Since the tragic events at the USJ, things had been somber.
Nedzu had made a public speech about what had happened and how UA took full responsibility for not having the proper security. He went on to say that they would not allow this tragedy to be repeated and set up a dorm system to make sure the students were always close to each other and the staff.
This was a bit of a bright spot in an otherwise dim situation; as the students all began to hover around and care for each other now that they were at school far more often.
Class 1-A had all been issued mandatory therapy sessions with Hound Dog in order to cope with the trauma of losing a classmate. What was once Oujiro's desk was now decorated with memorial flowers and a picture of him.
While he hated to play favorites and was happy to see most of Class 1-A was moving on at a reasonable pace, Hound Dog found himself focusing on Izuku and Hana. Both had been almost inconsolable by their classmates for different reasons. Izuku, because he failed to save Oujiro, and Hana, because she had reunited with her long-thought dead brother...only to find him as a Villain who had murdered someone right in front of her.
Aizawa was tended to for any injuries he had sustained. Part of his nose had been decayed by whatever Tomura's Quirk was but thankfully, it was properly fixed with minor plastic surgery. He also had a scar under his eye from a lucky villain but chose to keep it as a reminder of his failure as a teacher and to make sure Oujiro's death would not be forgotten or repeated.
The rest of Class Sanctuary was unsure what to do for Izuku and Hana. They tried everything they could but nothing seemed to be working, both of them had holed up in their rooms and refused to come out, not even to eat.
Hound Dog knew that he needed to speak with Izuku and Hana about the true issue that was eating away at them. He just hoped they'd be able to face their grief head-on. He would NOT let his students destroy themselves.
SANCTUARY
"It was a complete...utter...DISASTER!" Tomura growled, decaying a bar stool partially in order to rip it in half with his bare hands. Kurogiri said nothing as he polished some glasses.
"Yes, this is definitely something we cannot have foreseen." All for One said in a troubled tone from the TV. "Alas, I blame myself. The Doctor and I should have investigated the Mid-End Nomu's files more thoroughly.
"Dammit! I knew loaning them that Nomu was a terrible idea!" Dr. Ujiko cursed angrily. "THOSE FOOLS! THEY LET THEIR ANGER AND HATRED OVERTAKE THEM THAT MUCH?!"
"Calm yourself, old friend. It is my fault as well for overlooking them." All for One said to his right-hand man, even though he was beyond livid as well. Still, he had other things that need his attention. "Nevertheless, Tomura, you succeeded in one of your goals at least; To destroy the one who hurt your beloved cousin."
"Yeah...but at what cost?!" Tomura roared, slamming his hands down on the bar table, tearing through it.
"Tomura, please calm yourself, I just fixed that." Kurogiri sighed as Tomura slumped his shoulders and sat on one of the intact bar stools.
"Sheesh, what's up with the Boss Man?" Asked Maguma Iwata AKA Volcano, himself nursing a black eye and broken hand after his fight with Melissa. His fellow Volcano Thieves, Konako Haizono AKA Dusty Ash, and Tsumuji Kazetani AKA Gust Boy were also there.
"Apparently, that Nomu freak he brought with him was used on one of those Sanctuary kids and he didn't know until it was too late." Gust Boy explained.
"Awww, poor baby." Dusty Ash said sympathetically as she slid up to Tomura. "That must have really sucked, seeing your cousin all scared like that?"
Tomura glared at the trio with such intensity they took a step back.
"I made a PROMISE to myself that I'd destroy this world and allow it to be rebuilt by him and his new little friends, create a sandbox for them to create a new world where they could be safe and happy...but I guess I failed."
His glare lessened, shame filling the decayer's form. He paid little mind to Dusty Ash wrapping herself around him, trying to make him feel better.
"Tomura, if there is one thing I've learned in my long life, it's that failure is often the best teacher." All for One advised. "It was a good thing you were able to recruit a notorious trio such as the Volcano Thieves and their strength was truly shown when they managed to escape with you, unlike the pathetic cannon fodder we scrounged from the gutters."
"We try to please our clients. And besides, Shiggy speaks our language!" Volcano chuckled, patting the young villain in question on the back with his large hand.
"Sides, making UA look bad was a blast by itself." Gust Boy added.
"Hell yeah!" Dusty Ash followed, before adopting a contemplative look. "Still, the five of us are going to need more help if we're going to pull of this job…."
Help.
At that word, Tomura's eyes widened as he recalled something.
"Sensei...don't you have that other guy? Curator?" Tomura asked. "He works with those other two guys...Zookeeper and Bearhead?"
