Beta'd by Greed720 and HardwinPotter

For all that Mina tried to keep a cheerful attitude as she chatted with Hagakure and Tsuyu, she felt her stomach tying itself in knots. With a sudden emergency drill announced for an underground bunker that no one had even known existed, Mina knew that Izuku's predicted fight at U.A. would happen today. The greenette's absence only made it more obvious.

"Sensei, is Midoriya-kun alright?" Tsuyu asked.

"He's having lessons with Nezu," Aizawa answered in a bored tone. "It would be illogical to put him through exercises he wouldn't need."

"Right!" Hagakure chimed in. "Since with his you-know-what, he'd already know the way and stuff, right?"

Aizawa glowered at Hagakure for the obvious censure of Izuku's Quirk, but he moved on without reprimanding her. A thick steel door swung open to reveal a concrete box stuffed with stacks of Lunch Rush's canned meals, each with hand-written labels. Hundreds of sleeping bags lined the far wall of the room. To Mina's dismay, she found no signs of showers, sinks, or even a toilet.

"Please tell me we're not staying in here," Mina said before she could stop herself.

Aizawa gave her a flat look and said, "This area serves as storage. If we're desperate enough to hole up in here, the lack of amenities will be the least of your concerns."

The mood took a somber turn as they walked through the broad chamber to another steel door on the other side. An unpleasant smell wafted out from underneath the door.

Once the door to the bunker slammed shut, Aizawa tapped on his phone. The phones of every student vibrated in response. "The League of Villains will be launching a full-scale attack within the hour," Aizawa said. "Each of you will act as reserves for heroes working across the city. Your phone has your personal instructions, including where you'll be stationed, how to get there through the sewers, and contact information for the heroes you'll be working with. Call them as soon as you arrive."

Kirishima scratched at his hair. "Wait, so this wasn't a drill?"

"This was a ruse, to get you all out of the school without the villains knowing. The other classes will be along once you leave."

"Where is Midoriya-san?" Yaoyorozu asked. "Wouldn't he have known about this?"

Towards the back, Bakugo, freshly reintroduced into the hero course, ground his teeth and smothered explosions in his hands. He took a deep breath and wiped his smoking palms on his pants.

"Midoriya's helping to coordinate the heroes," Aizawa said. "This will be the last day we'll have to worry about the League of Villains."

Grins spread across the room at the news, but Mina didn't feel assured. Having heard from Izuku how he saw everything said, she understood that Aizawa had only implied that they would win. If the hero students all died today, they would hardly be worrying about the League.

"You didn't tell us until now," Tsuyu pointed out. "Was there a reason for that?"

"Mainly to keep our preparations a secret. We didn't want to risk the League getting wind of Izuku's assistance. Down here, the bunker's shielded from electronic espionage, so if any of you were remotely monitored, they wouldn't know about the change of plans."

Aizawa looked over each of them and nodded in satisfaction. He opened the door behind him. The sewer beyond, despite its unpleasant odor, had bright lights at every corner and spray paint along the walls, pointing the way.

"I won't lie," Aizawa said. "Today will put you all to the test, but I know you're all up to the challenge. You are by far the most impressive class I have ever taught, and you have only grown since moving on to the second year. Have faith in yourselves and take care of each other out there. You're not alone. Always remember that."

"What about you?" Bakugo asked sourly. "What'll you be doing while we're all out there?"

Aizawa raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm of little use against Nomu, so I'll be in reserve until the core members of the League hit the field. For that same reason, Hagakure, Shinso, and Koda will also remain here. Now, if you have no further questions, get moving. We're short on time as is."

Mina lingered as most of the class filed through the doorway. As the three students staying behind took seats on the sleeping bags, Mina quietly asked Aizawa, "What happens if Izu-kun doesn't win?"

Aizawa gave her a sharp glance. Mina felt herself squirm under his sharp scrutiny. "How much did he tell you?"

With a sidelong glance at the other students, who hadn't overheard anything, Mina said, "Everything."

