"I can't believe this is nearly over. Well, not quite, we've got six more months. But it'll be over."
"Me neither, Young Midoriya. This has been a wild few months, hasn't it?"
"It really has. Thanks for everything. Really."
"Of course. I'm so proud of you, my boy. You've been brilliant."
"I couldn't have done it without you."
"Maybe you could, maybe you couldn't, but I'm glad I was able to help."
"Maybe I could've, but let me rephrase: I wouldn't have wanted to do this without you, Toshi. Thank you so much. Ah - more tea?"
After Izuku's visit to the UN, the crowd of media personnel in Japan was almost charmingly non-threatening. Not that he'd ever get over his dislike of press conferences, but his newfound serenity was a nice change.
That was good, because this announcement was going to be nerve-wracking enough. Despite the overwhelming support Izuku had earned during the UN visit, there was plenty of uncertainty over the Villain Amnesty Program Izuku had mentioned.
He took a deep breath, and began.
"People of Japan, first of all, I'd like to thank you. Our country has banded together to rebuild herself in the wake of a crisis that could very well have shattered her. This fragile peace we currently have is only thanks to the people who helped restore it.
"Some of those people were entirely unexpected sources of assistance. Several months ago, All for One gave me this position and disappeared. Some of those who worked for him offered their help in the abrupt changeover. We, and they, have worked alongside former enemies since then, towards the goal of restoring Japan's government to what it should have been. It is only through their help that we were able to so quickly dismantle what All for One built - what they themselves built."
The former League had helped the government in many ways, but forgiveness was a lot to ask for. There had been so much suffering, so much hurt, so many killed because of All for One and his people. Even more suffered from the former government's abuses.
"Make no mistake, this does not erase the crimes they committed. Justice would call for them to be locked away for the rest of their lives. I will not ask the people of Japan to forgive those who murdered and destroyed and ruined lives, no matter what they choose to do now. Instead, I'll ask a question.
"Which is better: punishment or reform?"
Izuku paused for a moment, allowing the confusion to settle.
"The world's best criminal rehabilitation systems are modeled on the latter. Norway has the world's lowest crime rate. Their prisons are comfortable, prisoners are allowed the same rights as ordinary citizens except for restriction of their freedom, and most who leave - which is the vast majority - never return. This is because the focus is on 'restorative justice' - helping criminals become productive members of society, rather than delivering the harsh punishment those criminals may richly deserve." Izuku had talked with the Norwegian UN delegate during his week in America, and she'd personally connected him with Norwegian experts to hammer out the final details of his plan. It could work.
"Consider whether it is better to leave human lives to rot away in prison, rendered useless to society, or whether they should help rebuild what they have destroyed with their own hands. I might never forgive the innocent lives lost in violence and hate. But as someone who wants Japan to move forward, between the choice of taking vengeance and seeing change, I would rather see a villain change.
"That is why I've enacted the Villain Amnesty Program, for all who were labeled villains by society and the government and have the will to choose another path. We've already put it into effect for those employed by our government. In this program, participants will be sponsored - by heroes or former heroes for now, although we will accept applicants in good societal standing who are willing to accept the responsibility. These sponsors will work with these participants for a year, assisting them in finding gainful employment or educational opportunities, as well as mental health or quirk counseling for those who need it. They will also provide oversight for the participant, and will be held responsible for the participant's behavior should they willingly choose to violate the law during that time. Identities of both parties will be kept private, if they so choose. At the end of the year, as long as the participants pass the review, their crimes will be expunged from the records. Of course, should they engage in further criminal activity, they will be tried like any citizen.
"Anyone may also request that their records be reviewed. Should they be found innocent of crimes under the current laws - such as in cases where they were arrested for public quirk use, or fought in self-defense, or have evidence of their innocence that was never presented before a court of law - they may have their names cleared immediately. Further information, as always, is available online."
Izuku was sure many of the former villains still out there would be suspicious of a trap. He hoped that the terms would satisfy those worried about the lenient treatment. There were a few clauses he'd left out in his speech - for example, in cases of stolen property, reasonable restitution would be required - but with any luck the terms he'd stated would interest people enough to look for themselves.
