Chapter 90
[Play Re:Coded OST Inside Of Riku]
"Ugh. Nothing. Again."
"Even, we knew going into this that it wouldn't be easy."
"Even so, Ienzo, it's still frustrating that we keep running into these dead ends."
"Then perhaps it would be wise for you to step out and clear your thoughts, Young Even."
"Master Ansem. Are you sure? Not that I would question your wisdom."
"Indeed. Taking a break would be beneficial for you. After all, you have allowed Little Ienzo and I time to rest and refresh our thoughts."
"Maybe you could check up on the Restoration efforts outside the castle. I'm sure Leon and the others would like to check up on our progress, and maybe Cid could have found something that he could share with us."
"Haa...fine. I'll go. Just, let me know if anything changes, will you?"
"We will, young Even."
[SIlence]
Even walked down the underground tunnels of the castle, his footsteps echoing throughout the empty halls as he made his way to the stairs that would take him to the ground floor. With each step he took, he looked back on his past atrocities, remembering how he claimed that it was all in the name of science. He felt heavy under the weight of his actions as Vexen of Organization XIII.
He was pulled out of this however, when he reached the ground floor and was greeted with another former member of that organization, who acknowledged his presence in the room. "Even."
"Aeleus." The scientist replied.
"I see you're finally out of the lab." Aeleus commented. "Did you need something up here for your task?"
"No, Aeleus." Even told him. "Master Ansem suggested that I take a walk, to clear my thoughts, and to see how Radiant Garden's restoration is coming along."
"I see." Aeleus understood. "The restoration is going well. Dilan is helping Leon with some heavy lifting in my place, as I was getting tired."
"You, tired?" Even was surprised. "I didn't think that possible, what with your unshakable stature and more than impressive strength."
"We all have our limits." The castle guard stated. "Even us."
The scientist let out a small chuckle. "Agreed. Well, enjoy your break, Aeleus. It sounds like you've earned it."
"And you as well, Even." Aeleus said, as Even walked out of the room, towards the front door of the castle. The scientist opened the doors to the outside and quickly covered his eyes with his arm. It had been a while since he had been exposed to sunlight, so his eyes needed to adjust.
[Play KH3 OST Radiant Garden]
Once they did, he saw his home in almost all of its former glory. The inner garden and castle town were in great condition, however the outer gardens and the facilities out there were still in less than ideal condition. In the distance, he could see an unnatural current of wind, pushing up debris from the battle that had occurred here a while back. No doubt that it was Dilan's doing. He may not be as strong as Aeleus, but his control over wind can be equally as useful for heavy lifting.
Even walked down the stairs that led to the gates of the castle, and once he reached the gates, he saw another familiar face, playing a sitar while making dancing musical notes made of water behind him. He was putting on a show for some kids playing in the square. Probably to get out of the construction efforts. "I see you're slacking off as usual, Demyx."
"Huh, wha? AHHH!" The water notes he made had bursted when his concentration broke and soaked the Nobody, making him slip and fall on his back, making the kids he was entertaining laugh at the show before watching Evan approach them. "Hey, Vexen."
"How many times do I have to tell you, it's Even?" The scientist reminded him.
"Probably forever." Demyx said. "I mean, can you blame me? All my lives as a Nobody, I only knew you as Vexen. I don't think I'll be able to break that habit any time soon."
"More like you're not going to put in the effort to change that habit." Even pointed out. "Like how you're not putting in effort with the restoration."
"Hey! I'm totally helping!" Demyx defended himself. "I'm keeping these kids distracted, so they don't run in there to play." That made Evan look at him like an idiot. "I'm serious! Ask that flower girl. She can vouch for me."
Even rolled his eyes. "Is Aerith with Cid?"
"The loudmouth? I think so." The Nobody assumed.
"Then I'll ask her while I check up on Cid's progress." The scientist said. "If she doesn't confirm your story, then I'll freeze your water and drop it on you." That made Demyx shiver, as Even walked towards Merlin's house, which was close by.
When he reached his destination he knocked on the door, and a young ninja answered it. "That you, Ienzo?" She asked, only to see Even instead. "Oh, nope. Different guy. Even, right?"
"Yes. May I come in, Yuffie?" Even asked.
"Sure." Yuffie replied, and let him inside. "Nice to meet you in the flesh, Even."
"I see that Ienzo has mentioned me to you." The scientist noted. "I'm here to check up on your team's progress."
