Inko had just been tidying up when she got the phone call. Sighing slightly, she went to pick up her mobile phone, wondering if it was a friend or a telemarketer - but no, it was a private number.
With a raised eyebrow, she answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Am I speaking to Midoriya Inko?" When she responded, the man on the other end continued. "I'm part of the Musutafu Police Department, and you were listed as an emergency contact by your daughter."
A hundred horrible scenarios flashed through Inko's mind. A deep, frozen pit opened in her stomach. She gripped the phone tighter, fighting to keep her voice level. "What happened to my daughter? Is she alright?"
—
Earlier…
As soon as her eyes pricked, Ikumi tried to hold her tears back, to little effect. Her mother's whole family were big criers, and Ikumi just had that part of her genetics interfere. A flood of tears poured from her face, eliciting a concerned noise from Ashido and All Might. "S-sorry," she blurted out on instinct, trying to stop the waterfall that poured down her face.
"It's okay, Midoriya," Ashido said, a pensive look on her face. "I totally get it."
Blurry eyed, Ikumi managed to stand up a bit straighter, keenly aware that she was leaning on All Might after his fight. "I - oh gosh, are you alright?" she squeaked.
All Might managed a quick nod. "I'll be fine, young Midoriya. If I'd gotten here earlier…" he managed to clench his fist then grimaced.
Ikumi looked at him closer. The smoke from All Might's last attack should have dissipated by now. Why was there more smoke…?
Ashido gave her and All Might an uncharacteristically nervous look. The smoke seemed to be increasing as All Might stood there - had he accidentally damaged a pipe or something? "Maybe we should get back to the rest of the class?"
"That might be for the best," All Might interjected. Ikumi looked at him closely - was there something different about his face?
"Oh! Sure, All Might!"
"Yo! Midoriya, Ashido, you guys okay?" Looking up, Ikumi could see Kirishima running over to them, concern clear on his face.
Ashido's eyes widened. "Yeah, we're fine Kirishima! Me and Midoriya'll be there in a minute!"
He didn't look too convinced, before a wall of concrete sprung up between them. Ikumi looked over, her eyes going wide at seeing Cementoss coming over. "We need to be sure that all you students are okay. I'll take care of All Might."
Ikumi poked her head over, managing to smile at Kirishima. "Don't worry, Kirishima. Ashido and All Might are fine. You should get back to the rest of the class."
He gave her a thumbs up. "Okay, Class Pres!"
Ikumi gave him one back, then her ears twitched as a small explosion happened behind her. As Kirishima ran off, she turned back to Ashido and All Might. "Alright Mina, let's-"
Her eyes widened. Ashido stood there with a guilty expression on her face. Next to her…
The man who now slumped on the ground bore some passing resemblance to All Might - he was almost as tall, with the same blue eyes and yellow hair, and he wore the same yellow suit All Might had arrived in. But his hair was scraggly and unkempt rather than neat and slicked back, and his suit hung off an unhealthily skinny frame.
Despite how she felt when she stared, she couldn't help but run her eyes over the rake-thin man. It had to be All Might - there wasn't any other way. But he looked so…
Beaten. The thought sprung up, unbidden as she looked at him. Far from the undefeatable Symbol of Peace that inspired Kacchan so.
"A-All Might?" She squeaked.
"Indeed," All Might said. He sighed, a forlorn look on his face. "I must ask that you keep this side of me a secret."
Ikumi managed a wordless nod. Ashido patted her on the back.
Cementoss gave them sympathetic looks, before turning back to All Might. "I'm a fan of yours, All Might. So we'll get you to the nurses' office without letting others see this side of you. But honestly, you need to stop overdoing it like this…"
"If I hadn't overdone it, the students would be dead," All Might rasped. Cementoss's smile slipped, giving All Might a serious look.
Ikumi couldn't help but stare at All Might. Overdoing it? She could understand that comment - after all, All Might looked like he was on the verge of collapse - but that choice of words stuck with her. Not just that, seeing how Ashido looked more surprised when she had looked at All Might and not All Might's diminished state…
"W-what happened to you-"
All Might held up a hand, a tired look on his face. "Since you've seen this side of me… I guess you should know the full story. But not right now - you students need to get back to the main campus." He slumped on the ground, Cementoss carefully scooping him up.
Her breath caught in her throat. The rest of the class was waiting for them with the police. Right - she had to make sure that everybody was okay as well. "Ashido - Mina, are you…" Ikumi trailed off.
Mina shakily nodded, dusting herself off and patting Ikumi on the forearm. "I'm fine." She then managed a smile. "Thanks to you getting in the way of Shigaraki."