"To help with all this, I've used my own funds to establish the Second Chance Foundation. Currently it will exist as a supplementary avenue for the Villain Amnesty Program to help the participants find everything they need to establish themselves as contributing members of society. Once the program is finished the foundation will open to the general public, assisting people with finding educational and employment opportunities, mental health and quirk counseling, job training, and financial assistance for those who are in need of it." It was a good use for that ridiculous income Izuku had been left with, thanks to Hisashi.
"Construction has already begun on the foundation headquarters. In front of the foundation, there will be a memorial to commemorate all those who were casualties of a broken system. Heroes, villains, ordinary people - Japan has lost too much already. I hope that it will serve as a reminder to future generations to leave the cycle of violence and hate, to save as many as we can. Even those who need saving from themselves."
Because what was the purpose of a hero, if not to save people?
"Do they deserve it? Maybe not. But, growing up, I always loved heroes because they saved people. I never asked if the people deserved to be saved. Heroes would never get anywhere if they stood by and asked who deserved to be rescued. So, I'm not going to stand here and argue that point, either. Forgiveness or not, deserving or not, if someone takes my hand and asks for help, I will not refuse it. I can only hope the Japanese people are willing to do the same."
Izuku stepped away from the podium and bowed deeply, squeezing his eyes shut as cameras flashed. He'd made his choice. There would probably be many who'd hate the idea of giving mercy to the former League; this probably would reignite the rumors of Izuku working with All for One again.
But Izuku couldn't really choose otherwise. Not after Izuku had studied All for One's notes, and other countries' criminal rehabilitation policies, and realized that the most successful methods of lowering crime rates operated by giving people hope that they could be better. Not after the League proved those notes true as they hesitantly made friends with their new coworkers and worked toward making Japan better (Bubaigawara, in particular, had sponsor volunteers from what seemed like half the government thanks to his successful lobbying for a sparkling new cafeteria for the employees).
Izuku still found it difficult to trust them, he always would, but he had never avoided risk if there was a chance to help. To set things right.
He rose from his bow and stepped back to the podium, bracing himself for the many questions sure to follow.
Once again, the public response to Izuku's press conference was overwhelmingly positive, to the point that Yamada called it suspicious. Izuku gave him permission to involve Aizawa in investigating.
Aizawa, in turn, asked to involve Momo and the Department of Commerce, and Izuku heard he'd gotten Shirakumo to help him access various government files. He also asked for permission to audit several of Izuku's businesses, which Izuku agreed to. Izuku even directed his lawyers - recommended by Momo - to help with the investigation to the best of their abilities. If Izuku wasn't so busy, he might've asked Aizawa to explain his reasons for those particular routes of investigation, but Izuku trusted that he knew what he was doing.
The election announcement went out without incident, and Izuku was happy that he'd soon be able to put all of this behind him. Six months, and then he'd be free. A little less than five months to allow candidates to campaign for their chosen positions, and one month allotted to the changeover - and then Izuku would be going home and resuming his work as a hero. Though considering that the Todoroki brothers had abolished the popularity-based ranking system that determined pay grades and turned licenced heroes into essentially well-trained and well-paid emergency responders, that would look a bit different in the future. Hisashi called him just to congratulate him, which was nice, considering how rarely Hisashi called.
Toshi shared his relief, as well as a celebratory cup of tea while they mutually appreciated the light at the end of the tunnel. The rest of the reforms would be announced over the coming months by the individuals responsible; Izuku merely had to sign off on things and make sure things kept running until the elected officials were ready to take over.
Then again, when was Izuku's life ever that easy?
"So what did you need to talk about, Aizawa-sensei?" Izuku didn't think he'd seen his former teacher look this grim since Bakugou was kidnapped during their first year.
"You're not going to like this, Midoriya." Oh crap. Not "Problem Child" as Aizawa had taken to using over the years. This must be serious.
"Did you find something?"
Aizawa grimaced. "And more. The good news is that I might have found a clue to the whereabouts of All for One."
"You did?" Izuku leaned forward in his chair eagerly. They'd been searching for months. "Where? How?"
"I think I'd better start with the 'how' first," Aizawa said. "This is pretty hard to believe. But - first, you know I was investigating Hizashi's suspicions about the media. Well, we found the source of the influence, alright. Yaoyorozu tells me that most of the media outlets with positive coverage have a single owner."
