A/N: Welcome to the latest chapter of Family Runs Deep. The last chapter was done back when I just got accepted into graduate school. . .

. . . And now I just finished my second semester, which goes to show how long it takes me to update these chapters because school, work, and real life kick my ass daily.

Anyway, merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it today! And happy Boxing Day to anyone who celebrates it tomorrow!

Please accept this new chapter as my gift to you. Enjoy!


Chapter 29: After the Raid Pt. 5

"So, just so we're clear, we're dealing with a young egomaniac in the making with a hand fetish and a deep vendetta against All Might?"

It was the first thing that anyone could think of saying after Madam Blade, EraserHead, and All Might finished recounting their experience at USJ to the rest of the staff. Though the group was relieved to know that the students came out of the situation relatively unscathed, and that their fellow teachers were all on their way to a full recovery - even Thirteen - they were still pissed that so many villains managed to infiltrate their school and cause so much damage in the first place.

It was a gut punch to their collective faces . . . A blemish on the school's reputation. . .

. . . And they wanted to rectify it quickly.

"Well, that is probably the simplest way of putting it, but yeah, that's the gist of it Vlad," Shizuna conceded as she looked over at the disgruntled Blood Hero.

"And you have no idea why this. . . egomaniac has such a grudge against you in the first place?" Power Loader asked as he looked over at the Symbol of Peace.

"Correct," All Might admitted. "Before today, I never met the lad . . . But the anger he holds. It's the kind of anger that's been festering for a long time."

"Which seems a little odd when you consider his appearance," Shouta cut in, his eyes narrowing. "At the latest, the guy is somewhere in his early twenties, so his grudge would be a result of something happening in his childhood or during his teen years."

"Maybe one of his parents was a villain you put away and now he's come for revenge on their behalf," Midnight suggested, though All Might was quick to shake his head in the negative. "I guess not."

"I'm not denying the idea outright Midnight. It's just that . . . I've faced many villains over my lengthy career," The skeletal man admitted, his face unsure as he thought over his next words. ". . . But I don't believe any of them had a quirk that could have served as foundation for this man's decay quirk. I could look back in the records to make sure though."

"Hmm, maybe the quirk is a freak mutation?" Vlad suggested as he crossed his arms. "It wouldn't be the first, and it won't be the last either."

"That's always a possibility," Nedzu agreed before looking over at Yagi. "And looking back at your old case files wouldn't hurt either."

"Though this could have been done out of revenge, it doesn't feel like it . . . Not to me," Aizawa declared as he wove his fingers together. "This felt more like he was making a statement."

"And what a statement it was," Recovery Girl mused as she tapped her cane against her chair.

"Well, nothing makes a bigger statement more than breaking into the Number One Hero's alma mater with a bunch of cronies you roped together in the hopes of killing the man." Present Mic added as he placed his hands on the table. "How in the world did he manage to gather such a group in the first place?"

"I've been wondering that too," Shizuna admitted. "Shigaraki doesn't seem to have the charisma to bring so many people together . . . He saw them more as pawns in a video game rather than actual beings."

"Video games huh? Do you think he put an ad out on the dark web?" Midnight suggested, simply to throw the idea out there.

"For all we know, that's exactly what he did . . . Taking out the Symbol of Peace tends to be a good reason for villains to band together for a time," Vlad mumbled as he brought a hand to his chin.

"Except most weren't used for that direct purpose. Many of them were used to keep the students occupied," came Shouta's rebuttal. "And Madam Blade's right. Shigaraki's demeanor doesn't scream charismatic leader."

"But at the very least, he is strategic?" Ectoplasm asked as he looked up from his notes.

"He's strategic enough to have backup with him to use against the students," Shouta answered, grimacing as he reflected on the truth of the matter. "And he's strategic enough to be able to use that same backup to time how long my quirk stayed active before I blinked."

"Well, technically, figuring out when your quirk is active isn't a hard thing to do," Vlad admitted, smirking as Aizawa turned his glare on him. "Don't you dare give me that fucking look Shouta! Your hair goes all Bride of Frankenstein as soon as you activate Erasure! A freaking toddler can make the connection."

"I hate to say it Shou, but Vlad's right. Your quirk has the biggest tell out of everyone in this room," Mic added, grinning slightly as Shouta glanced at him. "Like seriously, would it kill ya to tie it up before you get into a battle?"

"I've tried putting it in a ponytail. It still goes up regardless," Aizawa argued in his defense. "And you've personally seen it happen, Mic!"

"Have you tried putting it up in a bun, or a hat? I think a beanie would suit you, Shouta!" Midnight suggested as she looked over at the woman next to him. "What do you think Shizuna?"

"Eh, never really pictured Shouta as much of a hat person, but a beanie could be a decent fit," Shizuna mumbled, ignoring the look the man in question sent her way. "But can we go back to why we're originally here in the first place please? We're getting off tangent again."

"Onizaki is right. Despite how. . . compelling it would be to talk about the cons of Aizawa's Erasure," Nedzu admitted as he clasped his paws together. "I think it's best if we bring the focus back on USJ, especially that Nomu creature you guys described."

