A/N: You people should know by now to never let your emotional guards down around me. You thought everything was gonna be all good at the end of last chapter? Get to feeling all of those warm fuzzies?

WRONGO!

Born of Darkness

The first-year students of UA had returned to their dorms, triumphant against the tasks that had been set before them. All but one of them had managed to succeed in becoming licensed heroes, and now it was time to celebrate.

"I've arranged for enough pizza to feed everyone to be delivered in less than an hour," Yaoyorozu announced as the class began to gather in the common area, having changed into their casual clothes. "I've also asked for enough drinks that we can all have at least three of whatever is available."

"We shouldn't be eating junk food!" Iida protested. "We accomplished something great, and we should continue to build on it! Such consumption could set us back-!"

"Dude, Yaomomo already ordered the food," Jiro interrupted him. "Besides, it's not like one night of kickin' back is gonna kill us."

"But-!"

"Bro, if you wanna eat a salad, you can do that," Kirishima told him with a light chuckle. "No one's gonna force-feed you." To the class' vice-rep, he said, "Thanks for doin' that, Yaoyorozu. I know I could eat a whole pizza, myself!"

"You're welcome," the rich girl giggled. "And don't worry, there will be plenty to eat."

"Studies do show that taking time to unwind and enjoy the things you like is good for your health in the long run, as opposed to just sticking to a crazy diet and routine that you hate," Blake pointed out as she walked by, her nose in a book.

"Live a little, man!" Sero said as he clicked the remote to turn on the TV. "We've got a whole weekend to celebrate, so let's use it! It's been a while since we could just kick back and relax!"

"The intensive training has left us all pretty worn out," Asui commented as she crouched next to the couch, a game controller in her hand. "Belladonna is right- we should take this time to rest."

"Since when do you play Apocalypse, Su?" Kaminari asked as he grabbed up another controller and sat down on the couch next to Sero.

"Since Jiro and Ashido taught me, ribbit."

"Speaking of whom…" Ojiro said as he glanced at the pink girl, who was coming out of the kitchen with some frozen yogurt. "I'm surprised you're not celebrating with Hikari."

"He said he needed to be alone for a little bit," she shrugged as she stuck a little spoon in her treat. "But he did promise to come down by the time that the food got here."

"He probably just doesn't wanna have a rematch with Midoriya after the last round," Hagakure giggled while the big screen lit up with the opening crawl for the latest Smash Bros game.

"I just kept pushing buttons at random…" the green-haired boy said sheepishly from where he and Uraraka were occupying the room's love seat. "I don't really know how to play the game."

"Some say that button-mashing is the way to go," Mina laughed at him. "But I think he's more likely to be updating his journal."

"His journal?" Ojiro repeated, looking intrigued. "Hikari doesn't strike me as the type to keep a diary."

"It's something new that he's been trying," the pink girl explained. "He said that it helps his self-reflection during his meditation sessions if he has a way of looking back on his progress ever since we came to UA. He updates it almost every day, and apparently it's been a pretty cathartic exercise."

Kurai sat alone in his dimly-lit room on the floor in front of a small Tamaya that he had constructed in order to pay homage to his father. It was the reason that he hadn't let anyone but Mina into the place- he just wasn't ready to let the others into this part of his life quite yet.

It was a simple enough shrine, one that Shukin had helped him gather the materials for, seeing as he had one for his own father in his house. There was a photo of the Hogo-sha patriarch, dressed in his Commissioner uniform, sitting in a nice frame inside the construct. Below that there was a tablet with his father's name, as well as the dates of his birth and death. There were also two scented candles on either side of the photo that he had lit out of respect for the man, which were currently the only light source in the room.

"Hi, Dad," he said when he felt like he would be able to speak without his voice breaking. "I missed you a lot more today than I thought I would. See, I uh… Well, I did it. I'm a licensed hero. Well, not fully licensed, but I'm halfway there." He let out a small laugh in order to try and dislodge the lump that had stuck in his throat. "I'd like to take credit for the win, but really, if it weren't for Akarui and Mina, and all my friends, I never would have been able to pass the test. Still, I… I hope that you're proud of me. I worked really hard, and I tried not to let everything hold me back, like you taught me to.

