Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or Persona 5
Chapter 9
Makoto drew a deep breath as she mentally prepared herself to enter Kobayakawa's office. She had taken the time to carefully pick her questions for him this morning. It was her free period, so she knew that she would be able to speak to him before the rest of her classes began. Looking at his door, Makoto found herself feeling restless, though. Izuku and Ryuji gathered enough information to know that each student was threatened into keeping quiet. That they were convinced that even the principal was aware of what they were suffering. Now it was Makoto's job to find the truth. The source of her apprehension, though, was the idea that the rumor was true. Several factors played into this. One: if true, then their hopes of stopping Kamoshida decreased tremendously. Two: If Kobayakawa were to suspect something of Makoto and her questions, then she would become a target of Kamoshida's every scrutinizing eyes. And finally, it will completely overturn what trust she has in the school and its instructors.
Makoto only hesitated for a moment longer before straightening her shoulders and knocking on the door. Please don't let it be true.
"Come in." She heard a muffled voice bid her in, Makoto soon grabbing the knob and entering. The obese principal sat behind his desk, looking through several papers in his hand before turning a curt smile to Makoto. "Ah, Nijima-san. Good to see you. What can I help you with this morning?"
"Good morning, Kobayakawa-sensei." Makoto smiled back formally, giving a bow. "I'm dropping by because I have a… very sensitive matter to discuss." She said, her voice becoming more grave as her expression fell into a more nervous look.
Kobayakawa raised a brow at this but nodded, motioning toward one of the chairs. "I see. Well then, please tell me what's on your mind."
Makoto did as bid, taking a seat across from the principal. "Well, you see… recently I received some… complaints about a teacher. Some very serious accusations, in fact, of abuse."
Kobayakawa widened his eyes at that, leaning forward on his table as he crossed his arms on the desk. "And… who exactly are these students making such accusations?"
"I'm sorry, but they wished to remain anonymous. Only until after you've promised to help will they decide to come out." Makoto suggested, keeping her expression firm as she lied. "So I reassured them that I would come and talk to you first about that matter."
"I see…" Kobayakawa hummed, looking down at his desk in thought for a moment before looking back up. "Well, if I can help in any way, I will try my best. Who exactly is it that they're accusing of this alleged abuse?"
This is the moment of truth. "I am… reluctant to say this, but… Kamoshida-sensei. It appears that he has been abusing this student, as well as possibly others under his care on the Volleyball teams." Makoto declared, brow furrowing seriously as she spoke.
Kobayakawa looked tense the moment that Kamoshida's name was brought to attention, gulping as he looked to the side. Sweat started to glisten down his face. "I-I see… this is quite serious, indeed. And you are completely sure that they said it was Kamoshida-san?"
"Without a doubt." Makoto answered shortly, his response making a bit of sweat trailed down her brow. Please let it be a lie…
"I see…" Kobayakawa hummed, closing his eyes in thought as he linked his fingers in front of his face. "Perhaps then… you might be able to handle this situation yourself, Nijima-san."
Makoto blinked owlishly at the principal, unsure that she heard that right. "E-excuse me, sir?" No…
"Yes, as student body president, it is your duty to reassure the other students, correct?" Kobayakawa suggested, giving her an expectant smile. "A situation like this would… explode on Shujin Academy if we let it get out of hand."
It really is true…
"We don't need any unnecessary attention brought to our prestigious institution. We've been able to keep our name clean of such… baseless accusations. Especially against one of our most inspiring instructors."
"B-baseless?!" Makoto blurted out, standing from her seat. "But sir, th-these students are-"
"I'm sure that they are suffering a great deal, Nijima-san. But perhaps they are… projecting their worries and pain on their instructor rather than deal with it directly." Kobayakawa suggested, his half assed excuse nearly causing Makoto to shout. She contained herself, held back her emotions and true thoughts as she always did, knowing her place as a student. Of course, bottling up such thoughts only made them hurt worse in the long run.
"B-but sir… if what they're saying is true, then-"
"Kamoshida-san is an important part of this academy. Thanks to his hard work and dedication to the Volleyball team, Shujin Academy has gained quite a bit of notoriety. Being that our academy does not rely on Hero Training courses, we need all the positive attention that the school can get." Kobayakawa quickly cut her off, his expression hardening now. "I highly doubt that an instructor of his caliber would be capable of such atrocities."
But… sir…" Makoto muttered, biting her bottom lip as she realized how futile her struggle against the principal's words were.
"I will hear no more of this, Nijima-san. As student council president, I expect that you will be able to handle the situation." Kobayakawa dismissed, turning back to a stack of papers on his desk. "Now, if that is all, I must return to my work. Do your best to reassure the student, Nijima-san, but make sure they aren't putting the blame on the wrong people."
This… this is truly terrible. Makoto gripped her gloved hand in anger, unable to unleash her emotions. Forced to keep it to herself, just like always. She had her future to think of. She couldn't ruin that by flying off the rails. That's what she told herself in her most emotional moments. It was the only thing that kept her from reaching across the table right now and smashing Kobayakawa's face in the table. But she knew that wouldn't help. She knew it was all for nothing. Stiffly bowing, Makoto quietly turned around and headed for the door, opening it and closing it gently behind her. The brunette third year held a hand to her face, grinding her teeth in frustration. What is left for us to do?
"Hey, what's going on out there?!"
Makoto looked up when she heard one of the staff shout, raising a brow at the sudden commotion. Looking at the open door leading to the hall, she could see a large gathering of students. It was obviously past the start of first period, so what were they all doing out of class?
"Oh my god, she's gonna jump!" A student cried out, Makoto's eyes widening in shock. She dashed for the door, running up to the closest window and ignoring the other students. Searching around, her eyes landed on the lone figure standing on the edge of the terrace, though it looked as she was facing back, almost as if reconsidering her position.
