2 years. 2 YEARS?! I've been doing this for 2 years already?! Well, dunk me in sugar and call me a donut. I did not expect to be here now.

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All I can say to you good people is... STONKS. And thank you. Thank you SO much. For reading. For believing. For being patient. For letting me and my story live in your heads rent-free. When I first wrote down those few notes back in December of 2018, I never imagine being here now. Before I start crying, let's just get to guest reviews.

Beethoven
Thank you.

J Vision Lil
Well, the buildup continues in this chapter, rejoice! Bakugo is gonna get pushed down the sideline, probably. Can't say for sure. Bakugo hopes to find something through his endeavors. But will he succeed?

Black Jeans-Wearing-Blue Jean
An interesting thought, many people expressed concerns about Izuku. But I hope to address them in future chapters.

Guest
I mean, he's still indestructible, but here, I tried to show off a bit, of where the power of Izuku comes from. It will become more clear in the future, I hope.

That does it for guest reviews. I love to hear your thoughts and hope to hear many more. Also.

I OWN NOTHING! I'M BUT A HOBO THAT SNEAKS INTO THE LIBRARY AND WAISTS TIME WRITING THIS INSTEAD OF WATCHING PORN!

"Hey there!" -regular dialogue
"Who is this guy again?" -inner thoughts
"I AM HERE!" -All Might muscle form
"Time limit is nearing!" -All Might muscle form inner thoughts

This chapter was beta read by Marethyu. Thank you for your awesome work, and for letting me ramble your ears off. You are a true friend.

All For One was ecstatic. He watched as the 5 or so Nomu struggled greatly to hold down his strange new toy. Izuku Midoriya had no problem matching his creatures in strength. There also was nothing that could damage him. But, something was stopping him from splattering them all across the walls.

He destroyed the Nomu he sent at USJ, and he pierced Muscular with a single punch. Yet now he punched and slapped and kicked at the Nomus and all it did was stagger them back, before they returned into the fray, trying to keep him pinned so he could test even more quirks.

He made some observations during the fray that had been going on for three hours, going on four now. He could not do anything to influence the boy's body in any way. When he tried to grasp his limbs with a puppetry quirk, he grasped nothing. Or more reasonably, he could grasp it, but not hold the limb back, redirect it, or stop it.

He could still make rebar sprout out the ground, attempting to impale the kid, but those either bent or straight-up broke. Izuku Midoriya had, through some unknown circumstances, become indestructible. But… that did not mean unkillable.

Boy did he love a good challenge. What should he try out next? Oh… Maybe? Yes, that could work. He used one of his arms to secrete an oil-like substance on the floor and waited for the young man to slip up. It took a while, but while the lad was trying to execute a dance move, he finally slipped and fell headfirst on the floor, cracking it. Nomus immediately dogpiled him, and that was enough.

As Izuku tried to get from beneath the pile of violent creatures, he could no longer breathe. it wasn't that something prevented him. There was just nothing to breathe in! He slowly started panicking.

"Ahh, yes. it seems you're not at all completely invincible, are you? Despite your incredible might and defense, you still need to breathe. How fascinating. This quirk creates a small pocket of vacuum, roughly the size of a football. More than enough to cover one's face, though the target does need to keep still."

Izuku, now really worried, started thrashing wildly, before slamming his head on the ground, again and again. It was a move made in blind panic, but it paid off, and he broke through the floor, falling inside some sort of drainpipe.

He took a deep breath, finally relieved to once again have something in his lungs, before he began to crawl through the tight space. Maybe he could escape this way and-

Luck was not on his side. The pipes began to curve upward, and coil tight around him as if to restrain him. He broke them apart with ease, but by then he was already back in the warehouse.

"Now now, there's still so much I have to learn about you Izuku! I don't know nearly enough! I disabled your phone's transmission after we called your sensei, but how about we shuffle through the contacts list, learn a bit about you, and who you hang out with?"

