It had been two days since the camping trip.
UA was in a frenzy. Security measures were being upgraded left and right. Classes had been canceled for the foreseeable future as the teachers spent their days in multiple unproductive, painful meetings discussing how on earth Class 1-A had been subjected to yet another targeted attack.
Surprisingly, the media hadn't gotten wind of the story yet, and Kaminari was pretty sure he knew why. This was a bad look for UA. Sure, there was something to be said that this class had so much potential that villains were attacking them before they even began their internships. However, at the end of the day, a group of teenagers had still been assaulted on the school's watch, and during a training exercise, no less.
If this story were to get out, the backlash for UA would be unreal. The USJ incident had been presented as a story of incredible perseverance and triumph, ultimately resulting in a stunning victory and displaying to the world just how strong their future protectors would be. It put Class 1-A in the spotlight, which was good for UA's image (and the Hero Commission, by extension), and wrapped everything up in a nice little bow.
Now, this...this was pure negligence. The training grounds the students had been expected to live off for two weeks weren't secure. At the end of the day, there was no reason why so many unauthorized personnel would've been able to get into what was supposed to be a safe and secure area full of children.
Which, granted, Kaminari figured was probably the point. If what his friends had said was true, then this entire stunt had been planned by the Hero Commission, but that just didn't make sense. Furthermore, this story getting published would take a huge toll on their reputation. It was a well-known fact that the Hero Commission had at least some jurisdiction over the training exercises the students of UA participated in, and there were bound to be fingers pointed if word of this incident got out. For all the shady business going on behind the scenes, the last thing they needed was to be scrutinized by the public eye.
Plus, why the fuck would the Hero Commission try to kidnap a whole group of kids in the first place?
Kaminari just didn't get it. He'd been part of numerous con jobs, black market deals, and shady operations, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see the logic behind any of this.
Oh yeah. Speaking of Kaminari, he was in shambles.
It didn't look like it, obviously. On the outside, Kaminari was the perfect picture of indifference. Ever since he'd been 'rescued' by All Might, his facial expression hadn't so much as twitched. Not because he was trying to look like some stone-faced badass, but because he was worried he'd crack under the mental strain of holding so much anger in check as he was led back to the rest of his classmates by his so-called savior.
Kaminari didn't know if revenge was the natural course of action in this situation or if he was just wired that way as an assassin. Still, the urge to rip someone's head off had never been stronger than it was as All Might repeatedly sang his own praises about how he was "so glad I got to Kaminari in time" and how "I can't imagine what would've happened if I wasn't there."
In that regard, Kaminari didn't even think All Might was trying to be malicious. It was the standard post-rescue pep talk. But given that the former Number One Hero had just organized three of his friends, fucking children, to be shot in the head with no hesitation whatsoever...Kaminari just...he couldn't...
His fingernails pierced his skin as the assassin curled his hands into fists to keep himself from breaking All Might's neck in one fell swoop.
And after Class 1-A finally arrived back at the UA dorms, the first thing Kaminari did was bang on Shinsou's door, wait for it to open, and promptly collapse into his arms in one fluid motion.
Kaminari didn't even know how long he stayed there. It could've been minutes, or it could've been hours. All he knew was that the moment his eyes met Shinsou's baggy, unimpressed ones, the moment he laid eyes on the one person he knew he could talk to...
...Kaminari began sobbing like there was no tomorrow.
Shinsou, obviously shocked because he had never seen his friend have such a strong reaction to anything before, pushed his initial confusion aside and simply dragged Kaminari into his room and shut the door behind them.
"Oh. Um, oh wow." Shinsou's fingers were tense as they clutched Kaminari's shoulders, but he didn't let go for fear that if he did, his friend would crumple to the floor. "Uh, here. Okay. It's okay. Let's just sit on my bed. It's...yeah, uh-"
Shinsou carefully pulled Kamianri towards the cot in the corner of the room, delicately removing his fingers as he gently pushed the blond against the plethora of pillows that had amassed at the head of his bed. Kaminari simply followed his movements, not particularly caring about anything enough to protest at his friend's (admittedly awful) attempts to comfort him.
Kaminari knew he was putting his peer in an awkward situation, so in that regard, he couldn't really blame him. Shinsou had never presented himself as a social or emotional person. He was an introvert in every sense of the word, and although he was a fantastic friend to those who cared about him, Shinsou had never been the type of person that people would think to go to when they needed emotional support.
But...in this situation, Kaminari didn't have anyone else to go to. Shinsou was the only one in the school besides Nezu who knew his secret, and Kaminari wasn't about to show up at the principal's office bawling his eyes out and blabbing gibberish about his Hero Commission conspiracy theories. He also couldn't come crying to one of his classmates about the whole ordeal. Even if he kept some details private, he couldn't very well fabricate a story about being traumatized by the ambush when he'd been cool as a cucumber during the entire attack.
So that left Shinsou.
"I'm sorry."
Apologies were the first thing out of Kaminari's mouth.
"This is so stupid, and really it doesn't concern you at all, but I needed someone to go to, and you-"
"No, no, hey-" Shinsou seemed startled at the sudden barrage of half-hearted pleas for understanding. "It's okay. I get it." There was a moment of silence. "I'm...please correct me if I'm wrong, but this has to do with your...past, right? That's why you couldn't go to anyone else?"
"Yeah." Kaminari nodded. He was honestly a pathetic sight. The blond couldn't remember the last time he'd really let go like this. Crying had been frowned upon, obviously, during his childhood, and he'd never been the type to shed tears over scrapes and bruises as a kid (once again, for obvious reasons). Letting his emotions loose like this didn't feel...good, but...Kaminari was honestly afraid of what he'd do with all his pent-up anger and frustration if he didn't let it out somehow.
And since he didn't exactly have access to a punching bag he could box to pieces or a villain whose neck he could snap, Kamianri figured that crying was the third-best thing.
Thinking back, the last time he'd ever shed tears like this was when he'd been forced to confess his secret to Shinsou. Ironic.
"Is this about the ambush?" Shinsou, bless his heart, spoke slowly, as if he was afraid any mention of the past few days would set Kaminari off. "Was that for you? Are you in danger?"
"I don't know," Kaminari answered truthfully. "Honestly. I wish I could tell you." He wiped his eyes. Electricity crackled as his tears touched his fingertips, sizzling away into nothing.
Shinsou didn't say anything. His gaze was pitiful, eyebrows scrunched together and fingers drumming on his knees as if he wanted to reach out to Kaminari and comfort him but he didn't know how.
"It's complicated, I guess," Kaminari spoke again after a few moments of deliberation. Revealing everything he knew currently would undoubtedly put Shinsou in danger. Still, he couldn't really burst into his friend's room crying and then leave without an explanation. Kaminari at least owed him that much, if not for Shinsou's patience, then for how positively awkward this entire exchange must've been for him. "The attack wasn't for me, but I think it was directed at me? I don't know if that makes sense."
Shinsou just nodded slowly, clearly not understanding but wanting to be at least somewhat supportive nonetheless. "Yeah. Um. It, uh. It doesn't make sense." He cast Kaminari an apologetic look. "Sorry."
Kaminari sighed, though not unkindly. It wasn't like he was exasperated or frustrated at Shinsou for not understanding this thought process. In reality, it was quite the opposite. Kaminari wasn't sure how much of the story he was willing to give away to someone with absolutely nothing to do with the situation. At the end of the day, no matter how complicated the circumstances, it all began and ended with two incredibly powerful groups of people. The assassination ring, and the Hero Commission.
Although these days, it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began.
The point was, even though Kaminari had (regretfully) mastered the art of killing without remorse, he couldn't, in good conscience, throw his friend into a battlefield where he had no place being. More than anyone, Shinsou didn't deserve to get caught in the crossfire that Kaminari had unwittingly created when he'd started his life over at UA.
"Like...the person who sent those thugs didn't intend for them to go after me. It was more like...the person was sending me a message."
Shinsou leaned back a little from where he sat on his bed. His eyes were thoughtful. "So whoever sent this...attack was going after your entire class to show you what they could do?"
Kaminari shrugged, not willing to reveal much more than that in the grand scheme of things. "Something like that. I'm not really sure."
