Disclaimer: I do not own Boku no Hero Academia or any referenced material.
Thirteen having more screen time/being part of the harem got a huge positive reaction, I'm so glad! Ever since part of her face got revealed in the manga, I wondered if she would become more popular (she didn't). Also the name I gave her is as 'official canon' as it gets until Horikoshi gives her a new one (the name I used was the name Horikoshi was gonna give Thirteen but ended up not using it).
Noticed a few questions in the reviews that I won't outright address as it will be spoiler, but I will say that this story will be slightly slow-burn and a lot of your questions/worries will be addressed in future chapters.
Harem (so far):
Itsuka Kendo
Setsuna Tokage
Nejire Hado
Hirooki Anakuro (Thirteen)
Rumi Usagiyama (Mirko)
Ryuko Tatsuma (Ryukyu)
Also I'm glad yall enjoyed the ending of last chapter cause we're picking up right where it ended.
Chapter 4: Pyrrhic Victory
"Oi oi oi oi! Who the hell are you?! I don't remember inviting you to this game lobby!"
Izuku noticed the Hands Villain was getting agitated, his tone and the way he started scratching his neck vigorously. The rest of the Villains were getting antsy too, only holding back due to his entrance feat of blowing the giant monster away.
"M-Midoriya... get... outta here..." Eraserhead groaned out, managing to prop himself up with his remaining good arm.
"You're injured sensei, there's no way you can continue fighting. Iida has already gone to request help but we still need to stall for time."
"...fine. I'll do my best to assist with my Quirk." With that said, the man pulled himself up into a sitting position.
"What are you lot standing around for?! Kill that annoyance!" The Hand Villain seemed to be the ring-leader, the other Villains moving at his command.
Izuku did not wait for them to make the first move. By the time the order was given, he had already appeared mid-air beside the first Villain and axe-kicked him into the ground. Before his buddy next to him could even react, he was grabbed by the hair and had his nose shattered by a rising knee. Using the now unconscious Villain as a stepping stone, he launched off and knocked out another person with a snap kick to the head.
"What the... WHO IS THIS GUY?!" A random grunt yelled out, they were more cautious now after seeing three of their own taken out in less than ten seconds. To these Villains, they saw an intimidating figure emitting arcs of lightning from his body and glowing emerald eyes that promised retribution.
"Who cares?! Everyone attack together!" A Villain with barrels instead of fingers tried firing his Quirk, only to find that it had been erased.
"Impact Smash!"
Not letting the opportunity go to waste, Izuku flicked a finger on both hands to send out twin blasts of air pressure. The force behind the impact was enough to send two of the ranged attackers flying, serving as a distraction for him to close in the gap.
Eraserhead was not easily impressed, yet he could not help but admire as the green-clad Hero-in-training blitzed through the enemy formation. True the enemies were little more than street-level thugs, but their Quirks still made them dangerous and he was dispatching them with well-placed blows.
'Remember your lessons. Observe the enemy. Predict their movements.'
Dodging a wild haymaker, Izuku grabbed onto the outstretched appendage and tossed him into an oncoming female Villain. His arm came up to block a swipe from a tiger-like man but it suddenly turned into a vice-like grip, the man attempting to restrain him.
"Not a very bright idea."
The Villain soon found out why. Izuku had gripped onto his wrist and proceeded to use him as a bat to smack other Villains. Deciding he needed his arm back, Izuku raised the man up high before slamming him down full force onto the ground and knocked him out cold.
"Grrr who the hell is this over-leveled bastard! Kurogiri!" The Hand Villain was shaking in anger at having his forces demolished.
"I do not know young master. I can only confirm that he is not part of Class 1A or part of the teaching faculty." Kurogiri, who was the Mist Villain, replied after having regained consciousness and simply warped away from his captors. "I had counted twenty students before we arrived. This... is an unaccounted variable."
Barely a minute later and Izuku had taken out the rest of the fodder Villains in the area, with Eraserhead occasionally helping out by erasing a Quirk here and there. Sometime during his fight, the remaining 1A students had helped Thirteen down towards the Central Plaza after Kurogiri had escaped.
"Surrender Villains! We have you outnumbered."
"Haaa... this guy really irritates me."
"Calm yourself Shigaraki. Don't forget we still have the Nomu, something like that kick wouldn't have damaged it at all." Kurogiri spoke calmly, revealing the name of the Hand Villain and the large humanoid monster.
"Ah right... I got so annoyed that I forgot about our SSR unit. NOMU!" At the ring-leader's call, a black blur shot out of the forest zone and landed in front of him.
Izuku narrowed his eyes in disbelief, the monster had taken a forty-percent One For All Smash to the head and looked perfectly fine. That was not something that one could just walk off usually, the creature had to have some sort of defensive or regenerative ability.
"Be... careful... they claimed... it is a match for All Might." Eraserhead rasped, coughing out blood.
"...1A get your teacher out of here."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a black-haired male launch tape out of his elbow that wound around their teacher and pulled him towards them. He breathed out a short sigh of relief, he would need his full focus to fight a monster that was supposedly as strong as All Might. Taking a cursory glance around the plaza revealed that the only enemy forces left standing were Shigaraki, Kurogiri and the Nomu.
"Haaa... this All Might wannabe is an eyesore. Nomu crush him!" Shigaraki ordered.
Izuku felt a buzz in his mind that prompted him to shift backwards, his eyes widened behind his cowl when a large, scarred arm missed his face by a centimeter. The Nomu was not only strong but fast as well, add on the possibility of an endurance-type Quirk...
'I need to to go beyond... One For All Full Cowl... 20%!'