"Did we get any update on that?" Hound Dog asked as he turned to Ectoplasm. "The last we heard of it; All Might punched it into the stratosphere."

"Actually, the police did send us an update while the others were debriefing," Ectoplasm admitted as he opened a file on his tablet. "It says here that they have finished collaring all the villains found in USJ, and they have successfully located this. . . Nomu and captured it."

"I hope that creature wasn't too much of a hassle for them," All Might murmured, shaking his head. "It was a struggle to stop."

"On the contrary Yagi," Ectoplasm cut in. "Detective Tsukauchi writes that the Nomu was quite docile when they apprehended it. It didn't try to attack anyone . . . It didn't move throughout the entire process."

"You're serious?!" Aizawa asked as All Might simply blinked in astonishment, and Shizuna looked like she wanted to question everything that Ectoplasm just said. "You're actually serious?"

"Don't kill the messenger here . . . I'm just saying what I'm reading in the report," Ectoplasm admitted as he gestured at his tablet.

"We're not trying to come after you Ectoplasm," Shizuna mused, letting out a deep breath. "I think we're just struggling to accept that the Nomu was so compliant with the police after it was not so compliant with us."

"Maybe All Might really did knock some of its screws loose?" Power Loader suggested. "But then that would just be wishful thinking, now, wouldn't it?"

"You all are too old and experienced in this profession to be wishfully thinking at this point," Recovery Girl admonished. "Still, after hearing how much trouble the Nomu put you through, and now hearing how differently it acted with the police . . . It certainly raises some eyebrows."

"It seems that the Nomu only really moves once it receives orders," Nedzu mused as he looked around the table. "Almost like it was designed that way."

"Like someone actually created it?" Vlad asked as he looked over at Shouta and Shizuna. ". . . And you guys did say that it showed more than one quirk."

"At the very least, it was capable of shock absorption and high-speed regeneration," All Might cut in, his skeletal face looking even more grim. "Young Todoroki and Shizuna's niece had the Nomu pinned down and encased in ice, and it was a lot of ice . . . but it broke out, losing a good chunk of its body in the process."

"Only for it to replace what it lost in mere seconds," Aizawa finished. "It didn't appear bothered at all by the fact that it had to replace an entire portion of its body. . . Trust me. It was disturbing to see in real time."

"I think we'll take your word for it, Shouta," Mic conceded. "But at the very least, we do have the creature in custody, along with most of the villains that attacked today."

"But we can't say the same for Shigaraki and his getaway driver," Midnight countered. "Seriously, a quirk that allows its users to create portals?"

"Not just create portals . . . Whoever they are, they can become the portal itself," Shizuna clarified.

"Quirks capable of quick, almost instantaneous transportation are on the same level as healing in terms of rarity," Recovery Girl explained as she tightened her hold on her cane. "The fact that Shigaraki has such a powerful ally behind him makes him all the more dangerous."

"Yeah, this isn't making sense to me," Vlad declared, bringing all eyes on him. "The ringleader of the whole operation is a video game lingo using villain who's barely out of high school that somehow managed to recruit a whole gaggle of other villains for one common purpose, including his own living escape plan and a beast with multiple quirks that went toe-to-toe with All Might? Something seriously doesn't add up here!"

"Maybe Shigaraki has a secret benefactor," Midnight suggested as she looked around the table. "He or she could have recruited all the villains for Shigaraki and made him think he did it by himself . . . Could have also provided the money and scientific knowledge that led to the Nomu because it doesn't sound natural to me."

"A shadowy benefactor that could bring villains together for the common cause of killing the Symbol of Peace," Recovery Girl mumbled as she glanced at a frowning Yagi. "Now who does that remind me of. . ?"

"It can't be All for One!" All Might declared with a forcefulness that took some at the table off guard. "I took him down years ago!"

"And what happened after that?"

"What happened?!" he suddenly asked as he looked over at Shizuna, the one who had asked the question.

"Yeah, what happened?" She repeated, her tone somehow curious and serious at the same time. "You did confirm that he was taken in by the police, right?" Or, if your last confrontation with him ended up in All for One's death, you did confirm that he's dead with your own two eyes, right? Like, you saw the body, right?!"

Each question was like a dagger to the brain for the Symbol of Peace, who remained silent in the face of his fellow blonde's questioning. Everyone watched expectantly for the man's response, watching his face as he thought back to that momentous moment in time.

Unfortunately, what they heard next was not the response they were hoping for.

"I know that I took him down, but I was too wounded to personally check if All for One was still alive or dead after all that," He finally admitted, visibly disappointed. "And by the time I finally woke up, it was out of my hands."

"Out of your hands?" Shouta questioned, obviously not liking the sound of that.

"The Hero Commission took over things once the battle was over," Nedzu clarified, already expecting the scowls and grimaces that crossed his employees' faces.

The Hero Public Safety Commission had been around in Japan since the government recognized heroism as a valid - and legal - career, serving as the governing body over the country's heroes since its founding. Though it is good for many things - licensing, funding, setting proper standards - it still tended to operate in ways that were selective at best and overbearing and heavy-handed at worst.

