"Well, we've been dating a couple weeks now and I've yet to actually take you on a proper date," Toshinori said as he leaned against the edge of the bathroom sink, watching the half-dressed woman apply her makeup. The view was quite enjoyable, and even if they were already fifteen minutes late for the reservations he'd made (which they were), and even if Mei was asking silly questions (which she was) he was content to stay here with his hands shoved in his pockets and watch her all night if he must.
"Yes, but that doesn't change the fact that you could have given me a little more warning," she grumbled, lower lip protruding in a slight pout that was positively adorable. "You didn't learn about springing surprises on me after I-island?"
The tall man chucked and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I still don't get why you were so angry about that, by the way." Mei merely muttered under her breath, and while he couldn't make out everything she said he managed to catch the words "oblivious" and "men" along with what he was pretty sure was a swear.
He thought it had sounded like a romantic idea (dinner and a movie was a classic combo, right?). While granted he wasn't exactly an expert on the whole dating thing, he didn't know he had to give her advanced warning if he wanted to take her out; apparently an hour before their reservation wasn't enough.
In the other room her cell phone rang and she groaned. "Would you get that?" she asked and he nodded, pushing off from the countertop.
A quick glance at the name displayed on the screen made him snort through his nose in amusement, and he called back through the open door in confusion, "The caller ID says 'Dumbass.'"
"It's Ankoku," she clarified. "Answer it and put it on speaker if you don't mind so I can keep getting ready." After he did as she asked she glanced at the phone on the counter in mild annoyance. "What do you want?"
"Why are you always so aggressive when you answer the phone?" the voice on the other end drawled. "You could try saying 'hi' for once."
"I'm a little busy right now," Mei ignored his jab, "Is this important?"
"Well I'd say so, as long as you're still interested in catching the League of Villains, that is," Chiba answered, sounding rather unimpressed. Toshinori couldn't stop the startled cough that ripped its way from his chest, and Mei fumbled her make up brush. "Wha- who's coughing? Who else is there, Mei?"
"You should have made sure I was alone before saying something like that, dummy. But in any case, it's just All Might, so you're fine," she scolded.
"Is this information that should be discussed over the phone?" Toshinori pointed out hesitantly. "Are you in a secure location, young man?"
It was obvious why the two were friends as the hero felt like he could practically hear the eye roll over the phone. "I'm in my own apartment, so I'd say it's good enough. And I've got several blockers installed on my phone so it's unlikely anyone would be able to tap my line even if they knew I had this info to begin with. Chill out, hero."
"Don't be a jerk," Mei instantly chastised him. "And in any case, he's right. This should probably be an in-person conversation. How time sensitive is the information?"
"I don't think anything is going to happen within the next day or so - maybe. But something's building. I've got a bad feeling about this."
"Shit," the woman sighed, before shooting the blonde a guilty look. "Toshi, how mad you would you be if I postponed our date?"
"That's what you're worried about right now? Getting it in?" Chiba asked incredulously and All Might felt his face heat.
"I told you not to be an ass!" Mei growled at the phone. "Shut up for a second."
Toshinori cleared his throat and swallowed the coppery taste of blood. "Not mad at all. This takes precedence," he said, offering her a small smile. He was disappointed, sure, but he realized with a small jolt of clarity this wouldn't be the first or last time they'd have to cancel plans if she was going to be a hero - he would have done the same. Work came first, and that was a big part of why he'd never attempted dating before his retirement.
The young woman searched his face a moment, obviously trying to make sure he really meant it - and he did. When she was satisfied she addressed the phone again. "Can we come over, Ankoku?" The retired hero jolted slightly when she said 'we,' and while he was certainly glad to be included he also felt a strange pang of an emotion he wasn't quite sure of yet.
The man on the phone grunted in uncertainty. "Not sure I'm thrilled with the idea of the 'Pillar of Justice' seeing my apartment. There's too many things that, uh... well let's just say I've got plenty of stuff laying around that could get me in trouble."
Mei snorted. "Yeah, you and I are going to have to talk about that before I'm a real hero, by the way, but that's a conversation for another day. But fine, where can we talk?"
"You've always had an affinity for rooftops," Toshinori suggested. "I don't have to go in his apartment." He didn't bother reminding the man on the phone that he was retired - however, he wouldn't have been super comfortable being in an apartment that housed what he was pretty sure was a document forgery operation anyway. He'd gotten the gist from the dark haired woman that her best friend wasn't the most straight and narrow of people.
