The great debate. Do you post the chapter you hate that's taken you 3 months to put together so you can finish the fic you are starting to resent? Or do you scrap it and try and spend another 3 months trying to make it better rather than working on other things you'd much rather be writing?
...Yeah, I am just not enjoying this fic anymore, so you're getting a much more triaged chapter than I would normally like so I can post the final chapter and be done with it. I am very aware that I'm probably under-estimating the League of Villains here and over-abusing the KHR crew's abilities, but honestly even the thought of going back and reading this arc again filled me with dread. I am utterly uninterested in BNHA these days, and I just wanted this done. Hopefully it's much more abridged setup is still an enjoyable read.
Tsuna
Recently, Tsuna has been thinking about becoming an astronaut. Because he dearly wants to find the unlucky star he was born under and snuff it out !
Really, why do these kinds of things always happen to him? All he wants to do is go to school, get average grades, hang out with his friends, and eventually graduate and have a perfectly average job. The 1% of heroes and villains and superstars can leave him out of it!
And now, all he can do is wait for his family to come and begin Armageddon.
That thought has him glance down at the restraints his hands have been locked in. While his captors have taken his one functioning mitt (and he has absolutely no idea how he's going to replace the ruined one), the Sky ring from Lanchia is still wrapped around his neck, Natsu's ring is still on his hand. If he could just conjure up enough flame to summon him, he could easily get rid of the cuffs, and Tsuna could be out in minutes.
He tugs at the restraints, but almost immediately gives up. While flames might not be quirks, anything designed to dampen one definitely seems to work on the other. Maybe if they still had the Vongola Gear, he could force it through, but with the backdated, lower quality rings and equipment they'd had Talbot put together to avoid removing part of the Tri-ni-sette from their world, he doesn't have a chance.
He can't hold back the yelp when the door slams open, revealing a guy covered up head to toe, and the lizard man who had been fighting Takeshi.
"Hiee!, what do you want?" Tsuna half squeaks. He really doesn't want to go through another pitch.
"We got you some company," Lizard guy says, and Tsuna's eyes widen as he starts to drag in another chair, someone clearly tied to it.
No...they'd promised not to touch the others if he came willingly. There's no way they could have gotten here-
The fear gripping his heart keeps rising as the chair is fully in, until he gets a better look at the other boy – a complete stranger, and he relaxes.
Another victim, but not his family.
The boy, blond and looking extraordinarily pissed, just keeps scowling as the chair is spun around, so he's facing the wall on the left. Lizard guy then kicks the back legs of Tsuna's chair, and he squeals, even as the chair shifts to have him face the opposite wall.
"Shigaraki wants to talk in private for a bit, and we thought you two could maybe think about things together while you wait," Lizard guy explains, already heading for the door.
"Maybe you can convince each other that this is the right call – it's stupid, you're both never going to see sense," the fully clad man adds, and the door slams shut, leaving Tsuna with his new cellmate in silence. He bites his lip, wondering what the etiquette in the situation can possibly be – oddly enough, kidnapping was not a crime Reborn ever really taught him to handle – when the blond solves that problem for him.
"Who the fuck are you?" he asks, sounding as pissed as he'd looked. But Tsuna suspects it's not really aimed at him.
Instead, Tsuna sighs. "Sawada Tsunayoshi. Fate's favourite whipping boy."
He feels more than sees the blond's head whip round. "Fuck, seriously? Scarface's and Copycat's Tsunayoshi?"
Tsuna blinks, turning his head as much as he can to look at a shocked expression.
"Who?"
The blond rolls his eyes. "One of the kids at Takesushi. The ringleader, right?"
Tsuna sags. "No, but kinda yes. Should I know you?"
That gets a scoff. "Bakugo Katsuki. Scarface is helping one of my classmates train. Redhead with shitty hair?"
"Oh, you're a hero student," Tsuna replies, recognition finally kicking in. Brother and Gokudera did say something about a blond friend of Brother's semi-student. "Guess that explains why they kidnapped you. Was it a hostage situation?"
If he's a hero student, he probably has training for this kind of thing. Tsuna can just follow his lead.
Sadly, Bakugo just starts growling. "No. Fuckers want me to join their stupid club. Joke's on them, I'm not going to ruin my future to stroke their damn egos. You?"
Tsuna's laugh is probably more hysterical than he'd like. "Same. The boss thinks we're related. I swear we're not, but none of them are listening."
"Shit," Bakugo offers. "Mistaken identity or something?"
"It doesn't matter," Tsuna replies. ""I just need to get out of here before my family comes."
"Huh? Hey, Kidnapped, your family ain't coming. Heroes will be on the trail."
