Izuku awoke some time later to the smell of a sterile hospital. His body felt very tired, but his mind was immediately racing before he understood the situation that he was in. Izuku felt sick to his stomach as he let out a roar. Hospital staff immediately crammed into the room injecting Izuku with a sedative to prevent him from going wild in the hospital. The staff were followed by Izuku's mother who served to somewhat calm him as the sedative began to take hold; and Izuku was forced to lay down for a time while his mother explained his current situation. Izuku believed he saw Beni in the hallway prepared to stop his flames.
"You're in the hospital right now and it's been three days since the incident at the training camp. We've been here waiting for you to wake in case your quirk went wild with your emotions." Izuku took in all of the information as calmly as possible, but a bitter taste remained in his mind as the information returned. He moved experimentally, wincing from the pain where he was stabbed. His mother noticed his wince and ushered him back into a resting position in his bed. "That sedative was an extra strong one to counteract the effects of your quirk. For now, just remain in bed. Do you need anything? I can get you whatever you need.
It had been a long time since Izuku's mother had doted over him so diligently. It was partially his own fault for being distant at times. Izuku shook his head before speaking. "No, I'm okay. You don't have to worry about me. Why don't you head home? I'll come once I've been discharged?" His mom seemed to hesitate over her words before speaking.
"I know you probably feel responsible for this, but it's not your fault. Of all your classmates, you had the worst injuries of anyone. There was nothing else you could've done." Beni came in soon after to escort Izuku's mother home. Izuku was grateful it would take some time for her to get back and he appreciated Benimaru for keeping her safe. As the pair left, Izuku sat in his bed and allowed the words his mother spoke to him to stew in his brain. Izuku sighed and then he saw a familiar head of yellow hair pop into view.
"You're awake!" Kaminari excitedly exclaimed as he called the rest of the class to come to the room. Izuku counted fourteen people present from his class and was delighted to see that Tokoyami had been saved. Izuku emerged from the bed and slumped his way to Aoyama. He then bowed before speaking.
"Thank you for saving me, you were a real hero in the forest." Izuku declared. Aoyama was overwhelmed with embarrassment as Izuku thanked him before rising and wobbling back to his bed. Iida and Todoroki helped Izuku back into the hospital bed. "So how is everyone who isn't here?" Izuku asked, wanting to know the state of things.
"You might have heard that you had the most severe injuries. Yaoyorozu was the second most severe after you. She just woke up yesterday. The other four who aren't here were exposed to a toxin in the forest but are expected to make a full recovery once they awaken." Izuku exhaled with relief that everyone present was safe. He then looked at Iida hoping that he would continue. "Bakugo as you know was kidnapped and we have no idea where he is at this moment." Izuku gripped his bed sheets tightly.
"It's my fault Bakugo isn't here. I was too weak to take him back then." Izuku apologized, too ashamed of himself to look at his class. Izuku heard shoes ruffle and when he looked up some of the class looked to be at odds. As he looked over each face, Kirishima seemed to gain confidence and turned to speak to Izuku directly.
"That's actually what we wanted to talk about. Todoroki and I overheard something while walking through the hospital yesterday. Yaoyorozu has a transmitter that will take us to the villain's hideout. If we ask her to make another tracker, we can go and take back Bakugo ourselves. With you there our chances of success increase exponentially. We can definitely do it!" Todoroki nodded, already planning to go and save his classmate. Iida spoke out against the plan.
"We cannot just ignore the order. We should leave this to the pros and let them take Bakugo back. We would only be a hindrance." Asui and many others in the class agreed that they should leave it to the pros. Kirishima stared at his classmates with a look of betrayal.
"How can we call ourselves heroes if we do nothing? Even at the training camp all I could do was sit and wait and hope that everything would turn out okay. Do none of you feel anything looking at Midoriya right now!? He's this beat up because no one went to help him save Bakugo. I can't call myself a man if I don't take this chance and go forward." Izuku appreciated the sentiment, but both Kirishima and Todoroki had a dangerous look in their eyes. They were determined to save Bakugo at any cost. The argument in the room continued to rise in volume until the temperature of the room changed suddenly.
"I'm sorry, but I can't allow any of you to go after Bakugo." Izuku said coldly. Kirishima quickly turned ready to object, but Izuku was standing face-to-face with him. "The reason we couldn't save Bakugo is because I didn't get him to the pros fast enough. More of us rushing in won't change anything. If any of you have objections to that you'll be staying at this hospital longer than me." Izuku threatened. Todoroki picked up on the insinuation and both he and Kirishima were ready to fight Izuku for his comments.
