Well, it's been only half a week, but I just couldn't wait because I've been already been waiting for this moment for months now. I expect a lot of surprise at what happens here, so I'll not hold you up to long. First, reviews:

Gamelover41592: Zoinks!

Jerarudo Torindado: I'm waiting to see what Codename Red does with Japan before deciding on what do do with Japanese Artifacts, though there are a few confirmed Pieces in Japan like Oda Nobunaga's sword. (I do have plans for that, by the way.) As for the gods as Isu, again I'm waiting for Codename Red to know if anything's Canon.

LEGOBRICK13: The only Duna I know is from Fossil Fighters, and considering the age of that game, I'm not any sort of sure that's who you're referencing. Riley is obviously a Pokemon of some sort, but I've no idea to anything otherwise. I'm less worried about your attempts to get my morally-greying!Momo and more about the implication of the end of this chapter. Let's see your reactions there.

maxperseus130: Who said it was Uwabami that made a choice? Check back and see if you can figure out who Sara is. As for your two theories: Cold and Not-Quite-As-Cold-But-You-Still-Need-A-Coat. Iida's definitely in for a ride, and I can't say if it will end on a good note. I know Izuku hasn't done much these past couple of chapters, but I need to wrap up this arc and he's not exactly in a position to make huge changes right now. As for the movie, I haven't seen it and now I'm not sure I want to. Adam and Eve (in AC Canon) were the first Isu/human hybrids, so they were immune to the Pieces of Eden. They weren't Assassins, just freedom fighters and leaders against the Isu.

Monkey D. Conan: Who ever said it was Uwabami that made the choice? Still, it's given Momo a lot to think about. As for the rest of that: who knows? Well, everyone will by the end of this chapter, so I guess that's not much of a question.

Pirohiko-Baltazar: Well, I hope my bad guys (at least some of them) come out to meat this standard of yours. Hopefully at least a couple will.

Ricardo Valencia: I didn't try to hide who Sara is that much. In fact, her name's been mentioned before. You seem to be the only one who picked up on it, though. Good on you! You get a cookie. (::)

Wizardwolf 1020: We talked about that criticism, but I'm looking forward to what you have to say about the end of this chapter and every plot door it opens. I've been thinking about this reveal since I decided to make this a full story and I really hope you like the direction I've chosen to go.

ZonZus: Iida reminds me of Sheldon Cooper in many ways, or maybe Sheldon's version of trying to make the Flash in a D&D game. However, this is no game and Iida is walking into a battlefield populated by shadows. He'll need to learn fast or die young in pursuit of his idealistic goal.

Templars want peace and think the only way to get that is through subjugation. Just because they can't get any of the Pieces of Eden to work doesn't mean they'll give up on that goal. Maybe their goal is a pipedream, but isn't it the same with the Assassins' ultimate goal, too? Is True Peace even possible?

Chapter 26:

Lessons Learned

Saturday had come, the sunny morning finding Izuku, Haya, and Edgeshot standing outside the hedge maze that surrounded the base of the Hero's tower. Neither of the students could see the smile the adult's mask hid, but they could sense it after their time training with him. He studied his interns.

"You have both come a long way," he began, reaching forward to set a hand on each of their shoulders. "Haya, you were but a whisp when you first came to my agency three years ago. Do you remember?"

"I do, Master," the girl answered. "You reached out to two of us and Sachiko refused to climb the wall. She left without even trying."

"But not you," the pro said. "You stuck with it and reached the top. And had some choice words for me once you did if I recall correctly."

"Master," Haya whined, blushing. She shook the embarrassment away quickly and closed her eyes, giving the man a shallow bow. "Working with you changed my life. It was you who introduced me to the Creed, after all."

"I trust this will not be our last time working together in official capacities," Edgeshot commented, flicking an envelope from his sleeve that he caught between two fingers. He offered it to the third-year. "Yuyu Haya, Hero student Deadeye, I trust will return for your final work-study?"

"Of course, Master," the girl replied.