"Trust me, they're coming," Tsuna says. "My little brother's quirk will be able to tell them exactly where to go, and Gokudera hates authority. They wont wait for heroes to do it."
Bakugo whistles. "Shit, really? Fuck, I can imagine Scarface and Copycat doing just that. Once I get free I'll bust you out. I can laugh in Copycat's face while I stop him from becoming a hostage."
Tsuna can't stop the laugh that comes. Hostages. Hah.
Bakugo however, doesn't get the joke. "What? What the fuck's so funny?"
Tsuna shakes his head. "Trust me, if my family show up, it won't be as hostages. It'll be a massacre. I was starting to like living here, and it's going to be a lot harder to stay if my friends decimate a city block just to make a point."
Bakugo says something in reply to that, but Tsuna isn't listening, turning his attention back to his shackles. He tugs at the restraints again, and then looks up at the roof, praying for a miracle.
' Please. Please don't let the next sound I hear be an explosion...'
Chrome
It's almost strange, Chrome thinks, that this hasn't happened before. Considering all the events that her strange family have gone through, nobody has ever kidnapped Tsuna .
She's been kidnapped. Fuuta's been kidnapped, but nobody ever tried to grab the Vongola heir. Perhaps Reborn made certain of it, but it does make for a strange situation – to be lacking their leader for a rescue.
Thankfully, his former right hand is more than happy to take that role, and he's always been less...uptight, when the Tenth Generation chooses their natural reaction to things that upset them. As much as she loves Tsuna, she does enjoy not having to see his eye twitch while she sharpens her trident before a job.
"Are we sure this is the right spot?"
Chrome stands silent, near Kyoko and a near vibrating Ryohei as Hayato grills Fuuta from their viewpoint on a roof. The boy ignores the irritation coming off their older sibling, and points over to the building across the street.
"Yup. That building is ranked number one for Shigaraki's hideout."
Like everyone else, Chrome turns to look, seeing a bar that looks no different from any other in the area – except for a rather distinct lack of windows. Takeshi pats him on the shoulder and walks near the edge, whistling low.
"It's not going to be easy to take it. No real weak spots in the building."
Hayato scoffs. "Please. We've taken much harder. Chrome, you're up."
She smiles, and takes a breath, before lifting up her trident, and focusing on her flames. They seep out and spread across the district, rippling across the area. In a few minutes, the radius of the city block is covered by the Mist flames, the only evidence of their existence is the odd ripple in the sky, easily mistaken for wind or a puff of smoke.
No matter what the Tenth Generation does from this point on, it will be completely undetectable from the outside world.
"Great. Baseball idiot, bring the rain."
Grinning, Takeshi releases Kojiro, who flies up and starts coating the area in the tranquil blue flames, nearly invisible unless you know what to look for.
"We'll give it a few more minutes," Hayato orders. "Then once Kojiro has the area coated and Fuuta gives us the targets, we'll move. Think you can get the Boss what he needs Chrome?"
She smiles. Even with the camouflage drawing a significant amount of flame, she is more than capable of multitasking. On her hand, a ring flashes with indigo, and Mukurowl appears. A second later, she pulls on her flames, and forms a replica of Tsuna's glove.
"Will that work?" Kyoko asks, and Chrome nods.
"It won't be perfect, and it'll probably break after too much use, but a flame channelling item can be created from flames. It's how Leon was able to forge them in the first place. But Sun flames would definitely help stabilise them."
Ryohei needs no additional prompting, his ring lit up like a bonfire as he swoops over.
"Yosh, let me help to the extreme!" he calls, letting the flames seep into the glove. Once he's done, Chrome lifts it up to Mukurowl, who clutches it tightly in one claw. Ryohei then summons Kangaryuu, and Hayato slips over, quickly summoning Uri from his own ring and immediately stuffing her into the pouch before she can run off.
"Stay in there you damn cat," he mutters, mostly to himself. "Fuuta, the lists?"
Fuuta already has papers in hand. "I've compiled a list of villains most likely to be inside, and the list of who has the best chance against each. I can't tell you what they look like, but be on the lookout for the quirks."
Chrome nods, looking at her own paper. She appears to be able to take on most of the building, but given there is a blood-drinking-shapeshifter included, she will most likely be on the lookout for this 'Toga' girl, since Gokudera is the only other member who doesn't fight close range and will be far too occupied locating Tsuna to bother with a single member.
Everyone else is nodding at the lists, eyes narrowed and grins sharp. Ryohei is practically vibrating in excitement.
"So, is everyone ready?" Gokudera asks? "No going back after this."
"Ready to play," Takeshi assures.