The fact that it's also willing to conduct need-to-know operations doesn't help to foster trust between itself and heroes that know about them either.

"And you just accepted their response at face value?" Mic asked, all signs of his carefree attitude gone from his face. "You never questioned it?"

"At first, I was so certain that I finally stopped him and too focused on getting back out in the field that I didn't really think about All for One's condition at the time."

"Nice to know you had your priorities in order . . ."

All Might immediately grimaced at the Erasure Hero's dig, but he smartly kept silent, knowing that he wasn't going to get an apology any time soon.

"I'm guessing you never got around to asking the Hero Commission either?" Midnight surmised, her question only making the blonde grimace even further. ". . . Should've figured."

"Well, it shouldn't be too difficult to go to their main office and ask, right?" Vlad asked, sarcasm lacing his tone.

"It shouldn't, but the Hero Commission does have its ways of . . . making things up," Nedzu conceded, a bit of bitterness shining through his otherwise cheerful tone. "Knowing them, they'll give you the run around if you ask . . . I doubt being the Number One Hero will make you exempt from such antics."

"Ah, you just got to love the bureaucracy," Power Loader mumbled as he rested his hands on the table.

"What about your old sidekick, Sir Nighteye?" Shizuna asked, glancing back at All Might. "You guys were still a team when you last fought All for One. Wouldn't he know what happened?"

"Hmm, we haven't been on the best of terms since just after that exact battle. Our . . . differences at the time caused us to officially split up," Yagi mumbled, shaking his head. "But I can always ask . . . I could do that much. See what he knows."

"Might as well try him before going to the HC itself," Vlad suggested. "Good luck with that. Judging from that tone you're using, things between you and NIghteye are still a bit . . . frosty."

"You have no idea . . . At this rate, dealing with the Commission is probably the preferable option."

"So, until we get confirmation about All for One, it's best if we consider him a possibility for now?" Midnight asked, her question receiving a few affirmative nods in response. ". . . Good to know."

"Hmm, since we've been discussing the Hero Commission for a while now, I guess this would be a good time to bring it up."

"Bring what up?" Aizawa asked, turning his gaze to Nedzu.

"Well, to cut to the chase, what I've come up with seems pretty simple on paper, but bringing it into fruition could lead to quite the headache."

"With that headache being the Hero Commission itself?" Midnight asked, smirking slightly as the principal nodded his head in confirmation.

"What exactly have you come up with that could possibly give the Commission such fits if they found out?" Cementoss asked, having been one of the few to remain quiet up to that point.

"Well, as a hero school, U.A. already has sizable connections with many hero agencies that are currently in operation, but it's mostly for the sake of internships and work-study opportunities."

"Pretty much the bare minimum that's required of hero schools in general," Aizawa concluded as he watched his diminutive boss.

"You are correct Aizawa, but what if we do more than the bare minimum? Form a closer relationship with some of the agencies so that we're more aware of what's going on in the hero scene?"

"Oh, I see where this is going," Snipe mumbled as he adjusted his hat. "You want to create a direct info pipeline between the school and the agencies we partner with, rather than rely on just the Commission itself."

"Exactly! If this is successful, we effectively wouldn't have to rely on the HC for information that much anymore, which would be a pleasant change," Nedzu continued, smiling slightly. "After all, any updates we receive from them always seem to feel . . . edited in some way."

"As if the info they share with us is only the kind they want us to know instead of the entire story," Aizawa summarized. "When you put it that way, it makes a lot of sense."

"Yeah, it does, and now I understand why it could be such a headache for the HC," Mic admitted, grimacing slightly. "They couldn't be happy to find out that one of the biggest hero schools in the country was going around them to get info."

"At the very least, it would ruffle some feathers, make them suspicious," Snipe added. "The HC is a powerful entity to piss off, but is it worth the risk?"

"I believe it is," Nedzu admitted, nodding his head. "The Hero Commission likes to pride itself as an integral bastion needed to maintain order, but even it has its negatives . . . An entity such as that doesn't last as long as it does without having a few skeletons in its closet."

"Alright then, so if we do go ahead with your idea, which agencies should we approach first?" Mic asked as he looked over at All Might. "I'm guessing your agency is already a given?"

"Actually, my agency isn't much of an agency to begin with," All Might coughed as he brought a hand to his neck. "Comes with the caveat of letting a small number of people know my secret, you know?"

"Plus, All Might has his own issues with the Hero Commission, so there's that," Nedzu added.

"Okay, so, if All Might "agency" is out, then who should we focus on first?" Midnight asked as she watched the principal's eyes move toward Shizuna, and then it clicked. ". . . Oh."

"It really is a no-brainer once you think about it," Power Loader declared, smirking slightly underneath his mask. "The Onizaki Agency is one of the biggest in Japan, with major connections to other notable agencies both international and domestic, as well as practically all the major arms of law enforcement."

"Eh, more or less," Shizuna downplayed. "Some connections are stronger than others."

"That doesn't mean that they're not there," Midnight added, grinning from ear to ear.

"Madam Blade, how likely will a . . . partnership work between your family's agency and U.A?" Nedzu asked, already looking like he knew her answer already. . .