"I never told you this, but… It was because of you that I was able to save Bakugo's life that night." He let out another weak chuckle as his eyes began to sting, so he closed them. "I remembered what you said, about how I should always give it my all, and then some, because I don't ever want to wonder what might have happened if I didn't make that last push. Thanks to what you taught me, maybe Bakugo can become a great hero someday… Even if the sucker didn't pass the exam this time." His mouth admitted yet another laugh, though this one made him feel a little better.

Kurai opened his eyes and blinked away the tears that had begun to build there before he said, "I'm gonna honor your life with the hero that I'm becoming. And if you're not proud of me today, then I'll keep working until you can be. Mina will see to that, don't you worry." He sniffed and wiped at his eyes before he gave a seated bow to the shrine. As he stood, his chin trembling and eyes watering, he finished, "I love you, Dad. I'm sorry I didn't say it more… when you were alive."

He swiftly extinguished the candles and shut the doors to the Tamaya, then moved to turn on the light in his room, blinking a few times as his eyes adjusted to the brighter illumination. Deciding that he still needed some time to collect himself before he headed down to join the others, he sat down on his bed after grabbing the photo album that Akarui had given him on the day that he left home. He hoped that looking back on some happier memories might help get his spirits back up. He wasn't entirely sure which memories would be in the album, as he hadn't had the heart to open it until now, but he felt reasonably sure that they would be good ones.

Breathing deeply a few times, he forced his trembling hand to open to the first page, where he saw a photo of his parents holding him as an infant in the hospital where he had been born. His mother looked exhausted but content, while his father's eyes were alight with pride and joy as he held his firstborn. As it was a scrapbook, the photo did not take up the full page, leaving room for what Kurai recognized as his father's handwriting.

He wasn't entirely sure if continuing on was going to leave him in any shape to go downstairs tonight, but he was too curious now. As his eyes scanned the page, he read, 'I will always remember when the nurse brought Kurai into the room- into my life. I didn't know it then, but becoming a father to my firstborn would give me the greatest sense of purpose- even more so than being a good officer, which until then, was my life. I am a better man because of my son.'

Kurai had to jerk his head back to keep his tears from splashing the page. He knew that it was laminated, and therefore could not be damaged by the salty liquid, but it still felt as if it would be disrespectful. So he made himself take deep breaths until he felt as though he could control himself before he shut the book firmly.

Later, he decided. He wanted to know more about what his father had said about him as he grew up, but he felt too fragile to continue that particular quest for the moment. Maybe tomorrow, Mina and I can go through it together.

He stood up and moved to put the album back on his desk, but when he was halfway there, a page of loose paper that his father must have forgotten to seal fell out of the binding. Kurai set the album in its place before he moved to retrieve the paper, nearly putting it back without giving it a proper look. It was only when he realized that he was holding a doctor's note that he paused to examine the piece more carefully.

What's this…? His eyes widened slightly as he scanned the printed date. Wait, this is from when I was a little kid. Why is this in my dad's album about me?

The party downstairs was well underway by the time that Izuku and the girls realized that Kurai still hadn't come down to join them.

"Maybe he fell asleep?" Uraraka suggested when they started to discuss it.

"I sent him a text message to let him know that the food is here, but he never responded," Mina said as she looked worriedly at her phone. "I hope he's okay…"

"You don't think he's…?" Midoriya's voice trailed off, not wanting to bring up the memory of Kurai's self-mutilation out loud.

"I honestly doubt it," Mina replied with a negative shake of her head. "He hasn't been having phantom pains like before, and he seemed in a really good place when we all got home. Still…"

"You wanna go check on him?" Uraraka guessed. "We can go with you, just in case it's something serious."