Aizawa took a deep breath and brushed the hair out of his eyes. "That's why I'm on reserve. If all else fails, I could catch our enemy off guard. Right now, focus on doing what you can out there, and let us worry about the rest."

Mina nodded uneasily and stepped past him. After a quick glance at her instructions, she followed the pink lines through the labyrinth of narrow tunnels, wondering all the while if she should head back to U.A. and help Izuku anyways.

The sight of a hero desperately struggling in the talons of a Nomu put all thoughts of leaving out of her mind.

"The kid's got balls, I'll give him that, but if you think I'm taking orders from a high-schooler, you must be smoking something."

Mirko glared down at Nezu. The other Top Ten heroes shared their own reservations. Both Best Jeanist and Edgeshot studied Izuku with silent interest, Crust watched Izuku out of the corner of his eye while idly twiddling a reflective plane of his Quirk's shield between his fingers, and Endeavor looked as though he couldn't figure out how angry he was supposed to be. Wash chugged down a bottle of detergent and chased it down with a glug of fabric softener, while Ryukyu brushed the suds frothing from the laundry hero's mouth off her shoulder.

"I understand he's one of your finest pupils," Yoroi Musha said, stroking his long, white beard, "But he lacks experience. Are you sure this is wise?"

"Considering the Quirk Deku possesses, he is by far the most capable person in this country to coordinate your efforts."

Nine sets of eyes snapped towards Nezu. Endeavor's fires crackled angrily as he said sharply, "Did you just say what I think you said?"

Nezu nodded. "Deku possesses a precognitive Quirk, capable of seeing the future from his perspective for a period of at least ten years. In other words, he already knows how the upcoming battle will unfold."

"He's your source of information," Edgeshot said. "Although, given what's he's capable of, I can't help but wonder why other disasters have befallen U.A."

"Forget that," Endeavor snapped. "I want to know why you gave me an intern without telling me he had a Quirk, and why you let him continue his Quirkless charade."

"I had suspicions, but no proof." Nezu smiled amiably at Endeavor. "And Izuku could not tell us what he saw, mainly because if he did, we would have had this discussion a lot earlier." Turning back to Edgeshot, Nezu said, "I believe that answers your point as well."

As Edgeshot nodded and Endeavor silently fumed, Best Jeanist said, "You mentioned his Quirk sees for at least ten years. I can't help but notice that he would have gotten his Quirk about that long ago."

"Very astute of you. To be blunt, Deku sees All for One taking his Quirk."

Grim silence fell over the table as the heroes stiffened in their seats. Endeavor slammed a fist on the table and said, "If the fight's already hopeless, then what is the point of this meeting?"

"Not entirely hopeless," All Might said. "On multiple occasions, my Quirk had interfered with Midoriya's visions. There's a chance I will win regardless of the future he sees."

"And Deku concocted a plan to improve our odds," Nezu added. "Simply put, All Might will open the fight. If he changes the future, great! If not, we need to wear down All for One and buy time for All Might to recover his strength for round two. You're all here because your combination of experience, firepower, agility, and defense are all needed to contend with All for One's Quirks. Deku will tell you everything you need to know ahead of time."

Izuku nodded and turned on the projector. "Here's a list of all the Quirks he will use in the fight. There are also several subtle Quirks that I think he's using, though it's difficult to tell from what I'm able to observe."

Gang Orca leaned forward and studied the chart with an intense frown. "He stole all these? How has the Commission never noticed?"

"Likely because he encourages them to," Nezu said bluntly. "That, or he stole those Quirks so long ago that no one's left alive to complain."

Once they reviewed the Quirks, Izuku moved on to the actual battle plans, including layouts of the equipment and traps scattered around the training grounds. He also gave them strategies for working with each other, having Best Jeanist and Edgeshot focus on moving other heroes out of danger, Crust and Ryukyu providing cover, Miruko and Yoroi Musha distracting the villain with hit and run tactics, and the other three hammering him with their strongest moves. As Izuku went over the battle plans, Mirko stamped her foot at one of the steps.

