Calling it a tribunal would be excessive. Hawks sat with all the formality he could muster, next to the other top heroes, as a council of sorts in front of the Hero Commission's own leadership.

The number two seat would remain empty until the next ranking. People were still uncertain whether it was Hawks or Best Jeanist who would win that honor.

With the positive attention on Izuko Midoriya lately, it was not unlikely that her legal guardians would rise in the popularity polls. What a miserable and whimsical society.

"There are few villains that warrant a task force, and fewer still that would require one that involves the top heroes in this country."

The president was an elderly woman with slicked back ashen blonde hair. The suit she wore probably cost a year of Hawks' salary, and he was not poor by any means. All Might shifted in his seat.

"All Might, if you would."

He stood up, walking over to the middle of the plenum-like room, addressing the pro heroes with a rough voice.

"Some of you are old enough to remember," All Might said, his fingers clenching around the podium. "The shadow that loomed over this country, the organization that had caused the yakuza to cower, the politicians to turn a blind eye to crime, and the deaths of many good heroes who had stood up against the corruption that had festered and spread. While many recall the terror, few speak of it, as if they fear its resurgence from speaking his name. All For One."

Hawks could see it.

Yoroi Musha, stoic and harsh, looked both disgusted and furious at the same time. Crust and Edgeshot reacted in a similar way, though the latter ended up growling slightly at the idea. Kamui Woods and Best Jeanist both shook their heads in disbelief.

Even if they weren't old enough to be heroes at the time, few didn't know the dark age which was now downplayed as 'age of chaos' rather than the 'reign of terror'.

"When I had fought him six years ago, it was long after dismantling his support network. His organization had crumbled, and his reign ended long before that showdown. I had reported him dead, because I genuinely thought that I had killed him."

Hawks had read the report in his freetime during the harsh training for his quick-lane heroics license. The injuries described were no doubt fatal. The running theory for those who had found out about his survival after Izuko Midoriya revealed it after her confession was simple: a quirk that gave someone a 'second life'. How true it was, Hawks could not say.

"But he survived," Crust said, pursing his lips. The usually jolly man seemed quite under the weather. "The Fire Princess met him."

"He survived, and he went into hiding," All Might said, nodding. "But we've received intel from someone who had quit All For One's new organization. Though alive, he is in bad shape. Even six years later, he has lost the capacity to breathe without machines and is barely kept alive by whatever quirks he has gathered. We also have Sir Nighteye's quirk which allowed us to map out where he is hiding."

"You're going to do an alpha strike," Hawks said. All Might nodded. "You want us to fight with you."

"It's my way to fix the mistakes I have made in the past," All MIght said. "To rely not on myself, but the ability of all of you, who have been nothing but good friends and allies to me over the years is not a weakness. We will finish this chapter in our country's history together, all I need is your approval."

Hawks stood without hesitation.

It was not just his mistake of leaving All For One alive that All Might was talking about, after all. Hawks had a horse in this race as well. To make up for his own hero worship that had blinded him to the faults of his idol, and to clean the slate for Izuko Midoriya, so she may enjoy her peaceful future.

"When and where do you need me, young man?" Yoroi Musha asked, standing up as well. One by one the rest of the heroes stood.

Sir Nighteye stood at the door.

One of the commission members was taken for questioning as they walked out.

"You are unhappy."

Kyoka's eyebrow twitched at the statement. "I'm not nearly enough of a control freak to tell you that I'm not letting you do it, but I'll repeat this so you realize how stupid it sounds, alright?"

"Alright," Izuko said, nodding. Kyoka stood up, pacing up and down the kitchen while Izuko prepared them some lunch.

"You've accepted a challenge by Dabi, Todoroki's psychotic older brother," Kyoka said, raising one finger up. The second finger soon joined, and both were pointed at Izuko in the same motion. "You did so because Sir Nighteye said it would help get All For One."

"Sounds about right," Izuko said. The mix of spices she had prepared created a heavenly aroma once they were added to the pan, and Kyoka forced herself to focus on the task at hand. Three fingers.

"Said information has already been given," Kyoka continued, four fingers. "Dabi has voluntarily committed himself to protective custody by pretending he's worried about his father," five fingers, "and you're still going to do it?"

"I'm the last person who'd go back on her word," Izuko said, nodding. "And to be honest with you, I really want to punch Dabi in the face."

Kyoka sighed, sitting down again and banging her head against the table. The door rang-

Kyoka blinked, sharing a look with Izuko.

The door never rang.

Izuko walked towards the door with a cautious look backwards to Kyoka, who was getting ready to rush into the bathroom and grab the emergency phone. Izuko gathered flames near her hand as she looked through the door spy.

A mop of red and white hair stared back.

Izuko blinked, lowering her hand and opening the door slowly. Kyoka raised an eyebrow at the sight of Shouto Todoroki, standing on the porch with an uncharacteristic bashful attitude.

"Hello," he said with all the calm he could muster. "Sorry for showing up unannounced, I was sure you would say no if I asked."

Kyoka snorted, and stopped Izuko from swinging the door shut.

"Come in," Kyoka said. "Izuko's just making lunch."

"You're not inviting him to lunch," Izuko said.

"I already did," Kyoka said, grinning. "And really, I'm the last person to go back on her word, you know?"

Izuko fumed silently.

"Thank you," Todoroki said, stepping in and taking off his shoes. It didn't take long for the three of them to be seated, and as confused as Izuko was, Kyoka seemed to enjoy the quiet.