"Well, Cid's still typing away on his computer over in the corner over there." The ninja pointed to the man in question.
"Because I'm close to something, Yuffie! I'm this close, I know it!" Cid spoke up.
"You're a broken record at this point, Cid." Yuffie said while shrugging, before she noticed a certain florist approaching the pair. "Hmm? What's up Aerith?"
Aerith then pulled out a purple hydrangea and gave it to the scientist. "For you." She told him.
"Hmm?" Even was confused.
"For your hard work and dedication." Aerith said.
"Oh, well...thank you." Even let Aerith place the flower between his inner vest and undershirt. "So, is there anything else to share?"
"Nothing aside from the usual. Construction's still doing good, thanks to those guards helping us with heavy lifting. Tron is still helping out with the technical issues. And that duck's ice cream shop is still serving it's sweets." Yuffie listed off.
"O...kay. I fail to understand why that last one is important to mention." Even told her.
"Ienzo always stops by there to get something for him and Ansem the Wise." The young ninja said.
"Ah, I see." Even understood. "I suppose I could get something for those two while I'm out here. I'll take my leave then. Be sure to contact us if you find anything useful for us."
"We will. Thanks again for stopping by." Aerith told the scientist as he left the house.
[Silence]
Back inside the laboratory. Ienzo and Ansem the Wise were monitoring vital signs and brain wave frequency. The person who's vitals and thoughts were being monitored was Kairi, who was asleep on an examination chair. As Ienzo looked at the vitals, seeing that everything was still in optimal condition, he heard Ansem speak up. "What's this?"
"Hm?" The young scientist turned to his mentor. "What is it, Master Ansem?"
"Kairi's brain waves are acting up on their own." Ansem stated. "And it's not like before, where she or we were accessing her memories." He pulled up all of Kairi's data on the monitor in the lab. "It's almost like…" He turned to Ienzo. "Contact Even and tell him to return. He'll want to see this."
"Yes, Master Ansem." Ienzo pulled out his Gummiphone and dialed in a number, before Even had answered the call. "Even, It's Ienzo. Master Ansem wants you to return to the castle immediately. Kairi's brain waves are acting up on their own, and Master Ansem believes this is something you'll want to see."
"I'm on my way." Even replied on the phone, before he hung up and began to run back to the castle.
Kairi meanwhile, began to have a strange dream.
[Play Simple and Clean Ray of Hope Mix]
In the dream, Sora was falling down the side of a mountain, diving down towards a forest that was below. Alongside him, were 20 other people his age. Those people, being the students of Class 1-A. Izuku dove right next to him, and soon all 21 of them landed in the forest, and got ready for a fight, as multiple rock monster constructs were standing between them and their goal. The time of day changed to sunset and a dirty and banged up Class 1-A made it to the other end of the forest, with the students of 1-B right behind them.
In front of the 41 students were Aizawa, Vlad King, and the Wild Wild Pussycats, standing in front of a few cabins that the students would be staying in. As the students walked over towards the cabin, Sora was about to follow his friends, however he turned around, seeing a set of yellow eyes in the forest. Sora summoned Two Become One and dashed back into the forest, but the time of day changed again, to nightfall, and soon enough, Sora was surrounded by a purple gas.
From the Purple gas, Muscular, Mustard, Moonfish, Dabi, Toga, Twice, Magne, Spinner, Mr. Compress, multiple Heartless came into view, But Sora soon saw Izuku, Tetsutetsu, Mezo, Shoto, Ochako, Tsuyu, Mandalay and Tiger by his side. The two groups had gotten ready to fight and soon enough charged towards one another, each person splitting off to fight their own opponent. Each match was isolated, however every brief match mattered to each respective side.
Midoriya blew Muscular away, breaking his arms in the process. Tetsutetsu punched Mustard into the ground. Sora briefly changed into his Rage Form and smashed Moonfish's face on the ground while disposing of the Heartless. Todoroki barely avoided fire that was shot out by Dabi, before shooting ice at Twice. Asui avoided Toga stabbing her, while Uraraka pinned her down soon after. Mandalay and Tiger pinned down Spinner and Magne. And Mezo pushed back Compress.
The purple gas then changed into the purple void that Kurogiri opened up, allowing the villains, minus Muscular, Mustard and Moonfish to escape. Katsuki was held by Dabi, as the two of them entered the void before vanishing. Sora got struck in the back, and fell to his knees, as a figure in the Organization XIII cloak was behind him. The Figure pulled back his hood and revealed himself to be the Vanitas Remnant, before holding down Sora on his knees.