"No way am I running from a battle! What's the point in us leaving when the job's not done?"

"He'll kill you if you stay."

Mirko grinned and slammed the table. "He can certainly try."

"We're going to need everyone alive at the end if the worst happens. Don't throw your life away."

"Well, what if I can get around your Quirk too? Ever think of that?"

"You won't."

Standing up and pulling back her gloves, Mirko stared down Izuku and said, "Only one way to find out."

Mirko leapt from her spot with blinding speed and kicked at Izuku's head. Before she even moved, Izuku tipped back in his chair and drew a hookblade. Halfway to the floor, Izuku caught the edge of the table with a hook and leaned just far enough back for Mirko to pass over him. When she whirled to kick at him again, Izuku pulled himself up by the sword. Mirko kicked again, but a gray hexagon sprang up an inch from Izuku's face.

Mirko glared at Crust, and he chuckled back at her. "Settle down before you break something. Am I gonna have to put you in a time out?"

"Let her continue," Izuku said blandly. "She won't listen to me otherwise."

Mirko grinned savagely, while Crust shrugged. "Kids these days. Fine, it should be fun to watch."

This time, when Mirko kicked, Izuku left his chair. A nudge with his arm sent her follow-through wide. Mirko barreled forward, throwing a barrage of kicks that Izuku ducked and twisted around.

As they went, Mirko threw a kick that nearly knocked over Nezu's teacup. With a hookblade, Izuku tugged the cup out of harm's way without spilling a drop. Mirko kicked at a chair in her way, only for Izuku to pull it aside at the last second.

When Izuku made a complete round trip of the table, Yoroi Musha drew his sword. Izuku parried the blow and ducked under Mirko's kick at the same time.

"Hey, butt out of it, you old fart!" Mirko shouted at Yoroi Musha. "He's mine! Aren't you all about honor or some shit?"

"He's only used those swords of his to rescue furniture," the swordsman said with a snort. "You alone aren't a worthy test of his skills. As a fellow swordsman, I am honor-bound to assess him."

"Can it!" Mirko made a huge sweeping kick that both Izuku and Yoroi Musha leapt over. "After I'm done with the shrimp, I'm reminding you why I'm higher on the rankings."

Yoroi Musha brought his blade down at Izuku's back. Both hookblades blocked it inches above Izuku's neck, while Izuku nudged Mirko back with his foot. "You're welcome to try," Yoroi Musha told Mirko, "But you might want to save it for when we're not about to face Japan's greatest foe."

"Nobody cares!" Mirko's foot crashed down where Izuku had been standing a second before. Her foot struck Yoroi Musha's sword instead and buried it in the floor.

"So," Ryukyu asked, watching the fight unfold, "Should we stop them?"

"If it would be a problem, Midoriya would have handled it already," Nezu said. "Just watch and learn."

Crust leaned forward in his seat as Yoroi Musha came within an inch of decapitating him with his backstroke. "Looks like fun. Do you think he could handle three?"

"Not enough room," Best Jeanist pointed out. "Otherwise, I'd be tempted."

On Mirko's next kick, Izuku rolled past her and tripped her with a hookblade as he passed. Mirko stumbled into Yoroi Musha. The older swordsman flung her into the wall and stamped past.

"Hey, what's the big deal?" Mirko asked.

"If you insist on treating me like an enemy, don't be surprised when I treat you in kind. Crust, could you do me a favor and keep Mirko from interfering for a few minutes?"

"Sure thing! One time-out, coming up!"

Crust waved an arm, and stony hexagons sprang in a dome around Mirko. She kicked at one, cracking it, but another took its place. "You better hope your face is tougher than your shields, because I'm kicking it once I get out of here!"

Yoroi Musha settled into a firm stance and brandished his sword at Izuku. "Now I can properly test you. Come! Show me what kind of swordsman you are."