—
Naomasa carefully looked over the students. "Eighteen, nineteen…" he nodded. "Looks like all the students made it back in one piece."
Under the watchful eyes of the police and Heroes the students had gathered at the gate, anxious, tired looks on their faces. Naomasa shook his head as the rest of the officers got to arresting every Villain they could find. These students were probably going to be amazing Heroes if they could recover from this.
"Man, you and Mina got through the fire zone, huh…" The invisible girl commented to the tailed boy - Ojiro, from the class registry - next to her.
He managed a shaky smile. "Yeah, we managed to get out by the skin of our teeth. Then she shot off to try and fight that Noumu thing." He paused. "Where were you, Hagakure?"
"The landslide Zone!" She rubbed her hands on her arms. "Man, Todoroki's crazy strong!"
At that, Todoroki looked down briefly. Having seen the landslide zone for himself, Naomasa could guess he was thinking about how he had nearly hit her.
"Say, where do you think I was?" Aoyama pointed at his classmates dramatically. The other students just shrugged, talking about where they had been attacked.
"It sounds like there were nefarious ne'er do wells in every corner of the USJ," the boy with the bird head commented.
"So does anybody want to know where I was?" Aoyama shot again, dramatically posing.
"Alright students, we're going to get you back to your classroom now," Naomasa interrupted. He spared a glance down near the water, where officers had just managed to subdue a rampaging shark Villain, his jaws stained red with blood. Naomasa . "Now's no time to take your statements."
"Detective… Are our teachers going to be okay?" Asui asked, an anxious look on her face. Next to her, the purple haired boy nodded, a similar expression on his face.
Naomasa paused, before managing a nod. "From what I hear, Thirteen's injuries were the most severe - her Quirk's torn lacerations in her back and arms but she should be able to recover. As for Eraserhead, his arms have been reduced to splinters."
The purple haired boy looked like he was about to pass out while Asui took a shaky breath. The rest of the class were similarly distressed - some looked like they were ready to be sick, others just staring at him almost uncomprehendingly.
He paused. "And regarding All Might… this Noumu wasn't able to inflict life threatening injuries but it was close. He's gone to the nurse's office to recover."
Asui's worried frown cleared up slightly. The rest of the class let out a collective sigh of relief upon hearing that. Naomasa looked over at Sansa. "I'll leave the rest to you. I have to check in with All Might and get his statement of events."
"Understood."
"Sir!" Officer Onizuka came up, saluting. "We've apprehended what seems to be a Villain about half a kilometre away." He frowned. "He didn't even try to resist arrest - he could be mute."
Naomasa digested this information then tipped his hat to the Principal. "Principal Nedzu, I'd like to go over this school with a fine toothed comb, if you don't mind." It was unlikely they had other infiltrators but they had to be sure.
"Please, do so!" Nedzu's voice was chipper and polite, but Naomasa could tell that Nedzu was on edge. "Investigations are your jurisdiction, so please do what you feel is necessary!"
Naomasa managed a curt nod, looking back over to the still struggling Villain. Looking back at Sansa, his meaning was clear. As Sansa started escorting the kids back to the bus, he stared at the Villain with a worried frown.
First it was just a heteromorph pedestrian who had suddenly attacked. Now, only Villains who were heteromorphs displayed the same set of symptoms as that previous attack. Naomasa watched as the officers finally managed to get these Villains locked into the prison transports, a frown on his face. Either the Villain Factory had resumed its operations… or this was something else entirely.
—
Going back on the bus was almost as bad as the USJ. Mina and the rest of the class had been checked over by the police and were given Hound Dog's number with the other therapists on staff to deal with the event.
They had gone through the departure in a dazed state, as if they were half asleep. It wasn't until they got back on the bus and it trundled off without Aizawa-sensei in the front that it hit them.
We were nearly killed today.
The bus was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Mina slumped in her seat, looking at the rest of her classmates. Even knowing that their teachers were going to be okay, everybody was shaken. It was going to be a while before she could smile. Next to her, Ojiro looked down at his clasped hands with a frustrated and stressed expression.
Satou, Sero and Kaminari were nodding in their seats, jerking back to consciousness every now and then before trying to get back to sleep. Koda sat next to Tokoyami, Dark Shadow wrapping its arms around them both. Shoji and Todoroki looked calm on the outside but Todoroki gripped the guard rail in front of him tightly and Shoji's arm stretched up every now and then, an eye or ear manifesting to check on the sat prim and proper but was fiddling with a matryoshka doll that hadn't been there before. Next to her, Jirou had stuck her Earjack into her phone, distractedly flicking through songs to try and distract herself.
