Three weeks earlier
"All Might, what did you want to talk about?" Izuku asked.
Leaning back in his chair, Toshinori looked at his successor gravely. He replied, "I wanted to inform you of a new development that could help you and Todoroki against her father."
Izuku's eyes widened as he asked, "What is it?"
"A few months ago, not long after you told us of her...situation...I contacted Detective Tsukauchi and a few of my other law enforcement contacts. The man may have used his influence to escape punishment for decades, but he has still committed many crimes, and made enemies of many police officers," Toshinori explained, "I apologize for the breach of Todoroki's privacy, but I felt that it would make our efforts to get her free easier in the future."
Izuku nodded along, looking thoughtful. He responded, "I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of telling the police without Shoko's knowledge, but you're right, Dad."
Toshinori tried not to break out into a silly grin at Izuku calling him that, and mostly succeeded.
He coughed to hide the smile, then continued, "Anyway, like I said, much of Japan's law enforcement community deeply loathes Endeavor, for a wide variety of reasons. As it turns out, many of them already had quiet investigations ongoing into potential crimes committed by the man, and when Tsukauchi asked, all of them eagerly combined their efforts, especially when they learned about the credible abuse allegations."
Izuku said, "Well, I'm glad that people know Endeavor's a piece of shit. But what does that mean for us?"
Toshinori felt a vicious grin form on his face.
"It means," he began, "that there is now a secure, locked filing cabinet in Tsukauchi's office, containing some twenty years or more of compiled evidence against the man currently claiming to be the Number One Hero. Recordings, legal documents, testimonials from dozens of people...it's enough to make any case against him beyond ironclad."
Izuku looked at Toshinori in disbelief. He said, "You're telling me that you could arrest Endeavor right now, and there's nothing he could do about it? That's...incredible! But why haven't you done it already, then?"
Toshinori has been expecting that question. "It's not quite as simple as marching up to Endeavor's door and slapping handcuffs on him, my boy. He is still an incredibly powerful and influential man, with a legal team that has successfully protected him from all sorts of credible lawsuits and criminal proceedings over the years. The case needed to be airtight, and until the other day, it wasn't," he replied.
"What changed?" Izuku asked.
Toshinori answered, "Rei Todoroki agreed to testify when we press charges. In addition, all of Shoko's siblings have given interviews and testimonies. That was all we needed; he can't get out now. Touya's evidence alone would put Endeavor behind bars for a very long time. In fact, our goal is to win the case without Shoko even having to take the stand. There's only two other reasons for our hesitation, and one won't be a problem for much longer."
Izuku asked, "What reasons are those? And why don't you want Shoko to testify?
Toshinori said, "It's not that we don't want her to testify, my boy. It's Tsukauchi's belief, and mine, that she shouldn't have to. Confrontations of that sort in court aren't always the best for a person's health, and if Shoko doesn't want to, we won't make her. And as for the reasons...well, if the Hero Commission got involved, Endeavor would likely survive a court case, even if his public reputation didn't."
Izuku nodded. He knew that the commission could most certainly cause problems; they were one of the reasons Shoko had been so scared to tell other people her story. If they decided Endeavor was a useful attack dog, he might even keep his license.
"Luckily," Toshinori said, interrupting Izuku's thoughts, "Nezu had a talk with them. It was a sight to see, let me tell you. Twelve of the most important people in Japanese heroics, and Nezu told them, to their faces, that they couldn't stop him from releasing all the evidence of Endeavor's misdeeds to the media and law enforcement. I was scared, and I work for Nezu!"
Izuku shivered just from the thought, then said, "So...they won't get involved?"
Toshinori nodded, a smile on his face.
Izuku hesitated for a moment. "What's the other reason?" he asked.