Truthfully, he wasn't. The logistics of the Hero Commission's plan made no sense. Capture as much of Class 1-A as they could? And then what? Kaminari would swoop in and make a grand gesture to save them, thereby revealing his identity? It was understandable for them to take some hostages as a precaution, given that Kaminari could probably out-maneuver and out-fight them all, but all of his class? What was stopping the Hero Commission from just kidnapping only one of his classmates, or even just a random child off the street for that matter?
Surely, since they already knew his real name, the Hero Commission didn't think Kaminari was a total monster, right? Plus, why go through the trouble of capturing nineteen of the most potent teenagers Japan had ever seen? There had to be an easier way for the Hero Commission to get what they wanted (whatever that was).
But Kaminari didn't say any of that. As far as Shinsou knew, the blond was the only thing standing between this school and complete, utter havoc raining down. If Kaminari revealed himself to be so unsure, it would put Shinsou in the uncomfortable position of knowing that something terrible was brewing and that no one could do anything about it.
So Kaminari kept his face straight, eye neutral, and poised composure.
"Do you..." Shinsou spoke after letting his friend's previous words soak in. "Do you know who sent those criminals after you guys?"
Kaminari paused, opened his mouth, and then closed it again in favor of nodding solemnly. "Yeah, I do."
"Can you tell me?"
"I'd rather not."
"Okay."
Kaminari had a hunch that Shinsou had expected an actual answer rather than a deflection.
There was a pause.
"Whoever this person is, are they...related to your old life?" Shinsou's eyebrows creased slightly. "Sorry, I don't quite know how to phrase that-"
"No, it's fine. You're right. It is my old life." Kaminari nodded in affirmation, which seemed to ease his friend's nerves as his facial muscles instantly relaxed. It was kind of endearing, actually. For someone who had been terrified for his life when he'd first learned the truth, Shinsou was very in-tune with whether anything he said might be insensitive or not. "I'm actually not sure how to answer that. But if you're talking about someone like my parents, then no."
"Was it someone who's known who you are for a long time? Like Dabi or Toga?"
Kaminari startled a little. He'd forgotten that he'd told Shinsou about his connections within the League of Villains.
"No."
"So, a new enemy?"
"I guess."
"How did this enemy find out who you are?"
That question was met with silence.
"Did someone betray you?"
Again, Shinsou's only answer was a pair of calm, golden eyes staring straight back at him.
"Do you know who told them?"
Kaminari didn't say anything. His face was a perfect picture of neutrality. Shinsou didn't know anything. He was just assuming.
There was an uncomfortable silence that stretched on for much longer than necessary.
"You didn't tell anyone about me, did you?"
Kaminari's voice wasn't exactly threatening, but it was flat. Almost monotone, if not for the little inflection at the end of his sentence.
"What? No, of course not." To his credit, Shinsou seemed genuinely surprised that his friend would make such an accusation. "I promised you that I wouldn't. I don't break my promises."
"Are you sure?" Kaminari prompted. He didn't break eye contact, waiting until Shinsou turned away to continue. "Not a single soul?"
"No. I would never."
There was a pause.
"I believe you." Kaminari's stone-cold composure melted away like butter. He smiled at Shinsou, who returned it after a few moments of hesitance. "Sorry, man. You can never be too careful, you know?"
"Yeah..." Shinsou seemed confused but not at all nervous. Kaminari respected that. It wasn't that he thought his friend had spilled his secrets all over town. Sure, it was a possibility, but it didn't make much sense. Shinsou was a private person, and it was no secret that he kind of (really) disliked a lot of social interaction. Plus, he wasn't the type to gossip in his free time, and he wasn't someone who would brag about knowing someone famous (more like infamous, but Kaminari preferred the former) but for the principle of it. "I get it. I guess. I don't blame you with everything that's going on."
Kaminari just nodded, rising from Shinsou's bed and offering a slight bow. "Well. I'm sorry for crashing your place, dude. I really appreciate you being there for me throughout all of this."
"Oh." Shinsou blinked. He clearly hadn't been expecting any kind of gratitude for his behavior. "No problem. I don't really think I did much to help you. But if you think so, then I'm glad I did."
Kaminari laughed, lips curving at the edges. "Yeah. Really, Shinsou. I don't say thank you enough for all this. I know it's not easy. Secrets are a lot of weight to carry."
Shinsou shrugged. "I dunno. It's my own fault for compelling you to tell me in the first place." He seemed genuinely at peace with that explanation, so Kaminari didn't protest. "And if it means keeping you here at UA, then I don't mind."
Kaminari just grinned, heart breaking a little at the edges. "Thank you, Shinsou. Truthfully."
Those were the most genuine words Denki Kaminari had ever said in his life.
The blond exited Shinsou's dorm room, slowly shutting the door behind him. He knew he wasn't technically supposed to be in another class's dormitory, especially after such a massive security breach, but Kaminari doubted anyone would've missed him in the thirty minutes he'd spent away from his own quarters. Plus, if they did, he could lie and say Nezu had sent him across the way to get something. That rodent was smart enough to catch on if questioned and would confirm Kaminari's story without missing a beat.
Kaminari frowned as reality slowly washed back over him. The safety of Shinsou's room and the understanding it held faded more and more with each step he took down Class 1-B's corridor.
Although it would've meant losing a trusted ally, a tiny part of Kaminari had actually hoped that Shinsou had spilled the beans about his alias somehow.
It would've made things a lot less confusing.
As a fellow ex-assassin, Kamianri knew the Nezu would never speak a word of his identity to anyone who didn't have any business knowing (which was everyone). It was one of the few unwritten rules in the underground black market that, funnily enough, applied sometimes in school life as well; snitches get stitches (though in the assassination ring, they also ended up in ditches).
Plus, if Nezu had ratted Kaminari out, the blond could simply return the favor. Although the Hero Commission already knew about Nezu's former-assassin status (they had to in order to hire him), Kaminari doubted that anyone else did besides a few stragglers here and there. The news that the principal of one of the top hero schools in the world had once been in the villain circuit would spread like wildfire, ruining Nezu's career in the process.
Plus, Nezu could barely stand the Hero Commission as it was. Kaminari had a hunch that the only reason he'd accepted the position of principal in the first place was so he could raise the next generations of heroes to stand up for what was right, not blindly serve the top 1% like so many heroes had before them.
Other than him and Shinsou, the only people who knew Kaminari's secret (that he knew of) were Toga, Dabi, and Hawks. The only problem with that was, Toga and Dabi wouldn't be caught dead hanging around UA (except for paying Kaminari a visit every once and a while), and Hawks tended to disappear for days at a time and barely spoke with anyone.
Plus, if there were any three people more adamant about keeping Kaminari away from the shit-hole he grew up in, it was them. So they would have no motive for spilling his secret around town. If they had anything to gain, they would've done it already.
Besides, after that whole speech in the woods about how Kaminari had to protect himself from potential traitors in his midst, the blond had a hard time believing that his childhood friends would turn right around and decide that they were going to be hypocrites and fuck over Kaminari's life.
Not to mention that Toga, Dabi, and Hawks had been the ones to warn him that the Hero Commission had somehow figured out his identity in the first place. So if one of them had sold Kaminari out to the higher-ups for some reason, why would they tell him about it instead of deciding to leave him in the dark to figure it out for himself?
Now armed with Shinsou's insistence that he hadn't told anybody about the blond's identity, Kaminari was more confused than ever.
Because he knew who'd ratted him out to the Hero Commission, but despite that major revelation, he still had two questions.
Firstly, who had told All Might that Denki Kaminari was actually Golden?
And secondly, what the fuck did he gain from exposing Kaminari to the Hero Commission?
xxx
Kaminari knew it was All Might the moment he'd stepped into that clearing and clapped him on the shoulder, all smiles and praises despite standing amidst three children with blood pooling from their heads.
Although Kaminari and Todoroki had watched nearly every telenovela under the sun, their favorites almost always contained an episode or two about a missing spouse, a murdered mistress, or a deceiving maid who'd stolen an heiress' favorite piece of jewelry and made off in a mad dash.