He felt all of his muscles warm up and fill with power, his visual and auditory perception also improved while his mind sharpened. All these were the usual benefits that occurred when he ramped up his percentage for his Full Cowl, yet the usual dull ache when he went past his limit was absent.
Izuku did not have any further time to dwell on it, having to swerve, bop and weave his way through an onslaught of messy punches. It was a small blessing that the monster seemed to operate on brute force alone, without any care for technique or finesse. He did not remain on the defense only, launching blows of his own whenever an opportunity presented itself.
Not that his punches, ones with enough force to destroy concrete pillars, were doing much to his opponent.
"You still don't understand? Type disadvantage, it's type disadvantage! My Nomu is the counter to All Might, it has a Shock Absorption Quirk! You low rarity version of All Might don't even stand a chance!"
Shigaraki laughed, watching his pet and the target dance around the plaza.
'Shock Absorption, not nullification. Also means sharp attacks will-HRK!' Izuku winced when one of the punches clipped his left flank, feeling something crack. 'Pretty sure that was one of my ribs...'
The newly acquired injury was starting to slow him down, the pain flaring up whenever he had to make a sudden movement to dodge another attack. Izuku was running out of options, he tried analyzing the situation in an attempt to regain some footing.
'Okay this Nomu counters All Might but it definitely isn't as strong as All Might was in his prime, this... it feels more like the current weakened version of him. Iida had already gone to get help... I just need to hold on until reinforcements arrive. I'm already struggling to keep up though...'
He was relying on his years of martial arts practice to use minimal effort to get maximum outcome by redirecting blows using the back of his hand or arm. It was working to a certain extent, helping him to preserve energy even though his opponent had a seemingly endless reserve of stamina. Fortunately the Nomu was practically brain dead, not adapting or trying to overcome the stalemate.
Unfortunately, the remaining two enemies were not.
"Shigaraki, the boy that escaped will soon be back with reinforcements. It would be wise to recoup our losses and escape while we still can." Kurogiri advised upon seeing the situation. 'I could have ended this easily but Master meant for this to be a test for the Nomu... as well as Tomura.'
"What an annoyance... coming all the way out here... breaking into the school... and All Might isn't even here! I need to get at least a side-quest reward... Kurogiri, I'm going to kill some of the kiddos... that should make All Might mad right?"
"Indeed. Very well, I shall assist in your quest."
Izuku hear a gasp from his right, he turned to see Shigaraki dashing straight for a female student in a bright-green wet-suit that had been hiding in the water with two other students. He wanted to help but his hands were already full with handling the Nomu. However something strange happened, Shigaraki had suddenly come to a stop after replying a taunt from the purple-haired teen.
'Whatever he did, the leader is immobilized now. This monster only seemed to react to orders from that guy, so if I take him out...' Izuku dodged and twisted his body, using his feet to deflect another punch before sprinting towards his new target.
His attempt did not go unnoticed, a mist portal appeared beneath Shigaraki and warped him back to beside his ally. Kurogiri delivered a sharp jab to his companion's side, knocking him out of his dazed state.
"What the fuck happened?!"
"That purple-haired boy has a mind-control Quirk, it seems to be voice-activated." The mist-covered Villain deduced from observing.
"That's cheating! Fucking cheater! Nomu kill those brats!"
The monster that had started pursuing Izuku, halted in it's tracks and turned to face the trio in the water. He could not let it get close to them, it would be certain death for those students. Gritting his teeth, he ramped up the percentage of his Full Cowl up to twenty-five percent and started feeling the strain on his muscles.
He dashed straight at them and scooped all three into a bear hug, ignoring the pain in his side, he leapt away from the Nomu. He deposited his fellow students onto the ground after landing beside the injured Thirteen.
There was not even a second to rest, Shigaraki had already descended upon another group of students when he was distracted by the Nomu. He released a burst of strength into his legs, shooting towards the man who was currently being fended off by a pink-skinned girl.
"Careful about this guy! His Quirk lets him turn anything he touches to dust!" The tape-wielding teen who had pulled Eraserhead to safety warned. "He did it to my tape earlier!"
Izuku gave a short nod in thanks, he fired off a pair of Impact Smashes from a distance. One missed while the other was dodged, the Hand Villain was surprisingly agile. The Nomu rejoined the party at this point, slamming down onto the ground in the middle of the skirmish. He saw a large teen pop several objects into his mouth before suddenly bulking up further, allowing him and another teen with multiple arms to fend off the monster for a while.
"Midoriya, if you can stop that beast for even a moment. Give me an opening. I can use my Quirk to put it down..." Thirteen whispered as she hobbled over, assisted by Ochako.
"...I'll try my best."
Trusting in the tape-wielder and the pink girl that could shoot some kind of acidic liquid to stall Shigaraki, Izuku joined the rumble against the Nomu. He could see that both teens were already injured despite it being only seconds, the raw power of the Nomu was not something they could defend against.
With him there, the pressure on the other two teens lessened enough for them to get a breather. He had made sure to whisper Thirteen's plan to them in passing, all three of them now on the same channel. Izuku ducked under an open-handed swipe, launching a forty-percent One For All upward palm strike into the Nomu's chin that caused it to stumble back.
As if on a silent signal, the other two teens sprung forward and each grasped onto an arm of the Nomu. The monster struggled to get free, almost breaking out of the hold instantly. However the precious few seconds it brought was enough, Izuku's right arm was fully wreathed in green lightning and red aura.
'100% One For All...'
"DETROIT SMASHHHH!"
He unloaded the full power of his inherited Quirk into this one punch, ramming it straight into the Nomu's gut and blasting it into the air.
"Thirteen!"
"Right!"