"Oh my god…" Makoto muttered, reaching a hand up toward the window before looking around. "E-everyone, please remain calm! I-is there anyone here with a Quirk that can extend to that distance?! Perhaps anyone with flight capabilities?!" She called out, looking around in a panic. She didn't have time to dwell on who or why right now, someone had to-
"She's jumping!"
Makoto snapped her head back and felt dread fill her, watching as the girl finally walked off the edge. Screams echoed through the halls, filling her ears with the same amount of despair that she felt in her heart. Students were quick to look down and focus their attention on the ground, trying to find the spot where she fell. Makoto covered her mouth as she held back a cry, unable to accept what she had just seen. Her eyes lingered on the roof, trembling with fear of seeing what was left on the ground.
But it was then that she saw it. Someone leaning on the fence, their fingers wrapped around the fence and gripping the metal desperately. Someone tried to stop her? looking around, Makoto realized that no one else saw this, all focused on scrambling to the first floor for a view of the girl. Looking back up, Makoto knew that nobody could have known so quickly what had transpired. Whoever was up there had to have some prior knowledge. Running down the hall, Makoto hoped she could reach whoever it was before they disappeared.
(My Hero Academia OST: Anguish of the Quirkless)
Suzui's fall had played out in so many different ways in Izuku's mind. He had done it over and over again. Not to torture himself, intentionally at least. He wanted to know when it all went wrong. When did he screw up. He wanted to know why Suzui jumped. Why he wasn't fast enough Why he was so weak. Why he couldn't save her. He couldn't stop the question of 'why' from repeating in his mind over and over again. Almost as if answering the question would change the entire outcome that played out in front of him. But it wouldn't. Suzui had jumped, and Izuku failed to save her.
Izuku didn't react when Ryuji wrapped an arm around him, supporting the green haired teen as they walked through the school and headed to the ground floor to confirm the likely result. The masses of student ramblings echoing through the hall were nothing but white noise to him, now. He didn't want to see what happened to Suzui. He didn't want to know exactly how deep his failure was. Izuku could barely register the fact that life was still going on after such a tragic moment. But it was. And all that was left to do was push on. To see the extent of the damage done this day because of his failure.
"Hey, dude… we're here." Ryuji announced quietly, though Izuku barely reacted. He gripped the strap of his bag with a trembling hand, biting down on his lower lip.
"Is she… gone?" He muttered out, holding back the tears that threatened to spill forth again, even after nearly drying them out only moments ago.
"I… I can't tell." Ryuji admitted, his view blocked by the crowd of teens still standing there, their mutterings indiscernible with the multitude of voices going around. Ryuji sighed, releasing Izuku and making sure he stood on his own before going up to one of the students at random. "Yo. Is the girl… dead?"
"Huh? No, sh-she lived. But parts of her body were twisted pretty bad. The paramedics are getting ready to take her away now." A teen told him, the news bringing some relief despite the terrible incident.
"You hear that, Izuku?" Ryuji asked, turning back to the green haired teen. "She's not gone, at least. She made it."
Izuku finally looked back up at Ryuji, his eyes already filling back up with mist. "R-really..? Th-thank goodness… A-at least she… is still…" Izuku's words trailed off as he struggled to finish. Ryuji bit the inside of his cheek, walking over and wrapping an arm around his shoulders again.
"It's not your fault what happened, Izuku. She put herself up there." Morgana spoke from his book bag, hoping to reassure the green haired teen.
"I-I… I should have been able to stop her…" Izuku muttered, his hand gripping at his side as he allowed Ryuji to pull him along. "I… I was right there… so close…" he muttered, holding both of his trembling hands in front of his face.
"Hey, what happened to your hands?" Ryuji pointed out, causing Morgana to peek out and take a look for himself. The base line of Izuku's fingers were swollen and red, blood dried from cuts on the jointed parts of his fingers. When Izuku had run at the fence, he had tried desperately to fit his hands through, nearly breaking his own fingers in the process. He likely would have if he kept trying to push through and grab her. But it had been too late, either way.
Izuku couldn't admit to the action. It was pointless, after all. He had failed despite the state of his hands. Ryuji seemed to understand it somewhat, not bothering to push the subject as he lead Izuku along again. The crowds began to disperse, the students either leaving school for the day or attempting to go back to class. Considering the chain of events, the teachers didn't seem in a rush to stop anyone from leaving.
The faux blond brought Izuku to the vending machines, sitting him down at one of the nearby tables and moving to get them something to drink. Normally, Ryuji would be in a fit of rage, likely to go and try and get details as to why something so terrible occurred. But after seeing Izuku's current state, he decided to wait until the green haired teen was capable of acting as well. The hell do we do now, though..?
"Hey! Sakamoto-kun! Midori!" Izuku registered his nickname being called, raising his head slightly to see Makoto approaching them from down the hall.
"Hey, Nijima-sempai." Ryuji called out, turning to her with a sigh. "What's up?"
"I thought I'd check up on you two. What happened was rather dark..." Makoto said, looking from Ryuji to Izuku. The moment she saw his eyes, she realized how depressed he looked, her eyes widening in confusion. "M-Midori? Are you okay?"
Izuku looked away from Makoto, biting his bottom lip as he bit back a sob. He wasn't okay. How could he be? He didn't want to tell Makoto why, though. That meant reliving the experience. Not that the scene hadn't been playing out in his mind over and over again, already. But talking about it, telling her would just hurt him more.
"He was… pretty shaken by what happened." Ryuji covered for him, understanding that Izuku was suffering more than most of the students. Refocusing forward, Ryuji gave a pleading look. "Suzui was part of the Volleyball team, Nijima-sempai. This has to be related to Kamoshida. Please tell me you were able to talk to the principal."
Makoto winced at the request, looking away from the two and rubbing her arm. "I did… and you guys were right. Kobayakawa is at the least trying to cover for Kamoshida."