Nomus eagerly jumped him again. And he resisted. But every time he came in contact with their flesh, his mind flashed to the feeling of piercing through the skin, muscle, and bone. And it was as if the monstrous strength left him, barely enough to stagger the creature, but not disable it in any way. Like something restrained him.

"Hum… You have a lot of numbers saved, but don't exchange a good many texts, do you? Except, oh! Inko Midoriya in your contacts, your mother, right?"

He slowly scrolled through the messages, absorbing the information.

"My my, that's one cold family dynamic. As far as I can see, dear Inko cares for you dearly. A text, almost every day, 'Have a good day' and 'Did you eat lunch?'. But your replies are very frosty. Does it have anything to do with your estranged father? Let's look at someone else for now, shall we?"

It took about a full hour to explain everything. During that time he had to dodge a pencil or two which inexplicably decided they wanted to impale his head, as well as calm down Mrs. Midoriya from a mild panic attack. Miss Hadou for the most part just sat there, looking to be deep in thought.

When he told them of how Izuku went with villains willingly, Inko's dam broke and he got a front-row seat to the Midoriya tears. Safe to say, he should have worn a poncho. He also politely ignored that Tatsumaki's chair seemed to groan as if a mysterious force was pressing it into the ground.

"The situation is delicate, and we are threading with utmost care to gather the permissions and resources necessary to rescue your son, Mrs. Midoriya, and I promise you we will do our very best to have him back with you."

When he finished the explanation, he could accurately deduce what was the first thing anyone would say.

"I want in." The younger of the Midoriyas was not taking no for an answer. At least she no longer tried to commit violence on his things or person.

"While I can't allow you to be a direct part of the rescue efforts, Miss Midoriya, I can arrange for you to be present in the rear, and escort your brother to hospital for a checkup. "

Tatsumaki took a deep breath to present her argument.

"No."

Everyone was surprised to hear Inko speak. But speak she did, her voice loud and clear, no longer shaking. She stayed quiet for years. But now she was done letting others dictate her family.

"I'm terribly sorry Mrs. Midoriya but-"

"Tatsumaki will be there. '' It seemed that Tornado of Terror inherited more than her looks from her mother.

"I can see why you would want a family member present, but I ask you to trust us-"

"I did trust you. I trusted you to keep my son safe and teach him how to be a hero, help him fulfill his life-long dream, something I could not do. But since he has signed up for this school, he had to fend off villains during class, was assaulted outside of it, attacked again at the location, not even we parents were privy to and is now in hands of those same villains. Frankly, the only thing keeping me even slightly sane at this point is the knowledge that no matter your incompetence at keeping him safe, he has yet to suffer a single injury."

The room stood still, not expecting such a rant from the timid woman. But every person has their limit, and Inko Midporiya was WAY past it. Nejire decided to speak as well.

"I also think Miss Tornado should be there. Not only could she help contain the damage but…" she hesitated.

"Please, Miss Hadou, speak your mind."

"I know what Mirio must fight against. And I know who you suspect to be behind the League. That person is unpredictable, and it would do us well to also have someone unpredictable on our side."

Nezu thought for a minute. While the fact that young Togata had shared so much information between his friends was concerning, she did have a point. The operation was going to go off tonight, at sunset. They gathered a team, a powerful team. And they had already made the mistake of underestimating All for One before. He made a decision.

"I… will try my best to get you in, miss Midoriya, but I can not predict how H.P.S.C will react. If they decide this is over the line, they might be too late to stop you from helping, but will deport you as soon as the operation ends."

That meant she could be kicked out before speaking to Izuku. Before she could hug him, tell him she was sorry. Before she could give him her hurriedly bought gift… It was a conflicting battle. The need Tatsumaki had, to piece her family back together, against the need to save the said family. Staying behind, letting the rat handle it, was the rational choice. The 'safe' choice.

Tatsumaki was in no mood for rationality. As for safety, she would provide that herself.

"I'm in."

"You revealed a pretty big fucking secret, you know that Ponytail?"

"Yea, I did. But if it helps people save him or... It's well worth it."

"So you told everyone, then? The cops, the heroes, and now the extras?"