Toshinori shifted his weight, leaning forward to meet Izuku's gaze. "My boy," he said, "the only other reason we haven't already gone after Endeavor is because we need to be sure it's what Shoko wants. If she wants to press charges, we will. But she hasn't said anything out of fear of potential consequences for those more vulnerable than her, and we want to respect that. You should be aware of how much attention she and you now receive from the media, and how crushing that pressure can become. If we do this, that pressure will become a thousand times worse. You'll have to decide together if you can handle that on top of studying to become heroes. We don't want to make that call for you, and besides, you have done an admirable job battling Endeavor yourselves. This is the nuclear option, my boy."
Izuku nodded. "That makes sense, All Might, thank you. I'll have to talk with Shoko, obviously, but...I think we'll wait and see. This is good to have as a backup, if nothing else."
Toshinori replied, "Well put, son. You and Shoko make a great team; I'm sure you'll make the right decision."
"Thanks, Dad," Izuku said.
They waited there in Toshinori's office in pleasant silence for a while, thinking about the road ahead.
Then, Toshinori said, "You know, I'd be more than willing to stand in for the father of the bride at the wedding, if you wished me to."
Izuku jumped in his seat out of surprise. "W-why did you say that?" he cried.
Toshinori responded, "Because it's true, and we all know you're going to marry that girl."
Izuku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, but he couldn't argue.
All Might was right, after all.
The present
As soon as Izuku hung up, Toshinori flung himself out of his chair, clutching his phone as he raced towards the principal's office.
He hadn't gotten many details, but then, he hadn't needed them.
Geretsuna had shown up at the dorms, and somehow gotten Shoko to leave with him.
Toshinori knew that Shoko must have been coerced somehow; she would never abandon Izuku, especially not with a man she rightly despised.
Threats against her own safety would never have worked; Shoko would have laughed at them and moved on. But Toshinori knew she hated dragging Izuku into what she saw as her own personal fight.
That left him with an awful conclusion about what Geretsuna has done to get Shoko to leave, and Toshinori vowed the man would rot for splitting up his successor and the woman he had come to treasure as his future daughter-in-law.
There was a crackle of electricity and a rush of wind, and Izuku was at his arm, looking terrified.
"Did you use One For All to get here so quickly?" Toshinori yelled, not even turning his head as they charged down the hall.
"Yeah, sorry-" Izuku panted.
"Excellent decision!" Toshinori called, "we can't waste any time!"
Then, they reached the door to Nezu's office, which swung open with a bang.
Nezu looked up, as did Aizawa and Midnight, who had apparently been in the middle of a meeting with the rat-bear-man.
"What's going on?" Nezu asked, seeing Izuku's panicked eyes.
Taking a deep breath, Izuku replied, "Geretsuna just showed up and took Shoko!"
There was a sudden gasp, which seemed like it came from Aizawa or Midnight, it was hard to tell.
" Fuck," Nezu cursed, "Midoriya, tell me what happened!"
Izuku explained as swiftly as he could, painfully aware that every second that passed was another second Shoko was in danger.
If Endeavor or Geretsuna somehow found out she was pregnant…
Izuku refused to think about it.
When he was done, Aizawa said, "Of course the bastard didn't learn! How did we not see this coming?"
Midnight replied, "Because we expected Endeavor to be rational! He just ordered a kidnapping in broad daylight, in front of nineteen witnesses and the strongest security system in Japan! There's no timeline where this ends well for him!"
"Correct," Nezu said, "this will not end well for him."
Instantly, the bickering stopped, and the four heroes turned to face the principal.
Hands folded in front of him and a grim look on his face, Nezu began, "The Number One Hero has just tried to kidnap one of the victims of his abuse, likely in order to marry her off in an illegal quirk marriage. We cannot let that happen. Midoriya, do you know where they may be headed?"
Izuku nodded. "Shoko convinced Geretsuna to stop at Endeavor's house before going to his intended destination. They should be there. I...I believe she did this on purpose, to let us know where she'd be."
Nezu replied, "Good, I'm glad to hear she's still fighting. Now, here's what I want each of you to do. Deku, Eraserhead, you will pursue them as we prepare; with Deku's quirk, you should be able to reach the Todoroki household in good time. Do not engage , but make sure that Geretsuna does not attempt to leave. If he does, get Shoko out of there, immediately."