"Work-study?" Izuku questioned.

"I will allow Haya to explain it to you on your way back," Edgeshot waved off. "You two will be taking the train back, yes?" The pair nodded. "Good. As for you, Midoriya, your growth here has been exponential. I know not everything you experienced this week was pleasant. Rather, I would understand if you believed this has been the worst week of your young life, but I am so proud of how far you have come."

Izuku felt tears tickling the corners of his eyes at the pro's words, the boy sniffing a little at the praise. Edgeshot's eyes hardened, the man getting down on a knee to better look the younger student in the eye.

"Izuku Midoriya, what we have asked of you is neither fair nor right. You were brought into our fold not even a year and a half ago, yet here you stand. You have upheld the tenants of our creed with pride, accepting the sacrifice and duties that come with it. I look forward to serving with you, in the light and in the shadows. Midoriya, my door will always be open to you. Should you need another internship or a work-study, you have my open invitation."

"Th-Thank you. Master," Izuku blubbered through the lump in his throat. Sure, Nekoi and Keeper and his other teachers had uplifted him during his training, but that was well before he'd carried out the dirty work of the Brotherhood and bloodied his hands. Now, Kamihara's words held more weight, giving Izuku a glimpse of a future where he could do both, be an Assassin and a pro Hero.

"Now then, you two have the weekend to yourselves," the pro continued. "This week has been stressful, so take this time to relax before school starts back up on Monday. And Haya?"

"Yes?"

"Please, do your best to help Midoriya until your graduation. You officially know each other now, so don't be strangers." He stood. "Well, I've kept you both long enough. Be off, you two. Until the winds of war bring us to the same battlefield again!"

Edgeshot vanished in a breeze, there one moment and gone the next with his heroic catchphrase. Many in the Brotherhood considered his ninja aesthetic a double-bluff to throw off the Templars —a strategy that was proving to be effective for surely no Assassin would dress so much like an Assassin in the open— but a part of Izuku wondered if the Master Assassin was just that into the ninja of old. He glanced at his fellow student, their eyes meeting.

She snorted, triggering his own laugh that compounded with hers. Their mirth filled the street for a good few minutes before the came back down, wiping tears from their eyes. Haya gestured with a nod of her head, the pair beginning their trek to the subway.

"So, Haya-senpai," Izuku began. "What are these work-studies Master mentioned?"

"It'll take a while to explain. Why don't we grab some lunch on the way back? I'll explain it to you then."

"That'd be great."

"Perfect. Last one to the station pays!" Haya took off down the street.

"Wh— Hey!" Izuku yelled, his shoes digging into the concrete below as he took off after her. "No fair!"

"Thank you for everything, Airjet-sensei!" Iida yelled, his waist bent at a 90-degree angle in his bow toward Airjet. The Buster Hero rubbed the back of his helmet, glad that his mask hid his face. "I will never forget the many things you taught me for as long as I live!"

"Tenya, please," the Hero said. "You don't have to be so loud. Really, a week isn't enough to teach you how to be a Hero nor how to achieve your dreams."

"Perhaps not," the student agreed, "but it has put me on a path I intend to follow. I hope, in the future, you continue working with me."

Airjet sighed, stepping closer to Iida. "Look, you're a good man, Tenya, just like your brother."

"Th-Thank you," the student choked out.

"That being the case, I need you to be careful. This world isn't as idealist as you are. There are more shades of grey than you could ever imagine, and I don't want you to crash into one and shatter."

"I don't understand," Iida admitted. "What do you mean?"

"These organizations you brought to my attention," Airjet clarified. "I will keep looking into them for you while you're at school, but something tells me you won't stop just because our internship has ended. You have a strong sense of right and wrong and I admire that about you, but if you try to draw that line forever, it will drive you mad."

"Please, Airjet-sensei, you aren't making any sense."

Airjet closed his eyes, turning away from Iida slightly. "These organizations began for a reason, and they clearly have enough logic to survive longer than most countries do. They have goals that their members are willing to kill each other to see through. If you believe in the good of humanity like your brother does, then you must believe that these people think they are working toward something greater than themselves with their actions."