Izuku wasn't surprised to hear that. At this point, nothing about the teacher could surprise him. Kamoshida had succeeded in making Izuku completely abhore the man. The fact that he was abusing his power in the school was relatively easy to accept for him.
"Son of a bitch!" Ryuji snapped in anger, slamming his fist on the free courtyard table nearby. "I can't believe that fat bastard is helping that piece of shit!"
"Sakamoto-kun, calm yourself!" Makoto urged, giving him a stern look. "Getting more upset about this isn't-"
"Upset doesn't even begin to describe how I feel!" Ryuji exclaimed, turning to the vending machine and gripping the edges. If he was strong enough, he would try to toss the thing through the courtyard. Sadly the tables and chairs were nailed to the ground. "Suzui just tried to kill herself… all because of that bastard!"
"Could the… abuse have really gotten that severe?" Makoto questioned, holding her chin in thought. "But then again… to have to deal with it more than a few times… I'm sure it just became too much to bare."
"I-it wasn't just the abuse…" Izuku muttered, pulling their attention to him as he finally spoke. Shiho's words would forever stick with him. Especially what she had to say about Kamoshida. Unsurprisingly, Izuku felt tears start to fall as he recalled the moment. "Kamoshida, he… he didn't just abuse her… yesterday, he… he t-touched Suzui-sempai…"
"W-wait, touched?! You don't mean..?" Ryuji muttered, eyes widening after hearing the truth of the matter.
"N-no… that's disgusting…" Makoto mumbled, holding a hand over her mouth as she felt her stomach sink. "M-Midori, how do you know this?"
Izuku looked up into her eyes, tears still streaming down his cheek. "I was… I was up there… trying to stop her from jumping…" Makoto gasped at that, realizing who she saw was actually Izuku, after all. "I-I saw her heading up to the roof on my way to class, and… and I could tell something was wrong…" slouching over, Izuku gripped at his hair in despair, frustrated enough that he could rip it out if he really tried. "I-I failed, though… I couldn't save her! I-I-"
Izuku was cut off when he felt arms wrap around his head and pull him against their stomach. Daring to look up, Makoto stood there with a sympathetic gaze, rubbing his back in comfort. "Don't you dare blame yourself for what happened up there. It's not your fault."
"B-but I couldn't-"
"There was no way you could have known what was going on in her head, Midori. You did everything you could. Don't make her decision your burden." Makoto cut him off, squeezing him closer as she spoke. Her words were soft, and most usually they would be a comfort. But right now, Izuku didn't feel that way. Because he could have stopped this. Stopped Kamoshida before things had escalated so drastically. If only he had listened to Morgana the first time around.
"That's it… I'm done." Ryuji muttered, suddenly breaking the silence that lingered after Izuku's sobbing. "No more of this shit. I'm goin' right up to that asshole and gonna get that shit outta him!" He exclaimed, stomping past the two. Makoto hesitated for a moment, unsure if she wanted to leave Izuku like this, but knew that she had to step in.
"W-wait, Sakamoto-kun! You're only going to make things harder on you and Midori!" Makoto said, causing the faux blond to hesitate for a moment before turning a furious glare her way.
"And what exactly do you expect me to do?!" Ryuji snapped, gripping his fist until it was white. "You said it yourself! That fat principal ain't gonna help us! We're on our own! So now we have to make that asshole fess up on our own!"
"Do you really think he'd be so dumb as to admit to his crime?!" Makoto retorted, hoping to make him see reason. "You have to think about what you're doing and don't rush in blindly!"
"That asshole is so damn cocky, I just might!" Ryuji shot back, teeth grinding in his frustration. "And if not, I don't care! I'm not just sittin' around and lettin' that bastard keep gettin' away with this! I'm not gonna be helpless anymore!" He growled, turning his back on Makoto again and marching forward. "Watch out for Izuku. Guy's had a rough day. I'm gonna go deal with this."
"S-Sakamoto-kun!" Makoto reached out to stop Ryuji, but bit her bottom lip. She could at least understand all of his frustration. But still, she wasn't sure if she could let him go through with this. Looking back, Makoto wanted to ask Izuku for his help in stopping him, but found that he was now standing up. His body was still trembling, but what Makoto saw was no longer grief. Izuku's fist was gripped tightly at his side, biting the corner of his mouth and sweat trailing down his face. Izuku's grief had been exchanged for rage. "M-Midori..?"
"Stay here, Koto-san. You've done enough to help." Izuku declared, turning forward. Makoto quickly reached out, grabbing his arm.
"Please, don't do this! You're both only going to make this worse on yourselves!" Makoto urged, eyes wide in exasperation. Slowly turning back to Makoto, she saw that while his body trembled with fury, his eyes were still beholden to his grief, tears still residing at the edges.
"I'm not… letting him get away with this… I swear!" Izuku proclaimed, pulling out of her grip and sprinting forward.
"Midori! Wait!" Makoto called out, but the green haired teen was soon out of her range. Makoto's hand shook, anxiety and fear filling her now. She pulled her hand back to her chest and bit hugged her arms. Not only had she been unable to help them, Makoto was now resigned to watching as her friends jumped recklessly into the lion's den. She knew it was pointless to stop them, especially Izuku. That look in his eyes completely disarmed her. But still, she couldn't help but feel so pathetic.
"Why… why am I so worthless..?"
Izuku was intelligent for his age. He wasn't socially adept, but he could read a situation and know the general outcome fairly well. And right now, only trailing a few meters behind Ryuji, Izuku could tell that the both of them were making a huge error in judgement. That Makoto's previous warning was accurate. That going directly to Kamoshida like this was almost pointless. That letting their rage out on the coach would yield no benefits to their cause. And yet, he continued to sprint through the school. Izuku ignored the sideway glances that he received. He needed to look Kamoshida in the eyes. Izuku needed to see the eye of the hurricane.
Is this goin' to really help, kid?