His master caught on to what his apprentice was asking and a smile crossed his face.
"Indeed, Curator is a trusted intelligence gatherer, and he certainly knows how to hold his own in a battle when it is called for." All for One concurred. "I'll send him a message informing him that he and his group shall be assisting you from now on."
"Perfect, we just might be able to make good of a bad situation yet." Tomura chuckled, lightly scratching his neck before frowning. "If only you accepted my offer, Hana-chan..."
SANCTUARY
"It's been three weeks now and they still haven't come out of their rooms," Luz said sadly as the Sanctuary kids were in the main living room of their dorm. Mamako was with them, a sad look on her face as Masato rested his head on her lap, her soft fingers stroking his hair.
"Oujiro was an ass to Izu...but nobody deserves to die..." Emi softly spoke, her head hung low.
"Those villains will not get away with this...not after what they did." Akira snarled with righteous fury, his fists tightened and drawing blood. Crona quickly used their powers to heal Akira, in spite of it not been needed.
"I feel bad for the gang in Class 1-A...It was terrible..." Michiru said, looking out the window, Nazuna embracing her from behind.
"What can we even do? Is there anything we CAN do?" Crona asked.
"There is something..." Mamako spoke, Masato getting off her lap as she walked over and took out the letter she and Nedzu found addressed to Class Sanctuary by the killer of Kishi Toyama.
"What is that, Mom-Ako?" Nui asked.
"It's a message left behind by the one who murdered Kishi Toyama," Mamako explained. "I'm sure we informed you about it earlier."
"Eh, that guy was a jackass to be sure," Ragnarok said. "Good riddance, I say!"
"But what does the killer want with us?" Ulquiorra asked curiously.
Spinel turned her fingers into scissors and snipped open the message, pulling out a Hallmark greeting card.
"Awwwww, it must be a fan letter!"
"Well, that's ONE good thing, I guess..." Melissa said. "What's it say?"
Spinel opened the card and scanned what was written in it, pouting as a befuddled look crossed her adorable squishy face.
"Spinel, sweetie? What's up?" Nazuna asked in concern.
"What does a Liar do when he's dead?"
"….What?" Everyone asked.
"Check it out!"
Spinel showed everyone the contents of the card and they all looked to see it was a riddle 'What does a Liar do when he's dead?'. There were also some cyphers, codes, and other secret messages written on one side of the card.
"…Oh great, they're crazy AND interactive!" Yuno gasped.
"What modern serial killer isn't?" Himiko asked, giving the code a look over. "Well, they're clearly ripping of the Zodiac…."
"Can I have a look? We had stuff like this in the White Clad." Sho asked, taking the 'extra bits' and summoning a bit of flame with a face on it.
"Sputter? Sputter! Sputter!" The flame cooed, the girls following in suit. Sho smiled before motioning the flame over the notes, being careful not to burn anything.
"Well…no hidden message that can be found in the words through fla…Wait a sec!"
Bringing 'Sputter' a wee bit closer, he could make out a phrase:
'ONE FOR ALL'
Melissa tensed. The killer KNEW about…?! No, calm down, clam down, she told herself. She then gently took the paper from Sho and pressed a button on the rims of her glasses.
"Mei managed to turn my glasses into mini-computers; I'm cross-referencing cypher sites and code-breakers to see if anything comes up." She explained. "This might take a while though, so…"
"Allow me to help!" Penny cheered as she touched Melissa's glasses, her eyes shining bright green as she reached for a notepad and began to hurriedly jot down everything she could, some symbols being translated, others crossed out over and over.
As the two tech-savvy heroines did this, Amity looked over Melissa's shoulder and her eyes widened.
"Luz, look!"
Luz hurried to her girlfriend's side and spied what had sparked Amity's interest, her eyes widening in shock.
"No way!" The Dominican girl gasped.
"Urgh?" Tae asked in concern.
"Either the killer reads Azura the Good Witch…or they have an appreciation of glyphs!"
Indeed, some of the symbols were glyphs that were perfect imitations of the ones Luz's 'Wild magic' often manifested. The two hurriedly jotted down what they recognized and put it with Penny and Melissa's notes.
Ten minutes later, they finally found something: What looked like the URL of a website or a file collection. Hurrying to a computer, Masato typed in what they had, only to be met with an error screen.
"Try Private browsing?" Akira suggested. He knew little about computers or the web, but in his mind: "If the killer's smart, he may…I dunno, make it so there's only a certain way to see whatever he wants to see?"