"Ready to the Extreme!" Ryohei agrees. Chrome just nods, readying her trident, and Hayato grins at all of them.
"Good, Kyoko, Fuuta, stay back. We'll keep in contact with phones, just let us know if any heroes or law enforcement spot something going on. Can't take the chance there's some illusion-dispelling quirk running around."
The two nod, and Gokudera turns to the eager looking Takeshi, Ryohei and Chrome, the charming skull-shaped gun of the Systema C.A.I already in place.
"All right, let's get the Tenth back, and make these assholes regret the day they messed with Takesushi!" he yells, and fires straight at the front door.
Tsuna
He doesn't even pretend to hide the groan when the building starts to rumble, the tell tale sign of Vongola on the premises. From behind the door, he can hear yelling, and more than a little high pitched shrieking.
"That was an explosion," Bakugo says, oblivious to Tsuna's mental state. "Did Heroes come already?"
Before Tsuna can answer, several more explosions follow, and something slams into the door with an audible thud. Both Bakugo and Tsuna try to glance at each other, before staring back at the door.
"What the hell is going on out there?"
The words have barely left Bakugo's mouth when the door blasts off its hinges, slamming into both of them and sending the chairs crashing to the ground.
"Hiee!"
"Ow! Fuck! I'll kill you!"
Tsuna groans, but forces his head at an odd angle to see Hayato storming in, face dark and ominous, and Mukurowl on his shoulder. The murderous rage however, dispels the second he sees what position Tsuna is in.
"Oh my God! Tenth, what have they done to you?"
He runs over and drops to his knees. "Tied up and thrown on the floor? How dare they abuse you in such a way! I'll kill them all!"
"You fucker! You did this!" Bakugo screams back, and Gokudera's eyes flicker over.
"Oh, Pomeranian, you're here?"
"Hayato, what are you guys doing ?"
"Ah, sorry Tenth!"
Gokudera quickly pulls up the chair so Tsuna is upright again. His eyes drop to Gokudera's belt, and his shoulders sag even further.
"You brought the whole System C.A.I? Hayato, you promised-"
"-I wouldn't use it unless it was a serious emergency," Gokudera interrupts. "You were kidnapped. How can there be anything more serious than that?"
...Well, there goes any hope that they'll be able to stay in this world much longer...
"Hiee...this is going to be impossible to explain…"
"Oi, asshole! How about righting me!" Bakugo snarls, but Gokudera just ignores him, quickly turning his attention to the cuffs keeping Tsuna pinned. The grin is manic as his brain quickly runs through the possible ways to get him free, before standing up and aiming the skull-shaped gun on his arm directly at the box holding Tsuna's hands.
Oh god...he wouldn't...
"Hiieee! Hayato! Don't!" he yelps.
"Don't worry Tenth! I got this," Gokudera insists, and fires off a blast of both red and blue flame, hitting the dead centre of the restraint. Tsuna shuts his eyes tight and gives a quick prayer to whatever god isn't currently laughing at him.
Apparently they're listening, because a split second later, his wrists loosen up, and he risks opening his eyes to see what's left of the cuffs disintegrating into nothing.
"Wow...there's not even marks," he says. Then again, Gokudera probably did a dozen calculations before he even fired. Gokudera practically starts beaming.
"Of course! I've been practising on the quirk-nulling material whenever I've-"
He doesn't get to finish, because Ryohei comes barrelling into the room, a school bag in his hand, Mukurowl on his shoulder and a grin on his face.
"Tsuna!" he yells. "It is extremely good to see you!"
"Brother," Tsuna greets, frantically checking to make sure there's no blood on his knuckles. "Are you okay?"
The teen grins and pats him on the shoulder.
"Yosh! To the extreme!"
"Will you fuckers get me out of this already!"
They all cut off and jerk towards the other resident, still cuffed and lying on the floor.
"Huh, Bakugo You're extremely here too?" Ryohei asks, quickly righting the chair. The blond is practically hissing at this point.
"What the actual fuck are you all doing?" he snarls. "I had suspicions, but you're certifiably crazy."
Yeah, that's...well, that's more accurate than Tsuna likes to think about.
Oh! Right. Hostage.
"Hayato, can you please free Bakugo?" he asks, and the teen happily darts over, aiming his gun again.
"Stay still Pomeranian."
"Shut the fuck up! And where did you get that damn crazy skull gun cause I need to place an order!"
Tsuna tunes them both out, and turns his attention to Ryohei – only to get a facefull of owl for his troubles.
"Hiiiee! Mukurowl!" he squawks, frantically trying save himself from the claws. Thankfully, the bird manages to shuffle to his shoulder, and drops something into one of his panicked hands. He blinks a few times, until it fully registers what he's holding.