. . . Aizawa guessed he already did.

"All you really need is an agreement from me and my siblings for this to get a green light, and off the bat, other than myself, Fangs will probably be the only other one to agree based on premise alone," She admitted as she crossed her arms. "If my sisters are going to agree, they'll want concrete details."

"Fair enough . . . I'm more than willing to meet with them to hash things out." Nedzu declared, and once he got a confirming nod from Shizuna, he turned his attention back on the rest of the room. "We'll talk about other possible agencies later, so back to the matter at hand. . . We will also be doing a complete revamp and overhaul of security here on campus over the weekend, from the physical to the technological."

"A complete clean sweep, hm?" Aizawa mumbled. "Drastic, but not unexpected."

"Yes, well, with the security breach yesterday and what happened today, I believe it wouldn't hurt to do a complete diagnostic of our security plan and make the corrections where we must," Nedzu admitted. "The villains must have used the info they found during the breach to plan today's attack . . . We can't let that happen again."

"I'm still curious to know how they broke into our computer systems in the first place," Cementoss spoke out. "The encryptions and firewalls in the system are supposed to be some of the toughest to crack!"

"Maybe whoever it is didn't crack it by themselves," Mic suggested, his tone turning grim. "Maybe he or she had help?"

"What? Like, an inside job?!" Vlad exclaimed as he looked over at the blonde.

"Hey! I don't like the idea just as much as you do, but we can't deny that it's a possibility," Mic declared in his defense.

"It may be a possibility, but let's hope that it's not the possibility," Midnight said. "The idea that one of the staff could have helped the villains carry this out is just terrible, but we can't dismiss it immediately either, regardless of if you want to or not."

"It's definitely a possibility," Aizawa unflinchingly admitted. Though he didn't want to think about it either, logically, he couldn't dismiss it out of hand.

Currently, anything is possible, especially if you had the right quirk for it.

"Midnight and Eraserhead are correct. The idea that a traitor could be within our midst is a terrible thought, but it is not improbable either," Nedzu declared. "That doesn't mean that it gives everyone the green light to be suspicious of everyone else to the point of paranoia . . . We wouldn't get anything done otherwise."

"We need more evidence before we can even think of giving the traitor theory any more credit, at least, for now" Recovery Girl added as she pointedly looked at Mic. "For now, let's focus on the facts and what we do know. Shall we?"

Everyone nodded at the idea, though Mic still looked a little miffed to have his theory put on the backburner, and Aizawa couldn't blame him for it.

His idea had some merit to it, but it came at the cost of discussing a topic that no one really wanted to consider.

"Well, with that out of the way for now, there's still one more thing to discuss," Nedzu admitted as he looked around the table. ". . . The upcoming Sports Festival."

"You're not canceling it, I'm guessing?" Shouta asked, being rewarded with a smug grin from the talking rodent. "Should have figured. . ."

"Are you sure about this Nedzu?" Recovery Girl asked, having always been wary of the event, mainly due to all the injuries that came with it.

"The event is a couple of weeks away. That gives us enough time to get the proper security measures in place, as well as coordinate with some of the heroes for additional personnel," Nedzu countered, attempting to address the concerns he didn't doubt that she, and a few others in the room, likely had now. "Additionally, the Sports Festival is a good way to show the country that U.A. doesn't cower in the face of being attacked."

"I agree!"

"Of course, you would. . ." Aizawa mumbled, speaking under his breath as All Might looked over at their diminutive boss.

"If we canceled the event now, it would only be a signal to Shigaraki and the other villains that they were successful in rattling us," All Might continued, soldering on. "They would think that they had a mental edge over us."

"It would only embolden them further," Vlad concluded, the Symbol of Peace nodding along in complete agreement. "When you put it that way, you do make a fair point."

"My thoughts exactly, which is why the Sports Festival will continue as scheduled," Nedzu declared. "The only other thing I wanted to mention was that I decided to shake things up with the announcing team this year."

"You're taking me off the team?!" Aizawa almost exclaimed, his words immediately earning him a squawk of indignation coming from Mic. "What?"

"What do you mean 'what'?" Mic asked as he glared at his oldest friend. "You're trying to back out now?! You agreed to join me in the announcer's booth this year!"

"I said I would consider it," Aizawa countered, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Next thing I know, my name is next to yours on the festival program."

"Okay, so I may have jumped the gun, a little," Mic said in his defense. Aizawa, understandably, was not amused. "But, eh, you would've agreed regardless."

"No, no I wouldn't have," Aizawa was quick to say, his tone blunt and unforgiving.

"And yet you haven't brought this to Nedzu's attention until now, right?"

The scowl that crossed Aizawa's face was all the answer the Voice Hero needed. ". . . I figured as much."

"He got you there Shouta," Midnight teased, knowing that she too had just earned the man's ire.

Instead of pulling back, she went in for more. "Besides, do you really expect Nedzu to take you off MC duties now, when you had weeks to ask beforehand?"

"Yeah Aizawa!" Vlad called out, looking a little smug as he watched the usually unflappable man get cornered for once. "Do you?"