"Yes."

Bakugo stared at the class prez. She did not squirm in the least. She was dead serious. It was vital information, and hiding it would not help anyone.

"You're wrong about Deku though. He'd never go bad."

"How are you so sure?"

"Because I grew up with the dumbass! I had to watch him almost every single day, striving for that one goal! To help! To save! To be a hero! No matter how many times he was knocked down! However many times I told him to stop! That he was worthless! That he had nothing to offer to this shitty world!"

He was not crying. He was NOT!

"He would always get up! He would tear up, stammer, apologize for nothing! And then he would keep going. "

Bakugo turned around, one hand slamming into the wall. But he embraced the pain. It helped him keep his head clear. All was quiet in the room. But then Momo decided to speak.

"Do you regret it? What have you done?"

"I don't regret shit! I knew it back then, what I was trying to do. He had no chance in this world! He could not keep spouting bullshit dreams and then watch everyone stomp on them. Better me than them right?!"

He took a deep breath. If he kept going like this, a smoke detector might trigger.

"I don't care what could have been done differently. And regrets won't change a fucking thing. I… We tried, being friends again. It's not gonna work. While I stayed the same, Deku grew, he changed. The Deku I knew, is no more."

Deep breaths. Just keep taking deep breaths.

"Maybe you can grow and change as well?"

"Why? I'm already fucking perfect?"

"I dunno. Your people skills could certainly use some improvement."

Bakugo had nothing to say to that, much too busy to keep breathing deeply. Momo was not stupid, she could see wisps of smoke coming from his clenched fists, so she decided to change the topic.

"You want the tracker, don't you."

"Yes."

"What will you do if you find that Midoriya is not there?"

"Fuck if I know. Maybe have a look around, see if I can find those fuckers on the bluff? They're either gonna save him tonight, or he's gonna go free himself. No fucking way those guys have anything that can hold him."

Once more silence descended on the room. Momo already made up her mind. But, since Bakugo seemed to not be opposed to talking, maybe she could ask just one more thing.

"I have to ask. Midoriya does not have a quirk, and yet he is… well, him. How?"

"He told me he exercised."

"Bullshit!"

Slowly, very slowly, as if trying to keep reality intact, Bakugo turned around and looked at the class president, who looked like running a high degree fever, hands firmly clasped over her mouth.

"Ponytail, did you just…"

"No! No I did not! Anyway, I'll give you the tracker. But I'm coming with you"!"

"The hell you are! I'm already taking Shitty Hair with me, cause he wouldn't shut up about it! Plus, you're still injured."

"Actually, I was cleared an hour ago. I just said I'm waiting for my driver."

Bakugo looked at her. And she looked back. A lot of thought flashed through his mind, the pros, the cons. In the end, he settled for a snarl.

"Fine. Not my fault if you fucking die though."

This was already becoming bigger than he intended it. But, it wasn't like they would be useless. He did not have a plan. He did not have any gear or safety net to fall back on. But maybe, with this crew, he could feel what it was like to really be a hero.

"You and Mina seem close. Look at these useful breakdance poses she sent you. And she did them herself, instead of looking them up online. And they say friendship isn't magical. Now imagine her pretty pink face, when she learns you killed someone."

This guy would not shut up! He just kept talking and talking! How distant he seems to most of his classmates. That he was sloppy in his duties as vice president. And he kept trying to poke holes into his psyche.

"Now this Mirio guy. He seems like a true hero. He's also in his third year. How kind of him to take care of his kohai. Wow, you guys seem to talk about sparing a lot. Did he make you such a proficient fighter? We've been going for 14 hours now, haven't we?"

Why couldn't he just SHUT UP? The next Nomu he punched flew straight at All for One, who caught it casually and then set him down.

"Now we get to letter N… Ho? Izuku, do you have a girlfriend named Nejire?"

The briefing was set to start, and Detective Naomasa glanced at the heroes gathered in the conference room. There was a lot of firepower on this team. Toshinori insisted heavily on it.

