?"
An enormous lie was about to come out from his mouth "I never did, only Gran Torino mentioned him when we talked about my costume" he showed his helmet to All Might "He said that it was very similar to the one Se- All for One used to wear ... is this ... true ?"
"... I do not know. I never saw him wearing any clothes from a costume or a disguise" He only saw him a couple of times after all, and their last meeting was too bloody to even remember the face of the symbol of crime "Izuku, if this man ever appears again, DO NOT, and I repeat DO NOT try to fight him, he is a monster, he is far more powerful than any hero on this planet. I'm probably the only one able to match is power level"
"... Then why did he save me ? He had no reason to do so ! If he is a monster, then would he save a potential opponent ?" Izuku had to be careful, yet he couldn't let All Might ruin Sensei's image.
"Izuku, I have all the reasons to believe that All for One is the leader of the League"
Izuku's heartbeat accelerated ... it couldn't be possible, Sensei told him he had stopped all his criminal activities ... well most of them, when All Might defeated him. But ... no ... not the Nom-
"The creature the League used against me at the U.S.J. and tonight are called Nomus. They are subjects of experiments which are people fused together to obtain powerful soldiers able to use multiple quirks. They are completely devoted to their master and creator. Though I do not know if All for One is the person who personally created them, but I am sure he has been working with someone to perfect them"
"Why are you even telling me all of this ? If only a few people in the world are supposed to know about him then why did Gran Torino spoke to me about him ? Why are you giving me even more information?"
"Because Izuku ... All for One and I are destined to fight against each other. This may not sound clear for now, but soon you will understand' All Might proceeded to explain everything about One for All AGAIN, and also talk about its origins. Also, accidentally ending up revealing why he couldn't use One for All at its full extent anymore "And this is it ... you know the whole story of my quirk"
Izuku should have been stunned by this if he didn't already know everything about One for All ... yes, he didn't even try to act. He didn't have too, he was terrified by what was about to follow.
"... Why are you still telling me all of this ?"
"You haven't understood yet ? I want you Izuku Midoriya to be the next user of One for All ! ... Izuku, I had already intended earlier this year to speak with you but ... I was scared because perhaps I would make a bad choice, but today I am convinced no one else than you can take the mantle of symbol of peace ! ... What is your answer ?"
End of the chapter ! But here is a very good bonus from RushAlias ! Make sure guys to go and thank him/her/them !
This is taking place after the whole Stain's arc when the student are back at U.A.
Uraraka was a little nervous as she stared at the reporter opposite to her. She had heard about the infamous Flare Dragun before. She was a very vocal supporter on ethics and morals, and her work often tended to expose some of the worse parts of humanity. Ochaco was worried that the reporter might realize that she only wanted to be a hero for money, to support her parents, would easily dismiss her at best, and at worse she would prepare to make her career really difficult in future.
"It's nice to see your doing okay." Flare told her. The reporter was currently sitting opposite to her. Things were relatively calm as the hero in training sat there waiting for the reporter to make a comment. Flare had been scribbling in a notepad, what she wrote or drew was completely obscured from her view.
"So I'm gonna ask some questions, and I want you to answer truthfully." Flare told her. Ochaco nodded hoping this wouldn't be too invasive or too complicated. She had been told that reporters would ask questions to tie up people's tongues and manipulate people into saying things they didn't mean, but she hoped Flare was as honest as her reputation lead her to believe.
"What's your relationship with Izuku Midoriya?" Flare asked. Her relationship with Deku? Ochaco's face immediately started to blush as she tried to stutter out a response. Most if her words were along the lines of her not being a couple with Deku, or simply just liking him as a friend. Flare smiled like a schoolgirl as she watched Ochaco get flustered. She already got her answer when she saw the girl start to blush not a specific answer but enough to make an educated guess.
Body language can convey a lot about what a person is feeling even if they don't say anything. Ochaco's body language suggested several things. She thinks of him as friend just as she said, but she's embarrassed by it evident by the blush. Not so much because of Izuku himself, but rather her feelings for him made herself conscious when the question was phrased with the word 'relationship.' This also leads her loss of words, she's so self-conscious about the whole thing that she keeps reaching a loss of words as she wants to imply she likes Izuku but doesn't want to outright admit.