"That works. See you on the roof in thirty?" she asked.
Chiba huffed. "Yay. Stairs."
"A little physical activity won't kill you," she shot back just as easily before ending the call.
When she glanced at him her eyes were apologetic, and he shook his head. "Don't worry about it. We'll go out another night, okay?"
The woman sighed and stuck her tongue out. "I know. But damn, I was looking forward to it," she complained as she abandoned her make up in favor of putting back on her casual clothes from earlier in the day.
"Were you?" he chuckled, debating whether he should change out of his suit and tie or not. Probably. "Because since I mentioned it, all you've done is complain about how I apparently don't know how to give advanced warning." He followed her into the bedroom, pulling out a t-shirt and jeans from his dresser.
"That doesn't mean I wasn't excited," she replied with an eye roll, making him chuckle again.
Half an hour later found them standing on the sidewalk in a less-than-stellar part of town. In the past when he'd come through here there was always some nefariousness afoot that he'd had to wrangle. Now, it was strange standing in the shadows of the dilapidated buildings while not in his hero form.
Just another part of the new normal to get used to, I guess, he thought with a mental sigh.
"You were living here?" he asked, not really meaning to sound as appalled as he probably did. It wasn't his place to judge, but he also wasn't super keen on the idea of the young woman residing in such a sketchy area.
"Hah. If this makes you frown like that, then I'm really glad you won't actually see his apartment," she said, glancing at him from the corner of her eye and smiling in a way that looked a tad forced. For a second, he wondered why before realizing with a start this was the closest look he'd had into her past life so far. She'd told him before, sure, but he was about to meet someone who'd known her when she was a villain - a person who technically was still a criminal as well. The darkness and the grime of the area... that was all she'd had at a previous point in her life.
And it made him immensely sad.
"Come on, let's get off the street before someone recognizes me," he said, dragging his thoughts back to the present.
At first he flat refused to let Mei use her quirk to get them both to the roof (he still had some dignity, dammit), but after realizing just how many stairs that meant since according to the woman the building's elevator was perpetually broken, he decided to bite the bullet and let her anyway.
"I don't have to carry you, silly, just make sure you hold on tight," she giggled, poking at his scowl with her index finger.
They had stepped around into the side alley, out of sight from any on-lookers or people who might possibly identify the emaciated hero. Toshinori sighed before letting a smirk settle on his lips. "Like this?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist. He had to bend a good ways to do so - sometimes he forgot how little she was compared to him.
She giggled again. "Don't let go," she warned, before jumping.
The jolt in his gut was still unpleasant since he wasn't the one controlling the momentum, but it was marginally better than the last time she'd helped move him using her quirk, plus this go-round was mercifully much shorter. The instant their feet were on solid footing again he dropped his arms, shaking the feeling from his head and scrubbing a hand through his hair to break up any new tangles from the wind. That was another thing - at least when he was All Might his hair was more manageable. The rest of the time it tangled at even a slight breeze it seemed.
The rooftop was bathed in the soft orange glow of the setting sun. Leaning in the shadow of the stairwell door was the silhouette of a man and the small glowing ember of a lit cigarette. Light glinted off the man's glasses as he pushed off from the wall and stepped out of the shadows while taking a slow drag. He exhaled slowly, half grimacing, half smiling as he took in the two who'd just landed. "Well I'll be damned. It actually is All Might."
"Pft. Obviously. If I was going to make up an imaginary boyfriend I wouldn't have gone for someone so far out of my league," Mei snorted and Toshinori raised a brow.
"Out of your league?" he repeated bemused.
"Duh," she replied with an eye roll and a smile. "But anyway, let's get to the point. What's going on, Ankoku?"
The brunette man tossed his cigarette to the concrete at his feet and ground it under his heel, sighing as he did so. "So the League's been pretty quiet since Kamino Ward, I'm assuming? I don't know if you're really still involved with that any, but since you're working at Yūei now and you're with All Might, I figured you would be to some extent at least." When Mei nodded, he continued. "Well, I had a job request from a group of Yakuza recently, and the leader's name struck me as familiar. The group seems to be trying to gather funds and resources for some sort of big, top secret project. Apparently, they've been working on some sort of new drug or something and they are hoping to move into the distribution phases soon. So, in a shocking display of stupidity, I took a page out of your book, Mei."
"What did you do?" she groaned.