"So do cults," Iida replied, fighting to keep a snarl off his face.

"I'm just telling you, Tenya, this appears to be a 'greater good' fallacy. We can only work on speculation until we find people who can explain it to us, but I do not believe the end goals of these two orders are simple money or obliteration of the other. Rather, their goals must be so opposed that they cannot be reconciled. I fear, Tenya, that you may learn of one or another and decide their goal is righteous."

"That is impossible," the student swore. "No matter what their ultimate goal may be, killing cannot be the proper way to reach it. I will never stoop to such low means."

"I pray that your convictions stand. This is my last lesson for you until we meet again." Airjet pulled himself up to his full height, just barely taller than Iida himself, and raised a finger to accentuate his point. "Conspiracies begin long before they are discovered, and rarely will their goals be realized quickly. Move against them slowly, building your net where they cannot see it before pulling on the string only when they have no escape. In this way, the danger to you is minimal, for once you are discovered, there is no more time to wait."

"Thank you for your teachings," Iida said, his eyes softening. "I understand this is dangerous, so I will tread lightly in the way to taught me. I look forward to when next we meet."

Airjet raised an arm, holding it diagonally between himself and Iida. The student recognized this gesture, raising his own arm in response. The Hero and student moved together, bumping their forearms together so they crossed.

"I'll wait for you in the ranks of pro Heroes, Tenya Iida, so take your time and learn to be the best Hero you can."

"I will. It is a Hero's job to change the world, after all."

"My little darlings, I'm so sad to see you go!" Uwabami cried, ignorant or ignoring the way that her two students struggled to breathe as the pro held their faces against her chest. "You two have grown up so much! Oh, I'm sure you two will surprise all your classmates with what you've learned! Be sure to keep in contact, ok?"

"Ah, ma'am?" Uwabami's assistant, a pretty female Sidekick with tentacles for hair by the Hero name Stuck, stepped forward. She set a hand on her boss' shoulder. "I think you need to let go."

"But my babies are slithering out of the nest!"

"They won't be slithering at all if you don't release your grip."

"Hm?" Uwabami looked down, seeing the weak, final struggles of her students. She let go, Kendo and Momo each taking in their first breath in too long. "My bad! I'm such a klutz sometimes! Silly snake instincts!" The blonde winked, tapping her head with her knuckles as her forked tongue just barely poked out.

Momo didn't know how the older, manipulative Templar pulled off the innocent ditz act, but her performance was flawless.

"I-It's ok, Uwabami-sensei," Kendo coughed, rubbing her nose that had been squished against the Hero's scaled dress. "I just didn't know your arms had the same crushing strength as a constrictor."

"Yes, that's exactly it," the pro nodded, tears coming to her eyes. If not for her late-night lessons with her, Momo would have believed said tears to be real. As it was, she knew crying on command was a skill Uwabami perfected long ago to help get her way. "I'm just so sad to see you both leave. If you two ever need anything, don't hesitate to reach out, ok?"

"Yes, we promise," Momo said. "I doubt this will be the last time we work together."

"Absolutely not. If I have my way, I'll have both of you working for me as soon as I can. Be good out there! Pass your finals and get your provisional Hero licenses next semester, ok? If you don't, I'll be coming for you!"

"Is that a threat?" Kendo questioned.

"No, it's a promise," Uwabami replied. "If either of you fail your finals or provisional Hero exams, that will reflect poorly on my teaching. That will tell me I wasn't hard enough on you and that you'll need to come back for remedial lessons." Her yellow eyes narrowed, her forged tongue sliding over her lips. "Am I clear, girls?"

"Yes, Uwabami-sensei!" the students squeaked.

"Good. Now head on home. I'm sure you two are just dying to tell your parents all about what filming those commercials was like after they see them."

"Those…" Kendo swallowed. "Y-You mean those will actually air?"