"A new glove? How did-"
"Compliments of Chrome, to the extreme," Ryohei explains. "Might not last long, so we need to move."
He then hands over the bag, and Tsuna feels the relief when he realises it's his. As Bakugo is freed, he's quick to slip on his headphones, and struggles to put in his contacts, before slipping on the mittens. The mist-mitten feels off, but he can work with it.
God, he really never wanted to use a full kit again, but if the yelling and explosions coming from other parts of the building, going out at full power is hardly going to cause more problems.
After all, when you're running from an earthquake and a tornado, do you really bat an eye when lightning starts striking?
"Is Chrome shielding the area?" he asks, blinking to adjust the contacts as Hayato and Bakugo join them.
"Yes Tenth," Gokudera assures him. "No one even knows we're here. We can go all out."
"What's the plan, to the Extreme?" Ryohei adds, pointing a thumb over his shoulder. "Left a few people extremely knocked out, but there are more coming. Run or stay to the extreme?"
"Of course we're staying!" Gokudera barks. "Tenth isn't going to let this lie! We need to teach these fools a lesson!"
"Hey, I'm the hero student here!" Bakugo interjects, as confused as he is enraged. "You're just extras. Just stay back and let me handle it."
His face then goes an ugly shade of red when Gokudera releases a high pitched "Hah!" in reaction. Both of them start screaming at each other, but Tsuna tunes them out.
What's the plan? That is the question.
The answer Tsuna wants to give is bolt. Grab everyone in the chaos and flee. In and out, no fuss, no issues. If Chrome has the place locked down, it won't even be difficult. Leave the clean up to the professionals.
And yet…these villains threatened his family. All For One had tried to take something from him that wasn't his to take. You don't even need Hyper Intuition to tell the man has crossed lines that would have made him unapproachable even by Mafia standards, which is saying something at this point.
It's not his problem. It's not. But he's already in the eye of the storm, and even if they stay or go, All For One needs to be taken down.
Besides, if that prickling in the back of his head is anything to go by, his captor isn't exactly going to just let him walk out the door. And once he's in Dying Will Mode, running isn't exactly his first thought.
"Takeshi, is Kojiro out?" Tsuna says, cutting the fight between Gokudera and Bakugo short. When the teen nods, Tsuna nods back. "Okay, then I want everyone to retreat."
Gokudera looks almost betrayed, while Bakugo looks utterly smug. "Huh, well what do you know, one of you actually has some sense."
"But Tenth-"
"There's no point in hunting for a fight when we already know they're not going to let us just walk out the door," Tsuna interrupts. "Head for the exit, and they'll throw everything they have in our way to stop us. Might as well use it and get them soaked in Rain Flames. I'll try and use Zero Point on All For One. If we have to fight inside, it might be easier, but outside will be Plan B."
"Are you fucking stupid?" Bakugo growls. "He comes for you, I'll take him on. You extras just get out of here."
Tsuna ignores him, takes a deep breath, and lets himself sink into Dying Will. Bakugo's growls of complaints taper off as he watches Tsuna's 'quirk' take effect, eyes narrowing as he takes in the flames and the new hue of his eyes.
"Hayato, get the word out," he says, no hesitance in his voice. "We're leaving. Fight your way out, I don't want anyone in this building when I face him."
Bakugo is spitting something foul again, but he ignores it, turning to walk out the door as Mukurowl takes flight, confident Hayato and Brother will be flanking him as he leaves.
As it so often is with his life, he has another enemy to neutralise.
All Might
In the cases of kidnapping and threats towards Hero students, there are rules and procedures to be followed. All Might has even helped put some of them into legislation.
He's also very aware that he and the rest of UA's staff are currently breaking several of them right now. But time is very much of the essence – if Fuuta's quirk is as accurate as they are to believe, the teens of Takesushi will be descending on this neighbourhood tonight. The list he'd left behind had listed several possible addresses, most of them having been on the Heroes own shortlist as possible options. If number one is accurate, it's cut down their investigation work by a number of days.
The very small part of him that is not feeling like a cat that just stumbled into a bathtub is already wondering if Fuuta would be interested in going into Hero Logistics in the future. If he stays long enough to have a future.
As it is, in fear that they might have sabotaged the list, they'd split up, checking all three of the top places, and as such it is only himself, Eraser Head and Present Mic on site.
Honestly, they'd half expected to hear police sirens and screams long before they reached the street, but everything had been calm, and when they hit the agreed upon boundary to start recon, the street looks fairly abandoned.