Izuku for whatever reason didn't feel surprised when he heard the voice of Carter in his mind. Catching his reflection in the window, it shifted into a transparent apparition of his Persona, Carter's golden eyes staring back into his green orbs. Gulping, Izuku wasn't sure how to answer immediately. He wasn't sure if he had to answer the mask of his soul in the first place. But regardless, he did.
I know the choice I'm going to make now. But I want Kamoshida to see it in me for himself.
Carter was quiet, Izuku watching his Persona for a moment. At the corner of his mouth, his plastered grin somehow grew. Then good luck, kid. I'll be seein' ya soon. Show 'em that a hero doesn't back down.
Izuku didn't look back at his Persona, strengthening his resolve as he picked up speed and caught up with Ryuji. The blond finally noticed him now, widening his eyes in shock. "H-hey! You don't gotta follow me, man! Today's been rough for you, and this is probably stupid as shit of me to do. But I gotta do it!"
"We both do, Ryuji-sempai." Izuku declared, huffing as he kept running. Summoning what little hope he had left in him, the green haired teen gave him as strong of a smile as he could. "W-we promised to have each other's backs, right?"
Ryuji opened his mouth to argue, but couldn't say anything in response. Despite all of the messed up things to happen in the past few days, the one thing that gave him some hope was this first year student he could view as his best friend. He'd only known Izuku for a few days, but he felt like he could stand by his side through anything. "A-alright then. Let's stick it to him."
It wasn't long before the two came upon the P.E. faculty room, Ryuji not bothering with the knob and kicking the door open directly. Swinging to the side with a clang, the door revealed Kamoshida to be sitting at a desk against the wall, seemingly careless as he looked back at the two with a hardened gaze. Normally Izuku might have faltered a bit from those eyes, but right now his determination held strong.
"What are you two causing a ruckus about, now?" Kamoshida sighed, acting as if the day was as normal as any other. As if a girl he abused had not just attempted to kill herself.
"We know what you did, you sick bastard!" Ryuji snapped in his unyielding rage. "Stop sittin' there all innocent like nothin' happened because of you!"
"Oh? You mean that poor girl who just jumped? Now what would any of that have to do with me?" Kamoshida crowed in false innocence, giving the faux blond a devious smirk. "Sounds like a lot of hot air with nothing to back it up if you ask me."
"W-we know you did it! Sh-she told us!" Izuku spoke up this time, teeth ground as he glared at the coach. "Y-you're not going to get away with this! You're supposed to help students, not abuse them!"
"Oh? She confessed, did she?" Kamoshida hummed with some amusement, standing from his seat and holding his chin. "Sounds like the squabbling of a depressed girl who would do anything to keep her spot on the team. Not to mention you have no proof. You're right, I do help my students. But sometimes they take my generosity as granted and hope to abuse it…"
"Don't try and bullshit us, Kamoshida!" Ryuji growled, taking a step toward the coach. Izuku quickly reached forward, wrapping an arm around his chest despite keeping his gaze fixed on on Kamoshida. "You can fool everyone else, but you can't fool us! We know exactly what you can do!"
"Careful now, Sakamoto. Any closer and you might have another lesson about 'self defense'." Kamoshida sneered, looking down on the two like they were nothing more than peasants. Izuku could see the 'king' version of Kamoshida in this man. Even outside of the world of cognition, he really was no different. Just far more withheld for public appearance. "So, what's your plan then? Wait for that girl to wake up and tell everyone? Even if what you say is, hypothetically, true, who would listen to the ramblings of a suicidal brat? Not that she'll get a chance to really say anything."
"Wh-what does that mean?!" Izuku demanded, easing his grip on Ryuji as the blond seemed to at least be stable enough not to try and attack the teacher again.
"The school just received a call. That poor girl took quite a painful fall. It looks unlikely that she's going to make it." Kamoshida declared, his voice poorly veiling his amusement of the situation as he spoke in 'concern'. "It's such a shame that Suzui might not make it. The poor thing…"
Izuku felt his face pale at the news. So it seemed that Suzui wasn't quite out of the woods yet. Surviving the fall with lingering mental health issues was going to be difficult, but at least she would have a chance to bounce back. Izuku wanted her to live. To see them take Kamoshida down. That someone was listening when she called out for help.
"You goddamn…" Ryuji growled again, making another attempt to run forward. Izuku held him back again, his grip becoming stronger to make sure the blond knew he wasn't letting go. "Let me go, man! I can't take it anymore!"
"W-we'll get our chance… later…" Izuku whispered to him, the faux blond blinking as he looked back at Izuku in question. Izuku's eyes were shaded by his hair, sweat dripping down his cheeks. It took Ryuji a moment, but it finally clicked in his mind: he knew exactly what Izuku meant.
"Oh, you mean…"
"What was that? Did you say something, brat?" Kamoshida huffed, eyes now leering down at Izuku. Kamoshida wanted to make him jump, to see him recoil like a child just as before. Instead, Izuku looked back at him with a fire of determination in his eyes, brow hardened in anger.
"I was saying… that you're not going to get away with this." Izuku declared, releasing Ryuji as he stood up straight and trembled in his rage. "You've hurt too many people and caused Suzui-sempai to try to kill herself. You… you're not the king of this school, Kamoshida!" Izuku's voice raised, his expression becoming more fierce as he pointed at the teacher. "The students aren't yours to rule over! You will be stopped! Because no matter what, there will always be heroes around to put an end to your crimes! And they won't stop until all of your victims have been saved!"
Ryuji and Kamoshida were equally taken off guard by the conviction and fury in his voice, the glare of his expression causing them both to stare at him wide eyed for a moment. Kamoshida quickly came back to his senses before a smile of amusement spread across his face, his twisted laugh starting to fill the air.