Kaminari always found those episodes the most compelling. Todoroki probably had his own reasons for enjoying the chaos of the main cast hiring a private investigator and scrambling around for clues, but Kaminari was always drawn to the mystery. He had an analytical mind, whether by nature or by design, and he enjoyed the challenge of predicting the script and guessing who or where the culprit was before the show revealed it.
He liked the peace of it. Despite his time in the assassination ring, Kaminari hadn't encountered many mysteries. Sure, he'd probably dropped in on more than a few shady drug deals and government conspiracies, but he supposed he'd promptly killed everyone in the room before he could actually gauge the logistics of it. So solving victimless mysteries with blankets piled on top of him and Todoroki steadily munching away on whatever his snack of the night was wasn't a bad way to spend his time.
Plus, Kaminari always relished the Ah Ha! moment he felt whenever he finally figured out the culprit without the telenovela revealing it first. He lived for the nights where he could spoil the ending for Todoroki and then refuse to tell him how he'd known.
This was nothing like that.
Instead of a light bulb going off in his head, Kaminari had nearly fallen over as the weight of the revelation crushed him where he stood. Then, all at once, as soon as All Might's hand had touched Kaminari's shoulder, the pieces had clicked into place.
Kaminari had felt like he was going to be sick. He almost had, right on All Might's obnoxiously shiny boots, but the wave of anger that followed had quickly drowned out any remaining nausea.
It took all of Kaminari's wits for him to keep it together. His mind had reverted back to its primal form, assessing the situation as it was and pushing any emotional attachment to the side. His perception of the once-great hero had changed in an instant. As far as Kaminari knew, All Might was not only a danger to him, but to his peers. Of course, he would've liked to think otherwise. Still, it wasn't a stretch to say that the Number One Hero could've personally approved the attack on Class 1-A for one twisted reason or another.
Midoriya probably had immunity, given that he was All Might's protege and was basically a father figure to the kid, but there was no telling what he felt about the other kids in Class 1-A. How many times had his broad smile and hopeful attitude been fake? How many times had he been cheering them on and singing their praises when it was just a cover-up for the utter contempt and disgust he felt for them?
Kaminari knew he was probably overreacting, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. Like it or not, All Might was an enemy to him now. An enemy who had betrayed his trust and endangered his livelihood.
An enemy who Kaminari now had to corner and confront in the confines of his own school.
He'd been psyching himself up for this moment since they'd left the clearing in the woods. He'd kept telling himself that if he held his emotions in now, he could unleash all the rage, pain, and sadness he'd been bottling up for the past two days all at once.
Kaminari was owed an explanation; he'd been thinking rationally enough to know that much. He, unlike All Might, actually gave people a chance to explain themselves before automatically sending them to their doom. He didn't jump to stupid fucking conclusions that could have potentially life-altering consequences for all involved.
Although, there really weren't a lot of conclusions to jump to here. All Might had betrayed him. He'd somehow learned Kaminari's secret, told the Hero Commission without giving a shit about what this might do to Kaminari's life, and then turned around and murdered three of his oldest friends.
Kaminari sighed as he made his way to All Might's office. Despite everything, his heart was heavy.
It was going to be hard slitting the throat of the man he'd once looked up to.
Knowing that he was fulfilling his parents' legacy would be even harder. Kaminari had escaped them so long ago, yet their grip on him had never quite loosened all the way.
He'd been brought into this world for the sole purpose of defeating the once-unbeatable Number One Hero.
And here he was, so many years later, mentally preparing himself to kill that very same hero if his betrayal was anything other than absolutely necessary.
Kaminari had three knives on him; one strapped to his thigh, one hidden in his sleeve, and the other casually stuffed into his pants pocket.
He knocked on the office door.
He didn't wait for an answer.
"Ah!" All Might didn't even look up from the papers he was reading. "Kaminari! I didn't expect to see you here. If you've come here about office hours, unfortunately, they're closed. Since classes are canceled because of the ambush, you can use the time off to catch up on homework and focus on your studies. If you still have questions, we can revisit them once office hours open back up. Now, if you wouldn't mind le-"
"Cut the shit." Kaminari's voice was sharp enough to draw blood. He let the office door swing shut, uncaring as the slam reverberated through the halls. No one was in the corridor. If Kaminari planned this right, all of the other teachers in the building should be at the UA safety conference for at least the next two hours, maybe three if Nezu decided to go on one of his tangents. "That's not why I'm here."
"Kaminari!" To the untrained eye, All Might seemed unfazed at the sudden intrusion. However, Kaminari knew better. He could see past the well-constructed mask of confidence and poise the hero wore. There were chips around the edges, smile lines that suddenly became a little too tight, eyes that twitched more and more with every passing second, and the fingers that had once been flipping through pieces of paper reaching down under the desk to press the little red emergency button. All Might knew what he was in for, and that just made Kaminari all the angrier. "I find it unprofessional to swear in front of a teacher. I nearly got suspended for it myself back in my school days. Don't tell anyone, though! I wouldn't want to ruin my perfect reputation, am I right? So we can just keep this our little secret."
Kaminari didn't say anything. Instead, he simply watched, eyes cool and calculated, as All Might's voice became faster and faster, his words beginning to slur together as he realized that the panic button he'd been frantically pressing for the past fifteen seconds clearly wasn't working.
All Might was out of his prime. He only had a few more spurts of power left. The rest was already residing inside Midoriya, a fountain of untouched potential that Kaminari was sure he'd make use of one day. As it stood now, All Might had next to no chance against Kaminari, and if the fact that he could now audibly hear the pro-hero jamming his finger against the underside of his desk in an attempt to muscle the button into working was any indication, no one knew that better than him.
Kaminari let this go on for about five more seconds before he spoke again.
"It won't work." He hardly even recognized his own voice. It sounded borderline bloodthirsty. "Every time you press that panic button, the electricity that's supposed to run through those wires and up into the alarm system has redirected itself to me. No matter how many times you touch it or how hard you try to catch me off guard, it's not. Going. To work."
"Are you going to kill me?" All Might finally gave up on trying the button and sat back in his swivel chair. He seemed to regain a bit of composure after the initial shock wore off from seeing Kaminari barge into his office and demand hypothetical explanations. "Take my life?"
"Maybe." Kaminari didn't take his eyes off All Might's. He didn't exactly sneer, but it was definitely something close. "It would only be fair. You pretty much ended mine the second you told the Hero Commission who I was."
There was a pause.
"You won't kill me." Kaminari could see that All Might was unsure of his statement, but his words were filled with underlying conviction. "You're not that person anymore."
"And what the fuck do you know about me?" Kaminari hissed. His eyes narrowed into slits. "Nothing. You know nothing. You may know who I am. You may know what I used to do. You may know who I used to be. But you know nothing about me."
"I know Denki Kaminari." All Might said simply. He gazed at his student with wary eyes, suddenly looking much more exhausted than he ought to during this time of day. "I'd like to think that's enough."
"It's not," Kaminari responded harshly. "Do you think I'm some dumb, happy-go-lucky kid? Do you think I smile wherever I go? Do you think I'm so useless that I'm incapable of handling myself in a fight? Of keeping my powers in check? Of being anything more than below average? Because that's the Denki Kaminari you know, and I am not him."
All Might sighed heavily. His hands were shaking, his neck was sweating, and his leg was jittering, but other than that, he looked no different from the kind, caring teacher he'd always been.
Kaminari hated that.
"Look." He said finally. "This is much bigger than you, Kaminari."
"Much bigger than me?!" Kaminari exploded. He slammed his hands down on the desk, a sick feeling of satisfaction coiling in his gut as he saw All Might flinch. As he pulled away, the knife the blond had hidden in his sleeve fell loose, clattering to the ground and landing at his feet. Kaminari barely even spared it a glance. It didn't matter now. It only further accentuated how far he was willing to go.
"What the fuck does that mean? In case you haven't noticed, this entire thing is me. Don't try to feed me some bullshit about how I'm 'too young to understand' and use your pathetic brain. The Hero Commission asked about me. I am the one they want. The League of Villains? They're after me. Every time UA has been targeted is because someone is trying to get to me. And do you know what I do? I protect your shitty school with everything I have because my business is none of anyone else's business. And how do you repay me? You put yourself smack in the middle of something you can't even begin to comprehend and then have the audacity to say that it's bigger than me."