Everyone in the room was waiting for Shouta's response, but he was not quick to give them one. To be honest, he didn't really have a good rebuttal to give. He did have weeks to get his name off the program, but he never got around to it due to being too busy, too sleepy, or having completely forgotten about it because he was too busy being busy or sleepy.

Even though it was Mic's fault that he was signed up to do what he described as sensationalized public speaking, it was his fault for not being diligent enough to get his name away from the announcing gig.

When he glanced over at Nedzu, it felt like he was an experiment being overseen by the resident scientist. There was a knowing quality to his beady gaze that told him that his train of thought was likely going in the same direction as his was, and he didn't like it.

Simply put, he was stuck, and there was no way he was getting out of this unscathed.

"Even if I ask you nicely. . ." Aizawa grumbled, trying hard not to sound defeated as he ignored everyone to talk to the one at the head of the table. ". . . You're not going to budge from your decision, aren't you?"

"Not in the slightest, no," Came Nedzu's prompt response. "When Present Mic originally came up to me to say that you were considering joining him in the announcers' booth this year, I'll be honest, I made it official then and there."

"But what would you have done if Mic had come up to you saying the exact opposite?" Shizuna couldn't help but ask.

"I would have put Aizawa in the booth anyway," He admitted, getting grins from around the table, except for Aizawa, who was understandably scowling.

"In other words, there was no way he was getting out of this, was he?" Power Loader asked as Vlad snickered.

"Again, not in the slightest, no." Nedzu declared, dashing Aizawa's hopes once and for all.

"But, why me though?" he asked, figuring that if he wasn't going to get out of the job, he might as well get the reasoning behind such a decision. "I'm an underground hero. Doing commentary for a nationally televised event is something that I usually refrain from doing."

"And when you say refrain, you mean avoid it like it's the bubonic plague?"

"Exactly!" Shouta immediately admitted, gesturing Shizuna's way. "See! She gets it!"

"Of course, she gets it. . ." Midnight teased, only to raise her hands in surrender when Aizawa's glare found her. "I mean no harm!"

"Back to what Aizawa just said. . . Naturally, yes, I would have no problem with you helping to oversee security like you've done every year since you've first started working here, but I decided to change things up for this latest iteration," Nedzu declared. "To be honest, I think you need to get out of your comfort zone and try something new."

"You want me to get out of my comfort zone?" Aizawa asked, sounding disbelieving. "What is this? An intervention?"

"Not really. . . Think of it more as a helpful push in a different direction." Nedzu clarified, smirking slightly. "I believe helping to announce the festivities this year will be a valuable experience for you. You know, help you improve your public speaking skills a little."

"Yeah Shouta," Midnight cheered. "After all, you never know when you'll have to take center stage at a press conference!"

"You guys are enjoying this, aren't ya?" Aizawa growled, sounding bitter as Hound Dog and Vlad held back their chuckling.

"Well, there is a strange amusement of seeing you get all irritated over something you don't want to do, especially if it's something that you obviously hate doing," Vlad admitted. "But hey, at least it's just for one day!"

"To be honest, I think you and Mic will balance each other out in the booth. You can temper Mic's biases when they start showing, and Mic can encourage you to speak up more."

"Mic has been trying to encourage Aizawa to speak more for years now," Vlad stated with a smirk. "If he were successful, Aizawa would have been a frequent contributor to his radio show by now . . . You think having them stuck together on announcing duty is going to change that?"

"It should, now that Madam Blade's going to join them!"

"Say what now?" Shizuna asked, visibly stunned as Mic grinned from ear-to-ear and Aizawa looked on, just as stunned. Everyone else just seemed more amused than anything. "You're adding me to the announcer's booth?"

"Yes, yes I am," Nedzu declared, completely unrepentant. "As a former winner yourself, you would be giving a unique perspective to the proceedings."

"All Might's also a former winner. Hell, he won in all three years he was a student here! If you're going by that logic, wouldn't he be the better option?" Shizuna reasoned as she pointed at the Symbol of Peace.

"You make a fair point, but Yagi already has his role for the Sports Festival, and that's where he'll remain," Nedzu countered. "If it helps any, All Might was indeed my first choice for the role, but then I immediately realized that he would have to remain in his muscle form while doing it, and we don't need him to overuse his quirk any more than he must. . . After all, his muscle form looks and sounds different from his skeletal one. Wouldn't want him to suddenly deflate in front of the cameras now, would we?"

"Dammit, that's a good point," Shizuna mumbled, laying back in her chair as All Might sent her a sheepish glance.

"Wouldn't Shizuna being in the booth be opening its own can of worms though?" Aizawa suddenly asked. "It's a well-known fact that announcing duties is handled by the U.A. staff, and since she has two of her relatives among the First Years, someone is bound to make the connection and ask questions, regardless of how unbiased she ends up being."

"Well look at this! He may dress in all black, but he's coming to his lady's aid like a knight in shining armor!" Vlad decreed, his words immediately a few snorts, while Aizawa just glared daggers his way.

"I'm being serious here!"

"We know you are Aizawa, but you must admit that what Vlad just said is quite an apt comparison," Ectoplasm admitted, sounding a little amused.