Aizawa and Midoriya nodded.
"You're treating this like a hostile situation," Aizawa observed, "do you really think Endeavor will get violent?"
"I don't, but we can't be sure, and I'm not taking any unnecessary risks," Nezu answered, "he's not thinking rationally at the moment, clearly. He's so frightened by the thought of losing the control he thinks he has a right to, he's willing to break the law and kidnap his own daughter. I don't know what he's going to do when his hero career comes to a sudden and very public end."
Aizawa looked satisfied with that. He and Izuku went racing for the exit to fulfill their orders.
Nezu continued, "Midnight, get to the teacher lounge and gather anyone there, tell them to suit up. Once you've done that, get to the Class A dorms and gather those willing to join the mission as reserves; I expect you'll have a lot of volunteers."
Midnight started to nod, then hesitated. "Boss," she asked, "can I ask why we're bringing the students?"
Nezu replied, "Because, if Ashido has told them the whole story by now, I'd imagine they'd join the raid whether we gave them permission or not. I'd rather have them where we know they'll be safe than let them charge into a potentially dangerous situation."
Midnight said, "Understood, Boss."
Then, she raced out the door, headed for the teacher's lounge.
Finally, Nezu turned to Toshinori. He said, "All Might, I want you to call Tsukauchi. Have him assemble a team and prepare the evidence he has collected. If the Hero Commission still tries to cause trouble, remind them that Endeavor committed a crime in front of the world, and that if they try anything, I will release the security footage online and let the media tear them into tiny little pieces for allowing a monster like Endeavor to become a top hero. Understood?"
Toshinori nodded. "Got it. What will you be doing?" he asked.
Nezu's smile was bright and terrifying.
"I think I'll join the strike team for this one. I haven't been out in the field in a while, you know? I want to stretch my legs a little, claw out some eyeballs, that sort of thing," he said cheerily.
Toshinori nodded absentmindedly as he dialed his friend.
When the detective picked up, Toshinori skipped the pleasantries in favor of saying, "Hello, Tsukauchi. I'd like to report a kidnapping, and tell you that it's time."
Five minutes later, once he'd gotten the details, Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi slammed the phone down on his desk, leaping out of his chair.
Hitting the intercom on his desk, he said, "All available units needed for a 613 at 2 Shoboshi Drive!"
A few moments later, a lieutenant burst into the room as Naomasa threw on his overcoat.
"Sir! Are you certain your order is correct?" the lieutenant asked.
"Yes, I'm sure!" Naomasa snapped.
"Sir, it's just that…" the recently promoted lieutenant trailed off, still unsure about contradicting a superior officer, "isn't that Endeavor's home?"
"Yes, it is!" Naomasa confirmed.
"But sir-" the lieutenant began.
Naomasa had had enough. "Just GO!" he roared, and the lieutenant's nerve finally broke. He raced off to join the veteran squad already racing for the vehicles; any of them with prior experience dealing with the Flame Hero were practically licking their lips with relish.
As he reached his own squad car, peeling out in a roar of sirens and adrenaline, Naomasa thought, "I hope we're not too late. Toshinori, we're all rooting for your kid."
Mina looked at her classmates around her. Their faces were in varying states of shock, disbelief, horror, and confusion.
Several of them looked like they wanted to charge after Geretsuna and Shoko; Yaomomo had fallen to her knees, and looked like she was about to be sick.
Uraraka was the quickest to recover. She began, "So, let me get this straight. Shoko was raised as part of a sort of eugenics program by her father, the Number One Hero, who drove his own wife that he got through a quirk marriage insane. Deku finds out, helps her work through her issues, and now she's pregnant, and Endeavor is trying to force her into a quirk marriage with the man who just kidnapped her?"
Mina nodded as she replied, "There's more to it, but yeah, that's the gist of it."