After deciding the poor girl had suffered enough, Flare decided to clear her throat and end the girl's flustering...for now. Flare explained how she wanted to know how Ochaco knew Izuku in terms of interactions. Stuff like did they meet before U.A. did they talk a lot, were they on good terms, or were they just existing in the same class without actually talking. These were the questions that would help paint a picture of how she thought Izuku's mindset was. It could be a wrong picture but it's better to start somewhere than nowhere, especially since Izuku was being saved for last on her list.
Ochaco's answers were very helpful and very detailed from what she gave. She described Izuku as a sweet boy with dreams of being a hero. He was determined and head strong to achieve his goal because he lacked a quirk which others had. What he lacked in physical capabilities he made up for in his intelligence. Messing up the quirk analysis exams Aizawa had done first day, (she didn't like what that exam implied), or when the two of them beat Bakugo and Ilda in hero's vs villains with Izuku using Bakugo's own weapon to win the fight. She kept her mouth close about the USJ incident, but it was evident that something big happened there. Flare quizzes her about the Hosu incident. Ochaco unknowingly confirmed her suspicion about Izuku being there at the time and even further confirmed the fight with Stain.
Stain was already something she was suspicious about especially when she heard Endeavour was the one who arrested him. Had it truly been Endeavour, Stain would have been in far worse conditions. Since it was an internship and she had already pieced together some involvement from Tenya Ilda she already figured the burns were from Shoto Todoroki not Enji. Tenya was quick to defend Izuku when she had brought up Stain suggesting some involvement in the fight if she read Tenya correctly. The hero in training who fought without a quirk was her biggest lead and she was glad it worked out; didn't mean she was frustrated she didn't report the story. Satisfied with what she got Flare decided to move on to the next topic...Bakugo.
"Katsuki Bakugo." Flare said, she noticed an involuntary shudder for Ochaco's part. That most likely resulted from a minor trauma Bakugo inflicted on the girl. Anyone would feel that if they got beat as badly, she saw. She knew heroes would face that eventually but this kid wasn't a hero yet, even more so it happened in front of two pro heroes and their jobs are technically to stop stuff like this from happening. It made her blood boil even more not just for Midnight and Cementoss but for a Bakugo as well.
She was supposed to be professional, but she really didn't like that kid. One was supposed to be able to separate their own bias from the mix when being a reporter, but Flare doubt that she could do that in front anyone other than a camera or her supervisor. The kid brutalized a young girl on live television, live television that was being broadcast worldwide. If nobody batted an eye because he was prospective 'hero' in training, then she would beat them over the head...metaphorically off course.
She decided to make this as quick as possible. She asked a few questions consistently telling her she didn't need to answer if she didn't want to even offer to stop the interview. The girl however insisted that they continue, and to that Flare would give her credit. The girl if anything had guts. Flare took everything with a grain of salt; although, those grains were more like lumps when she considered some of the other responses she got from students. It was still subject to interpretation because people could easily say Ochaco exaggerated details or even other students were jealous of Bakugo because of his potential but Flare would sort out the details later.
From what she heard; she didn't like. Bakugo in her opinion lacked several things that in her eyes made a good hero. He held a grudge, from what Ochaco said he had it out for Izuku since the beginning, firing a highly destructive weapon at him, insisting be expelled after the teacher said otherwise, and from what the zero gravity user said Bakugo was actually venting his frustration of Izuku on her. The last part made her dislike the boy even more because its not like Ochaco ever did anything to harm him she was just associated with Izuku. That showed three things pettiness, vengefulness, and a lack of compassion. Attributes that could be linked with sociopathy.
"Well that's enough of that. I just got one more question." Flare told her.
"Okay." Ochaco answered.
"Why do you want to be a hero?" Flare asked. Ochaco seemed to pause. Flare took this as her reason being something she didn't want to say out loud meaning it was either embarrassing, or it was something she didn't feel people would approve of.
"Just be honest." Flare told her. Several theories were already in mind ranging from childish fantasizing to revenge. The latter didn't seem like the case, but one could never tell. It's always the nice ones that you need to be wary about.