"But of course," Uwabami smiled. "Did you really think we would go through all that time and make-up just to show you how it works? Oh, don't you worry; the companies ok'd having you both in the commercials and mentioned the possibility of having your own care lines in the future."

"That wasn't really my concern," Kendo muttered, pressing two fingers together.

"Don't worry, sweet Kendo. Most everyone will be focused on me since you're a bit young, but I'm sure you won't be so nervous about it once your cut of the proceeds shows up."

"O-Oh…"

"Ma'am," Stuck whispered. "You have an interview scheduled in 40 minutes. We need to get going."

"Hm? Oh yes, right. Well, it looks like I need to be off. Good luck, girls, though you shouldn't need it after working with me. Ok? Ok. Ta-ta!"

With a complete 180, Uwabami left her now-former interns standing on the street, already in a rapid-fire conversation with Stuck about what she was going to wear for the interview. Kendo turned, meeting Momo's eyes, and raised an eyebrow.

"I guess we will make our way to the station," the ravenette commented. "That is, unless you would prefer to take a more private vehicle? I am certain I could acquire a company car to retrieve us here."

"A… company car…?" Kendo blinked. "Yaoyorozu, can I ask you something?"

"Anything. What is on your mind?"

"Are you rich?"

"Well…" Momo considered the question. "I used to not thing so, but it has come to my attention that many of our classmates are not as well-off as my family is. Therefore, depending on your metric, I suppose the answer is yes."

"I… wow. And you're a Hero student anyway. That takes a lot of guts."

"I think you possess more courage than me, Kendo. With my family, I have a large, proverbial safety net for myself and my family should something happen. You, however, are putting everything you have into your chosen career. In that sense, I think you are more to be revered."

"Oh… Thank you." A blush crawled upward from Kendo's neck as she turned away, covering the closest cheek with a hand. "Well, if it's not too much trouble, I think I'd feel safer in a company car, if that's ok."

"Not a problem at all," Momo promised, pulling out her phone. "It will only be a few minutes."

Even as she made the call, a part of Momo wondered how she felt about the turn of their conversation. Uwabami had said that praise was an integral part of getting others to trust you and want to do what you said, but a piece of Momo didn't like that. Now that she was aware of the uses of insincere complements, it made even true paise feel dirty.

But, she decided, if it was for Kyo, she could swallow a little discomfort in the name of giving him a peaceful life.

"Woolen," Shoto began, offering a bow to both the short Hero and her very tall secretary. "Polar. Thank you both for all the assistance you have given me this past week. I can say with confidence that you have both altered the course of my future."

"Ain't nothing to say about it," Polar laughed, a heavy hand clapping Shoto on the shoulder. He staggered, trying to stay standing against the force. "It was great having another guy in the gym."

"You know our meeting wasn't exactly on the most altruistic of terms," Woolen commented with a wave, a gesture Shoto could see in its totality considering the difference in their heights even with his bowed form. "You came here to spite Endeavor and I wasn't exactly subtle in wanting to help you there."

"I am aware, but that does not affect my gratitude. You showed me that I don't have to limit myself just to try to get at my father. And, honestly, it's nice to have found another person who understands what I'm feeling."

"Well, I'll see what else I can do to help you on that front," the pro promised. "You said Rei's in Fujiya Hospital, right?" Shoto nodded. "Don't be surprised if I stop by every now and then. In fact, now that we know, I think more and more of the family will be coming over to visit her."

"I was unaware that Endeavor went to such lengths to hide her location even from her family."

"He was probably afraid she'd be able to take you away in a lawsuit, though I'm sure he didn't want her admission to cause a media stir." Woolen smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "I think we're about to find out, too. We will see both of those things if I have my way, that is."

"Now would be the time to do it," Shoto agreed. "He's too busy trying to track down the Hero Killer."

"Yeah, that complicates matters," the pro sighed, trying to run her fingers through her curly hair only to do that same 'poking her hair over and over' thing. "We don't want to ruin that investigation since the Hero Killer's so dangerous. The longer he's out there, the more Heroes will fall to his blade. That said, we can at least work while your father's distracted to get things ready." She offered a hand. "You in, brat?"