"That's a good idea," Midoriya nodded. "The two of us actually wanted to talk to you in private, so this is a good chance!"

"Okay, but first…" Mina said as she moved and grabbed one of the pizza boxes off the counter. "Ochaco, grab one of those soda bottles and some cups. Izuku, you get us some plates and napkins. We're not going hungry on account of a secret meeting."

"Hey, I wanted that one!" Kirishima complained from across the kitchen island.

"Snooze, you lose, buddy," the pink girl giggled as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Man, now I gotta split this one with Kaminari and Tokoyami!"

The trio, having grabbed the items that they needed, started to head for the elevators, only pausing when they encountered Bakugo in the hallway, who glared at Midoriya as he approached. "Come with me, nerd," he growled as he walked past.

"Sorry, Kacchan, I can't right now," the other boy started to say, until Bakugo's glare intensified.

"I'm not asking, Deku."

"Good, cos he's not going," Mina said as she got in between the two of them. "If you'll excuse us, we've got better uses for our time than entertaining a blast-aholic who's just looking to start something. Come on, you guys." With that, she nudged Midoriya and Uraraka to keep going toward the elevators.

"This isn't any of your business, Raccoon Eyes. This is between me and Deku!"

"Then settle it another time," she said without turning around. "Like I said, we have better things to do."

"Deku…!"

"Sorry, Kacchan," Midoriya shrugged as Uraraka opened the door to the elevator and ducked inside it, eager to escape the increasingly tense atmosphere. As he followed her, he added, "If this were any other time, I would go, but-"

"It's about you quirk."

Those words caused Midoriya to freeze in place, looking a deer caught in the headlights of a semi about to bowl it over. As he took a half-step back toward the other boy, he started to ask, "What did you-?"

"Nope!" Mina said as all but dragged him into the elevator by his collar. "Later, Bakugo."

"Dammit, Deku, don't ignore me!"

"I'm not!" he replied as the doors began to close. "We'll talk later, I promise!" With that, there was now a metal door between the two rivals, and the lift began to move upward, much to Mina and Uraraka's relief.

"What was that about, Deku?" his girlfriend asked him, causing the boy to flinch slightly. "Are you okay?"

"Why did it look like he wanted to put your head through a wall because of your quirk?" Mina added. "I thought he got over that at the beginning of the semester."

"…That's actually part of the reason that Kurai and I wanted to talk to you two, alone," Midoriya admitted, startling both girls. Seeing that they both had questions ready, he preempted them by saying, "I'll explain everything once we're in a room with Kurai, and we're sure that he's up to talking." As soon as he finished saying this, the lift stopped moving, and they stepped out into the empty hallway.

They quickly made their way toward their friend's door, noticing that it was still shut tight once they stood around it. "Maybe we should just leave him alone?" Uraraka suggested nervously, not wanting to cause their troubled classmate any more anxiety than necessary.

"If we don't go in there, he's not gonna have any dinner, and I'm not gonna let that happen," Mina announced before knocking rapidly on the door, before the others could stop her. "Kurai? It's Mina. I've got Ochaco and Izuku here with me, and we have pizza. You gonna let us in?"

There was silence for a few moments, so Mina went to knock again, but was stopped by her boyfriend's voice. "It's just them?" he asked from inside. "No one else?"

"Nope, Todoroki and Iida are both downstairs," she answered him. "Our class rep is giving everyone an earful about eating too much junk food, and the guys are trying to show Todoroki how to play Smash Bros- somehow with less success than when he tried Overcooked."

She was hoping to get him to laugh, but all they heard from inside was the sound of someone shuffling around and then a door being unlatched. The door opened, and his classmates were shocked at his appearance.

His eyes were red and puffy, as if he had been crying extensively, and his hair was a right mess. His gaze looked haunted, and his shoulders were sagging as if he were carrying all of his schoolbooks on his back at once.