"Me," Izuku said with a sinking feeling. "But I wouldn't… try to control them."
"You don't have to. Think, Problem Child. Who else might have a connection they could unofficially exploit?"
"Hisashi's been pulling strings again," Izuku guessed with a sinking feeling. Considering the conversation opener, a mention of his father wasn't the most encouraging note.
"Correct. If he's just calling in favors, there's not much he's doing that's illegal. Less, in fact, than if you tried pulling strings yourself as the owner."
Izuku nodded. "And online?"
"Strategic use of sockpuppet accounts - not bots either, unless those bots are extremely well-programmed. Clever manipulation of search results. Opinion polls remain uninfluenced, they're mostly fact-spreading and propaganda. Most of it's over VPN, but we were able to trace enough to find a general location. Hatsume helped with that. A lot of it's from your neighborhood, except for a week spent in the United States." Aizawa's face quirked in an unexpected wry smile. "His choice of aliases was unexpectedly amusing, I'll send you the list."
Izuku frowned. "I probably should talk with him, but that's nothing illegal yet."
"Well, I hope you don't mind, but I decided to investigate your father. I should've done it before, but -"
"You've been busy with the assassination attempts," Izuku said. "I wish you'd asked me first."
"It's a good thing I did, though. I found this in the jumble of paperwork we recovered from the burned vaults." Aizawa pushed a single piece of paper across the desk.
It was old and worn and faded. A bit singed, probably from the government fires. A birth certificate, made out for Hisashi Midoriya.
A birth certificate over 200 years old.
"So… my father was named after an ancestor of ours?" Izuku said, confused.
Aizawa sighed deeply. "Yaoyorozu never found records of ownership transfer because she wasn't looking back far enough. The fires took out a lot of documents, but Hisashi Midoriya was buying businesses since at least 100 years ago. We audited a few of your companies, and there's no records of any ownership transfer since then - except for when they were transferred to you."
"But my father doesn't have a longevity quirk. Does that mean he didn't legally own those businesses?"
Aizawa covered his eyes with his hand. "You're smarter than this, Midoriya."
Could Hisashi have lied about his quirk? But it would be hard to fake a fire-breath quirk unless… Unless he had multiple quirks. Had he been connected to All for One for that long? Had everything Hisashi said been a lie?
"The only thing we're missing is a DNA test to be sure." Aizawa lowered his hand and straightened. "I figured I'd let you decide if you wanted one."
What? He couldn't mean… no. "That's ridiculous," Izuku said. "Hisashi can't be All for One. He…" Why would he? The room started to tilt.
But why not? Because he didn't fit Izuku's idea of a mass-murdering supervillain? Because Hisashi cared in his own strange way, and All for One couldn't possibly care for anyone other than himself? Because Izuku wanted to believe that his father was a victim who'd been threatened into submission by a monster, rather than the very perpetrator who threatened people?
"He can't be," Izuku repeated in a small voice.
Aizawa watched him. "There's a good chance that Hisashi Midoriya is All for One," he said, every word measured and deliberate. He might as well announce Izuku's execution while he was at it.
"No. No."
"I know it's hard to accept." Izuku rarely heard Aizawa's voice sound so gentle. "But ignoring the truth won't help, Problem Child."
"I can't be related to him. He… he… I can't be. He hurt All Might - Toshi. He killed so many people."
"So now you get to decide whether to put those fancy words of yours into action," Aizawa said ruthlessly.
That brought Izuku's mind to a screeching halt. He hadn't really considered - if he found All for One, what he would do with him. Let him go after a year, like everyone else? And why not? He'd be letting plenty of other mass murderers walk free as long as they demonstrated their intent to change. But All for One couldn't change, he was evil incarnate, he was a monster -
Who'd given Izuku Japan. Like Hisashi Midoriya had done with his businesses.
"It's almost never about being pure evil, though some may give a convincing illusion of it. All part of the mask," Hisashi had said.
"It's time to lose the mask. Perhaps I should take up a hobby." Hadn't All for One joked about taking up crochet? Hadn't Izuku walked in on Hisashi crocheting during his last visit home?
The world tilted further on its axis. It had been a joke, that was all.
"Problem Child?"
"And my brother… well, we had our differences. I don't think we ever really understood each other. We were always at odds."