Ryukyu was in right away, almost demanding it. It seemed young Midoirya really grew on the dragoness. That also meant that another one of the Big Three, Nejire-chan was in. All Might was in, of course, with the suspicion that All For One was behind it all, he would not miss it. Though he was absent from the meeting, to conserve his strength.

Endeavor, knowing something big was going on, also agreed to participate. There was also Edgeshot and Kamui Woods, with Mt. Lady in tow. But the real surprise came in the form of the Top Ranked female hero.

Miruko was sent an invite as were the rest of the Top 10. But no one expected her to actually show up. Yet, show up she did, explaining that there was a storm brewing that she simply could not ignore. The one most pleased to see her was Nighteye, another surprising addition, but it seemed he was here on the insistence of Lemillion. And last, but certainly not least, Gran Torino who was quite eager to help "such a plucky lad".

"Thank you all for being here today. To quickly summarise, last night at approximately 10.31 pm, a U.A student by the name of Izuku Midoriya willingly surrendered himself to the villainous organization, known as the League of Villains. His reasons for this course of action are unknown."

A slide with Izuku's picture was shown, one taken at the end of the Sports Festival, him standing on the second-place podium.

"Due to quick thinking of one of his classmates, we managed to track down the location of one of the two suspected bases of operation. The target has not left the premise in the last 14 hours, and the people we have observed the location had so far come up empty. But at 3.07 am, Eresarhead received a call from Izuku's cell phone. We suspect the villains did this on purpose, which means they are trying to lead us into a trap."

Edgeshot politely raised his hand.

"Why would they do such a thing?"

"We suspect they have no means to restrain young Midoriya long-term. The kid is by all accounts indestructible, and very strong."

"Then why did he not escape yet?"

Mirko's voice carried a commanding presence, with a dangerous edge, like she was prone to attack you if you did not respond to her appropriately?

"I've seen the kid perform, and he's strong. but he's also a brute. Not technique, just powering through everything. Yet his academic scores place him at the very top. So, why did he not escape, better yet, you say you don't know the reason why he'd surrender himself. But, I can tell there's something you're not telling us, detective."

It was not a secret, there was no reason to tell them, but nothing that forbade it. Tsukachi hoped to keep it under wraps, thinking it was a good thing to do. But if anyone could understand it, it would be the Pros.

"We have confirmed it through eye witness reports, that Izuku Midoirya was responsible for the death of the villain named Muscular."

The room stood still for a second. Then Ryukyu spoke.

"Indirectly or…"

"To save the witness, Midoriya punched the villain clean through the chest. The body was not recovered, so there's little else we know. But, after killing the villain, he dragged his body through the camp and used it to threaten and intimidate other villains."

That… was not what the heroes were expecting, but only a few of them reacted visibly. Mt. Lady looked a lot paler than before, and Mirko let out a dangerous grin. But as far as Tsukachi could see, all at least had the semblance of an idea of how that could impact someone.

"We will be split into two teams. We already have people scouring the general location of where we traced the call, and will probably pin down the hideout before the raid begins. Most of you will be attacking there since there's a high chance of Nomus being present. Your job will be to defeat them, or contain them until the other team can back you up."

Edgeshot, Kamui, Lemillion, and Nejire-chan were to attack the bar, while the rest of the pros were on standby or hitting the hideout if it was found by then. When the location was found, they were to engage any and all villains and detain them. The Nomus present were to be put down with prejudice.

Most pros agreed with their placement. Except one.

"I must object. Lemillion is a powerful asset that would be wasted on such an operation. He would perform much better against the Nomu, and would also be invaluable when searching for the hideout."

"Lemillion is perfect to combat against Shigraki with his Decay quirk. Our experts also agree he should be immune to the Warping quirk that another member possesses. He is not a well-known hero, which gives us yet another advantage. Both Nezu and our strategy team put a lot of thought into this, Sir Nighteye."

The foresight hero wanted to argue more. But a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him. It was the student himself, a determined expression on his face. Nighteye stared down his prodigy, before reluctantly dropping the matter. He could threaten to withdraw from the operation as a whole, but he knew Mirio would still go, even without his approval.