Shoto smiled, leaning down to accept his relative's hand. "Of course. If I could choose the first person I ever save, I wouldn't say no to making that person my mother."

"Then it looks like we're on the same page. I can't keep you too long, Shoto, but keep in touch. Don't be a stranger. Remember, I'm not just Woolen-sensei to you any more."

"Of course... Aunt Hitsuji."

Saturday Evening

The silence of the room was broken only by the slow, steady beep of All for One's heart monitor, the device's sound a constant reminder of the Villain's sustained life. He had stolen and given away so many Quirks in his many years of life, but none had been able to give him immortality or specifically ensure his heart would not stop beating, a fight that was hard won after his disastrous last battle with All Might years ago. Back then, only the quick thinking and quicker fingers of Dr. Garaki had kept him breathing and his recovery had relegated him to this dark room. Such was not a fate he disliked, for he knew he would have his time in the sun once more soon enough. After so many years of life, a few short years was nothing, especially since his many chess pieces chased each other around the board for his amusement, readying the way for his ultimate takeover.

Something, however, did not sit right with him today. Perhaps it had been Tomura; his child-like apprentice having been increasingly petulant about wanting to get back on the streets and cause more chaos. He wished to hunt down the Hero Killer, he said, a mission All for One knew full well would get him killed in his current state of mind. No, All for One was certain that Tomura's bud had yet to flower, and he would not have anyone —much less one of those stupid Assassins— pick such a special flower from his garden before he could do so himself. It was only empty promises and video games that kept the younger man confined to the bar with Kurogiri. The portal-human had found an old, open-world game from before the Dawn of Quirks that promised to keep Tomura entertained for months. Something about dragons and shouting? He didn't care as long as it worked.

If that were not what had All for One uneasy, then perhaps it was the reports he had recently received about the Shei Hassaikai. His mole in their organization confirmed that they had broken through a barrier in their research after an anonymous note had been left in their base. The thought made him frown, for he had been attempting to subtly divert and degrade said experiments. Why should anyone —save himself— have any say over who gets to keep their Quirks? Certainly not some half-cocked, so-called Yakuza who already had the Assassins on their tail. Hopefully the killers would move in soon and hurt themselves in the process. There was no other reason for All for One to leave the Assassins to their devices otherwise. He'd proved himself more than a match for several of the self-righteous killers throughout the years, after all, so they were no threat for him.

Or maybe the stone in his gut was Doctor Garaki's tardiness with his usual report. He had been late before, several times truthfully, all because he would get caught up in some dissection he was then more than willing to discuss with his villainous benefactor. Today, however, he was later than usual, a whole 90 minutes having passed from the scheduled time of their regular conversation.

It was a great effort on All for One's part to rap his fingers on the armrest of his chair, his digits stiff and with a small, allowed bit of pain with each tiny impact thanks to a regulated Pain Nullification Quirk. The act was miniscule in so many ways, but it reminded the old titan of the shadows that he was still alive, that his goals could and would still be reached as long as his damaged lungs drew even assisted breath. His legs, currently, were a lost cause until he found a Quirk that could trustfully reconnect the nerves of his spine, but his hands could still function.

Finally, a heat signature he recognized appeared in his scope of notice, his Thermal Vision and Area Detection Quirks working together to alert him that Doctor Garaki was preparing to enter his room.

"Garaki," the old Villain rasped through his breathing apparatus, not even turning his head toward where the other old —though not as old as he— doctor stepped into the room to his right. "I was not expecting you to visit in person today. Something must have gone wrong."

"I am afraid so," Garaki replied, moving closer. There was a limp in his walk that had not been there when last the good doctor had visited.

"You are injured," All for One observed.

"Oh, this?" The man pat his leg. "Yes, a stupid nurse lost hold of a scalpel during a surgery this morning. The cut was not deep, but it found purchase in a very painful area of my knee. It has made walking inconvenient."