Sora and Vanitas were now in a dome made of Darkness, with Toga coming out of a void, with an excited grin on her face as she approached Sora, who was now bleeding through his mouth. The Guardian of Light struggled to escape his position, only to be shocked by Dark Thunder magic. Toga kneeled down and then forced herself on Sora, sucking the blood out of his mouth, in a twisted first kiss that Vanitas recorded on Sora's Gummiphone.
Sora's Gummiphone was also shown recording Sora fighting back against Vanitas with Oathkeeper for a moment, before Sora changed into Double Form and pressed his attack, only to be pushed back and suddenly back to back with Bakugo, surrounded by Tomura and the League of Villains, all pressed to attack the pair, While All For One was holding back All Might.
Suddenly, Izuku, Tenya and Ejiro bursted from a nearby wall and into the air, making Katsuki blast himself to them, while Sora saw Vanitas about to attack Momo and Shoto, who were there as well. The Guardian of Light got between the pair and blocked Vanitas' attack, which blasted the two Heroes in training away, however they were protected by Oathkeeper and Oblivion's barriers respectively.
Vanitas then thrashed around Sora, who was unable to fight back as the Dark Remnant had his way with him, throwing him around until the Guardian of Light was nearly dead, with Vanitas standing atop him, in front of the Pro Heroes that just barely managed to defeat All For One. As Vanitas saw the Heroes come for him, Sora blasted the Dark Remnant off of him and struck him with Stellar inception, before blacking out.
Sora then woke up in the hospital, seeing notes from the classmates that came to save him and Bakugo, before he was suddenly now laying on the couch in the Midoriya household, just after he recovered from the hospital. Transition to him being in his bed inside his assigned room in U.A.'s newly created Dormitory. He sat up from his bed and walked out of his room to see the rest of 1-A with him.
Class 1-A then were in Gym Gamma, practicing their ultimate Moves, with Sora fist bumping Denki, before the two grabbed the Kingdom Key in unison, sparking with electricity. Transition to Sora now holding Oathkeeper, and was with Shoto, who were both surrounded by ice. Transition again to Sora holding the Kingdom Key, this time with Mina, as the pair were surrounded by water and acid.
Transition to Momo behind him, as he began to summon chains from the back end of his Kingdom Key. Transition again to Sora now blitzing forward with Tenya behind him, going faster than ever before. Transition again, to Sora inside the Mountain Coaster, blasting his way upwards outside of a collapsing and flooding building, with half of Class 1-A inside the other carts of the Attraction, blasting out of the ground and into the air.
Transition to Sora and now, all of Class 1-A blocking and dodging multiple balls in the air, as they defended themselves from fellow Hero Course students, eliminating a good portion of them as they were now taking the first portion of the Provitinaly Hero License Exam. Class 1-A was forcibly split apart, but Sora soon encountered, battled then eliminated Skyward Sword and Kid Icarus.
Sora then spotted Camie, and the two soon were back to back against Gang Orca's sidekicks, as they were now in the second half of the license exam. The two of them fought the sidekicks off, but Utsushimi fought rather brutally for a Hero in training, which Sora noticed off the bat, but not before getting hagged on by a civilian he was saving, allowing Camie to disappear from his sights.
Transition to Sora now fighting off Heartless in alleyways, while Izuku and Katsuki were fighting each other on the streets, going all out against each other, with Bakugo leaking Darkness out of him, while Midoriya was glowing bright with his full cowling, punching some of the Darkness off of his opponent as the two of them went at it, not seeing Sora keeping the Heartless from interrupting.
Transition to Vanitas, who was now in a forest alongside Toga and Magne, fighting off multiple waves of Heartless, before three Darksides appeared in front of them, only for one to be blasted away by Dabi, who came out of a portal behind the trio, along with the rest of the League of Villains, who assisted the Dark Remnant and the two female Villains in Heartless population control.
Transition to Sora now fighting against the data replica of Vanitas, alongside all of class 1-A minus Izuku and Katsuki. The group swarmed the Dark Remnant and pushed him back, but as quickly as they were about to win they were blasted away and taken down one by one, with each student falling to Vanitas fueling Sora's grief, making the Keyblade Wielder charge at the Dark Remnant.