"Oh man, not a bad little speech there, brat. But uh, you should take another look around. Do you see any heroes here? Anyone coming by to 'save the day'?" Kamoshida taunted, his expression maliciously taunting as he spread his arms out and looked around the room. In the face of it, though, Izuku stood strong. "No one's going to swoop in and save the day. Not even heroes care about scum like you."
"When they come, you won't be able to stop them." Izuku retorted, his voice low this time rather than the previous volume. Kamoshida frowned in annoyance, huffing as he stood up straight.
"Is that right? Well then, I'll be sure that neither of you are when they come, at least." Kamoshida declared, turning his backs on the pair and walking back to his seat. "Congratulations, kid. Because as of the next board meeting, you two will be expelled."
Ryuji and Izuku both tensed at that statement, the blond's eyes going wide in shock. "Wh-what?! You can't do that!"
"Oh, trust me. I can. One delinquent and one former criminal? Who do you think they'll listen to?" Kamoshida sneered, grinning back at them deviously. "Enjoy your next few weeks. They'll be the last that you have at this school."
"You son of a-" Ryuji began, but suddenly felt a tug on his blazer, snapping his head back to Izuku.
"Let's go. W-we've got our own things to do…" Izuku declared, giving him a look to send the message that this was no longer worth the trouble. Ryuji hesitated, wanting to say something more, but decided to go along with Izuku's lead, grumbling as he turned his back on the coach. Izuku spared one last look toward Kamoshida, gripping his fist at his side, before quickly leaving with Ryuji. The two walked out into the hall, making sure to get some distance between them and the door before stopping.
"So I'm guessing this means you're ready to do this, now?" Ryuji asked, turning back to Izuku expectantly.
"... Yes. I can't do nothing about it. Not anymore." Izuku admitted, eyes cast to the ground. "Even with the risk… I think that it's better than letting all those people suffer…"
"Um… what are you planning to do?" Izuku and Ryuji blinked, the two quickly snapping their attention down the hall leading to the gymnasium. Standing there was the plain boy that Izuku remembered from their runaround of witnesses.
"Mishima?" Ryuji muttered before taking a few steps forward. "How much did you hear?"
"Enough…" The boy admitted, rubbing his arm anxiously as he cast his gaze to the ground. "I… I wanted to talk to Kamoshida about what happened, but… I overheard what you guys said." His voice began to tremble, tears threatening at the edge of his eyes. "I-is it true..? D-did Kamoshida… touch her?"
Izuku cast his gaze away in reluctance. It wasn't a good idea to spread the details of why throughout the school. It would only make things harder on Shiho if… when she came back.
"What's it to you?" Ryuji asked. His voice wasn't threatening or volatile, but genuinely curious.
"I… I was… asked by Kamoshida yesterday to send her to his office…" Mishima said quietly, Ryuji and Izuku widening their eyes in shock. "I-I had no idea that… that he would do something like that…" He mumbled out, reaching up and gripping at his hair in desperation. "I-I'm so sorry…"
Ryuji's expression softened, the faux blond releasing a sigh. "It's nobody's fault but Kamoshida. And that asshole is gonna get his." Ryuji declared, brow hardening again as he strengthen his resolve.
"B-but how? The principal, our parents… no one's going to stick up for us…" Mishima sobbed out, sniffling. "A-and he's right… no heroes are coming to save us…"
Izuku and Ryuji shared a look before sighing, the faux blond turning back to Mishima. "Go back to class, dude. You don't wanna get caught out here by that asshole."
Mishima took a moment to continue trembling before quietly nodding, slowly moving forward and leaving the two behind him. Waiting for him to leave, Ryuji and Izuku turned back to one another.
"W-we should probably go back to class,too… we don't want to drag any more attention to us…" Izuku muttered, tightening his bag against his shoulder.
"Sounds like you two are finally ready to embrace my plan." Morgana declared, suddenly popping his head out of Izuku's bag.
"Ah-crap! I completely forgot you were in there!" Ryuji blurted, recoiling slightly from the cat. "So I'm guessin' you heard everything, then?"
"Yep. And considering the circumstances, it's pretty obvious what we're going to do." Morgana smirked, looking down at Izuku. "Have you settled the matter in your heart?"
Izuku frowned, looking down at the ground again. "Yes, I have… b-but we can talk more about it when we leave…"
"Alright, then. See you guys after class." Ryuji sighed, resigning to listen to Izuku's plan. Considering that if they suddenly disappeared during the day and Kamoshida changed, it would seem rather suspicious.
"Wh-what are you going to do, Morgana-san?" Izuku asked, glancing back at the cat.
"I'll stick with you. Don't worry, I'll just stay well hidden." Morgana declared, causing the green haired teen to deadpan. Regardless, Izuku resigned himself to carrying Morgana to class. So far he hadn't been caught, so he doubted that Morgana would be dumb enough to come out and make a fuss during his class.
Moving toward the stairs, Izuku's thoughts drifted back to their plan. His reluctance in originally doing so was gone. Kamoshida had made it fairly easy for him to accept the possible outcome. But still, the thought of possibly killing Kamoshida still whispered in the back of his mind. Telling Izuku that regardless of their reasons or Kamoshida's crimes, would it really be right to kill Kamoshida? Of course not. Izuku didn't believe that for a second.
But as Morgana had explained, there was merely a chance of such happening. If everything worked out, then Kamoshida would only confess his crimes out of overwhelming guilt. That would be the best case scenario, though. Izuku knew that it was best to be prepared for the worst possibility. Well, the worst would be their failure, obviously, but the worst case scenario should they succeed was his primary fear.
Every action has a consequence… Izuku mused to himself, hand tightening on his bag strap. Immediately, the faces of the students in the dungeon crying for help raced through his mind. Almost before his eyes, he could see Suzui's desperation. Shaking his head, Izuku strengthened his resolve again, and decided on what he must do:
I will save them and avenge those he's hurt… and I will accept the consequences of what may happen.