"As for your concerns, well, to be blunt, we can't hide their familial connection from the public forever," Nedzu conceded as he moved his gaze away from Aizawa and Shizuna. "At the very least, we could use the festival in our favor. Control the narrative if you will."

It wasn't hard to see what the principal was trying to get at. If the media found out about Shizuna's connection to the twins, they could run with the story however they want to, and knowing the media, the most they would hope for is collective indifference.

But if Shizuna came out and admitted it first, as well as what's already been done to address it, the media would have a tough time twisting things for their own ends.

"Control the narrative hmm?" Shizuna mused as she brought a hand to her chin. "Yeah, that could work. . . If we don't make a big deal out of it, why should they?"

"Now we're talking!" Mic exclaimed with a beaming smile on his face. "And don't you worry senpai. With me and Aizawa on your side, you'll have nothing to worry about."

"That's right! With Mic's ability to switch between topics with ease and Aizawa's ability to sound uninterested in practically anything, I'm sure the media will have no cause to investigate your teaching status here!"

"Do I really sound like I'm uninterested in everything Midnight?" Aizawa grumbled, taking offense at the dig.

"Well, there is one thing that may bring emotion to your voice," She teased, glancing over at Shizuna to make her obvious point.

A point that Shouta immediately understood, if the sudden blush was anything to go by. ". . . Well, someone if I'm being perfectly honest."

"Yeah, we get it," Aizawa mumbled as he looked off to the side, catching sight of Shizuna's amused expression in the process. "Are we done now?"

"Pretty much! I'll call you, Madam Blade, and All Might back when Detective Tsukauchi arrives, which shouldn't be long now," Nedzu admitted as he glanced at a nearby clock. "For now, I'll call this meeting to a close. You're all dismissed."

It didn't take long for the room to empty out after that. Some were quick to shoot Shouta and Shizuna one last glance before leaving, but both ignored them as they went, too wrapped up in their thoughts to really give them any notice. . .

. . . Well, Aizawa was. Shizuna just made herself appear like she was too wrapped up in her thoughts to give them any notice.

"Are you okay Shouta?" She dared to ask once everyone else was safely out of the room.

"Aside from feeling bone tired, I'm okay," He admitted as he leaned back in his chair. "You?"

"I'm all right. . . There was a lot more action than I was hoping for for my first week teaching here, but I'll manage." She admitted as she rolled her chair a little closer to his.

"Yeah, probably wasn't the most ideal of weeks, but congratulations, you survived it!" Aizawa mumbled, sounding quite half-hearted as he gave the somewhat cheery response.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Shizuna asked, growing concerned. 'You don't sound like you're alright."

"I'm okay . . . Really, I am," He managed to say, taking a deep breath as he looked up at the ceiling. "It's just that just now, I realized. . . something."

"Something?" Shizuna quietly asked, watching his face as it grew even paler. "What did you realize Shouta?"

"I know that I've lost students due to my own choices. . ."

Shizuna did not need an explanation to know what he was talking about there.

"But I've almost never lost a student under my care like I almost did today," Aizawa whispered, looking off in the distance, as if he were only half present. ". . . This was the closest a kid almost came to dying on my watch, Shizuna, and it's just taking me a minute to process it."

The admission almost brought Shizuna to an absolute standstill, her body moving quicker than her brain as she found herself wrapping her arms around Aizawa's still frame. As a fellow teacher, she understood where he came from, as seeing their students in peril was always one of the downsides of being a hero school teacher.

A hero teacher's main duty was not only to guide and protect their students as they matured into respectable heroes, but to ensure their safety as they grew. Today, Class 1-A was put through a danger that neither truly foresaw, and for Aizawa, it put into focus how close they were to something much worse, especially since many of the students were separated from them, and each other, for much of the ordeal.

Shizuna quietly held him as Aizawa slowly got his bearings back together, listening as his shallow breathing lessened into deeper, quieter breaths. She only flinched slightly as she felt his chin rest along her right shoulder, resisting the urge to stroke his hair like a cat for only a second before going forward with it, letting the extra touch soothe him as best she could.

After a couple of minutes, Shizuna pulled back slightly to take a better look at Aizawa's face as the stress of the day continued to take its toll on him. Bringing her hands to his face, she softly smiled as the man melted into her touch, his eyes closing immediately as he continued to take in a few breaths.

For his part, Aizawa didn't expect Shizuna to react to his mini breakdown – he wasn't willing to call it that, but it basically was one - the way that she did, if he was going to be truthful. He didn't expect her to reach for him like she did, but he easily welcomed her presence, reaching up to take her hands into his own before finally bringing them down to his lap.

When he finally opened his eyes, he found Shizuna looking down at their hands rather than his face, in a way, giving him a small sense of privacy, while still being there for him at the same time, and thus his affection for her grew just a notch more.

"Being a hero is one thing; being a hero teacher is a whole other animal . . ." She mused as she kept her eyes on their hands. "There will be good days, there will be bad days, and then there'll be those days that just make you want to crawl under a blanket with a bottle of sake and a hope that the next day will be better."