"I want to be a hero...to support my parents." Ochaco whispered. Flare tilted her head and motioned for the girl to explain further. This was getting interesting if the reporter was being honest. "When I was a little girl, I had always dreamed of being a hero and my parents supported that dream more than anything. However, as I got older, I realized just how much they actually supported me. My family ran a small business in construction, and while you might have guessed that my quirk would be very useful in that field. They never pressured me in to doing it. Over time I noticed that the family business wasn't doing so well, but my parents never said anything. When I finally did confront them, they said they wanted me to follow my dreams to be a hero. I told then I couldn't be a hero if it meant they would suffer but they just laughed. To my parents I was there only child, and what good parent doesn't want their child to follow their dream and be happy. So, I decided that I will be a hero. I'd be my parent's hero and I would repay them for the sacrifices they made for me." Ochaco said told Flare. The reporter remained silent as she stared at Ochaco. "You probably think I'm just a gold digger since I want to do it for money don't you?" Ochaco said softly.
"Not really." Flare told her as she leaned back. "On the surface it seems that way, but that's not your real reason." The reporter said. "I've seen what a gold digger looks like. They are people who only care about money and nothing else. You however care about so much more. You were willing to give up your dreams when you saw what they would cost your parents, and even now you aren't trying to be a hero because of the money. You are trying to be a hero because it was the dream your parents supported. You don't want to disappoint them. I won't lie and say I approve of you being hero just to pay them back." She saw Ochaco's face drop but she continued. "I will however say that I approve of you sacrificing so much for them. You've seen what it requires for you to be a hero and you are still willing to go through with it, to sacrifice for your parents. A hero must always put others before themselves. You put your parents before yourself that much is clear even if you are doing it for money you are doing it for money to take care of them." Flare said emphasized the them part.
"Tell me after experiencing the USJ attack, after hearing about Hosu, and your friends...do you still want to be a hero? And this time I want you to push away the idea of doing it for your parents...this has to be for yourself because if the answer is no then it would be best that you tell your parents now rather than later. You wouldn't want them to blame themselves if you are unhappy later down life because hero work finally did you in. They would be feel horrible that they forced you into such a state especially if something bad happened." Flare tried her best to elaborate to the zero gravity girl.
Ochaco listened to Flare's words and pondered them. "I..I don't know." Ochaco told her.
"That's perfectly all right." Flare told her. "I shouldn't have put you on spot like that." She explained. "Thank you for taking time to answer these questions, and I apologize if I caused any inconvenience." The reporter told the girl.
"No problem." The hero to be said. Flare took out a card and passed it to Ochaco. "What's this?"
"My phone number." Flare explained. "If you ever need anything be sure to call." The reporter said. "I've made a lot of connections in my time and if you ever need help making your mark in media, I'd be more than happy to oblige. Also be careful who you tell about that. I wouldn't want people thinking I turned you into a spy or something." Flare joked.
"Thank you." Ochaco said as she walked.
"One more thing. If you don't tell Izuku how you feel, he might think you don't like him. For all you know he could be lovestruck but just too shy to act." Flare told her. The reporter reduced the hero to blushing mess upon her exit, but it was and it was definitely fun to watch.
While Ochaco left, Flare remained to tidy up her interview room and prepare for the next one. Two individuals however decided to make themselves known. Nezu and Aizawa walked in not long after Ochaco left. If Flare was right, then they were most likely waiting for the girl to be out of ear shot before confronting the reporter.
"I don't approve of you getting friendly with my students." Aizawa said.
"I've already made my intentions clear. I don't have any interest using her as a spy for some quick juicy scoop. The only stories that interest me are the ones that actually matter. If you have something to hide, then I'll find out whether it be through her or other sources." Flare told them.
"I assure you Miss. Dragun we are very transparent." Nezu told her.
"Then explain to me the skinny All Might or better yet the buff Yagi." Flare told them. She smirked when she saw them briefly lose composure. It was brief given they were skilled heroes but not brief enough for her.
"How did you?"
"My quirk, Dragon eyes, it allows me to see people for who they really are. Normally it's pretty straight forward in a sense that when I look at a person, I can see a spirit version of the individual floating behind them with various visual traits corresponding to their personality. For example, you, Erasehead , " she pointed to Aizawa, " look like an emo hobo, but to me I see you for what you truly are." Flare told him.