All for One's brother was definitely at odds with him. Izuku's own quirk had let him see that for himself.
"Midoriya?"
"His notes show a tendency toward manipulation more than mass-murdering terror. I was wondering about that."
Hisashi was nothing if not a manipulator. Hisashi, who spent an entire afternoon teaching Izuku political manipulation, who'd had contacts around the world that he pulled in with just the right information to help Izuku. Who had apparently been responsible for a lot of the positive PR Izuku currently enjoyed. Who, if any of this was true, had tricked Izuku from the moment he laid eyes on the man.
"Maybe he's impersonating my father?" Izuku asked.
"We have All for One's DNA results from Tartarus, thanks to Tsukauchi. I just need your permission for a paternity test."
Izuku nodded mutely.
Izuku was waiting with Toshi when Aizawa personally brought the DNA results that tore Izuku's world apart.
He was barely ashamed of crying into Toshi's shoulder. He'd long given up the notion that heroes don't cry, and if anything deserved tears, it was this. He pretended not to hear Toshi's own sniffles.
"What am I supposed to do?" Izuku asked, once he was able to talk again. Aizawa had remained, a silent presence at Izuku's other side on the well-used sofa. Gigantomachia had already been sent to guard the door and turn away anyone who showed up.
"I don't know, Young Midoriya," Toshi said quietly.
Aizawa snorted, and Toshi glared.
"You already know what to do, Problem Child. You said it yourself. If he wants to change, then help him change."
"And if he doesn't?"
Aizawa shrugged. "How many times have you been close enough to shoot him with quirk suppressants?"
Plenty of times, but… "That doesn't mean he'll sit there and let me hit him with them."
"Young Midoriya is right. It's far too dangerous to confront All for One, even if he's… biologically related."
Izuku flinched, and Toshi pulled him tighter against his shoulder.
"I'd say he's offered every indication of genuinely trying to help the kid. If anyone can get that close, it's him."
"Help?" Toshi choked.
"The media. The UN. The… internet?" Izuku said, pulling away to find a tissue.
"I was suspicious of the decrease in criminal activity after you took power too," Aizawa added. "A lot of the leads I was following to find the assassination threats disappeared not long after I heard about them. Criminals kept getting dropped off at police stations by anonymous vigilantes with no memories of what happened, usually around the same time as the disappearing leads."
"Ujiko," Izuku realized. The former doctor who'd once told Izuku he was quirkless. "From what we could tell, All for One just dropped him off at the nearest police station after he tried returning to his experiments. He claimed he hadn't seen All for One since he left me in charge."
"But it's All for One," Toshi said plaintively. Izuku couldn't blame him. He felt the same way.
Aizawa rolled his eyes. "Denying the facts won't help either of you. It doesn't make him any less dangerous, but ignoring what's in front of you won't help take him down, if that's your goal."
Izuku sighed and pushed away from Toshi's shoulder with a grimace. "You're right," he said. "I still need to decide what I'm going to do about him, but I need to be as prepared as possible for what he might do. Which, for all we know, might be offering tea and discussion before he disappears again." That did seem to be his primary mode of operation when it came to Izuku and Inko. Well, he wasn't sure about the tea, he'd been too young at the time to remember whether he'd offered Inko tea before he left. "Oh, and I need to talk to Gigantomachia. He definitely knew, and he didn't say anything."
At least this explained Gigantomachia's strange behavior when it came to Hisashi's signature, his silence in the man's presence. His reaction to Izuku himself. "Little Master." He suppressed a shiver.
Had the other villains known? No, he decided, they'd been confused themselves about All for One's decision. Searching for All for One, wanting explanations. But - All for One had given them information about Izuku. There was Shirakumo's creepy knowledge of what brands Izuku used at home. There were Shimura's attempts at ingratiation. "I'll tell you where all the best villain hideouts are. Sensei said you'd like that." All for One's avoidance of the former villains made so much more sense now.
Himiko Toga had disappeared after ranting about what she wanted to do to Izuku.
"I'm happy to help with that," Aizawa growled, breaking his train of thought. It took Izuku a moment to realize he was talking about Gigantomachia. "Oh, and if you do settle things with the bastard peacefully? Tell him to give me my quirk back."