"I dug a little deeper," he said with a shrug. "And turns out the Yakuza guy and the League of Villains recently had a meeting, and apparently it didn't go so well. I have a feeling there's about to be some sort of power struggle here, and I'm not thrilled about the possible repercussions of what a war like that could entail. Plus whatever this drug project is that they've got going on leaves a bad taste in my mouth as well. The situation is fucked three ways to Sunday, pretty much."
"How do you come by your information?" Toshinori asked, mind moving a kilometer a millisecond as he processed what Ankoku was telling them. If All for One's successor was working to re-affiliate his movement with the Yakuza, then the crime world was reclaiming the ground he'd made as a hero much faster than he even wanted to think about. He'd put an end to all organized crime years before - could it all really restart so easily?
But the fact that it allegedly hadn't gone well was almost more troubling. The young man was right - a power struggle was bad news. Too many bystanders would be caught in the crossfires, and whoever did end up winning would come out the other side all the stronger. And if whatever the Yakuza were working on in secret was successful and added to that power, it could be devastating.
Chiba smiled in a way that showed too many teeth and looked like it held absolutely no humor. "I deal in lies and secrets, and that's all you really need to know," he said curtly. "I'll be nice because you're All Might, and because Mei will kick my ass if I'm too rude to her new boyfriend, but I'm still not overly fond of heroes," he told the taller man, smile even less of a smile now and bordering on something more akin to a snarl.
"I might still kick your ass if you don't watch it," the woman beside him growled, taking a step forward before Toshinori held a hand out to stop her.
"It's fine," he said, and really it was. This wasn't the first or the last time he'd gotten this sort of reaction from someone. Not everyone was as enamored by heroes as most of society was. "I suppose it won't make a difference if I remind you that I'm retired, since - active hero or no - I still don't condone any illegal dealings. That being said, I'm not here to get you in any sort of trouble," he tried to sound at least marginally reassuring. The younger man didn't seem swayed in the slightest, however.
"Whatever. Really I only wanted to tell Mei about this; I don't want to get involved in any sort of investigation or get roped into testifying or some shit," he said, voice still rather cool but expression less hostile.
"This still isn't like you though - to go digging into something that's not your problem," Mei said slowly, eyeing her friend carefully. "What's really going on here?"
Chiba looked at her a moment, jaw clenched and behind the glint of his glasses All Might could speculate the young man was thinking hard about something. Finally, he sighed and shoved his hand in his jacket pocket to pull out a crumpled carton of cigarettes. Pulling one from the half empty package he fidgeted with it a moment before finally deciding to light up. "Shigaraki met with the leader of the Shie Hassaikai," he said, voice much quieter now as he exhaled a breath of smoke, and the ex-vigilante froze.
"No," she choked out, and Toshinori was instantly wary and on alert. Whatever that faction of the Yakuza meant to her, it caused her a great deal of pain if the expression in her ocean eyes was any indication. Another flash of something - he was startled to think it might be rage - darted across her face as well before she swallowed and found her composure. Even still, it was obvious to him the way her shoulders trembled that her external calm didn't go more than skin deep. "Why?" she asked, and really no more than a few seconds had passed but for Toshinori the pause seemed so much heavier as it was weighed down with the unknown. "What could those two have to do with each other now? I thought he despised Shigaraki."
"Apparently he still does. I said they didn't get on great, didn't I? But 'why' is the operative question here, I think. There's a piece of the story we're not privy to, and I think you're better suited to figure this out than I am," Chiba said, scratching at the stubble on his chin and balancing the cigarette between his lips loosely.
"Except for the fact that I'm not a hero, Ankoku. And I'm on thin ice with the police as it is," she said, making Toshinori feel both relief that he wasn't going to have to be the one to bring it up, but also sadness on her behalf at the truth of it.
"So you're just going to sit on this then?" her friend asked incredulously.
"I didn't say that."
"You know what this man's capable of. Are you really okay letting him carry on with whatever it is he's panning?"
"Of course not."
"I can't help but feel like I'm missing parts of this," Toshinori interjected in slight annoyance. He wasn't used to being left out of the loop, and while he didn't think Mei was doing it on purpose he was becoming more and more vexed with the brunette man's attitude by the minute. Chiba was goading her on, pressing buttons that he seemed to be well aware of on purpose and the spark of anger glinting in those blue eyes was far easier to spot now. The ex-vigilante bit her lip as she looked at him with a guarded expression, and suddenly he wondered if his thoughts a moment ago had been incorrect - she knew she wasn't telling him everything.