The meeting was concluded and now began the worst part. The waiting. Many of the heroes gathered left the station, for various reasons. That included Nighteye. But before he could leave, he saw a familiar figure standing in front of one of the empty offices. It seemed his old friend wanted to talk.

As soon as the door closed, Toshinori Yagi went straight to the core.

"I know why you wish to have Mirio close to me, Mirai. Your concerns are needless. Whatever happens, out there, I do not plan to lose."

"Losing and dying are not the same thing. I know that look in your eyes. My quirk refuses to offer me any glimpse of the child. I can't predict how this operation will go. I can only rely on my gut, and it only tells me things won't end well."

"That may be. But rescuing Midoriya is my responsibility. There's only one reason I can think of that would send All for One after him."

"He thinks the child is your successor. This is why I wish to have Mirio close to you. To show the world who is the next pillar of Peace."

"There will be time for that. After we save young Midoriya. After I defeat All For One one last time. Mirio will be a great hero, you'll make sure of it."

All Might walked out of the room, giving his former sidekick a wide berth. For a moment Nighteye was tempted to touch his friend. To look him in the eyes, and get a confirmation of how the events will play out. But it would be in vain. When he used his quirk on Miro, on Monday, he could not see anything past Wednesday. Anything concerning Izuku Midoriya was shrouded in darkness.

What could one child do that would leave such a big impact on the future? Mirai looked down at his hands. They were shaking.

Toga was happily humming while carrying a duffle bag, stuffed to the brim with various murder weapons. Some form her personal collection, and some she borrowed from Spinner. She looked at the blood she collected. While she had drained the frog girl a lot, her backpack container was left behind. She had enough for maybe three or four transformations at best. It would have to do.

"Oi, Alucard. What are you doing? You haven't unlocked the world map yet!"

"Oh, relax! Plus, I was promised my Izuku time. Or would you prefer to watch yourself on PornHub, furiously masturbating to hero Wash hentai?"

Say what you want about Toga, but her quirk was perfect for blackmailing. Maybe a bit too perfect.

Very reluctantly, Shigaraki let the girl transform into one of the NPC's, and walk outside, a skip in her step. Sensei did not like to be disturbed during his fun… But Sensei also did not have hundreds of his naked pictures hidden around in the city. Tomura was not the sharpest knife in the crayon box, but even he knew there were better hills to die on.

DING DONG

Was that the fucking bell? Who rings a bell at a bar? Dragging himself to the door, Tomura found a pizza delivery guy.

"TWICE! I TOLD YOU YOU CAN'T ORDER PIZZA HERE!"

"Pizza time! Is it pineapple and olives?"

"Nope. But there is an extra thick justice, with a can of whoop-ass! Free of charge!"

A blonde hero jumped THROUGH the pizza delivery guy, and then THROUGH the hand Tomura attacked him with, delivering a vicious hook right to his temples, sending him flying across the bar.

Kurogiri raised the alarm and tried to warp the intruder, but not only was the guy fast as fuck, but he also seemed to be completely unaffected by the portals. Magne was the first to respond, with Spinner hot on her tail. Suddenly Magne was blasted back by a spiral of energy. Spinner managed to dodge it but was encased in thick branches before he could charge ahead.

"Kurogiri, get us out, NOW!"

Shigaraki tried to pick himself off, but his head was still ringing and the world refused to stand still. But he could pick out a thin line making its way across the room, straight through the warping bartender, who slumped down behind the counter. Their ticket out has been denied. They were so fucked.

He finally got back on his feet, when he got hit in the chest by a spiral wave that made his nausea even worse. A wall of blue flames did make him feel a bit better though. Dabi with Compress and twice struck against the two heroes, one flying chick with horns and Kamui, who retreated hastily to not be scorched. But wait, where was the blondie?