Kaminari knew he should stop. He'd made his point. He was here to question, intimidate, and, if it came down to it, exterminate. Letting his emotions get the best of him right now would be a bad move.
But this was a fire that'd been burning inside him for the past two days, and he'd be damned if he put it out now.
"We learned about me in class. Did you know that?" Kaminari stared straight into All Might's eyes, burning holes in his skull. "The great Golden, the assassin extraordinaire. And guess what? Your stats aren't accurate. You have no idea how many people I've killed. You have no idea what things I've been forced to do. You're walking blind here, All Might. I was designed to kill you. You may have been the Number One Hero, but you have absolutely no idea what I'm capable of."
"Exactly." All Might's voice was shaky as he attempted to refute Kaminari's rant. "You're Golden. You're a murderer. I had-"
"You didn't have to do anything!" Before All Might could react, Kaminari swooped down to pick his knife up from the ground and bury it into the wood of the desk, eyes blazing. "Do you see this knife? I got it the day before I started at UA as a congratulations gift to myself. Guess how many people I've killed with it."
It wasn't a question. It was a demand.
All Might blinked, eyes never leaving the blade. "I don't-"
"NONE!" Kaminari didn't even let him finish. "I've only taken one assassination job since I joined UA. I killed a rapist named Hisoka and used the bounty on his head to pay my tuition. I'm not a murderer. I'm- When I was Golden, I had no choice in the matter. I didn't-"
He stopped. Kaminari pursed his lips. Everything was moving too fast. He hated how weak he was right now. He hated how much it sounded like he was begging, pleading with his teacher to understand his circumstances.
"You always have a choice to do the right thing." All Might muttered.
However, his words lacked conviction.
"Do you have any idea how stupid you sound?" Before he could second guess himself, Kaminari tugged at his shirt to expose the assassin insignia branded on his collarbone. "You have no idea what it's like down there in the underground. It's so easy for you to preach all that bullshit when you have a choice, but down there, we don't. I would've rather died than go through what I was put through. And I tried, but they didn't let me."
Kaminari's voice cracked there, but his eyes were still stony.
"My parents are Scarlet Killer and Livewire."
All Might sucked in a sharp breath. "Your-"
"Yes." Kaminari nodded solemnly, noting the way his teacher's face blanched. "They started training me when I was three years old. They would starve me to increase the time I could go without food. They would beat me to the brink of death and tell me that they were building up my pain tolerance. I drank poison more than I did water. They hurt me and broke me in every way possible so I could start assassinating for them at seven years old and make a name for myself. Make a name for them."
Kaminari sighed bitterly. "I was nothing more than their little pet. If I didn't do what they wanted, they would make me wish I was dead. Then, when I was on the brink of death, they would bring me back just to hit me, stab me, and electrocute me all over again. If my quirk helped me resist it, they would just up the voltage until my insides were nearly fried. And do you know what the worst part is? It worked."
Kaminari then yanked down his collar a little lower, exposing the upper part of his shoulder and the myriad of scars that lay there. All Might sucked in a breath. The younger held his gaze. Kaminari had no doubt that his teacher had heard of his scars, either from students in passing or during his little 'self-harm' fiasco, but this was the first time he'd be seeing them in person.
"I'm the best fucking assassin the world has ever seen. I don't even have a fucking pain tolerance anymore. I can go without food or water for days longer than a normal person can. I can reach unprecedented levels of power with my quirk. I'm immune to any and every poison. If every student in this school decided to attack me with their full strength simultaneously, I don't think I'd have any problems taking them down."
"Be as that may," All Might started slowly. "You can't expect me not to report something like this to the Hero Commission. It's-"
"It's bullshit." Kaminari finished for him. The words tasted sour in his mouth. "You're bullshit. You can't keep switching up your story every five seconds and expect me to trust you. You can't claim to 'know' that Denki Kaminari wouldn't kill you and then try to tell me that you ratted me out because you thought I was dangerous."
Truth be told, Kaminari had actually considered the possibility that this 'betrayal' hadn't actually been a betrayal at all. All Might reporting the whereabouts of Golden to the Hero Commission was a sensible thing to do in retrospect, primarily since the assassin in question was residing in the top hero school in the country. If his teacher had told the Hero Commission his identity out of pure concern for the well-being of his students, Kaminari would've accepted that and dealt with the situation however he saw fit.
But there was something more to this story. All Might was lying through his teeth, and Kaminari didn't appreciate it one bit. The pro-hero had gone from trying to sympathize with him to gaslighting him to trying to paint him as some cold-blooded killer who was a 'danger' to the stability of UA.
Of course, Kamianri was sure that All Might had had at least some reservations. It wasn't every day that he found out that one of his students was among the most dangerous assassins the world had ever seen. Kaminari had painted the perfect picture of innocence, building a rapport with his teachers and classmates. The love he held for each of them was real, but ultimately, the foundation upon which it was built was fake.
It was only natural for All Might to doubt Kaminari's intentions, and Kaminari knew that. Thus, he was almost positive that his teacher had, at the very least, entertained the idea of him being a double agent or a spy for the underground villain circuit.
Kaminari wasn't a good person. He knew that. His little sob story hadn't been him trying to convince All Might that he was someone who should hold no responsibility for his actions. He'd just been trying to make his teacher understand that he'd had no choice in the matter. Despite everything, Kaminari still struggled with that. He'd gotten choked up while talking about his background, but that wasn't because of all the trauma or gory details. All the things that happened to him didn't really bother him that much, all things considered. If he was a normally functioning human being, then sure, maybe, but he'd been desensitized to most of that stuff before he could even ride a bike.
In reality, those tears he could feel in his throat were tears of frustration. First, Kaminari was angry he was in this position that could've been so easily avoidable had All Might just talked to him. He was frustrated that if it came down to using his knives, he could never return to UA or see his friends again. Finally, he was...sad that his mere presence at this school had made things so much harder for so many people.
He turned his gaze back on All Might with renewed vigor. He ran his eyes over his teacher, examining every crease and crevice in his face. "You feel guilty. I can see it in your eyes. You don't actually think you're doing the right thing." He leaned closer. "In fact, I don't think you know what you're doing at all."
All Might stayed silent. Kaminari let him, fully content with waiting in awkward silence if that was what it took to make the pro-hero squirm.
"I had to." All Might said finally. His voice was quiet. Shaky. Kaminari just frowned, the gears in his head turning a mile a minute at the uncharacteristic behavior. "It wasn't an accident. They...asked me to investigate you."
What.
Now that caught Kaminari off guard. He'd been expecting a sob story about having to trade information for power, wealth, or to stay in the spotlight even though his strength was no more. But...he'd been asked to investigate Kaminari? Why him? Aside from a few slip-ups here and there, which, mind you, were only in the presence of his friends and were inconsequential enough that they'd been brushed away without much thought, Kaminari was perfect. He'd covered his tracks with precision that Iida could only dream of possessing. He'd cut all ties with his past and wrapped up as many loose ends as he could, all while maintaining the facade of a below-average UA student.
He shouldn't have even been on The Hero Commission's radar. He'd never presented himself as anything less than ordinary and never given anyone a reason to think otherwise. He was surrounded by people like Bakugou, Midoriya, and Todoroki. They all had displayed much more outright power and grit in simple training sessions than Kaminari had ever, and he was the one being investigated?
No. That was impossible. There's no way that someone didn't tip them off.
"Why?" Kaminari finally found his words. This could not be happening right now. "Why me?"
"They..." It was clear that All Might was trying to choose his words carefully. "They suspected that you weren't who you said you were."
No no no no no no no no no-
"I told them they were crazy." All Might continued. "But the more I started watching you, the more I saw. You didn't accel in...anything. Your test scores never improved, no matter how many required study sessions you attended. Your combat skills were always in the middle of the pack. You didn't stand out at all. Whenever your class was taught a new move, you'd be sloppy at first, just like everyone else, but within a week, you'd be performing it easily. Just like everyone else."
Kaminari just stared. "I don't see the problem."
"The problem was, I saw the other students progress. Throughout each training session, I saw each of your classmates' forms improving. They would ask teachers for help with their technique, practice during their free time, and gradually fix the kinks in their movements. But with you, there was no progression. During each training session, you would chat with your friends, practice the move, and accept their constructive criticism with a laugh and a smile. Yet you never gave any back. It was like you didn't care at all about improving your combat during training. Yet, you would perform well in the training evaluation at the end of the week. Not incredibly. Not badly. Just well."
