A/N - Whew! This one is a monster but also one of the scenes I've had in mind from the beginning!
Also, a huge thank you and welcome to all of you for all of the likes, reviews, follows, favorites and just general love and support! To see people still invested in the story is such an encouragement for me!
Love and Light to all of you!
Kahelle
Chapter 24 – When the Truth Hunts You Down
Shouta was waiting around the corner for her as soon as she entered the building.
"Are you okay?" his voice was low, almost muffled by his capture weapon as he tried to look like he was just watching the students walking by. Aine leaned against the wall, mimicking the observant teacher stance.
"I'm good."
"I saw the President head your way. I'm guessing she wasn't thrilled with what Tsukauchi said?"
Aine nodded, "Yeah, and she confirmed what we already knew about my situation."
"Figures."
She shrugged, "What is the plan? I can't imagine Nedzu already informed the families in such a short time."
He sighed, "Nedzu is going to send the teachers to students homes to break the news to families. We did it once when we moved the students onto campus." Shouta stepped out from the wall to stand with his arms crossed as the last of the students filtered out to their classrooms. "Hopefully, the parents are understanding as this is for their protection – the entire purpose of the dorm system in the first place."
They began walking down the empty hallway towards the classrooms, "Classes are cancelled for the rest of the day, Mic is breaking the news to my class though I doubt they will be too devastated."
Aine gave a short chuckle as they turned the corner, "I'd be surprised if…" she stopped short as she saw the queue already forming outside of her office.
"Looks like we are both going to be busy today. Good luck." He patted her shoulder and walked away with a wave.
Aine dropped heavily onto her couch after arriving home that afternoon. Her already hectic Wednesday schedule turned into a continuous line of nervous, angry, and worried teenagers through her office. The entire day had felt like a broken record.
"No, I don't know who it is."
"I'm sorry, I don't know when they will open campus back up."
"I don't know what the plan is for family emergencies."
"I don't know but we will figure it out."
"I'm sorry, I don't know."
"I don't know"
It had been so busy that she hadn't had a chance to check in on Sasaki before he left to go back to his dorm.
She draped an arm over her eyes as she tried to enjoy the quiet reprieve of her apartment. No sooner had she finally relaxed when her phone began to ring.
Sitting up with a groan, she rubbed her eyes before swiping to answer the phone.
"Hello?"
There was a brief moment of silence, "Miss Satterfield? I-it's Ochako Uraraka. I know this isn't exactly the reason you gave me your number, but Mr. Aizawa and the other teachers aren't back yet, and I couldn't think of anyone else to call…" The girl's speech seemed to pick up speed with each word.
Aine glanced at the clock, "It's ok, I'm sure they will be back soon. What's going on?"
She heard Uraraka take a large breath, "It's probably nothing, but Bakugou and Deku – I mean Midoriya – are missing."
The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, "What do you mean missing?"
"Well, usually everybody kind of hangs around the common room until time to go to bed. We were all talking about what they said this morning when Todoroki noticed that they weren't downstairs."
"And you are sure they aren't in their rooms?"
She could almost imagine the brunette shaking her head as she continued, "That's what we thought at first, considering that Bakugou is the only UA student we know of that has been kidnapped before we thought maybe he just needed the space. But when we went up to check on them, they weren't in their rooms and neither of them have answered their phones."
Aine was already grabbing her keys and her shoes, "Tell everyone to stay in the dorms, I'll message Mr. Aizawa to let him know and see if they aren't somewhere on campus."
"Yes ma'am."
As soon as Uraraka hung up, Aine quickly sent a text to Shouta as she left her apartment, "Call me as soon as you can. Bakugou and Midoriya are missing from the dorms."
No sooner had she set foot outside of the staff dorm, but her phone began to ring.
"How long have they been missing?" Shouta started as soon as she answered.
She shook her head, "No idea. Uraraka called me just now. I'm headed out to see if they are somewhere on campus."
Shouta was talking to someone else in the background before he responded, "We only have a couple more parents to talk to and then we will be headed back to campus." More talking in the background, "Nedzu is pulling up the cameras to see if they left campus as we speak."
Now she recognized the rodent's voice in the background, "I'm headed towards the training grounds right now. Are there any other teachers still on campus or already back?"
"Snipe, Cementoss and All Might should be around there somewhere. I'll message them to join in the search. Hold on." Rustling came across the line as she could hear the phone being passed around, "Miss Satterfield, I checked the perimeter cameras and there is no indication that the students have exited campus." Nedzu's voice replaced Shouta's on the line, "If you are close to Ground Beta, it looks like All Might's ID was last used there. He can help with the search until we are able to make it back."