"What the hell do you mean, Midoriya.?" Todoroki growled. Izuku stared back before deciding on his words.
"I understand more than anyone how much you want to save Bakugo, but there are more things to consider than just going. There will be plenty of villains including one who can create something to contest All Might's strength. If you go and it comes down to combat, we'll lose more than just Bakugo. Leaving it to the pros is the best. I'll stop you from leaving this hospital if I have to." That seemed to decisively settle the matter. Kirishima looked ready to protest more, but Todoroki had heard enough and marched out of the room. Izuku felt bad saying it, but he wouldn't allow more of his class to come into harm's way. Shortly after the class made their way out of the room and Izuku took his time walking through the hospital.
As he walked, Izuku found his way to Yaoyorozu's room. She was sitting calmly staring out the window, her head wrapped in similar white bandages. Izuku took the seat to her side as he continued to assess her injuries. "How are you feeling?" Izuku asked. After a moment, Yaoyorozu responded.
"I feel fine. I might've been worse off if Awase from 1-B hadn't protected me." Izuku made a motion for her to continue wondering about the situation for the rest of the class. "He carried me through the forest with his quirk and risked his life to put the device on the Nomu. Which is what I assume you're here about." Yaoyorozu finished, turning and facing Izuku looking him dead in his eye. Izuku shrugged for a moment before speaking.
"Honestly, I genuinely thought of leaving it up to the pros." Yaoyorozu looked shocked at the situation. "I want to, but I feel responsible for the situation. Everyone had faith in me to secure him and bring him back and I failed. I want a chance to take him away myself." Yaoyorozu nodded, understanding the feeling. It was the responsibility of those two to lead the class. It also pained her to have given so much effort and still allowed not only injuries, but also a kidnapping. The two sat and spoke for a while about simple things as they allowed their minds to wander from the subject. "I want to go after Bakugo." Izuku declared decisively after a time. "With my quirk I'll be fast enough to steal him back without combat. That's my only goal here." Yaoyorozu hesitated for a moment before making a copy of the device. Izuku was surprised with the speed that she handed the device over.
"We'll go down together for this as class reps." Yaoyorozu assured Izuku. Izuku smiled as he pocketed the device.
"Other members of the class will come to try and get a copy of this device. Please make sure they don't receive one." Yaoyorozu was not expecting Izuku's words but agreed. She also believed that only him going would allow for the largest success rate for rescuing Bakugo.
"You're quite selfish," Yaoyorozu teased from her bed as Izuku waved a hand, mumbling something about paying her back. Izuku made his way back to his own room where he met with his doctor. The doctor was quick about his examination results telling Izuku that he would be released the next morning. Izuku was grateful to the doctor and in the meantime began training in his hospital room. In order to not alert the nurses, Izuku simply went through the motions of the technique, but it was enough to attract the attention of someone nearby. Because it was a motion from her dad's special technique.
"I see you're all better already, Izuku," Maki called as she entered the room. Izuku glanced at her before returning to an upright position. "You look like you're plotting something dangerous. Especially if you're trying to recreate that technique." Izuku didn't respond as he looked at Maki slightly ashamed. Maki sighed as she sat on his bed and stared up at him. "Listen, whatever you're going to do at least let me help you to increase your chances of coming back in this condition." Izuku laughed, not expecting her response. "As strong as you are, people still care about you. If there's anything I can do let me know. For example, the secret to that technique is to think of it as a stepping stone. It's the bridge between your quirk and your version of my quirk." Izuku smiled before thinking of something and whispering into her ear.
"You're free to refuse, I know that's asking quite a bit." Maki shook her head fondly before flicking his forehead and leaving the room. Izuku hoped she'd help him and decided to continue to train. The next morning Izuku was discharged and called his mom to tell her that he would remain at the hospital until his classmates awoke. His mom agreed to this and Izuku then steeled himself for his mission, spending the day checking on the many different rooms of the hospital. As his journey continued,Izuku saw a tuff of orange hair.
"Hey there, Class Rep," Izuku called to the 1-B rep. Kendo turned, surprised to see him up and active so soon after hearing about his injuries. Izuku gestured for her to follow and the two ended up at the vending machine with Izuku getting water for both. "How are the people from your class?" Izuku inquired after a sip.
"A lot of our class was exposed to the gas in the forest. If it hadn't been for Yaoyorozu giving out gas masks we would have been in real trouble." Izuku nodded, a thought returning to his memory swiftly.