Ochako used her Quirk to toss Thirteen at the Nomu, the injured Pro-Hero uncapped all of her fingers and shoved her hand right against the Nomu. The monster released an unearthly scream as the full force of the Black Hole Quirk started ripping it apart, the regeneration failing to keep up.
"Kurogiri!" Shigaraki shouted in panic at seeing his trump card in peril.
"Impact Smash!"
The air pressure blast from his remaining hand smashed into the ground at the warp Villain's feet causing him to stumble. Ochako released her hold on her Quirk, Thirteen fell towards the ground while pulling the disintegrating Nomu along with her. Kurogiri attempted to open another portal but was foiled again by another blast of air pressure.
Thirteen was caught by the tall, multi-armed student just as the remainder of the Nomu was reduced to dust and sucked into the Black Hole. Izuku huffed out a sigh of relief even as he heard Shigaraki's scream of rage, the man ignoring his two opponents and running straight for him.
He was struggling to maintain his Full Cowl, along with his now broken right arm and injury on his side acting up. He saw the tape and acid user fire off their Quirks, but their attacks were redirected by a portal.
"Everything was supposed to be perfect! I was supposed to kill All Might! All of you cheaters!" Shigaraki hysterically screamed, hand outstretched to grasp onto him.
Izuku focused his remaining energy and stomped, destroying the ground around him in a bid to prevent the Villain from getting closer. Instead a portal appeared in front of the man, his body running straight into it and appeared directly behind the exhausted form of the buff teen.
"NO!"
"YES GAME OVER!"
Shigaraki cried out gleefully as he slapped the teen on the back, his Quirk activating immediately and started eating away at fabric and flesh. The teen gasped, staggering forward, wide-eyed and mouth agape in pain.
"OH MY GOD SATO!"
Someone shouted out the teen's name, Izuku did not bother to find out who. He was already running with all his remaining energy, his Full Cowl fading from his body. Without his Quirk he still ran, but he could not reach him in time. He watched as the rot ate away at the large body. He looked up and saw his face, tears flowing and lips moving in slow motion.
"Save... me..."
Izuku could not save him. There was no body left to save.
"SATO!"
He ignored the despondent cries around him, all he could hear were the dying teen's last words.
He did not even move when the U.A. staff burst onto the scene through the facility's doors.
He did not even notice when Snipe incapacitated Shigaraki with several shots to his limbs, only to let the Villain escape when Kurogiri warped them away to safety.
He did not even acknowledge when Thirteen wrapped him in a hug, telling him that is was not his fault.
He just knelt there, staring at the spot where his fellow student had crumbled to dust.
It was as if he had entered a self-induced coma, until a rough hand placed itself on his shoulder in a gentle manner.
"Izuku... you did everything you could."
"...I wasn't fast enough... I wasn't strong enough."
"You did your best."
"My best wasn't good enough! I... couldn't save him... you would have been able to..."
"Izuku. Not even All Might can save everyone... that's something you have to learn in this line of work. It's that sometimes... you can't save everyone."
It was then that Izuku faced his first true hurdle since embarking on his chosen path to become the number one Hero. Facing the cold, harsh reality of the world.
"Fucking hurts! Fucking aim-bot Hero!"
Shigaraki cursed as his body fell out of the warp portal, blood leaking out from the holes in his arms and legs. The portal slowly reformed back into the body of Kurogiri, calmly walking pass the downed Villain and keyed something into the computer on the bar's counter top.
"Hello Tomura, how was your field trip to U.A. High?"
Even though it was coming through the speakers of the computer, it was a deep voice that radiated absolute confidence and power. The monitor was connected via video call but the only thing visible was a large man dressed in a suit seated in an armchair, his face was shrouded in shadows. If one looked closely, they would be able to make out several medical equipment that he was hooked up to.
"We got crushed... the Nomu was killed too. All those cannon fodder were completely useless, taken down by a bunch of kids. And worst of all... we didn't even get to see All Might! You were wrong, Master..."
"Hoh is this true Kurogiri? All Might failed to turn up? Even though the schedule we acquired from the school stated that he would be assisting in teaching that class of students."
"Yes Master. All Might did not make an appearance at all."
"Interesting. However in that case, who was the one who dealt with the Nomu? It was our prototype and not as strong as All Might at his peak but it was not a force that would be easy to deal with."
"It was someone else, not one of the students nor one of the identified U.A. staff. He was fully masked and I believe was using a voice modulator so we could not identify him. However he was much stronger than an ordinary U.A. student, I suspect he might be a new hire for the school."
"And this new hire... he managed to match our Nomu in strength and speed?"
"No Master, he could barely keep up with the Nomu. He did make up for the gap in power with his martial prowess, though I did notice that he was not able to use his full strength..."
"His Quirk...?"
"Yes, it created some kind of green electricity around his body to boost his strength and speed. However he was injured after releasing an attack that was much stronger in magnitude than any of his previous attacks. It was this attack that incapacitated the Nomu long enough for Thirteen to unleash her Quirk on it."
"Very interesting...a new chess piece has appeared on my board. It is a shame that we lost that Nomu, after all the trouble we went through to make him as strong as All Might."
"It was that stupid party-crasher! We would have had a perfect clear if not for him!"
"Calm down Tomura. There is no use in crying over spilled milk. This endeavor was not a complete loss, we have discovered this secret Hero in U.A. and the troops we used were mere fodder."
"Yes not a total loss ha ha ha! We did manage to kill one of the 1A students Master!"
"Oh that is indeed an achievement! A truly splendid method of revealing the League of Villains to the world. Now U.A. will not be able to sit still with the rest of the country watching! Find stronger troops! Take all the time you need! We still can't move freely in this society dominated by Heroes! That's why we need a symbol like you. Shigaraki Tomura! Next time, the world will know of the TERROR you represent!"