Izuku rushed forward and made rapid slashes with both blunted blades. Despite Izuku's speed with the smaller swords, Yoroi Musha steadily pressed forward as he wove his longsword in deliberate blocks. Once he closed in, Yoroi Musha tangled both hookblades with his own sword and rammed his hilt at Izuku's face. Izuku leaned back and kicked up, catching Yoroi Musha on the chin.

As Yoroi Musha stepped back and straightened his beard, he said, "A sword without an edge is a hero without a cause. All you've said about being a Quirkless hero is a lie. So, tell me this, Deku, where is your edge?"

Yoroi Musha lunged at Izuku. Izuku twirled aside and caught the hilt with one hook, dragging the swordsman further forward. As Yoroi Musha planted his feet and tugged back, Izuku swung the other sword at his chin. The armored hero tilted his head back, putting his neck out of reach. At the last second, Izuku clicked the button on the blade's hilt, and the edge sprung out. Yoroi Musha felt the chill of steel against his neck as the blade sliced cleanly through his beard.

The elderly hero stared at the white strands of hair as they drifted towards the floor. With one hand, he felt at the angular cut, leaving just enough hair to cover his chin. Despite how close a shave Izuku had gotten, he hadn't left a nick in the elderly hero's skin.

"I'm going to save everyone that I can," Izuku said. "And I'll do it with or without my Quirk."

Yoroi Musha burst out laughing and sheathed his sword. "Well said! Young Deku, you have my sword."

"And my bow," chimed in Edgeshot.

"And my axe," Crust added with a grin.

As Edgeshot and Crust bumped fists, Gang Orca shook his head and said, "Really?"

As Yoroi Musha turned away, Mirko leapt over him. Her foot slammed down where Izuku had stood, splintering the wooden floor. A flurry of kicks forced Izuku back. With one foot, Mirko scooped up splinters from the floor and flung them at Izuku's face. Eyes closed, Izuku leaned aside Mirko's next kick, which passed by his right ear.

With Mirko caught off guard, Izuku pushed her right leg up and swept the left out from under her. Lying on the floor and forced into a split, Mirko twisted her body, wrenching herself free and whirling both legs at his chest. Izuku fired wires at each of her legs and attached them to the floor, forcing Mirko to curl into a ball. Grabbing at the table, Mirko dragged herself off the ground, but the wires kept her legs from raising more than a couple inches.

"It's not just sight, is it?" Mirko asked. "Else you wouldn't have dodged that kick."

"Using the splinters was a good idea. So many people say you fight too recklessly, but anyone paying attention can tell you put a lot of thought into the way you move."

Mirko smirked. "You already know these wimpy wires won't be enough to keep me down, right?"

She didn't wait for an answer. With a grunt, Mirko wrenched one leg up, snapping the wire in two. Her other leg lashed out at Izuku, snapping its tether along the way.

Izuku stepped back a couple paces, flung both his swords on the table, and waited. Mirko eyed the discarded swords as she sauntered over. Izuku didn't twitch as Mirko deliberately raised a leg. She paused, watching his eyes, and snapped her leg forward at blinding speed. Mirko stopped just short of Izuku's nose.

"Well?" Mirko asked. "Are you just going to stand there and take it?"

"We don't have any more time. He'll be here in twenty minutes."

Mirko snorted and lowered her leg. "Fine. Guess we'll have to settle this later. But first…" Mirko whipped around and kicked at Crust's face, but a shield popped in front of him just in time. Her second kick slammed into the back of his head and drove his nose into his shield.

"Hey, easy on the head," Crust said as he gingerly felt his nose. "I'm short enough on brains as is."

"As much fun as this has been," Gang Orca said, "We've wasted enough time."

Wash slammed down the empty bottle of detergent, slapped his hands together, and said, "Alright, let's do this!"

Multiple heroes turned to look at him. Under their incredulous stares, Wash sheepishly grinned and said, "What, did you all think that all I could say is Wash? That's just a gimmick for the commercials."

"Really?" Crust asked. "That's a gimmick?"