"Of course." Izuku nodded. That was a given.
Gigantomachia actually started crying when Izuku confronted him alongside Aizawa. Apparently, Izuku had earned his loyalty at some point along the way, resulting in split loyalties when Hisashi had appeared on the scene. Izuku wasn't sure what to do with that information, and decided to send Gigantomachia off with Kirishima for the afternoon. For once, Gigantomachia complied without complaint.
That aside, Izuku had to understand exactly what he was walking into before he talked to Hisashi - All for One - so he decided to take a rare afternoon off and piece together the mystery of this… benefactor he'd strangely earned.
He couldn't trust any of Hisashi's reasoning for why he left Izuku and Inko. He couldn't trust any of Hisashi's stories whatsoever. But his actions - well. He had more information than ever, and more questions than ever regarding what All for One was up to.
Why had All for One given Izuku Japan? Why had Hisashi given Izuku his businesses? That still remained unanswered. What he did know is that All for One had been nearby the entire time, smoothing Izuku's path and maybe even dealing with threats Izuku himself didn't know about.
Maybe this was all part of a long-term plan All for One was enacting for some goal. If Izuku's hypothesis that All for One was a master manipulator was correct, then it'd even be likely. Considering his notes, his twisting of Shimura, the way he told so many of his people different bits of information to play them against each other - Izuku had a feeling that he was right about that. Japan had a high crime rate, but it certainly hadn't seen devastation of the same scale as Kamino Ward on a regular basis for the last two centuries; the government would be hard-pressed to keep covering those up if they'd been common. Hisashi had all but confirmed Izuku's guess that he'd changed his methods in the last few decades - from subtler manipulation to blatant smirking, mass-murdering supervillainy.
He'd married a wife, had a son. When Izuku was eight, he'd fought All Might and was left for dead. After that, there were the Trigger experiments, the roughly-designed Noumu, brutish and braindead in contrast to the delicate work he'd done on Shirakumo. Still, until Kamino, he mostly worked by inspiring underlings to do his dirty work - likely his normal method of dealing with things, if Izuku had to guess. It was the same method he'd used 200 years ago, after all. Izuku still remembered the smirk on his face when he laughingly told his brother about the murders committed for his sake, all unasked-for. Then he'd broken his usual hands-off approach when he appeared at Kamino in response to an attack on his Noumu facility.
Izuku's mind lingered on that. All for One had appeared at the Noumu facility… where Izuku was. Where pro heroes were launching an attack, a highly destructive attack that could've hit Izuku. The blowback alone left Izuku's recent injuries aching. All for One had appeared not long after that and launched an attack that left only one wall standing - the one Izuku and his friends were behind.
Then he'd been arrested, escaped, and reappeared a few years later to take over Japan. Which he passed to Izuku.
"Family, to me, is… people I'd do anything to protect."
But he hadn't protected Izuku. He wasn't there when the slime villain nearly killed Izuku. He wasn't there when Izuku nearly died against Muscular or Overhaul. He wasn't there when Izuku and his friends fought Re-Destro, a tense battle that might've so easily killed Izuku with one wrong move.
Then again, that was probably for the best, Izuku thought as he remembered the lengths All for One went to in order to "protect" his brother. Izuku was lucky he hadn't been locked in a vault for his own good. He tried to ignore the irrational stab of hurt at the idea that Hisashi didn't actually care, had been using him the entire time. He wasn't looking for affection and care from All for One, no matter what fragile hope and affection had bloomed over Izuku's time spent with Hisashi.
But it was important to know whether the man did care, if only because it could be potential leverage against the monster. And monster he was, whatever his past; the tortured experiments he'd created could be nothing but the products of someone lacking in morals.
Izuku was getting nowhere. He nearly knocked over his desk chair when he rose abruptly and stalked to the office next to his own where Toshi was usually occupied.
"Young Midoriya?"
There was no Aizawa now, no Gigantomachia outside the door and potentially listening with all-too-sensitive ears. "What should I do?" he asked Toshi again. There was no need to explain what Izuku was asking about, they both knew all too well.
Rather than a single sofa, Toshi had two sofas that faced each other over a coffee table. Izuku fell into one, and Toshi hurried over. If they'd been back at UA, Toshi would have unhesitatingly taken the other. Now, Toshi hesitated before settling next to Izuku. Izuku was glad; the closeness was comforting.