(Persona 5 OST: To Another World)
Izuku and Ryuji didn't waste any time once the final school bell rang, immediately heading down to the courtyard to meet. "Alright, let's not waste any time. Let's hurry up and go." Ryuji urged the two, tapping his foot impatiently. "Would we be able to go there from inside the school? Might make it faster to find that asshole and beat the shit outta him."
"Of course not, idiot. For one, I'm sure somebody would notice you two disappearing in thin air." Morgana huffed, shaking his head. "Besides, if we're a little off, we could end up in the middle of a group of enemies. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we don't want that to happen."
"Y-yeah, true, I guess…" Ryuji sighed, scratching the top of his head. "So, how's this gonna work? We just gotta go through the palace and find him, yeah?"
"No, nothing like that. Honestly speaking, we don't actually need to fight his Shadow to accomplish our mission. Though the probability of us fighting is high considering that the Shadow will do anything to protect it from us." Morgana went on to explain, earning a hum of thought from Izuku.
"So that means there's something else we have to take from the palace, then. And if it's that important to the ruler, he'll likely have it behind heavy protection. Would he keep it in a vault, or would he keep it close by so that he can always keep an eye on it? There's a lot to consider when it comes to-"
"Uh, dude. You're ramblin' again." Ryuji pointed out with a chuckle, his words immediately causing Izuku to fluster up and laugh sheepishly.
"Before we do this, I want to be completely sure. Are you both really ready to do this?" Morgana asked, looking between the two of them from Izuku's bag.
"Honestly, I don't give a shit what happens to that asshole, anymore. Suzui almost died because of him." Ryuji growled in acknowledgement, looking back up at Morgana. "I'm in."
"I can't stand to think what he'll keep doing to students if this keeps up. I want to stop him, no matter what." Izuku declared, though his eyes fell to the ground. "... But I-"
"Hey." The three were quickly interrupted, Morgana retreating inside of Izuku's shoulder bag immediately. Turning, both teens saw Ann standing there, eyes cast to the ground. "I heard you guys are going to get expelled…"
"Already that's spreadin'?!" Ryuji snapped, gripping his fist in annoyance. "That son of a bitch didn't even wait a day before spreadin' that rumor…"
"It's because you challenged Kamoshida, isn't it?" Ann pointed out, eyes drifting back up to them and hardening. "And now you're planning on taking him down, right?"
Ryuji narrowed his eyes, unsure what the platinum blonde was getting at. "What's it to you?"
"R-Ryuji-sempai, it's fine." Izuku spoke up, placing a hand on his shoulder before looking at Ann. His eyes were full of empathy, feeling Ann's pain. It might have been hard on him before, but Shiho was Ann's best friend. "I-I'm so sorry, Takamaki-sempai…"
Ann's eyes softened at that, her gaze shifting away for a moment as she fought back any more tears from falling. "Wh-what matters right now… is making Kamoshida pay." She reaffirmed, exchanging her grief for hate as she looked back up at the two. "And if you guys are going to try something, I want in."
Izuku and Ryuji both recoiled at that. While her sudden interest wasn't all that surprising, her involvement would be very problematic considering their plan of action against Kamoshida. Despite being taken off guard, Ryuji quickly hardened his eyes into a glare. "No. What we gotta do is risky as hell. And it's got nothin' to do with you."
Izuku flinched at the harshness in his words, but knew what Ryuji was doing and stayed silent. In truth, Izuku believed that if anyone had a right to be here, it was Ann. But that didn't mean he'd willingly put her in danger. "P-please, Takamaki-sempai. We don't want you getting in trouble with us if things go wrong…"
"You should know more than anyone how much this means to me!" Ann exclaimed, eyes turning to Izuku and making him falter slightly. "Shiho is my-"
"Stay outta our way!" Ryuji suddenly blanched, doing his best to act cruel. "You'll only make things harder on us, so don't get involved!"
Silence fell between the three again, Ann seething in anger as she had a staring match with Ryuji. Izuku gulped, the atmosphere thick enough to choke someone at this point. Finally, Ann let out an irritated grunt before turning away, taking her leave of the three. Izuku and Ryuji sighed in relief, glad to have the moment ended.
"That was pretty harsh of you to do, Ryuji." Morgana said, popping back out of Izuku's bag.
"I had to make her go away. We can't bring her to the palace only to get put in danger." Ryuji sighed, scratching at his scalp in frustration. "That's why we're not bringin' Nijima-sempai too, right?"
"Y-yes… Koto-san is strong, but the palace is… a lot different than another person with a Quirk…" Izuku agreed, looking back up at the school building. I-I feel bad for leaving her behind after she offered us so much help, but… I won't put Koto-san in danger. Or put that responsibility on her shoulders.
"Well then, why don't we get going? We should move before something else tries to stop us." Morgana suggested, the two nodding in agreement and heading out the front of the school entrance. The three moved to the alleyway, giving them the privacy that they needed to move to the other world.
"I'm about to launch the app. You guys ready?" Ryuji announced, glancing at Izuku and Morgana, who was now on the ground between them.
"Y-yes. Let's do this!" Izuku nodded in determination.
"Remember, once we get to the other side, we'll be phantom thieves. So we'll need to address each other as such." Morgana declared, glancing between the two in scrutiny.
"Right, you mentioned that before, huh?" Ryuji hummed, looking up in thought. "I guess if we're stealin' his desires or whatever, that technically works. Plus it actually sounds kinda cool."
"Weren't you the one making fun of me for using the term the other day?!" Morgana complained, only for Izuku to step up between them.
"G-guys, let's focus on our objective." Izuku quickly reminded them, both Ryuji and Morgana suddenly feeling ashamed for getting off track.
"R-right. Sorry." Ryuji sighed, pulling his phone back up. "Alright. Let's do this. Launching now!" He exclaimed, pressing the app on his phone. Immediately, the world around them pulsed before melting away, the atmosphere changing hue again like before. This time, all three were immediately shifted into their previous attire, Morgana now taking the original form that Izuku and Ryuji knew. Looking forward, Izuku could see the familiar and ominous castle of Kamoshida's Shadow.