"And what am I?" Aizawa challenged.
"You are a man who suffered a great loss in childhood, a dead family member or friend perhaps. That loss helped mold you into the man you are today. Your cold exterior hides a heart that's full of love and care. Most likely for your students and friends. You want what's best for them and you want them to be prepared so they don't lose like you did." Flare told him. "So that people they care about don't die like Oboro Shirakumo." Flare drilled the last part home. "I do my research based on what I see." She explained.
"So, you saw the same person behind All Might and Yagi and you put two and two together." Nezu reasoned.
"I won't tell anybody if the reason is good enough." She explained, she wasn't going to let them know the other things she saw when she looked at All might.
"Well then will you excuse us. I need to reconsider somethings with Eraserhead before he answers your question." Nezu told her.
"Take your time then."
A few minutes later.
Shoto walked into the interview room. It was his turn to be interviewed by Flare Dragun. Some students from his class were excited at the prospect but not him. It was drilled into his head alongside his siblings that he should always be wary about the reporters they talked to. His father had been adamant that he didn't talk to Flare but Shoto being the loving son that he was did it anyway just to tick off the old man. He may have felt some guilt because now Flare most likely would have to deal with repercussions if his father got involve. Speaking of said reporter she was fiddling with some strange device she had alongside three beverages. She had iced tea, regular tea and hot tea. When she noticed Shoto she immediately stopped playing with the device and motioned for Shoto to sit down.
They exchanged pleasantries, and Flare offered him a glass to drink. Shoto took the iced tea as it was his preference and thanked her, all while Flare merely smiled at him and emptied the hot tea into a nearby bin.
Her questions were pretty straight forward at first. She asked the basics like how he knew Izuku, Ochaco, and Bakugo. She inquired how they interacted with him, the rest of the class, and how they behaved during the semester. All questions he answered straight forward and honestly.
Where things stopped being simple was when she reached the sports festival. Originally, he assumed she would ask about his thoughts of the fight, who was right, who was wrong, and who should be punished. Flare didn't play like that.
"Tell me, Shoto. Do you think it's fair that a hero should be allowed to walk free after assaulting a girl like that? I say assault because that's what it looks like. He beat her excessively on live TV after all." Flare told him.
Shoto clenched his fist and Flare noticed. Her eyes trailed to the device on her side as she stared back at Shoto. "I think he should be punished severely." Shoto whispered.
"And how would you have reacted if you were in that same position?" Flare asked. "It's obvious that Izuku and Ochaco have some relationship even if they are both dense. Would you react like Izuku did in such a situation?" Flare asked.
Shoto bit his lip, the action not going unnoticed by Flare. Shoto seemed to be considering his next words very carefully. "I would have frozen him solid if he ever tried that again." Shoto answered.
"And would you do that exclusively to Bakugo or Endeavour as well?" Flare said absentmindedly.
"Both." Shoto said. That's when he realized what the question had just asked. Flare smirked as he had fallen hook line and sinker.
"I take it you father abused you mom as well." Flare said nonchalantly as she leaned back against her chair. "It's not really surprising given his track record which he tries very hard to clean by the way." Shoto simply stared at her not knowing if to respond or not. Flare simply saw this as an excuse to keep talking.
"Your father doesn't like me very much because I expose people like him. After my interview with Midnight and Cementoss I had received some very unfriendly news but being the stubborn individual I am, I ignored it." She explained. "There are some heroes who are actually on good terms with me, and through them I discovered that Izuku was actually being discredited very subtly by Endeavour. Thanks to a very reliable source I found out that he was also trying to rig the matches, so that you would fight Izuku and 'put him in his place'. So, I decided that if Endeavour wanted to play dirty with a true hero then I would work on a means to expose him for what he is." Flare explained.
"And your telling me this why?" Todoroki said cautiously. "Your telling me that you are planning on going after Endeavour and discrediting him. Why tell me that when I can most likely inform him of your actions beforehand?"
"Good question and here is a good answer. You hate him. You hate so much and its pretty evident mind you. First, you only use your ice, but you have access to fire as well. That suggests you dislike it or chose to hold back. While the latter is plausible, you hero costume says otherwise." Flare took out a photo of Shoto's her uniform. The image showed him with his left half fully encased in ice. "Odd choice in design I'll admit but I like to figure out oddities."