He lets himself sag in relief. It looks like they've made it here before-wait…
"How did we make it here before them?" he voices as the others approach, also looking at the area in confusion. "This was the first address on the list."
"It's possible they're dragging their heels," Present Mic offers, scanning the empty streets. "It's one thing to plan to take on a villain's lair, another entirely to do it. They might be nearby, trying to find a way in."
"I doubt it," Eraser Head says, walking a few steps ahead, eyes narrowed. "From what we were told, these children aren't prone to holding back. Some feels off. Mic, any ideas?"
Present Mic, at the back of the group and looking generally unhappy to be there, just shrugs. "Hey, I know about as much about their quirks and actions as you do at this point. Maybe they did fiddle with the list and this address is a dud. But Tsuyoshi definitely acted as if they'd have Sawada back before we got here."
That had been All Might's understanding too. They're missing something.
Slowly, he walks closer, eyeing up the building that supposedly holds the League of Villains current hideout. It's a small and nondescript building, likely holding underground rooms to hide how big it really is.
A few metres in, and All Might hesitates, an odd prickling sensation tugging at his hair and fingers. Slowly, All Might walks closer, hand reaching out, before his fingers start to curl. It's not physical – not really – but there's an odd static in the air. He turns back to the group.
"There's something here!"
It's also, unfortunately, a feeling he's felt before. Back in a damaged store where he hid with a young girl.
"Chrome," he concludes, hearing the other Heroes approach. "This is an illusion."
His hand curls into a fist, and he storms forward, ignoring the voices behind him and the prickling feelings caused by walking through the non-existent barrier.
The first thing that hits him is the sound – going from a quiet neighbourhood to a cacophony of explosions. When his eyes adjust, his jaw drops, taking in the sights.
The building that held the bar is missing two walls and has smoke billowing from within, and half the nearby buildings are smoking slightly, several with craters in the brickwork. On the ground are several passed out villains, and in the distance he can see Yamamoto junior parrying blades with another. His siblings are nowhere to be seen, but from the grin, he's having the time of his life .
Oh, and there appears to be a leopard, a gun-toting kangaroo, and a very energetic dog running around. Because things weren't weird enough.
All Might should move – intervene with the fight, but the sheer chaos he's looking at leaves him stock still.
"Oh crap!" Present Mic yelps, passing through the barrier. "I'm calling backup, asap!"
Just as he starts the call, there's a brightly coloured blast, sending another villain flying – he thinks the fire user that had burned the forest during the Bakugo abduction – slamming him into a wall with a mix of red, blue and green energy that eventually results in it caving in, pinning the villain underneath.
There's manic laughter, and all eyes flit to the direction of the blast, revealing Gokudera wearing a strange belt and armed with an odd gun strapped to his arm. Not far behind him is the male Sasagawa, though he's started to favour a leg and one of his arms looks a little limp. Neither Chrome, Kyoko or Fuuta are anywhere to be seen, or the missing Tsunayoshi.
Then, from the smoke, figures start to emerge. Villains – lunging for the two teens who don't seem to be aware of them.
Before the two can do more than snap their heads back however, Present Mic and Eraser Head are already moving, the scarf snapping through the air while Mic screams, dropping the villains to the ground before they can get anywhere near the two. Not that they seem to care.
"Oi, we had that handled," Gokudera scoffs. Eraser Head doesn't even pause in his subduing, hair flying upwards as he keeps his quirk activated.
"You have no idea the danger you put yourselves in!" he growls. "Or the danger both Bakugo and Sawada might be under due to your reckless actions!"
"But they're fine to the Extreme!" Sasagawa insists, pointing towards the smoke. "Both of them are still inside. Sawada's handling this Extreme guy that can copy stuff, and Bakugo went running to find the guy with the Extreme hands.
"What?"
All Might honestly didn't know Eraser Head's voice could get that shrill.
"Yeah, Tsuna told everyone to get out, but he went running off. Own fault if he gets caught in-hey!"
Eraser Head isn't listening, already running into the building, no doubt to hunt down his student.
"Uh, should we follow?" Present Mic asks, eyeing the building with clear reluctance. But before All Might can answer, the rubble to the side explodes outwards, revealing blue flames and a very irate looking villain.
"Subdue the villains on site first!" All Might commands, and lunges towards Yamamoto and his opponent, leaving Present Mic to deal with Gokudera's earlier target.
Ideally, the plan would be to get the civilians out of harm's way – but considering they're throwing themselves at A-grade villains, subduing them takes priority, and the teens slip through the net as the Heroes take on their opponents themselves. Right now they're too thinly spread.
The animals they're ignoring for now, because right now they seem to be aiding Present Mic and the teens, but All Might strongly suspects Nezu will want a very in-depth report on them in the near future.