"Dude, what happened?" Mina asked him worriedly as he stepped back to let them into his room. "Is the pain back?" The three of them quickly moved in, not wanting to give him a chance to change his mind and shut them out.

"I had some burns where the metal meets my skin earlier, but Recovery Girl healed it for me," he answered in a dull tone. "Other than that, no, my arm hasn't hurt."

"Then why do you look so down?" she asked him as she set the pizza box on his desk.

Uraraka and Midoriya were taking a moment to examine the room, as it was the first time they had been allowed inside. Kurai had decorated his walls with Gang Orca memorabilia and a photo of his family with the Iida's to give the place a touch of his identity. In a section of the room that was not present in the others' dorms, there was his worktable, a spare arm on top of it, as well as schematics for his current prosthetic, scouter, and sword. Perpendicular to his desk was what looked like a small shrine, but the other couple thought it best to bring that up another time. Right now it looked as though they had more pressing concerns.

In response to Mina's inquiry, Kurai had moved to his desk and retrieved an old-looking paper, which he held out to her. "Read that," he said as he moved to lock the door, looking defeated.

"You want some pizza?" Midoriya offered as he put down the plates on the desk, followed by his girlfriend's soda and cups.

"Maybe later," the other boy answered as he sat down heavily on the bed. "Big maybe."

"I know you're not okay, but can you at least tell us a bit about what's making you upset?" Uraraka asked him gently. "We're here to help, Kurai."

"I know, which is why I let you in here." Letting out a long breath, Kurai added, "I know that if I sit on this alone, it's gonna tear me up, like losing my arm did a month ago."

"What-?"

"I don't get it." Mina accidentally interrupted her friend as she looked at Kurai with a small frown. "This can't be right- must've just been a misdiagnosis. Or maybe you were a late bloomer?"

"What is that?" Midoriya asked as Mina handed the paper she had been reading over to Uraraka to read.

"It's a doctor's note from when I was five," Kurai answered, his tone still dull, although his body was beginning to tremble. "At the time, I was diagnosed… as quirkless."

"Quirkless?" Midoriya repeated, no doubt remembering back to his own childhood. "But I thought that you'd had your quirk since you were little?"

"Yeah," Kurai nodded slowly. "Since a few months after I turned five." The normal age for quirk development was three or four years old, so to have it manifest that much later than the other kids in the neighborhood was a bit odd, though not unheard of.

"So you were a late bloomer," Mina said as she crossed her arms in front of her. "What's the big deal about that?"

"That note is timestamped a week before my quirk first appeared," Kurai said tightly as he stared down at his clenched hands. "I have photographic proof of the fact- my dad took a picture of me one of the first times I used Energon, and it's dated six days after that note." As he gazed up at his girlfriend with haunted eyes, he continued on to say, "I remember that doctor's appointment. Mom and Dad seemed upset about something, but I just thought that they had gotten into an argument, because my doctor said that everything was fine, that I was probably just gonna be getting my quirk a little later than my classmates. I didn't really think anything of it since Mom and Dad used to argue about whether or not he should continue his career as a police officer before my uncle was killed in the line of duty. After that, my dad felt as though he needed to carry on with the work that his brother could no longer do, and that was that." The boy snorted in disgust as he muttered, "In any case, the doctor clearly lied, at least to me. That diagnosis has test results drawn up from multiple blood labs, all of which confirm that my body doesn't carry the genetic markers of either one of my parents' quirks."

"Wait, so if you didn't have a quirk during these labs, why did it appear all of a sudden?" Uraraka asked as she passed the note on to her boyfriend, who grabbed it with an absent mind.

"I have a theory, but I wanted to ask Izuku before I said anything," Kurai answered as his gaze shifted over to his friend, who had begun to pale rapidly. "From the look on your face, your thoughts are probably running along the same patterns as mine did."