That realization stung.
He opened his mouth, but to tell her what he wasn't quite sure. That it was okay? Maybe, but it would have been a lie. To ask her to clarify the situation? He didn't want to push her if she wasn't ready, yet at the same time...
At the same time he hated this. In the beginning of their friendship he'd originally thought he was the one hiding behind the most mental barriers, and while maybe it was still true she also had her fair share of baggage. But as he worked to bring his walls down for her, he felt like she was still hiding behind some of her own. There were less of them now and the ones that remained were weaker than before, but her walls were still there and he saw the shadow of one now as he looked into her careful gaze.
What aren't you telling me? he wondered sadly.
He was going to let it go - for now at least - and he decided that's what he would say with the breath he took, however the words froze when something shifted subtly behind those metaphorical walls. Mei swallowed, and the tell-tale tremble of the woman's shoulders made him instantly regret doubting her for a moment there; she was still trying her best for him.
"The second in command of the Shie Hassaikai is a man who goes by the name 'Overhaul,' and he's the one who killed Ren," she said quietly after a moment, and Toshinori's eyes widened in surprise.
"He knows that much, huh?" Chiba exhaled, sounding grumpy but also curiously resigned.
The smile that pulled up the corner of her mouth was shaky and forced, but she made the effort anyway and maintained eye contact with the retired hero while replying to her friend. "Of course," she said, "I'm done keeping secrets," and that made his shoulders slump as if a weight had been removed from him.
Toshinori cleared his throat and nodded. "I see," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I can do some digging of my own through some of my contacts. Gran Torino is aiding the police who are investigating the League, so I'll speak to him first. As for the Yakuza, I can call in some favors on that as well."
"Overhaul is smart. He covers his ass well and hides in a gray area that makes it hard for the law to pin him down," Chiba warned with a breath of smoke.
"Regardless, there's always more that can be done," the hero shrugged. "Mei's right - she has to be careful about her actions right now, but that doesn't mean we'll just let this information go to waste."
"You heroes can do just as much harm as you can good, sometimes. Watch yourself, All Might, and watch out for Mei too," he said, taking one last drag before crushing that cigarette under his heel too.
"I can look after myself just fine," she muttered a tad sourly, and Chiba genuinely smiled for the first time since they'd met on the rooftop. He reached out and ruffled the woman's hair, much to her displeasure and she retaliated with a half-hearted jab at his ribs.
"Oof," he grunted, rubbing his side and smirking. "Clearly. But in any case, I figured I'd throw that out there just the same," he snorted. "At least you've got someone else to try and stop you from being too reckless now - it's not completely my job any more." That earned him another jab, which he just barely dodged.
"We'll watch out for each other, no worries," Toshinori said with a smile, and it made him feel warm to see the woman's answering smile.
"Ready to bring down some bad guys, All Might?" she grinned.
His own expression grew more relaxed at her words, and not for the first or last time he wondered how she did it - made him feel this warm and happy just by saying the smallest things.
"Always ready to bring about some well earned justice!" he said while pulling on the threads of what had once been his quirk to inflate his muscles for a few fleeting seconds. His voice hinted at an echo of his former bombastic self. It felt nice to feel that optimism again, however bittersweet this instance might be. He missed it.
The next day the already complicated situation became even more so, much to his displeasure. All Might had been mulling over the new information and where to go with it next, and while he'd already reached out to Gran Torino (his old mentor had nothing new to offer, but was grateful for the additional information Toshinori was able to contribute to his investigation), he knew the trail couldn't end there. He'd been out for a run, clearing his head and using the time to consider his next step (who would do best with this information? Naomasa and the police? Should he contact any other heroes?) when young Midoriya had come barreling at him like a bat out of hell.
The following conversation was one he should have anticipated, but had still felt utterly unprepared for. He wasn't able to look his successor in the eye as he told him he'd been fated to die.
But then the boy had told him to live - made him promise to stay alive to help guide and raise him - and he'd felt his heart melt.
And there was that request again - that entreaty to raise the green haired kid. The phrasing threw him every time he heard it, but he didn't really feel as weird about the implication as he probably should. What Mei had said before about Midoriya being like family to him... she wasn't wrong, and it wasn't merely the connection they shared through One for All either. It felt strange to go from where he was a couple years ago - alone with no family to speak of - to now having a woman who loved him and a boy who he cared for just as much as he would his own son. It may not be a very traditional family, but they were his family nonetheless, and if they needed him he'd do everything in his power to stay on this earth a little longer.