"That reminds me what room is Awase in, I need to speak to him." Kendo was surprised by the request but supplied the number. Izuku walked to the hospital gift shop and found the best basket he could before bringing it to Awase's room. Awase was surprised that Izuku visited, but his surprise jumped exponentially as Izuku delivered the gift and bowed to him, his head touching the floor.
"Thank you so much for protecting her. If it wasn't for you, she would've pushed herself too hard and got herself killed. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!" Awase was surprised but before he could respond Izuku left the room, closing the door behind him.
As night approached, Izuku left the hospital with the tracker and stopped by a nearby bush. Looking inside of it, Izuku found a box with several tools he had asked Maki to gather. Looking closely, they resembled his hero costume, but were slightly different. Izuku didn't have much time and stashed the items on himself before taking the train in the direction of the tracker. Izuku sat quietly, allowing himself to blend in on the train as it headed in the direction eventually arriving in Kamino Ward. Disappearing into a back alley, Izuku jumped from rooftop to rooftop silently approaching a large seemingly abandoned building. As he confirmed his target, Izuku kept his distance, not using his quirk to avoid alerting anyone nearby of his presence. Meanwhile Izuku equipped the first of his gear, slipping his hand into a familiar glove.
As Izuku continued to watch, he saw the lights behind him change. Checking he saw that the television had changed to a special press conference including Mr. Aizawa and Vlad King from 1-B. Izuku grit his teeth as he watched the two come under fierce criticism. As he listened to the press conference, Izuku became aware of footsteps and made himself scarce, watching as several pro heroes arrived at the building. In an instant the entire building was blown away as a lone figure sat in the air with arms wide. From his presence, Izuku could feel killing intent seeping into his body even from a distance. As he continued to observe the man's actions, he watched as he dispatched all the heroes without expending any effort. He then watched seemingly frozen as not only Bakugo, but also the league of villains was dragged out of black holes.
"Now how about I get to work killing all of these heroes." Izuku could feel the overwhelming killing intent as the villain approached a hero in a jean outfit. The smile on his face reminded Izuku of a nightmare. Izuku quickly decided what he needed to do. Snapping his fingers once he let out a roar of flames that consumed the villain. Izuku took note of the heroes noticing one of the Pussycats from the camp in the distance before releasing his flames in earnest.
"Did Endeavor already make it here?" One of the heroes called as flames swarmed around the area. Each hero present was being gently picked up and dragged away from the villain's position. The League of Villains took note of Izuku's presence, and he responded by trapping them in a wave of flames to prevent them from acting. He continued to move his flames and clear out the heroes as he carefully watched the original villain's position. As his flames moved towards Bakugo, a blast of energy flew from the fire separating the two. Izuku paused as he watched the villain emerge from the flames, a pleasant smile adorning his face. All For One began to clap.
"You must be the young hero Tomura was telling me about. I am quite impressed you managed to save this many people in that short instant. It's a pleasure to meet you Izuku Midoriya, you may refer to me as All for One." From his instinct, Izuku could tell that the villain was genuinely praising him. This made him more wary as he took a defensive stance. "You should know that several of your classmates are also here. They're hiding behind that wall just beyond us." The villain pointed redirecting his killing intent. Izuku prepared to attack when All Might appeared in his vision, attacking the villain from behind.
As the two titans clashed, Izuku took the moment to unleash his quirk again grabbing Bakugo and retreating to the wall All for One had pointed at and finding Iida, Yaoyorozu, Todoroki, and Kirishima. All of which looked pale. Izuku grabbed the four with his quirk and began running down the alley behind them with Bakugo in tow. When they finally reached a street he stopped. "You five need to get out of here now." Izuku warned, a dangerous look in his eye. He turned and Yaoyorozu grabbed him.
"The plan was for you to retreat as soon as you got Bakugo. Where are you going?" Izuku paused for a moment as he hadn't expected the reaction.
"That guy is definitely stronger than All Might. Without a doubt, he's in complete control of that situation. I'm going to go back and try to help however I can." Izuku declared. His classmates looked on in disbelief as he took off towards the battlefield. The fear of returning to the villain overtaking them as they made their way off.
As Izuku arrived he found his hunch was correct. The villain seemed to be playing with All Might dealing significant damage to him without being hit once. As Izuku was looking for an opening, he realized that the villain had a hostage. A woman was behind All Might directly in the line of fire. This alone spurred Izuku's action as he flew forward. The villain didn't have time to react as he received a swift blow to the head sending him sliding away.