As he knocks out Yamamoto's opponent (ignoring the pout that appears on the teens face) a few minutes later, he hears familiar cursing, and lets himself smile. Aizawa has found their wayward student at least.
As expected, a few moments later Eraser Head is storming out of the wrecked building, a frazzled and enraged Bakugo at their side. Present Mic has also knocked out the fire user, and is walking towards them, gaping at the two animals that have gone to Gokudera and Sasagawa's side. Eraser Head also does a double take at the leopard, but stays silent.
"Where are Kyoko and Fuuta?" Present Mic asks, and All Might curses. He'd completely forgotten about the actual 'civilian' members.
In reply, Yamamoto points up and to the right. When they follow the direction, two heads pop up on a rooftop, waving and looking utterly at peace with the situation.
"We're staying out of the crossfire," Fuuta calls down.
"You're all doing amazing!" Kyoko agrees, waving her hands like a giddy cheerleader.
Well, they might be closer than they'd like, but at least they're doing throwing hands with A List criminals. Probably best to leave them be for now.
"What about Tsuna?" Present Mic asks. "We didn't see him inside."
"I'm telling you that fucker went ahead!" Bakugo hisses, and to All Might's dismay, Gokudera nods.
"Yeah, he's still inside. Should only be the Tenth in there along with a few villains and that All For One asshole now," Gokudera says, and All Might chills.
Damn, what had that man done? Had All For One tried to take his quirk? Or worse, had he succeeded in taking part of it?
All Might shakes his head, forcing down the fears. He cannot just stand here and allow Tsunayoshi to be lured in. The teen has no idea the danger he's in. The embers of One For All stir, and he begins to move-
Only to find a literal brick wall form directly in his way.
"Please don't interfere," Chrome says, appearing as if from nowhere. Her face is completely placid – a stark difference to the war surrounding them. "Boss won't be able to focus if you distract him."
There's shuffling and cursing from the side, and soon Gokudera is practically flanking her, looking tense. Both are clearly there to keep All Might from interfering.
"Chrome, Mukurowl's with him. Can you-"
"Yes," Chrome replies. "I've let him know we're all clear. But I'm not sure this is a good idea – Tsuna can't fight well in close quarters.
Gokudera scowls. "Yeah but this guy can do too much shit. Can't give him room either. But the Tenth can totally pull this off."
"Yup, Tsuna wouldn't try it if he didn't think he could," Yamamoto chimes in, joining Gokudera's side. "He knows if he has a better chance in there rather than out here."
As if fate heard him however, the ground starts to rumble, and something engulfed in orange flames smashes out of the bar's wreckage, skidding across the ground before stopping halfway down the street. Eyes snap up, and All Might's own widen.
"Young Tsunayoshi!"
He doesn't look an ounce like the quiet, unassuming boy he's seen so many times. Even discarding the flames, his eyes are focused, hardened, and completely wrong on such a young face.
This is someone who has seen war.
"Or maybe not," Yamamoto half whispers.
One of the other Heroes curse, and All Might risks glancing in their direction, only to see the fire user – Dabi he thinks – vanishing into a black ether. It's slower than All might remembers, but several more also disappear before they can react, Eraser Head unable to catch the teleporter in his sight in time - as if he too is struggling to keep up. All Might doubts they've gone too far – the main target is still on site.
And before anyone can consider chasing after them – he appears.
He swears One For All shivers inside him as the figure walks out of the bar, like he's come directly out of Yagi's nightmares. He too, only appears to have eyes for Sawada, who stands up from the crouch with a fluid grace All Might didn't know he had, sweeping the cape he's currently wearing aside.
One For All charges across his skin, and while the teens look ready to step in, the Heroes behind All Might quickly match them. This is his fight, no matter what Sawada Tsunayoshi may think.
The flames on the boy's hands flare slightly, and he's flying towards All For One, only to be soundly rebuffed. It appears Tsunayoshi fights more on instinct that any practical skill set – his fighting style shows no true form, and All For One seems to take great pleasure in punching the boy right back, a strange pulsing quirk hitting him directly in the stomach, and throwing in straight towards All Might, slamming directly into his stomach.
It's only through years of experience that the impact doesn't have All Might dropping his transformation, keeping the muscles clenched while trying to reduce the impact to keep Tsunayoshi uninjured.
He does however, keep his hands tight on his shoulders as the boy rights himself, looking dazed.
"You've done a great job Sawada Tsunayoshi," All Might says, desperately holding back the barbs regarding risk and unnecessary danger. "But Heroes are here now, please step back."
Tsuna however, looks up at him with those strange eerie eyes, before shaking his head.