Transition to Sora now fighting a naked Mirio, who had already taken down all of Class 1-A, minus Katsuki, who wasn't there, and Shoto, who was on the sidelines. Sora and Togata continued blitzing around Gym Gamma, until Sora was struck in the neck by Togata, then got hit by a powerful combo, before falling down to the ground, with Mirio striking a pose to solidify his victory.
As Sora laid on the ground, he was helped up by Togata, who was now wearing pants, and saw Class 1-A standing up as well, battered, but determined to get stronger. The students of Class 1-A, as well as Sora, the Guardian of Light still had a long way to go, but they were all willing to push themselves. To Go Beyond, and get stronger together. The dream then ended there.
[Silence]
Sora felt himself getting shaken around by someone, before he groggily opened his eyes and saw who it was. "Ugh. What is it, Rikido."
"Sora. Mr. Aizawa told us to be up before 8:00 AM. He said he needed us to meet him in the common area at that time."
The Keyblade wielder yawned, before pushing himself up. "Got it. I'll get ready." After that wake up call, Sora got himself down to the restroom and got himself ready for the day, though he was still a little groggy, and the rest of the class noticed.
"You okay Sora?" Izuku asked. "You look tired."
"Could you not sleep last night?" Toru wondered.
"No. I got plenty of sleep." The Keyblade wielder said. "Though I had a really weird dream again."
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Among Kosei]
"Weird dream?" Ojiro repeated.
"Did you dream of all the girls in our school, stripped bare and clamoring all over you, Yaoyorozu pulling down your pants and suAUUUGH!" Minoru could not finish that as Kyouka used her earphone jack on him.
"Ugh. You're the worst, Mineta." Mina commented.
"Eugh. No." Sora answered the purple pervert's question. "It was more like...all of the events that happened not too long ago all played back in my head, like a montage."
"Huh?" Mashirao spoke up. "So like, recent memories just flashed really quickly in your dream?"
"Yeah." Sora confirmed. "It started with us all going down the mountain at the training camp, and just went through all the events that happened to me really fast until it ended at the aftermath of Mirio giving us a beating yesterday."
"From the training camp, to now? A lot happened between that, you know." Tsuyu pointed out.
"Yeah. I know." Sora replied. "That wasn't the only time it happened though. Remember when I fell asleep on the bus on the way to camp?"
"I remember that, Sora. You were using my shoulder as your pillow." Momo reminded him.
"Right. Well, I dreamed a similar dream then. Only it started at the Sports Festival, then ended at the time we got on the bus." Sora explained. "And remember when I was passed out in class that one time?"
"And I woke you up? Yeah." Ejiro remembered. "Let me guess, you had a dream like that back then too?"
"Yeah. It started when I first arrived to this w-" Sora was interrupted.
"AUGH! SHUT UP! I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR DREAMS, SORA!" Bakugo barked out, saving the Keyblade wielder's butt as the next word that would have been said would have blown his cover.
"Uh...sorry, Katsuki." Sora realized what he almost did, and was thankful for that save, even though it was rude.
"Learn when to end a conversation, before you start rambling." Bakugo told him. "You're as annoying as Deku." That comment made the One For All user get a bit embarrassed at being called out for his muttering.
"Midoriya does have a motor mouth, but that's not too bad." Ochako defended him.
"He could stand to tone it down though." Mezo said. "It makes communicating with people a little hard when he just talks really fast and doesn't space out his words."
"It draws too much attention too." Yuga added.
"Oh yeah, like you needed any attention taken away from you, Aoyama." Kaminari commented, earning a chuckle out of most of the class, at Yuga's expense.
"Everyone, tone it down." Tenya spoke up. "Mr. Aizawa will be arriving soon. Let us be on our best behavior."
"Got it, class rep." Sora answered from the back.
[Silence]
Once Aizawa arrived in the common area, he told them what he needed to say. Class 1-A was going to be on a newspaper scoop.
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Heights Alliance]
"A newspaper?" The class repeated in unison.
"Yeah." Aizawa confirmed. "They want to do a feature on your class, for some reason."
"Isn't that amazing, Deku?" Ochako said to Izuku, who was a bit flustered with how close she was, but nodded at her comment.
"That's kind of surprising, huh?" Denki said.
"Eh, not really." Ejiro replied.
"Yeah, I mean...the Sports Festival was on TV." Mashirao pointed out.
"We've gotta look super cute, in case they want to take our picture!" Toru exclaimed.