Toshi looked hesitant to speak, so Izuku continued.
"I know how much he hurt you. I can't… I can't just let that go. One for All's legacy…"
"Me?" Toshi looked up in surprise. "I thought you'd be mad at him for your own sake."
"I am. Well… maybe? The worst thing he's done is leave, and considering who he is, that might have been for the best anyway. But he's hurt so many people, and you most of all." Izuku met his shadowy eyes. "It's easier to forgive people for hurting me than for hurting others, anyway."
Toshi looked at him, expression contemplative. "Vengeance or change," he said softly.
"What?"
"I've been thinking. A year ago, I'd have said he needed to be taken down, no question. But now…" Toshi rubbed his neck. "You've made an impression, Young Midoriya, as you always do. Whatever you decide to do, I'll support you. Even if that means All for One walks free. I know you'll do what's right." He grimaced. "I'd prefer not to see you put yourself in danger by confronting him again, but he's as much of a danger left where he is."
True. All for One had Transmission; Izuku could've been brought to his side at any time, theoretically, considering their relation. Now that was a thought to keep him up at night. "It's a lot of responsibility," he said bitterly. "This could go so horribly wrong, no matter what I decide."
"You always rise to the challenge, my boy."
Let it never be said that Izuku did anything by halves.
He could've gone home for a family dinner, found a reason to get close to Hisashi, and stabbed him with quirk suppressants. He could've tried bringing a small army of heroes, strategically-placed around the meeting area, to attempt to suppress All for One should he turn violent. Those would probably be wiser things to do - as Izuku's failed assassination attempt had demonstrated when this mess started, All for One was fully capable of detecting and suppressing Izuku alone should the need arise. (He probably used Search, the bastard. No wonder Izuku hadn't been able to surprise him with that punch.)
Instead, Izuku chose to extend the same courtesy that All for One had initially offered to himself. No quirk suppression, no attempts at arrest would be issued unless things turned violent. Izuku would meet him alone. He'd probably never be able to take All for One down by force, so he'd opt for parley - it worked before, after all.
He sent the janitorial team to clean the familiar room in the Imperial Palace. He hadn't told his friends yet; the only ones who knew were All Might and Aizawa. He wasn't sure if he'd ever tell them. This wasn't information that should be spread around, it'd undermine everything he'd done in his time as a leader if it were known that he was related to All for One.
In case things went wrong, Izuku made sure Toshi could take over the government in his place. He called his lawyers and made out a will to his mother and Toshi, leaving his assets split between them. If worse came to worst, at least Toshi wouldn't be left in the same position Izuku had been - he had people and resources, the government reforms were complete or near completion, and elections would be held soon.
The only break in the serious atmosphere that haunted Izuku as he put his affairs in order was the list of All for One's aliases Aizawa sent him. CoolMight9000? AllMight4Ever? This was just embarrassing. Reading a few posts where All for One supposedly played an unapologetic All Might fanboy was an otherworldly experience.
All too soon, though, there were no more reasons to delay. Hisashi hadn't been in contact for the past few days. Izuku stared at his phone. He took a deep breath.
It was time to confront All for One again.
The ringing at the other end of the line spiked Izuku's nerves even higher. He couldn't tell if he was more relieved or terrified when All for One picked up the phone.
"This is Hisashi Midoriya."
"I need to talk to you," Izuku said without preamble.
A pause. "You know."
"Yes."
"When and where?"
Izuku closed his eyes. No going back now.
So who guessed Hisashi's identity already? I wasn't trying to be subtle in the slightest, I know, but give yourself a cookie anyway!
Fun fact: the stuff about Norway? Is actually based on facts! They currently have the world's lowest crime rate and an incredibly humane justice system, with the average prison sentence being 8 months and an upper limit of 21 years, last I checked. They've based their system on restorative criminal justice, which tends to crop up in studies as the best way to reduce repeat offenders. The Villain Amnesty Program might be a bit idealistic as a concept but I tried to base it on actual effective practices.
As a side note, I recommend going back to Chapter 6 and playing a game of Find All For One's Sockpuppets. Some of them are more obvious than others. He really should be embarrassed forever.