Aine stopped and turned towards the path to Ground Beta, "Ok. I'm headed there now. We'll find them."
"We will keep you apprised as well. Thank you, Miss Satterfield."
Aine arrived at Ground Beta just in time to hear a massive explosion from inside. Well, I guess that solves where Bakugou went. She swiped her ID card and sent "Bakugou located. He is at Ground Beta."
"Midoriya is probably with him. Let me know if you see both of them and if they are fighting again you have my permission to use your quirk to stop them."
Another explosion rocked the complex as she exited the entrance tunnel into the familiar cityscape. She could see smoke in the distance. Glancing down the center street, she didn't see any sign of the two students. The smoke was still billowing from a location tucked into the back side of the complex, I need to keep an eye on the smoke and make my way over there.
Aine zipped her jacket and pulled the hood up as she clambered to the top of the closest building and started across the rooftops towards where the smoke was beginning to dissipate. As she neared the location where the smoke had been, she dropped down onto the street and began picking her way through the streets and rubble.
Just as she prepared to call out to the explosive teen, she stopped herself as another voice echoed off of the buildings.
"You know it's the only way, Kacchan!"
"Shut up, damn nerd! There's got to be another way." She recognized the two boys' voices as they continued to argue back and forth. Aine pulled out her phone and shot a quick message – "Both boys located, safe and on campus. Will escort back to dorms."
Sliding the phone back into her pocket, she followed their voices.
"Young Midoriya, I'm sorry but I must agree with Young Bakugou. It is safer for you to remain here. Tsukauchi said there is no evidence that they are looking for the holder of One-For-All."
Aine's heart fell into her stomach as All Might's voice echoed and morphed in her memory.
"is the flip side of the coin to my ability that will be passed down to Tomura."
She collapsed to sit on the floor in exhaustion as she felt the trickle of blood from her nose. Across from her was the unconscious form of yet another unfortunate underling who had drawn the short straw of being her "quirk practice" partner. Her monitor chirped from where it laid to the side of the practice mat.
All for One stood behind her, "You have grown your quirk so much in the last few months. When the day comes for Tomura to inherit All for One from me, he will need you and Kurogiri at his side and at your strongest." Aine wiped the blood from underneath her nose with the back of her hand before rising back up to her feet. Her master shook his head, "No more for today. You need to rest. We will work again tomorrow."
"I'm fine. Bring in the next loser." She turned to look at All for One with a feral grin.
Aine had frozen just around the corner from where the three voices were still arguing back and forth. Shaking her head to clear the memory, she pressed herself against the wall to continue listening.
"Get your head out of your ass, Deku. If you are right and they are after One for All, your dumb ass would be a sitting duck out there on your own. What happens if it is the League and they get their hands on you, huh?" Bakugou's voice echoed through the empty buildings.
"Kacchan, please, I can't put everyone else in danger. If they are after me, it would make sense for me to find somewhere to go. Draw them away from the school and then disappear for a while." She peeked around the corner to see Midoriya looking back and forth between Bakugou, and All Might in the little space they had picked for this little meeting. There were small piles of still smoldering rubble laying around them.
All Might sighed and rubbed the side of his temple with his hand, "As honorable as that sounds, kid, you are still learning to use One for All as your own."
Aine didn't know what possessed her to step around the corner, or to approach the trio.
"Tell me I misheard you, All Might." Her voice was low and clipped, barely loud enough to cover the sounds of her feet over the broken concrete. Her approach caused all three to spin towards her. Green lightning sparked around Midoriya as explosions popped in Bakugou's hands.
She pulled the hood back, her eyes never dropping their intense glare at All Might.
Midoriya's eyes widened as Bakugou lowered himself closer to the ground, poised to strike.
"Miss Satterfield! I-I…" All Might rubbed the back of his neck nervously and flashed a fake smile, "I'm not sure what you thought you heard but I assure you…"
"Tell me that a 16-year-old kid isn't the holder of One for All."
All Might's smile dropped as his features darkened, "How do you know about One for All?"
Aine stepped closer, "How about you answer my question first?" she pointed to Midoriya, "Did you really paint a gigantic target on this CHILD'S BACK?"
Her voice bounced off of the walls around them as each word picked up volume, All Might looked at her – his fierce gaze etching over her features as though he were trying to place how she could possibly know. At his silence, she couldn't stop the cynical huff as she threw her arms into the air, "Of course you did!" she turned around and ran a hand through the top of her hair in frustration.