"I think I've had all three of those kinds of days, minus the sake," He admitted, smirking slightly at her words. "It's been doubly so since I've become a teacher. . . It's been frustrating, tiring, and yet. . ."

"It's rewarding and endearing at the same time?" She asked, looking up at him. "If you get past the students you actually expelled, I'm sure you got some personal satisfaction from watching these kids grow and mature under your tough love approach."

"Tough love?" Shouta asked, his question only making her smirk slightly. "Is that what you call my teaching style?"

"With your logical mind that's unwilling to take any of the students' bullshit, yes," She cheekily admitted in return. "Coupled with the fact that you don't act out of pure malice, but because you honestly care about your students enough that you're willing to play the bad guy for the sake of their future viability . . . It's obvious, isn't it?"

"When you put it that way, it's practically undeniable," He softly admitted. "You know, when I first started teaching, I did so with the goal of not getting attached to any students."

"You should have thrown that idea in the trash as soon as you thought of it," Shizuna stated bluntly, her tone making Eraserhead visibly sheepish. "When you're a teacher, you're bound to grow attached to one kid per year, at minimum."

"Not me, I legitimately expelled my first ever class!"

"From just the Hero Course, or from U.A. itself?"

"From U.A. itself, but Nedzu gave the class the chance to reapply for their Second Year."

"And how many reapplied?"

"Fifteen of the original twenty."

"And how many of them were successfully accepted back into the program?"

"Only seven," Aizawa admitted, smirking sheepishly as he looked back on the memory. "And they took their second chance to heart . . . They changed for the better."

"And isn't that what teaching's all about? Seeing kids learn and improve under your tutelage?" She asked, though she didn't expect him to answer her. When he didn't, she soldiered on. "The fact that you can even look back on your very first class with some form of, well, I guess, appreciation, in this instance, shows how much you care about your students, even if you don't make it a habit of actually showing it."

"And I don't usually show it," Aizawa agreed as he looked out of the window. "A lot has happened this first week. . . It's not going to get any easier, will it?"

"Not likely, no. . . Not with the group of kids you have this year," She admitted. "And you'll likely lose more sleep in the process, but I'm sure it's nothing you can't manage."

"Don't you mean that we can't handle?" Aizawa asked, smirking slightly as he watched her right eyebrow go up slightly. "I'm talking about all of us teachers of course, but I was referring to you specifically. After me, you're the sensei they see most daily."

"Huh. . . Shit you're right," She mumbled as realization dawned on her. "I never realized how much I see your problem children on a daily basis till now, so, thanks for the reminder."

"My pleasure," he whispered, his smirk still there on his face. "And excuse me? Did you say my problem children?"

"I know you call only a couple of your students problem children, but still, it's your homeroom!" She countered, back to being cheeky. "That means you, technically, have primary custody. The rest of us, at best, have partial custody."

"I may have primary custody, but as the teacher the kids see the second most, you have secondary custody." Aizawa argued in return. "Everyone else has partial custody."

"Since all of us teachers have some kind of custody over the kids, what do we call Recovery Girl and Nedzu in all this?"

"Why are we even having this conversation?" Aizawa asked in return.

"I was trying to reassure you over the day's events, and then we went off tangent with the custody analogy," She calmly explained.

"You went off tangent, and I got dragged along for the ride."

"And yet I don't see you complaining," She insisted. "I think you actually enjoyed this."

"I honestly did, but you won't see me admitting it in public," Shouta admitted as his face suddenly became serious once again. "And if you ever tell Nemuri or Hizashi about this, I will deny everything."

"Your secret is safe with me." She would have finished her sentence, but the sudden touch of his lips against her right cheek stopped her cold in her tracks, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't hear that," He whispered, his naturally raspy tone and unexpected apology sending shivers down Shizuna's spine as he spoke close to her ear. "Do you mind repeating it?"

"I think you heard me well enough. . ." She managed to say as she felt his lips pull into a smirk against her skin. "So now you want to tease me?"

"I hadn't planned to. It was more a spontaneous action on my part," He calmly argued, grinning mischievously as he got a full view of her reaction. "You really are beautiful when you blush. . ."

"Oh, stop it. . . You're simply happy that you got such a reaction out of me," She mumbled, looking off to the side to hide her face, though Aizawa was undeterred. In fact, he was ecstatic that he got such a rise out of her, and coupled with the fact he didn't hear any hostility when she spoke, he knew that she enjoyed the kiss as much as he did giving it to her . . .

. . . Plus, he sensed a prime opportunity to turn the tables on her, and he was going to take it.

"Looks like someone's not used to compliments either," He teased, turning her head back around to face him with a well-placed finger to her chin. ". . . And you gave me all that grief earlier about it."

"And so the tables are turned, is that it?" She mumbled, getting the gist of what was going on almost immediately.

"You have to admit that the situation is pretty ironic now, right?"

"It is, but sometimes you just gotta appreciate the ironies," She mumbled as she tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. ". . . Thank you."

"It's no problem," He whispered in return, now conscious of the fact that their faces were mere inches from each other, and slowly getting closer with each second. Their noses were almost touching at this point, but instead of pulling back, Aizawa finally let his emotions win out.