"Well, I got super nervous during my first commercial and that was all I could manage to say. It worked, so I kept doing it."

Endeavor's flames crackled and popped, cutting into the conversation. "Socialize later. We have a job to do."

"Sheesh. Looks like someone forgot their fabric softener."

Izuku led a somber procession of heroes out of U.A. As the heroes filed out the front doors, a portal opened up in front of the entry gate. Alarms blared and the gate sealed shut as All for One stepped onto the sidewalk leading up to U.A. The villain looked around and regarded each hero in turn.

"Exactly like your drawing," All for One said as he adjusted his bright blue tie. "I would've expected more heroes, or are you keeping them in reserve?"

Endeavor scowled at Izuku. "The drawing you sent out last night. Did you set us up?"

"I don't know why it was important, but I knew it was necessary."

Fire swirled angrily around the Flame Hero's shoulders. "You threw away our element of surprise on a whim?"

"To be fair," All for One said, "I could hardly alter my plans by that point. I imagine you've rearranged all the heroes' patrols, after I went through all that trouble of matching Nomus against them. A pity, but it will hardly matter. The only two heroes with the slightest chance of stopping me are both right here."

All Might stepped forward, brandishing his muscled form like a weapon. "Shouldn't you be worried about that? I'm going to make sure you stay dead this time."

"As weak as you are? Don't make me laugh. I've watched your power wane, All Might. You cling to that form with the desperation of a drowning man. I'm going to enjoy stripping that power from you and showing everyone how weak you really are."

All Might's grin faltered, but he kept a brave face as he stepped forward. "Even if I fall, there will be others to oppose you."

"Then they will fall with you. No other Quirk in the past century can hold a candle to either of ours, and you know it. Unless you've passed it on, One for All dies today."

All Might kept as straight a face as he could. True, he hadn't been able to pass it on, but hoarding One for All's embers for himself gave him more strength than he'd have had once he passed it on. All Might clung to his faith in his Quirk's guidance, in the possibility that he hadn't been able to pass it on for exactly that reason. If he defeated All for One, here and now, his Quirk would have at long last served its purpose.

"I have faith in my students. So long as they fight, mankind will have a future."

"One student in particular, perhaps?" All for One asked, pointedly looking at Izuku.

All Might kept his gaze on his nemesis. "All of them. They have all grown so much since I've started teaching them, and they will only continue to improve. They will find a way."

"Then I will simply crush them. Perhaps I should keep you alive long enough to see it."

With a growl, All Might leapt forward, cracking the concrete in his wake. Fist met fist in a deafening crash that swayed tree branches with a blast of pressurized air.

As the booming echo faded into silence, All for One stood unfazed, with even his tie untouched by the wind. "You really have gotten weaker, All Might."

"Hey, what do you think of these last-minute patrol changes?"

Mount Lady strolled alongside Kamui Woods, arms stretched over her head, with a seductive grin on her face, knowing full well exactly how her costume grew tight around her chest. Kamui Woods scanned the crowd around them, watching for abnormal expressions around them. He had been skeptical of Mount Lady's voyeurism at first, but one could easily pick out the more furtive faces from a crowd of eager and attentive stares. A few blushed and looked away, but none outright dismissed the display before them. No villains in this crowd, it would seem.

"Someone might have called in a tip," Kamui Woods said. "We should be extra vigilant today."

"Maybe if it was just us, but I've heard that every hero got a similar notice. Seems like overkill, doesn't it?"

"All the more reason to be vigilant."

As they waved to the crowd, Kamui's work phone pinged. He brought up the map and saw a glowing red beacon signaling a villain attack ten blocks north of him. Another one flashed before his eyes, five blocks further east. Two dots sprang up to the west, another just south of him.

Distant screams echoed over the rooftops and down the alleyways. The crowd surrounding them checked their phones. As a flood of alerts cropped up on the villain tracking sites, the crowd fled to the shelters in sudden panic. Black mist swirled overhead, scattering the sprinting throngs. A monstrous, grinning face with an exposed brain leered at Kamui Woods as it dropped from the portal.