With his piece said, the video feed on the monitor was cut-off from the other side and left the bar in silence.
"...Kurogiri if you don't help me, I'm gonna bleed to death on the floor."
"Right away young master." Kurogiri assisted the man onto one of the chairs in preparation to bandage his wounds.
"Need a fucking healer on my party..."
The proceedings following the League of Villain's assault on U.A. were shrouded in a cloud of depression. Class 1A had found out about their classmate's demise after being rounded up by the police outside of the Unforeseen Simulation Joint. They were not distraught as much as distressed that such a thing had occurred, it was to be expected as they only knew the deceased for a few days.
"I wouldn't be surprised if some of them chose to drop out of the course after this..."
The person that spoke was a man dressed in a matching tan trench-coat and fedora, looking every bit like a stereotypical detective. Which was of course his job, the man was a close friend of Toshinori Yagi for years. They were gathered in the control room of the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, the group consisted of Toshinori, Nedzu, Midnight, Izuku and the detective.
"A pleasure to meet you all, I only wish it could have been under better circumstances. My name is Tsukauchi Naomasa, I had originally been asked along by Toshinori here to assist in the U.A. break in case. However it seems like our culprit has already revealed himself."
The man placed several photos onto the table, having retrieved them from the surveillance system of the facility. There were three photos in total, one of the Nomu, one of the Hand Villain and one of the Mist Villain.
"A preliminary count of the Villains that were defeated by the students of Class 1A is around seventy-two, not counting the three you see on the table in front of you. The man referred to as Shigaraki is the leader and also the man responsible for the U.A. break in the other day. His Quirk seems to allow him to disintegrate anything he touches with his hand, an extremely dangerous ability."
Nedzu stared at the photo of the messy-haired man, "He certainly does fit the description of our perpetrator. However I would like some first-hand experience of the Villain, Midoriya-kun if you are feeling up to it?"
Izuku really did not feel up to it but the situation was serious and he had already messed up once, he closed his eyes and recollected everything he knew about the Villain.
"Shigaraki seemed to be the leader of this operation, the others defaulted to his commands and the Nomu only responded to his orders. His Quirk allows him to disintegrate anything he touches with his hand, both organic and inorganic and it spreads throughout the target even after contact with the target is broken."
"What a terrible Quirk to be in the hands of a Villain..." Midnight shivered as she imagined the devastation such a Quirk could accomplish.
"The man himself... was unhinged. He made a lot of video game references and lost his temper easily, it seemed like Kurogiri, the one with the Warp Quirk, was in charge of reigning him in. I don't believe Shigaraki could possibly be the real mastermind behind this... based on what I've seen of course."
"Thank you for your insight Midoriya-kun. I concur with your assessment as well after having watched the recordings, it is apparent that both this Shigaraki and Kurogiri report to someone else. Probably the same person that created this Nomu... and we only know one person who could create such a monster with multiple Quirks." Nedzu spoke slowly, his ominous words sending a shiver down everyone's spine there.
"...All For One." Toshinori hissed, a hand pressing against his side as his old wound flared up in pain at the reminder.
"Wait All For One? As in the guy you briefed us about when you explained why All Might looks like this now? Isn't he already dead? You said All Might killed him!" Midnight cut in before the conversation could continue.
"You told the staff about All For One?!" Toshinori shot to his feet, glaring at the Principal.
"Yes I suppose I did. You had said yourself that time that you were not a hundred percent certain that he was dead. I would not risk the safety of those under me just to protect your secret and it turns out that I was right, of course that's to say that I am never wrong. So... Sit. Down. Toshinori."
Izuku was reminded again why the Chimera animal with an IQ Quirk was the head of Japan's most prestigious Hero Academy. Despite his reluctance in backing down on this matter, Toshinori realized how unproductive it would be to argue in this situation, especially in this situation.
"Yes... All For One was... is the strongest, deadliest and most cunning Villain that I've ever dealt with. I spent years tracking him down, which was how Naomasa and I got acquainted. We eventually got a lead on him, got him out of the shadows and we fought. I won but at the cost of my current injuries and he... survived." Toshinori growled, his hand was gripping the table so hard that it was starting to crack even in his frail form.
"With possibly fatal injuries too I would presume, based on your condition. Yes it would make sense. Why he has not been heard from all these years, resting and recuperating from his injuries. He must have recovered enough if he is beginning to move his pieces across the board or should I say revealed his opening hand..." Nedzu mused to himself, his beady eyes staring at the photo of Shigaraki on the table.
"...Principal sir?" Midnight was cautious, the staff at U.A. always held a healthy dose of respect and fear for the being that led them.
"Midoriya-kun."
Izuku set up straighter at hearing his name being called by the Chimera, "Yes Principal Nedzu...?"
"As someone who is being trained by All Might to be his next 'Symbol of Peace', do you understand the responsibility that now rests on your shoulders?"
"...yes. More than anything..."
"The rates of crime and villainy have increased ever since All Might announced his partial retirement to teach at my school. You need to be ready for the storm that is approaching."
"...I understand Principal Nedzu."
"...very good, excellent. Now I believe that Midoriya-kun has been through quite the harrowing ordeal, let us adjourn for the day if there are no further pressing matters." Nedzu looked around the room, nodding to the detective who had his hand raised.
"Principal. I'd like to go over the school with a fine-toothed comb, if you don't mind. Don't worry, it will just be me alone." Naomasa asked, adjusting his fedora.
"Of course Tsukauchi-kun! I'm sure that some won't be happy but the police certainly have jurisdiction. Investigations are your field of expertise after all, do what you feel is necessary. Ah but I expect an exact copy of the report on my desk too if that's not too much trouble." Nedzu spoke with a smile, but Naomasa finally got a front row seat of why Toshinori was afraid of his boss.