Before the villain could recover, Izuku continued his attack, rushing forward. He called on a collapsible matoi and swung down on the villain, a shockwave unleashing as it contacted the villain's arm. All for One's smile only continued to extend. "I see you have outstanding speed and power in your attacks. That one especially was quite strong." Izuku pushed down with one arm as he prepared his next move with the other.
Spinning on his heel, Izuku channeled his quirk 'Iai Chop, Form One: Fire Moon' the attack knocking All for One back before he landed softly. He looked down at his sleeve which had been singed slightly despite his quirk's protection. This hesitation gave Izuku a moment to speak. "All Might you need to evacuate the area. I can't fight him like this." The sides of All For One's mouth rose at the sound before he blew out the flames holding the rest of the league hostage. Shigaraki emerged swiftly and tried to say something before All For One spoke to him.
"There is no reason to be hesitant. Everything I do is for you to mature as a villain. So, try again as many times as you need, and I will support you." Izuku felt sick listening to the two speak, but it gave him, and All Might, a chance to converse.
"Young Midoriya, you need to escape. That villain is extremely dangerous; he possesses the ability to steal your quirk and use it against you." Izuku didn't hesitate in his response.
"You've been getting weaker over the years. It's why you are focusing on training that one student. It's also why I can say for certain that if you fight here, you're going to die. Leave this to me and I'll slow him down and you can finish him off. The most important thing here is the safety of the people. I can guarantee a pro like you can save everyone here. I'm just good at fighting." All Might paused before taking off into the direction of the first woman carrying her to safety.
Izuku deployed a second matoi as he began to approach All for One. "I see you intend to fight me alone. Tomura has high expectations for you so please don't disappoint." As All For One spoke, he began to send the League of Villains away forcibly activating Kurogiri's quirk. His body language showed no hesitation as he and Izuku began to close the distance on one another.
Izuku struck first when they closed in 'Iai Chop, Form Three: Daybreak'. Izuku attacked with a vertical flaming chop striking the villain in the face. The villain seemed to reel back some before returning to his original position. The damage barely put a scratch on him. Izuku was shocked that he had taken the attack.
"I see, indeed at your age that's quite impressive. Allow me to return the favor. The villain's shape morphed as he whispered out the names of quirks. Izuku was then struck by an amalgamation of quirks that sent him flying into the air. As Izuku flew higher and higher, he understood the strength difference between himself and the villain. It was only thanks to reflex that he'd mitigated some of the damage. In his brain something seemed to click and Izuku returned to the battlefield landing behind the villain sharply.
"I see I underestimated you somewhat. Let's continue." Izuku called tauntingly as the villain stared back bemused at the situation. He was surprised that he had only managed to rip a hoodie sleeve with the attack. All For One smiled menacingly at the game in front of him.
'Live capture isn't an option right now; I'm fighting with my life at stake and I'm too weak to guarantee anything. I'll show my killing intent and fight to win.' Izuku thought as the next round began swiftly. Now that the two had an idea of each other's strength, the battle continued in earnest. Izuku used all of his means to increase the potency and power of his blows. All For One appeared to be enjoying the game.
"Tomura would definitely grow significantly from defeating you. It's a shame." Izuku recognized that the villain was still underestimating him. With this in mind Izuku prepared an attack more powerful than his seven form attacks. He used one matoi to close the distance. Izuku then launched the villain skyward with a kick. All For One was then pushed even higher by the second matoi as Izuku followed closely behind gathering his flames. All For One began to name his quirks improving his defense for the incoming attack. Izuku extended his hand and released his flames in a singular point. "Crimson Moon!"
The powerful flames seemed to dye the sky red. The villain also was burned thoroughly through his stomach doing significant damage. The attack was so draining that Izuku found himself falling from the sky with the villain and both landed a distance apart. All Might arrived to take over the situation. As he did, he was surprised to see that Izuku had managed against his archnemesis. All For One emerged, his smile now looking larger than ever. "How impressive. I think I want to try killing you myself actually. Tomura will continue to grow whether you live or die here! Get up! Maybe if I kill some of your friends it will encourage you to keep going."
Izuku dug himself out of the ground and met eyes with All Might. Izuku ripped his other hoodie sleeve off before exposing his bandages to All For One. "I see even that wasn't enough. Then I'll show you all the tenacity I've been saving for this moment. As Izuku unwrapped his right arm, the tattoo seemed to ignite. And the temperature went up exponentially. "You're not getting past me no matter what."