"Alright, let's tear this place apart!" Ryuji grinned in determination, jogging up to the entrance.
"Wait, we should go over everything first!" Morgana called out, groaning as he chased after Ryuji.
Izuku trailed shortly behind them, eyes fixed on the castle and releasing a breath. There's no turning back, now. We'll save everyone.
"What the hell?!"
The three blinked and froze before quickly turning around, jaws dropping as they saw none other than Ann Takamaki standing there, staring at them in confusion. "Wh-wh-what's going on?!"
"Wh-why are you here?! How did you get here?!" Ryuji blurted out, trying to figure out where they all went wrong.
"Wh-what?! Sakamoto? A-and is that you, Midoriya-kun?!" Ann asked, her questions building up by the minute.
"T-Takamaki-sempai, calm down! W-we can explain, so just…" Izuku waved his arms desperately, looking to his friends for help. Ryuji stumbled on his words, unsure what to say. Morgana was… well, distracted, to say the least. The feline was silent as he stared dreamily at Ann, causing Izuku to nearly fall over in disbelief.
"What is this place?! Where are we?!" Ann asked again, looking around the area in uncertainty. "W-weren't we just at the school?! I-I mean I see the sign but… what is going on?!"
"What the hell, Morgana?! Why is she here?!" Ryuji said, turning his attention to the cat.
Shaking from his lost thoughts, Morgana cleared his throat. "It would seem that she was dragged in by that app thing along with us. She was likely close by when it happened."
"T-that makes sense. We were dragged in here the first time, too…" Izuku hummed in thought, holding his chin. "B-but still, that's pretty dangerous. We'll have to be careful next time not to accidently bring anyone else in…"
"Okay, explain to me what the hell is going on!" Ann snapped, immediately causing Izuku to flinch out of his thoughts.
"Please be quiet, milady. You'll drag a lot of attention our way if you make too much noise." Morgana pleaded in a polite tone. Ann turned her attention to the cat, blinking in shock.
"W-wait, wh-who's the cat kid?! H-he looks too small to be our age! I didn't see you before!" Ann piled on with the questions, her words cutting through Morgana's heart.
"Wh-what?! C-cat kid? B-but I'm not-I mean you-" Morgana sputtered out, flustered by the insinuation of being called both a cat and a kid by the beautiful blonde.
"You guys better explain what's going on to me!" Ann demanded, glaring at Izuku and Ryuji this time. Izuku swallowed nervously, letting out a sheepish chuckle before looking at Ryuji.
"Looks like we gotta force her out." Ryuji sighed, ignoring her demand and looking at Izuku. "But how we gonna do that in the first place?"
"W-we probably just have to use the app again at the same spot we brought her in by, but…" Izuku muttered, looking at Ann again and rubbing his arm. "H-how are we going to make her leave?"
"We'll just have to push her out ourselves. Come on Izuku, lend me a hand." Ryuji said, walking forward without a care.
"M-m-me?! B-but I don't know if I…" Izuku trailed off, sweat trailing down his face.
"Hey, don't you even-" Ryuji quickly grabbed her arm, attempting to pull Ann along while she struggled. "Hey! Let go of me!"
"S-s-sorry, Takamaki-sempai!" Izuku blanched, quickly running up and grabbing her other arm. This is for her own good, this is for her own good! D-don't think about it! J-just pull her along to safety!
"H-hey! Where did you just touch me?!" Ann growled, turning a glare Ryuji's way.
"O-oh, s-sorry! I was-y-you were struggling too much and-that's not important!" The faux blond disregarded. "I-Izuku! Get a better hold on her!"
"I-I can't… I'm at my limit…" Izuku admitted, his face hot red and sweat pouring down his face. I-I'm actually touching a girl! Thi-this is..! Th-think of it like Koto-san, think of it like Koto-san!
"Dude, focus!"
After some struggling (and some in and out fainting by Izuku) they were able to push Ann out and teleport her back to the real world before coming back. Ryuji and Izuku took a moment to catch their breath.
"What a great way to kick off our infiltration." Ryuji grumbled, standing up straight and rolling his shoulder. "Now we gotta deal with Ann when we get back. That's not gonna be fun…"
"I-it'll be hard to explain everything, too…" Izuku muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "S-still, I do feel bad that we had to do that…"
"Just remember that it's for Ann's sake. Last thing we need is her getting involved." Ryuji reminded him, turning around. "By the way, where'd Morgana go?"
"Over here." Morgana called from the gate, skipping down to the two. "I was checking to see the state of the palace. Thanks to all the noise we made getting Lady Ann out, the Shadows have started to become aware of our presence."
"Just great. Well, guess we knew it wouldn't be easy." Ryuji sighed before giving a grin, holding a fist out to Izuku. "You ready, partner?"
Izuku composed himself, putting on a confident expression and nodding, bumping his own fist against Ryuji's. "Yeah. Let's put a stop to Kamoshida."
"We'll be counting on you, Joker!" Morgana proclaimed, his gaze now directed at Izuku, causing the green haired teen to blink in surprise.
"Joker? That a nickname or somethin'?" Ryuji asked curiously.
"Don't make it sound so lame. We're phantom thieves now! We have to have code names to refer to each other instead of our real names, after all."
"A-ah, I see. But isn't that kind of unnecessary?" Izuku suggested, holding his chin in thought. "After all, our targets don't remember anything that happens in the cognitive world, so-"
"If we're going to be phantom thieves, we're doing it right! And that means codenames!" Morgana snapped at the teen, causing him to recoil and quickly concede to his wish. "Besides, while the target might not remember our actions, running around yelling our real names might have some effect on the real Kamoshida. It is his cognition, after all."