"So what?" Kaminari still didn't know exactly what to say to all this. Was All Might insinuating that he'd uncovered his identity because he'd been too good at covering his tracks? What the hell kind of logic was that? "You never saw me train, and suddenly a light bulb went off in your head? Did you wake up one morning and think, 'holy shit, the only explanation for this impossible phenomenon is that Kaminari must be an assassin! Why didn't I think of this before?!' Do you really expect me to believe that?"
"It's not just that." All Might shook his head. "You never gave your friends any pointers when training with them."
"Obviously." Kaminari shot back. He didn't even know why he was defending himself (after all, it was useless now that his teacher knew his identity), but he just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that someone had actually figured out who he was from something as stupid as this. "I'm the class goofball. Who would take any pointers from me seriously? If you were to ask Yaoyorozu and me a question and we both had different answers, who do you think people will trust more, huh?"
"I thought nothing of it at first, too." All Might responded. "But the more I started looking into it, the more I noticed that you didn't really contribute towards those types of things at all. For example, you never claimed to be stronger than anyone else despite the cocky banter thrown around by your classmates."
"Maybe I was just humble."
"You didn't offer any input whenever the topic of villains was brought up in class or in the dorms."
"What self-respecting teenager would want to spend their afternoon talking about criminals?"
"You never seemed to accel in any educational aspects of this school. You were always average. Whenever your fellow struggling students wanted to study together, you could never answer any of the questions they had regarding your homework."
"Are you serious? That wasn't me trying to conceal my massive intelligence or something. I'm dyslexic, which is something I'm shocked you haven't figured out by now, given that you're my teacher. And I'm flattered that your assumptions about me being a super-genius were enough for you to somehow discover my identity, but I was a little too busy killing people and trying to stay alive to get a proper education."
"You-" All Might's voice faltered, clearly not anticipating this new information. "You've...never been to school before? And you got into UA? How-"
"Another thing." Kaminari ignored his teacher completely, narrowing his eyes and giving him a once-over. "Exactly how long have you been 'investigating' me? There's no way you could notice that many details about me in just a few weeks, and I would've been able to sense your presence if you followed me anywhere privately."
"It's been a while." All Might admitted. His voice dropped an octave. "A little after the USJ incident, I think."
Kaminari went white.
It had been that long? It was no wonder All Might had noticed all these things about him. The USJ incident had been ages ago. His teacher had had months upon months to keep a close eye on Kaminari during classroom hours and training sessions. No matter how good Kaminari was, it was impossible for anyone to completely hide a secret as big as his when someone scrutinized his every move for eight hours a day, every day, for months. All Might had been bound to pick up on at least some of the weird behaviors Kaminari had adopted from his previous life.
But still. All of the evidence All Might had laid out shouldn't have been nearly enough for him to reopen a years-old cold case and deduce that loveable moron Kaminari was the feared assassin and cold-blooded killer named Golden. That was probably the last conclusion that any sane person would jump to, especially considering that, according to Mr. Aizawa, the Hero Commission still thought that Golden was a girl (up until recently, that is. Kaminari supposed that when Aizawa had given his lesson, either his information had been outdated or the Hero Commission were purposely keeping their speculations a secret).
All Might twisted his hands together, gauging Kaminari's reaction. "After a few months of watching you, I reported my findings. I thought they were inconsequential, nothing more than normal teenage quirks, but the Hero Commission thought otherwise. That was when they told me that they suspected that you were Golden."
"How?" The words were out of Kaminari's mouth before he could stop them.
"They told me that Golden had a bounty on his head and that certain people in the assassination ring would really appreciate seeing him again." There was an uncomfortable pause. All Might's words were laced with guilt. His eyes sunk downwards until he was staring at his desk, looking much more pathetic than any pro-hero should, retired or not. "They wanted to turn you over to those people and collect the bounty for the benefit of the Hero Commission."
xxx
"What?!"
Out of everything Kaminari had been expecting to hear, that certainly wasn't one of them. He'd known the Hero Commission was corrupt, but this was unheard of. Usually, their treachery occurred deep in the underground villain circuit. Shady, high-ranking heroes would pay criminals with powerful quirks to permanently injure other heroes in hopes of eliminating the competition and climbing up the popularity ladder.
Unfortunately, with that, many people who ran the Hero Commission knew all about the abuse, torture, and innocent children residing in the assassination ring, yet chose to turn a blind eye for no reason other than they didn't want to waste any of their precious funds on 'vermin.'
Kaminari had learned from a very young age that his parents were some of the principle negotiators in dealing with the Hero Commission. Men in black suits and women in spikey heels had haunted his dreams for a long time. With them came the overpowering stench of dried blood and laundry detergent, a disturbing combination that spoke volumes about what kind of people they were.
But that was all under the radar. On the inside, the Hero Commission was equally as corrupt as the underground black market. However, on the outside, it was a pillar of hope, a symbol of peace and prosperity that helped the common folk get through these challenging times.
But this...if the Hero Commission really did plan to simply fork him over to his parents, what would their cover story be? Even if the general public accepted that one of the students from Class 1-A had chosen to drop out of the hero course to move back in with his parents, his friends wouldn't. As far as they knew, his parents were dead. Plus, all of Kaminari's classmates had seen his scars and knew (at least partially) about the physical trauma he had endured thanks to his mother and father. There was absolutely no way in hell that they would believe anything along those lines if Kaminari were to suddenly disappear.
And what if they decided to tell the truth? That Denki Kaminari was actually the most dangerous assassin in the history of the business and that they'd disposed of him? That would be insinuating that a 'villain' had somehow slipped under the Hero Commission's radar and had managed to infiltrate what was supposed to be the safest top hero school in the country. It would be bad publicity, and the media would tear the story to shreds. The Hero Commission wanted to stay popular with the people they ruled over, and by doing that, they could show no weakness.
So what would they say? What was their goal? What would they do here?
"Kaminari?" All Might's voice was strangely tentative. He seemed nervous, unsure of his student's reaction to the bombshell he'd just dropped on him.
Kaminari glanced upwards, having not even realized that his gaze had fallen. After his initial outburst, he'd been silent for nearly a minute. He should probably say something before All Might got the wrong idea and clamped up again before he could tell him any more details.
"Sorry." Kaminari shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to clear the fog from his mind. He was surprised to find that he sounded calm despite the storm raging inside of him. "Sorry. It's just a lot. I'm good." Then, after a moment of contemplation, asked, "So, what? They suspected I was Golden, but they clearly didn't have enough evidence to take me into custody or kidnap me. Did your little observations tip them over the edge or something?"
"Not...exactly."
Kaminari's lips curled downwards. "What do you mean by not exactly."
"I think when I told them what I'd seen after months of watching you, the Hero Commission decided that they trusted me enough to let me in on what was really going on. They still didn't know who Golden was, but they knew he was much closer than they ever expected. They seemed to think it was you based on some information they acquired through the black market or something."
Eh. Kaminari supposed that wasn't impossible. Of course, the situation was still shit, but he liked that possibility much better than the prospect of Nezu or one of his old friends from the assassination ring ratting him out. There were a few compelling and high-ranking villains who knew what he'd looked like in his younger years. While he was pretty sure none of them had given the Hero Commission his full name since they still weren't confident about his identity, it wasn't far-fetched that they could've struck a deal with one of these villains and exchanged money for information.
All For One was one of the few people (if you could even call him that) that knew pretty much everything there was to know about the blond. Kaminari suspected that the only reason he hadn't come after him himself was that the elder simply didn't care enough. Although All For One and his parents sometimes acted as business partners, Kaminari imagined that the former liked that Scarlet Killer and Livewire were without their secret weapon. If nothing else, it gave him a sense of power over them.
But, on the other hand, Kaminari knew All For One well enough to know that the man wasn't above spilling some information for a price. Of course, the blond didn't know if the villain had any personal connections with the Hero Commission, but he'd be lying if he said that he would be surprised if All for One did.