"For sure!" Min agreed.
"I think you'll be just fine, Hagakure." Kyouka told her.
[Silence]
"That's enough." Aizawa spoke up, taking command over his class.
"Yes sir." Everyone said in unison.
"It's nothing too exciting." The Homeroom teacher explained. "The article is about how you're settling in, adjusting to dorm life, that kind of thing. Principal Nezu thought it would be a good idea. This'll show your parents and guardians that you're happy here., maybe set a few minds at rest."
"Newscasters are usually hot." Minoru whispered to Hanta. "This is awesome, right?"
"They said it was for a paper." Sero replied.
"If she wants to write an article about my sticky ball, I'll give her an all access pass." Mineta began to drool as he once again had dirty thoughts. "I'll let her..." He got interrupted by Aizawa's capture scare wrapping around him and pulling him to the annoyed Homeroom teacher.
"I expect you all to be on your best behavior today." He instructed.
"Don't worry on my account, Mr. Aizawa." A new voice spoke up.
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST U.A. Corridors]
Another adult male was now next to the Homeroom teacher, who was most likely the reporter. He was a little scrawny, but tall. He had black hair and wore a brown suit with a black undershirt, dark blue pants and sported glasses and a wrist watch. He was currently wearing slippers, due to being indoors, and had his shoes at the entrance. "I want to get a feel for what dorm life is really like, so there's no need for them to act any differently than normal."
"I didn't say you could come in yet." Aizawa told the man.
"I was told I have from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, so unless my watch is wrong..." The man pointed to his wrist watch, which showed it was 8:00 AM on the spot. Aizawa dropped Minoru, and the reporter introduced himself. "Hello everyone. My name is Taneo Tokuda. I'm looking forward to learning more about you all." He bowed to them.
The class respectfully bowed back at him and replied. "Nice to meet you."
"Now..." Taneo spoke to the class. "As I said, you don't need to do anything special. Just go about your day exactly as you normally would. The camera will do most of the work. I might ask an occasional question or two, and I hope you'll answer." He gave them a friendly face.
"He's got such a nice smile." Ahsido said.
"That is so not a woman." Minoru complained.
Yuga let out a small sigh. "What to do. My sparkling personality will undoubtedly draw the camera, like a moth to a flame."
"Yeah, undoubtedly." Sato sweatdropped.
"Principal Nezu has probably already spoken to you about this." Tokuda spoke to Aizawa. "But I want to make sure you don't interfere in any way. No offense."
"I understand." The Homeroom Teacher responded. "If you need anything, just let me know."
"I'm sure I'm in very capable hands." Taneo pointed out. "This is class 1-A after all. Every student here is a promising Hero candidate."
Aizawa gave one last instruction. "Iida, if there's a problem, let me know immediately. Got it?"
Tenya stood in attention. "Of course, sir! As class representative, I will carry out my duty to ensure the safety of all my fellow students no matter w..." he got cut off.
"That's great, thanks." Tokuda said to him. "So what would you all be normally doing this time of day?"
"Having breakfast." Iida answered, still being very formal.
"No need to be so formal." Taneo told him. "Just pretend I'm not here and go about your business as usual."
[Silence]
"Right." Everyone in class said in unison. Aizawa looked at the reporter and could tell he was up to something, but it wasn't anything criminal though, so he felt he could let the reporter do what he wanted for now.
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Hero A]
And just like that, the day began. Everyone got their breakfast and ate, while Tokuda took a few pictures of the students. Midoriya looked away from the camera, a little shy. Uraraka smiled at it, while Tsu looked at it while she was eating. Tenya just stood and looked at the camera when his picture was taken. Mina and Hagakure waved at it, while Jiro and Momo were just trying to mind their own business in the background. Mineta was bored, but he was next to a smiling Kaminari in their picture. Kota was nervous, but Sero and Ojiro were socializing with the soft spoken student. Kirishima, Sato were eating in their picture.
Todoroki, Mezo and Fumikage were just eating in their picture too. But then another picture was taken of them that that Aoyama photo bombed. Then another picture was taken with Yuga in the forefront, blocking the others. Then another picture was taken, of Sora pushing Aoyama out of the way. Then another picture was taken of Sora sheepishly smiling at the camera, while apologizing for his classmate's hogging of the camera.
Then a few pictures were taken of Bakugo eating, then seeing the camera, then yelling to get the camera out of his face, before he angrily continued to eat his food alone. Sora helped Taneo to his feet and once again apologized before going about his morning routine.