"You don't think…?" Midoriya could barely speak through his constricted throat, and now he had Uraraka and Mina looking doubly worried. "Your quirk…"

"That's exactly what I think," Kurai nodded heavily. "My powers… The reason my body has always had a hard time handling its full potential is because I wasn't born with it, nor did it just develop over time. I'm pretty sure that it was forced into me… by All For One."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Mina held up her hands and waved them rapidly, trying to control the conversation. "The guy that All Might fought in Kamino Ward? What does he have to do with any of this?"

Izuku and Kurai exchanged a look before the greenette said, "There's a few things that we need to fill you in on before we can really answer that…"

By the time that the two boys finished explaining the history of All For One and the instrument of his defeat, One For All, half the pizza had gone cold, and the soda was nearly gone. Kurai and Izuku had barely managed to eat a slice between them, since they had been doing most of the talking while the girls listened with rapt attention.

When the narrative was complete, everyone turned to look at Kurai, who had maintained the same dull look on his face the entire time. "You think that All For One gave you Energon?" Mina finally asked him, too many thoughts and emotions whirling inside of her to make total sense of them at the moment.

"It makes sense to me," the boy shrugged. "My quirk isn't like either of my parents', unlike Akarui. I always assumed it was a case of mutation. But in this case, my quirk may have been born of the same darkness as One For All."

"Wait, what are your parents' quirks?" Midoriya asked, his insatiable curiosity peeking out of its hiding place.

"Mom absorbs ultraviolet waves from the light she's exposed to, and can expel it through her eyes, which gives her x-ray vision," he answered evenly. "Dad had perfect recall, but only for seventy-two hours, after which his mind would sort through the memories and treat them normally while he slept. Put mom's ultraviolet absorption and dad's ability to retain massive amounts of information with total clarity, and you get my brother's Solar Intelligence."

"Energon doesn't share characteristics with either of those," Midoriya murmured with a slow shake of his head. "I hate to say it, but Kurai may be right. All For One might have given him his power."

"Why, though?" Mina asked suddenly. "That's what doesn't make sense to me. Why would this evil king of the crazies give Kurai a power in the first place? It doesn't make any sense!"

"According to All Might, All For One is a textbook sociopath," Midoriya answered. "He might have done it just for his own amusement."

"I hope so, because I really don't like the alternative thought that my brain cooked up while I was sitting here earlier," Kurai interjected.

"Which would be…?"

"All Might told us that he ruled from the shadows, pulling the strings from behind the scenes," the boy answered Uraraka as he stared at his artificial hand. "Someone like that would have a lot to gain by having a well-respected detective in his pocket. What if he traded a quirk for my father's services?"

An ugly silence followed the audible thought. The others wanted to be appalled at him for his disrespect of the dead, but at the same time, they couldn't deny that it made sense. It sounded exactly like the sort of thing that All For One would do, but even so…

"Do you really think that your dad would have done something like that?" Mina demanded of him. "From what I saw, and all the stories that you told me, he was a model cop! You always looked up to him because of his unwavering resolve in the fight against villains that even pro heroes were afraid of!"

"I'm aware," Kurai said shortly, causing Mina to regret her outburst- after all, he knew better than almost anyone the kind of man that Hogo-sha had shown himself to be. "Which is why I need to get to the bottom of this whole thing, and I want your guys' help to do it."

"Us?" Uraraka gulped. "What can we do? We're just students, we can't do an investigation on our own."

"You're not entirely correct," Kurai said as he glanced at his laptop. "We're licensed now, which means that we can access the Hero Network and all the information it contains on villains, both active and inactive. If we can put together enough info about my old doctor or my father in relation to All For One, we can submit a case file to a detective."

"Is that really the best move, though?" Mina hesitated. "I mean, it sounds like All For One had a long reach. What if we accidentally tip off some of his informants that we're on to him?"

"All Might has a friend on the police force that might be able to help us," Midoriya answered before Kurai could. "He's actually the lead detective on the League of Villains case. If this really does tie back to All For One, he'd be the guy to talk to about it, anyway."

"Wait, All Might knows Detective Tsukauchi?" Kurai asked, looking surprised.