"Yes, that would be no trouble at all."
"Excellent! Now Midnight, could you be a dear and inform your fellow colleagues to meet me in my office at the end of the school day. Use that group chat you have for inviting them out for drinks every Friday night-oh and inform them that attendance is compulsory. Thank you!"
Midnight was suitably unnerved that her boss knew about their after-work group chat but complied right away, it was safer to just assume Nedzu knew everything.
Itsuka Kendo was not one to worry needlessly, especially if the person in question was her super-strong childhood friend. Even before the reveal of his newfound Quirk, Izuku was always one to use a combination of brains and brawn to get out of unfavorable situations.
However when midway through their Homeroom class after lunch, Vlad King had been called away by an emergency announcement via the school intercom system. That was when she started getting worried. She had noticed how her teacher's face had paled upon hearing the 'Code Black' term over the intercom, how hurried he was when issuing orders for them to stay within the classroom.
Itsuka had pulled out her smartphone immediately after their teacher had left, sending several texts to her friend. Her fears compounded when she noticed that the symbol on the message dictated that the other party was in an area without reception. Izuku was supposed to be helping All Might at the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, there was definitely reception there.
Which means something must have happened.
Setsuna must have picked up on her unease, the reptilian-like girl had reached over to reassure her that maybe his phone had just ran out of battery. Itsuka appreciated the effort of her new friend, it did help to soothe her nerves to a certain extent.
It was a long two hours that they had to stay in the classroom, she tried her best to keep her fellow classmates in control despite her own worries. They spent most of the two hours completing their homework, along with some casual chitchat before the classroom door hissed open.
"There has been an incident so the rest of the school day has been canceled. Please pack up your things and head home to your families directly, do not head anywhere else but back home." Vlad King said firmly after walking in.
His tone ensured that there were no further questions, Itsuka silently packed her bag and walked up to her homeroom teacher.
"Was Izuku involved?"
"...Recovery Girl took care of his injuries. Midoriya is fine. We've already sent Midnight to escort him home." His voice was softer, meaning his words for her ears only.
She did not need any further motivation to hightail it out of there, ignoring some of her friend's cries as she focused on getting home. The train ride back to the house felt like an eternity, her hands were fiddling with her phone.
Fortunately it was the middle of a weekday so the streets were relatively empty, allowing her to sprint all the way home from the station without any complications. Itsuka fumbled with the house keys for a moment before managing to open the front door with a slam, startling the two people at the dining table.
"IZUKU?!"
The familiar fluffy green hair of her childhood friend was not one of the two people, though the sight of Midnight seated at the table did make her blink.
"Ah Itsuka dear, you're back early." That was the other person at the table, Inko looked like she had been crying with her red, puffy eyes.
"Vlad-sensei told us that school was dismissed for the day..." She hesitated slightly when Midnight waved her over to take a seat, though she did comply in the end. "...where's Izuku?"
"In his room, been there ever since I escorted him back. However let me catch you up with the events that had happened earlier..." Midnight was serious, unlike her usual flirty persona.
Itsuka listened in rapt attention as the Pro-Hero teacher detailed everything that had occurred, from the League of Villains attack on Class 1A at the Unforeseen Simulation Joint to Izuku stepping in to save the students and teachers. Her eyes widened in horror when the tale took a turn for the worse when it was revealed that one of Class 1A had been murdered, right in front of her childhood friend no less.
"...and so we decided to send the students back home for the day. Oh please keep everything I told you to yourself, the rest of the students will be informed in time but I decided to tell you since you live together with the Midoriya family."
"I understand sensei." Itsuka nodded stiffly, her brain still trying to process everything that she had just heard.
"Well I have to report back to the Principal so I guess I'll be making a move... Kendo, try your best to speak to him. What he experienced... it's not something that he should have to bare alone." Midnight offered a final piece of advice before slipping out the front door.
There was an awkward silence that descended upon the room after that, neither of the females knew what to say.
"...I'm going to check on Izuku." Itsuka muttered softly, getting a small nod from the older Midoriya and she trudged over to his room door.
She reached out to knock on the wooden surface but ended up hesitating just before making contact, she deliberated on what she was even going to say. Her friend, her best and closest friend, had just witnessed someone murdered in front of him, someone who was his own age. Biting softly on her lower lip, she brought her hand back down.
"...Izu ...you awake?" She chose to whisper, loud enough that she knows he can pick it up if he were awake.
"... yeah."
"I... Midnight told me about what happened... about... Sato-san."
"..."
"...I can't say I know what it feels like... how you feel... but I'm here if you need to talk to somebody. Okay?"
After standing there for a few more seconds, she made to turn away but soon there were shuffling sounds coming from behind the door. There was a slight pause before the door unlocked, Izuku stood there with a lost look on his face.
"...Izu?"
He was still dressed in his battle-damaged Hero Costume minus the cowl and limb guards, making it obvious that he had locked himself in his room since he arrived. Itsuka took a step forward and wrapped her arms around him, pressing his head down against her shoulder gently. A few seconds later and she felt the uniform around her shoulder getting wet, she realized he was crying.
"...I couldn't save him." He whispered and she did not know how to comfort him, the teachers must have already told him that it was not his fault.
"...I know."
"I wasn't strong enough... I wasn't fast enough."
"I know."
"Even though he was right there in front of me... I couldn't do anything..."
"I know."
"If only I could control On-my Quirk better..."
"I know."
"..."
"...I know Izu. Everything you said, I know... just like how you know it too." Itsuka ran her hand through his untamed hair. "You know that you gave it your all, you know that you were already injured and running on fumes, you know that there was nothing you could do, you know that what you have accomplished with your Quirk thus far is amazing."