If All for One had still had his traditional eyes and the brows that came with them, one would have raised. It did not sound like Garaki wished to mislead him —the man had learned that doing so could cost him his life many years ago— but this story did not match certain circumstances.

"If it is so difficult to walk," the older man began, "then why have you chosen to come to me in person rather than discuss our matters through our secure channels?"

"There is someone who wishes to meet with you, Master," Garaki responded, offering a small bow. "He has come a long way and we all know you could easily overpower him should he show any ill will."

"And you brought him here?" There was an edge to All for One's voice. Garaki knew that such visitors needed to be announced well before their time of meeting.

"He is a foreigner and does not have long," Garaki offered, his fingers fidgeting in the air. It was a tick All for One rarely saw in the man when he was nervous. "He hopes you will offer him power to help conquer his homeland's underground in return for a new market for Quirks. I figured worst comes to worse, you can simply kill him."

"…Yes," he agreed after a few moment's pause. "Yes, I think I will at least humor this foreigner. See him in."

Garaki bowed before returning to the door. He opened it and spoke to the person on the other side, outside of All for One's range. He stepped into the room after a few words, the foreigner dragging another with him. The man was on the taller side of six feet with broad shoulders, carrying himself with the air of someone use to having his orders followed. He pulled along another, a wiry fellow in makeup bound in chains, and carried in his other hand a sphere of some sort. All for One reached toward him with another sense and found the man blank.

He was Quirkless.

"Greetings All for One, King of Shadows," the man said in lightly-accented Japanese. His voice was a low tenor, edging toward a bass. "Thank you for your time. I wish to make a deal with you."

"What have you to offer me?" the tyrant questioned. "You worm your way into my lair and strut about like you are in charge. I know that you are Quirkless, so I know you cannot harm me."

"I seek healing and longevity… How do you say it, Quirks?" the man said, prompting a tired nod from the the underworld kingpin to get on with it. "My father ekes closer to death with each day, driving my mother to tears. I cannot bear to see them in such a state and wish for the power to grant him longer life."

"You are foolish. I cannot give you any Quirk that would help another in such a way. You should have brought the man with you."

"You have no Quirk that can help my situation? Even if I have a sacrifice for you?"

Garaki moved to block the door, an action that the foreigner seemed to notice by the tensing of his muscles. The man in the chains wiggled, trying to escape his bindings, but any words he tried to say were muffled by the gag in his mouth.

"I am afraid that you simply do not interest me," All for One decided, red and black tentacles growing from his back. They lanced downward toward the foreigner.

The man raised his orb and power washed over the room. All for One froze, his tentacles an inch from the man's torso. The Villain's lips curled back as he strained to complete his attack but, try as he might, his body would not move.

"What is this?" he demanded. Garaki shifted, opening the door to allow another person into the room. It was a woman —more of a girl, really— who moved to stand beside the man. "What have you done?"

"I am simply showing you where you stand in the world. Bentham, grant him a gift that he may see our faces."

"Yes, Master Aaron." Garaki moved, casually walking to All for One's side. The Villain tried to flinch away, to make any movement, but his body still refused to do so. Garaki reached upward, settling one hand over the orifice where one of All for One's eyes used to be. The sunken eyelids there moved at the old doctor's touch, opening to show the empty cavity, as the doctor's other hand moved to his own face. There was a squelch as he plucked an eye from his own face and positioned it for All for One, connecting the nerves. For the first time in years, All for One blinked and was shown color.

The foreigner was tall and broad of shoulder as he had suspected, close-cropped dirty brown-blond hair framing his olive-toned face to fall into a well-trimmed beard marked with a scar that ran over his lips on one side. His eyes were a dark blue, like shadows dancing at the bottom of the deep ocean, and he was dressed in some form of white garb that contrasted well with his skin. It was almost robe-like, but more along the lines of the tunics of Egypt or Greece with golden embellishments similar to wires running over technology. In his hand was a golden orb, glowing with power as similar designs across its surface emitted light to fill the darkness. The girl stood in his shadow, nothing to be seen of her save her blond hair and the schoolgirl uniform of UA.