Midoriya sat pretty much where she had been before, Aoyama sitting next to her with a tight look on his face. Opposite her, Iida sat hunched up, a guilty look on his face while Uraraka tried to comfort him. "You got there as quick as you could, Iida," she said, managing a brief smile.
"I should have been faster," Iida insisted. "I-I can't believe I just ran and left you to fend for yourselves!"
"Nah, you told All Might to come quick," Mineta mumbled from where he clutched onto Tsuyu's arm. The frog girl didn't make any comment, only nodding quietly.
"Plus we had the class president with us. I mean, Midoriya sent that Shigaraki guy flying," Kirishima said, a small grin on his face. MIdoriya flinched at that, causing Kirishima to frown. "Uh, are you okay-"
Midoriya looked up with an anxious expression on her face. She twisted and tangled her fingers together. "Yeah, just… I-I've never hit anybody that hard before. And I just ran in without thinking-"
Bakugou shook his head, his face neutral, almost calm compared to his typical cocky, angry demeanour. "None of that crap Midori. You saved Pinky's life with that stunt."
Mina winced, the memory settling in. Right, she had almost been killed. Even though it wasn't the first time she had stared death in the face (a hulking giant with teeth like jagged cliffs loomed over her classmates, metal and concrete crushed beneath his fingers like it wasn't even there, his voice increasingly impatient as he demanded they tell him where the police station was), it wasn't any less terrifying.
Midoriya managed a tight little nod. "Y-yeah, but it was still reckless."
Kirishima nodded. "Right. Sorry, I just…"
"It's fine, Kirishima," Midoriya said reassuringly. She hunched back up.
Mina looked up at her large friend. A guilty feeling rose in her stomach - if she hadn't been in danger, All Might wouldn't have had his secret revealed. If there had to be anybody in the class to learn about this, though, she was kind of glad it was Midoriya. When they got back to school, she was going to take Midoriya to see All Might and clear this up.
Beneath her skin, One for All's faint pulse reassured her slightly. Even if it had been a close thing with Shigaraki, she would have to get better next time.
—
Toshinori managed to sit up when he heard Midoriya and Ashido walk in. Midoriya looked at the ground awkwardly as he looked up at her. "Hello, Midoriya." A cough built up in his throat, thankfully without any blood. These students had gone through enough today without seeing the Number One bleed.
"Hey…" she shuffled her feet. "S-sorry for-"
"For what? Seeing me like this?" Toshinori shook his head. "If I had been there from the start, you students wouldn't have gone through everything. Still, there is no time for talking about what should have happened."
Midoriya looked between them. "Ashido, you knew about All Might's, uh, condition?"
Ashido nodded, a subdued look on her face. "I… saw All Might before the school year started."
She nodded. "I-I thought that was the case, I just wanted to be sure." Midoriya sucked in a deep breath. "How… what happened?"
Toshinori sighed, then pulled up his shirt. She whimpered upon seeing the mass of scar tissue that stretched over his left side. "Eight years ago, a Villain did this to me." He let his shirt flop down, sighing. "I lost a lung and part of my digestive system."
Midoriya gasped. "A Villain? Did Toxic Chainsaw do that to you?"
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Toshinori almost laughed at that. "You're remarkably well-informed, but that lowlife? No, it was-"
All for One's crimson eyes bored into his as he screamed, a tentacle that seemed to be made of drill bits and teeth tearing through his side. "My word, your master was pathetic if YOU'RE the best she could do," he sneered, just before All Might managed to pull himself in closer-
"-a different Villain," he said. Toshinori shuddered. "You wouldn't have heard of him - every record concerning that man has been removed." He sighed, looking down at himself. "Thanks to my injuries, I can only be a Hero for three hours a day."
And even that may not last much longer - after that last stretch of effort, it might drop to two, or even one. But if he told Midoriya that, then she might feel even worse about the situation.
Midoriya stared at the ground for a few seconds longer. Ashido nudged her friend in the side. "Midoriya, this is… nobody's fault except the Villain's. And besides, that Villain got beaten. Right, All Might?"
He managed a smile. "Right."
Midoriya looked torn. "I-I should really tell Kacchan about this-"
Toshinori held a hand up, shaking his head. "Don't tell anybody who doesn't have to know. Please."
She looked stunned. "Kacchan's my best friend! He-he wouldn't tell anybody-"
"If somebody knows about my condition, it may make them targets for the League of Villains," Toshinori interrupted. When she jolted at that, he looked up at her tiredly. "I do not doubt that he is trustworthy. But the knowledge of my physical condition is a heavy burden to bear. You and your friend already have enough to worry about without this on top of it."