"..."
"You saved Thirteen-sensei, you saved Aizawa-sensei, you saved the remainder of Class 1A, be it directly or indirectly by fending off the Villains. They are alive because of you."
"...then why do I feel like such a failure."
Itsuka grabbed him by the shoulders and held him upright at arm's length, her teal eyes looking into his teary dark-green ones.
"Izuku, you are not a failure. I will beat up anyone who dare says otherwise, even if that someone is you." Her statement caused him to give a snort, caught off guard by how blunt she was.
"...I don't want to lose anyone again. I don't want to lose you."
Itsuka ignored the skip in her heartbeat at his declaration, "Then you just have to get stronger. Hmph! And I can protect myself just fine!"
"...thanks Itsu."
"Anytime Izu."
They embraced again, unknowing of the silently gushing form of one Midoriya Inko who was spying on them from around the corner.
"Now go take a shower, you reek." Itsuka broke off the hug, gently shoving him in the direction of the shower.
"Yeah good point." Izuku gave a small chuckle.
The Pro-Hero portion of the U.A. staff were all gathered inside the office of the Principal, whom had insisted of holding the gathering in there instead of the usual meeting room. Citing the recent break in as a breech of security, so he only trusted the sanctity of his own office.
"Now that everyone is here let's begin." Nedzu spoke up, having seen Snipe close the door behind Midnight after she walked in. "I trust that all of you know the reason for us gathering here right now."
"The League of Villains attack on Class 1A at the Unforeseen Simulation Joint."
"Yes thank you Midnight. Now this is something that has not happened in years, furthermore the attack has resulted in severe injuries to one of my staff and the death of one of my students. Absolutely unacceptable." Nedzu did not have his signature cup of tea in hand, instead holding onto a lit cigar.
"Principal sir, what of the Villains that the police had detained. Have they managed to acquire any further information regarding the League of Villains out of them?" Ectoplasm asked, getting a huff from the Chimera.
"Unfortunately they were just common fodder picked up off the streets. The only thing they knew was that they were going to kill All Might and U.A. students, nothing on Kurogiri and Shigaraki that we didn't already know."
"It was my fault. If only I hadn't used up the entire two hours I had left on my muscle form... if only I had just went straight to Tsukauchi-kun's office like Principal Nedzu had requested..." Toshinori shook in his spot beside Nedzu's desk, his fingers digging into his palms.
"Indeed it was your fault-"
"Principal sir that isn't-"
"Fair? Don't interrupt me again Kayama Nemuri. As I was saying, it was your fault All Might. I believe I have time and time again informed you that your priority is now to my school, to my students. Instead you are still gallivanting out there like a buffoon, wasting time on situations that could have been resolved by the Pro-Heroes on scene. And now, because of you, one of my students is dead. Someone's child is dead."
The atmosphere in the office plummeted, the other Heroes not daring to intervene after Midnight had been reprimanded. Toshinori could not find the words to argue back, nor did he believe he had the right to. He could only bow his head and accept the tongue-lashing from his boss.
"...what are we going to do? About the current situation I mean." Vlad King spoke up, dispelling the silence.
"Against this supposed League of Villains and All For One? Nothing, we don't have anything concrete at the moment. Nothing turned up in the police database as well, so we can only assume they are using fake names."
"...and the students?" Power Loader asked, being the support class teacher.
"I have already thought about this and decided to bring forward the dormitories plan as well as expand on it. Instead of just the first year heroics course students, I want dorms built for the second and third years as well. Immediate relatives of the students will be offered a place in the U.A. apartment complex just outside of school grounds, we do not know if they will be targeted as well." Nedzu explained, turning to look at a rectangular man in the corner. "My apologies Cementoss, it looks like I will need you to be working overtime."
"If it's to protect the safety of the students, I will do my best." The humanoid block of cement replied, getting a nod of appreciation.
"When will we implement the dormitories plan?" Present Mic was the one to raise the question this time.
"Hmm... after the U.A. Sports Festival."
"Excuse me Principal Nedzu, are you sure it is wise to proceed with the Sports Festival in such a situation?" Ectoplasm voiced out their worries.
"According to my calculations, the League of Villains will go dormant after their failed attempt on All Might's life. This will be a necessary step to take in demonstrating our Crisis Management Protocols are sound. Of course I will be requesting for a stronger police presence on the grounds as well as Pro-Heroes to patrol the area."
"That makes sense. The U.A. Sports Festival has practically replaced the Olympics in terms of popularity in this day and age. It would definitely breed chaos and concern if we were to cancel the event..." Present Mic remarked, rubbing his chin.
"Indeed. I trust you will inform your class of the details from this meeting Kan-kun." Nedzu addressed the blood-control Hero, who was typing away on his phone.
"Already on it... what about Aizawa's class?"
"Midnight can you get the number of their class representatives from the school system?" He got a quick nod from the teacher. "Well then I shall trouble you to take Aizawa's place in informing Class 1A... and do let them and Midoriya-kun know to approach Hound Dog if they require help in dealing with the events of earlier today."
Sensing that the meeting was over, the teachers slowly filed out of the office one by one until only three people were left in the room. Nedzu was seated at his desk, Toshinori had gone over to sit on one of the couches opposite Recovery Girl.
"Toshinori, I trust that I don't have to remind you again to be fully rested on the day of the Sports Festival."
"Yes. I won't fail the students again."
"See that you don't." Nedzu ended their conversation there, tilting his head to face the school's resident doctor. "Chiyo, how may I help you?"