"…That is the stupidest…!" 21 started, only to be cut off when the screen changed. Still, there was a problem.
"It's encrypted." Nazuna mused, looking over the notes. "And there are way too many possible passwords…"
"Then, perhaps this can be of help?"
The students turned to see Nedzu entering the room, a thumb drive dangling in his paw,
"Dad?" Masato asked in confusion.
"The police found this in the car of Kishi Toya." The Principal explained. "Along with his thumb…stapled to it."
"HA HA HA HA HA HA!"
Blank stares filled the room.
"Oh, come on! 'Thumb-Drive?' That shit's funny!"
"Ragnarok? Shut. Up. Please." Roromiya begged.
Masato took the thumb-drive (it felt dirty to think that) and went over to the laptop.
"We're still missing something…." He mused.
"Oh, I'm going to be sick…" Emi barely held in her bile.
Himiko pressed the thumb onto the drive, and instantly the students were rewarded with a slew of pictures; heroes taking bribes, children undergoing hellish training, what looked like abuse victims being escorted or given medicine and all manner of corruption and debauchery.
Lucy's eyes narrowed and her arms manifested, slicing and punching holes in the wall behind the computer
One of those victims looked an awful lot like Shoto if he had white hair and was a girl…but yet another picture stood out: A younger Izuku being forced into a car with someone raising a crowbar over his head.
"…That son of a bitch helped kidnap Izuku?!" Akira snapped, his skin taking on a dark hue.
"Unfortunately." Nedzu sighed. "And it seems that the killer is determined to keep contact with you lot."
"Only question I have is how the hell the killer got these pics?" Akira mused.
Suddenly, the photos began to vanish.
"No!" Melissa hurriedly began snapping as many photos as she could, but she was only able to save a few. There was a message:
'WHAT DOES A LIAR DO WHEN HE DIES? HE LIES STILL. Thank you for responding so well. We'll be in touch.'
The screen went to 'Error' and refreshing the page did nothing.
There was one thing the gang knew, whoever the killer was, they were playing it smart and it seemed they had no choice but to play along with them.
SANCTUARY
Toshinori had been asked to take part in this session with Izuku. The poor boy had curled into a ball.
"It wasn't your fault." Where the first words out of the guidance counselor's mouth. "Half of the students would've been hurt if it wasn't for you; you took out all the water-based villains in a single…"
"DON'T YOU GET IT?!" Izuku suddenly snapped, his bloodshot eyes matching his tearstained cheeks and the volume of his voice rivalling Mic at his best. "I SCREWED UP! I SCREW EVERYTHING UP! IT'S ALL I'VE EVER DONE!"
Fresh tears escaped Izuku's eyes as he began to let everything out
"Those villains attacked because of me. They were going to kill everyone because I was here. And… And why did I have to live? I don't have anybody….Tooru? She loved Oujiro. I could tell…I could smell it. Oh yeah, ever since THIS; the whole Dragon thing happened? I can smell emotions on people…And Oujiro….He didn't hesitate to fight! No matter how outmatched he was! I thought for once, just for once! I could do something; be the hero I dreamt of being, or at least get everyone to safety! I had…have the power to…! B-but the minute I saw…him…I…I….!"
Izuku fought the urge to vomit before Hound Dog hurriedly handed him a pail. What little food Izuku had in his belly was soon in the pail and he gasped in pain as well as air. Toshinori handed him a bottle of water that he took some sips from. Izuku vomited again before catching his breath.
"…I froze… And I didn't do anything until I heard Ka-chan scream in pain!" Izuku continued. "That alone proves I shouldn't be here; I only stepped in when someone I cared about was in trouble. No one else froze; just me. And Oujiro died because of that."
Izuku hid his face in his hands, the sight breaking Hound Dog and Toshinori's hearts.
"Just…just send me away." Izuku begged. "Everyone'll be safer."
"Izuku…" Hound Dog struggled to find the words, especially before his animalistic side took over from the emotional stress he was feeling.
"I froze too." Toshinori said, getting the boy to look up in shock. Hound Dog's animal instincts died as he listened in, Tohsinori ignoring everything but the boy in front of him as he recounted the memory.
"It was my third year, when I first encountered a real villain. I had thought I had it all under control and that I was ready…but one look and I froze. My mentor saved me…. but Toshe didn't make it."
He fought back the haunting memory of Nana sacrificing herself for him, Gran Torino racing him away from the battlefield and All for One's cruel line before he had vaporized the closest thing to a mother the hero had:
"My thanks for this delightful comedy."