"After I heard their plan, I refused to help them anymore." All Might continued after a brief pause as he let Kaminari gather his thoughts. "Even if you were Golden, the Hero Commission didn't want to capture you to bring justice to all of your...victims-" Both parties visibly cringed at that word. "-but because they wanted to doom you to a life of torture and pain for a sum of money to keep their campaign going. That's cruel and unusual punishment. And that's illegal."
Kaminari stayed silent.
"And I didn't think you deserved that. I didn't know your story at the time, but I'd heard about your scars, and I couldn't imagine you would take another human life willingly without some kind of threat hanging over your head." And then, in a lower voice, "And if the timeline in the casefiles I'd read were correct, you were only seven when your status as an assassin became active. No seven-year-old kills just for the fun of it. So, I was done. I wasn't going to help them condemn you to a place worse than death."
Kaminari didn't say anything. He knew what was coming. The air stunk of the betrayal he'd been so desperately hoping to avoid.
"But then...they threatened Midoriya."
"Holy- of course."
The words were out before Kaminari could stop himself, but he supposed it didn't matter now. All semblance of secrecy between him and All Might had been lost for a while. So it was only fair he let his teacher in on the fact that he knew his little secret too.
"Wha- what do you mean 'of course?'" All Might seemed genuinely taken aback by Kaminari's acceptance of his explanation. He halted his own retelling of the events in favor of staring wide-eyed and surprised at his student. "Do you know..."
Kaminari ignored him. This made so much sense. He'd completely forgotten that Hawks had told him that he'd heard the Hero Commission mention Midoriya along with him. At first, Kaminari had just written his off as some other topic of conversation unrelated to his secret identity, which, admittedly, was a rookie move by him. Kaminari knew that All For One was absolutely crazy about the power that Midoriya possessed, and although he didn't know for sure, it wasn't a stretch to say that he'd somehow figured out who was the current user.
Of course, Kaminari couldn't be sure about anything. This situation was still so bizarre and full of 'what ifs' that the only things he could rely on were his instincts, his gut, and the tingle on the back of his neck to stay on top of everything that was happening. However, it would make sense if the Hero Commission had somehow bought out All For One (Kaminari definitely wouldn't put fraternizing with one of the greatest villains Japan's ever seen past them) and gotten the clues about Golden's identity as well as the information about Midoriya to blackmail All Might into helping them with their investigation.
"Oh." Kaminari suddenly became increasingly aware that his teacher hadn't said anything in a good thirty seconds, clearly waiting for an explanation for his reaction. "Yeah. I know about One For All. I figured it out within my first week at UA."
"How-"
"It was my job to know those types of things," Kaminari responded smoothly, unwilling to dive much deeper. They still had a lot of things to discuss, and, frankly, depending on how the rest of their conversation turned out, he still wasn't sure whether he'd be leaving this room without bloodstained hands and a heavy heart. "Also, you're not...exactly subtle with your favoritism."
"...Right." All Might sounded genuinely perplexed, struggling to comprehend how in the world someone could figure out his and his protege's secret as if the way he peeked around corners and watched Midoriya train from a distance wasn't already a big enough giveaway. He cleared his throat. "Right. Well, that'll make this next part a lot easier to explain, I guess."
"I bet," Kaminari responded, and then he was back in business mode. "Keep going. Tell me what happened."
All Might just smiled weakly, clearly a little disturbed by his student's sudden demeanor shift, but he continued nonetheless. "As I was saying. They told me they knew about One For All when I threatened to walk out on them. They said that they were intrigued by how my power worked, and that the only reason they let the issue drop for so long was that I was doing good publicity for them. But then they mentioned Midoriya and how now that he possessed One For All, they had no reservations about bringing him in for experiments under the pretense of a 'special internship.' I couldn't...wouldn't...let that happen. So I had to keep helping them. Unless I wanted my successor whisked away to a lab to be poked and prodded with needles for the rest of his life, I had no choice."
Kaminari frowned, but beyond that, his face showed no emotion. "So? How did you figure out I was Golden?"
"Well...I waited for a while. I didn't really do anything for a couple of months. I just...waited to see if you would slip up."
"Hm. And how'd that work out for you?"
"Not great." Guilt was bleeding into All Might's voice. It was clear he felt remorse for his actions. Kaminari honestly wasn't sure how he felt about that. "But...the Hero Commission kept hounding me. I am a proud man, but I can't just sit by while one of my students is threatened."
Kaminari had to cringe at how ironic that sounded. "Right."
"Right." There was an awkward pause. "The first thing I did was during one of your class's training sessions. If I remember correctly, you and your classmates had to distinguish poison from a harmless substance. It was called the Immortal Lock, I believe. I'd been told by the Hero Commission that Golden was familiar with it."
"So what?" Kaminari prompted. He remembered that training exercise clearly. He'd downed a whole bottle of that awful stuff like there was no tomorrow, then tried to play it off to his (rightfully concerned) screaming classmates. "For all you know, I drank the other stuff. The bottles had been moved around and touched by everyone. There's no way you could keep track of which one was which."
"Exactly." All Might said slowly. He seemed cautious. Kaminari narrowed his eyes. "I thought of that. That's why I put the poison in both bottles."
"What the FUCK?!" Kaminari exploded, slamming his hands down on the desk. "Are you serious right now? All Might, that is the worst possible fucking thing you could do! What the fuck would you have done if someone else had taken a gamble and decided to drink it? They would've had a 100% chance of death, and it would've been your fault!" There was an angry pause as Kaminari heaved from the impromptu outburst, trying to simultaneously catch his breath and gather his thoughts. "And what do you mean that was the first thing you did? Was drinking the deadliest poison alive not enough proof that I was an assassin?"
"It was reckless." All Might said simply, but his eyes betrayed his true feelings. He'd clearly considered the 'what ifs,' and it had taken a toll on his morality as a human being, much less as the former Number-One Hero. "But it worked. Your classmates were frustrated because they couldn't distinguish the two. Finally, you got fed up and drank one. No one got hurt."
"Once again," Kamianri snapped, "was that not enough proof for you?"
"I...couldn't be sure." All Might responded carefully. "I could've accidentally swapped one of the jars with the poison and the one with the harmless substance. But, on the other hand, maybe the poison was too watered down. I didn't know if a person with an electricity quirk drinking a liquid affected anything about it."
"So you were in denial," Kaminari said bluntly.
"I guess you could say that." All Might grimaced. "But the Hero Commission wouldn't stop hounding me to investigate further. So, I planned ahead and invited Hawks to UA."
"Why Hawks?" Kaminari said immediately. He narrowed his eyes.
To this, All Might simply shrugged. "The Hero Commission wouldn't tell me. All they said was that Golden had some connection to Hawks and that I should invite him to UA to see how you acted around him." His body language was sincere. He wasn't lying. The Hero Commission genuinely hadn't told him anything.
Strange.
Speaking of, Kaminari wasn't sure how he felt about the Hero Commission knowing Keigo's connection to him. Keigo had always been unpredictable, and he toed the line between the metaphorical light and dark sides more than he cared to admit. It was incredibly possible that he'd let the Hero Commission know about his work in the underground villain circuit and had somehow mentioned his relationship with Golden in passing.
But still. For being the Number-Two Hero, Keigo was incredibly anti-people-in-power, which was something Kaminari could attest to.
That being said, if Hawks hadn't told anybody about the interworking of his past and yet the Hero Commission had still somehow found out, then that raised some concerns.
It was interesting that they didn't tell All Might anything, though. Clearly, they hadn't played all the cards in their hand just yet. They were keeping Keigo's past a secret for some reason, and Kaminari highly doubted it was because they were using it as blackmail. If they were, Hawks would've found a way to contact him somehow, or at least found out about it while mingling with both villains and heroes in his spare time.
Kaminari was startled out of his thoughts by a tentative knock on the desk separating them.
Kaminari looked up and was met with unsure, watchful eyes. All Might observed him carefully, clearly trying to gauge his reaction. The man still wasn't entirely at ease, but despite all of his admissions of guilt, he seemed to be calm-ish, all things considered.
Kaminari pursed his lips. Clam-ish. "So?" He crossed his arms, voice bordering on genuine curiosity and threatening. "What did you find."