"A nice vacation to Hokkaido would be appreciated. Jokes aside, I would like you to know that I found something during my checkup with Midoriya-chan earlier." Chiyo, also known as Recovery Girl, placed a report down on the table.
"Is Izuku alright?!" Toshinori surged forward, coughing some blood up in the process, to grab the report.
"Yes, yes. Calm down you fool, you're aggravating your wound."
"What was it that you found?" Nedzu asked, blowing out a puff of smoke.
"His cells were unusually active, nothing to shocking at the moment, but not something to gloss over either. The rate at which they regenerate is faster than that of an ordinary human, some of his less serious injures were already beginning to heal before I got to him."
"...what?" Toshinori collapsed back into his seat at the revelation.
"So... you're saying Midoriya-kun has a regeneration Quirk and was in fact not Quirkless before Toshinori passed One For All down to him?" Nedzu was now leaning forward onto his desk, his intrigue has been stirred.
"I can't say for sure. It could be his Quirk or it could be another aspect of One For All that had been awakened due to the stress he had been put through."
"Did you inform Izuku about this?" Toshinori asked.
"Not yet, the poor boy has enough on his plate as it is."
"I agree, let us keep this to ourselves for now. Keep an eye on him Chiyo, let me know if any further discoveries are made. Thing are definitely getting interesting." Nedzu hummed as he stubbed out his cigar on his ashtray.
Izuku and Itsuka were lounging side by side on the couch, watching a random movie that had been playing on television, when they received the message from their homeroom teacher. Vlad King had entrusted them to disseminate the info regarding the upcoming U.A. Sports Festival as well as dormitories situation, he had attached a file with all their classmates' numbers.
Itsuka had gotten to work creating a group chat with all of the numbers while Izuku drafted out the message to be sent, it only took a few minutes between the two of them.
[Izuku: Vlad King-sensei wanted us to inform you of the upcoming situation. There was an attack on Class 1A by a group of Villains, he will elaborate more in class tomorrow morning. For now he wants us to know that due to this, all Heroics Course students will be moved into the U.A. dormitories once they are done. It will happen the week after the U.A. Sports Festival.]
[Itsuka: Your immediate family will also be offered an apartment in the complex next to U.A. but it is not mandatory for them. Please take the time to inform your parents and/or other relevant parties by tonight.]
They then proceeded to diffuse the situation in the group chat as all of their classmates bombarded them with questions, especially regarding Izuku. The chat had somewhat calmed down after he informed them that he was uninjured and already resting at home. After some light-hearted teasing from Setsuna about how fast Itsuka had ran out of class to look for him, they ignored the rest of the chatter in the chat.
"...so dorms huh." Itsuka said, barely watching the movie after the bombshell that their teacher had dropped on them.
"Yeah... it's probably a safety measure so that the students aren't targeted outside of school."
"You were pretty lucky that the Villains could not identify you thanks to your Hero Costume. I told you that the voice modulator would be a good idea."
"...I was going to add it in myself anyway." Izuku grumbled with a pout.
"... but you are going to expose yourself once you use your Quirk during the Sports Festival."
"... I know."
"Are you mocking me?" She punched him lightly on the shoulder causing him to hold his hands up in surrender.
"I didn't mean to! Like... I can't hide forever. Not if I want to be the number one Hero."
"Well you gotta beat me at the Sports Festival first Mister Number One Hero."
They both chuckled at that, putting the events of the day behind them for now.
"It is with utmost reluctance that we have to inform you that as a result of the Villain attack at the Unforeseen Simulation Joint yesterday afternoon, we have lost Rikido Sato of Class 1A. His death came at the hands of the Villain's leader Shigaraki who possesses a dangerous Quirk that allows him to turn anything he touches into dust."
There was dead silence in the classroom as Vlad King explained the happenings of the day before, the students of Class 1B were stunned at the news. Even the usually competitive Neito was silent, knowing that this was not the time nor place.
"As such, we will be having all of you, along with the other Heroic Course students, move into dormitories that are being constructed by Cementoss. You will be moving in after the U.A. Sports Festival, which will be held next weekend..." Vlad King looked around the classroom and let out a sigh, he walked out from behind his desk and stood at the front of his class.
"...sensei?" Shihai questioned.
"...Listen up, all of you. This is the reality of our world. Anyone could be next. That's just part of the job scope when you sign up to be a Pro-Hero. So I want to know... how many of you want to drop out after hearing this news. I am only giving you this one chance... I will not accept anyone quitting after this day is over. We do not need anyone without resolve in this school."
With his piece said, Vlad King moved back to his desk and sat down. He did not do anything but stare silently at the classroom of students, obviously waiting for them to give a response. Izuku gave a quick glance around, he could see a variety of expressions across their faces. Some resolute, some still horrified over the news, some confused.
"...I was there."
His voice was clear and resolved, cutting through the depressive atmosphere in the classroom. His teacher and classmates turned to look at him, prompting him to stand up in place.
"I was there when the Villains attacked. I saw the destruction they could cause. I saw how powerful they were. I saw how desperately everyone was fighting... I saw Sato die right in front of me..."
Nobody spoke, shocked at what their classmate had gone through.
"It was frustrating. It was SO frustrating... I was right there but I couldn't do anything! Sato... he asked me to save him. I couldn't... I failed to save him." He was shaking, all of his frustration and anger.
"...Izuku." Itsuka whispered, wanting to reach out to hold him.
"-BUT!"
His sudden shout startled them, his eyes now focused and glaring at all of them.
"I'm not going to let that stop me. If I stop here then that means the Villains won. If I stop here then that means Sato died for nothing. If I stop here then that means my dream of becoming the number one Hero is a joke! So that means I'm not going to stop here, I'm going to become a Pro-Hero and then I'm going to take down all the Villains so nothing like this happens again! However someone told me that one person can't save everyone, so will you, all of you, help me?"