Toshinori felt tears of his own leave his eyes, but he focused on Izuku.
"I still see that horrid moment, day after day. No matter how great I've become or how many people I've saved…I'll never forgive myself for that one moment of weakness."
"A moment every hero has at least one of." Hound Dog added. "And Izuku? You had every reason to be scared. Despite all that? Do you remember what you did? You fought tooth and nail to keep Katsuki safe."
The mention of his best friend made Izuku pause.
"How would he feel if you left?" Toshinori asked gently. "How would Himiko feel? Mr. and Mrs. Bakugo? Crona? Your other classmates? Your 'horn buddies?' Young Miss Uraraka?"
The images of the people he knew he loved filled Izuku's mind and a whimper escaped his lips.
"….They…they'd be safe. That's all that matters to me."
A selfless thought. One that would normally be met with applause of the maturity of. But not today. With a firm look on his face, Toshinori knelt and placed his hands on Izuku's shoulders.
"Now, you listen here, Izuku Midoriya!" He said. "You've got the makings of greatness in you! You already have shown it; staying strong and kind for so long, never giving up on helping people, despite all the hell you've been thrown…You're a better man than many Pros and you're not even in your prime! And yes, things are hard: They'll get harder. You have the right to fall. To cry. But you've got to take your life by the helms and chart your own course: Don't be me, another Pro, or what you think the world needs! Be Izuku Midoriya! Because it's not the Firestarter, not Deku, or whatever title the world has flung onto you that'll be seen. No, it's Izuku Midoriya is the one who will one day show the world what he's made of! And when that day comes….By jove, I pray to God, Kami, Allah or whatever higher power exists up there that I'm there, seeing the light coming off you that day."
Izuku, tears stinging his eyes yet again, simply hung his head onto his mentor's chest. Toshinori didn't hesitate to take the boy into a hug.
"There, there, my boy. It's alright. It's alright." He cooed, gently picking the boy up. "Lets get you some shut-eye."
Taking Izuku into his arms, he paid the other viewers no mind: Oujiro's parents had been called in to view this session through a one-way window. Their cheeks were stained with tears of their own.
Hound Dog escourted them out of UA and handed them a piece of paper.
"When you get the chance, and he feels better."
The two wordlessly nodded before leaving.
SANCTUARY
Hana's session did not go so well. The girl had not been sleeping well, afraid to go back to the last memory of her brother if she did. When she recounted the horror that had been Kotaro Shimura, Hound Dog had to bite his lip to the point of bleeding to keep from going feral, grateful Toshinori was not there here.
"I was scared!" Hana bawled. "But I was the big sister! It was my job to keep him safe! I should've been the one who…I should've done something!"
"What would you have done?"
"Gone out sooner! Stayed with Tenko…I-I don't know! Just anything! I should've ben the one who….!"
"No." The Guidance counsellor cut in. "You didn't deserve any of that."
"Yes, I did!" Hana screamed. "I threw Tenko under the bus! I was the one who made everyone come after him….! I should've known he'd never had intentionally….!"
She began to sob into her hands.
"And now? I have more Quirks and powers that anyone else. I could've stopped the whole thing! I…I don't know…I still don't understand half of these things I can do….But someone died because of me. Again! Sensei….?" Hana whimpered. "I need help."
Hound Dog offered Hana a tissue, before saying 'screw it' and hugging her. She wept openingly for an hour before falling asleep.
Hound Dog then went to straight to Nedzu and requested he be allowed to look after Hana for the two weeks leading up to the Sports Fest, along with having a Quirk expert come in to help the girl understand her powers. Nedzu had already arranged for it
SANCTUARY
"Icy-Hot..."
Shoto Todoroki perked up as he turned to see Katsuki Bakugou glaring at him with a look of murder on his face. The heterochromatic boy didn't know what the blonde bomber's beef was, but he'd get to the bottom of it, at least.
"What do you want, Bakugou."
"Back at the USJ...when Deku was risking his neck out for all of us...I asked you to give him a fire boost because I know DAMN well you can use fire on top of all that shitty ice...and then you fucking refused."
"Kaminari was still able to help Midoriya. The problem still worked itself out in the end." Shoto said, preparing to walk past Katsuki only for the Pomeranian to grab him by his collar and slam him into the wall hard enough to leave an indent.
"Don't fuck with me, you Prince Zuko-fanboy cocksleeve motherfucker bitch! Deku could have used fire to completely incinerate that ugly freak he was fighting, the same freak that those assholes used to torture him when they had him captive! Where you just gonna let my best friend DIE because of some stupid pledge?!"