When breakfast was finished, Class 1-A had gotten into their school uniforms and began walking to the main campus, with Tokuda following behind them, taking pictures of any highlights, like when Asui spotted a cat and Sora gently petting it shortly after, or the banter between Neito and Class 1-A on the way, only for Itsuka to knock him out with a neck chop and apologize for his rudeness.
When the students got to their classroom, Taneo stayed to the edges of the classroom and would occasionally take pictures of the students listening to their lessons. He seemed to start getting photos of specific people at this point, most likely to use as the pictures to introduce specific students in his report.
He got a few of Yuga, Mina and Tsuyu in the classroom. He got some of Tenya, Ochako, Mashirao during some scheduled Quirk training. He got one of Denki charging everyone's phones with his quirk, while talking with Ejiro, who was lifting weights next to him. He got a good shot of Koji with a hamster on his shoulder while Rikido was eating some sweets next to him. After a few more pictures during another class period, he got a good one of Mezo and Kyouka using their quirks to train mid lesson. During lunch, Taneo got a good shot of Fumikage using Dark Shadow to get him and Hanta food at their seats instead of waiting in line. During the Hero Course, he got a great shot of Shoto using his fire, with the ice he made behind him. He also got a neat picture of Toru cheering him on. He got a nice looking shot of Katsuki blasting through a cement wall with his AP shot and looking confidently smug about it. He got a dynamic shot of Izuku using his Full Cowling and practicing Shoot Style. He also got a picture of Minoru fidgeting with one of his popped off balls, not really caring that he didn't look as productive. Near the end of the school day, he managed to get a picture of Momo creating an umbrella for a student who didn't have one, as it was starting to rain. And he finally managed to get a good picture of Sora with his Kingdom Key in hand, happily talking to a few other students who were curious about the Keyblade and wanted to see it up close.
[Silence]
When all of Class 1-A, with the exception of Sora, made their way back to their dormitory, Taneolooked through the photos while the students changed out of their school uniforms and into their more casual clothing. Taneo seemed to eye the five out of the top six Sports festival contenders of Class 1-A. He looked at Bakugo and Todoroki, before shaking his head in denial, thinking about something to himself. He then glanced at Tokoyami and Kirishima, before looking outside to see Midoriya still practicing kicks, before Toshinori approached him, making Tokuda look like he found what he was looking for.
Outside with the current and former One For All users, Izuku spoke up. "What have you been up to out in this rain?"
Yagi coughed before he answered. "Nothing much. I just got back from a regular check up at the hospital. I was starving afterwards, so I went to grab a bite, which turned into a...whole thing." He grabbed a meat bun from his bag and took a bite. "So anyway, after giving one to Moogle to give to Sora after his training, I brought the extra buns for your class."
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Anguish of the Quirkless]
"Of course you did. Always thinking of others, huh?" Midoriya commented. "With how popular you are, I'm surprised you're not mobbed everywhere you go. As the Number One Hero, you brought hope and smiles to so many people's lives, protecting citizens and fighting against evil Villains. The Symbol of Peace."
Toshinori put a hand on his shoulder as the sky started to clear up. "Now it's your turn. You, Sora, and the rest of your class."
Izuku smiled and nodded. "Right."
"I'm getting you back on an intense training regiment tomorrow." Yagi told him.
"Yes. I'm ready." Midoriya was not lying when he said that.
As the former One For All user left the area, Taneo stepped out and spoke to the current user. "Getting late, squeezing in one last workout?"
"Oh uh, yes." Izuku answered.
"Hm." Tokuda replied before smelling the meat buns. "Something smells good."
"Yeah. They're meat buns. You want one?" Midoriya offered.
"Yes please." Taneo accepted the offer.
[Silence]
As the two of them sat together, they noticed Sora approaching the dormitory, and Izuku waved him over. "Hey, Sora."
"Hey, Izuku." The Keyblade wielder replied. "I'm surprised that you and Katsuki didn't come with me today to train."
"Oh right. That was today." Midoriya realized. "I kind of forgot. What with the news report thing happening right now and all."
"That's a first." Sora commented, before sitting down with the pair.
"You did some after school training too?" Taneo noted.
"I do it every other day." The Keyblade wielder answered. "Can't be the best I can be if I don't train the best I can."