"Aiza-" It was all that she could say before the man's lips were on hers, the two finally coming together for their first kiss. At first, it was only a quick peck, just the two of them getting a feel for each other before Aizawa managed to pull himself back. Fortunately for him, he didn't get too far, as Shizuna moved to kiss him back, deepening the kiss as her hand moved to caress his cheek.

Aizawa had never felt more relaxed, more relieved, in that moment. Having always kept his feelings at bay, he was always wary of showing outward emotion to anyone, even to those he considered his closest friends. To know that the woman he cared for returned his feelings in kind was one thing, but to have it be shown with such a physical act was another, and he liked it.

Eventually, due to the lack of air, they separated, breaking apart to find the other staring back at them, their eyes half-lidded as they let the moment sink in.

"That was. . ." Aizawa trailed off, his brain still wired on his bold move as he tried to find the right words to say. "That was much better than I expected."

"I'm glad to hear that I exceeded your expectations," Shizuna whispered in return as she leaned her forehead against his, smiling contentedly.

"Most definitely," He admitted, unable to resist a glance at her plump lips, He was debating kissing her again when the sound of the door opening caught their ears. He figured it was only Nedzu and All Might with Tsukauchi in tow, but when he looked up, he was a bit dismayed to see Mic and Midnight back in the room, especially since the latter was watching them with mischief in her eyes.

"I'm sorry guys. I tried to stop her." Mic tried to say, only to get an elbow to the gut from Midnight in return.

"You did no such thing! You're just trying to save face," The 18+ hero chided him, smirking as he continued to stay doubled over in pain. "Besides, all I came here to do is return Shouta's scarf."

"I don't believe that for one second," Shizuna bluntly exclaimed. "Returning Shouta's scarf is just a cover you gossip hound!"

"Now that's just an unjust assumption!"

"Oh, I think it's pretty just," Aizawa cut in, just as his phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and checked his messages, and for once, he was glad to get a message from Nedzu for once. "Tsukauchi just arrived. We're needed in Nedzu's office."

"But wait! Don't you want to talk first?!" Midnight asked, and Shouta couldn't help but smirk at how off balanced she looked.

"Um, not really!" Shizuna declared as she stood up. "C'mon Shouta. Let's not keep the boss waiting."

"But, but Shizuna . . . Is he a good kisser?!"

"So, you were listening in?!"The new couple exclaimed together as they glared daggers at the two.

"I was not!" Mic passionately exclaimed right back before pointing Midnight's way. "She, on the other hand, can't say the same!"

"Should have figured," Aizawa growled as he approached the raven-haired woman. "I'd like my scarf back now."

"And I'm willing to give it back," Midnight mused as she fingered the long coil of fabric hanging loosely around her neck. ". . . If you guys answer a few of my questions first."

Aizawa had no plans on giving the woman what she wanted, but he really wanted his scarf back, and cursed himself for not getting it back earlier when he had the chance.

Fortunately, Shizuna had him covered, using her aura in a targeted strike on the provocative hero, dialing her power up enough that Midnight was paralyzed in place.

Mic was stunned by this latest development, but Aizawa was quite pleased with this change of fortune. He quickly took his scarf from around Midnight's neck, and even dared to smirk right in front of the woman's face before returning it back around his neck.

"See, this is what happens when you don't mind your business." Aizawa admonished as Midnight's lips moved just enough to form a scowl. He then turned to Shizuna, his face now obscured by his weapon, though his smirk was still there. "Let's go Shizuna."

"Gladly!" She declared, taking hold of his offered hand. As the two left, Mic couldn't help but smirk at their departing forms before turning to Midnight, who was still frozen where she stood, but she wasn't grimacing this time. . .

. . . She was smirking.

"Was it worth it?" He asked as he started to walk away, content to let the woman stay where she was.

"So worth it!"

And she meant every word she said.


A/N: Okay, here's a few things. . .

Do you all think Aizawa's hair would stay in place if he used Erasure while it was all piled up in a bun, or do you think it would explode out, just for the drama?

I always wondered if All Might ever took the effort to make sure that All for One was confirmed to be dead after facing the man in canon. You know, the battle that causes his initial injury in the first place? If he did, then All for One really knows how to cheat death. If he didn't, then that was a HUGE ERROR on his part!

Of course I was going to include Mic's insinuation that there was a traitor within U.A. It paid off in canon, so why not bring it here.

Yeah, Midnight may have foreshadowed a future event with her words in this chapter. Can you find it?

Aizawa is out cold in canon immediately after the events at USJ, and doesn't pop again until he reappears as Mummyzawa before the Sports Festival. I know that scene is a little funny, and yes, the older arcs focused on the students more than the teachers, but I feel like we were a little robbed in not seeing the emotional impact that USJ may have had on him, so I decided to bring that here.

Also, with their first kiss, Shizuna and Aizawa have officially cemented themselves as a couple in this fic, the first of the three. As for the other two, they will get there, eventually.

Next chapter, we get back to our favorite students. This is SandsnakeQueen, signing off!