"No. You can't fight him."
Eraser Head starts to ready his capture weapon as All Might's hackles raise. "I assure you young man, I can. Now please retreat before-"
"No, you can't fight him," Tsuna interrupts, looking pained. "Not now. And you know it too."
All Might – the symbol of peace – flinches at the honesty of the words. But before he can reply, Eraser Head suddenly yells in outrage, and All Might turns to see what appears to be a gargantuan vine has wrapped around the man's eyes.
"Fucking hell!" Bakugo shrieks – an expression most of them can agree with.
The sight results in the slackening of his grip, and Tsuna takes the distraction with both hands, dropping from his grip and letting his feet kick off the ground, heading upward. A second later, the Heroes yelp as walls form around them, creating an indigo tinted glass cage. All Might throws the strongest non-One-For-All punch he can, but it doesn't so much as chip.
"I'm sorry," Chrome says, sounding anything but. "Tsuna has a plan. If it doesn't work, you can fight."
"Fuck! Hey Teach! Stay still and I'll blast it off!"
"Don't even think about it Bakugo!" Present Mic orders. "Shouta hold still!"
All Might growls and punches the wall again, glaring at the girl.
"This is not his responsibility!" he tells her. "If he's so afraid, you can use your quirk on me again!"
The girl smiles – it's a sad expression.
"I asked, but you're not strong enough to do it now," she says. "He told Mukurowl you don't have time any more, so he's trying to give it to you."
"He's right you know."
All Might hisses as All For One's voice glides through the air, the man watching them with amusement, stepping closer. "I appreciate you keeping them distracted, little Chrome. Yagi and I are due a fight, but now is not quite the right time."
Chrome doesn't even turn around, but Gokudera's is openly growling.
"She's not doing it for you!" he snaps. "And there won't be a right time! Tenth will be the last time! Keep your eyes on him!"
The man pauses in his movements, head looking upwards.
"Well, Tsunayoshi?" he says. "Are you going to prove your allies right? Or will you stay up there and flee? I did expect more."
Tsuna doesn't reply, but it starts to become clear he'd flown out of range to start some kind of technique. He moves his hands, focusing his flames in a practised move, and All Might frowns, taking in the shift – the flames almost look erratic now. There's also a small bird he hadn't noticed, practically circling the area, though All Might cannot fathom why.
The pulsing also seems to confuse All For One, hesitating as he takes it in.
"What are you doing? Another inherited quirk?"
"Master!" Shigaraki screams from the rooftop, clearly recognising the act. "Don't let him near you!"
All Might frowns – the villain is being held by the teleporter that brought him to the first attack on UA grounds, who is very clearly trying to pull him away and probably out of the area. But he only has eyes for his 'Master,' looking utterly terrified.
Why? What does Shigaraki know?
All For One's head shifts ever so slightly, acknowledging the panic in the young man's voice. Tsuna doesn't give him time to recover however, letting himself fall and head straight for All For One, throwing another punch – All Might would have called it lazy, considering how easily All For One blocks it, until he sees the crystalline material start to emerge.
"What is-" someone – All Might thinks Present Mic – starts to utter, before it's drowned out by All For One realising the fatal mistake he's made. The material looks like ice, and climbs up All For One's arm with shocking speed. The villain tries to pull away – at one point he tries to activate a separation quirk, severing his arm – only to halt mid-way as the ice jumps over the break and reaches his shoulder. It's as if something is keeping him from reacting quickly. Like he's been tranquilised...
All Might's eyes flicker over to Yamamoto, who is looking up at the bird in the sky with a grin, before returning back to All For One as he starts to scream.
"Wait!-This isn't – This is not how this is supposed to go !"
His free hand erupts in a multitude of elemental quirks, but he tries to hit the ice first – and by the time he thinks to hit Tsuna, he's already used his flames to move behind him, coating the man's back in yet more of the stuff. All For One roars something unintelligible over the chaos around them, and Tsuna doesn't pay any more attention to him than he did All Might, letting the strange ice continue to flow, quickly encasing All For One entirely. All Might can only stand there in shock – unable to register just what is happening in front of him.
A few moments later, the villain is left motionless, the last dregs of random quirks emanating from the man just cutting off entirely. He keeps waiting for the man to activate something, burst or teleport out, but he just continues to stand there, trapped.
Slowly, Tsuna walks from behind him, trying to catch his breath. The flames on his head and hands fades away, one glove completely disintegrating along with them, and he stumbles, dropping to his knees. The black cape enveloping him starts to glow, and vanishes to reveal a kitten that looks somewhat like a lion cub perched on his shoulder.
"Tenth/Tsuna!"