"Nothing." All Might confessed. He offered a half-hearted smile. Kaminari didn't return it. "You greeted one another as if you'd known each other personally, but that was it. I didn't see anything else."
Well, duh. Kaminari had suspected that much. He would've felt All Might's presence if he'd followed him into the woods for his little meet-and-greet with his old friends. At the very least, Kaminari would've felt a pair of eyes on him and been able to slip away from whoever had been watching him.
Toga, Touya, Keigo, and he had been alone that night in the woods. Kaminari was sure of it.
"So? Then what?" Kaminari asked quietly after a few moments. "You suddenly decided that the poison evidence was enough and sent a whole fucking brigade of underground foot soldiers to kidnap 1-A? And for what? In hopes that I would turn myself in? In hopes that my parents would catch wind of it? In hopes of publically exposing me so I can never show my face in Japan again? What kind of monster does that to a teenager?"
'The same kind of monsters who raised you for 13 years,' the voices in Kaminari's head responded.
They weren't wrong.
"Well..." All Might's response (or lack thereof) answered his question for him.
"Oh, my fuck." Kaminari ripped the knife from where it'd been stuck in the desk, only to swing it back down again with force equal to the anger that began coursing through his body. Wood splintered everywhere, the strength of the stab making a noticeable crack in the furnishing that stretched down the middle. He'd gone from calm, relaxed, and slightly intimidating to absolutely furious in a matter of seconds when he'd picked up on what All Might was implying. "You're kidding me. You approved that attack? That was all you? You gave the orders for a hoard of villains, all of which were way out of my classmates' league, mind you, to kidnap them? You? Their teacher?"
"I know." All Might's voice broke, suddenly looking oh-so-very tired for a man that hadn't even reached 50 yet. "I know. I've beaten myself up for it so many times. Please, Kaminari, you have to understand." All Might looked up at him, eyes begging, pleading for Kaminari to try and see things from his point of view. "They were threatening Midoriya. They were going to lock him in a lab somewhere for the rest of his life, and our power would be gone for good. I couldn't let them take him. I couldn't-"
"BULLSHIT." Kaminari thought he was going to be ill. He could feel the rage bubbling beneath his skin, the pressure growing and growing with every word uttered from All Might's mouth. "They were going to take all of us. You may think you know what you're doing, All Might, but you don't. I get the heroism. I get that you wanted to protect Midoriya. But you don't send a fucking siege on a bunch of teenagers just to keep one person safe!"
"I know." All Might repeated. He looked like he genuinely felt terrible. That just made Kaminari angrier. "But it was calculated. It was one final test to see how you'd react. The Hero Commission wanted me to see how your fighting style differed from training sessions to when your friends were in danger. They suggested this plan. I approved it. No one would've gotten hurt, I...it was all just for show-"
"Ohmygod." Kaminari didn't even let him finish. Maniacal laughter began spilling out of his mouth before he could stop himself. "Ohmygod. You have no idea how these people think. You have absolutely no idea what the Hero Commission is capable of, do you?"
Kaminari was fully aware that he looked like a crazy person, but he really didn't care. He was nearly in hysterics at the pure frustration and ignorance of it all, his reaction catalyst by the fact that yet another father figure had betrayed him in the most dangerous way possible. Sure, it might not've been All Might's fault that he didn't know fucking anything about how the Hero Commission or the underground villain circuit operated, but that didn't mean it was easy to push down the urge to sock his teacher in the face.
"Those goons you sent after us? I know for a fact they weren't told anything about this being a 'show.' For them, this was real. This was a mission; you'd be damned if they didn't do anything less than their job." Electricity crackled on Kaminari's fingertips. He quickly squeezed his hand into a fist, snuffing out the little lightning bolts before they could evolve into a full-on thunderstorm. "And I know that because I knew three of them, and as soon as they saw me, they told me what was going on and that they wanted out. They were like me. They were the only reason I knew what was going on and the sole reason I could get everyone away from the attack so no one actually got hurt. If they hadn't been there, we wouldn't even be having this conversation right now. I would be dead, and you would be talking to 19 pairs of grieving parents and explaining to them how UA had another security breach that had resulted in the disappearance of their children."
There was a pause as Kaminari caught his breath. He hadn't intended to lose his composure like this, but after what he'd just heard, he didn't particularly care.
"And do you know how you repaid them?" Kaminari didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he pointed square in the middle of his forehead, his fingernail leaving an indent in the skin in his anger. "Three bullets right to their heads. You didn't even give them a fucking chance."
"I-" At this, All Might looked genuinely startled. "I didn't know that they-"
"Spare me the bullshit." Kaminari spat. "I don't care that you didn't know they were just as trapped as I was. I care that you knew I knew them and decided that the perfectly logical thing to do was to put bullets in their brains and then parade me around to my classmates like you were some sort of hero!"
"Oh, Kaminari, I didn't-" All Might's poise was slowly melting away, revealing someone who was oh-so-very unsure in his decisions and in way, way, way over his head. "I figured that you knew them, but I didn't know whether they were friends of yours or foes! I thought that the best course of action was to-"
"See! And there it is again!" Kaminari laughed a dark, humorless laugh. Unbelievable. "Foes? I've had enough of your hypocritical bullshit. In case you forgot, those foes were the people you sent after us! You can't just sic a bunch of criminals on us and then kill them when they follow your orders. You wanted to see how I reacted to an ambush? Fine. I assessed the situation, got my classmates out safely, and found allies within the mob that could give me some insight into what was happening. I reacted like an assassin, okay?! And I don't know why your little organization is so desperate to brand me as such when all of you are just as bad as me."
There was a pause as Kaminari caught his breath. A tiny spark of satisfaction ignited inside his gut at that rant, but it was quickly snuffed out by the tidal wave of frustration rolling through his stomach.
"Maybe even worse." Kaminari's eyes were full of steel and resentment. "I killed people to live. Your bosses kill people because they can."
All Might said nothing. His eyes were trained on his desk, either unable or refusing to make eye contact with his student. Kaminari was sick to his stomach. After all he'd done, the once great Number-One Hero couldn't even look a high schooler in the eye and admit his sins.
"You're not as sneaky as you think, you know," Kaminari said after it became clear that All Might wasn't going to speak anytime soon. His voice was bitter. "As soon as you led me out of those woods, I knew. No pro hero shoots first and asks questions later unless it's vital. And this wasn't vital." Kaminari stared daggers into his teacher's bowed head, silently praying that he could feel the sting of his glare. "You didn't even ask me what was going on or why I was separated from the rest of the group. You didn't need to. You already knew."
"Is that it?" All Might said weakly. He suddenly sounded much, much older than before. "That's all it took? That little thing?"
"No," Kaminari responded simply. "There were a few others. Like the fact that no sane teacher would green-light the training exercises you put us through. Dropping us off in the middle of the woods with no survival training multiple times? How coincidental is it that we seem to be the class with the worst luck in UA history regarding villain attacks? And I should honestly hand over my knives for not seeing the poison ploy earlier and not finding it suspicious that Hawks of all the pro heroes was invited to a UA like it was some resort."
"I'm sorry." All Might whispered. He sounded pitiful.
Kaminari hated that he felt even a twinge of remorse.
He hated even more that all of this could've been avoided with one easy, simple solution.
Fuck you, All Might. Fuck you for making me scream at you and pour my heart out to you all at once.
"You didn't even ask me," Kaminari said quietly. Faintly, he was sure he heard his voice crack, the tidal wave of emotions swirling inside him finally crashing to shore. "All you had to do was ask me. If you had called me into your office, sat me down, and explained the situation, I would've turned myself in."
For the first time in who-knows-how-long, small blue eyes met electric golden ones.
"You can't mean that."
"I do," Kaminari said, and he wasn't surprised to find that he'd never felt so sure about something in his life. "I know what people think of me. I know what people think of Golden. I'm not stupid. I don't try to justify my actions to anyone who knows my secret. I just try to explain them. I'm not a cold, heartless killer who slaughters people for fun. But I'm not a good person either."
All Might said nothing. Kaminari didn't think he could if he tried.
"I hate my existence." The words seemed to echo despite their close proximity. All Might visibly flinched. "My presence alone has put everyone at UA at risk. Sometimes, I want to disappear so all these senseless attacks on them would stop. I've come so close to leaving so many times. But every time, I think to myself that if I stay, I can protect them from any threat that comes their way."