Uraraka yelled, "Pardon my French, but WHAT THE FUCK? HOW DID WE NOT KNOW?"
"It was Shoko's choice," Mina explained, "she's had the whole world knowing about her entire life for so long, she wanted to be in control of this."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Kirishima roared, "let's go help Midoriya save her! Like hell are we going to wait here while Todoroki is in danger!"
"Yes, we need to help!" Yaoyorozu, of all people, agreed, anger burning in her eyes.
Uraraka nodded, as did everyone else in the room.
"I'm gonna kill that flaming dumpster fire!" Bakugo snarled.
"Get in line!" came seven or eight voices at once.
Then, Mina said, "Thank you, guys. Let's suit up and go."
The class started to head for the door, but Uraraka suddenly said, "Wait, where's Iida? Shouldn't he be yelling at us for reckless behavior by now?"
"Yeah," Kirishima said, "where is Iida?"
Just then, the door swung open to reveal the speedster, carrying eighteen very familiar suitcases.
"It would take you all too long to get there," he panted, "so I brought your costumes to you. Now, suit up, and let's GO!"
Everyone paused for a second in confusion over Iida actively telling them to break the rules. It was a perversion of the natural order of the world, like the sky turning pink, or Bakugo being polite and sensitive to the emotions of others.
Iida snapped, "Come on, guys! Todoroki is in danger as we speak!"
That got everyone focused again. As one, they said, "Right!" and started to suit up.
When Midnight barged in five minutes later, she began, "GUYS, WHO WANTS TO SAVE TODO-oh, I see you're already prepared. Perfect, hop in!"
Soon, they were racing to join the force assembling to bring Endeavor to justice.
Shoko felt like she was in limbo.
She couldn't breathe, couldn't move. Her mind whirled in circles as she thought about what she'd just done. It had seemed like the best option at the time; keep Izuku and his family safe, get one last chance to tell her father how much she hated him, and finally give Nezu the opportunity to fall on the bastard like a million tons of bricks.
But now that she was in the car with Geretsuna, speeding towards her childhood home, all Shoko could think of was what would happen to her baby if this went wrong.
"How could I be so selfish?" she thought.
Just like the last time she'd sat in this car, Geretsuna wouldn't stop leering at her, examining her up and down as though she was a prime steak.
She tried to glare at him, but remembered at the last second that she was pretending to be cowed, at least until she reached her father.
Unfortunately, the slimeball seemed to take that as his cue to start talking.
He said, "See? Giving up that green-haired weakling wasn't that hard!"
"That was the hardest thing I've ever done, you limp-dicked ball of trash," Shoko thought, using some of her more favorite insults from Bakugo.
Shoko's silence only seemed to encourage Geretsuna, though, as he continued, "You'll see once we get to the spa, a pathetic loser like that can't compare to a real man like me. You're gonna enjoy yourself, I promise."
Shoko didn't even dignify that with a mental insult.
Geretsuna prattled on for a while, but eventually, Shoko's lack of response to his bullshit eventually seemed to convince Geretsuna to shut up, and they spent the rest of the nearly hour-long ride in silence.
"Please, let Izuku have understood," Shoko prayed.
She was counting on him, but she was still going to be all alone with her father.
Well, she'd been alone like that for nearly twenty years, she could do it for one last day.
Izuku would come for her, Shoko knew he would. She clung to that hope like a lifeline as they finally pulled into the driveway of her childhood prison.
"After you, Shoko," Geretsuna said with an exaggerated bow as he opened the front door.
Shoko took a deep breath, and entered. Geretsuna marched behind her like a prison guard.
She knew where she would find her father; she walked up to his office with a confidence she didn't feel.
It was time to end this.
She opened the door to see her father sitting behind his desk, clearly not expecting her.
He looked up in surprise. "Shoko. What are you doing here?" the man who had created her asked.
Shoko put her hands on her hips as she replied, "Congratulations, father. You're officially a criminal."