Maybe she shouldn't have said yes to the Dabi fight, Kyoka would poke at her because of it for weeks to come.

Once everything was done, Kyoka volunteered to take care of the dishes.

"You're… a good cook," Todoroki said. Izuko rolled her eyes.

"You're probably not here to talk about my cooking," Izuko said. "If I had to guess, it's about the Sports Festival. If not that… then what happened afterwards."

"I found the cameras," Todoroki said. "After the videos went online, I… checked every corner. They were still there. Inactive, but-"

"He was throughout, yes," Izuko said. "I imagine I'd have done much the same if my father was Endeavor. You don't sound happy."

"Don't I?" Todoroki said. His face twisted in pain. "I'm not sure if I should be, or if I have any right to be. I've… been focused on many other things. I wanted to apologize for talking badly about your family. We all have our own circumstances."

"It's fine," Izuko said, shrugging. "My family would've gone to hell for me; it was me who pushed them away to stop the hate from spilling over. I can't expect everyone to know what's up with that."

"That's good," Todoroki said. "I've… talked to my mother over the past few days. She's doing much better now, I don't know if it's my presence or if she had been sedated much like Touya was. It feels strange."

"Good strange or bad strange?" Izuko asked. She hated how curious she sounded. She would be lying if she said she didn't feel bad for Rei Todoroki. Though if the rumors about the divorce were true, she might end up switching back to her maiden name.

"Good strange," Todoroki said, nodding. "I think."

"Good, that's… good," Izuko said. Her eyes moved over to Kyoka, who had sat finished with the dishes and sat down next to Izuko again. "But you're still conflicted, huh?"

"It feels like he got away too easily," Todoroki said. Izuku pursed her lips.

"You're thinking like a hero," Izuko said. Todoroki raised an eyebrow. "Think like a villain for once. What is the worst possible scenario for that bastard? What has he worked for his entire life?"

"Surpassing All Might," Todoroki said. "If not by himself, then by his blood."

"And what happened?"

Todoroki thought. Kyoka had clearly gotten the answer quickly, but held herself back from speaking up. Though she was still part of the conversation, Kyoka's focus was on her phone, scrolling down the news.

"He's not eligible for the rankings anymore," Todoroki summarized. "He keeps his license under conditions that make your probation look like child's play, and… he was transferred over to a jurisdiction where he will likely do nothing but community service."

"What'd you say would be worse to Endeavor," Izuko tried again, "Getting arrested, losing his license, and going to jail… or becoming a nobody, removed from all the prestige he used to have, and cut off from the only people whom he had any control over?"

Todoroki's jaw set. The young man's fists were clenched over the table, shaking slightly as the idea of Endeavor's misery manifested in his eyes.

"He could still change," Todoroki said, sounding hopeful. "You changed."

"He had two decades to become a better person," Izuko said, shrugging. "Me? I'm… I dunno, I'm still getting used to the idea of having changed. To be honest with you, I was certain you'd attack me after I gave up back then. The fact that you didn't proves your character much more than you think."

"You're… not wrong," Todoroki said, nodding. "I thought about continuing the fight, I knew I'd have been disqualified, but I felt like proving myself was more important than winning. In the end, everything I do comes back to him."

"I still don't understand," Izuko said, leaning back into the chair. "Why'd you make the entire way here to talk to me about this. There's a ton of people at school who you can talk with, and who're more than glad to listen."

"Because you're the last person I want to ask," he said, his fists clenched so hard that his knuckles had turned white by now. "That makes you the only person whose advice matters."

"I once heard someone say that the first person you should care about is yourself, not self-centered arrogance, but rather… being the best you can be, before you extend kindness out to others."

"Do you think that's true?"

"As true as any self-help advice," Izuko said, shrugging. "And every religion's about five percent right. You want to know how to move past being an asshole? I'd focus on what you want first. Hang out with your mom, make dinner with your sister, work out with your brother. The only advice I can give you is that you should live your life how you want it, and not let that bastard's shadow loom over you."

She grinned, sparks of flame popping from her cheeks. "After all, we cast our own shadows."

Izuko reached out to Kyoka, taking her hand. Kyoka turned her hand around, intertwining their fingers.

Todoroki nodded once more, a pained look on his face. There were things to be done.

Night had fallen. A starless sky over the light polluted streets of the greater Tokyo area. In the middle of the briefing room sat the husk of a man that had rested the entire day for this moment. It was time to see the end of his way too long story.

All Might lowered his head.

Sir Nighteye knew All Might well, and he knew that he had little faith in higher powers that were not his fists. Nonetheless, the silent nod felt like a prayer. All Might's shaking hands and haggard breathing stilled.

A pre-emptive strike was not something that heroes usually had the chance at, especially not against a foe like this.

"It's time," Eraserhead said. All Might nodded, standing up.

As the blue in his eyes burned bright enough to vanish the shadows that had gathered over his face over the many years, Sir Nighteye knew it to be true: All Might would win.

Chapter 25, upcoming:

"I've watched it, of course. Do you know what I saw?"

"A monster?" Izuko asked. There was no bitterness in her voice, but curiosity that defied absolute curiosity. She continued slightly more sarcastic. "A scared little girl?"

w

"A person who reached a crossroad," the therapist said. "And who decided not to walk backwards scared of what laid ahead, but instead who took a step forward that so many people would not dare."

"Sounds like a load of bull." Izuko laughed, but for once it didn't sound forced or dismissive.