She turned back around and crossed her arms, "Does Shouta know?"
All Might shook his head.
"Just great." Aine narrowed her eyes, "So were you planning on letting anyone know so they could protect the students or just let them be cannon fodder for All for One? Hmm?" By this point, both boys were standing watching the two adults. Midoriya's green lighting had long since dissipated while threatening pops continued from Bakugou's hands.
"It was safer for all involved that only a select few knew, now, Miss Satterfield I must ask you again – how do you know about this?" All Might's eyes drilled straight into hers as though to read the answer directly from them.
Aine took a breath to calm the white-hot lump sitting in the middle of her chest, "Let's just say I've been on the wrong side of All for One getting what he wants more than a few times." She huffed out as she leaned against one of the windowsills, "I've been on the run from him and his minions since I was 19."
Midoriya stepped towards her, "So you understand? I have to go."
She pulled herself up to sit in the empty windowsill before taking a long inhale and exhale to recenter herself, "Midoriya, I'm not going to gloss over this. Neither option is going to be ideal. When I hid among friends, I came back to a warehouse floor covered in their bodies or at least what was left of them." He gasped and covered his mouth, "And when I ran on my own to protect my friends? Well, I ended up in a cage waiting to have my quirk taken and be turned into a Nomu."
He dropped his hands and looked down, his voice quiet and contemplative "So no matter what you would have been a danger to those around you."
"Exactly. No matter what I chose, the people around me were going to be in danger." Aine tapped her chin in thought, "What if we could reach a compromise?"
"What the hell do you mean a 'compromise'? Still letting the nerd take off?!" Bakugou was glaring at her as he crossed his arms.
"Easy Blast Boy. Right now, you and All Might are right that this is the safest place for Midoriya to be." She pushed herself out of the window to walk closer to the trio. "My suggestion is that you stay put for now. Then, as more information trickles in a more informed decision can be made with extensive planning for things like where you will go, how to keep your location hidden and how to ensure your safety and the safety of those at the school if you go into hiding."
"That sounds more than reasonable. What do you think, kid?" All Might turned fully to Midoriya – who mumbled while seeming to be mulling something over in his head. He looked up at Aine as if he had something to say but instead gave a small nod in agreement.
Bakugou shoved his hands into his pockets muttering something about the "damn nerd listening to reason for once."
"Well, if everyone is in agreement, let's get you boys back to the dorms."
The walk back to the dorms was quiet, the sunset casting brilliant oranges, pinks, and reds across the sky. As soon as they turned the walkway facing Class A's dorm, a flurry of activity burst from the porch as 17 teenagers swarmed their friends.
"Where did you go, Bakubro?" "You had us all worried!" "I'm sorry, we didn't mean to scare anybody! We just wanted to use the extra time for practice, right Kacchan?" "We were almost ready to start a search party!" "Shove it, extras! Move it!" "Geez, not even a 'thanks for worrying about us?"
The voices continued to overlap as the gaggle of kids migrated back into the dorm. Aine watched as the group of kids continued fussing over Midoriya and Bakugou as they filtered into the doorway and out of sight.
"I'm sure I do not need to stress how important it is that you keep this information about One for All a secret. Even from the staff members at this school." All Might continued watching the doorway long after it closed behind the students.
Aine sighed, "I won't go out of my way to tell anyone. Nor will I tell anyone who would use it against him. However," he turned towards her, "I won't lie. If someone from this school asks me, I will answer them honestly."
All Might's face fell as he shook his head, "I don't like asking people to lie but you must understand that the more people who know, the higher the risk is for him. Not just from All for One but so many others."
"Who else knows?" she turned away from him to face the dorms again.
"Only a handful of people. Detective Tsukauchi, my old teacher – Gran Torino, Nedzu, Recovery Girl, Young Bakugou and now you." His shoulders sagged, "And All for One."
Aine took a sharp intake of breath, "Do any of the other members of the League know?"
All Might shook his head, "I don't believe so. He didn't figure it out until our final fight. As he is currently locked in Tartarus, I believe that Midoriya's identity is protected from the League."
The lump of anger began to burn in her chest again.
It was several moments before she could speak, "I will keep this secret for you on my terms. But understand that it is for that child's safety and the safety of his friends." She turned towards him fully, fire burning behind her eyes.
"Make no mistake, All Might, if he or any of these students get hurt because of this…" She stepped closer towards him, her eyes freezing him in place, "I will make sure that you are held personally responsible."
Without allowing him a moment to defend, apologize or even respond, Aine turned and walked away.