"You know that I will always have your back." Itsuka was the first to stand up, giving him a smile.
"...and I will always have both your backs!" Setsuna was next, piping up with a grin.
"Well well well, I guess you were the right choice as President after all! Let us raise 1B to glory!" Neito stood up with a laugh.
"Damn it! Midoriya is right!" Togaru slammed his desk with a shout, rising up from his seat. "I'm stronger than some shitty Villains! There's no way that I will allow this to crush my dream!"
From there, one by one, the students of Class 1B stood up one by one with various cries of support until every single one of them were on their feet. Izuku was teary-eyed at the support and faith of his classmates, he pointed at their teacher after wiping his eyes dry.
"Vlad King-sensei! None of us are dropping out! We're going to stomp the U.A. Sports Festival and we're going to become Pro-Heroes!"
Vlad King could not help but smile with pride at his students, only a few days together and they were already forming a bond. His smile widened into a grin as he slapped his desk and stood up with a laugh.
"HAHAHAHAHA! Well said Midoriya Izuku! We have a week until the Sports Festival and I am going to ensure you all train until you drop! No excuses!"
The class let out a cheer, spending the rest of their homeroom class brainstorming ideas for the Sports Festival. The events were randomized but they could still come up with a rough strategy by analyzing all of the past festivals, it was always a free-for-all followed by a group event and then a one-on-one tournament to close out the event.
"One last thing before I go..." Vlad King spoke up upon hearing the bell ring. "Sato's wake will be held this weekend, it would be nice if you all could make it on Saturday to pay your respects. I will forward the details to Midoriya and Kendo."
Izuku let out a small smile when the entire class agreed to attend, things were definitely looking up.
Rikido Sato Funeral, Saturday, 1000hrs
As if they were in some kind of cliché setting, the sky was dark and rain was beating down heavily upon the attendees. It was a closed casket funeral due to there being no body to place within the coffin. There were several police officers stationed around the venue in case of any unforeseen circumstances. His mother was wailing as she held onto the black and white portrait of her son.
Vlad King had kindly provided him some information on the woman, though it only made him feel worse. Hikifune Kirio was a portly woman, owner of her own bakery and raised Sato single-handedly after his father had eloped with another woman. Her Quirk allowed her to convert carbohydrates within her body into a temporary strength boost. Her parents had died in a Villain incident a few years after Sato had been born, leaving him as her only family as she was an only child.
Watching the poor woman grieve over the last of her family leaving her, Izuku felt the repressed emotions in his gut surge upwards. His fist was curled so tightly that his nails were digging into his palm, until a soft but calloused hand closed over his. He looked up to see that it was Itsuka, a worried look on her face.
"Are you okay?" She asked, the duo were standing apart from their classmates after they were done paying their final respects.
"No... she doesn't deserve this." He whispered.
"... sometimes bad things happen to good people. That's why Heroes exist right?"
"...right. I... I should talk to her."
Itsuka merely gave him a nod, letting go of his hand to allow him to walk over to the distraught mother. He stopped just outside the main tent, holding onto his umbrella and waiting for a proper moment to approach her. He waited, even after Vlad King had dismissed the rest of his class, thought the Pro-Hero and Itsuka had stayed behind.
Eventually the woman had seemed to have calmed down, possibly too exhausted from all of her crying. Izuku still stood with his umbrella under the rain, a part of him reluctant to enter the tent sheltering the coffin.
"...Miss Hikifune?"
The woman reacted, turning to face him with her mascara running down her face.
"My name is Midoriya Izuku. I... I was one of those fighting alongside your son. I... I was there when your son passed... I'm sorry." He bowed ninety-degrees, expressing his sincerity.
"...Izuku-chan. Why are you apologizing?" She spoke, her voice slightly raspy.
"... I couldn't save your son."
"...I heard that the Villains were extremely dangerous. You're only a student too... just like my dear Sato. How could I blame you for what happened?"
"I know... but still..." He was still bowing, he felt a hand touch his cheek and lift his face up.
"Izuku-chan, you're a good kid. Don't blame yourself... okay?"
"I... I promise to catch the Villain responsible..."
"Thank you dear... it makes me feel happy that my son had such wonderful friends."
Izuku could not bear to tell her that he did not know her son at all so he merely nodded his head.
"...tell me. Was my son a great Hero? From young, he always told me he wanted to be a Hero. That he would become my Hero so that I would be happy... he just wanted to cheer me up after his father left... and my parents..."
"Yes... he held back the Villain long enough for us to defeat it. He was an amazing Hero."
"I'm glad... then that is good enough for me. I shall not hold you up any longer, it seems your girlfriend and teacher have been waiting for quite a while." Kirio spoke, walking back to the casket and placing the portrait standing up.
"... she's just my close friend." He mumbled with a blush, turning and walking away though he did pick up on her parting words.
"You never know dear... happiness is fleeting."
Izuku met up with Vlad King and Itsuka at the entrance of the cemetery, both of them placing a hand each on his shoulders. They were walking away from the venue when suddenly they heard a shout.
BANG!
Followed by the sound of a gunshot going off.
Izuku was running back before he realized it, he smashed through the gates of the cemetery and came to a stop. One of the police officers was groaning on the ground, clutching his head. The rest were surrounding the main tent, one of them speaking rapidly into his radio. However he tuned all of that out, his eyes widened as he took in the scene before him.
Kirio was sprawled out on the ground, a smoking pistol held in her hand and a bloody hole through her head.
To Be Continued-
*A Pyrrhic victory is a victory that comes at a great cost, perhaps making the ordeal to win not worth it.