Ashido reluctantly nodded. "I wanted to tell a friend as well, Midoriya. But if I can keep this secret…" she trailed off, giving Midoriya a knowing look.
Midoriya looked between them, then she reluctantly nodded. "Okay. I-I won't tell him."
A wave of tiredness came over him. Toshinori sagged back onto his bed. "Alright, young Midoriya."
—
Katsuki glanced up at Midori as they waited in the classroom, everybody having changed back into their school uniforms. "What kept you with All Might and Pinky?" He asked.
Midori hunched up. "Uh… I was just making sure that Ashido was okay," she said quietly.
He looked at her oddly. "Didn't you say you were both fine or something?" he asked.
She nodded awkwardly. Katsuki glared up at her. "Then what was the fucking hold-up? Why'd you go with her just now?"
"I… can't really tell you, Kacchan." She fiddled with her hands, looking away.
Katsuki's eyes widened. He snarled at her. "The fuck's the matter with you, Midori? Why can't you tell me?!"
"I just can't," Midori said, raising her voice a little. When he glared at her she twisted her hands together, but her eyes were firm.
He took a long, hard look at her, then sighed. Midori didn't keep secrets unless there was a good reason. While she might be a bad liar, if she didn't want to tell him something, then she wasn't saying anything no matter how much he yelled. "Tch." He paused. "Fine, I won't ask. But if you need somebody's ass kicking-"
She managed to smile. "I know, Kacchan. I'll ask you to help then."
—
Naomasa quietly knocked on the door to Recovery Girl's office, then opened the door. "Pardon me," he tipped his hat to the elderly Heroine.
The pink girl - Ashido - jolted when he entered' "I - uh - is-is this okay-"
Toshinori just laughed. "Don't worry, Ashido. This is my favourite detective on the force, Detective Tsukauchi! He's known about this side of me for ages."
Naomasa couldn't help but sigh. "We,, thanks for the weird intro." he came over closer, pen and notebook in hand. "Sorry to rush you, but I want to ask about these Villains…"
"I'll go over that later. I know the students are alright but… How are Thirteen and Eraserhead?" Toshinori asked.
"Thirteen's out of danger, and Eraserhead's arms are being seen to," Naomasa confirmed. "In all honesty, if you Heroes hadn't fought so hard, then the students wouldn't have made it out unscathed."
Toshinori nodded. "True. But don't forget that the students put their lives on the line as well." He shook his head in admiration. "They survived a coordinated attack of that magnitude in their first year. Who knows what may happen in future?"
Naomasa nodded, before a frown crossed his face. "Not wholly coordinated," he mused.
Toshinori looked up at him sharply. "What do you mean?"
Sitting down, Naomasa sighed. "Because some of the Villains are acting like that berserker we put into custody yesterday," he said.
Ashido looked up, an awkward look on her face. "That attack in the middle of the street?"
"Yes, that's the one." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Three of the Villains apparently went insane and started attacking everyone and everything around them. We've sedated them and are looking for the cause… but we haven't found it."
—
Earlier…
A rather plain looking police officer grabbed one of the Villains roughly. "Come on, you," he growled, spinning him around. His hand went into the Villain's pocket, and he felt the syringe there. For a second, his eyes widened, then he surreptitiously checked to see if anybody was focusing on him.
When he saw nobody around, he made his move. Quietly tapping it, it shrunk down to a minuscule size and he carefully removed it from the Villain's pocket, slipping it into his own. "Nothing in this one's pockets," he said to another officer.
The Villain looked at the officer, who surreptitiously nodded, then put a rough hand on the Villain's shoulder and shoved him towards the van. Their holy war against the corrupt couldn't be interrupted with such things. The so-called 'Heroes' wouldn't understand that what they were doing was right.
AN: Sorry this took so long, I was both procrastinating and working on my other big boy fic, Villain Notebook! Since I'm taking a break fro that I've been able to focus on this one.
The students have made it back alive and in one piece. The bus scene is one I'm fairly proud of - I had a bit of fun thinking about how the characters would react after such a traumatising scenario.
Now Midoriya knows the secret of All Might. And Tsukauchi's having to do an investigation on this League of Villains and this other potential group. Hopefully he can get some leads soon.
Huge thank you to Banchoking on Spacebattles for editing and proofreading this.
Don't forget to like and comment to show your appreciation and give me some ideas!
Next time, it'll be Day Off. See you then.