"I refuse to use HIS fire..." Shoto growled out but Katsuki was not having it.
"WHO'S HE?! ENDEAVOR?! TO HELL WITH HIM! THIS IS ABOUT YOU AND YOU ALONE!" Katsuki roared, getting in Shoto's face. "You better fucking watch your back, Icy-Hot...because the next time we have to face off...I won't hold ANYTHING back...and that's a FUCKING PROMISE!"
With that, Katsuki dropped Shoto onto the ground and stormed off. Shoto checked his throat for any bruising before glaring at the blonde's retreating form.
"He doesn't understand...just how CURSED my flames are..."
Unknown to the son of the #2 hero, a certain hobo-looking teacher had seen everything and was not impressed.
SANCTUARY
Akira, a pudding cup and bouquet in his hands, has stepped out to do a private errand. He had needed to get out of UA, and while this errand always crushed him, he needed to do something.
So, one might imagine his surprise when he saw someone else was there.
"TAKESHI?!" Akira gasped in shock.
The last time they had seen each other, Takeshi had sent his little brother flying, half dead when he spoke against his and their father's plans.
"Relax. I'm not here to fight." The older Kongou said, his voice quitter than usual. "Not in front of her."
Sayuri Kongoh
Beloved mother, wife and nurse
Akira deposited the bouquet and pudding cup before he sat down next Takeshi.
"….You holding up? Yeah." They asked and responded at the same time.
Suddenly another joined them. A beautifl teenage girl with an bouquet of her own.
"…Soara." Takeshi nodded.
The girl said nothing, putting her own flowers down and then sitting next to Akria, whom she gave a loving hug.
SANCTUARY
The next day, around lunchtime, Izuku and Hana tiredly trudged back into the Sanctuary dorm. It was there they saw the rest of their classmates there, waiting for them. Katsuki, Ochako, Tsuyu, Tooru, Eijirou, and Mina were also there, all of them with empathetic looks on their faces.
"Come here, ya brave soldiers." Spinel said, stretching out her arms.
"We're with you every step of the way." Himiko smiled.
And just like that, the dam broke. Izuku and Hana fell to their knees and burst into tears, their friends all huddling around them and embracing them closely. Even Ulqiorra and Lucy joined in the cuddle pile, making sure that their two friends, no, their BROTHER and SISTER were safe and knew that they were loved no matter what.
"It's gonna be okay, you guys...it's gonna be fucking okay..." Katsuki whispered.
Devil Dragon Stand Knight A/N:
Mrotrax handled the more emotional stuff because I don't think I would have done it justice. Also, as you can see, we have Paul Dano's Riddler from The Batman movie as an antagonist. What are his plans and what does he want with Class Sanctuary? You'll just have to wait and see!
Also, Katsuki laying it down on Shoto about how his stupid 'I Reject My Dad's Fire' pledge is total bullshit, especially since Izuku was in very real danger and would have benefitted greatly if Shoto lent him a hand with his fire.
Up next, we'll be starting the Sports Festival Arc, where something special is planned for our kids in Class Sanctuary!
Alright, Mrotrax, your turn!
Mrotrax A/N
Happy birthday, DDSK!
Thank all of you so much for giving this story support.
I hope to have done this justice. We can all agree that a therapy chapter was needed after the events of the USJ. Hana's was admittedly harder to come up with, if need be, I may go back and redo that scene later.
To clear up any confusion, while Izuku can handle other elements and Denki's electricity/lightning is something he can very easily use, Fire is his primary affinity and at this point, it is widely known at UA. And yes, we are going to have a little tribute to the famous fic 'Cursed Blood' in relation to Shoto's refusal to use his flames. He will be called out and it will be BRUTAL. Just warning ya now.
You might have noticed that Tomura is shipped with Dusty Ash in this story (baddies need love too!) and Volcano will become Melissa's 'arch-enemy'…in a similar manner to that Kisame and Might Guy from Naruto.
Open to suggestions for what Gust Boy's storyline can be, leave them in reviews or PM myself or DSSK if you have any.
Now, you all may be wondering…'Wait, Mrotrax! What about the laptop Riddler left at the crime scene?' That, my dear readers…is a surprise for another day. All I will say that later on, there will be a three way 'Villain Civil War', with Riddler, the League and the villains from chapter four taking part and the contents of that laptop playing a major role.
Until then? Keep safe, read and review, would ye kindly?