"Who are you?" All for One's voice did not shake. He refused to show anything close to weakness. Such a thing was, after all, far below a man of his standing. Perhaps, if he could get the man talking, he could find one of his many Quirks that could counter whatever power was being used.

As if to mock him, the foreigner had the gall to laugh. Garaki and the girl followed his example while the lanky man in the chains tried to say something through his gag, his eyes pleading with All for One to recognize that something was wrong.

"Humans," the man laughed, as if he were not one. "Always so amusing, don't you think? They build themselves up to be so high and mighty, never knowing how they were made, created, handcrafted from mud to be forever subservient to masters beyond their understanding."

"Yes, Father," the girl agreed. "I think this one has spent too long ignorant to whom he should serve, but I think he has performed his assigned task well."

"I have never done anyone's bidding but my own," All for One growled. He sifted through his internal library of Quirks, latching onto each one long enough to recognize that it would not come at his beckoning before moving on.

"No, you don't think so, do you?" the man —Aaron, Garaki had called him— grinned. "And yet, you were never stopped. We allowed you to run around your little sandbox here, trusting you would be useful eventually. Why else do you think you have survived so long after turning your back on the Templar Order?"

"So you are Templars," All for One growled.

"You would wish it to be so," Aaron replied. "No, I am higher than even that. Though I claim the title of Grand Master, I am the heir to the greatest Isu line, the first true Isu to be born in many millennia. Rejoice, Mugen Shigaraki, for your life and death will help further our cause of world peace under competent rulership. Now then, let's begin what I came here to do."

Aaron waved the orb, one of All for One's tentacles piercing him in the shoulder without his command. The man did not so much as wince as a green light started to flow down the tentacle and into the man. He glowed for a moment before it died away.

"So this is what it is like to have a Quirk," he commented. "It is like the power of the Artifacts flows through my veins. How addicting. More."

Again and again, Quirks of similar shade flowed into the man, each one causing All for One to shrivel a slight bit more until he was little more than a husk, his repertoire of healing Quirks down to a single one called Temporal Body, a failsafe that allowed him to slow his molecules' aging, staving off death for a little longer. Only now, with his body on the verge of giving out for the first time in many years, All for One felt true fear.

"Is this how you have always felt, sweetheart?" Aaron asked, taking a deep breath, unbothered by the tentacle still in his shoulder. He breathed out a puff of green dust, testing a stolen Quirk All for One recognized as Breath of Life. It was one of many, enough for the man to heal his father and grant a healing Quirk to every one of his dear wives and children, all while not jeopardizing their ability to use the Artifacts. "I never thought Quirks would feel so good. It almost seems a shame to give so many away, but I know they'll go toward protecting my family. Ah, but there are still a few more things I need."

Another Quirk, black in color, started its journey into a new host. All for One's lone eye widened as he recognized it by look and by feel, his mind trying to rebel but his body unhesitating to follow the directions of the orb. The Quirk reached its new host, his tentacles falling away before shriveling into nothing. Aaron grinned, the same tentacles now growing from his back to wave in the air. The hole in his shoulder healed nearly instantly on account of Super Regeneration among other such Quirks, his clothing knitting itself back together at a slower rate.

"You—! My Quirk—!" All for One could get out little more than noises as this upstart all but played with his namesake.

"Now one more." The appendages shot forward, all four stabbing into the Villain's arms or torso. The man in the chains let out a muffled cry, tears leaking from his eyes as he watched a final Quirk of pink-purple move down the prehensile limbs and into the foreigner. "Categorization," Aaron mused as it settled inside him. "An apt name and invaluable. Now then, I can feel my body reaching the limit to the number of Quirks I could safely house thanks to my possession of All for One." He frowned. "That's a terrible name, by the way. I think I will call it… [Meta Collection]."

"A wonderful name, Master Aaron," Garaki smiled.