Oh, there he was, behind Dabi, executing a perfect suplex. He kinda looked like All Might, didn't he? Wasn't that annoying? Now there were two final bosses. Twice rushed to his side in the chaos, and helped him get up. But before he could order him to make some clones to help, they were swept away in a storm of wood.

"I'm absolutely astonished!"

"Right? I knew he would interest you, Doctor."

"He's not sweating. He's not breathing heavily. It's like he is a perpetual motion machine!"

"But he is getting tired. It's probably just mentally tough. Humans were not meant to fight non-stop for 19 hours."

His psyche also held up surprisingly well. The kid was scared of killing someone. But it did not seem it could be used against him.

"Indeed. Have you tried getting a DNA sample?"

"Yes, some hair. But, it revealed nothing. Just plain hair. No abnormalities, no mutations, no energy signals."

"Then how-"

Someone slammed the door to the warehouse wide open, it was a girl with frog-like features, already melting off her, and a crazed bloodlust in her eyes.

"Izuku, I'm he-"

And then everything went to shit.

"I AM HERE!"

ROOOOOOAAAAARRRR!

They had managed to narrow down everything to about 4 or 5 locations. It might have taken them a lot longer if Ryukyu did not notice one of the students she had an interest in wandering the streets with a giant duffle bag, that rattled with a metallic sound at every skip she made.

It was suspicious, so they followed her to a warehouse. Just getting within 100 feet of it made everyone's hair stand straight. And the second the girl opened the door, Ryukyu could see her intern, his clothes in tatters, and fighting what seemed to be 7 or 8 Nomu's. And the Dragon awakened.

Both Ryukyu and All Might taking point, they broke down the walls, the signature "I AM HERE" almost drowning beneath the roar of a furious dragon. With but a thought from All for One, the Nomus rapidly switched their target, abandoning Izuku to stand, confused, and making a head-on collision with one very angry set of claws and scales.

All Might stood tall, and angry, in the face of his enemy. In a very rare instance, he was not smiling. Even Izuku was thrown off by that change, from an overly enthusiastic teacher, barely qualified for the job, to a hero who never loses. And he did not plan to lose this time either. At least not alone.

"Ahh, All Might. I did not expect you to show up here, let alone so soon. I guess that's what happens when you let your soldiers get a bit too eager."

Toga felt the full pressure. Something which she thought only Izuku possessed. A killing intent, an aura so powerful it made her wanna vomit. Sull, after a second it was gone, and she could breathe normally once more.

"It seems Shigaraki was captured as well. You assembled a crew specifically for this, didn't you? Even as the rest of the Nomu rush to help, your defense line is standing strong. I should feel honored, but I can't help but think my pupil and his men might feel left out."

A chill passed down All Might's spine. He rushed in to attack the bane of his master. But the villain was unperturbed, simply raising his arm. And as All Might saw the fine fabric of the suit get shredded, he also found himself being blasted back, together with the remains of the building.

"Might as well make this into one big party, right?!"

He would not hold Tomura here for long, just long enough to give him a taste of what he will become! It should be enough to light an even bigger fire inside him! Then he'd send him away with Kurtogiri. Yes, let her grandchild see the destruction he was to saw upon the land his grandmother died to save! Would she be smiling then?

Mirio was checking over the captured members. There were 7 of them, with one Himiko Toga missing, presumably, she snuck out earlier, under the disguise of one of U.A students. They let her through, in hopes of showing them to the min hideout and Izuku. And based on the radio silence, it worked.

Kamui Woods reinforced the branches holding the villains bound. Dabi was still unconscious thanks to the suplex,. and based on a quick examination, Shigaraki might have a concussion. They would have to be careful with his treatment, or he could very easily escape.

Nejire was still rearing to go but heeded his advice about slowing down. Kamui too wished to save Izuku as well, but they could not help him if they were running on empty.

"You think you won, blondie?"

Miro looked into the red eyes, barely visible through the badly kept hair. There was something inside those eyes, and it had nothing to do with a concussion. A sort of clarity, as if a great truth has been unveiled.

"You have no idea what's coming, you All Might-wannabe! I see it now, yes! The green player was never the final boss, YOU WERE!"