The barrier and vines holding them vanish into nothing as the teens rush forward, quickly going to his aid. The Heroes however, almost find themselves unable to move, staring at the statue standing in the street with quiet awe.
All Might doesn't even remember moving, only vaguely aware of him reaching out towards the boy's back, reaching for Tsuna's empty shoulder. The second it lands, he flinches back when the boy gasps, jerking out of the hold and forcing the flames back up. On his other shoulder, the kitten-cub yowls in terror, jumping off and hiding behind the boy's legs.
The flames dim almost immediately, when he realises it was All Might. Unlike the calm focus he'd had with the flames, he buckles under All Might's gaze, made worse when he looks up to see the staff of UA also staring at him. He half shrinks from the attention, only recovering as his family step forward, watching his back as they apparently always do.
No one seems to know what to say. Not even Bakugo, who has been unusually quiet this entire time.
Eventually, All Might tries to start – stops, and tries again. His eyes constantly flicker between Tsuna and the new statue in the centre of a crater.
"What...Tsunayoshi, what did you do ?" he asks, and Tsuna shrugs.
"It's a technique called Zero Point Breakthrough," he explains. "This ice, it's a type of negative matter that absorbs all forms of energy. It cannot melt outside of very specific circumstances, and anyone inside it will find themselves powerless to escape. He'll never get out - for all intents and purposes, he's quirkless."
"You're welcome!" Gokudera says with earned smugness, and Tsuna's shoulders sag with weight no child should carry. Yagi's eyes flit between the boy, and the new statue now standing in the wreckage of the street.
All the lives lost, all the struggles they've faced, and yet, it wasn't One For All to take him down. It wasn't even a hero – just a boy who looks like he'd rather be anywhere else, who All For One made the amateur mistake of underestimating.
He can see the other teachers starting to make their way over, Eraser Head keeping a very tight grip on Bakugo's arm, and he forces those thoughts down. When he turns back to Tsuna, the kids of Takesushi have come to join him, standing as a united front. As if by magic, even Kyoko and Fuuta have emerged from the roof – Fuuta's arms wrapped around Tsuna's waist in a tight grip while Kyoko pokes at a cut on her brother's face. Oddly enough however, the animals have all disappeared - he suspects if he looks upwards, that strange bird wll be gone too.
"You'll need to come with us now," All Might tells him, dread settling in. "All of you will need to make statements and-"
"No."
All Might blinks. "No?"
Tsuna looks up at him, his face carved from stone.
"No. We're done here."
"...That's not how it works," All Might replies, voice soft, and Tsuna shrugs.
"Frankly, at this point I don't care," he says. "I'm going home. I'm taking my family home. And we'll figure out how to get out of your hair by the end of the week."
"We have a responsibility guys," Present Mic tries to protest. "You know we can't just-"
"Yamada, in all honesty, do you really think now is a good time to stop us?" Yamamoto asks, smile still sharp. "Pick your battles, because we're still riding the adrenaline high. Most of you interfered before we could really get going, and you're all doped up on my Rain Flames right now."
Behind Tsuna, Chrome's hands tighten around her weapon – before Present Mic nods and backs off.
"Just...don't leave town till we talk again," Present Mic requests. "We will need a way to wrap up paperwork, even if you're not going to have to deal with it."
"We'll still be here tomorrow," Tsuna promises, over the sharply hissed "Hizashi!" from Eraser Head, and turns away. "Let's go home guys."
His hand rises to ruffle Fuuta's hair as the group starts to shuffle away. Judging from the upset noises coming from his coworker, nobody is happy about it.
Regardless, they all relent, allowing the teenagers to vanish into the streets, and leave the heroes to the chaos left in their wake. They're going to have enough trouble explaining this situation to the authorities – he suspects Nezu will want to have a hand in the inevitable cover up. He can already hear sirens in the distance.
"All Might, are you sure we should-"
"Let them go," Yagi says softly. "We know where to find them."
"But...how the hell are we going to explain this?..."
All Might sags, running a hand down his face as he looks at All For One yet again, before Bakugo catches his attention. The boy looks shaken, almost broken from some revelation.
"Young Bakugo, what is it?"
Slowly, Bakugo turns to face All Might, his face almost expressionless. After a few moments, he takes a deep breath-
-And explodes.
"...What the fuck is that guy doing in GENERAL ED?"
The original plan for this chapter was for every member of Vongola to have a POV while they faced down a member of the League of Villains. That just was not happening. I did know I wanted Tsuna to use Zero Point on All For One, which is about the only thing from the original plan that made it in.
Just one more chapter to go! Featuring the long awaited Class 1a trip to Takesushi!