"I will have your head, worm," All for One swore, his muscles straining as he tried to move something, anything, to no avail.

"No, I don't think you will. Mugen, I'll only give you one order as your new, benevolent, Isu overlord." He paused to smile, lifting the glowing orb which brightened. "Die."

Against his will, All for One released his control over Temporal Body. Without its hold on his flow of time and the lack of healing and longevity Quirks, the aged Villain's age began to catch up to him. A terrified cry clawed its way from his dehydrating throat as his body started to shrivel and shrink, curling in on itself. Before the eyes of all those assembled, Mugen Shigaraki, the Villain All for One, turned to dust, leaving nothing but a grey pile of powder and simple clothing. The Templar Grand Master and Isu heir lowered the orb, its light dimming until it disappeared.

The man in chains squeaked, twin rivers of tears flowing down his face as he fell to his knees.

"Oh relax," the man piloting Giraki's body said, stepping over to his crying form. "You'll probably be with him again soon enough. Stop crying or you'll ruin my makeup. In fact, I'm tired of this body. Master, if I may?"

"Please," Aaron replied. Garaki's face split into a grin, the spy cracking his and the doctor's foreheads together. Their essences rose and switched, settling back into the bodies they had been in when they first met. Garaki, now back to himself but with an injured leg, fell backward. Bentham's acting had been phenomenal, for said injury was far more than a simple cut. The bones of the leg were broken.

"Alright, Doctor," Aaron said, addressing the man. "It is time you gave me Life Force."

Before the old doctor could protest, the newly-renamed Meta Collector arced downward, stabbing into Garaki's torso. He gasped as his own brown-and-green Quirk moved up the appendage, his body shriveling in a manner reminiscent of Mugen Shigaraki not two minutes previously. He tried to get himself into a position to run, but his feeble body and broken leg would not do what he wanted.

["Oh, Daddy?"] the girl spoke up in English, tugging on the sleeve of his outfit. ["Can I do it? I want to show you a new trick I learned during my internship."]

["Yes, please do."]

The girl grinned, her smile turning malicious as two lyre-shaped horns shot forth. One impaled Garaki through the forehead while the other shot through his ribs to puncture his heart. His one eye widened, his fading vision taking in the cheerful blue eyes of his killer as hid vision went dark for the last time. The girl waved her hand, her horns pulling out of the corpse before turning to a powder that formed shapes in the air at her command, forming first the Assassin sigil, then the Mark of Cain, the Broken Cross, and finally two small busts of her grandparents. It flowed upward through the air once she finished and into her nose, settling in her body to regrow her next pair of horns with no loss of material.

Apathetic to the life she just ended, Pony Tsunotori turned to her father with a hopeful gleam in her eye. He smiled at her, reaching down to rest his hand on her hair between her horns.

["How'd I do, Dad?"]

["You have done wonderful, my dear daughter,"] Aaron told her. ["You have honored our family. Your grandparents will be proud."]

["I'm glad. It is my life's duty to honor the Father and Mother, after all."]

End of Chapter 26

Well, the internships aren't the only thing coming to an end. With this, just about every League of Villains-led arc in the future is out the window, and we now know the identity of one of the spies. Are you all surprised? I know two or three of you aren't, but I hope the rest of you are amazed/horrified at the implications here. Sorry, all! Wait no, I'm not, because I've had this planned since I decided to expand the Plot Bunny into a full story. Now, you all have a glance at Izuku's "Borgia" if you will, though their impact on his life will be a lot more indirect for the foreseeable future. Tell me what you think of this twist!

In other news: how will the students interact differently based on what they've learned? How might Haya's friendship change Izuku's school life? How will Iida go about learning which of his classmates are trustworthy? Who will Momo manipulate and to what ends in the name of practice? Shoto's warmed a little, but he's nowhere nearly as friendly as his forced opening in Canon, so how might that affect his future endeavors? Finally, how will All for One's disappearance affect Tomura, the underworld as a whole, and All Might?

Read and Review!

-SwordOfTheGods