"Yeah! Wait… Do you know him?"

"He was my dad's junior detective for a while, before he became the Commissioner," Kurai answered with a nod. "I don't know him that well, but he's the guy I was hoping to put the case to."

"But why?" Mina reiterated. "Why does any of this matter? If All For One is responsible for your power, he's already behind bars in Tartaros. And it's not like you can give your quirk back- nor should you!" She grabbed his left arm tightly as she added, "You've done so much good with your quirk! You've made a better use of it than that madman ever would have!"

"If this quirk was stolen from someone else, I may be obligated to give it back to them, if possible," Kurai told her. "I suppose it's also possible- probable- that whoever he stole this power from is no longer alive, in which case, it's a moot point. But… Mina, I need to know the truth. I need to know if I'm right; if my father wasn't who I thought he was. I pray that I'm wrong, and that he was every bit the hero I remember him to be, but I need to know. I feel like I'll be stuck again if I don't, and… I don't want to put you through that."

There was another long stretch of silence in the room before Mina leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Okay, then," she murmured as she pulled back. "I'll help you find the answers you need. And I'll keep you from losing yourself along the way, no matter what you find."

"Thank you," he said with evident relief.

"I'm in, too," Midoriya said as he patted his friend on the shoulder. "No matter where your power came from, Kurai, you've been a great friend. I'll help you reach your goal however I can."

"You know I'm in," Uraraka said with as cheerful of a smile as she could manage. "It means a lot that you guys wanted to include me in this part of your lives, and I won't let you down. I'm gonna show you that I can be a partner that you can lean on, too."

"All of you… Thank you," Kurai sniffled, and the others were surprised to realize that he was crying while his body trembled. "I needed this. I need to know that there's somebody with me that has my back, even through stuff like this. I'm sorry if that's selfish, but I-"

"Don't worry about it," Uraraka told him as Mina pulled him close for a firm, reassuring embrace. "We're a team now, remember? We'll get through this, together."

"Thank you…"

The next day, during the lunch hour, Izuku and Kurai met with All Might to let him know about everything that had happened the previous day. The former pro seemed disgruntled about the fact that they had disclosed their secrets to their girlfriends, especially without consulting him on the matter first, but he conceded to Kurai's point that since One For All now dwelled inside of Izuku, it should be his call as to who was informed about the quirk and its history. He also soon forgot his irritation in favor of shock when the boys told him what they had discovered, and what their theory on the matter was.

"Like you said, it sounds like something he would do," All Might said tightly as he gazed at Kurai with sympathy. "I wish that I could think of some kind of rebuttal for your theory, but with the evidence that your father kept, I find it difficult to believe otherwise. I'll have Tsukauchi look into the doctor that diagnosed you, but I don't know if it's enough to add to the case in order to call it a lead. He more than likely has no ties to the League, but at this point, I'm sure that Tsukauchi would be happy to get any potential lead on the villains."

"Thank you, sir," Kurai said. "And if I might ask another favor?"

"Yes?"

"If it is a lead, I'd like to be put on the case to pursue it," the young hero said firmly, causing All Might to frown at him.

"I'd like to say 'no' on account that this is clearly personal for you, and might prove to be a conflict of interests, but then I'd be a hypocrite," the retired pro admitted. "I was invested in the fight against All For One for more reasons than just the fact that I was a hero committed to stopping evil. I'll pitch the idea to Tsukauchi, but the final decision will be up to him, got it?"

Again, Kurai nodded in acceptance of the words. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

"Don't thank me," All Might warned him gravely, the look in his dark eyes unsettling his students. "When you decide to set yourself against All For One in any manner, you'd better be prepared to face the consequences for it. Because trust me, no one tangles with that demon and gets away without a mark of some kind."

Kurai snorted derisively at that while holding up his metal arm. "I don't need anyone to tell me that, sir. I'm probably one of the few people that can sympathize with the injuries that you've received on account of that madman. Either way, it doesn't change what I have to do."