Before Shigaraki could say more, black sludge began oozing out of his mouth, as well as all the other League members. The heroes and police tried to stop them, but no matter what they did, nothing prevented the villains from vanishing into thin air.

Miro wanted to curse himself for being so careless. but there was no time for moping. His earpiece buzzed with a message from Sir Nighteye.

"Mirio, we need you here, NOW!"

Before Nighteye even finished, Mirio was already outside.

"Nejire! We're needed elsewhere, can you fly?"

"Stupid question. Will you give us a boost?"

"Indeed."

Nejire grabbed her friend beneath his arms, while Miro crouched. He was not sure where he should be going, but something in his gut called out towards that way. He flooded his body with the power of One for All, and the call got stronger.

"Let's go! 30% Phantom Leap!"

Immediately after takeoff, he could feel nejire boosting them with their energy, and vastly increasing their altitude. He also politely ignored two hard nubs poking his back.

"Izuku does it faster!"

He could barely hear her over the wind. But he still gave a hearty laugh.

"I won't believe it till I see it! So let's bring him home, so we can compare!"

She said nothing, but he could definitely feel the increase in their momentum. It seems their cute little kohai lit a fire in his friend. Could he have that fire inside him as well?

All Might was flying through the air. And then he wasn't. It agitated his insides greatly but he was still way closer to the battlefield than he hoped. He had to get back! he had to fix his mistake!

He turned around and found a mop of green curly hair. One pair of green eyes stared at him, filled with fear and doubt. He wanted to smack himself on the head. In his fury, he almost forgot why they were here in the first place!

"Thank you, young Midoriya! Now please, retreat to safety. This is my battle. Allow me this one chance to be your hero!"

Izuku did not know what it was. Something in the voice of Sir-smiles-a-lot triggered a memory he forgot, something that took place after the internships.

FLASHBACK

Izuku entered Gym Gamma, ready to once more kick Mirio's ass. But what he found was… a strange sight.

"Once more, young Togata!"

"I am here!"

Mirio and All Might were standing in front of a full-body mirror, where Miro was trying to contour and shift his face into something that uncannily resembled a nightmare he once had.

"No, no! Like this! I AM HERE!"

It was a textbook image of All Might's smile. One could not help to think that after it vanished, the room grew a little bit darker. What toothpaste did the guy use?

Miro tried once more to imitate the expression, failing, and developing a cramp in his jaw muscle. That was when he noticed Izuku standing there.

"Oh, Izuku! How the time flies when you're having fun! I'm practicing my I-AM-HERE smile, but it's still no good."

Izuku thought for a second. It has been a good year since he practiced, but he should still be able to pull it off, right?

"I AM HERE!"

Both, the pro hero and the third year were treated to a near-perfect imitation of All Might smile. And face. Aside from the occasional twitch, and freckles, one could scarcely separate them. It was kinda creepy.

"Alright! I can't let my kohai show me up! Once more! I AM HERE!"

FLASHBACK OVER

"You're going there to die, aren't you?"

A deep sigh was heard. Was this guy for real? Was he just gonna roll over after all those speeches? The smiles? He did not spend almost a full day being thrown his faults in his face, to then also shoulder All Might's death!

"I don't want to. But, I am not as strong as I used to be. He knows it, you know it, I know it. Sir Nighteye predicted something like this when I defeated him for the first time. And, if it means you, and young Togata don't have to deal with this, then I'll gladly-"

"Don't you fuck with me!"

The hero was taken aback. It was not like Midoriya to curse. But clearly, some sort of line has been crossed.

"You don't get to just go and die, because you think it's right! Or because it was meant to happen! You don't get to die, PERIOD! You still need to teach Mirio how to smile! You still need to teach my class how to be heroes! I still have things on my bucket list! YOU. DON'T. GET. TO. DIE!"

All Might was shell shocked. To see so many emotions pour out. But then he smiled. Big and wide, like he always did.