Mount Lady grew above the buildings around her and stomped towards the Nomu. "Keep the civvies safe, I got this guy!" Electricity shot from the Nomu, but it glanced harmlessly off Mount Lady's insulated suit.

Kamui rushed towards the densest gathering of civilians, only for another Nomu to drop from the sky. Water gushed from its mouth in a fierce geyser, but Kamui's branches weathered the assault. The thought struck him that he had swapped patrols with Burnin, and he was suddenly grateful that the switch meant he hadn't faced a Nomu that could breathe fire.

Unwatched by Kamui, more and more red dots sprang up across Japan until the entire country resembled an angry rash. In every city, heroes fought a desperate struggle against dozens of Nomu, the tides tipping in their favor as the last-second rearrangements had spared the heroes from the Nomu that countered them.

Yet, as hundreds of skirmishes raged across the country, only one battle decided Japan's fate.

A/N: this is coming a day early because I'll be out of the internet's reach for the day. Really glad I get a three day weekend, I've been super busy lately. I'll also get 11 days off in another week, so I'll be living the high life for a while.

Been living off of leftovers for a while, so no cooking tales to tell.

The story's so close to 3,000 followers, I'm certain next chapter will see me celebrate it. Thanks in advance for it! Right, on to the reviews.

mikaerusan: "I have to wonder, how many of the readers have actually realized that the way you've plotted this, Izuku's quirk is probably SUPPOSED to end up stolen by AfO?"

Bardothren: Is it, though? Makes you wonder how the good guys would win, wouldn't it? ;)

Scarease: "So was his art blow his cover or would have been the Spy ?why could not use his ability possibly see who is the spy ?"

Bardothren: as the canon has yet to unveil who the spy is, I've also decided to leave that plot point hanging. Can't really wedge it in anywhere. Ah well.

SpectacularSpidey: "I wonder, is afo gonna take izuku's quirk, but since it causes a headache the first time it's used, could izuku defeat afo in that short time it takes for it to start working?"

Bardothren: Very sharp thinking. Whether or not that's actually how it goes down, I won't say, but here's an internet cookie for your smarts.

StillHere: "This chapter feels rushed. Not as in "I rushed to make it" but rather "I am trying to end this story soon and tie up all the loose ends ASAP.""

Bardothren: I'm trying not to rush it and leave the story with a dissatisfying ending, but at the same time, I have to figuratively land this plane. The longer it stays in the air, the more likely I run out of fuel. That said, I think it'll be a bit longer than you think before we hit the tarmac.

ISleep: "It's strange because the only times it changes is when it's nullified, or when All Might is involved"

Bardothren: I have one of two options I could supply as the answer. A: prediction gets reversed because OfA is unimaginably powerful by this point, or B: prediction gets reversed because OfA has a precognitive Quirk of its own in Danger Sense that can nudge the course of events aside at the last possible moment. As Danger Sense hadn't been canon before I started this story, I hadn't really written that in, but it's on the table as an option. Also, Eraserhead nullified it once, during the Quirk Apprehension test.

midnightloveless: "I binged the entire fic in two days(including at work) and I absolutely loved it."

Bardothren: thanks for the high praise! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I cross-posted my last story, but I got exasperated by the amount of work it took to properly format both of them. FFnet largely lets me dump a doc file, then I just have to add in the lines for scene cuts. AO3 involved more copy-pasting and messing with paragraph formatting than I had cared for. AO3 does have its advantages, namely better stability, but FFnet's where I have my larger following, so I stayed here.

Alright, brain's fried, so I'm gonna slap this up and wake up to comments in the morning.

Oh, right, also, I just changed the AfO scene at the end of the last chapter. Expanded a bit more on the whole tie thing. It was one of those moments where a couple days later, I went, wait, I could have done that better. Ah well, it's there now. Take a peek if you want. Or not. Not the most plot-relevant changes by the end of the day.

Alright, g'night. Bard out.