He wondered sometimes what the situation with young Midoriya's biological father was, but he'd never dared to ask. It wasn't really his business and he didn't want to pry into the boy's private life if he wasn't comfortable talking about it. However, it hadn't escaped his notice when he'd visited the Midoriya household that it was just his mom present, and there were no family photos displayed in the apartment containing any male figure.
After the tough conversation had passed, the two walked together the rest of the route Toshinori normally jogged, and it was with a tad bit of surprise that the retired hero realized this was the longest stretch of time he'd spent alone with his young protégé in quite a while.
I really should make the effort to hang out with him more, he thought a tad remorsefully. I see him in class and in training, but times like these are important too.
Midoriya talked about how his work study was going with much less hesitation now that the air was cleared of the more difficult topics. However, when the boy told him Sir Nighteye's agency was investigating a Yakuza group, Toshinori couldn't hold back the cough that ripped its way out of his damaged lungs.
"Wha- what is it, All Might?!" the teen asked, startled.
"Nothing, my boy," he quickly waved him away while wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "It's just, that's the second time in two days I've heard the Shie Hassaikai mentioned. Sir Nighteye is investigating Chisaki Kai, you say?"
"Yeah," the boy confirmed before a worried look crossed his face and a little 'v' formed between his furrowed eyebrows. "There's this little girl - Chisaki said she was his daughter when I bumped into them accidentally -" Toshinori jolted at that bit of information, concerned once again for how much of a trouble magnet the kid seemed to be, "- but she was covered in bandages and seemed really scared. It felt like the villain was going to get violent with Togata and me, but she ran back to him even though a moment before she'd been clinging to my shirt and asked me not to leave her." He looked down at his feet as they kept walking, and his green eyes reflected a heavy sadness that All Might understood well.
You can't save everyone.
"I didn't want to let her leave with him, but I couldn't interfere without risking the investigation and raising suspicion," he said quietly.
Toshinori nodded and placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder before giving it a light squeeze. "You made the right call, young Midoriya, however hard it may have been. Those are the kind of tough calls we have to make as heroes. I know it's difficult - and it never really gets easier, either - but if Nighteye's agency is already looking into Chisaki, then there will be a way to save this little girl too."
"You really think so?" he asked hopefully. "Sir Nighteye said I wasn't looking at the bigger picture when I said I wanted to try and save her."
The retired hero sighed. "Yeah, that sounds like Nighteye. He's not wrong, but it's okay to still want to save her. You have a true hero's heart, young man." Toshinori debated whether he should tell his successor about him and Mei looking into the Yakuza captain as well, but ended up deciding against it. He did feel a little guilty about that, however, considering just a few minutes ago the teenager had asked his mentor to stop hiding things from him. He understood, of course, but that still didn't make it easier to do so. Mei had helped him learn to open up a lot more than he had in the past, but he was still a work in progress after all.
When he told Mei about the conversation later, she was quite for a moment and seemed to be contemplating something. "So... should we talk to Nighteye then?" she asked hesitantly.
Toshinori balked, feeling his face pale slightly. "I'd really rather not," he said sheepishly, embarrassed because he knew it wasn't the answer he should be giving.
Mei narrowed her eyes as she studied him, and he tried his best not to squirm under her scrutiny. He was a grown man for Pete's sake! So, why did he suddenly feel like a child about to be scolded?
But instead of reprimanding his cowardice (which he would have deserved, honestly), she sighed and looked away as she ran a hand through her long dark hair. "We'll figure it out," she said simply, and left it at that.
Really, he should have known she wouldn't let it drop. Like Midoriya, she too had a hero's heart. He just wished that in this situation he could be more sure it was her drive to do good pushing her forward, and maybe not the inclination that there could be the opportunity to avenge her fallen friend. That motive was a little less heroic.
Either way, he wasn't surprised when she wasn't home when he returned from class the next morning. The note scribbled in her hand writing simply warned him she'd gone out for a bit, but he knew better than that. He knew her better than that.
"Please don't say anything too reckless in front of Mirai," he groaned aloud to the empty apartment.
A/N:
Apologies for the delay - we've been doing some renovations on the house and my computer and desk had to be temporarily disassembled. We're back up and running now though!