"A-ah, I see…" Izuku muttered, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
"But anyways, yes. I picked Joker for this guy since he's like our trump card when it comes to fighting strength. You might still be wet behind the ears, but there's no doubt your Persona is incredibly strong." Morgana explained, turning a grin back to Izuku.
"Hm. I get that, but…" Ryuji hummed for a moment, holding his chin. "I feel like it doesn't fit Izuku that well. How about Hero, instead?"
"H-hero?!" Izuku blanched, feeling himself fluster up over the suggestion.
"Why Hero?" Morgana asked curiously, crossing his paws over his chest.
"Well, just look at his outfit. It looks like a hero costume, doesn't it?" Ryuji motioned to Izuku's attire, his words holding true. "Besides, this guy just fits that kinda thing. Dude's been savin' my ass a couple times, now."
Izuku couldn't outright admit it, but he actually loved the idea of being called "Hero". Sure, it would just be a code name, but he had only dreamed of being called a hero before. But moments later, his expression immediately fell as dark thoughts suddenly rose in his mind, eyes falling to the ground. "I… I don't know… a hero would have been able to save Suzui-sempai…"
Ryuji and Morgana both frowned in sympathy, the mention of the poor girl causing Ryuji a bit of guilt for making him think of it. "Dude, that's why we're here, isn't it? We're gonna make him pay for what he did and confess his crimes. We might be thieves, but we're also helpin' save some people. I'd say that makes us, especially you, heroes."
"I guess thieves can be heroes, too." Morgana smiled up in reassurance, hoping to make Izuku feel better.
Their words helped ease Izuku somewhat, the green haired teen releasing a deep breath before looking back up at them and nodding. "Right. I-if you guys are okay with it, you can call me Hero, then."
"Well, if you like it that much, I won't argue." Morgana chuckled before looking at Ryuji. "So now about you? Considering the clothes and the bleached hair, how about… Thug?"
"Oh, you're just tryin' to start a fight, now." Ryuji huffed, shaking his head. "I'll come up with my own. Somethin' that's kinda like… my mask, maybe. I actually think it's pretty cool."
"M-maybe Bone or Skull, then?" Izuku suggested, Ryuji brightening at his suggestions.
"Oh, Skull! I like that! You guys can now call me Skull!" Ryuji grinned, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"Oh, fine. Now, onto my code name. Any ideas?" Morgana asked, glancing between the two. "And before you say anything, I don't want any cat related ideas."
"Well, geez. Just take away ninety percent of suggestions." Ryuji chuckled, earning a small glare from the cat. "Well, how about Mona? Sound good to you?"
"Mona? Like the Mona Lisa? Why that name?" Izuku asked, genuinely curious.
"Well, he is the only veteran thief here, so I thought it kinda fit. Plus it's like a short version of his name." Ryuji shrugged in answer.
"Well, if that's fine with Hero, it's fine with me." Morgana conceded, not seeing a need in complaining too much.
"Th-that seems fine to me, then." Izuku nodded in acceptance.
"Alright, from now on, we're Hero, Skull and Mona. Remember each codename well and start using it when referring to each other while we're in the palace." Morgana reminded them, though he looked specifically at Ryuji when he said this. "I believe that's the last order of business. Now, let's get going."
"Right." Ryuji nodded in acceptance, waiting for Izuku to take the lead.
"A-actually… there's one thing I want to bring up before we go in." Izuku declared, causing his teammates to pause and look back at him. A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek, now feeling a bit nervous at saying it straight out.
"What's up? Gettin' kinda nervous?" Ryuji asked, raising a hidden brow at the green haired teen.
"I-I'm not hesitating about what we have to do, anymore. I know that right now, this really is the only thing we can do to save everyone. I'm willing to put myself on the line to do that, and I'm glad that you're all here with me." Izuku began to explain, but his expression remained grim. "But… even though I've resolved to do it, I still wouldn't be able to forgive myself if we ended up killing Kamoshida…"
"Oh, come on, dude. An asshole like Kamoshida doesn't deserve any sympathy, and you know it." Ryuji argued, Morgana nodding in agreement.
"Just remember the fact that he didn't even bat an eye when you saw him. Like that Suzui girl didn't just attempt suicide." Morgana encouraged, his words working well to make Izuku pity him less. But regardless, he shook his head.
"I… I really do hate, Kamoshida. I do. B-but even so, killing him is crossing a dangerous line…" Izuku explained before looking down at Morgana. "B-but it's like you said… heroes take a chance when using their powers to save people and fight enemies all the time. I've always wanted to live by my principles and be a true hero, even when I can't actually be one. So… I decided that I'm going to take the risk. If we can achieve this without Kamoshida, I'll be happy. We'll have done it without going against what I believe."
"But… if we accidently kill him?" Ryuji asked, knowing that something else was following the statement as his brow furrowed in concern. Izuku looked at the ground again and sighed, resigning to accept his previous promise.
"I'll accept the consequences of it. I'll turn myself into the police… and say that I killed Kamoshida."
To be continued…
Well, that chapter didn't take too long to complete, thankfully! Thought it might take until the 17th this month, honestly. But hey, like I said, I got on a role and jammed on this chapter. I was worried at first because the first half was progressing so slowly, but the second half I was able to surprisingly zoom through.
There was a lot of concern about Izuku being blamed for Shiho's attempted suicide since he was on the roof, but… to be honest, I hadn't given that much thought. Honestly you'd have to pay pretty close attention to the roof to notice him up there like Makoto did, and with the fence, it was unlikely he would have been seen. Sure, you could say that someone saw them walk down from the roof, but most students if not all would be too focused on who fell and seeing if she survived rather than focus back on the roof. So yeah, sorry if that disappointed some people, but that just wasn't a plot point I was going to use. To be honest, as someone pointed out, if I did that, it would likely be grounds to expel Izuku on the spot, even without proof.
Anyways, that's the end of the chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it, please leave a review, a follow and a favorite for me!