"Your mother Rie Todoroki is in a mental hospital. I tried digging around. Most sources said she went crazy and attacked her family. That burn mark on your face most likely is a result since that's clearly a water burn and not a fire burn. You would have been tolerant to that with your fire side." Flare said and she immediately noticed Todoroki's mood darkened at the mention of his mother. She knew immediately how sore that topic was, so she threaded carefully.
"I don't think that's the case." She continued. "You see there is an interesting theory that had circulated the media around that time about Endeavour abusing his wife. Most reporters on that topic where fired, and the sites were discredited and shut down...of course nothing truly disappears. I went back to those fired reporters, and dug around in the archives to find some evidence. Most of them encouraged me to stay away because of one man...Endeavour." Flare recounted. "I also dug around your mother's past." She told him.
"A rather poor small family nobody had ever heard about. The only significant ability they had was their ice quirk but none of them had ever really tried for hero work at the time. Suddenly they are doing really well, and wouldn't you know it that same year was the year your mother married your father. Seems like a perfect love story if you discount the whole mental asylum incident. Then you look at things long term, sudden financial improvement and marriage between the two most like was due to a quirk marriage." Flare told him.
"It made sense if you look long term. All Might ain't getting younger, and he isn't really looking to settle down. However, if Endeavour's child succeeds him it will be the ultimate victory for the number 2. So, he marries a woman whose ice compliments his fire. They live a supposedly happy life, but she goes crazy either from the stress of her new life or something else. I can imagine the death of Touya Todoroki had taken a toll on her psyche." Flare theorized.
"Either way. Endeavour still has his golden goose...you, so it's no loss to him but he has to fake it to make it." Flare added. "Only one problem. He ain't father of the year, and you are most definitely a momma's boy. You rebel evident by the single use if ice and the costume design. Still no skin off of Endeavour's back as you are technically using half your power, and accomplishing so much... And then Izuku shows up."
"Quirkless kid appears from nowhere and begins shaking up the foundations of hero society. He beats every gifted quirk child in U.A. not once but twice. Endeavour feels threatened and tries to undermine him alongside a few other 'heroes'." Flare explained.
"Funnily enough I only started digging into you family on the grounds that I needed to make a mental profile of you for this interview; however, what I found was a lot more interesting and probably more serious. If everything with Izuku and U.A. runs smoothly I might consider targeting Endeavour next. He might require more long-term planning though." She told him. Shoto was still silent.
"I'm right am I?" Flare said. Her voice wasn't cheery. She sounded disappointed like she had hoped she was wrong. She walked over to Shoto and put a hand on his shoulder trying to comfort him. Maybe she had gone too far spilling everything she discovered about his family to him. Shoto however had actually moved to hug the reporter.
"You're right." He whispered. "I won't tell anyone, but you have to promise me you'll get justice for my mother." Shoto told her.
"I promise." Flare said. The duo stayed there for a few more moments for Shoto to compose himself. After they finished, Shoto thanked her before leaving.
As expected, she was later joined by Nezu, Aizawa and All might of all people. From the looks on their faces she guessed they felt varying emotions.
"I should be mad that you crossed the line. That you invaded the privacy if one of my students so much." He told her before taking a deep breath. "Instead I'm mixed between being grateful and being furious that I didn't notice the signs myself." He told her.
"Is that a compliment?" She said teasingly.
"Aizawa is right Ms. Dragun you have violated several off our rules." Nezu said.
"But." Flare added.
"But in will let this slide on the ground that you uncovered a case of domestic abuse." Nezu said. "Truly it is rather disgraceful that such a thing happened in the first place." He added.
"You were very lucky that it was only us who viewed said footage." All might added.
"I'll keep that in mind next time Mr. Yagi."
"So are you going to go after Endeavour." Nezu asked.
"Most likely I will but I'll need more time. As it stands there is a lot to lose if I reveal my hand to early." She told them.
"What about Young Todoroki? Do you truly believe he'll stay silent?" All Might added.
"Don't know. I'm trusting him like I'm trusting you all?" She explained.
"Well then I hope you succeed." Nezu added.