"You are right, young Midriya! I let myself be blinded by my duty. But being a hero comes from the heart! Let's go! We've already been away for too long!" He prepared to take off, before sending a challenging look towards the young student.

"I trust you can keep up?" A fire was lit inside those eyes once more. And All Might knew, wherever he would go that night, Izuku Midoriya would be right beside him.

All For One gazed upon the battlefield. It was pure and utter carnage. Endeavor was trying his best to incinerate any Nomus that came near. 4 or 5 already perished under his flames. That was alright, he could always get more. Ryukyu, for her ferocious charge, was sticking to the background together with Mt. Lady, making sure no creature made it past the perimeter, enforced with concrete blocks, and policemen, taking whatever potshots they could.

Gran Torino, that old chap was doing his best, wheezing around, distracting his creations, and drawing attention on himself. but the real star of the show had to be her. Mirko was laughing maniacally, while shattering bones, rupturing organs, and rendering flesh with the power of her kicks. And people thought thicc thighs save lives. Fools, the lot of them.

Still, there was something beautiful in observing a combination of years worth of training, guided by an animalistic instinct, present in those with animal quirks. Despite the showers of gore, not a single drop landed on her, her leotard still pristine white as it was at the start of the assault.

He would single-handedly make sure it would be stained with a hero's blood by the end of the night. His musing was interrupted by the arrival of Tomura's precious League. Toga joined them from wherever she hid, he'd have to have words with her later.

Ahh, and there was All Might. Something changed, there was a fire in those eyes once more. HER fire. But wait, his newest friend was with him! Maybe he has yet to learn all there is about Izuku Midoriya?

The last few Nomus, hidden in the deepest crevices of his base entered the fray. Still, The League was strong enough to inconvenience a hero or two, which would give his Nomus an opening while he played with the Hero and the student.

All was according to plan. And then it wasn't. Tomura's posse had the right idea, aiming for Gran Torino, the weak link so to speak. But then they were all frozen on the spot, together with a few of the Nomus as well. His Quick Analysis told him it was a form of psychic force. but there was no here in Japan strong enough to freeze 8 people, and creatures strong enough to put your average hero to shame.

He looked to the sky, and there she was. He would be a fool, not to recognize her.

"Tornado of Terror. What is such a famous American figure doing on my turf?" The longer he stared, the more something bothered him. Something about the eyes seemed ever so familiar…

Oh.

OOOH.

This was not in his plan. He should take care of this rogue element quickly. But before he could do that, he had to defend himself from… Buff Tintin? What was going on here?

He was also blasted by a spiral energy blast, courtesy of a blue-haired hero. Wait, they let students attend this raid? The Big Three of the U.A, he should be feeling honored. So why did he only feel frustration?

"I see, I see! It seems I was the foolish one here! I brought a machine gun for an RPG fight! That is the way the youngsters say it now right?"

He extended the black tendrils, his own quirk as ready as always. He should attempt to wake up Dabi together with Kurogiri. While he was at it, Tomura doesn't look so good. He did not have a healing quirk that could work on others, but he could boost his student for a limited time.

All Might stood tall and proud. God, he hated that smile. Was it because he was defeated by All Might? No, it was because even in HER final minutes, SHE still smiled. Not even death could take that smile away. Her small victory over him. He would erase that smile from the Earth. Forever.

"Surrender All for One! You are outmatched!"

"Indeed, you're right! Sadly I don't have an RPG myself." He forcibly activated Kurogiri's quirk. There was only one location he had in mind.

"My tank will have to do. Come to me… GIGANTOMACHIA!"

I could keep repeating thank you's and such, but ultimately, I'd start to cringe out myself. So I'll be quick. I appreciate every one. People who were there at the start. People who are here since yesterday. Reviewers, and guest reviewers. People who think my story is deserves a place on various lists. The lurking readers. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, it is long, and the sheer thought of pressing the "Post" button is making me giddy! READ. REVIEW. Let me know what YOU think, and we'll read each other next time. NPGamer out.

PEACE

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The next chapter comes out on the 15th of May!