It didn't take a genius to figure out that Kaminari was talking about his classmates.
"It's selfish."
"It's honorable." The words were out before All Might could stop himself.
Kaminari just shrugged. "What do you know of honor."
That jab was enough to make All Might fall silent once again.
"If you'd just told me what was going on, I would've done something about it. I don't know whether I would've dropped off the grid, turned myself in, or something more...drastic, but I would've done something. At this point, I care more about my friends than my own life. The second you would've told me Midoriya was in danger, I would've been gone."
There was a pause.
"When Bakugou was kidnapped by the League of Villains, I was in shambles. By the time he'd been rescued, I was two days away from turning myself in for him. I've thought about these types of things before."
"I'm sorry." All Might whispered once again. Kaminari just pursed his lips.
"It's not your fault." He replied. The atmosphere was suddenly much calmer. "I can't really blame you for it. Even if the idea did cross your mind, I can see how you'd think that telling me you know my alias wasn't a good idea. You would've had no idea how I'd react. So I understand why you wouldn't have wanted to take that risk. I'm more just...angry. At you. At the fact that you claimed to always have known that I was a 'good kid' who didn't deserve to be turned over to the assassination ring, but yet your actions don't reflect that. If you truly thought that, you would've told me everything to begin with, and you wouldn't have had to put anyone else in danger."
"I really do think that you're a good kid, Kaminari." All Might said after a moment. He seemed cautious, but not to the point where he was scared for his life. Remorse lined the edges of his voice, seeping into his words as they hesitantly left his tongue. "Just...not one I would trust not to react badly to the number one hero knowing everything he'd done."
"Yeah. I know." Despite himself, the words sent shivers down Kaminari's spine. He was still teetering on the edge of being angry and absolutely furious, but...he didn't think he could...kill All Might. Not yet. Not now. Not when the pressure of the knives strapped to his body was nothing compared to the weight that had settled on his shoulders. "You really don't know who you're dealing with."
"So you've said." All Might grimaced, the tension returning to his face. "I'm sorry, Kaminari. Truly. I know I'm doing an awful thing by offering one student's life in exchange for another, but..."
"It's fine," Kaminari interjected. He didn't need apologies or pity. The damage was done. Acknowledgment was nice and all, but condolences, especially ones that were essentially for his funeral, weren't really appreciated at the moment. "I've killed people. Because of that, you view Midoriya as someone who deserves life more than I do."
"Kaminari-"
"It's fine," Kaminari repeated. He wasn't trying to gaslight his teacher or anything. It was unconscious bias, plain and simple. People tend to think less of you when you kill people, no matter the reason. Kaminari didn't blame anyone for that. "I agree with you."
That didn't mean it didn't hurt.
All Might said nothing.
Kaminari grabbed the handle of the knife still buried in the table, pulled it out, and slipped it back up into his sleeve.
A sign of understanding.
"Who else knows?" All Might questioned hesitantly. It was clear that he still wasn't sure how far he could push without Kaminari snapping again. "Besides me."
"Shinsou," Kaminari said after a moment. Why not? He was already doomed anyway. And if All Might relayed this information to the Hero Commission even after everything that had gone down between them in the last thirty minutes, then it would be Kaminari's own fault for being so naive. "Hawks, obviously. My parents. All For One. Toga. Dabi. Nezu."
"Nezu?" All Might physically recoiled. Kaminari just stared at him with bored, unimpressed eyes. "Nezu knows? I- he never told-"
"Yep. He never told anyone." Kaminari wasn't sure whether he meant that statement to be petty or not. "How do you think I even got into this school? I had no reported parents, living address, or records of any previous education."
"That's..." All Might frowned thoughtfully. "That's a good point. How did he figure it out?"
Kaminari just shrugged. He'd spilled more secrets than he ever thought he would today, but this would be one too many.
"Fair enough." All Might said quietly after it became clear that his student wasn't going to offer an answer. "And the rest?"
"My parents raised me. All For One used me." Kaminari leaned back on his heels. "Shinsou accidentally compelled me into telling him. Dabi, Toga, and Keigo are old childhood friends."
"Childhood friends?!" All Might was unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. "The two members of the League of Villains, I can understand, but...the Hero Commission said Hawks had some connection with you, but-"
"Before you get any ideas, he's not fraternizing with the enemy," Kaminari said flatly. "Keigo has his business, Touya and Himiko have theirs, and I have mine. We don't share any top-secret information with each other. We're friends. Touya and Himiko have been responsible for derailing as many missions to kidnap me as they can without seeming suspicious, and whenever he feels like it, Keigo has tipped me off about who's looking for me and why. We help each other survive. We've been doing that since we were kids. It's not some kind of conspiracy."
"Touya?!" All Might's mouth was agape, promptly switching subjects at the mention of that cursed name. "That's-"
"Endeavor's son, yes." Kaminari had to physically fight the urge to roll his eyes. Dabi wasn't stingy about his identity, which was good considering the circumstances. In fact, Kaminari didn't really think his friend would care if it was broadcasted all across Japan so long as he got to see his father's face when he found out that his 'beloved' son was still alive. "Holy shit, do you know anything?"
"I guess not." All Might muttered.
An awkward silence fell over the room.
Kaminari just stared.
"I really am sorry." All Might said after a moment. Kaminari was visibly startled at how choked up his voice sounded. What the hell had brought this on? "Earlier. I didn't know. I would take it all back if I could."
"What?" Kaminari blinked rapidly. "What do you mean?"
"Please don't hate me." All Might ignored Kaminari completely. His voice grew more and more desperate. "When you burst in here, I didn't know what was happening. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know anything, I-" His eyes were pleading, breaths wild and ragged in a way that Kaminari had never heard before. Everything was escalating so quickly. It was all so sudden. The shift caught Kaminari off guard, sending his mind into overdrive. "I tried to stop it after you explained everything. Really, I did, but it's been too long, and-"
His voice broke.
Kaminari's stomach dropped. "All Might." He scrambled for purchase even though he was on solid ground. "What did you do?"
All Might silently reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of wires, screws, and plastic.
Kaminari's heart jumped to his throat. A panic button. It was small, clearly designed to be undetectable by his quirk, and smashed to pieces, but the small, flashing green light that lay unbroken in his teacher's hand was proof enough.
It had been pressed.
"Please." All Might threw his hands up in prayer, sending the bits of junk flying every which way. "I panicked. I didn't know what you were going to do; I...they gave it to me for situations like this, and after the button under my desk didn't work, I didn't even think. But after you began telling me everything, telling me your story, I...I tried to destroy it, I tried to stop it, really, I did, I swear. If I could take it all back, I would, really, I-"
The piercing sound of bells interrupted All Might's plea.
The room flashed red as the light flickered, washing over a stunned Kaminari and his sobbing teacher.
"The emergency alarm?" Kaminari sounded dazed even to himself. This couldn't be happening. How could he be so stupid? "The Hero Commission-"
"They're here." All Might's voice was barely audible over the ear-splitting siren. He looked more defeated than Kaminari had ever seen him. "They're here to take you."
"I-" Kaminari was at a loss for words. For the first time in his life, he wasn't sure what to do. "I-"
How long had it been since All Might had pressed the button? How long had he been making conversation just for the sake of keeping his student distracted? How long did it take for him to see that Kaminari was human and regret his actions? At which point did he try to undo what had already been done?
How long had it been since he'd officially signed Denki Kaminari's death warrant?
All of these questions were left unanswered as familiar sounds reached Kaminari's ears, clearing the fog that clouded his mind in one fell swoop.
There it was. The unmistakable melody of wood splintering and rapid, merciless gunfire.
But it wasn't in this building...no, it sounded much too far away for that. Kaminari doubted that All Might could hear it amidst the sirens, much less be able to discern it from all the other commotion, so that meant it had to be far away. In fact, it almost sounded like it was coming from-
Then, almost like a grand symphony reaching its climax, shrill, indisputable screams joined the rhythm of cartridges falling and army boots sprinting.
The dorms...
Before he even had time to think about it, Kaminari was out the window and falling three stories down into the courtyard below.
I'm coming.