"Words to live by." Tokuda commented. "It's clear that you're an All Might fan too, just like me."
"Whoa, really?" Isuku spoke up. "So you were a huge All Might fan too, Mr. Tokuda?"
"Ha. Anyone my age who says they aren't is totally lying." Taneo stated. "That or they're criminals. I've never seen anyone so cool, or so powerful." He then decided to ask something. "Do either of you know about the bombing that occurred at an industrial complex, 18 years ago?"
"Yeah, of course I do!" Midoriya started to go into fanboy mode. "It was really terrible, but All Might managed to rescue the 24 people who were working there when the explosion went off."
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Hero's Shadow]
"My dad was one of them. All Might saved my father's life." Tokuda admitted, as he began to recount his perspective of the event. "The blaze was so bad that even the rescue squads couldn't get close. And yet..." He remembered how he saw his father in All Might's arms, and how he reached out for him, using his quirk at the moment. "I turned my camera on without thinking, and the picture I took ended up in the paper. It seemed like a miracle that my father was rescued. Seeing All Might that night brought a spark to my life. One that I still carry with me."
"Yeah. I get what you mean." Izuku replied.
"Hm." Taneo continued. "So when I heard he was retiring, I was completely shocked. What will happen to our superhuman society in the future? Will we be...okay?"
As Izuku took that in, Sora spoke up. "Well, I think so." That got Tokuda to look at him. "I mean, sure. All Might may not be fighting the big fights anymore, but he's making sure that the rest of us are prepared to fight those big fights in his place. Plus, it'll be everyone holding this peace together, and not just one guy. Nowhere near as big of a burden."
That comment made Midoriya smile, as well as Taneo, seeing that the message Toshinori left after the battle of Kamino was understood by the Keyblade wielder as well.
[Silence]
"That's true." The reporter agreed with that. "But it doesn't hurt to have a favorite." He pulled out a photo of Izuku and Yagi's moment.
"What!? A picture!?" Izuku was shocked. "But, I don't see a camera! And how'd you print it anyway?"
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST I'll Become a Hero]
"It turns out my quirk is a pretty handy one to have when you work in journalism." Tokuda then activated his quirk in front of the two boys and saw camera lenses of various shapes and sizes appear on his arms, legs and even one on his face. "I can produce them everywhere."
[Silence]
After that brief showing of his quirk, and also telling him about how he prints photos from his chest, he retracted the lenses and stood up. "Everybody heard All Might's last words after the Kamino incident. And I think that he was saying that to you." He spoke to Izuku, making both him and Sora a little nervous. "My investigation found plenty of similarities between you two."
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Evil Of Psychology]
"The quirk you manifested is a Power type like his. And in middle school, you tried to rescue Bakugo when he was captured by a Villain, despite the odds. All Might was the one who saved you both that day. And after that, you enrolled at U.A. High the same time he became a teacher here. I visited the Pussycat's Agentcy and met Kota there."
"You talked to him?" Midoriya realized.
"That's when my suspicions were almost truly confirmed." Tokuda stated. "Midoriya, I believe that you are All Might's successor."
[Play KH3 OST Villains of A Sort 2]
"It'd be either that, or you, Sora." He turned to the Keyblade wielder. "When I looked into you, there was a surprising lack of information regarding your life prior to enrolling at U.A. 'Born on an island outside of Japan' 'Orphaned', yet somehow 'home schooled' and apparently 'gifted with an extremely powerful summoning quirk that you were just naturally talented with' and 'trained to near perfection', in spite of quirk laws. By the time you're able to enroll, you're regularly 'seen fighting off shadowy monsters that lurk in the dark', during and even before getting into U.A."
"How did you...?" The Keyblade wielder was extremely shocked to hear that Taneo had all this information.
"Eye witness reports in Mustafu during the last Autumn and Winter seasons, along with the fact that when those creatures and the Nomu showed up in Hosu, there were a few phone pictures that had your particular sword in them. A few on a train cart, and one of that sword stabbing into a flying shadow monster going towards the chaos." Tokuda listed off. "And Kota told me about you saving him from those 'Heartless' he called them? I also learned from the Pussycats that you apparently had a history involving 'an Organization whose members wore black coats'. The same coat that one particular member of the League of Villains is known to wear. Vanitas was his name, I believe."
Sora was silent. It was clear that this reporter was on to them. And with how much information he decided to share at the moment, it was obvious that he knew how to get the information he wanted.