All For One stared in astonishment at the sudden increase in temperature. Izuku rushed forward faster than before landing a blow in All For One's stomach. The punch was enough to send him spiraling backwards before Izuku punched him deep into the ground with another flaming fist. All For One emerged, his arm morphing into a hideous shape before attacking Izuku, but the attack burnt up before it could reach him. Izuku continued his assault despite All For One's bewilderment.
Izuku appeared to have the upper hand pounding away at All For One's defenses. All For One regained some control, launching a surprise attack that managed to pierce Izuku's flaming defense leaving a scar along the left side of his face. When they separated, words were no longer needed as they continued to clash. All Might looked on in astonishment as his backup began to arrive.
All For One was thoroughly enjoying the challenge. Izuku on the other hand was ready to step it up a notch. "Mode: Fire Dragon King!" Izuku shouted. The flames that once sat solely on his body began to spread to the surrounding area making the entire battlefield feel like an unlivable hell. All Might scooped up Lemillion, Gran Torino, and Sir Nighteye and jumped away from the flames before they consumed them.
'Given how much energy I've put out, this will probably be my last shot with this.' Izuku thought to himself. All For One prepared himself, the sheer heat chipping away at his defenses. As Izuku closed in, the sound of flames began to resemble the roar of a beast. However, All For One didn't have the energy to dodge the attack and activated his ultimate combination of quirks in an attempt to counter. The two attacks clashed, sending flames and shockwaves spiraling all around. Everyone who was close to the incident was pushed back by the wind pressure.
When the dust cleared the only thing that could be seen was Izuku kneeling. His breathing was ragged from using his quirk to exhaustion yet again and he could feel the labor of breathing. As he stared forward he saw the villain's arm was injured and unmoving. The fight hadn't left his eyes as he aimed his other arms preparing an attack. Izuku tried to move but simply fell forward on all fours, unable to muster the strength. As the attack came, Izuku grit his teeth bracing for impact. He was met with the warm embrace of large hands before he crashed into something. The hands opened and Izuku was surprised to see one of the heroes he grabbed earlier had rescued him. All Might stepped in to neutralize the villain's attack.
"Don't worry, Young Midoriya, I am here to finish this!" All Might confidently declared. As the clash began the giant hero repositioned with Izuku moving farther away from the battlefield and towards the streets. Izuku tried to move, but he could barely manage to roll over.
"Don't move, kid. I'm taking you to get emergency medical attention. I won't tell anyone what happened because you saved us, but that was beyond reckless." Izuku didn't respond, instead rolling his head to watch the many televisions showing All Might's fight. The two seemed to be perfectly even. Izuku was amazed that the villain even had that much fight left in him. As the two clashed All Might seemed to be running out of steam the fastest. The villain used the same attack he used against Izuku to match all of All Might's smashes. Preventing any of them from hitting home.
The villain and All Might spoke together before All Might seemed to completely deflate into a skeleton. With the exception of a single arm, All Might had deflated. The situation was looking hopeless, but Izuku couldn't move forward anymore. He watched along with the rest of the world as All Might continued his desperate struggle. The situation only grew more hopeless by the second.
All Might could feel the strain in his body from transferring One For All more clearly than ever. It had been nearly a year since he'd moved the quirk and with each moment he could feel himself becoming weaker. And each blow seemed to grate against his joints more and more. The mental strain was also becoming more exhausting. 'Since meeting Midoriya, I've wondered what amazing phenomenon he could create if I'd given him All For One. It's made me train Young Togata even harder.' Today's display coupled with the strain of fighting his master's grandchild weighed on All Might so heavily he could hardly focus.
His sole intention was to bring All For One down, but he couldn't figure out a method to do it. The only thing keeping him going was the force of his will to defeat the man before him. All Might then devised a plan and once again a smile adorned his face. Though it looked less charming in his skeletal appearance.
Izuku could tell that All Might had devised a plan from the ever changing view of televisions. He watched patiently as the villain pursued All Might, injuring one of his arms. All Might did not seem deterred as the power in his arm moved from one to another and he finally managed to hit All For One cleanly. Izuku was shocked that All Might could think of such a devious strategy, but the results were disappointing. But before the villain could recover, his arm shrank and the injured one regrew.
"Let me show you what it's like when I put my back into it!" All Might turned smashing All For One with all the strength he had left. "United States of Smash!" Izuku could only stare in amazement as the camera on every television cut from the force of the blow. The debris even flew to the medical area he had just arrived at. As the woman hero sat him down he let himself drift off to sleep satisfied with All Might's attack.