Kai: You enjoyed that way too much.

Mataras: Sue me, I've been waiting the better part of two years to drop that on your head. Mina and Ochaco finding out about One For All and agreeing to be a part of the support group was icing on the cake, but damn if it wasn't hard to keep a lid on you being born quirkless.

Deku: You're sure you didn't just reuse what just happened in the manga with your own twist?

Mataras: No, and I'm lowkey furious that I wasn't able to release this chapter sooner, so that it wouldn't seem like such a coincidence! Gah!

Kai: To be fair, you first kinda lined this up when you dropped the bomb that my dad had dealings with All For One. Just... Why, man?

Mataras: At what point did you think this was going to be a happy story? I laid it down from the beginning- this tale is a tragedy. There will be plenty of happy moments, but the unfortunate truth is that this is all leading to your downfall. This is just one part of that.

Deku: But... There's gotta be a way to save him, right? I mean, it's clear that you like Kurai as a character, a lot. Can't you... do something?

Mataras: Finding a way to save everyone will always be a part of your character, Deku. Unfortunately, learning the truth that not everyone can be saved is also a part of your journey.

Kai: Then what's the point in all of this?

Mataras: It's not the destination-

Kai: If you say 'Not the destination, but the journey', I'm gonna kick your ass.

Mataras: As I was saying, it's not the destination itself, but what you do when you get there that will define your story. The journey to arrive at your crossroads of destiny is an important aspect, no doubt, but it's what you do in the face of your demise that will tell everyone- including you- who you really are.

Kai: ...I'm still tempted to kick your ass for that answer.

Mataras: Fair enough, I suppose. For now, I suggest that while our readers take time to remember that while we are aware of the fact that your father almost certainly traded his services for your quirk, you have no proof of the fact within the story.

Deku: So now it's matter of whether or not we'll be able to find the proof he needs to have closure, right?

Mataras: Correct.

Kai: I was starting to think that this chapter would be the epilogue to this arc concerning my decision about the hero I'm going to become, but now it's plain to see that it's another launching point for the consideration of that rather essential question concerning my character... Interesting.

Mataras: You're being surprisingly chill about all of this.

Kai: You know, I thought the same. The utter devastation at the fact that my parents lied to me for over ten years, as well as the probability that Dad was in the pocket of All For One should have me putting holes in walls outside of the story itself. There's also the possibility that I'm so unbelievably angry that I have simply come full circle.

Deku: Umm... Maybe we should end this segment before you have a chance to think too hard on that one.

Kai: that would probably be for the best, yes.

Mataras: Next time- Measuring Up

Deku: What are we measuring up to?

Mataras: More like who are you measuring up to?

Deku: ...Oh no.

Mataras: Get ready for the Big Three to Go Beyond!

Kai: Plus Ultra! ... And cue the rage!

Mataras: Oh boy.

Kai: Yipikayay, motherfu-!

Deku: Wait, this is still rated -T'!

Next time on Your Hero Academia: Unveiling...

"Whoopsie!" Togata laughed while most of the students averted their gazes from the senior. "Sorry, my quirk is kinda tricky." Somehow, he had managed to lose every stitch of his clothing without moving a muscle.

As he bent over to retrieve his pants, Bakugo and Izuku took the initiative. "You're wide open!" Izuku shouted as he aimed a kick that would connect with the side of Togata's head when it landed.

However, far from looking perturbed, Togata allowed the blow to land, completely unhindered- to the point where it just passed through him completely, sending Izuku rolling past him with a confused look on his face. Right after that, one of Bakugo's explosions covered him in fire and smoke, even as the boy himself used the same blast to launch himself to the opposite side of where Izuku had landed.

Turning around to look at the both of them curiously, Togata asked, "Went for the face, huh?"

His back is turned!

"Let's dust him!" Kurai shouted, galvanizing the others into action, even as he unleashed a barrage of Energon blasts at the smoke cloud.