[Silence]
"So, what do you two think about that?" Taneo asked the pair. As Izuku stuttered, and Sora had no answer, he spoke up again. "You two can't lie, can you? That's good. After all, Heroes speak the truth." He had a genuine smile on his face, which surprised the pair.
Meanwhile, inside the dormitory, Momo went to the common area. "Hey, everyone. Dinner is ready. It's time to eat."
Tenya arrived shortly after her. "Gather together quickly."
"Come on, Ochako." Tsuyu stood up and began to head over to the dinner table.
"I'll go see if Deku is still outside training, or if Sora is back from his." Uraraka told her as she stood up and went to a window. As she looked out one, she saw the two boys she was looking for, over at the corner of the building, talking to Taneo. "Huh. I wonder what they're talking about."
"It's just that...we..." Midoriya still couldn't get out what he wanted to say.
"You don't have to worry, you two." Tokuda told the pair. "I'm not writing an expose, even if I did have evidence." The two looked relieved, but also still in shock at how much he knew. "To be honest, I should probably be apologizing to you two. You see, I was never planning to report on dorm life." He admitted. "I apologize but...I just had to know...that there's still light in this world."
"Mr. Tokuda..." Izuku was taken aback.
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Can't Look in The Eyes of Serenity]
Taneo looked at the aftermath of the rain, seeing a rainbow, and he smiled. "I feel better, after our conversation here. And now I can encourage others. I won't be lying when I write that there's still hope in the world, even if All Might has retired." He held out his hand to the pair. "I'm sorry if I caused you two any stress, but...thank you both."
After a brief moment, Izuku shook his hand. "Sure."
"Any time." Sora added, holding out his fist, for Tokuda to give him a fist bump.
"One more thing." Taneo pulled Izuku and Sora to him, popped a camera lens out of his palm and took a surprise photo with the three of them. While Ochako saw that interaction and just thought it was weird. He then started to walk away from the dormitory."I'm gonna cherish that picture. I'll keep it under wraps until later, when I publish my book about you two. I think I even settled on a good title. 'When the new Symbols of Peace and Hope were young.' What do you think?"
The two boys smiled. "We'll try our best, and we'll live up to those names." Midoriya answered.
"I'm sure you will, Heroes." Tokuda replied before giving a wave and leaving, as his time was just about over anyway.
Both boys watched him go, and took in what he told them to heart. They both knew how big their respective burdens were, but they both also knew that they could handle those burdens, together.
Then Ochako opened the front door. "Hey, Deku, Sora, are you both on your way in for dinner?"
"Oh, sorry. We're coming." Izuku replied as the pair went to Uraraka.
"By the way, what was that reporter talking to you guys about just now?" She was curious.
"Well...he was asking me..." Midoriya was unsure of what to say, but then Ochako smelled the meat buns in his hands.
"Something smells super good." She commented.
"It's the meat buns in Izuku's hands." Sora pointed out, glad to change the subject. "All Might brought them, I think?"
"Yeah, he did." The One For All user confirmed, before offering some to Uraraka. "I almost forgot about them."
"Seriously!?" Ochako was excited to hear that. "Let's get them on the table before they get cold."
"Good idea." Both boys said at the same time.
"You guys!" Uraraka called out the Class 1-A. "All Might got us a yummy surprise!"
"Awesome!" Most of 1-A said in unison, and as the class ate dinner together.
[Play KH3 OST Villains of a Sort -cutscene-]
Elsewhere however, a black car was driving in the middle of the night through a city, towards a warehouse district, Inside the car was Twice, who was driving it, and his passenger in the back seat was a man with a green jacket with a purple fur collar, white surgical gloves, and a magenta plague doctor mask that was tipped and embroidered with gold.
And now starts Season 4 of MHA. With the filler episode done, the next chapter will finally kickstart the Shie Hassaikai ark. It'll be neat for me to write. I'll tell you that much. Anyway, as you readers already know, I usually cut to the KH cast at the beginning of the seasons before going back to the MHA world, and now it was Kairi's turn. As you could see, she's basically going through what she did during what Riku said she was doing Re:Mind. And the others in Radiant Garden and doing their parts too. That, and I also get to do another montage to another KH Opening music score, which I admit, I really like doing. Aside from that, Taneo was neat to write, as he could easily crack Sora's case if he wanted to, but like with Izuku, he just wanted to make sure that they were good people, which they were. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and until I decide to upload again. :)